Chapter 43 Summary: Sal’s Ordeal and Kit’s Crucial Ride to Wavre

⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.

Summary

The chapter follows two parallel journeys on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. Sal, carrying fifty pounds of potatoes, finds a baker in the dark to cook them. The baker assaults her while she sleeps; she fights him off, retrieves the potatoes, and returns to her camp, where her family and fellow Kingsbridge men enjoy the warm food. Meanwhile, Kit is woken by the Earl of Shiring and attends Wellington’s briefing. The Duke admits his army is slightly outnumbered and will only fight if the Prussians join them. Kit and the earl ride through the night to Wavre to deliver a letter to Field Marshal Blücher. Blücher agrees to march but faces severe delays – a broken cannon, a narrow bridge over a flooded river, and a fire in the town. By ten thirty, the Prussians are only just beginning to move. Kit estimates they will arrive at the battlefield around three thirty in the afternoon.

Key Events

Sal trudges in the rain, carrying a sack of potatoes to feed her family. She finds a baker and negotiates to have the potatoes baked.
While Sal sleeps by the oven, the baker unbuttons her trousers and gropes her. She wakes, draws her knife, and forces him back. She takes the potatoes and a loaf, then leaves.
On her return, Sal gets lost in the dark woods. At dawn she sees the road only a hundred yards away. She reaches Mont St.-Jean and distributes the baked potatoes to Jarge and the men.
At Wellington’s headquarters, intelligence estimates Napoleon has 72,000 men and 250 guns against Wellington’s 68,000 and 150 guns. Wellington says he will not fight unless the Prussians join.
Wellington sends the Earl of Shiring and Kit to Wavre on horseback with a letter for Blücher. Kit is told to stay with the Prussians and report their estimated time of arrival.
After a muddy ride, they meet Blücher, who is willing to march. Kit stays behind and observes the Prussian army’s struggles: a narrow bridge, a broken cannon axle, and a fire that halts the column.
By 10:30 a.m. the Prussians are finally moving. Kit estimates they will reach Mont St.-Jean in about five hours, around 3:30 p.m., and rides ahead to give Wellington the news.

Character Development

Sal: Her resourcefulness and resilience are highlighted. She negotiates shrewdly, defends herself fiercely against assault, and refuses to let exhaustion defeat her. Her inner strength – counting blessings and suppressing despair – marks her as a survivor.
Kit: He grows into his role as an aide. He takes initiative (shouting at the Prussian guard in German), handles the responsibility of staying with the Prussians, and shows tactical awareness in estimating the column’s speed. His earlier fear of battle is now manageable.
Earl Henry: Demonstrates calm authority and trust in Kit. He manages the long ride without complaint and guides Kit through the diplomatic encounter with Blücher.
The baker: Represents predatory opportunism. His assault on Sal shows the lawlessness of wartime and the dangers women face even from civilians.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Food as life and love: Sal’s potatoes are a tangible act of care. The baked potatoes bring comfort and hope to cold, hungry soldiers. The aroma marks a brief moment of heaven in the mud.
Light and darkness: The chapter opens with no moon; Sal navigates by feel. Dawn brings relief and direction. Lanterns, candles, and the baker’s oven offer small beacons of safety and warmth.
Logistics decide battles: More than heroism, the chapter stresses the mundane challenges of moving armies – bad roads, broken axles, flooding, fire. The outcome of Waterloo hangs on whether Blücher can get his guns and men through a single narrow bridge.
Class and loyalty in armies: Kit reflects that most French soldiers fight willingly while many British serve unwillingly or were forced. This contrast undercuts romantic notions of war.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter sets the decisive strategic condition for the Battle of Waterloo. It makes clear that Wellington will not fight without Prussian support and shows how precarious that support is. Simultaneously, it reinforces the personal stakes for the characters: Sal’s ordeal with the baker echoes the brutality of the era, while Kit’s mission gives him a crucial role. The chapter also deepens our understanding of how ordinary people endure war through small acts of kindness – like baked potatoes – and sheer stubbornness.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Wellington initially refuse to fight, and what are his two plans?
Wellington refuses to fight because he is outnumbered in both men and artillery. Plan A is for the Prussians to join him, giving him a numerical advantage. Plan B is a retreat through the forest of Soignes to a last stand near Ixelles. He strongly prefers Plan A.

2. How does Sal defend herself when the baker assaults her, and what does this reveal about her character?
Sal wakes, knocks the baker’s hand away with a strong blow, jumps up, and draws her long knife ready to stab him. She only stops when reason returns. This reveals her quick reflexes, fierce will to survive, and the trauma of her prison past that instantly triggers rage at any violation.

3. What obstacles delay the Prussian march from Wavre to Mont St.-Jean?
The narrow bridge over the flooded river Dyle forces a slow crossing. A heavy cannon breaks its axle, blocking the street. Then a fire spreads through the town, causing panic and forcing the column to halt and reverse direction. Alternative bridges are used, but the delays push the arrival time from morning to mid-afternoon.