A War by Diplomacy

by John G. Cragg

  “Oh, dear,” thought Daphne, “What have I let myself in for by encouraging this conversation?” She was well aware that her own first impression of the Major had not been favorable. What she said, however, was, “I think, Major Stoner, that your best course of action is to talk with Lady Marianne directly. There is no point stewing about the matter any longer. I know you have given this step a lot of thought, so just get on with it. Here,” she said, rising to go to the bell pull, “I’ll ask Steves to tell Lady Marianne that you would like a word with her.”

  After the Major had left to see Lady Marianne, Daphne thought to herself that she hoped he could be a bit more direct with Lady Marianne than he had been with her. Otherwise, the poor woman might not even realize that she was receiving an offer of marriage.

  Daphne decided that she would not wait around to hear the outcome of the meeting between Major Stoner and Lady Marianne. She would rather let Lady Marianne get used to the idea that she had been asked to marry rather than getting a minute-by-minute account of the Major’s proposal. Instead, Daphne would start investigating what was involved in taking on the hounds for the Ameschester Hunt.

  The person in the immediate neighborhood who would be most likely to be knowledgeable about hunting hounds was Mr. Griffiths, her stable master. He did, indeed, turn out to be conversant about what would be involved in taking on the hounds. It would be highly expensive, he pointed out. Furthermore, the dogs could be a noisy lot and so they could be a great nuisance unless the kennels were located some distance from the Hall. However, after starting as the devil’s advocate, it quickly became clear that he was really very enthusiastic about the idea. Training the hounds would mean that the fox population of Dipton’s woods would be kept down, much more than would be the case if the foxes were being protected so that the hunt could find one easily. That would benefit the local hen coops. That way of culling the foxes would be accomplished without drawing the approbation of the hunting neighbors. Having the kennels would also make training the hunting horses a lot easier and produce better results if they were already accustomed to following the dogs before they were sold. At Salton Masham, where Mr. Griffiths had previously been employed, there had been difficulty in training horses to ignore the hounds, but still follow their cries, when hunting. Having the hounds at hand would be much better than the artificial scenes he otherwise would have to use. There was also, Mr. Griffiths proclaimed, a perfect place to situate the kennels, in a hollow in Dipton Wood, where the yapping of the dogs would not be heard from the Hall.

  “There is one hitch about that site,” Mr. Griffiths completed his discussion of the location for the kennels. “Just,” Daphne thought, “to show that he was being judicious and objective rather than enthusiastic.”

  “What is that?” Daphne asked.

  “It is very close to the track dividing Dipton Wood from Mr. Julius Wark’s land. As you know, Mr. Wark won’t let the Hunt onto his land, not even the dogs to start a fox running. That prohibition is no problem with the mature dogs. Charlie Maddox always has the hounds under control. Pups in training may be a different matter. I am not sure that he could prevent them from venturing into Mr. Wark’s woods.”

  “I can see that that might be a problem. I’ll have to think more about it.”

  Daphne did not know much about Mr. Wark. Although Dipton Wood adjoined his property, with a cart track separating them, she had seen very little of the man. His land was in the next parish and it was also not in Dipton Borough, so he had not been involved in the recent election. She had heard that he was heavily involved with smuggling, providing a center for the trade, both as a place from which to dispense the smuggled goods to customers in the neighborhood and also as a staging ground for the transportation of contraband still farther inland. He was rumored to have several well-hidden storage places in the depths of his wood and was hostile to having neighbors drop in informally. It was widely presumed that the revenue officials did not harass him because of judiciously placed bribes and the general influence of men who appreciated the service Mr. Wark provided in facilitating the delivery of their foreign luxuries. He also had the reputation of treating trespassers and poachers very harshly, relying on the clubs of his gamekeepers rather than the magistrates’ court to inhibit people from venturing onto his land.

  Daphne returned from her conversation with Mr. Griffiths convinced of two things. First, taking on the hounds would not be a profitable venture. Second, this sort of venture that might well attract Giles as a hobby. He had taken to the horse farm with gusto, even though it had a long way to go before it might show a profit. Her husband would likely share Mr. Griffith’s enthusiasm. So she should not reject the idea out of hand.

  As Daphne had hoped, Major Stoner had actually succeeded in proposing to Lady Marianne. She had never seen her sister-in-law as excited as she was when Daphne returned from talking with Mr. Griffiths. Nothing would do than that she should sit down and receive a full account of how marvelous the Major was, though Lady Marianne did indicate that he had beaten around several bushes before getting to the point. He had sealed his commitment by giving her a betrothal ring, a large gold filigree ring that had a prominent ruby as its central feature. It was of Indian origin, part of the loot that the Major had brought home from his time in India, and Daphne had to gush over it for some time to satisfy her sister-in-law. Giles had not given Daphne a betrothal ring, having had no chance to acquire one before proposing to her, but he had provided a very well crafted wedding ring that was now her most valued possession.

  Daphne stated that, of course, Lady Marianne would be married from Dipton Hall and that Giles would provide the wedding breakfast. This was greeted with relief and enthusiasm, Lady Marianne’s own allowance, of which she always spent every penny, would not have allowed any celebration that the Major did not fund.

  “Oh, thank-you, thank-you.” Lady Marianne declared. “Oh don’t you think that the Major is marvelous. He even stated that I wouldn’t have to get married in my shift!”

  “What?”

  “You know. A widow has to come to her next husband naked, that is, in her shift, to make it clear that she is not bringing with her dead husband’s debts. But I don’t have any debts that I know of, anyway.”

  “That is because Giles already paid all your debts and your husband’s and has made sure you haven’t run up any others since you came here,” Daphne thought to herself. “I hope the Major knows that you and money are easily parted.”

  What she said, however, was, “I am sure that this is exactly what Captain Giles would want.”

  Daphne had not been overly concerned about Major Stoner’s tales of threats from Sir Thomas Dimster to repay her for interfering in the Dipton election and for landing him with the likelihood of severe punishment for what he had tried to do. She had not seen her actions to stop the false election as being directed particularly at Sir Thomas, but simply as a way of ensuring a proper choice of the MP for Dipton Borough.

  Daphne did, however, take umbrage at Sir Thomas’s remaining a magistrate when he had shown such contempt for the law. She would write to Mr. Justice Amery about the matter. It did not occur to her that Sir Thomas still wanted revenge. The threats must have been issued in the heat of the moment and the baronet would realize that taking action against her would simply land him deeper in trouble. In this belief, she was mistaken even though it took a while for his threats to materialize. Nothing happened for several weeks, and when he did move against Daphne, she did not realize immediately what he was doing.

  Daphne awoke one morning to the news that Jacob Nester had been arrested for poaching in Mr. Julius Wark’s wood. Jacob Nestor was one of her tenants, holding a small farm leased from Dipton Hall. He also worked from time to time in the fields of Dipton Hall. She was surprised. There had been no reason for Jacob Nester to poach in Mr. Wark’s wood. It was Daphne’s practice to allow her tenants and workers to take rabbits on her land since there were more than enough to satisfy the wants
of Dipton Hall and of Dipton Manor. Indeed, at present, she had a surfeit of rabbits and hares in her woods and they were making a nuisance of themselves in the various farmsteads over which she had control. Jacob would have had no problem getting his catch in Dipton Wood. If he had been doing so, it would have been natural for him to use the track that separated her land from Mr. Wark’s, so Daphne believed that the charge might have been fabricated. This was especially so since it was not Mr. Wark’s custom to deliver offenders for judgment by the magistrates. He thought direct action by his lackeys served as a better way to protect his game and his privacy.

  Mr. Wark was a known ally of Sir Thomas. Could this be the fulfillment of Sir Thomas’s threat? It started to seem more likely when one of Daphne’s morning visitors mentioned that Mr. Wark had been heard to say that he and Sir Thomas thought it was time to teach poachers from Dipton a lesson by hanging some of them.

  The hearing before the magistrates for the poaching offense was to be held in Ameschester at ten o’clock in two days’ time. Daphne knew that she would have to be present, even if it was unlikely that the magistrates would allow her to speak because she was a woman. Unfortunately, Lord David was in London on some business to do with his assuming his seat in Parliament and her father was sick with a stomach malady that Mr. Jackson said was not serious, but would confine him to Dipton Manor for several days. She realized that she had no other man to call on to take her place in defending her tenant.

  Daphne would have to go herself to the hearing in the hope that she could be heard. She would stay the night at the Fox and Hounds in Ameschester so that she would not be rushed getting to the hearing. Possibly, she should also speak to her solicitor so that he could speak for her to the tribunal. Mr. Snodgravel was adequately skilled as a man to handle routine contracts and tenancy agreements, but he was not an impressive or an assertive one. He was, however, the only one she could call on who might make an impression on the magistrates. He might even be up to challenging Sir Thomas’s right to continue to act as a magistrate when he was under indictment for treason. She had received a letter from Mr. Justice Avery to the effect that Sir Thomas could not possibly sit as a magistrate until his trial had been heard, but she had no hope that she herself would be allowed to present it.

  How she wished Giles were here! He would know how to deal with the situation. When would he be coming home? His presence would allow her to be less preoccupied with this wretched affair and more with her maternal responsibilities. It was very difficult sometimes to have to wear his hats as well as her own, even though she recognized that the present problem was all the result of her own actions.

  Chapter XXIII

  Giles’s little flotilla made its way up the east side of the Øresund without seeing any other ships. They slipped past Copenhagen and continued up to the end of the sea passage in the dark. If Danish ships were patrolling the area, they were not close enough for Glaucus’s crew to see them by moonlight, especially as the sky had clouded over near midnight. The wind was light and it took the ships more than two full days to approach the end of the Skagerrak.

  They were sailing easily on a north-west breeze as they passed the Skagen soon after dawn. Ahead, the fog banks that typified the North Sea were starting to break up. Suddenly in one of those banks, flashes were seen, followed quickly by the sound of cannon firing. Some sort of naval action was happening in front of them. There seemed to be three or maybe even four sources of the gunfire though they were all so close together that this impression was largely guesswork as long as they were shrouded in fog.

  “Clear for action,” Giles roared. “Mr. Brooks, we should get over there as quickly as possible to see what is going on. Use all sails to get the maximum speed out of Glaucus.”

  The placid deck erupted into frenzied action. In a remarkably short time, Mr. Hendricks was able to announce, “Cleared for action, sir.”

  “Very good, Mr. Hendricks. You have shaved thirty seconds off your previous best time.” Giles had been timing how long the exercise took. He knew that that sort of behavior by the captain, acting as if this was just a routine drill, would calm nerves as battle approached.

  “Mr. Hendricks, load and run out.”

  Just then, the fog bank broke up and exposed three frigates. Judging by the smoke that was slowly dissipating, a very hectic battle was being fought. The center ship was firing her broadsides on both sides while the outer two were replying from their sides nearer the middle ship. They would soon be able to grapple and attempt to board their victim.

  “The center frigate is Perseus, Captain Bush’s ship,” Midshipman Stewart announced with great excitement. “The other two appear to be French frigates, somewhat bigger than Perseus. They might be thirty-sixes or maybe even thirty-eights.”

  “Mr. Brooks, keep all sails filled and furl them only as we go into action,” Giles ordered. “Perseus may even have an advantage in a broadside duel, since she is firing more quickly than either of her opponents and is able to use both sides. Bush must have a nearly full crew to be able to fight both sides simultaneously. However, if the other ships grapple with her and try to board, he will have a hard time holding off their combined crews.”

  Giles thoughts were interrupted by the presence of Sir Walcott, who had apparently just realized that Glaucus was not steering to avoid the battle of the ships ahead. “Captain Giles, what are you doing? You simply cannot think of getting involved with those ships. Remember your orders! I am still the special envoy to the Court of the Tsar of Russia! You cannot put my life in jeopardy! I forbid it.”

  “I am afraid that you cannot forbid anything, Sir Walcott. Your mission is over. Even if you do not return to London, the Ambassador will no doubt make a report on your performance.”

  “But, Captain, it is too dangerous. I might be killed!”

  “If that is your worry, I suggest that you go to the orlop now. You will be quite safe there.”

  “But…but…I cannot possibly go there. Isn’t that where all those horribly wounded sailors will end up?”

  “Yes. Maybe you can help Dr. Maclean. In any case, get off my deck.”

  Giles roared the last sentence at the ambassadorial pest. Sir Walcott looked startled and even terrified at the tone of the Captain and scurried to the companionway leading below. Giles knew he should feel ashamed at how he had terrified his passenger, but instead just now he was feeling a guilty glee at even slightly venting his real feelings about Sir Walcott.

  Time crept forward terribly slowly. The men on Glaucus could only stare at the battle. As Giles had pointed out, Perseus seemed to be giving as good as she got, firing almost three broadsides to her enemies’ two. However, it was only a matter of minutes before the French frigates would come alongside her and then the situation might become hopeless. Glaucus must get to the battle as quickly as she could.

  The frigate to starboard of Perseus had crept closer and closer to the British frigate and looked as if she should be ready to grapple. The other one had fallen slightly behind but was pointed towards the English frigate as if she was intending to slide up Perseus’s larboard side in order to board. The second frigate’s guns had fallen silent as they could no longer target the British frigate, but Perseus could still fire into her. The guns, however, would not stop the French ship. Giles’s friend, Toby Bush, was about to be required to repel boarders on each side, likely an impossible task.

  Then the battle took a surprising turn. A cannon ball from Perseus’s starboard battery, aimed high for no apparent reason, had skimmed over her opponent’s bulwark without striking anything until it slammed full force into the mizzenmast. Giles saw what had happened. It was a lucky shot, and probably a mistaken one. With the enemy about to grapple, Giles would have expected Bush to be ordering his deck guns to load with grapeshot* or canister*, not with single round shot. However, whether fired deliberately or by mistake, that one ball had a major impact on the fight. It had broken the enemy’s mizzenmast. The mast seemed to waver, an
d then a roll of the French frigate to larboard made the mast slowly fall towards Perseus. Down it came, taking with it some of Perseus’s rigging, until it was almost, but not quite, lying on Perseus’s deck. It’s fighting top* and the mizzen topmast had struck the other French frigate and pinned that ship in a position where its bow was pointing a bit towards Perseus and its stern was moving away so that most of the enemy’s starboard guns could still not be brought to bear.

  The balance of the fight had changed dramatically with the French frigate’s mizzenmast going by the board. That ship was now held at close range to Perseus. The British frigate’s quicker handling of her guns had already put many of her enemy’s cannon out of service and now her more rapid fire was silencing more and more of the remaining guns while also pounding the French frigate’s larboard side to splinters. The continuing bombardment must be wounding a huge percentage of the French ship’s gun crews. Things were not much better for the rest of the French crew. Bu shot and their aim was so true that they had put the enemy’s corresponding guns out of service. Perseus’s carronades* then did switch to grapeshot which plowed horrible swaths of wounded and dead sailors across her decks.

  The French on the first frigate were massing near the fallen mast to try to somehow storm aboard Perseus, but the only bridge to their opponent’s deck was the fallen mast. It was rounded. While that fact would have presented no problem to any of her crew who were used to working aloft, it did mean that the French sailors could only cross the gap between the vessels one-by-one. The chances of their not being picked off by Perseus’s muskets were non-existent. Of course, the problem of using the fallen mast as a bridge worked both ways. Perseus’s crew were equally unable to board their opponent. The two ships seemed like two chained dogs, close enough to bark and snarl at each other, but unable to bite.