Chapter 16: Aftermath

For two weeks, Harriet had stayed in Portsmouth, ever since the news of the great victory had reached England. She already knew from her father that Tony was not amongst the dead or wounded of the battle, but she wanted to welcome him on the quay, welcome him and comfort him, like her mother had done for her father whenever possible.

“Harriet, darling,” Tony exclaimed when she broke the kiss “You here? What a wonderful surprise!”

Harriet, her dignity notwithstanding, silenced him with another long, soulful kiss.

“Now, that’s a reward fit for a hero!” a man exclaimed admiringly.

Suddenly self-conscious, Harriet looked around.

“We had better go, Anthony,” she whispered, “my coach is waiting.”

“Whereto? Where are you staying?”

“I was at the Golden Cross, but Mrs. Blacket insisted that I should stay at your house. Seeing that you were at sea, we both thought it was proper. You don’t mind, do you?”

Tony laughed. “Of course not, my love. There is not a person on earth I would prefer staying at my house. Yet, I need to hand in my reports at the port admiral’s office. I am officially in command of the Sovereign.

“Oh, then you must go, of course. I shall alert Nadine, and we’ll see you at dinner?”

Tony gave her another kiss. “I can hardly wait!”

With all the damaged ships of the Mediterranean Fleet coming to port, the port admiral’s office was a madhouse. Tony had to wait his turn, being one of the more junior captains. However, when the clerk discovered that he was acting captain of Collingwood’s flagship, things were expedited. He was assured that Royal Sovereign would receive new masts as soon as humanly possible. A dockyard official received him next, going over the damage report Tony carried, and promised delivery of the necessary spare timbers to restore the ship’s rigging. Ropes and lines would also arrive the day next, Tony was promised. Learning that Royal Sovereign’s coppering was still new and that she had suffered only minor damage under her water line, it was decided to send a crew of carpenters on board the anchored ship to repair the still widely spread wreckage of her upper works ahead of the work of the sheer hulks.

Tony therefore returned to his ship and discussed the planned work with Mr. Croft and the Sovereign’s own carpenter and her boatswain. Finally, he was able to go ashore together with John Little. They found a cab and Little loaded his captain’s sea chest onto the wheelbarrow of a porter. Whilst Little accompanied the man, Tony had himself driven to his house.

It was nice to come home from a voyage and get a warm welcome, Tony decided. Nadine Blacket received him at the door and expressed her happiness at seeing him in good health. She had hired a maidservant at Tony’s behest, and that girl curtseyed nervously when presented to the master of the house. Her name was Elsie, and she blushed deeply when Tony welcomed her to his household. Her eyes widened in horror, though, when John Little arrived with the sea chests.

“Don’t you worry, Missy,” he rumbled in his deep voice, grinning at the frightened girl, “I stopped eating girls many years ago.”

The girl blushed even more, but Harriet nudged Tony side.

“That’s not what I hear from Inés Ruiz,” she whispered with a cheeky grin.

Tony chuckled and addressed the girl again.

“Mr. Little is my cox’n and confidential servant. Just be nice to him, and he will be nice to you.”

Elsie nodded.

“Go and ‘eat water for laundry, girl, ze Captain will need clean shirts,” Mrs. Blacket ordered, sending the girl into the kitchen. “If you will excuse me, Sir Anthony, I shall prepare ze dinner.”

“I shall have to take lodgings at the Golden Cross again. Mother insists on maintaining the facade, and I suppose she is right,” Harriet sighed. To her delight, Tony showed his disappointment.

“I must not stay the night in a bachelor’s house, but I can certainly visit him during daytime, and if, quite by chance, the servants have to run errands during my visit...”

She left the sentence unfinished.

“Can I entice you to a dinner in town?” Tony asked.

“Another time. Nadine is already busy with dinner preparations, and I want you to myself tonight. I have great news, darling, which I need to tell you.”

“What news?” Tony asked.

“You’ll have to wait until after dinner, my darling,” Harriet grinned mischievously.

Tony groaned. “We’re not even married yet, and you already start having secrets from me,” he complained.

“After dinner, love,” Harriet smiled. “When I shall tell you, I want to bring a toast.”

Tony’s curiosity was surely piqued, but he resigned to waiting. Harriet’s playful mood bode well bode well for the evening, and he did not want to spoil her little game. Harriet went up to her room to pack her belongings, and Tony accompanied her to the Golden Cross Inn, where she took lodgings. Her coachman carried her luggage into her room, and then they rode back to Tony’s house where dinner was waiting. Nadine Blacket had roasted a whole ham on a spit. Fresh potatoes and carrots completed a delightful dinner, and Harriet and Tony enjoyed it. They both complimented the housekeeper on the food. Tony was happy. He had a well-organised household now where he could expect excellent cooking. He was set to marry a wonderful woman, still young and beautiful, but mature beyond her years and fully appreciative of his qualities. Harriet broke into his reveries with her news.

“You know, darling, that you will be appointed to Asia. What you do not know yet is that Asia will serve as Rear Admiral Sir Pierce Fallon’s flagship. He will be in command of the Barbados Station. You will be his flag captain, darling,” she beamed.

Tony raised his eyebrows.

“Darling, I was thinking of asking for extended leave. I don’t want to marry you just to leave you again. I want to spend some time with you, settle down. How can you stand to be separated again?”

Harriet beamed at him.

“Because Sir Pierce just married. Lady Fallon has no plans to stay alone in England for three years. She will accompany her husband to the station, and he plans to take her in his flagship when he sails.”

“And how does this avail us?” Tony asked although he started to see the point.

“I do not plan to stay alone in England for three years either,” Harriet stated matter-of-factly. “Sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. I am sure that Lady Fallon will appreciate my company during the long crossing. Also, Barbados is supposed to boast a very pleasant climate, which is more than can be said about England. Isn’t it wonderful, darling?”

Tony swallowed. “You mean you will come to Barbados with me if I go?”

“Sure. I loved Jamaica, I really did. Barbados is said to be even nicer, and you will be on shore a lot. Father tells me that Asia is sent to provide Sir Pierce with an adequate flagship. It will be almost a sinecure post for Sir Pierce and you. At the Admiralty they think that you earned it.”

“They do, don’t they,” Tony replied, warming to the idea. “Well, I shall be the last to complain. We can rent a house in Bridgetown for you. I can remain in the active service and still see you regularly. Do you know Fallon?”

Harriet smiled. “He was father’s first Lieutenant in the Superb when I was a small girl. I still remember him. He must be in his late forties now, but his wife is of my age. Her father is a wool merchant and wealthy, or so I heard. Sir Pierce spent the last years on blockade duty in the Channel Fleet. He was knighted after Aboukir.”

“So, it’s all arranged?”

“Of course,” Harriet replied loftily. “I shall not allow anything to interfere with our future. Sir Pierce is delighted to have you for his flag captain. You may not be aware of it, but you have a stellar reputation in the service.”

Tony shook his head. It would be wonderful to remain in command whilst going home to his wife in the evenings. Barbados with its nickname Little England was one of the most pleasant places in the Caribbean with a warm yet temperate climate and free of the diseases that plagued other islands. He had been there twice in his youth, and once as a lieutenant in the Medusa, and he had liked what he had seen of Bridgetown. He was warming to the prospect. There still was one point to be clarified.

“When do we have to leave for Barbados? Do you know that, too?”

“Not before March, I think. At least, that is what Father said.”

That sounded reasonable. After all, Asia still needed repairs and a crew.

“Any news from your brother, yet?”

“Didn’t you know? He is in port. When the French tried to sortie from Brest, Cornwallis intercepted them and drove them back. Medusa received hits under her waterline and came in for repairs.”

“Any casualties on board?” Tony asked.

“Five wounded, which is what Andy told me. None of them seriously, though. They were quite lucky.”

“Is he in Portsmouth then?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact he is.”

“Why don’t we invite him for dinner one of these days?”

“That would be lovely. You know that you are still his hero, don’t you?”

“Well, he should have found better idols in the meantime,” Tony laughed. “Lucy is not in town?”

“Lucy is in Exeter. Her uncle, the one that would not take care of Lucy and her siblings, he died last week. Lucy’s brother and sister lived with him, but they are not of age yet. She will have to take care of them. It appears that her uncle left his estate to his nieces and nephew, so Lucy will come into some inheritance.”

“That’s good for her. Obviously, she was not really close to her uncle, was she?”

Harriet snorted. “He was too miserly to help her then, and he stayed that way until his death.”

They continued to talk about common acquaintances and other events until the small hours when Tony accompanied Harriet to the Golden Cross. When he returned to his home, he went to sleep and did not wake up until the next morning.

He started his day with a hearty breakfast. In spite of her French roots, Nadine Blacket did not begrudge her employer a real breakfast. He pampered himself with scrambled eggs, bacon, and fried potatoes, he enjoyed fresh, buttered toast with jam, and he drank his fill of coffee. Nadine Blacket had the knack for roasting coffee beans exactly to his liking. Thus satisfied, Tony perused the mail that had accumulated in the last two months.

One of the letters came from Sir Robert Norton, the London merchant whose guest he had been at Anita’s premiere. He thanked Tony for bringing him in touch with the agent of Whitney & Sons, stating that he had reached a favourable shipping contract. Tony smiled at that. Landing a customer like Sir Robert would have tremendous impact on the shipping company in which he held a sizeable interest, and it would likely increase his own profits.

Other letters were from gentlemen who wrote to express their admiration for his conduct in the engagement against Aigle. He had received such letters before, but they still made him uncomfortable. Pushing the letters to the back of his desk, he suddenly noticed an envelope he had missed. Looking at the handwriting, he blanched slightly. Quickly, he cut open the envelope and started reading.

Tony was moved by Anita’s letter. She was a wonderful person, and thinking of her made him conscious of the fact that he, too, still had strong feelings for the beautiful actress. He had loved her more than enough to consider marriage. Even if his feelings for Harriet were stronger, this did not diminish the accord he had felt whenever he was with Anita.

Tony dressed quickly and walked the short distance to the Golden Cross where he had himself announced to Harriet. He had to wait only five or six minutes before she rushed down and into his embrace.

“Hello, dear,” she smiled. “Did you sleep well?”

“Well, I slept long,” Tony answered. “What are your plans for today?”

“How about a stroll? It’s such a nice weather for a change, and I never had the chance to stroll with you yet.”

“Let us take a walk then,” Tony replied, smiling. She was right. The stroll, so common an entertainment amongst young lovers, was something they had missed completely. He offered his arm to Harriet, and together they walked out on the street and into the autumn sun. They directed their steps towards the harbour. Tony briefly scanned the ships at anchor. He recognised Medusa immediately. She looked the worse for wear, had to, after more than a year of blockade duty. Aigle was also lying at anchor. She only carried her lower masts and the standing rigging. Obviously, the dockyard had been able to repair the underwater damage since Tony could not see the pumps going. Royal Sovereign was lying close to the dockyard with a large shear hulk alongside.

Harriet cast a look at him.

“Satisfied?” she asked.

“Yes, I am,” he answered. Looking at Harriet, he decided to broach the subject of Anita’s letter. “I received a letter from Anita. She apologised for not coming or writing earlier.”

Harriet nodded and smiled at him.

“Yes, I received a letter, too. She invited us to visit her in London. I am so happy that she still wants to be our friend. What did she write to you?”

“More or less the same,” Tony replied, contemplating on whether to tell Harriet all. He decided for it. “She wrote me that she realised how much she cares for me. She assured me that she would never interfere with our marriage, but that she had not been ready to see us.”

“Let us visit her, Tony, and assure her of our friendship. I could not stand losing her.”

Tony put his hand on Harriet’s.

“I am glad you think like this, Harriet. It took a lot for Anita to write those two letters. Let us write an answering letter together, to show her that we feel alike about her.”

When they returned from their stroll, Mrs. Blacket handed Tony a large linen envelope with the seal of the Admiralty. Casting a look at Harriet to ask forgiveness, he ripped the envelope open. It was his appointment to be sure.

The letter contained no additional information beyond what he already knew, but he could read himself in within the next days. It was nice of their lordships to appoint him to Asia so early. He could draw the full pay of the captain of a third-rate ship. He decided to visit the dockyard that afternoon to inform himself about the state of repairs. There were the two addendums, the hand written list of available officers and warrant officers and a printed sheet with the guidelines for the pressing of sailors. Tony snorted derisively. If the captains of the Royal Navy followed these guidelines, only half of the ships would be in service. The Royal Navy had over 500,000 ratings, whilst the total population of Britain was scarcely twenty million, all told. Therefore, any able-bodied man, and even some women, could find themselves pressed into the service. He looked up at Harriet.

“These are my new orders. They just confirm what you told me. They posted me to the Asia. I shall have to visit the dockyard and check on the progress.”

Harriet smiled back. “You can do that after lunch. I shall busy myself writing a letter to Lucy.”

After lunch, Tony had himself rowed out to his new command. There was only a small anchor watch on board under the command of a lieutenant. He knew the man; it was the young officer who had been the friend of the late Mr. Sykes at the court martial. For a moment, Tony tried to remember the name. Yes, Galbraith was his name.

“Mr. Galbraith, kindly call for all hands!”

“Aye aye, Sir!”

All hands was a total of perhaps six dozen men, all told, who were engaged in the various aspects of converting a French ship into a British. Sail makers, gunners, but also the newly appointed purser, boatswain, carpenter, and their mates. They all looked at him as he read out his appointment. After that, Tony inspected the ship and had himself informed of the work currently under way. Apparently, the ship had to be docked at least one more time to replace three knees on the starboard side that had been found partly rotten upon close inspection. They could not expect to get this done before Christmas.

Then Tony inspected his new quarters. Fortescue had been right. The Captain’s cabin on the quarterdeck was impressive, and there would be ample space for him. He began to make a mental list of things he wanted to have in the cabin, but he would wait until he had a chance to discuss furnishings with Harriet, whose tastes were more refinded. There was not much else he could do.

He next visited Royal Sovereign, to inform Mr. Croft of the changes ... He spent a half hour to write a final report which he then had delivered to the port admiral to be included in the despatches to the Admiralty. When he was finished, he was rowed ashore one last time in the Sovereign’s gig before he collected Harriet at her lodgings. Together they had dinner.

After dinner, they sat in Tony’s study. Harriet had a sheet of paper and a pencil, and they were going through the list of people that should be invited to the New Years Eve soiree at her parents’ house. They would announce their engagement at this opportunity, and Harriet’s mother was anxious not to ignore any of their closer friends.

“I am so happy that Andrew is back. Perhaps he and Lucy can announce their engagement, too. Wouldn’t that be lovely?”

“Maybe they want to have a separate event?”

“We have to ask Andrew when he comes to visit. It’s strange that he did not call yet.”

“I suppose, he is quite busy. Medusa had been at sea for more than a year, and she is not a new ship anymore. There will be plenty to do for him.”

A knock at the front door interrupted their musings. They heard Mrs. Blacket answer the door, and a few moments later, Mrs Blacket announced their visitor.

“Sir Anthony, Mrs. Palmer, Miss Lucy is ‘ere to see you!”

“Lucy!” Harriet cried happily, rising from her chair as did Tony.

“I was hoping to find you here, Harriet. I was at the inn, but they told me you had left with Sir Anthony.”

She spoke with a strange, strangled voice, and her pale face and rings under her eyes showed that she was under a strain. Harriet sensed her friend’s distress and put her arm around Lucy’s shoulder.

“What happened, darling? Was it that bad in Exeter?”

“Exeter? No. That went well. I have a sizeable dowry now. My siblings and I shall share into more than eighteen thousand pounds. My uncle was a miser, but he was a rich miser.”

Her voice had not shown any emotion when she related this news. It was as if she did not care.

“Then what happened?” Harriet insisted.

“Whilst I was in Exeter I received a letter from Andrew. It was forwarded from your house. He informed me that he cannot marry me.”

There was stunned silence in the room. Tony was the first to recover from the shock.

“Why on earth would he do such an utterly harebrained thing?”

A twisted smile was on Lucy’s lips when she answered.

“I am not the right kind of woman for an aspiring officer. He has freed himself from his youthful infatuation, as he calls it.”

Harriet was on the verge of tears.

“Oh Lucy,” she said, “I’m so sorry, so ashamed. How could he do this to you? I shall talk to him. He must be brought to reason.”

“Don’t waste your time, Harriet. He has already found the right woman to marry. He asked me not to call upon him; obviously his new bride does not know about me. He wrote that he will give you money for me, for a fresh start!” She sobbed. “That was the worst. Offering money as if I was his kept woman!”

Harriet’s concern turned into anger.

“That is it? He wants me to handle it so he doesn’t have to face you? I shall give him my mind, never fear! What cowardice!”

Watching his wife-to-be work up her temper, Tony’s mind turned toward practical issues.

“Should I ask Mrs. Blacket to ready a guest room for you, Lucy? It’s too late to find lodgings now, and you must be exhausted.”

“It would not trouble you?”

“Lucy, I think the World of you! You were here for me when I was wounded. Now you have been hurt, and I’ll be happy to help you in whichever way needed.”

Harriet had come out of her tantrum. She was quiet now, but not appeased.

“This is not the end of it, Lucy. My brother will meet you face to face, and he will apologise for his conduct if he ever wants to speak to me again.”

“Harriet, don’t cause a split in your family over me. I shall go to London, pack my belongings, and move out.”

“Lucy, where do you want to go to? You don’t have to leave my house. It’s true, I took you in because Andrew asked me, but you are more to me now than any sister-in-law could ever be. Please, reconsider. Think about it. Think of our friendship.”

For the first time, the paleness in Lucy’s face was replaced by a blush. She hugged Harriet fiercely.

“You are a wonderful friend, Harriet. If I move out, it will be within London. I have grown to like living in the city, and I could not return to Exeter. There are too many bad memories there. Yet, I need to take care of my sister and brother, and I cannot not possibly burden you with them. We shall be able to see each other.”

Tony asked Mrs. Blacket to ready a guest room for Lucy, and Harriet accompanied her friend to her room. A half hour later, Harriet returned alone.

“She is asleep. God, I am so mad at Andrew!”

“There is nothing we can do tonight, Harriet. Let me bring you back to the Golden Cross. You must be tired.”

Harriet looked up at Tony.

“Can I sleep with you tonight? I am so wrought up. I need some safety tonight. Please?”

Instead of answering, Tony put his arms around her shoulders and led her upstairs and to his room. There, they quietly undressed. Tony, in his shirt, rummaged through a chest of drawers until he found an old shirt of his from his boyhood.

“Take this to wear,” he offered Harriet. “My mother made this for me. It is the only thing left from her. I can’t wear it anymore, but it should fit you.”

“Thank you, darling,” Harriet answered, her eyes again brimming. She stepped out of her clothes and stood naked for a moment, before she put on the offered shirt. Together, they slipped under the blankets of the large bed. Tony blew out the candle and drew the bed curtains shut. Then he wrapped his arms around Harriet and held her close whilst she put her head o his chest. Her hair tickled his face but he enjoyed her closeness.

“Tony, you would not do such a thing to me, would you?”

“Of course not! How could I? You are my inspiration, darling. If I were an artist, you would be my muse. Do not think for one moment that I could let go of you. You are my life.”

Harriet sighed contentedly. “You say the nicest things to me. Do you know what I just remembered? Those nights in the longboat when I would sleep in your arms and feel protected.”

“I remember that too. Without you, I would not have found the strength to get us through. Bringing you to safety was my driving force. I could not let anything happen to you. I was so afraid to be a failure in your eyes. I desperately wanted your respect.”

“Do you think your parents would have approved of me?”

Tony thought for a moment. He found it harder and harder to remember his mother. He had been quite young when she died and so much had happened since then. His father? That was hard to say. John Carter did not show feelings. Only once, when his mother had died, he had seen emotions from his father.

“My parents loved each other very much. They would have approved of you once they were convinced of your love for me. Yet I don’t think they could ever envision how my life turned out. My father’s ambition would have been to own a bigger ship, for me to follow in his footsteps, and a dignified retirement as a ship owner.”

“But that’s a worthy ambition!”

“Yes, it is. Yet, it is a world apart from what I set as my goals. Before I met you, I would have been content with a life like my father’s. After I met you, I felt this drive to achieve more, to be eligible for you, worthy of your consideration.”

Harriet was feeling tired now, but she mumbled a friendly reply.

“If that was your goal, you achieved it long ago. Let us sleep, darling. Tomorrow will be the first time that I shall wake up in your arms.”

She kissed him with tenderness before she laid her head on his chest again. Tony sighed contentedly. He was lucky, he mused. Not everybody found the happiness they craved.

When they went downstairs in the next morning, they found Lucy and Mrs. Blacket in the dining room setting the table for breakfast. Afterwards, they talked about their plans. It was agreed that Tony and Harriet would travel to London. The engagement would be at her parents’ home on New Year’s Eve, and there were preparations to be made. Tony would have the dockyard to keep him informed on the progress of Asia’s refitting, and he would be able to settle things in London.

Lucy returned to London with them, continuing to live with Harriet initially, until she found a suitable property. Harriet was relieved that her friend would stay with her for the time being.

The next days were spent settling their affairs in Portsmouth. Tony was able to secure two more officers, and he charged them with fitting out Asia during his absence. He would get their reports on a regular basis, and he set aside funds for recruiting.

Finally, all three of them settled in Harriet’s coach for the return to London. It was early December and the temperatures, whilst not freezing, were decidedly unpleasant. Covered in blankets, they kept warm as best as possible, but they were grateful when the driver finally announced their arrival. As agreed earlier, Tony would stay at the Lamberts’ house as their guest for the holidays. He was greeted warmly by Lady Lambert and given a fine guest room. In the evening, Harriet, Lucy, and Moira McTaggart came over for dinner.

Lady Lambert greeted Lucy with warmth.

“Lucy dear, I cannot say how sorry I am about Andrew’s change of heart. I only learned about it last week, and I can’t say that I approve of his behaviour towards you. Do you need anything?”

Lucy was pale, but she showed no outward sign of emotion. She even managed a brave smile.

“Thank you, milady, for your kindness. No, I don’t need anything. I shall stay with Harriet for a little longer until I find a property for myself. Due to my inheritance, I can take care of my own, but I value your offer.”