Milan.
At Baron Tremeroni's villa, where Beaulieu was recuperating, he looked over the report Leptai had just sent and curled his lips in a scornful smile. He said to the officer beside him:
"Tell colonel Leptai that we can agree to the French demand not to destroy the bridge and use this to delay them for another two days.
"We will still need that bridge when we head to Alexandria later.
"In less than half a month, reinforcements from Genoa will arrive. Have colonel Leptai fall back to the Ticino River..."
He had barely finished speaking when an officer stumbled through the door and said in a terrified voice:
"Marshal, traces of the French Army have been discovered in the Southern Suburbs. There are at least three or four thousand men... and quite a lot of cavalry..."
Beaulieu shot up from his chair and instinctively made the sign of the cross over his chest. "God!"
Damn it, they were here again!
Leptai had just reported that there were over ten thousand French troops facing him. So where had these several thousand come from?
Were the French rabbits?
Could they burrow out from anywhere...
White-faced, Beaulieu gestured for his attendant to fetch his Military Uniform, then turned and barked at the officer beside him:
"Quick, have Major Martinelli prepare for battle..."
Halfway through, he shook his head dejectedly.
There were only a little over four hundred soldiers in Milan, one hundred and fifty of whom were his Guard. Most of the rest were lightly wounded and unfit to accompany Leptai to the Po River defensive line.
There was simply no way they could hold Milan!
Beaulieu looked at the officer who had raised the alarm. "How far away are the French?"
"They left Lodi at dawn. They should be about six