The shadow of the eagle

'Of course, sir.'

'Then pass my compliments to Mr Hyde and Mr Ashton, oh, and the purser, Birkbeck and two of the midshipmen. Paine and Dunn will do.'

'Of course, sir, with pleasure.'

'Well, well,' Drinkwater muttered to himself, following Kennedy to the door. Opening it, he confronted the marine sentry. 'Pass word for my servant.'

It was only after the surgeon had left, he thought he should have mentioned his incipient toothache.

CHAPTER 7 The Consequences of Toothache

April 1814

'I am sorry indisposition keeps Marlowe from our company tonight, Mr Ashton,' Drinkwater said, leaning over and filling the third lieutenant's glass. He had been chatting to Ashton for some time, regularly topping his glass up and the lieutenant was already flushed. About them the dinner in Drinkwater's cabin appeared to be cheerfully convivial. As was customary, a small pig had been butchered for the occasion and the rich smell of roast pork filled the cabin.

'Indeed sir, 'tis a pity'

'I understand you know him well. Have you sailed with him before?'

'Yes. We were midshipmen in the old Conqueror and later lieutenants in the Thunderer.''

'Really?' remarked Drinkwater, reflecting that had matters turned out differently, Marlowe and Ashton might have served under his command much earlier. He forbore drawing this to Ashton's attention, however, for the wine was working on his tongue.

'As a consequence of our having been shipmates, Frederic, I mean Marlowe, became acquainted with my sister.'

Drinkwater gave his most engaging smile. 'Do I gather that they are now intimate?'

Ashton nodded. 'They became betrothed shortly before we sailed.' There was a distinct air of satisfaction about Ashton. 'I imagine Sarah will take our diversion amiss ...'

'It will not be unduly long, I hope,' Drinkwater persisted, maintaining his mood of confidentiality, but returning the conversation to the personal. 'I suppose the match is an advantageous one?'

Ashton swallowed a mouthful of wine. 'Sarah's a very handsome young lady,' Ashton said, 'as for Fred, well, he'll inherit his father's title and ...' Ashton seemed suddenly aware of what he was saying and hesitated, but it was too late, he had already indicated Marlowe stood to inherit some considerable wealth.

'Well,' remarked Drinkwater smoothly, as though not in the least interested in Marlowe's expectations, 'I hope the poor fellow is soon back on his feet again.'

'I am sure he soon will be ...'

'Tell me something about yourself, Mr Ashton. Have you ever been under fire?' Drinkwater closely watched his victim's face.

'Well no, not exactly under fire in the sense you mean. I took part in some boat operations off the Breton coast. We cut out apéniche...'

'That was alongside Mr Marlowe, was it not?' hazarded Drinkwater. Ashton nodded. 'But no yard-arm to yard-arm stuff, eh?'

'Well no, not exactly, sir.'

'Pity. Still, we shall have to see what we can do about that, eh, Mr Ashton?'

'Er, yes, sir.' Ashton was visibly perspiring now, though whether owing to the heat of the candles, the fullness of his belly or apprehension, Drinkwater was quite unable to say.

'Well, Mr Ashton, we never know what lies just over the horizon, do we?'

'I suppose not, sir ...'

The meal proceeded on its course and when the company rose they were in good heart. Left alone in his cabin while his servant cleared away, Drinkwater mused on his conversation with Ashton until Frampton's fossicking distracted him and drove him on deck.

A gibbous moon hung above a black and silver sea and Drinkwater found Frey, an even blacker figure, wrapped in his cloak. At Drinkwater's appearance Frey detached himself from the weather rigging.

'Good evening, sir.'

'Mr Frey, would you take a turn or two with me?'

The two men fell in step beside one another and exchanged some general remarks about the weather. The wind held steadily from the north-west and the pale moonlight threw their shadows across the planking of the quarterdeck to merge with those of the rigging and sails. These moved back and forth as Andromeda worked steadily to windward, pitching easily and giving a comfortable, easy roll to leeward.

'It's a beautiful night, Mr Frey'

'It is, sir.'

'I am sorry that your duty kept you from joining me for dinner, but,' Drinkwater lowered his voice, 'truth to tell, I wanted to sound Ashton about Marlowe. I understand the first lieutenant is betrothed to Ashton's sister ...'

'Ah, that is not known in the wardroom,' Frey said, reflectively.

'That is unusual.'

'But not', said Frey with some emphasis, 'if you had a reason for not wanting the matter known publicly'

'You mean, if neither party wanted it known?' queried Drinkwater, intrigued and wondering what Frey was driving at.

'Neither party would want it generally gossiped about if, on the one hand, one did not want the matter to progress; and, on the other, one feared that it would not come to the desired conclusion.'

'Oh, I see,' chuckled Drinkwater. 'You mean Ashton disapproves and Marlowe wishes it.'

'Quite the opposite,' replied Frey, and Drinkwater found himself realizing that Ashton's behaviour did not square with his own hypothesis. 'Ashton wants it,' said Frey, 'but Marlowe does not.'

'Now I come to think of it,' Drinkwater replied, aware the wine had made him dull-witted, Ashton seemed keen enough, but what exactly are you hinting at?'

'I may be incorrect, sir, but I believe Ashton has his claws into Marlowe and whatever part Miss Ashton has to play in all this, it would ultimately be to Ashton's advantage.'

'There was some allusion to wealth ...'

'A considerable inheritance from his father, and, if one can believe the shrewd lobster,' it took Drinkwater a moment to realize Frey was referring to Hyde, 'there is money on his mother's side too.'

'Well, well, well,' Drinkwater said, lapsing into silence for a while as the two men paced between the carronade just abaft the starboard hance, turned and strode back again towards the taffrail and its motionless marine sentry. 'So how has Ashton achieved this ascendancy?'

'According to Hyde, by the normal manner.'

'You mean the lady has anticipated events?'

'I'd say they had both anticipated events, sir,' Frey remarked drily.

'But if Hyde knows of this scandal, how is the matter not known of in the wardroom?'

'I did not say the scandal was not known about, sir,' said Frey, 'I said the betrothal was not common knowledge.'

'So you did, so you did. I should have been more alert to the subtleties of the affair.' Drinkwater was faintly amused by the matter. 'Now I perceive the effect our diversion into the Atlantic has on all parties,' he remarked, 'not least on poor Miss Ashton.' And in the darkness beside him he heard Frey chuckle.

And as if to chide him for their lack of charity, Drinkwater's tooth twinged excruciatingly.