Retribution

by Beverley Elphick

  ‘I take it you know this woman?’

  ‘I do indeed, Sir. I apologise for my interruption,’ said Dr. Grieve, ‘and once I have divulged the message I am entrusted with, I am sure I will be able to clear up any problems that face Miss Coad. I am Dr. Bartholomew Grieve, Coroner and Surgeon from Lewes, temporarily on secondment to His Majesty’s Royal Navy’.

  As if to emphasise the point, he continued: ‘My message is for the Prime Minister himself as representative of the King.’ The point was made and greeted with silence as the Commander took the measure of this confident emissary to his Majesty’s Government. He rapidly adjusted his manner, the process clearly reflected in his face.

  Dr. Grieve spun on the spot and knelt before me, his hand seeking mine and bestowing a light kiss on it.

  ‘Esther, my dear, when I heard from sailors’ talk about a young woman kidnapped and dumped onto a transport in the company of a notorious smuggler, a young woman who could heal and aided the birth of a child on board an English ship, and finally that this young woman was named Esther, I had to come and see if it was you,’ he paused and dropped his voice. ‘And, my dear, it is you! I will be honoured to be of service to you in any difficulties you might have in establishing your rights as a citizen of his Royal Highness. I will attend you shortly. Go back to your ship now and wait for me.’ He had glanced at the Commander when he mentioned me being a citizen of his Royal Highness.

  Stupefied, I sought his eyes and saw nothing but joy in them. I just nodded my agreement, unable to speak. I was led from the Commander’s room, aware of the curious stares of the many people who seemed to have appeared in Dr. Grieve’s wake.

  We returned to the boat in silence, Captain Campbell supporting me on his arm and Prickship bringing up the rear with a stony look on his face. I was overjoyed and had no time for male jealousies. I wanted to be by myself to think about this miraculous twist of fate and recall the feeling of acute pleasure I had experienced when Dr. Grieve had appeared.

  The captain personally escorted me to my cabin before saying, ‘I am sure you will be granted your wish now, Esther. The Commander will almost certainly be swayed by the good doctor’s presence, particularly if he confirms the status of your patrons. The man is nothing if not aware of an opportunity, especially to be seen as saviour to one connected to the royal household, however loosely. Before the doctor appeared, I was preparing to ask that you be returned to London as my wife’s nursemaid. I think that might have swayed the argument, but we will see how this new situation develops before making plans.’

  I was surprised at this, having thought my idea had fallen on deaf ears, so I simply smiled and sank into my chair. I wished them both away. I needed just to think - and feel.

  Dr. Grieve came to me later that day and we sat for a long time, unchaperoned, but with Jones never far away (I could hear him knocking about, whistling, and generally letting me know that he was nearby). We had so much to talk about. He seemed far less pompous than before and the outdoor life clearly suited him: it was like being in the presence of a younger and more vibrant version of the man I had known before. At first, I tried to explain why I had rejected him as I did.

  He heard me out before saying. ‘But Esther, you were right. I was so wrong to treat you as little better than a whore when you deserved someone more honest, like Wilf, who loved you unconditionally.’ His voice dropped before he continued, his tone humble. ‘I am ashamed now of how I behaved, though it has taken me a long while to come to that state. At the time, I felt only profound disappointment and anger that you couldn’t see that I was offering you love and support. It came to me slowly to see things through your eyes, but once I did, I was mortified at my own behaviour. I must beg your forgiveness, Esther.’

  I replied, ‘When you went away I missed you dreadfully - but it was as a friend. I loved Wilf, I wanted to be his wife.’

  ‘I know, and that is why I had to leave.’

  I struggled to tell him how bereft I had been and that I now felt myself to have been very foolish in the way I had reacted. I acknowledged that I should have discussed my concerns in a rational manner rather than running away and behaving like a woman violated when, clearly, he had meant me no harm.

  ‘No physical harm, Esther, but what I was proposing was very wrong in the kind of society we live in. It would never have done, and I am filled with remorse.’

  We carried on talking. I had so much to tell - about Wilf and the terrible way he had died, Cecilia’s new baby, the horrible replacement doctor and his kindly wife, Beth’s and then my kidnap, my hope and belief that Beth was back with the Elwoods; and, finally, Aunt Tilly’s venomous revenge in putting me on the transport ship, with little or no hope of getting off again.

  He frowned before saying, ‘Why are you so certain that Beth will be with the Elwoods?’

  ‘Because the Coads would not want the bother of a child. There are no women on that farm and once my aunt left, there would be no purpose in keeping her. I don’t believe they would kill her. She is their immediate family, when all is said and done. I believe they would have dumped her back at South Farm and no one would have been any the wiser as to who kidnapped her.’

  It was getting late and I could hear Jones stamping about outside. He obviously thought it time for our interview to be at an end, so that he could slip away to his bunk. There was no need for him to be chaperoning me now, but clearly in his mind there was, or he was just being inquisitive.

  Hurriedly, I asked Dr. Grieve if he would speak to the Commander on my behalf and ensure his assistance.

  ‘Consider it done, my dear, and perhaps we can continue our conversation tomorrow.’ He rose to his feet and went on, ‘There is a little garden nearby. I would like to take you there while we plan how best to get you back to Lewes. I have much to tell you of my adventures and I really want to know more about how this bizarre sequence of events occurred.’

  He left me and returned to his own ship. I made ready for my hammock and for the first time in weeks I felt happy.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Drunkenness nowadays in the Navy kills more men than the sword and that with most diseases and accidents “you may trace grog as the principle cause of it”

  Diary of a Ship’s Surgeon

  My personal problems were put in perspective as the Lady Charlotte continued to prepare for her long voyage. The following morning, I watched the loading of dry goods, biscuit, grain and barrels of fresh water. I heard livestock squealing and clucking and cook shouting at everyone to have a care for his provisions. Prickship and Captain Campbell were everywhere at once as the repairs to the boat continued. I could smell tar and sawn timber as the ship’s carpenter worked to repair split and damaged wood. The convicts were allowed up on deck as the weather was fine and their quarters needed cleaning. I saw my aunt, who was brought up separately. She had irons around her ankles and looked unkempt. Sensing my eyes on her, she cast a vengeful look in my direction before drawing a finger across her throat. I met her gaze for a split second and turned away; I wanted none of her. I had no sympathy. I hoped she would die; better people than she had already died on this voyage.

  Again, I asked Jones when the boat would leave, and if he had any idea yet of what would happen to me. He was usually a mine of information but on this occasion was unable to tell me what was going on. I went back down to my cabin, still with him on guard, and prepared to put everything in order just in case I was taken off the ship. As I cleaned and tidied, another patient came to my door. It was one of the male convicts and, unfortunately, he was displaying signs of fever. I immediately asked for him to be quarantined, even though it was a nuisance to the crew and guards who couldn’t care less whether he lived or died. The previous cases had all been women and they had died. I knew Jones had said that there were ways that the male and female convicts got into each other’s quarters when the ship was dark. It didn’t matter to me
if this was true, but it was worrying that this man was now displaying the same symptoms.

  I saw the captain briefly and asked after Charlotte and Mrs. Campbell. He said that they were in good shape and that he would talk to me later about them and about my situation. I had to be content with that but was very happy to receive a message that Dr. Grieve would call for me in the afternoon and that I was to be allowed to walk with him unguarded!

  It was wonderful to step off the Lady Charlotte again, I almost felt like a free woman. Dr. Grieve waited for me in the shadow of the ship and produced a feminine parasol to shade me from the sun; heaven knows where he had got it from. We walked into the little village where the street names reflected the nature of a military garrison. We soon found a small rocky garden where strange, colourful plants spread between the paving and rocks. They had thickened leaves which looked like they were full of moisture; I would have liked to know what they were. There was a bench in the shade and we both settled there to enjoy the warm wind which swirled around us. I was wearing Sarah’s dress again and delighted in seeing the pretty pattern in such strong light. I felt elated with myself, with my companion and, best of all, that I was likely to be going home.

  We sat side by side, close but not touching, as I recounted again all that had happened to everyone in Lewes. Dr. Grieve’s face was in shadow but I knew he was scowling as I told him about his locum, Dr. Crabbe. He was, however, full of admiration for the man’s wife. It was difficult to describe the pain of Wilf’s shooting and the conflict of fear I had suffered when I thought it was Beth who had been shot. I even tried to explain why I had so desperately wanted to keep the table on which Wilf lay for the month or so that it took him to die and on which he finally took his last breath. I described how the youngest Coad boy had sought me out; and, when Beth was taken, how he had been given the charge of her by Aunt Tilly. I had to keep going back on myself as I forgot this or that fact.

  He asked a few questions about Mrs. Coad’s unexplained death and I told him that it was my belief that she had been usurped in the household and deliberately pushed down the stairs; I repeated what the boy had said about his mother being got rid of. When I got to the part about my kidnap, I wept as I described how Beth was kept from me and threatened with death if I didn’t comply; my only comfort being that young Coad seemed to have become genuinely protective of his little sister and my instinct that he would take the chance to return her to Cecilia as soon as an opportunity arose. I had little basis for this belief other than that he had been the means of rescuing us before, and that I was convinced his visits to spy on her and me were not occasioned by malice. I even told the doctor that I had left Flossy at Coad Farm and worried for her safety as well.

  My story took a while to recount and as the sun began to dip, I had only got as far as my being forced onto the boat. Dr. Grieve had already been given an account of my presence by both Captain Campbell and Prickship, so I didn’t have to elaborate. We spent a few minutes talking about the medical conditions on board and how I had had to learn very fast to treat men as well as women whilst not knowing what all the medicants I had found in the locked chest were for. Finally, I described the symptoms of the fever-ridden women who had died, despite my best efforts, and I concluded my story by asking him to look at the man who was now in quarantine with the same symptoms.

  Unfortunately, there was no time to talk about why he was in Gibraltar or what plans he might be able to make for me to return to London. He told me to be patient and that once he had got to the bottom of everything, he would ensure that I would be returned on the next available ship with no stain on my character and no charge of transportation linked to my name. I didn’t doubt it as he radiated power and strength which I must declare was physically exciting to me.

  We hurried back to the ship where Jones was waiting for me on deck. As we parted, Dr. Grieve took both my hands in his, saying, ‘You have been very brave, Esther, and I ask you to trust in me for the next day or two.’

  ‘Yes, I do trust you, of course I do, but the Lady Charlotte is preparing for departure and I am sure they won’t want to wait on me.’ I couldn’t help allowing a note of anxiety creep into my voice, despite my assurances of trust in him.

  He smiled and said, ‘As soon as she is ready to leave, you will be taken off and billeted here on the island, possibly with Mrs. Campbell and her baby. I understand she is desirous of returning to Britain with you as her helpmeet or nursemaid - or whatever title she thinks you should have. The details still need to be worked out, but the plan is there.’

  He was still holding my hands and I could see Jones taking it all in and his mouth dropping open as my rescuer pulled me towards him and kissed me warmly on both cheeks. How my heart raced, and I could feel a flush creeping up my neck as all the onlookers stopped still to observe this moment of intimacy.

  As Jones and I walked back to my cabin, we passed Prickship. After Jones had made a rather lazy salute in his direction, he muttered to me that there was one on this ship with his nose put out of joint! He gave me a sidelong look, but I ignored his insinuations.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Venereal disease was a common occurrence on board. One surgeon conducts an experiment on a young woman with venereal disease, with both her keeper and an officer having “connexion” with her to see how gonorrhoea and syphilis are spread.

  Diary of a Ship’s Surgeon

  All was arranged. The Lady Charlotte was to embark on the next leg of her voyage the following day and I was to be billeted onshore with Mrs. Campbell and baby Charlotte until a suitable vessel heading for home came along. I spent my last night on the ship cleaning the little cabin that had been my home and wishing my dear friend Sarah everything that she would wish for herself. Jones looked very down in the mouth; I believe he had enjoyed his work looking out for me just as I had enjoyed his salty tales and rough and ready manner, even his crude view of everyone. Everything was ready, and I had just one more night in my bunk before taking my leave of the captain and some of the crew at sunrise.

  It was frightening, then, to be woken by a loud banging on my door late at night. I clutched my hessian pinny to me as I opened the door to a terrible sight: Prickship being half- dragged, half-carried, into my little room and pushed into the chair. He was bleeding profusely from his lower leg and I could see through a tear in his trousers that his leg was broken, the bone protruded alarmingly, and momentarily I felt sick. He grimaced at me and clutched my hand in a forceful grip. I firmly removed it and cut his breeches from him to attempt to clean the edges of the wound, fearful, as always, of infection creeping in.

  I told one of the guards to run to Dr. Grieves’ quarters in the garrison and tell him what had happened. He was bound to have better equipment and medicines; besides, I had not the faintest idea of how to set the bone back into place and ensure that tissue was not lost. I knew that bone-setting was a specialised occupation for men who passed down their knowledge through the generations, men who were not necessarily physicians. There was one such near Lewes. I knew nothing of his craft but had heard of him by repute. Dr. Grieve would have set many bones in his time and I thought Prickship was lucky to have him nearby.

  The following day, Prickship was moved off the Lady Charlotte and taken into the garrison headquarters. Jones told me that he had been deliberately attacked and beaten before being flung down to the lower deck. Unfortunately, he had landed awkwardly, resulting in his leg being broken. Jones swore that it was two guards who had objected to Prickship’s methods of discipline and had taken it into their heads to assault him.

  I knew he was not popular, but such an act was cowardly. I asked if Jones knew what had triggered it.

  ‘He took a whip to them when they refused to take orders from him.’

  ‘He whipped them!’ I said, in disbelief.

  ‘Aye, Miss, he can get a bit violent if the men don’t jump to his bidding, like. They’ll be
sent home now, on a charge of mutiny.’

  Dr. Grieve did all he could for the poor man but his sailing on to Australia was now out of the question. It had taken two strong men to hold Prickship down and pull whilst the bone and muscle were forced back into their proper place. A wooden splint had been fitted to his leg which was bound into place with wet leather strapping and, over that, linen strips which could be unwound and washed to try and keep infection away from the wound. Fortunately, it was not a bad break, but the strapping extended to his upper thigh and looked uncomfortably tight. The break in his skin and muscle where the bone protruded was sewn up and everyone hoped for a clean repair. I must admit I was fascinated by the method used to repair the break; probably such things were a common injury on a warship.

  I felt very sorry for Captain Campbell as he was now short of an officer whom he relied on, as well as four guards, not to mention his wife, the child and me. Travelling with even such a small number of convicts had to be a worry for the captain, though I was told later that the two who had been involved with my kidnap had been replaced by men from Gibraltar, and of course several of the convicts had died. But already I was beginning to feel distant from these matters.

  The morning of departure came and Mrs. Campbell, Charlotte and I readied ourselves to leave the ship. The men who were responsible for Prickship’s injury were already in the lockup, along with the other two. A good many of the company lined the deck to wave goodbye before she was cast off. I saw the captain blow his nose forcefully as he looked down on his wife and baby. Sarah waved frantically at me and yelled that she would never forget me and not to forget that I owed her for the dress. I laughed up at her sharp little face but felt very emotional; so much had happened to both of us. I cried a tear as I waved heartily to Jones. I would miss him.

  A soldier waited to escort us to our new billet, a small, square, white house some way from the garrison. Mrs. Campbell and I would have separate rooms, so of course she took the largest. There was a tiny walled garden and I felt sure we would be comfortable while we waited for transport. I did my best to be a friend to her but she didn’t want friendship. What she wanted was someone to take responsibility for Charlotte and went to great pains to indicate to all and sundry that I was her ‘maid’.