Read Online The Victory by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
Tags: Fiction, Historical fiction, General, Romance, Historical, Fantasy, Sagas, Family, Domestic Fiction, Great Britain, Napoleonic Wars; 1800-1815, Aristocracy (Social Class) - England, Great Britain - History - 19th century, Morland family (Fictitious characters)
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she became a countess. Two grooms ran up to the horses' heads, two manservants came out from the inn to help her down, and before her feet had touched the cobbles, the land lord himself appeared with his lady bobbing behind him, smoothing her apron with one hand and tweaking at his with the other.
‘ Welcome, welcome, your ladyship! Welcome, sir. We've a suite of rooms all ready for you, your ladyship, and a cold collation prepared, should you be in need of sustenance. And may I say, your ladyship, what an honour and a pleasure it is to see your ladyship here again?'
‘ Thank you, Tully,' Lucy said. 'Have my maid and the captain's man arrived?'
‘ Oh yes, your ladyship, this morning by the mail. They've everything arranged as you like it, and your sheets aired and on the beds.'
‘ Good. My groom will be arriving later with my horses. He's bringing them on from Kingston, where we made the first change. You'll see they're accommodated, won't you? And have this team taken back to the Green Dragon at Havant.'
‘ Certainly, your ladyship. At what hour will you be requir ing dinner, your ladyship?’
Lucy and Weston exchanged a swift glance, and Weston answered for both. 'We're going straight down to the dock yard, and we'll dine when we return. It won't be before four o'clock.'
‘ We'll take a nuncheon before we go,' Lucy said. 'Oh, and Tully — send word round to Captain Haworth's lodgings that we are arrived, will you?’
Lucy was no less eager to see Weston's new ship than he was himself, and they paused only for Weston to change into his uniform, to eat some cake and fruit, and to attempt to placate Jeffrey, who was sulking horribly after his long confinement in a basket, before leaving for the dockyard.
A hackney swept them through the great gates, between the tall gateposts surmounted by their golden balls, and the gatekeeper saluted the uniform, and then, peering closer, called out to the driver where they would find the Nemesis. As they rattled on over the cobbles, Lucy pressed Weston's hand and said, 'Isn't it wonderful: he not only recognised you, he knew what your new command is, too. Your reputation must be much higher than you thought.'
‘ I rather think it was you he recognised, my love,' Weston said, laughing, but he was pleased all the same, as he craned out of the window for the first glimpse of his ship. 'There she is!' he cried at last. 'Isn't she a beauty?'
‘ She has got lovely lines,' Lucy agreed. 'She looks fast, too.’
‘ Well, everyone knows the French are good ship-designers. Of course, our ships are built very sturdily, to withstand long service and foul weather, but there's no doubt French frigates are more graceful to look at.'
‘I didn't know she was French built,' Lucy said.
‘ She was a prize of the Revolutionary War. She was taken in '98 off the coast of Sardinia. Come on, I can't wait to get aboard!’
When they got back to the Golden Lion for a late dinner, Weston's servant Bates told them that the messenger had come back from Haworth's lodgings to say that the captain was at sea, but that the two young ladies were there in the charge of their nurse, Mrs Farleigh, who would do herself the honour of calling on her ladyship the following day.
‘ Both girls?' Lucy said to Weston when they were alone. 'I thought he meant to take Africa to sea with him.'
‘ I dare say he thought it too dangerous, since the purpose of the trials is to see whether his ship will stay afloat,' Weston said, helping himself from a dish of peas with mushrooms. 'I suppose he wants to keep them both in Portsmouth until he is given his proper orders, in case he has time to come ashore,' Lucy said. 'It's lucky for him old Farleigh was willing to stay with them. This duckling is very good, Weston. What a pity you can't keep ducks in a ship.'
‘ If I'm sent on the Brest blockade, I'll be lucky to be able to keep chickens. They don't take kindly to storms and rough seas.’
The moment he said
‘ Welcome, welcome, your ladyship! Welcome, sir. We've a suite of rooms all ready for you, your ladyship, and a cold collation prepared, should you be in need of sustenance. And may I say, your ladyship, what an honour and a pleasure it is to see your ladyship here again?'
‘ Thank you, Tully,' Lucy said. 'Have my maid and the captain's man arrived?'
‘ Oh yes, your ladyship, this morning by the mail. They've everything arranged as you like it, and your sheets aired and on the beds.'
‘ Good. My groom will be arriving later with my horses. He's bringing them on from Kingston, where we made the first change. You'll see they're accommodated, won't you? And have this team taken back to the Green Dragon at Havant.'
‘ Certainly, your ladyship. At what hour will you be requir ing dinner, your ladyship?’
Lucy and Weston exchanged a swift glance, and Weston answered for both. 'We're going straight down to the dock yard, and we'll dine when we return. It won't be before four o'clock.'
‘ We'll take a nuncheon before we go,' Lucy said. 'Oh, and Tully — send word round to Captain Haworth's lodgings that we are arrived, will you?’
Lucy was no less eager to see Weston's new ship than he was himself, and they paused only for Weston to change into his uniform, to eat some cake and fruit, and to attempt to placate Jeffrey, who was sulking horribly after his long confinement in a basket, before leaving for the dockyard.
A hackney swept them through the great gates, between the tall gateposts surmounted by their golden balls, and the gatekeeper saluted the uniform, and then, peering closer, called out to the driver where they would find the Nemesis. As they rattled on over the cobbles, Lucy pressed Weston's hand and said, 'Isn't it wonderful: he not only recognised you, he knew what your new command is, too. Your reputation must be much higher than you thought.'
‘ I rather think it was you he recognised, my love,' Weston said, laughing, but he was pleased all the same, as he craned out of the window for the first glimpse of his ship. 'There she is!' he cried at last. 'Isn't she a beauty?'
‘ She has got lovely lines,' Lucy agreed. 'She looks fast, too.’
‘ Well, everyone knows the French are good ship-designers. Of course, our ships are built very sturdily, to withstand long service and foul weather, but there's no doubt French frigates are more graceful to look at.'
‘I didn't know she was French built,' Lucy said.
‘ She was a prize of the Revolutionary War. She was taken in '98 off the coast of Sardinia. Come on, I can't wait to get aboard!’
When they got back to the Golden Lion for a late dinner, Weston's servant Bates told them that the messenger had come back from Haworth's lodgings to say that the captain was at sea, but that the two young ladies were there in the charge of their nurse, Mrs Farleigh, who would do herself the honour of calling on her ladyship the following day.
‘ Both girls?' Lucy said to Weston when they were alone. 'I thought he meant to take Africa to sea with him.'
‘ I dare say he thought it too dangerous, since the purpose of the trials is to see whether his ship will stay afloat,' Weston said, helping himself from a dish of peas with mushrooms. 'I suppose he wants to keep them both in Portsmouth until he is given his proper orders, in case he has time to come ashore,' Lucy said. 'It's lucky for him old Farleigh was willing to stay with them. This duckling is very good, Weston. What a pity you can't keep ducks in a ship.'
‘ If I'm sent on the Brest blockade, I'll be lucky to be able to keep chickens. They don't take kindly to storms and rough seas.’
The moment he said
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