by Lynn Bryant
“Well that wouldn’t stop me, boy, but you know best,” Kelly said. He went to the door and put his head out. “You, lad - can you find us a drink? Brandy if you can, but wine will do. Steal it if you have to, we know that’s what the army does.”
Paul was beginning to laugh uncontrollably. “And in the middle of it all, Wellesley tried to swallow a laugh and nearly choked himself to death. Popham’s face! He isn’t at all gullible, he bloody knew they’d been hoodwinked but he couldn’t work out what to do about it! Christ, he looked pissed off!”
Hugh was laughing too. “He really did. Serve him right, the hypocritical bastard! He barely survived a court martial himself recently, he should know better than to go after a fellow officer, the smarmy bugger.”
Paul had tears of mirth in his eyes. He knew that it was partly reaction to the tension of earlier, but it was also genuinely funny. “I don’t know much about it, I’d not come across him before this campaign. You don’t seem keen, sir.”
“I’ve known him for a few years on and off. It was back in ’05, not long after Cape Santa Maria. He was at the Cape and got hold of the idea that it would be easy to provoke a rising against the Spanish so he took off to Buenos Aires.”
Paul had stopped laughing. “Jesus, of course I remember that. I was back in England after being wounded at Assaye, and then in Naples and Sicily but I remember the furore about South America although I didn’t remember it was Popham.”
“He got recalled in disgrace. He was court martialled and censured for leaving his station but he got off very lightly.”
“Maybe his intentions were good,” Paul said. The door opened again and a manservant entered with a tray bearing a bottle and two glasses. Hugh unstoppered the wine and poured, handing a glass to Paul.
“You think he didn’t deserve that?” he asked curiously.
“I don’t know, Captain, I wasn’t there. From the little I’ve heard the entire expedition has been ill-conceived, badly planned and under-resourced. Popham might have made an arse of himself but I don’t think that was all down to one man. For every army or navy officer court-martialled because it doesn’t go well, I’d like to see the arseholes at Horse Guards or the Admiralty stood up there beside them answering for their part of the fuck-up, but that doesn’t happen, does it? Is that your only reason for not liking Popham?”
Kelly grinned and sipped the wine. “Oh come on, Major, did you?”
Paul laughed again and shook his head. “No. He definitely strikes me as the kind of officer who spends a lot of his time working out how to make himself look good and further his own interests. But I don’t really know him and that doesn’t mean he’s not good at his job. He didn’t make a good impression on me when I tried to tell him about the Flight so maybe I’m biased.”
“I suspect that Popham holds a grudge, Major,” Kelly said and Paul studied him thoughtfully hearing the warning behind his words.
“You don’t think this is over do you?”
“Probably not.”
“Nor do I,” Paul said. “If it was just Lord Cathcart I think I’d be clear, but the Admiral was looking at me as though I’d just crawled out of a ship’s biscuit.”
“I think that’s his natural expression mind,” Kelly said, and Paul laughed despite his feeling of depression.
“Sir - thank you. Whatever comes of this, I really appreciate what you did in there just now.” Paul indicated the wine bottle. “And this. You did your best and I really didn’t deserve it. I’m even more sorry that I was such a twat yesterday.”
“Even if they decide to court martial you, Major, it doesn’t mean they’ll find you guilty. Look at Captain Popham.”
“I don’t have Captain Popham’s friends in high places.”
“Nor do I. What will you do - resign or fight?”
“Fight,” Paul said instantly. “I offered to resign this morning, and I’d have done it if Wellesley wanted me to, he’s earned it. But he raised his colours very thoroughly in there on my behalf. I might not win, but it won’t stop me trying. I’m furious with myself; I could have managed this so much better. I just saw those bodies and I lost my temper. Again. Wellesley has been telling me for years to learn to control it. I let him down.”
“You let yourself down,” Kelly said quietly. “If you were one of my lieutenants, Major, I’d have kicked you in the Sound for that little display yesterday.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t,” Paul said. “I’m beginning to realise for the first time how much this means to me. The army. My career. More than I realised.”
“It always does,” Kelly said with a faint smile. “Look, Major, I didn’t walk in there and lie to five senior officers from two services because I thought you’d be a laugh to have a drink with - although you are, by the way. I did it because once I’d come down off my high horse about you stamping your big army boots all over a Royal Navy frigate, I realised that you did what you did to save those men’s lives. You were right to do it and you shouldn’t get court martialled for that. A clip round the ear to remind you of your manners wouldn’t go amiss, mind.”
Paul picked up his glass and drank, his eyes on the other man. “I should have asked before - how is the lassie?”
“Sleeping. But she’s been conscious and she’s eaten and drunk. I’m not a medical man, but I think she’s going to be all right. Thank you for your help with her by the way and the clothing. You’re alarmingly competent.”
Paul regarded the Manxman with sympathy. “Did she follow you, sir?”
Kelly shook his head. “No, it was a genuine accident. I’m trying hard not to think about what might have happened to her if she’d not turned up here.”
“But she is your girl, isn’t she, Captain?”
Kelly regarded him severely. “I’m not sure my love life is your business, Major van Daan. But since you’re probably in need of a distraction…yes. Or she was. I’d have said that particular ship sailed when I left Mann last year. I thought she’d be married to somebody else by now, but she doesn’t seem to be. I’ve not asked her much, it can wait until she’s better.”
“It is a pity Lieutenant Paget isn’t here to answer for that,” Paul said. “Private Carter seemed able to work out it was a lass and not a lad he’d lifted up within about one minute.”
To his surprise, Hugh Kelly laughed aloud. “Jesus, you’re easy to read, you’ve no love for the navy, have you? I don’t know how it happened. She was friendly with the lads from the fishing fleet, used to go out with them sometimes when she was younger, dressed up in her brother’s clothing. According to the lads they let go, the impress men got very rough with one of the lads and she went in to stop him. Got knocked out in the scuffle and carried aboard.”
“Sounds very familiar,” Paul said. He was conscious of his own reaction to the story, of the memories of his own ordeal aboard ship at the age of almost fifteen and he drank more of the wine and wished he did not need to have this particular conversation. But he liked Hugh Kelly enormously and he owed the man a debt it would be hard to repay. He looked up. “Captain, have you talked to her about it?”
“Not yet, she’s still too ill. She got the fever and so did the Manx lads they picked up with her. They died and she survived. I’ve a suspicion she was terrified to tell anybody she was a girl in case they took advantage of it.”
Paul took a deep breath. “Well if they did there won’t have been much she could have done about it,” he said. “But you need to find out.”
He read the shock in Kelly’s eyes. “I’m not asking her that, Major. I’m not having her thinking that I give a damn…”
“She needs to know that you give a damn, Captain. Ask her.”
He saw the other man’s eyes widen and then the Manxman said:
“Given the mess you’re in, lad, is this the right time to be interfering in a senior officer’s business?”
“I don’t see how those two things are connected,” Paul said, clamping down on his irritation. “
But if you want to add your voice to the chorus wanting me cashiered, go right ahead, I’m still going to say it. You’ve no idea what happened to her these past weeks and you need to trust me when I tell you that it might half kill her to tell you. But if you really care and if you really want her, no matter what they might have done to her, you need to make sure she understands that, because if you keep avoiding the subject she will try to hide it from you. And that’s going to come back and bite you both in the arse at some point. Some things can’t be avoided.”
Hugh Kelly sat quietly, staring into his wine glass. Eventually the grey eyes lifted to Paul’s. “You think she might have been raped?”
“Don’t you?”
“Christ, how would I know? I thought that was the army’s speciality when they storm an enemy fortress…”
“Not in my regiment, Captain.” Paul could hear the anger in his own voice and he was not surprised at the startled expression on Kelly’s face.
“Jesus, Major, I wasn’t implying that. It’s just it would be a first for the navy.”
“And if you believe that, you’re being naive. It only takes one man, Captain, and she’d have been very vulnerable down there. Joining the navy or the army is hardly a guarantee of good character, we both know that. You’re right, it’s none of my business. And strictly speaking this is for her parents to ask her when she gets home.”
“She has no mother,” Kelly said. “And I do want to know.”
“Would it change how you feel about her?”
“No. Although if I find out something happened and he’s still alive I’m going after him and I’m going to cut his dick off and nail it to my mast as a trophy!”
Paul heard the rage and felt himself smile. “I’m very glad that anger is going in the right direction. She might have been all right, Captain, half the men were dying and she’d the Manx lads to look after her for a while. I’m not saying anything happened. I’m saying that pretending it didn’t won’t help her.”
Kelly looked at him in silence for a long moment then his mouth quirked into a smile. “What the hell am I doing asking a half-baked army boy about to be cashiered about my love life?” he said.
“Oh you didn’t ask me, Captain. I just opened my mouth and told you what I thought. That’s how to get yourself cashiered, by the way.”
Kelly started to laugh and after a moment Paul joined him. The door opened and Paul looked up and then got to his feet quickly and saluted. “Sir.”
“Major van Daan. And Captain Kelly. Why is it, I wonder, that I feel no surprise - although considerable alarm - to find you two drinking together like old friends?”
Sir Arthur Wellesley’s tone was frosty and Paul glanced at Kelly, who had also scrambled to his feet, and wanted to laugh. It was clear that the navy captain did not have the experience of dealing with a superior officer like Wellesley on a daily basis.
“Just getting acquainted, sir,” he said smoothly. “I know how important it is during an operation like this for the army and the navy to be on good terms.”
“If you utter one more word, Major, I am going to summon the private on guard outside and instruct him to shoot you!”
Paul studied his commanding officer and decided to take a chance. “As long as you don’t do it yourself, sir, you’d probably hit Captain Kelly by accident and it turns out the navy don’t like it when we point guns at them.”
Wellesley made a noise which sounded suspiciously like a growl. Paul shook his head, feeling laughter welling up. “Don’t, sir,” he said. “I thought you’d killed yourself in there earlier. Do we need to move?”
“Yes,” Wellesley said. “There are Danish militia moving on Koge, we need to mobilise. If your social activities will permit it.”
“I’m ready. Sir, before we go, may I introduce you formally to Captain Hugh Kelly who commands the Iris. I owe him a huge debt, I behaved like a complete arsehole to him yesterday and he’s been very forgiving.”
Wellesley’s hooded eyes rested on the naval captain, who was looking very wary and somewhat confused. Wellesley studied him for a long moment. “Captain Kelly, it is a pleasure,” he said finally. “Thank you for the appalling lies you told earlier. I do apologise for Major van Daan. There is honestly no excuse for him, I am exhausted with inventing them.”
Hugh seemed to relax a little. “Sir, Major van Daan has already apologised repeatedly but there’s no need; he did the right thing.”
“Eventually Major van Daan always does the right thing, Captain. It is the damage he does along the way that I dread. Unfortunately I am not sure that Admiral Gambier or Sir Home Popham share your understanding, but we shall see. Thank you anyway. Will you excuse us; we have work to do.”
He nodded, turned and left the room. Paul turned to Kelly.
“I need to get going, sir. Thank you. I hope she makes a good recovery. Will you pass on my good wishes?”
“I will, thank you. Good luck, Major van Daan. I sincerely hope this goes away. If it doesn’t, I’ll do my best for you.”
Paul nodded, saluted and followed his chief outside.
Chapter Sixteen
Waking at dawn to the light filtering in through the tiny windows, Roseen lay still in the bunk, listening to the sound of Captain Hugh Kelly breathing in the next room. She had slept, on and off for twenty four hours. Brian, Hugh’s cabin boy, had brought her food regularly through the day and she had eaten a little, drank the watered down wine he had given her and then slept again.
She saw nothing of Hugh and imagined him busy about his ship or dealing with the aftermath of the Flight affair. She had not heard him come in that night, being deeply asleep, but she knew immediately on waking that he was there. It was not exactly a snore, but it was loud enough to hear clearly and Roseen lay listening and found it comforting.
After several weeks trying to sleep surrounded by men in filthy conditions, the sheer luxury of a bunk to herself, clean linen and warm blankets was an active pleasure. Shifting her head on the pillow, Roseen wondered if she would ever take such things for granted again.
“Roseen, are you awake?”
His voice was quiet through the dawn light. Roseen turned towards the open doorway into the day cabin.
“Yes,” she said.
“Do you need anything? Hold on.”
She heard the creak of his hammock and then the sound of him moving about. When he came through into his cabin he was wearing shirt and breeches but his feet were bare. His brown hair was loose and he pushed it back with one hand and came to the bunk.
“Are you thirsty?”
“A little.”
Hugh went for water and came back and Roseen pushed herself into a sitting position and took the cup. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. How are you feeling?”
“Much better,” Roseen said, surprised to find it true. “Still very tired - I’ve never felt this weak in my life.”
“You might have died, Roseen. Expect some weakness. It will pass. I’ll leave you to sleep…”
“No, don’t go. Not unless you want to. I’d like to talk to you.”
Hugh studied her face then nodded and pulled up the chair he had used before. “I’ll get my robe, it’s cold,” he said.
He settled finally with his stockings on and the dressing gown over his shirt. Roseen pulled the blankets around her and regarded him. “Will you tell me what has been going on?” she asked. “With the frigate and the sick men?”
Hugh nodded and told her. Roseen listened in growing concern at his account of his involvement in the discovery of the fever ship and of the actions of the young army major. When the tale ended, she said:
“Is he going to get into trouble, Hugh?”
“Probably,” Hugh admitted. “He has a champion in Wellesley, but he’s still a long way down the army hierarchy and from what I can gather he ignored a fairly direct order from Captain Popham to leave it alone. I think the army would let it go, but I don’t think the navy will.”
“Does he realise that?”
“I think so, he’s very intelligent.”
“If he hadn’t done what he did, I might have died,” Roseen said.
“Yes. And if they haul him up before a court martial, I intend to make that clear. Although I’ll leave your name out of it, lass.”
“You will not!” Roseen said firmly. “If they will not allow me to give evidence then I rely on you to do it for me. Where is he now, Hugh?”
“Marched out yesterday with Wellesley and the reserves. The Danes have finally pulled together enough of a force to put up a fight. Apparently a General Castenschiold - a name which I am probably mispronouncing badly - has mobilised in the Roskilde area. They’ve sent Wellesley out to deal with them and your young champion has marched with his battalion.”
Roseen sat quietly, thinking about it. “I don’t really remember very much about him other than that he was very kind. It is odd though, I have never before been in a position where somebody I know is going to war and might possibly be killed.”
“Are you sure, lass?” Hugh said and Roseen looked up.
“Other than you, of course. I spent months eavesdropping on every conversation about the war at sea that I could manage. But it was of no use to me, since I had no idea where you had been posted - or even if you were still in port.”
Hugh did not speak for a moment. Then he reached out and took her hand. “Do you even remember what you said to me the other night?”
“Yes. Do you remember what you replied?”
Hugh nodded. “Very clearly. You didn’t marry him, Roseen. I’ve been sitting in this cabin for the best part of a year staring at letters I can’t bear to open because I couldn’t stand to read that you were married.”
“Oh Hugh.” Roseen moved suddenly, wanting to be closer to him. She reached out and put her arms about him and then gasped as he stood up and lifted her bodily out of the bunk and onto his lap. He bent to kiss her, very gently at first and then much harder and Roseen buried her fingers in his soft hair and pulled his head to her, opening her mouth under his. She was lost in a moment, her head spinning with weakness and she had no idea if it was illness or desire but she did not want it to end.