Chapter 14: The Best-Laid Plans

The sun was high in the sky when he awoke. Harriet was sitting in a chair with some needlework, and she, too, looked rested.

“Good morning, love,” she said and beamed a smile at him. “How do you feel?”

“I’m ravenous,” he answered, aware that the throbbing pain in his leg, something to which he had become used, was absent. Yet his leg was there, as he ascertained by moving it slightly. Some discomfort was still there, but it was nothing like the kind of piercing pain that had shot through his leg whenever he moved. “My leg is much better,” he added.

As if on cue, Lucy came in.

“Good morning! I thought I’d have a look at your leg before I leave for the hospital.”

“Good morning, Lucy,” Tony answered. “How are the wounded?”

“Three men died of the gangrene yesterday,” she replied sadly. “Another one obviously died under Mr. Wilkes knife whilst he tried to amputate a mortified leg. It is so sad to see all those young men so badly wounded. But several of the men we were worried about have improved. I must tell you that sending over the ale has won you the hearts of everyone. I am also to relate the thanks of Monsieur Bourdichon, the French second lieutenant. He is amongst the wounded, and he asked me to thank you for your generosity.”

“Tell him to think nothing of it.”

“I shall tell him, but he is grateful anyway, and rightfully so. Now about your leg.”

Lucy unwrapped the thigh to examine the wound. She bent down over the thigh to sniff and blushed furiously when she realised that she had her face almost in a man’s groin.

“Mr. Wilkes has shown me the difference between a healthy smell and mortification,” she mumbled to hide her embarrassment. “This smells like healing.”

Tony tried to see the leg. “The wound is still open?” he asked.

“Yes, and it must stay open for a few more days. Mr. Wilkes says that the wound must heal from the inside. If the skin closes too early, boils can form underneath. The pus that comes out is good for the healing. If the wound will close before the pus stops flowing, Mr. Wilkes will have to lance it.”

Tony squirmed uncomfortably. “How long will this take?”

“Another week perhaps, I don’t know. Mr. Wilkes should know.”

“When can I get up?”

“Not before that wound is closed, I am afraid.” She giggled. “Harriet said she would stay with you as long as she is needed. When you can get up, she will lose her justification for staying here, and we cannot have that!”

Both Harriet and Tony laughed in response. In the meantime, Lucy had replaced the bandage, and Moira joined them. Mrs. Blacket brought a hearty breakfast of fried bacon and eggs, with a strong coffee. He was barely finished when Mrs. Blacket announced another visitor.

“Captain, zere is a Miss Wilson to see you.”

“Please, show her in,” he answered with some trepidation.

This could prove a prickly situation. Harriet sat upright, her hackles already raised. When Elizabeth Wilson entered, Harriet set her jaw visibly. Elizabeth looked about and she obviously felt the hostile reaction of Harriet. She spoke cautiously.

“Good morning, Captain Carter, I came to pay my respects and to see whether there is anything I can do to assist you.”

“Good morning, Miss Wilson. This is very kind of you, but I can assure you that I am recovering already. May I introduce you to the ladies? Harriet, this is Miss Wilson, my tenant. She tailored those wonderful uniforms for me. Miss Wilson, this is my dear friend and future wife, Mrs. Harriet Palmer. Over there are Miss Lucy Gutteridge and Miss Moira McTaggart, both close friends of Mrs. Palmer.”

Elizabeth turned on her charm.

“I am delighted to meet you, Mrs. Palmer, and you too, Miss Gutteridge and Miss McTaggart. Please let me know whether I may be of service to you. I am a seamstress, and I would feel it an honour to be of your service.”

“Thank you Miss Wilson,” Harriet replied, somewhat mollified by the friendly air the young woman exuded. “I may indeed have to ask for your assistance. I thought of relieving the strict black of my dress, but I had no time to do so in London.”

“It would be my pleasure,” Elizabeth answered eagerly. “May I ask what you have in mind?”

“Some white or lilac, perhaps?”

Elizabeth closed her eyes and opened them again.

“I see a black skirt. A black top with lilac piping finish on the seams and the darts to underscore your slender waist. A white blouse, with the same lilac piping finish and a lilac bow tie would complete it. Of course, you’d need two or three blouses and bow ties.”

Harriet nodded with enthusiasm. “Yes, I can see it too. When might you take my measure?”

“Why not today? Do you want me to come here or would you rather visit my shop?”

Harriet looked at her friends.

“Shop,” Lucy said with finality. “Don’t think for one moment that we shall let you go there alone, either.”

Moira nodded enthusiastically, and the easy laughter that followed cleared the atmosphere. Tony was relieved.

“There is no real hurry, Miss Wilson, but I could do with two new breeches as well, and another five shirts when you’ll find the time. Regrettably, one pair of the fine breeches you tailored was ruined by a French sharpshooter.”

“Certainly, Captain,” Elizabeth replied. The visit, done out of worry for the man she still liked, was paying off nicely. Winning a lady such as Mrs. Palmer as a customer could help her enormously.

“How is our renegade nun?” Tony asked next.

“She is a great help, at least as long as John Little is not ashore. She deserted me for the second evening yesterday. I had to hire two more helpers to cope with the business,” she ended, sounding decidedly smug. She did not try to hide the pride she felt.

“That is good to hear. I am glad for you, and I am sure that your success is well earned.”

“There is another thing, Captain. I may be able to buy my own premises. Mr. Hogsbotham advised me, and he thinks I can easily afford it. Would you be willing to sell the house on Mulberry Street?”

Tony considered only briefly. He had bought the house on a whim, mostly to help the young woman to whom he had taken a liking. He did not really need it.

“I shall give Mr. Hogsbotham notice that he can arrange for the transaction. How will you handle the ownership?”

“I was talking to Mr. Hogsbotham already, and he advised me that my brother, being a Navy warrant officer, can be the owner. He will also contribute to the purchase with his share of the rewards.”

Tony grinned at Harriet. “You may be able to pay for the house by making dresses for Mrs. Palmer, or rather Mistress Carter as she will soon style herself.”

That started laughter, and when, a few minutes later, Elizabeth Wilson left, Harriet gave her a friendly nod.

“She is nicer than I expected,” Harriet stated afterwards.

The rest of the day fell into the same pattern as the one before, with Lucy and Moira visiting the wounded sailors, and Harriet sitting with Tony most of the time. Two, three and four days passed in this fashion, and Harriet realised with surprise that she had been in Portsmouth for a week. Anita Heyworth had written two letters, one for her and one for Tony. She wished Tony a speedy recovery and she thanked Harriet for keeping her informed. The tone was friendly, but seemed distant, adding to Harriet’s fear of losing Anita’s friendship.

The day, however, brought some diversion. Mr. Wilkes had allowed Tony to stand up and sit at the table during lunch and supper. Little had assisted him down the stairs and into the dining room, and Tony felt relieved to wear clothes again and to sit at a table. He had good company, too, since all three young ladies and Mr. Wilkes joined him for the noon meal. In the middle of the first course, a knock was heard from the door, and shortly after, Mrs. Blacket came in.

“Sir Richard Lambert and Lady Lambert to see you, Sir.”

“Please, show them in, Mrs. Blacket, and be so kind as to set for two more guests.”

Nadine Blacket nodded, and showed the visitors in. Tony stood up carefully on his right leg; no discomfort could keep him from maintaining his good manners.

“Lady Lambert, Sir Richard, welcome to my home. Please excuse me if I cannot come forward to greet you, but I am still somewhat limited in the use of my leg.”

“Do not trouble yourself, my dear Carter,” Sir Richard answered hastily, “we only came to ascertain that you are recovering as speedily as Harriet reported.”

“This is very kind of you, indeed, Sir Richard. Would you care to join us for lunch? I take it that you arrived from London. You must be famished.”

Mrs. Blacket had set the additional china and silverware, and the new visitors sat down.

“This is a very nice house, Captain, and a good neighbourhood,” Lady Lambert commented. “Our good friend, Sir Charles Foster, lives just around the corner, too. I take it you like it too, Harriet.”

Harriet, who had demonstratively moved her chair closer to Tony’s, smiled back.

“It is lovely, Mother. We have already talked about the changes we shall have to introduce for it to better suit our needs and tastes.”

Lady Lambert raised her eyebrows at Harriet, and when Harriet nodded happily, she addressed her husband.

“Richard, dear, I suppose this would call for a toast to the couple, now wouldn’t it?”

Sir Richard, although somewhat slower on the uptake than his wife, finally grasped what had been transpired, and he broke into a grin whilst he raised the glass of wine he had just received.

“My ladies and gentlemen, here is to my daughter Harriet and her future husband, Sir Anthony Carter, Knight of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath!”

Everyone but Tony drank the toast. Harriet was the quickest to grasp the implications of what her father had said.

“Really?”

The others looked at her with puzzled expressions.

“Yes,” Sir Richard answered smugly, “I have it from Castlereagh. The King has been notified already. The invitation should be here any day.”

Slowly, comprehension dawned on Tony, and it was his turn to raise his eyebrow.

“Yes, you will be knighted,” Sir Richard nodded. “God knows, you earned it. Of course, there is more to it. After that fiasco with Calder and Villeneuve still on the loose, they need to show the public that our Navy still knows how to fight. More is to come, but I shall not spoil the surprise.”

“Father!” Harried cried accusingly.

“What? I must leave some surprise for our good King George. Well, one thing I can tell you. You will be posted to that prize of yours. She will be renamed Asia. The old Asia was broken up in ‘02. It will be two or three months, still. As long as you command the Clyde in name, young Cyril Fortescue can remain in acting command, and that is what his uncle wants. As I see it, the repairs for Calder’s ships will keep the dockyard busy for some time, and it will be a good half year for the new Asia to be refitted. This will give you enough time to settle your personal affairs,” he added with a smug smile toward his daughter.

Tony had the clear notion that Sir Richard was as anxious as he or Harriet to make sure that nothing went wrong between them. The posting to the Asia would be nice, too. She was a roomy, well-built ship. In two months, he would be a Senior Captain and eligible for such a command. Yes, the future held promise.

“I must compliment you on your appearance, Harriet,” Lady Lambert said, changing the course of the conversation. “This dress is very becoming. I have not seen it before, have I?”

Harriet smiled.

“A young seamstress here in Portsmouth made it. She has wonderful taste — you must visit her shop too, mother. I am having some more dresses made in similar style.”

“I see. It is a very well made dress, and the piping finish is such a nice touch. And the same tone as the bow tie. Richard, do you think I may slip away for an hour during the afternoon?”

Sir Richard affected a groan.

“As long as I won’t have to discuss your purchases with you, go ahead and enjoy yourself.”

“Men,” Lady Lambert sighed, “they have no sense for beauty.”

“Wait,” Sir Richard protested, “didn’t I select that wonderful figurehead for the Diana?”

“Yes, you did, Richard,” his wife laughed, “and you would have been well advised so select a dress for that figurehead as well. Imagine my embarrassment when I discovered a nude female figurehead on the ship I was about to christen.”

“I can still remember poor Andrew, how he blushed when he saw it,” Harriet chimed in, “yet, he could not keep his eyes off it.”

“I believe I may have cured him of such fruitless infatuations,” Lucy stated to a chorus of good-natured laughter.

“I saw the Diana once,” Tony offered, “and I thought she had a very well proportioned figurehead.”

“Oh no,” Harriet exclaimed, “the Asia is bound to have a female figurehead, too.”

That set off another laughter, and Sir Richard took great delight in delivering the coupe de grace.

“Perhaps you want to sit for the carver, Harriet?”

The ladies shrieked at that, throwing napkins at him.

“Richard, you are out of line,” Lady Lambert gasped, wiping tears from her eyes. “I cannot imagine what poor Mr. Wilkes might think of us.”

“Don’t worry about me, milady,” Wilkes answered, “I can use a little light-hearted conversation.”

Lunch was finished by then. The women decided for an afternoon stroll, whilst Tony, with Sir Richard and Mr. Wilkes moved into the study, where he gratefully sank into an upholstered chair, whilst Little handed out cigars and brandy. The tall African was an odd sight in his petty officer’s uniform, but Tony realised that Little, too, was in a transition, from subordinate to confidential servant. He handled the new situation very well, helping Mrs. Blacket when she asked him, but always maintaining a special standing inside his captain’s household.

The men entered into a leisurely discussion on various topics until Mr. Wilkes left for the lazaretto. Sir Richard then broached a sensitive topic.

“There will be a court martial against Calder. You may be called as witness.”

“I was not even with Sir Robert’s squadron when they engaged Villeneuve.”

“Yes, but Calder claims he was concerned about the French in Rochefort breaking the blockade. He maintains that the risk was too great following Villeneuve. We need an independent testimony regarding the situation off Rochefort. You are ideal. No blame attaches to you, and you have not been in Sir Robert’s squadron long enough to make any friends.”

“When will that court martial convene?”

“Sir Robert must be recalled from his station first. As soon as he arrives, preparations will begin. Witnesses must be assembled, too. I suspect we shall not open the trial before December. I shall have to preside over the procedings,” he added with a heavy sigh.

“I certainly hope to be convalescent by then.”

“We shall also hold the court martial against your surgeon. Wilful disobedience and dereliction of duty are the charges. I saw Fortescue’s report. This will be easy to decide. Do you think you may be able to testify in a week? Such cases should be tried as fast as possible, and Clyde will be needed back on her station.”

“If nothing unforeseen happens, I should be well enough for that in a week.”

“We can of course offer you to sit during your testimony.”

“Mr. Wilkes claims that Sykes caused more casualties than the French. Yet, he should not have been appointed to the Clyde in the first place. Who appoints those butchers anyway?”

“That is something to investigate afterwards, believe me. Somebody will have to explain himself. But enough of these matters. I take it, from what transpired during dinner, that you have an interest in my daughter. Please mind that, as a widow, she is not dependent on my approval.”

“It is true, Sir Richard, that Harriet and I are fully reconciled, and we wish to marry as soon as Harriet’s obligations will allow it. Harriet’s status as a widow notwithstanding, I hope that this will meet with your approval.”

“Not only that, but it is my most fervent wish to see my daughter happy after the ordeal through which she went. I, for one, and I speak for my wife, too, cannot imagine a better man for my daughter to marry.”

“Thank you, Sir Richard.”

“I am afraid, now is the point where we shall have to discuss your ability to maintain my daughter in proper style.”

This, of course, meant that Tony was to lay open his financial situation.

“Apart from my pay which will soon increase, I have an interest in the shipping company of Whitney & Sons in Kingston which, on the average, yields a little over £800 every year. I own this house, and I have another £6,000 invested in the Funds, yielding £450 per year in interest. Add to that the prize money for the Aigle, and you will find me well able to entertain my future wife appropriately.”

Sir Richard was impressed.

“It is rare for a young officer to invest his gains so wisely. Well, Harriet will bring in Palmer’s townhouse in London which she inherited. Seeing that I did not provide a dowry at her first wedding, it is my pleasure to offer a small country seat on the River Thames near Maidenhead. My wife inherited it from her older brother, and it is appropriate that Harriet should have the use of it. The manor house is not overly large, but it is well kept, and the lands give good yields. The rent income has been rather satisfactory over the last years. When you will have recovered enough, you can visit the place with Harriet and decide whether you find it suitable.”

That would make Tony a “landed gentleman”, a land owner with an income from the tenants who actually worked the land. His impending appointment to the Order of the Bath and the landownership combined would ensure a prominent social position for him beyond his career in the Royal Navy. The prospect of a seat in the countryside, on a peaceful river, was also appealing. He was not so certain about Rupert Palmer’s house; that was something Harriet and he would have to discuss.

“I am sorry,” he said, realising he had been lost in thought for almost a minute. “This is a very generous offer. Does Harriet know the place?”

“Yes, she spent two or three summers at her uncle’s, and she always loved it. That is why we thought she should have it.”

“Quite, quite,” Tony mused. “If Harriet does not object for some reason, I have no objections.”

“It is settled then? Wonderful! Let us have another glass of brandy then. This is good brandy, by the way.”

Tony smiled. “Mr. Fortescue secured it from the captain’s stores of the Aigle, Sir Richard. I received a whole case of it as my share.”

“I suppose now is the time for you to stop calling me ‘Sir Richard’. You’ll be my son in law in no time, and I would appreciate you calling me Richard.”

“I appreciate that, Richard. As you may know, people who know me call me Tony.”

“To your health, then, Tony! And to Harriet’s happiness!”

“I’ll happily drink to both,” Tony replied, and they both emptied their glasses.

When the women returned, both men were discussing the current naval situation. Sir Richard filled his future son-in-law in on the most recent developments. The Franco-Spanish fleet was blockaded in Cadiz by the squadron of Admiral Cuthbert Collingwood, soon to be reenforced by Nelson’s reassembled Mediterranean Fleet. Both men agreed that an effective longterm blockade of Cadiz would be difficult and costly, due to the great distance from England.

During dinner, plans for Harriet and Tony were discussed. It was clear that Harriet could not stay in Tony’s house once he had recovered from his wounds. Lady Lambert persuaded her daughter to return to London, offering to invite Tony to the Lamberts’ London home. This was the plan they agreed upon, especially since Tony had to visit London anyway.

After dinner, John Little helped his captain upstairs where Tony fell into a deep sleep, being thoroughly exhausted after his first day up and about.

Over the next week, Tony recovered his strength, and he was soon able to walk about his house unassisted. Mr. Wilkes left Portsmouth, together with Lucy and Moira, having finished his business with Tony, and having performed much-needed services at the Navy shore infirmary. Lucy and Moira went ahead to prepare the house for Harriet’s return.

It was late August when Tony received a summons for the court martial of John Sykes, ship’s surgeon. Clyde had sailed a week ago, with Commander Fortescue in acting command. Fortescue had given his evidence in writing.

Two days later, Captain Anthony Carter, in his rather loosely fitting Nº1 uniform, sat outside the main cabin of the Glorieux, a French prize taken at Aboukir and now serving as flagship for the port admiral. He did not have to wait too long before he was called in. The panel of judges consisted of Sir Richard Lambert, Sir Charles Foster, and three captains. Tony stated his name and rank for the record.

“Captain Carter,” Admiral Lambert began the questioning, “what was your impression of Mr. Sykes when he reported for duty on board HMS Clyde?”

Tony cleared his throat and looked at Sykes for the first time. The man sat in a chair with unsteady hands and looked down at the deck under his feet.

“Mr. Sykes reported for duty in a quite disreputable state of dress, Sir. He smelt of ardent spirits and made the strong impression of being drunk.”

“How did you respond to this, Captain?”

“I admonished him with strong language and forbade him the use of spirits whilst serving in my ship. I also placed the medicinal spirits under the care of the first lieutenant, Mr. Fortescue.”

“What was your impression of Mr. Sykes from this point of time onward?”

“He appeared sober whenever I saw him, Sir. He dressed appropriately and performed his duties as surgeon to my satisfaction. I became convinced that his improper appearance had been a one-time lapse.”