It must be obvious to the intelligent and attractive readers of this thread, who will form their own opinion as to the veracity of this report, that the execrated tax flunkies deserved a sound drubbing!
Thus it was, that Squire Snapcase, sapped and wearied by ‘Old Bill’s’ incessant demands for a douceur, came up with a cunning plan.
Knowing that the voracious vassals of the Revenue were intent on delivering some confiscated brandy to Snapcase Manor, the Squire passed on the particulars to his niece, the Honourable Verity ‘Peaches’ Snapcase. Peaches, of course, being a member of the ‘Much-Piddling Eight’, a guild of like-minded fearless and doughty women, who served the Prince Regent under the auspices of the Prime Minister, William Cavendish-Bentinck, 3rd Duke of Portland.
Thus, it came to pass, on that fateful day, that an ambush was planned to restore the confiscated brandy to its rightful owners, the Much-Piddling Eight. In return for the intelligence relating to the intended delivery, the Eight intended to share the proceeds of the ambush with the Squire.
The rest is, as they say, history…..
‘Old Bill’ met his deserved end, his head blown off by Doctor Pattie O’Fernyture’s trusty blunderbuss. Our narrator states that she is Spanish, but this is only half true. Pattie Harper was born in 1782 in Tangaveane, County Donegal. She was the second of eleven children who survived infancy in a farming family in the Catholic peasantry that predominated in rural Ireland at the time. Her younger brother Patrick (the fourth child), may be known to some readers for his exploits in the 95th Rifles. Patrick had left the family in 1801 to join the British Army. Pattie’s father was Irish, but her mother was from Catalonia (a relative of one Stephen Maturin FRS). She was married off young, so that there were less mouths to feed in the Harper farm. Her husband, Darragh O’Fernyture was killed in the Irish rebellion of 1798. Pattie attended medical studies at Trinity College, Dublin, paid for by a rich uncle, Séamus O’Fernyture.
From left to right we have; Lady Constance Snoring-Cabstanleigh, Duchess Ophelia Lovett-Behynde, 1st Lieutenant Veronica (Ronnie) Toastrack, Major Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Comtesse Marie Antoinette du Bedandboard, Marchioness Honeysuckle Tossington-Crust, Doctor Pattie O’Fernyture and The Honourable Verity (Peaches) Snapcase.
(https://i.imgur.com/lJicyp3.jpg)
Although having used the En Garde! rules before, (see The Ruin of Mimsie Hawley (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=124062.0)), we were keen to get to the sword fighting part, which in this set of rules, we particularly enjoy. We had not realised from our previous game, how efficacious the firearms were, resulting in several deaths before the fighting became hand-to-hand. A great game though and many thanks to Vaggers for organising it.
I must thank Vaggers and Mrs. Vaggers for their superb hospitality during my sojourn in their delightful abode. Once again, Mrs. V’s homemade lemon drizzle cake was in evidence, heaven on a stick!
As has already been stated, we sorely missed our third musketeer, the charming and erudite Doug ex-em4, the very essence of joie de vivre!