Brothers at Arms

by Brothers at Arms (epub)

  As the weeks passed, hardly a day went by without them receiving invitations to evening parties, soirees, riding out to ruined temples with their friends, and dining alfresco in the embassy gardens. They were even included when visiting dignitaries came to the city.

  When Dr Hawley recovered his strength, he too was included, and was present on the occasion when Lord Elgin, the British Ambassador from Constantinople, visited Athens. To their surprise, their tutor claimed a prior acquaintance with the peer, and was soon in animated conversation. The result of which: they were invited to join a group visiting the Acropolis.

  Charlie was quiet when they left the embassy, but on one of the intervening days before the visit, Joshua came upon him standing in front of a mirror, raising an arched eyebrow.

  He stood back and watched for a few minutes, wondering if this latest amusement had a purpose. Social posturing usually bored Charlie, and it showed in the flippant comments that rolled off his tongue.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m practising my look of disdain,” said Charlie, as if that explained everything.

  “You’re doing what…?”

  His friend shook his head and spoke slowly.

  “In case I ever need to depress pretensions. Did you notice the haughty manner Lord Elgin used the other night at the embassy to deter people with whom he did not wish to speak? The Dowager uses it to good effect as well.”

  Incredulity must have shown in Joshua’s face.

  Charlie sighed. “I suppose giving a set-down comes easily to an ugly blighter like you, Norbery. Your face is naturally repellent, whereas my smiling countenance isn’t.” His merry laugh robbed the words of offence and dispelled any notion of vanity.

  Joshua retaliated with a deft swipe of his hand, aimed at Charlie’s ear and left him to resume his facial gyrations. All the same, he knew they were a perfect foil for each other, and friends could say things like that without offence.

  On the appointed day, they joined Dr Hawley and a party of their friends to watch artists in the Parthenon sketching artefacts, and saw craftsmen making casts of statues – a practice cultivated to enable wealthy visitors to take home replicas with which to adorn their homes. Even had they been inclined, such indulgence was beyond their means. Instead, like many others in the group, they committed the statues to memory in their sketchpads.

  Several times in the succeeding weeks, under the escort of Sergeant Percival and his assistants, Dr Hawley took them to an earlier temple of the Acropolis, the Erechtheum, dedicated to Athena and Poseidon.

  “We are fortunate Lord Elgin has gained permission for us to visit this site of antiquity, otherwise, we might not have access to the area. I understand the interior of this temple has been used as a mosque, and…” the tutor gave a cough as he peered at his guidebook, “a harem…”

  He moved on to inspect a single statue lying on the ground.

  “If you look closely,” he said, pointing upwards to the structure at the corner of the temple. “You will see this is one of the six figures that supported the Porch of the Caryatids.”

  The tutor caressed the marble figure as he spoke, drawing their attention to its construction. “Touch the marble,” he said. “Feel the smoothness of the stone and appreciate the beauty of the artisan’s craft.”

  The reverence in his voice radiated warmth, but the statue felt disappointingly cold to the touch. What did he expect them to say?

  The tutor gave an exasperated snort. “I said touch it, not tickle it, Mr Norbery. If the thought of touching a female form bothers you, think of it as an architectural support. Note how the neck is the narrowest part and compare this with the other five statues that stood alongside it. Think of the strength in those six figures when they supported the entablature on their heads.”

  To think like that would be sacrilege.

  “Do as the man says, Josh,” Charlie muttered under his breath.

  Joshua’s hand moved of its own volition from the curve of the neck to the shoulders. Charlie did the same on the other side.

  “Mmm,” he said, “I can see what he means about the structure.”

  They were in full agreement. The flowing lines of the figure were perfection. Whoever created the statue was an artisan of no mean order.

  Once committed to memory, the lush curves overflowed the pages of their sketchbooks and dominated their dreams.

  After that, the marble statues in the villa garden took on a new meaning as they whiled away the hours, sometimes together, and there were times when Charlie slipped away to be on his own.

  Often, on visits to the Acropolis, they met with their friends from the embassy, similarly occupied. They spent several hours exchanging opinions on the Doric architecture, fluted columns and marble statues that filled their sketchbooks.

  “I think Mr Cobarne’s goddess looks remarkably lifelike,” Lady Rosie said, subjecting the drawing to scrutiny. “If you notice, the features of the face and…um…the body are so realistic; I suspect he had some help from a model.”

  Joshua looked over Charlie’s shoulder at the scantily clad form reclining on the drawing, and recognised a marked similarity to one of the little dark-eyed maidservants from the villa. That must be why Cobarne slipped away into the garden in the evening to practise his artwork. No doubt, it was the same reason his Greek language skills blossomed – or maybe, it was Charlie’s ability to speak in the Gaelic tongue as a child. That certainly must have helped. Whatever it was, it was far better than Joshua’s stumbling attempts at conversation.

  Charlie chuckled and said without a hint of embarrassment, “This little lady is Ariadne, your ladyship. But you’re right in thinking that if you want authenticity, then you have to study the subject in close detail.”

  His words brought puzzled looks from the ambassador’s daughters, but he forbore to explain. Lady Rosie, however, had no need to seek clarification on the subject.

  “Your cousin is an original, Joshua. My grandmother calls him a charming rogue, but she ever had a fondness for them.”

  Joshua noticed how well Charlie related to the old lady. Despite the disparity in age, he shared the same sharp eye for detail, and wicked humour as the Dowager Lady Kenchester. They were soon firm friends, which left Joshua free to entertain the lady’s keen-eyed granddaughter.

  It was surprising how quickly the weeks slipped by between their arrivals in late August, to the middle of November. Joshua had written home in an earlier letter with news of Dr Hawley’s illness and recovery, and Sergeant Percival did the same. His father’s response was to order them back to Italy. With the uncertain military situation in Europe, he felt they needed to be closer to home.

  Neither of the lads minded where they went next. They had not seen much of Macedonia, but it was enough to appreciate the difficulties Alexander experienced. They would forego the rest.

  Dr Hawley could not hide his disappointment. While his pupils visited the embassy, the tutor indulged himself, soaking up the atmosphere of Plato’s academy. Now, he would have given anything to follow clues relating to Santorini’s eruption and the disappearance of the Minoan civilization, but his duty to Squire Norbery came first.

  When Joshua imparted the tidings at the embassy, the Dowager Countess said, “That is splendid news, Mr Norbery, for it coincides with my own plans. I was saying to my granddaughters only this morning that we have tarried here long enough. It is time to be moving nearer home. Have you decided which of the Italian cities you wish to visit first?”

  Joshua admitted he had not discussed the matter with Dr Hawley. He knew Sergeant Percival would be making the plans.

  “In that case, you may join our party. Tell your man to contact my major-domo about the arrangements. What is the fellow’s name?”

  “Sergeant Percival, your ladyship.”

  “I presume the rank is genuine? You cannot be sure these days. People claim to be all kinds of things they are not.”

  The question annoyed Joshua and
he felt obliged to protest.

  “Sergeant Percival’s honesty is not in question, ma’am. He was my late uncle’s batman. My father has complete faith in him.”

  He caught Rosie’s eye and she smiled.

  Later, she told him, “Grandmama was impressed by your defence of a good servant. Few are given the credit they deserve.”

  “He deserves more than praise for bringing us this far. We were in a sorry state when Dr Hawley was ill. If it hadn’t been for Percival’s prompt action in finding the herbalist, he would have died for sure.”

  Joshua and Charlie had matured since they left Linmore. Prior to their tutor’s illness, they viewed him as a fount of knowledge and person of unquestionable integrity. None of those things changed in their mentor, only their perception of his interaction with other folk.

  On the outward journey, they became aware of Dr Hawley’s shocking lack of tolerance. Now, they noted subtle changes in his demeanour and a greater civility towards Sergeant Percival. The fact they spent time in each other’s company, walked, talked and even laughed together suggested their broken friendship was in a state of renewal. For that, they could only be thankful.

  As far as Joshua was concerned, friendship was one of the most precious things in life and to lose it must be devastating. Thank heaven there would never be a similar rift between him and Charlie.

  CHAPTER 18

  “I am sadly out of favour, Joshua. I feigned not to notice when Sergeant Percival and his men physically carried Grandmama on board ship. My cousin is also blamed because she was similarly afflicted with deafness.” Lady Rosie’s tone sounded mournful but her lips twitched irresistibly.

  Joshua had witnessed the masterful way in which the former soldiers prevented a repetition of the delaying tactics that Lady Kenchester used on two previous occasions.

  Other factors dictated the urgency to achieve their objective. The increased traffic of enemy ships in the Mediterranean Sea necessitated the escort of a British Naval brigantine for the passage to Italy, and pirates were always a danger.

  If the ship had not sailed from Piraeus harbour today, they might have remained in Athens until the spring, and who knew what the political situation would have been then.

  “Of course,” she continued, “the poor dear would never admit that sailing puts her out of frame. In her youth, a woman had to stiffen her resolve and endure whatever life threw at her.”

  When they embarked on the clipper, Lady Rosie accompanied her grandmother to her cabin, and then returned to assure Joshua that all was well. Now, they were standing on the deck, watching the city of Athens slip away into the distance.

  “I mustn’t laugh,” she said, “but poor Dr Hawley looked most distressed – almost as if he wanted to cry.”

  “I expect he thought he would be blamed for standing by and doing nothing.” Joshua was more interested in the fact Rosie had come to see him, than the tutor’s anguish.

  “My complicity was worse than his,” she said. “I arranged it, and had the audacity to administer a dose of sedation to calm her fragile nerves.”

  “Was it laudanum?”

  “Valerian, and only a small dose, but it will ensure she is able to sleep.”

  For the remainder of the journey the Dowager Lady Kenchester remained in her cabin, and her granddaughters seldom emerged for long.

  Irrespective of the weather, Joshua and Charlie spent much of their time on deck, revelling in the fresh air and freedom from restraint. There were no social functions to attend, and little protocol to observe. Apart from going below deck to eat and sleep, they could gaze at the rocky inlets along the coastline, imagining slave-trading pirate ships lurking amongst the Ionian Islands. Fortunately, none was visible.

  Sergeant Percival was never far away. He patrolled the deck with them, pointing out ships of the line, and the reassuring sight of a red flag fluttering on the stern of their escort.

  Charlie was quiet, as if contemplating something. Then he said, “It’s strange; this boat reminds me of when your father collected me and Sophie from Ireland.”

  That meant he was missing Sophie.

  Dr Hawley spent much of his time in his cabin. They did not know whether he rested on his bed or peered myopically at his books, but it left them many free moments to go below to play cards and blow a cloud with the soldiers. Had he known, it was doubtful if the tutor would have approved of either.

  When they met up with the ladies, promenading on the decks, Charlie usually offered his arm of support to Lady Alice and Joshua gravitated to her cousin’s side.

  “How is Lady Kenchester?” he asked. “Has she recovered from her malaise?”

  “Yes, indeed, she is eagerly anticipating the strong arms that will carry her off the ship when we disembark. She cannot wait to see Sergeant Percival again. He earned her approbation by personally taking charge of her safety, and she wishes to make it known that he could apply to her if he ever required a testimonial.”

  Joshua heard the humour in her voice.

  “We have been through this charade many times,” she said. “Normally, no one dares quell her rebellion, but because of his audacity, she will scold and I will beg her pardon. All will be well until the next time. She fears the loss of dignity most, and relies on me to make the decisions.”

  Rosie clutched at Joshua’s arm as the swell of the sea brought them closer together, and he covered her hand with his own. She looked up at him, grateful for the support. They stood thus for a moment beside the rail.

  “I know Grandmama appears fierce, but she has the kindest heart. My father despaired of my independent ways. He said if I had an ounce of proper feeling, I would accept the husband he chose for me, but Grandmama would not let him force me into an unhappy alliance. Her marriage was extremely fruitful, but from things she has said, I do not think it was particularly happy. After my second unsuccessful season, my parents were glad to let me live with her. It was only fair, because they had my three sisters to establish. No,” she said. “Don’t pity me – the arrangement suits us well. I am in a fortunate position, and have the luxury to travel as her companion. She wanted me to know something different than a life with an endless round of pregnancies.” Her voice shook with emotion. “If only she knew…”

  She seemed to have forgotten to whom she was speaking. Joshua did not mind if she wanted to trust him with confidences. He would not betray them.

  Then she recalled where she was and seemed embarrassed.

  “Oh dear, I’m rambling,” she said, looking around for her cousin. “It appears Alice has gone ahead. I must go downstairs. Grandmama will be wondering where I am.”

  “Rosie,” he said, returning the pressure of her fingers. “I won’t tell anyone what you said.”

  “No… I know that only too well.”

  When they arrived in Rome, Lady Kenchester took several days to recover from the journey. During that time, Joshua and Charlie presented his father’s letters of introduction to the British Embassy. Whilst there, they took afternoon tea with the Ambassador and his wife and received their first invitations to meet Italian society, which promised to be rather grand.

  After this, they visited the villa in which the Kenchester ladies were staying. The fact it was only two doors away from their accommodation was most convenient.

  Having travelled together from Greece, it was natural for the two households to continue their association. On this, Lady Kenchester was most insistent, and despite Dr Hawley’s modest demeanour, he was not averse to sharing elevated company.

  The Dowager Countess treated Sergeant Percival with equal distinction, but the soldier was impervious to any entreaties to join her entourage. His loyalty was to Squire Norbery.

  They celebrated Christmas in the household of their English friends, and yet they all felt the absence of family. A few days later, Charlie saw another birthday, and the New Year heralded in a new century.

  The year was eighteen hundred, which sounded very different to the last
decade. Maybe it was a foretaste of things to come, and they wondered how many more changes would there be before they returned home to Linmore?

  In the weeks that followed, the weather was cooler than they were accustomed to of late, but significantly warmer than at home. Dr Hawley delighted in visiting art galleries and museums. Every week they visited another religious edifice with gold ornamentation and vivid coloured frescoes depicting warnings of retribution. The spiritual beauty of Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel came almost as a relief.

  The social calendar continued unabated, but there was an underlying nervousness about the changing military situation. They heard news of battles fought in other parts of Europe, and learned that if Rome was threatened, the ambassador and his entourage had plans for a move to Naples.

  With fewer English visitors in the city, those who stayed seemed to cling together for their entertainment. It was evident, from the joint invitations they received, the Dowager decided that two personable young men were suitable escorts for her granddaughters.

  As Easter approached, Lady Kenchester decreed a visit to Tivoli was a matter of some urgency, and arrangements were made. The journey, a matter of thirty miles, took two days to achieve at a leisurely pace.

  On their arrival, the Dowager declared the accommodation somewhat rustic, but to Joshua and Charlie, it was sumptuous. There was an abundance of marble tiled floors and similarly clad walls, which kept the villa cool. It was perfect. Even in the spring, the weather was as warm as an English summer day.

  The atmosphere suited the Dowager’s mood, and in her somnolent state, she sent an apology with Lady Rosie.

  “Grandmama begs you to excuse her, gentlemen. She is too fatigued to accompany us today.”

  When they expressed concern, she said, “Don’t worry, she will be wonderfully indulged in our absence. I knew before we came that walking was going to be too arduous for her, but she has decided we can be trusted to bring back a good report of our visit. To ensure she has something to remember, I have engaged the services of an artist to record the scenery.”