THE GUN KETCH

'Alan,' she groaned. 'We…'

'Yes,' he muttered hoarsely.

'We should stop. For now, dearest.' She concluded, 'Please?'

Jesus bloody Christ on a cross, he groaned to himself! Damme, not now!

But he, with the utmost regret of his life, suffered himself to slide to his left, to recline beside her, though with one arm behind her, still. There was no way he would be able to ride back to the great house in his raging, aching tumescence; he thought he would be fortunate, indeed, if he might manage to walk!

But she was right, he thought, miserably, as he enfolded her once more and confined his attentions to kisses and close hugs, with no more attempts at removing her gown. I'll not make her think she was tumbled in a hayrick like a goose-girl, he told himself! What if she became pregnant-I haven't my sheep-gut condom with me. A pristine betrothal could become a sword-point wedding in the blink of an eye, and then where'd we be, I ask you?

'You'll make me yours, soon, dearest Alan,' she comforted. 'I must own to ignorance about…' Caroline blushed and fumbled a tentative hand against his shirt buttons. 'I'm told by older ladies it may be pleasurable, after the… after the first…'

'I'll not cause you pain, Caroline,' he vowed. 'I love you!'

'I know you would not!' she asserted strongly. 'Please be a little patient with me, dearest. I know you love me. I've seen it in your eyes, I've heard it in your voice, every time we've been so fortunate as to be together. I would not have bided my time a whole five years if I had not I believe that… with you, it will be a complete pleasure. If this is anything by which I may judge! Do remember, I'm a country girl, after all, with two older brothers.'

'Eh?' he asked, puzzled by her seeming non sequitur.

'The barnyards.' She flushed again, lowering her gaze. 'And our stud-pens. The animals every spring. And my brothers' boasting… about their… when they thought I couldn't hear.'

'Oh!' he fathomed with a furtive smile.

'Once we're wed, then, I know my introduction to the pleasure of marriage will be gentle and tender, and so full of joy,' she said.

Marriage, he gasped? Sweet Lord Jesus, what have I…?

'You are so smart and knowledgeable, Alan,' she sighed happily. 'And you are a man grown, after all, and… a sailor. One might hope… somewhat experienced…' She beamed, stroking his cheek fondly.

'Uhm,' he allowed with a sage nod, squirming inside, thinking it wouldn't do if she knew he'd rattled half of London. 'I will own to… ermm… previous encounters, infrequent though they were, being so much at sea. And only when… well, when the need was hellish.'

'Then you must teach me, sweetest Alan,' she said, smiling an enigmatic smile which he was not sure signified that she knew he was lying like a butcher's dog. 'I will be a most willing pupil,' she ended with a most fetching shyness, and a heart-stopping promise.

'Ah… hmm,' he mused nonplussed, with his erotic fantasies at a furious gallop. Right, then; could it be that bad?

'You do wish to marry me, do you not, Alan?' she asked.

'Of course I do!' he heard himself sputter, 'I love you!'

'Oh, Alan!' she cried, hugging him. 'The first banns could be read this Sunday. We could be wed three weeks from now! Let us go ask of my family right now, so there's no possible delay! Mother may be half-expecting our wonderful news… though the others will be all amort over it!'

'Most likely,' Alan agreed wholeheartedly. And damme if I ain't amort meself! Christ shit on a biscuit- marriage!

'Not only have you saved me from any number of cruel, cold destinies, Alan,' she enthused as he got her to her feet and they embraced close together once more, 'but you've given me every last measure of happiness I ever imagined I could know! I was so fearful you'd want to make a higher rank in the Fleet before you'd wed. I was fearful you'd have found someone else, all the years you were gone. That I was only spinning daydreams. We are awfully young. Most wait until their late twenties, when they're solidly established and all…' A hint of doubt swept over her face. 'Are you as sure as I, Alan my love?'

'I love you, Caroline,' he swore. 'We love each other. Now, why would I risk losing you after all this time, and run the risk of never finding your like again?' There was truth in that, as well.

'Then let's hurry home!' she beamed.

Chapter 6

'Goddamn my eyes, sir!' Uncle Phineas screeched loud as some goosed panther once they bearded him in his study. 'Goddamn my eyes! I'll not have it! And Goddamn yer blood, too, sir! Never'. Never, do ye hear, Mister Lewrie?'

'What possible objections could you have, Uncle?' Caroline inquired quite reasonably, having had an inkling or two as to what the man's reactions would be beforehand.

'Phineas, Alan Lewrie saved my sons at Yorktown, evacuated us from the wrath of those ignorant Rebels,' Mother Charlotte hissed. 'Why, without his continuing good offices, Governour and Burgess like as not'd be dead these five years past, and us, your own kin, lynched for Tories and buried under some crossroads in Wilmington!'

'This is man's business, Charlotte, and I'll thankee to remember that!' Uncle Phineas shot back. 'Aye, ye may feel grateful to the pup, aye, he's done ye service. But, he's a swaggerin' rogue of a fortune hunter.'

'I beg your pardon!' Alan snapped.

'Ye'll not coozen one acre o' land outa me, Mister Lewrie. Not one farthin' o' Chiswick rents ye'll have!'

The fight had been going on for a good five minutes, with Alan and Caroline, Governour and Mother Charlotte present, and the top was still on the decanter of brandy, nothing having been settled.

'My dear sir,' Alan replied coldly, 'for one of your farthings, I'd call you out for those slanderous allegations.'

'Alan!' Caroline wailed, sure he'd blown the gaff. 'Don't…'

'I've my Navy pay, sir,' Alan said, getting to his feet. 'Aye, I've no lands of my own. My father and his elder brother squandered the last blade of Kentish grass I'll ever hope to see. But there's two hundred pounds per annum from my grandmother Lewrie in Devon, and roughly six thousand pounds with Coutts Co. I stand to inherit from her. No land, though; that's spoken for by her late husband's kin, the Nuttbushes of Wheddon Cross. But there's another five thousand pounds of my own… prize money from the war, and from my last service in the East Indies. D'you think I need one whit of yours?'

The idea of posting banns, of publicly stating his love for Caroline, of being wed-much less betrothed-gave him the squirting fits so bad he'd not trust his own arse with a fart. But he had had just about enough abuse poured upon him, and upon Caroline as a foolish chit of a girl too stupid to know her own mind, or recognize a scoundrel when she met one.

'My stars!' Governour exclaimed, and gave a whistle at those sums. 'Like to purchase freehold land, Alan? With that much, you could have your pick around here, hey?'

'Oh, do shut up, Governour!' Uncle Phineas snarled. 'No, as head of this family…'

'My father is the head of my family, Uncle Phineas,' Caroline pointed out.

'Bah! And a precious lot of good his wits'll do for ye, girl!'

'Phineas!' Charlotte gasped. 'How dare you!' She put a handkerchief to her eyes, not for the first time during this battle, at that latest cruelty. 'How dare you impugn my dear husband. Your own brother!'

'Any court in the land'd recognize my rights as elder in matters such as this, Charlotte. Forgive me me outburst, but this fella's driven me beyond all temperance.' Phineas calmed. 'In Sewallis's stead, it falls t'me t' decide what's best fer our dear Caroline, and I don't judge this best.'

'Uncle, I will not be sold to Harry Embleton,' Caroline told him. 'I am old enough to know my own mind. Old