“I say, Adams, you outshine us all! Fullformal ball dress according to Holding’s Pattern Book!”
Christopher smiled deprecatingly, aware asany that the full-tailed cutaway coat over marcella waistcoat and navy-bluebreeches with a snowy white neckcloth made a handsome setting for alean-bodied, athletic young man. He would catch every eye, he much hoped.
No point going to a ball if one was not topartner the prettiest of the young ladies. He might keep an open eye for anyeligible young female as well. A wife would make sense soon after the war if hewas to become a man of affairs in the business world.
They were announced as they entered theballroom, in the most old-fashioned way.
“Captain Gilpin-Brown and officers ofBlack Prince cruiser!”
They proceeded as naval traditiondemanded, making a beeline for the refreshments, turned to survey the throngover full glasses.
“Been here before, Adams?”
“Not since October last, sir. I was with IronDuke then. Little seems to have changed in the better part of a year.”
A few minutes and he realised just howtrue those words were.
“Mr Adams, you have returned! And as LieutenantCommander as well! I am so glad to see you again.”
The youngest daughter of the Duke of Blairbeamed dewy-eyed at him, her hero returned from the war to her arms.
“Miss Atholl, a pleasure to see you again,ma’am!”
He surveyed her left hand hopefully, saw neitherwedding band nor engagement ring. He had to accept that the young lady wasstill single, and as earnest as ever in her pursuit, it would seem. He couldnot leave her standing there, begged her to dance, swept her onto the floor,damned his luck as he discovered it to be a waltz with its inevitable closecontact.
They made an attractive couple - the younglady handsome by most standards and officially beautiful, being a duke’sdaughter; the gentleman the son of a prominent viscount and a serving officerand dressed better than any man in the room. The match was instantly made inthe eyes of the elder ladies, they informing the senior gentlemen of the fact.There were no fewer than three admirals present; all had congratulated Christopheron his conquest before the evening was over.
The officers met over breakfast, most ofthem grinning as Christopher came in.
“When will the announcement be, Adams?”
The Commander was at his jovial best, ho-hoingmightily.
“I wonder, sir, what’s the chance of a postingto the China Station?”
“None, you young dog! You have made aconquest of the dear girl and she is yours to claim. A duke’s daughter, noless! I am surprised you do not have a gold-plated sextant!”
It was a heavy joke, was met with much approbation.The officers could not imagine that a duke was other than rich, envied his goodfortune.
Iron Duke came in later in the week andthe Black Princes were invited to drinks. Admiral Jellicoe spotted Christopher,enquired of his well-being in the kindest fashion.
“Hear I have to congratulate you, Adams! Blair’sdaughter! One of the best families.”
Christopher sent a letter to his father,informing him of the circumstance, received an immediate response, the Mailservice still good.
‘Congratulations, my son! Not a suitablenaval wife. In many ways ideal for a businessman. Blair’s daughter can openmany doors to you, more even than I can. As I remember, she is a bonnie lass –take the plunge and ignore the lack of dowry, we can make up for that.’
He went ashore to speak to the Duke thatafternoon, his fate sealed.
Chapter Eight
“Communicationstrench finished, sir; it runs into the second line opposite your bunker. Weshall be using the existing trenches between first and second line, sir. I am keepingthe Chinks for another day to cut out more dugouts for us in the front line,sir; being the German second line originally, it needs some modifications. Afew hundred coolies can do a quicker and neater job than our men.”
“Very good, Hawkeswill. How do we standfor latrines?”
“We don’t sir. We sit.”
Richard found a laugh, though he wouldhave preferred to strangle the man. He could not stand jolly humour.
“Point taken, Hawkeswill. We are somedistance from the facility we used previously, are we not?”
“Half a mile, sir. Not good for a dysenterycase. Mind you, ten feet can be too much then. I shall look for a closer site.Not easy, sir. Needs be secluded, not in direct line of sight for shellfire.”
It would be a target that no gunner couldresist.
“Appalling thought, Hawkeswill. What youmight call a sitting target, eh?”
He thought he might as well join in theinfantile humour.
Hawkeswill found it funny, guffawedmightily.
Richard was almost ashamed of himself. Theman had turned himself around under pressure at the front, had shown asurprising, pleasing, degree of competence, the narrow-mindedness of years ofpeacetime garrison service sloughing away and disclosing a soldier rather thana parading mannikin. It was a pity that he still disliked the man.
“Do what you can, if you can.”
“Engineers are due today, sir. We are to haveelectricity. Light in some of the bunkers and power for drainage pumps. Moreefficient than the petrol motors, they say. Signals are putting in fieldtelephones this morning. Line to Brigade and another direct to the battery of eighteenpounders on call for our part of the front.”
“Useful to be able to call for support,Hawkeswill. Quicker.”
The Adjutant shook his head.
“No, sir. We can inform artillery of thetarget. Permission to expend shells has to be obtained from Division. Too shortof rounds to waste them, sir.”
There was nothing to say. The commentswere all too obvious.
“Lucky it’s no better on the German side,sir. Takes them just as long to set up new shell-filling factories and chemicalplants to make the explosives as it does us. Neither side will be able to firefreely before Christmas, sir.”
“Oh, good! We can give each other presents!”
Hawkeswill smirked.
“Heating for the dugouts, Hawkeswill. Arewe still using coke?”
“No. Supplies of coal are available, sir.I am doing what I can to build up a stockpile before hard winter comes in.Rules from Division – probably from Corps, in fact - are that fires can only belit when the temperature falls below forty degrees Fahrenheit, sir. The solethermometer is in my
