Mason was aware of his captain’s intentions for Brownrigg and agreed that the boy was well overdue to grow up.
“Just as long as the shock is not too much for him, sir.”
“What, got a weak heart, has he?”
“I doubt that, sir, but he might be one of the pure Christian warriors, sir.”
“Then he needs to buck his ideas up, Mr Mason. No place for that sort in the Navy. He can join the Army if that’s what he wants to be. If he has it in mind to be another China Gordon then the sooner he leaves Racoon, the better.”
“I have wondered occasionally, listening to him in the wardroom, sir. Still, I expect this evening will go some way to turning his thoughts in a different direction.”
Magnus made the introductions to Mr Ping and drew him to one side very quietly.
“The young lieutenant, Mr Ping, the gunnery man…”
“Brownrigg, Lord Eskdale?”
“Exactly, Mr Ping.” Magnus was quite certain that Mr Ping would have obtained a list of the officers aboard Racoon, was not at all surprised that he should remember Brownrigg’s name. “He is, one might say, an excessively young man, a boy in fact, and would benefit from growing up…”
“Ah! Of course, my lord. A pair, even three, of young females and him not to return aboard ship until an hour before sailing time?”
“What an excellent idea, Mr Ping! The Navy does not permit its captains to make such provision for its young officers. I believe that it really should.”
“There will be entertainment for all of your officers, my lord, in the ordinary way of things. I shall ensure that Mr Brownrigg has all of his needs met, including those he is currently unaware of.”
“My thanks, sir. You will make my ship an amount more efficient by so doing.”
The officers, with the exception of Mr Brownrigg returned to the ship with the dawn, ignoring the ribald whispers of the duty watch.
“Who has the watch, Mr Mason?”
“Lieutenant Mornington, sir.”
“Very good. He has permission to remain in the wardroom, leaving his Chief Petty Officer in the conning tower.”
“He will appreciate that, sir.”
“Good. Let us pray that neither Germany nor Russia shall choose to declare war before noon, Mr Mason. Sleep well!”
Racoon sailed next day, a sedan chair decanting Mr Brownrigg onto the brow a bare hour beforehand. Two giggling young ladies waved him farewell from the chair.
“Mr Brownrigg.”
“Sir.” Brownrigg tried to seem attentive, to show intelligent understanding.
“Go and get some sleep, young man. I shall discuss your guns with you tomorrow.”
Brownrigg tottered off, a very foolish smile on his face.
“Well, if that has not caused him to grow up, I do not know what will, sir.”
“Nor me, Mr Mason. The boy is obviously utterly exhausted. I wonder whether I was ever that young?”
Mr Mason did not reply; he had heard of his captain’s exploits as a younger man.
“Tsingtao, Mr Mason. Be ready to fire a salute to the Governor’s and Admiral’s flags. It is probable that both will be flying. I shall request permission to land and pay my respects. My launch to be immaculate, of course. I shall speak to Carter about my uniform – he will know what is best to wear.”
The morning saw Magnus dressed in frockcoat and scraper, as if to report to the Admiral on first joining. He was rowed ashore in a gleaming boat, the crew all in their best and rowing with a slow ceremonial stroke.
There was a reception party awaiting him on the new-built quayside.
“One post captain; two senior lieutenants; twenty-four men in two ranks, carrying rifles. The correct honours for a man of my rank – they are being good.”
Magnus stepped ashore and saluted the senior man, who introduced himself as Captain Ruger, and then quickly inspected the guard of honour, as was expected of him.
“Fine, strong men, Captain Ruger. Not one of them less than six feet tall – I could not match that on my ship, sir.”
“These are ship’s police, Lord Eskdale, selected for their size and vigour.”
“A very sensible provision, sir.”
“His Excellency the Governor is away inland on a tour of inspection of some of the new outposts, my lord. His second, his deputy one might say, Baron Hildesheim, will be glad to greet you.”
Magnus had taken very little notice of Baron Hildesheim when he had previously been in his company. He now made the effort to memorise the gentleman’s face and mannerisms, aware that he might see no more than a fleeting glimpse of him on future occasions, and that he might find the need to point him out to a rifleman, or take a snap shot with his own revolver if he could be sure of being unseen himself.
They bowed and greeted each other, Magnus gaining the impression that Hildesheim knew all about him already, that he was greeting a character from some very thorough files.
Shorter than me, Magnus mused. Slightly built, mid-brown hair, cut to a normal length and thoroughly combed. Blue eyes, very ordinary; not handsome but in no way ugly. Dressed correctly for a gentleman. Good valet, by the way he is turned out; better than Carter. Forgettable, nothing out of the ordinary in any way. He don’t look like the great spymaster Captain Hawkins said he was… Perhaps that’s one of the reasons why he is…
“Captain Lord Eskdale, I am glad to meet you. I understand that your promotion to heir to the Earl is of recent date, my lord?”
Magnus was certain that Hildesheim knew very well that it was; possibly he was in some way connected to his brother’s disappearance, in fact. Hawkins had suggested that there had been foreign involvement. He smiled ruefully.
“You may well have heard that my elder brother was exposed in utterly disgraceful conduct, Baron. He behaved as a gentleman should, or so first reports from London suggest. I am though surprised that he seems to have ended his life in the River Thames – not in keeping. He was one to shoot himself perhaps, for that seeming to be ‘correct’ behaviour, but not to attempt a chancy drowning. If, however, as I suspect, he was not, and had not been for some time, in his right mind, then there is an explanation. I understand as well that my poor father has succumbed to the strain – there is some mention of him indulging in irrationality and possibly having to be placed under medical restraint. Very distressing when duty, and personal inclination, forces me to remain in China, at a distance and unable to act myself.”
There was enough there, Magnus suspected, to provoke Hildesheim into revealing the extent of his knowledge. It would be interesting to see if he would make reference to the impending betrothal.
“One must commiserate with you, Lord Eskdale. To be so far distant is a cause of great worry, always, the more especially when a father who is so close to the seat of power shows signs of decay.”
That was interesting, though revealing nothing about Hildesheim’s knowledge. Hildesheim seemed to believe that being a favourite of the Queen gave his father some influence in the government of the country. The reality was if anything the exact opposite; the prime minister was far more likely to take pains to ignore his father for fear that he might be trying to increase royal influence. No politician with any hope of becoming part of a government would tolerate interference from the Queen; she could make her opinions heard, but she was not to see them made into law except in the most trivial of cases.
“My father has long been a loyal voice at court, Baron.”
“Exactly so, my lord. Your brother was also a member of your parliament. Will you not inherit his seat?”
“Good God, no, sir! My brother chose to become an MP, but I shall not. On my accession to the earldom, then I shall have a seat in the House of Lords, which I shall rarely take advantage of. I shall certainly not seek political power. I have my career, Baron, and shall not take to the land.”
“Would not the Navy benefit from your so doing, my lord?”
“No, anything but. Was I to sit as a ser
ving naval officer then I would be suspect in the eyes of the civilians. I could not make my voice heard in opposition to the politicians without losing all credibility. The activities of Charlie Beresford make it clear that a naval officer who tries to combine service with politics is being very unwise; he has lost much of his influence through trying to exercise power.”
“You would say that influence is of greater importance than actual power, Lord Eskdale?”
“Undoubtedly, Baron. The quiet word in the right ear counts for far more in the creation of policy in Whitehall. I lack such influence at the moment, I fear, and have no desire at all to seek power.”
“Hence your decision to remain in China, Lord Eskdale?”
“In part. I am also about to contract an engagement to a beautiful, intelligent and utterly charming lady, who is also heiress to a not insignificant fortune. I shall be guided by her in my future, I suspect, and shall be very pleased to have that opportunity, Baron.”
Hildesheim showed no signs of surprise at the information.
“That is, perhaps, to lose your independence, Lord Eskdale… One advantage of the China Station lies in the possibility of making a small fortune of one’s own, I believe. A man with a few tens of thousands tucked away, as one might say, in his bank, becomes more capable of charting his own future course.”
A bribe! Possibly of some size, a regular payment even. Captain Hawkins had said that such might be offered. It was necessary not to comprehend the full implications, Magnus thought. Let the good Baron understand that he was smitten by the wisdom of his words, but that nothing could be done yet.
“I am used to poverty, Baron. It will be no hardship to me to continue with little money of my own. It might have been pleasant to be rich, but wealth has never come my way. I have been content to avoid debt and will be delighted that my children will be more fortunate than me. My dealings with my lady-to-be’s father have shown him to be a man of some courtesy, although perhaps a little short on delicacy of feeling. I am sure I shall enjoy a satisfactory relationship with him.”
Hildesheim said no more, merely offered refreshments and made a few comments on the situation in China.
“What do you expect of Port Arthur, my lord?”
“Admiral Seymour believes it must create war between Japan and Russia, Baron. That will be interesting to observe when it comes. It will tell us whether there is any real strength behind the Russian façade. We all, I suspect, would like to know whether the Bear actually has claws.”
“There can be no doubt, surely, Lord Eskdale. The Japanese must be inferior to any of the great states of Europe.”
Magnus did not believe that to be so, commented merely that Russia was, in his opinion, more Asiatic than European.
Hildesheim assumed that Magnus was no more than parroting the opinions of his seniors. He knew that Magnus had been in contact with a senior functionary of the Foreign Office and was probably reporting to him; it was therefore probable that he was repeating the perceived wisdom of his masters. Magnus’ personal record was that of a playboy, a man incapable of forming a meaningful opinion of his own. Such being the case, it was clear that the British government felt no more than contempt for the Russians and would have no desire to go into alliance with them.
“I cannot imagine that you support the French policy of rapprochement with Russia, Lord Eskdale?”
“I am captain of a small and old-fashioned ship, Baron. What I support is of little relevance, I fear. I will say that I do believe that Britain is well advised to keep clear of Continental entanglements. While we command the seas, which we do, then the antics of the armies of France and Russia are unimportant to us. I do not think that we shall wish to involve ourselves in any of the wars of the European powers, Baron.”
Hildesheim changed the subject, having learned, he thought, all that Magnus knew of Imperial policy. Distant from Whitehall, the young captain could not be wholly up to date, but he was of an important family and must have access to the gossip mills of Mayfair, where policy was made. It was important to cultivate him.
“You seem to have a low opinion of your command, Lord Eskdale.”
“An experiment, Baron. One from which a great deal has been discovered, I would add. The class is now obsolete, of course, but has taught us much about the cruiser and its uses. As well, we now know how the torpedo may best be handled, which is valuable for the future. I can venture to state that there will be many more of fast and agile and small torpedo ships, Baron, designed to a great extent for coastal protection. The cruiser itself must become larger and armoured to an extent. The very concept of the torpedo cruiser has been shown to be flawed – and that could only be discovered by experiment.”
Baron Hildesheim wondered to what extent that was Admiralty policy. Lord Eskdale was incapable of serious analysis of naval strategy – the man was a lightweight. Therefore he was still repeating the words of his betters, and to the wrong person, which seemed typical of the sort he was.
“Where next are you bound, Lord Eskdale?”
“Back to Hong Kong, then to Shanghai for river work, I believe, Baron. There is some possibility of a visit to Japan, I am told, but that may be solely because of the new title, you know. Not cut out for diplomacy, I think, but where my admiral sends me, there shall I go.”
Magnus returned to Racoon and exchanged salutes as he sailed. Baron Hildesheim sat in his study and tried to compose telegrams to Berlin. It seemed probable that Britain would look with indifference on an invasion of Russia, or on any other adventure on land; only if Germany took to the seas would there be any reaction from the British. He knew that the Kaiser wanted a great navy, and that advice which suggested any other course would simply enrage him. He would inform his own masters of the reality he believed he saw; what they did with his information was their business, not his.
“Course for Hong Kong, Mr Mason. What did you observe on shore?”
“Moorings for a substantial squadron but not for a battlefleet, sir. Shore facilities in construction which will hold stores sufficient for a few big ships, but not for a fleet. Tsingtao will not rival Hong Kong, unless there is a second phase of building planned, sir. Lieutenant Mornington has put his navigation skills to use, sir; he has charted the harbour as well as he could without taking soundings. We know exactly where the moorings are. Bombardment would be possible in poor visibility and at a long range.”
“Well done. A very useful action to take. What of fortifications?”
“A pair of fortresses facing inland, sir. Perhaps eight inch guns. Batteries against attack from the sea are hardly advanced at all, sir. The primary concern seems to be of defence against attack from the Chinese. No expectation of a naval assault, sir.”
“Good. We have no intention of making one, I believe. Better for the Chinese to see that the European nations are not arming against each other.”
Mr Mason could not see why – the Chinese must be well aware that the Europeans were busily engaged in seeking allies among the warlords, with the intention of thwarting each other rather than extending their joint influence. First lieutenants did not offer disagreement on matters of policy…
“I do agree, sir. Far wiser to let the Chinks think they face a united set of Europeans. And Japanese as well, I suppose.”
“Possibly not that last, Mr Mason. Can’t trust the Japanese to see eye-to-eye with us, you know. A lot of hatred between Japan and China for many centuries, or so I am told. Best for us to stand neutral there, if possible.”
Back in Hong Kong, Magnus recounted his doings to Captain Hawkins.
“Hildesheim was there, sir, and had sent their Governor off inland to have me to himself, I believe. He made a veiled offer of bribes – ‘several tens of thousands’, so he suggested.”
“Ha! Values you high for your new position, it would seem, my lord. Long term considerations, I suspect. A few years from now and you will have a seat in the Lords and could be very useful for making the German position kno
wn. Could be handy for arguing against naval spending, for example, or for pushing for changes in foreign policy, that sort of thing. Worth paying out for, Lord Eskdale’s place in the political world.”
“It may be, sir, but I really don’t want to be part of that world.”
Captain Hawkins applauded Magnus’ wisdom but wondered just how he would react in a year or two, when his wife might have a yen for Mayfair and the metropolitan life.
Admiral Seymour had pirates who needed to be chased before he could release Racoon to Shanghai.
“They might be working out of Formosa, Eskdale. Then again, they might not. If they ain’t based on Formosa, then it’s likely they’re working out of the Philippines, which will mean Spanish involvement, even if no more than paid to keep the blind eye. They have taken half a dozen of small Chinese steamers in the past month. All we know is what has been reported from junks and fishing sampans that happened to be within sight – and that suggests three different vessels involved. No survivors have surfaced from the taken ships. Either their throats cut or sold on into slavery. Normal thing for the Chinese – human life means nothing to them, you know.”
“Yes, sir. What descriptions have we for the pirates? Have they heavy guns?”
“No. All we have been told suggests no more than small cannon firing grapeshot. Hundreds of men, of course. Mostly blades rather than guns, normally. Generally, they try to take ships in coastal waters with half or more of their men in small boats and swarming aboard from all sides. A single three-pound shell will sink one of the boats, while your six inch concentrate on the larger ship. That’s why I want Racoon for the job. She can look like a merchantman and show herself just offshore, bring them onto her.”
“That means working under sail, sir.”
“It does. Good for you, Eskdale. Nothing like sailing your own ship, sir.”
“I am sure you are right, sir. I shall keep the engine-room at full steam, sir, ready to engage the screws at any minute.”
“Think carefully, Eskdale. Just ask yourself, how would Nelson have gone about this job?”
02 Shanghai Dreams (The Earl’s Other Son #2) Page 12