Read Online Sails on the Horizon: A Novel of the Napoleonic Wars by Jay Worrall - Free Book Online Page B

you no favors. For every officer like Nelson who is promoted young and goes from glory to glory, there are ten who become overconfident, overaggressive, or complacent. Up to now you have had what can fairly be described as an unspectacular career. You’ve hardly been mentioned in Captain Wood’s dispatches, except once for indiscipline.”
    Charles opened his mouth to speak, but Jervis raised his hand. “That’s past. Nelson has insisted you be given a frigate. Lord knows why, but I’m going to recommend you be assigned to the Louisa. She’s currently under renovation at the Plymouth yards. She’s the smallest frigate that the Admiralty has available; twenty-eight guns, mostly long twelves. I shall be interested to see what you can do with her.”
    “I’m very grateful sir,” Charles managed.
    “I imagine you are,” Jervis observed. “Is there anyone you wish to bring with you from the Argonaut ? I can’t promise anything, but I will request it.”
    “I’d like Lieutenant Bevan and Mr. Winchester, sir.” Charles hesitated, wondering how far to push his luck. “And I hope you will approve Winchester’s promotion. He’s behaved very ably since I made him acting lieutenant.”
    “Has he?” Jervis’s eyebrows rose. “Wonders will never cease. His father will be pleased. He writes to me incessantly. I will consider it. Now, I have a favor to ask of you.”
    “Me, sir?”
    “Yes. I’d consider it a personal favor for you to take Wood’s servant, Timothy Attwater, with you. He served under me back in fifty-nine and I’d be unhappy if he were put on shore against his wishes.”
    “Of course,” Charles answered without thinking.
    “Good, that’s settled,” Jervis said. “I’m sending you to London on the morning tide with my complete report. Please take Attwater along. I recommend you employ him as your steward—that’s what he’s best at.” Charles nodded and wondered what he was getting himself into. “Your orders will be sent around to the Argonaut this evening.”
    Jervis rose from behind the desk and extended his hand. “Congratulations, Commander Edgemont. Work hard and learn from your mistakes and I am confident you will be a credit to the King’s Navy. Oh yes, I nearly forgot.” He opened a drawer in his desk, came up with a small card, and handed it to Charles. “This is a reputable prize agent in London, a Mr. Edwards of Threadneedle Street. I recommend him to you. He will see to the condemning of Argonaut ’s prizes before the Admiralty Court, the investment of your money, and that sort of thing. It should come to quite a piece.”
    “I’m most grateful sir, thank you,” Charles said, looking at the card and feeling its texture between his fingers.
    “Good luck,” Jervis said, sitting down and immediately leafing through some papers on his desk, “and good day.”
     
    IF SOMEONE ASKED Charles an hour later how he got from the Victory back to the Argonaut, he probably could not have said whether he was rowed or if he had walked across the waves.
    “Well?” Daniel Bevan asked Charles the moment he set foot on board.
    “Well, what?” Charles said, grinning broadly.
    Bevan made a loud hooting sound and hugged his friend tightly, actually lifting him off the deck. “We’re to have a frigate, a small frigate,” Charles said as soon as the air came back into his lungs. “A twenty-eight, long twelves.”
    “A twenty-eight is as big as you could get?” Bevan said, his face still lit with joy.
    “You missed the ‘we’ part,” Charles said by way of an answer. “You’re to be my first.”
    “Sweet Jesus, Captain Edgemont,” Bevan considered. “This day will probably go down in history as the beginning of the decline of the once-great British navy. ‘Except for his selfless and hardworking first lieutenant,’ they’ll write someday, ‘it would have been much worse.’”
    “I asked for Winchester, too, and to have him confirmed. He’d be the second.”
    Bevan