‘Captain Thornleigh.’
The world trembled and swam. The smell of gunsmoke rose in Hugh’s nostrils. He felt suddenly sick.
‘Wicksteed.’
‘Glad to see you haven’t forgotten me yet, sir.’
Hugh’s hand trembled on the reins, causing his horse to step unhappily from side to side. He managed to clear his throat enough to speak again.
‘So this is how it begins?’
Claver spat on the dust in front of him and straightened up with a smile.
‘After a manner of speaking, sir, I suppose so. Yes. This is how it begins.’
HISTORICAL NOTE
A
ll the situations and leading players in
Instruments of Darkness
are fictional, but two characters did exist and deserve to be acknowledged.
John Hunter (1728-93) was a hugely influential surgeon in Georgian London and did own a sort of private zoo, including at one point leopards; his collection of samples and preparations are still on show in the Hunterian Museum, at the Royal College of Surgeons in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London. For an account of his life I recommend
The Knife Man
by Wendy Moore.
Stephen Paxton (1734-87) was born in Durham but became something of a celebrity cellist in London until his death. His music has long been neglected, but the first ever recording of his Concerto -which Susan hears at her father’s concert - is now available through the Cello Classics label on
www.celloclassics.com
, played by Sebastian Comberti.
The Gordon Riots brought chaos to London from 2-7 June 1780. The Army were eventually called out and hundreds of rioters were shot. Some were also executed, though Lord George Gordon himself was found Not Guilty of treason.
I owe a huge debt to a number of great historians of the Georgian age, in particular Amanda Vickery for her book
The Gentleman’s Daughter: Women’s Lives in Georgian England
, and Roy Porter for
Flesh in the Age of Reason
amongst others. Claire Harman’s excellent biography of Fanny Burney was also a great resource and inspiration.
All inaccuracies, anachronisms and downright mistakes are my own.
Instruments of Darkness
IMOGEN ROBERTSON
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