by Ella Quinn
But tonight, he was going to discover what he could about the situation into which he was taking his wife and his household, such as it was.
The officers had a private room off the taproom of the Black Bull while their soldiers filled the common room.
“We’re the last of us to arrive,” Captain Lord Thomas Prendergast, one of Geoff’s Eton friends said. “Thought we weren’t going to make it in time.”
“I don’t mind telling you that I’m concerned about all the new recruits we’ve got.” Another officer drained his wineglass and refilled it.
“I hear Uxbridge was sent to Wellington,” Geoff said. “Have you heard what his reception was?”
Thomas barked a laugh. “My father got a letter from one of his friends. Someone asked Wellington about Uxbridge running off with Wellesley’s wife, and our illustrious general said, ‘Lord Uxbridge has the reputation of running away with everybody he can. I’ll take good care he don’t run away with me.’”
The others joined in the laughter.
“Damned good commander,” another officer said. “My cousin served under Paget, as he was then, in Spain.”
The talk turned to commanders they were glad to see back and those they would have been happy never to see again.
Then one of the younger lieutenants said, “I hear we’re missing all the best entertainments. I hope there are some left to attend when we arrive.”
“Unless we go immediately into battle, which is unlikely as Napoleon has yet to leave Paris, the last I heard, you can count on Wellington having a ball,” Thomas said. “They have been doing more dancing than marching from what I’ve heard.”
Elizabeth would like attending balls and other entertainments, Geoff thought. Yes, he definitely had to make things up with her. The passage to Ostend would be the perfect time. He had made sure they had a room to themselves. As long as she didn’t become seasick, it would be the perfect time.
“Do you think Wellington will take the battle to Napoleon?” he asked.
“Not unless he has all his brigades in place,” his friend replied. “Are you not concerned about bringing your bride with you?”
Interestingly enough, Geoff had never considered leaving Elizabeth behind. He wasn’t a soldier, and if they had to flee, that’s what they would do. “I shall watch the situation closely.”
“You and Harry Smith. I heard he and his wife, Juana, are already in Belgium.”
“Harry Smith?” Geoff shook his head.
Thomas spent the next several minutes telling Geoff about Major Smith and the young woman he had married after the battle of Badajoz. “She was only fourteen, but they took one look at each other and Harry said he was going to marry her, and she agreed. Best little campaigner you’ve ever seen.”
It was after midnight when Geoff finally left the inn, telling Thomas and the others he’d see them in Belgium. Geoff wondered if Elizabeth would like to host a dinner for them and some of the other gentlemen she’d met that would be there. That reminded him that he must attempt to find Colonel Lord Hawksworth when he arrived.
* * *
The next day, Geoff, Elizabeth, their servants, horses, carriages, and luggage had no sooner been loaded on the boat than a man with the insignia of a colonel approached the captain. They chatted for a few minutes, after which Captain Higgins motioned toward Geoff.
“My lord,” the colonel said. “I am Colonel Lord John Fitzhenry of the 73rd Regiment of Foot. I hear you’re headed to Ostend. I must get my men across. The rest of my unit already landed but we were held up. We’ve been waiting for a week now, and have been unable to obtain transport. May we trouble you for a ride?”
“A ship left this morning,” Geoff said, knowing the man would have been on it if he could have been, and it was too late now in any event. Selfishly, he did not want to give up his time to reunite with Elizabeth.
“Unfortunately, we arrived after the ship was already underway. I asked around and we were told we might be able cross on the Sally Ann.”
Part of him wished to deny the request. Geoff had been in his wife’s black book long enough, and he’d planned to use the passage to try to discover what he had done and make amends. Then again, he had a duty to offer assistance. He was damn lucky the ship hadn’t been commandeered. It was possible the colonel could force him to take them. Still, if he could find a way out of it, he would. Perhaps he could find another vessel for the soldiers to take. He did have some influence after all.
Yet, before he could speak, the feminine voice that haunted his dreams said, “Of course you shall come with us, Colonel.” She dipped a shallow curtsey. “I am sure there will be enough room for you and your men.”
Hell and damnation! Geoff clamped his jaw shut and fought to keep the scowl off his face. Would he never have time to speak with her? Still, he couldn’t very well object after she’d made the offer. She would be even more furious with him than she already was. “My wife is absolutely correct. You are more than welcome to join us. We sail on the evening tide.”
“Thank you, my lord, my lady.” The colonel bowed. “We will not hold you up.”
“Think nothing of it,” Elizabeth said. “We are happy to help in any way possible.”
The man went off, Geoff supposed, to gather his troops. “It will be crowded on the ship,” he mused, hoping Elizabeth was paying attention to him.
“Yes, but it is only for a matter of hours.” She surveyed the vessel. “I am sure we will be comfortable. The Sally Ann has sufficient cabins that we need not give up ours. Although, I believe we must share the salon with Lord John and the officers he will have with him.”
Sufficient cabins that we need not give up ours.
Geoff breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps she wished to settle their difficulties as well. “I should speak with the captain about the new arrangements.”
Elizabeth watched Geoffrey stride off in the direction of the captain who was, again, in conversation with the colonel. She should have asked how many additional people would be onboard. The hotel’s landlady had provided her with enough remedies for mal de mer for Elizabeth’s party, but with the soldiers accompanying them she should ask if the hotel’s cook should make up more. Even if the Sally Ann’s cook had remedies, he might not have enough for the new passengers, and who knew how many of the soldiers would become ill.
“Vickers, I must return to the Three Cups. Please find one of the male servants to accompany me.” Elizabeth mentally reviewed the arrangement of the cabins they had been assigned.
Fortunately, there was enough room on the ship that the captain had not felt it incumbent upon him to give up his room for her and her husband. She and Geoffrey had, however, been assigned only one cabin. It was large enough to accommodate the two of them—if she wished to share a bed with him, which she did not. Trying to avoid him—which was becoming more and more difficult—might present a problem. “It is possible that I could become quite ill during the crossing.”
“My lady”—Vickers’s eyes widened in shock—“you’ve never in your life been sick on a boat.”
“Be that as it may,” Elizabeth said quietly, “I have never been in such rough waters.” She glanced at her maid who was just staring at her and sighed. “You are most likely right. I doubt if I could successfully manage to pretend to be ill. In fact, if any of the colonel’s men succumb, you and I will be busy helping nurse them. In that case, I shall not have time to do anything but that. It might be a very long night for us.”
“I don’t know what he did, but avoiding him will not solve the problem. That’s what my mother always said.” Vickers looked as if she wanted to roll her eyes.
Under the circumstances, Elizabeth could not blame her maid. Vickers had not been in Elizabeth’s bedchamber for the whole conversation she’d had with Lady Markham and the dowager, therefore, did not know what Geoffrey had said. Elizabeth did not even know if her maid would agree that a love match was necessary for her happiness. “You must trust me that I
am following my mother in-law’s and my grandmother-in-law’s advice concerning his lordship.”
“In that case, I’ll keep mum.” Her maid went to do as she had been asked.
Fortunately, no matter how she decided to avoid him, Geoffrey would be none the wiser. He had never asked her about her experience with ships and would no doubt be surprised to learn she had sailed from a very young age with her maternal grandfather.
Several hours later, the Sally Ann was ready to sail. Elizabeth had obtained a quantity of ginger soup, ginger biscuits, and ginger tea if the worst occurred and most of the others became ill. All of which were guaranteed—according to the landlady of the Three Cups—to aid, if not cure, mal de mer. Something Elizabeth had no experience with since none of her family ever got seasick.
She had been told that even many experienced sailors suffered from mal de mer. Admiral Nelson being the most famous. She would take a nap that afternoon in the event she did not get much sleep that night.
Four hours later, Elizabeth stood at the rail wrapped in a thick wool cloak. The wind blew briskly out of the south-west, which would make for a quick passage to Ostend. Yet, it also meant the seas would be high.
The crew had raised the first of the Sally Ann’s sails, and she began to make her way out of the harbor. For a second, Elizabeth thought she could see Holland, but it was most likely the clouds on the horizon.
Her neck began to prickle and she knew Geoffrey was behind her. “Would you not be more comfortable inside?”
“No, thank you for asking though.” Not that he actually cared about her. She was merely his means to an end. “It is not wet, and I like watching the other boats and the harbor.”
“You must not call her a boat, my dear.” He chuckled. “The proper word is ship. A boat is much smaller.”
“I am sure you are correct.” She looked toward the land, wondering how long it would be before they could no longer see it. At least an hour or more. “Have you ever made a long sea voyage?”
“No. My experience is limited to crewing on the Thames or a rowboat on a lake.” He placed his hands on her shoulders, and she wanted to shrug them off before she began craving his touch more than she already did. She had enjoyed making love with him, and missed it. Still, she had to make herself remember that to him it was never more than marital relations. Love never played a part. “Nevertheless, I am certain I shall be able to take care of you should anything occur. Not that I expect it to. Higgins seems to be extremely competent.”
“I’m sure we will be perfectly safe.” The sound of the rest of the sails being set gave her a thrill. Elizabeth had not been on a ship since her mother died and had forgotten how free it made her feel.
“The captain has asked us to join him for dinner.” Geoffrey slid his hands down her arms, and she repressed the shiver of delight she felt at his touch.
“So I was informed.” The Sally Ann passed the mouth of the harbor, and Elizabeth turned to face her husband. “I shall go to the cabin and wash up.”
“I’ll join you shortly.”
She grabbed the rail to steady herself as the ship heeled. The helmsman must have just set their course.
“Careful, my lady.” Captain Higgins appeared next to her. “Would you like a hand getting to the cabin?”
Elizabeth thought about telling him she was perfectly capable of doing it herself, but that would be churlish, and he had done nothing to displease her. “Thank you.” Ignoring her husband’s scowl, she placed her hand on the captain’s arm. “When do you think we will make Ostend?”
“It is eighty nautical miles as the crow flies. With this wind, we should be there in the morning.”
That is exactly what she had thought. They had reached the cabin she and Geoffrey had been assigned, and she inclined her head. “Thank you for your escort, sir.”
“Thank you for not objecting to having the soldiers and their equipment onboard, my lady. I could not have denied them.”
“No, I imagine they could have taken over the ship. But even if we could have refused to take the colonel and his men, we could not. Wellington needs all the soldiers he can get.”
“That he does, my lady. That he does.” The skipper bowed. “I shall see you at dinner.”
“Until then.”
She opened the door and found Vickers waiting. “I asked Mr. Nettle if he would dress his lordship in the cabin he’s sharing with Mr. Preston, and he agreed.” By the time she’d finished the sentence, Elizabeth was out of her traveling gown and washing. “What I want to know, my lady, is how you expect him to fall in love with you if you keep pushing him away?”
Elizabeth’s jaw almost dropped. How did her maid know about that? She did not remember Vickers being in the room at the time.
Elizabeth dried her face and stood as her maid placed a pale pink gown over her head. “Not pushing him away did not work.” She heaved a sighed. “I have to find something that will work. My only hope is to try this.”
“If you ask me, he was acting like a man in love.” Vickers rewound Elizabeth’s hair into a knot high on her head.
“So I thought.” So everyone had thought and they’d all been wrong. She was about to ask her maid how much the woman had overheard, when the door opened, and Geoffrey, in a fresh cravat and jacket, entered the room.
Lord, he was handsome. His jacket molded his shoulders before skimming down to his slim waist. Elizabeth did not dare glance at his knee breeches. That would be her undoing.
Ruthlessly, she shoved her desire for him away. Or tried to. Even after his betrayal, her body and mind responded to him in the most wanton fashion. The sooner they were around others, the better.
God help her if she had to sleep in the same bed with him. She did not think she’d be able to ignore the temptation.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“You look particularly lovely, this evening.” Geoffrey held out his arm. Trying not to touch him more than necessary, Elizabeth placed her fingers on his jacket. “Shall we join the captain?”
As they strolled down the passageway she made sure she kept her other hand on parts of the ship—one hand for the boat, her grandfather always used to say. The ship heeled sharply, and Elizabeth held Geoffrey’s arm as he stumbled.
“Are you all right?” he asked after finding his feet again.
“Perfectly. You?”
“Yes, of course.” His voice was firm, yet he seemed a little shaken. “I wasn’t expecting the ship to move that way. Ah, here we are.”
She was surprised to see that the captain had a separate dining room for himself and his officers. In all the ships she had been on, the captain’s table was in his cabin.
“My lady, welcome.” Captain Higgins bowed.
“Good evening, Captain.” Elizabeth smiled. The long table was set for eight. It was affixed to the sole of the ship, and was so highly polished that it gleamed under the lamps attached to the wall, and one larger lamp hanging from the ceiling. Eight heavy wooden chairs were tucked along the sides and at either end. A sideboard with raised edges to keep the plates from sliding off was filled with covered dishes.
Lord John stood at another cabinet, holding a glass of wine.
“What a lovely cabin,” Elizabeth said.
“Thank you, my lady. I hope you will enjoy the food as well.” The captain bowed to Geoffrey. “My lord, good evening.”
“Captain.” Her husband inclined his head rather stiffly. Could Geoffrey be a little jealous that she had allowed the captain to escort her below earlier? She remembered what his grandmother had said.
“I led him a merry dance. We were in Paris, and I flirted with every Frenchman, including the king. That last part almost got me into a fix I couldn’t get out of. Henry was so jealous, he finally forbade me from flirting. That’s when I told him that if he didn’t want me there were a lot of gentlemen, including the king, who did.”
She could hope her husband would be jealous as well.
“My lord.” Elizabet
h dipped a curtsey to Lord John as he bowed.
“You have definitely got your sea legs, my lady,” Lord John said. “I’m afraid it’s going to take me a while.”
Motioning to the cabinet, Lord John said, “I hope you will join us for a glass of wine.”
As his lordship poured, Mr. Havers, his first officer, and Mr. Benchley, the ship’s master, entered the room along with Major Dalton, Lord John’s Brigade Major, and greeted those already assembled.
Rather than stand, they took their places at the table. After several minutes of stilted conversation about the weather and other innocuous subjects, she decided to encourage the gentlemen to discuss the coming war.
“It’s a shame Wellington can’t have his old Peninsular army back,” Captain Higgins opined.
“Many of his old units were diverted, and some have returned, but others are still in America,” Lord John said. “We still have too great a number of raw recruits as well. From what I understand, the duke plans to spread his experienced soldiers among the inexperienced ones. It’s a good idea. We’ll hold those recruits together. Isn’t that right, Will?”
Major Dalton nodded. “Right you are, my lord.”
“It is my understanding that the duke has never before met Napoleon in battle,” Mr. Havers, the first officer, said.
“That may be the case.” The major sipped his wine. “But neither has Boney met the Beau.”
A few moments later, two sailors served a hearty oxtail broth. Elizabeth kept an eye on Geoffrey, Lord John, and the others not used to sailing, looking for signs of mal de mer. From what she had been told, the earlier one was treated, the better the person would fare.
The soup was removed and a savory fish dish made with a cream sauce had just been served when Major Dalton hastily covered his mouth with his hand. “Forgive me. I must leave.”
Across from her Geoffrey turned an interesting shade of green. “I have some ginger tea and alike. If you will allow me, Captain, I shall take them to your cook.”
“If you wish, my lady. Although, normally, he is prepared and has what’s needed in his stores.” Just then the ship’s quartermaster entered the room and whispered to the captain. “Tell him to use what we have for the soldiers.” He grimaced. “It appears whatever you have on hand will be welcome, my lady. Most of the soldiers have become ill.”