King`s Captain

hold her.

She came to him with the same haste, and charming little Charlotte had to fend for herself as Lewrie lowered her to the ground, instantly forgotten, to free his arms for Caroline.

Fierce as a lioness, her arms were about his neck as he lifted her from her toes. Fierce and needy as a starving lion was he, were both of them, as their lips met. She was beaming, weeping, her tears hot on his cheeks and his neck as he held her, pressing her to him and re-discovering her taut, slim firmness, and the sweetly softer curves of her hips, her belly against his, the press of her breasts…!

'God, it's so good to be home!' Lewrie crowed at the skies as he lowered her, slid his hands down to grasp hers, and leaned back to regard her. Her hair was down, like Charlotte 's, long, lustrous, and so fine-spun and loosely bound back in an almost girlish welcome, instead of a proper 'goody' housewife's starched mob-cap. Clean, bright-shining… and sweet-smelling of her trademark citrony, flowery Hungary Water. Her eyes, her merry eyes! With the riant folds below them which waxed when she was happy… her mouth and lips, so widely spread in joy…

Damme, a touch o' grey? he puzzled at the sight of her temples; she ain't… I ain't… mean t'say, we ain't that old yet, surely…?

Crow's feet! merry-lookin' crow's feet, he corrected himself instantly. He felt her hands, so spare and slim, looked at her from head-to-toe (smiling all the while, mind), and took in how spare her forearms were below the lacy froth trim at her elbows-a definite softening of her formerly firm flesh, a falling away from the bone beneath…

Ah, but she did have the damn' fever, couple o' years ago, now didn't she? he assured himself; that'd put a few years on anybody!

He let go her hands and stepped forward to hold her close once more, to nuzzle at her neck, drink deep of her aroma, and stroke her back. 'So damn' good t'be home! With such a lovely wife t'greet me! Swear t'Christ, Caroline… you're even lovelier than before!' Lewrie almost (but not quite) lied.

'Alan, I've missed you so!' she whispered in his ear. 'Three long years! I'm sorry, I was above stairs… hoping you'd come today. Preparing, should you…?' She laughed softly.

'And a fine piece o' preparin' you've done, my dear,' he told her. 'Turned out like Sunday Divisions. Fair as morning…'

Here now, don't trowel it on, he chid himself; well-hang it-do! She's a woman, ain't she? You can't pay enough compliments!

They stood back from each other again, gazing fondly.

'Been dyin' t'be away from Portsmouth, London… achin'!'-Alan chuckled-'t'be with you… see your sweet, angel's face.' She teared up again. But she was smiling fit to bust. 'Love what you've done with the house, the drive, and all. And this fine round garden! What a splendid sight,' he prated on. 'I'd wager it's a fine thing to clap eyes on first thing of a morning… from our chambers, hmm? Or watch the dusk gather…?' He leered.

'Mummy, see Daddy's medal!' Hugh prompted. 'For killing ever so many Frogs!'

'Frenchmen, Hugh dear,' Caroline automatically corrected. 'For killing Frenchmen then,' Hugh amended.

'Not so polite to say 'round dear Sophie though, is it, Hugh?' Caroline instructed. 'You must think of what might hurt people by the words you say… or the topics you mention, hmm?'

'It's alright, Hugh. I got this for fighting Spaniards.' Alan winked. 'The one for Frogs is to come by post.'

'Hurray!' Hugh piped, and even Sewallis sounded glad. 'Let's go inside, shall we?' Lewrie suggested. 'I'm fair dry, and a tad peckish. That coach ride… let me but park my fundament in my favorite wing-chair. See if it awakens! Oh, Caroline, this is my steward, Aspinall. And his burden… that's Toulon.'

'Ma'am,' Aspinall said, doffing his hat and making a shy 'leg.' 'Mister Aspinall,' Caroline replied, with a regal incline of her head and a warm smile of welcome. 'My husband has written of you so often. It will be quite the sailors' rendezvous here; you, Mister Padgett, and Andrews, for a time. I hope you take joy of your stay here.'

'Lordy, I hope not, Mistress,' Aspinall said, making a jape in his slow, shy way, 'but… a sailors' rendezvous is where the Impress Gang gathers 'fore they goes out t'kidnap unwary sailormen.'

'Let's call it 'Fiddler's Green,' then.' Lewrie laughed out loud. 'Free-flowin' rum, beer, and wine; music 'round the clock; and never a groat does the publican demand.'

'Amen to that, Cap'um Lewrie.' Aspinall smiled. 'I'll be yer burden just 'til Monday, though, ma'am. Me and Padgett… we thought t'go back up t'London for a piece. Me mum an' dad's there… and Ma's doin' poorly. 'Til Cap'um Lewrie gets a new ship, ma'am.'

'A new ship, yes… I see.' Caroline frowned, turning to Alan for confirmation with a vexed, worrisome look. Complete with that vertical exclamation point wrinkled 'twixt her brows. 'Do they say…?'

'Oh, not for weeks, I'm bound, dearest,' Lewrie hastened to assure her. 'Nigh on a month, perhaps. The First Lord, Earl Spencer, to my face told me I was due a spell of shore leave.'

'Daddy's new kitty?' Charlotte exclaimed, going to peer close into the wicker cage. 'Ooh, I want to hold him!'

'I wouldn't, young miss,' Aspinall cautioned. 'He's a terror when he's upset. An' the coach ride didn't set him well.'

'Aye, Charlotte, leave him be, for a while, there's a good chub.'

'But, Daddy…!' the wee'un said, stamping an imperious foot.

'Let's go in,' Lewrie said again. 'I'm dying to see what you've done with the place. All those improvements you wrote of…'

The formal salon was now furnished in light, airy fabrics, homey cherry or walnut settees, and such; the larger dining room was furnished as well. In the entry hall, those red-lacquered Venetian bombe commodes that Clotworthy Chute had 'obtained' (how, he'd prefer never to know!) flanked the carpeted stairs, bearing coin-silver candelabras.

'Gawd, it's magnificent, Caroline!' He breathed in awe, as she preened proudly; a visitor might think the Lewries settled and financially secure for ages. More to the point, possessed of good taste all that age, which was more than could be said for even titled households, who equated cost with instant elegance, no matter how garish.

Toulon was making unsettled rumbling, hissing noises as Aspinall set his cage down in the entry hall beside the luggage. Wee Charlotte was down on her knees, poking and peeking.

'Best we feed him quick so he doesn't get it in his head to run outside and get lost,' Lewrie suggested. ' 'Fore he runs afoul of those setters Sewallis is so proud of, hey, Sewallis?'

He looked at his eldest son, remembering that Sewallis had been half terrified of his old cat, William Pitt, before he'd passed over.

Well, chary of him Lewrie amended to himself, being charitable.

Sewallis shared a look with him, glad that he'd remembered his dogs-though he looked more than cool to the idea of a new cat about the place. He shrugged as if it were no matter, yet…

Aspinall gently moved Charlotte out of the way and opened the cage. Toulon bounded out, uttering a wary, confused trill, then leapt for the parlour, where he immediately slunk under a settee to fuss.

'Oh, come and see the morning room!' Caroline enthused, as she took Lewrie by the hand to lead him from one wonder to the next. 'That particoloured fabric you sent me, darling… two bolts were just enough. See? Much too sheer for dress material, not in England at any rate. Heavens, do Venetian ladies strut about that undressed?'

Aye, they do, Lewrie secretly smirked; an'a damn'fine show they were too!

'… drape this one large window. What do you think?'

He was a bit disappointed. He'd intended that she run up a gown from the fabric-or, as he'd most lasciviously hinted in his letter which had accompanied it, a sheer bed-gown and dressing robe? In his heart-of-hearts fantasy, he'd have loved to see her through both thin layers, every sweet inch of her flame-draped by the subtle, marbley waves of umber, peach, ochre, and burgundy, like one of Lady Emma Hamilton's most pornographic 'Attitudes'!

Now that cloth made bright, cheerful drapes for the window in their smaller dining room, where they usually ate