Recipes From Disaster - Part 4

In fact Flo's illness, though a source of acute anxiety to Alexis, was really a blessing in disguise for his mission. By association, he had been in danger of being identified with her politically; in the Crimean medical world this would have been a severe disadvantage. As it was he found it far tougher to get things done than in Turkey. A further setback was that he was at first not regarded too seriously; an unfortunate early incident occurred when the horse he had borrowed was stolen from outside Mary Seacole's British Hotel, his favourite watering hole. This mishap was given maximum and widespread publicity, mainly from Mary in her well-meaning efforts to recover the horse (which she finally managed, minus the saddle) but also from the owner, a Balaklava-based medic, whose saddle had been valuable and who had only lent the horse on the understanding that Soyer took extreme care not to lose it. He was therefore perhaps understandably roundly cursing Soyer to all and sundry as a complete idiot. The story went round the camps with relish that Alexis had managed to lose three horses in one day - this was a half truth, the others had temporarily been handed to minders who didn't happen to be on the spot exactly when he wanted them - but the damage was done.

Lord Raglan however, proved very amenable and was always ready to talk to him, in the rare moments when the C-in-C had time free to do so. As a member of the Reform Club, he was familiar with Alexis' prowess as a cook from old, and as an immediate priority, he charged him with supervising the cook at his Headquarters mess! Alexis showed him the model of his new field stove and he was suitably impressed, but when would the consignment arrive? Alexis himself was bitterly frustrated that there was still no news of it.

Raglan did lend a sympathetic ear to Alexis complaints about lack of progress on the improvements he had recommended for the hospitals, and he instructed his Military Secretary, Lieut Colonel Sir Thomas Steele, to follow them up. With Flo no longer accompanying him, Alexis was also able to strike up a amicable relationship with Doctor Hall - they toured the hospitals together and it was probably through Hall's influence that the cooperation

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