Cecilia stooped to see inside, ignoring Renzi's pained expression. 'Why, this is nothing but your monk's cell,' she said, taking in its Spartan simplicity. 'It's just the right place for you, I vow. And will we be seeing you tonight, Mr Renzi?'
'I—I'm desolated to find that on this occasion there is ship's business ashore that has the prior claim upon me, Miss Kydd.'
'Oh? Aye, this c'n be so, Cecilia,' Kydd said hastily. 'Y' remember he acts in th' character of ship's clerk an' always knows his duty, I find.'
'Miss Cecilia, sir.' Tysoe held the door as she entered the great cabin, awed now by the effect of the candlelight's tawny gold on the naval splendour within.
'Good evening, Thomas—how kind of you to invite me.'
Tysoe accepted her pelisse with the utmost courtesy, his approval of the quality of Kydd's visitor barely concealed.
'Oh, sis, I don't think ye've made y'r number with Tysoe here. He's been m' personal servant since before Canada an' gives the greatest satisfaction.'
Tysoe exchanged a pleased inclination of the head for Cecilia's wary interest. 'My brother is in good hands, then,' she said, and allowed herself to be conducted to one of the two easy chairs, set to take full advantage of the view from the stern windows in the gathering dusk. Kydd sat companionably in the other.
'Our dinner'll be alongside presently, Cec. The cook's warned off ye're aboard. Can I help ye t' the wine afore we eat?'
'That's so kind, but I will decline for now, Thomas,' she replied delicately. The incongruity of his younger sister deploying the arts of politeness for his sake touched a chord and he laughed, evoking in her a pleased smile.
'Just think,' she said, with childish warmth, 'it was only a few years ago . . .' Her face shone. Then she turned and said eagerly, 'Tell me what it's like, Tom! The captain of a King's ship—how does it
Kydd affected not to notice the deep glow of the gold lace on his coat. 'Why, it's so fine a thing, I find it hard t' remember when I was aught else—but I c'n tell ye now, ye must believe th' biggest thing in life was t' be removed fr'm the fo'c'sle to th' quarterdeck.'
Cecilia remained silent as he continued. 'Y' see, sis, when ye're only a foremast jack, y' peep aft an' see officers who're calm 'n' strict, looking down at ye, all the power an' discipline . . . an' when I heard I was t' join 'em I didn't know what I must expect. F'r me, the big surprise was t' find that in th' wardroom all th' rank an' ceremony is left on deck, not an order given except it's on the quarterdeck, never below.
'It means we're all equal, y' see. We share like brothers an' this means that in battles an' such we understand an' trust, one wi' the other. It's—it's . . .'
'But now you're captain!'
'That's what I'm tryin' to say. I've been plucked out o' their comp'ny now, Cec, an' not a one c'n speak t' Tom Kydd but he's addressin' his captain, an' we both know it.'
Her eyes grew round. 'Then this is why Nicholas is . . .'
'Aye—I own that I'm truly fortunate t' have his company aboard, even if it's a mort hard t' hoist in his meanings at times.'
Tysoe interrupted an introspective silence. 'Dinner is served, sir.'
Cecilia regained her vivacity as the meal progressed. 'To think it—do you eat in such ceremony every day, and all alone?' Reassured on the practicalities, she persisted, with a shy giggle, 'Does it not cross your mind, ever, what your sailors must be feeling as they look at you? I mean, once you were one and you must know what they're thinking.'
'That's a question I've often asked m'self, sis. An' the answer is that, yes, I do have a notion what's in their minds. It was th' same f'r me, that ye see th' captain afar off an' know he's the one set over us all, an' there's no quarrel wi' that.
'Now respect, there's another thing. If ye hasn't their respect then y' hasn't their confidence, an' that way ye lose battles.'
Looking intently at her wine Cecilia said carefully, 'If I might be so bold as to remark it, when you speak of respect I am obliged to mention that while it may be said that you have advanced far in life, do you not find the sailors might resent being commanded by one of your—er,
Kydd gave a wolfish smile. 'Men like t' have a captain who's a swell cove, an' to have a lord is prime—but always they'll like a fighter best.'
He put down his glass. 'Y' know, Cec, there's not too many in th' sea service from forrard like me. We call it 'coming aft through th' hawse,' an' I doubt there's above a hundred reached th' quarterdeck that way. There's some o' these—right good seamen all—who glory in where they've come from and these are y'r 'tarpaulin officers.'
'Now, I'm not, as who might say, ashamed o' bein' a foremast hand—I'm proud t' have been one—but, sis, f'r me, what's chalked up on my slate is not where I've come from but what I c'n look forward to as a gentleman o' consequence.' Self-consciously he went on, 'It was at th' admiral's ball, Cec. I was Cap'n Thomas Kydd, honoured guest, an' I met th' ladies an' everyone, an' they took me as one o' them. I have t' tell ye, it was very pleasing t' me—very agreeable indeed.'
Cecilia smiled sweetly and Kydd went on, 'Except that I had the feelin' I was a—a visitor, if ye gets m' meanin', welcome f'r all that, but a visitor t' their world just the same. Now, Cec, what I want t' be is—not a visitor. I want 'em t' take me as their own, y' see, just th' same as when I came aft t' the wardroom. Is this s' wrong for such as I?'
'Bless you, Thomas, no, it is not! But—but there are . . . difficulties, which I feel obliged to point out.'
'Fire away, then, sis.'
'You will understand that I speak from the kindliest motives, and some years in the employ of Lord Stanhope, where I've been privileged to move in the highest levels of society . . .'
