Troubled Waters

Meet!'

After that, things degenerated to the usual 'a glass with you, sir (or ma'am),' and offers of 'may I interest you in another slice (serving) of this delectable…' ham, goose, roast beef, force meat pie, sausages, bacon, or removes of hashed potatoes, dainty made dishes, or platters of eggs, either fried, scrambled, poached, or Frenchified into omelettes.

At long last, not long before most people in Portsmouth would be thinking of their mid-day meals, when every attendee and guest had been sufficiently stuffed, and was 'nigh-squiffy' with spirits, Langlie and his bride retired abovestairs to refresh themselves and change into travelling clothes, and the wedding party began to break up, in search of ease of their own, or another glass of something wet. Snickering Mids and young officers, with Burgess Chiswick leading Lewrie's children, went out to 'decorate' the coach.

About a quarter-hour later, Sophie and her new husband had come back down, into a shower of rice and good wishes, some wishes verging on the ribald, said their good-byes, shook the last hands, shared their last hugs and kisses, and departed.

Thank bloody Christ that's over! Lewrie thought, nearly 'half-foxed' himself, and in need of a restorative nap with his boots off, and the waistband of his breeches undone.

'Done, and done,' his father said, beaming with pride over how well things had turned out.

'You did warn Langlie 'bout Sophie?' Lewrie asked him, thinking that Sir Hugo looked a tad off-centre, too.

'Whene'er she lapses into French, or gets a thicker accent, he should be on guard, yes,' Sir Hugo rumbled, swaying a little. 'Guard his purse, too, haw haw!' Where will they lodge?'

'A posting-house in Brighton,' Lewrie told him. ' 'Tis summer, so it should be pleasant. Salt-water bathes, flash crowds, even if the King or the Prince ain't there. Then, back to his ship on Monday, and Sophie's to move in with the Langlies near Horsham.'

'Pity,' Sir Hugo said, sighing. 'Still, I don't s'pose Langlie will begrudge an hour or two of his time. Sadler'll have to go speak with him.'

'Sadler? Why?' Lewrie scoffed.

'Didn't get his Lieutenant's journals, or get a shot at deposing him for your trial,' Sir Hugo explained, as if he'd surely already told his son all about it. 'Recall that wee matter, do ye?'

Here, Anthony, have my lovely ward, Lewrie thought sarcastically; oh, by the by, could you testify t'save my neck? Good trade, hey what?

'Ahem.' Sadler announced his continual, pestiferous presence by coughing into his fist again.

'Ha, hmm?' Zachariah Twigg cleared his throat from slightly aft of Mr. Sadler, with an impatient and imperious look on his phyz.

And, to top things off, there also stood Caroline, arms crossed above her waist, tapping a neatly shod foot with one demanding brow up, and that furrow of 'Right-Bloody-Now!' between her eyes!

Oh, Christ, Lewrie groaned to himself; which of 'em can I afford t'shrug off? Eeny-meeny-miney-mo?

'Captain Lewrie,' Twigg said, right-snappishly, when it appeared that he'd have to wait 'til Epiphany for Lewrie to make up his mind. 'I believe there are matters of the greatest import which I, Mister Sadler, and Sir Hugo need to discuss with you. Mistress Lewrie, might I implore your kind indulgence? Half an hour, perhaps but a single hour, at the utmost, I assure you, dear lady.' For Caroline, Twigg came over all cooing and gracious, delivering an over-formal bow with a hand on his chest.

'Oh, do what you wish with him!' Caroline snapped, bestowing on Lewrie a very frosty glare, heaving a dramatic sigh of resignation, and narrowing her eyes. She spun on her heels to leave, stiffly bound up the stairs.

Ouch! Lewrie thought, for officers and Midshipmen off both warships had trooped back into the dining room for a last pocketful from the leftovers, for later, or to take a last celebratory glass of spirits down to 'heel-taps,' and had witnessed that little contretemps.

'Mister Adair, I will see you and the rest back aboard ship, sir… gentlemen,' he said to dismiss his people, then made awkward good-byes to those off HMS Orpheus, who followed his own out the doors, some much worse for wear, 'short-tacking' for the piers 'three sheets to the wind.' Thankfully, Langlie's parents had already departed for their lodgings, for a lie-down, and an easing of corsets or shoes. 'Go with your mother, children,' Lewrie bade his offspring. 'Navy work.'

'I've my own rooms at the Black Spread Eagle,' Twigg said, once they were relatively alone. 'My coach is waiting. Let us all repair there. With any luck at all, our own business shall be done well before dark, so Mister Sadler may coach to Brighton and speak with Commander Langlie tomorrow, after their first night of connubial bliss and a very late breakfast, hmm?' he suggested with a leer.

'Just how bad is it?' Lewrie had to ask, sounding as if musing more on his wife's chilly departure statement, instead.

'The Beaumans, and their entourage, are landed in London, and are hot after your immediate arrest, sir,' Twigg bluntly told him, but with a rarely heard tinge of sympathy in his voice. 'We must put our heads together to determine the best course of action. Let us go.'

Once they were in Twigg's lodgings, a bottle of brandy made an immediate appearance, and a vital contribution towards calmness for every set of frazzled nerves, Lewrie's most especially. They seated themselves on the hard settees and half-sprung chairs near the tiny fireplace, with the bottle and extra glasses on a side-table dragged up between them.

'Now, Mister Sadler,' Twigg began, 'what does your employer say of this development?'

'It was expected, Mister Twigg,' Sadler said with a grim nod of his head. 'Mister MacDougall was certain that they would not be satisfied with a ruling from Jamaican courts, and must pursue the sentence of death in absentia in King's Bench, here, to obtain what passes for justice. Mister MacDougall, of course, has already made strenuous effort to deter the Beaumans' case from appearing on this Law Term's docket, hence delaying any need for Captain Lewrie to be taken up and put in prison. You know of the Law Terms, sirs?'

'No,' from Lewrie; an abrupt nod from Twigg; a certain shifty look from Sir Hugo; and, from Burgess Chiswick, who had joined them at the last second, a cocked head and a negative shake.

'There are four official Law Terms each calendar year, sirs,' Mr. Sadler solemnly explained, 'when Court Sessions are held. There is Hilary Term, which begins in January… Easter Term, which is sat just after Easter, and is self-explanatory. We are now in the Trinity Term, which began on Whitsunday, and which will continue to try cases 'til late autumn, and, thankfully for the good Captain here, is full.'

'Well, right then!' Burgess exclaimed, as if it was all over.

'Lastly, there is Michaelmas Term, which begins in October, and does not conclude 'til Christmas, sirs,' Sadler continued in the same tones, ignoring the enthusiastic interruption. 'Trinity Term is also the time when the Lord Justices remove themselves to the major cities of each shire to conduct trials of those imprisoned for major crimes beyond the scope of local magistrates.'

'So, the Lord Justices are now away?' Lewrie puzzled. 'In that case, who sits in London while they're gone? And, who could doom me to hanging on the strength of the Beaumans' lying packet?'

'Magistrates, mostly, sir,' Sadler told him, shifting about to face him. 'Though, at least one or two Lord Justices who do not care for protracted stays in the countryside remain.'

'And, do the Beaumans lay their case before one of them, Alan here gets taken up and slung into gaol 'til…?' Burgess asked.

'One of the remaining Lord Justices would be perfectly capable of accepting the transcript and verdict of the Jamaica court,' Sadler informed him, turning in his chair again, 'and pronouncing sentence, Mister Chiswick.'

'Upholding a travesty of justice?' Sir Hugo all but yelped.

'That is why my employer, Mister MacDougall, was so eager to lay hands on a copy of the transcript, Sir Hugo,' Sadler said with a prim pride, though having to swivel to face yet another interlocutor, 'as well as receiving an affidavit from the Jamaican barrister who represented Captain Lewrie during that sham of a trial. An affidavit which was obtained by Mister James Peel of the Foreign Office at Kingston, and the deposition performed by Lord