Captain's Surrender Alex Beecroft

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."He returned to the cabin, and Emily went down into the warm, dark fug in the belly of the ship, wondering about Kenyon."Toadying" Captain Walker had said, and though she had no great respect for his opinions, this one had some plausibility.There was good reason for a man of ambition to toady to her father.If that was so, he had certainly succeeded in taking her father in, but he would find her a harder nut to crack.34Captain's Surrenderby Alex BeecroftShe had been Summersgill's "ward" now for all of three months, but that time had been long enough to introduce her to the novel idea that she had become highly desirable in the marriage market.Men who had not looked at her twice when she was plain "Miss Jones from the milliners" positively fawned on Miss Summersgill-Jones.It had been flattering, at first, but that had worn off sometime after the second ball, when she realized that none of them were seeing her at all.It probably was ridiculous of her to want to marry for love, but it was not ridiculous to want to marry someone who would treat her well and make her happy.This man, with his easy brutality and cold, shuttered eyes would do neither, and with his plausible manners he would deny her even the sympathy of her friends.True, he had not importuned her yet, but there had been an anxiousness in his look, and she felt sure it was only a matter of time.As she opened the flimsy partition door into the gunroom and made admiring noises over the rat, she touched the damp, working sides of the ship and thought that in this matter she, too, was a man-of-war, readying herself for the onslaught of the enemy.Summersgill, a distant, but an affectionate and dutiful father, had evidently decided it was now time to make sure his daughter was settled with a man who would offer her the life to which Summersgill felt she was entitled.She was sensible enough to be grateful for that.But when the time came, she fully intended to give herself to the man of her choice, not to be taken as a prize, whatever her father and his neighbors' children might have to say about it.35Captain's Surrenderby Alex BeecroftChapter 4"Mr.Hawkes, let us suppose it is heavy weather, the fog is so thick that you cannot see the other ships of the fleet.What is the admiral's signal to bring to and lie by, with head-sails to the mast, with the starboard tack aboard?""Um."Mr.Hawkes was a boy who greatly resembled his rat, Summersgill thought as he sat in the gunroom reading his predecessor's reports of French privateers about the shores of Bermuda, his fears of an invasion by American forces, and the roaring illegal trade in weapons smuggled to those same forces for huge amounts of money in defiance of all self interest and principle.Across the table from him Bess, now recovered, darned stockings and kept her head down.Emily was sitting in front of a slate, in common with five of the rapscallions known as"young gentlemen".Boys who looked to Summersgill scarcely old enough to be in breeches."Mr.Hawkes, please say something before we begin to grow barnacles.""He'll fire eight guns, sir.""You're on the reef, Mr.Hawkes.Your ship has just sunk with all hands, and when they write home to your poor, weeping mother they will say 'if only he'd paid more attention in his classes'.And Mr.Anderson? If you wipe your nose on your cuff one more time, I will cut it off and give it to you as a keepsake."36Captain's Surrenderby Alex BeecroftThe senior midshipman—a Mr.Andrews—in charge of this little school was himself a youth barely old enough to be at university, who kept the boys in check by his ready, sarcastic wit, without reliance either on the cane or profanity.On this first examination, Summersgill was satisfied that he could leave Emily here to be occupied without having to fear for her moral safety or her delicacy of mind."On the starboard tack he will fire six guns.Eight for larboard.Enough; everything away before muster, now."The schoolroom was packed away in the blink of an eye, and the boys were neatening themselves, tensely earnest, when drums began hammering on every deck.The boys were out of the door before Summersgill had time to stand up, their teacher grabbing his coat with one hand and straightening his neck-cloth with the other."Is it a battle?" said Summersgill, wondering if he had time to run to his cabin for his sword."No, sir, just muster." Andrews stopped and looked at him with an anxious expression."All hands to witness punishment.The ladies should go down to the hold.""What is so shameful that I am not permitted to see?"asked Emily caustically, rising and putting her slate away in a large bag."Not shameful, miss." The midshipman spared her a glance—and now he noticed it, it was surprising how little the lad had looked at her and how lacking in admiration was his gaze now.Summersgill approved; the boy obviously knew his place."Just an unpleasantness you'd do better to be spared."37Captain's Surrenderby Alex BeecroftHe turned a dark, meaningful gaze on Summersgill."It isn't a fit sight, sir.Frankly, I'd keep the boys down here, too, if I could." Having struggled into his coat as he was speaking, he twitched it straight and shivered slightly."I must go.Please, you really don't want her to see.Believe me.""Go down to the hold, Emily," Summersgill said, his heart sinking."You too, Bess.My wife will be glad of the company—you know how she gets in confined spaces.We must.respect the customs of the sea." Privately, he felt that this was a great fuss about nothing [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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