Chapter 21

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

January 1814, South Atlantic

E lizabeth lifted her face to the stiff breeze. It teased and tangled a short wisp of hair that had escaped her simple linen cap; another radical change in her life but a good one. She had not realised how heavy her hair was until Molly Dunbar, a new friend and wife of the captain of the Narwhal , had cut short the long, tangled mass of curls before they had left the docks in London. Her head had felt so light she feared it might float away. She had no regrets. It was much easier to comb and keep clean. The few inches of hair remaining had coiled into loose corkscrews without the heavy weight of the rest pulling it down.

It was the first bell of the forenoon watch, and her three students, young midshipmen, scurried off to their duties after their lesson. Although the day was young, she could tell the sun would be strong and she should don the battered wide-brimmed straw hat that she now wore in place of a bonnet. Bonnets were another thing she had abandoned, though she had retained one in case of a formal situation. She had never liked them in any case, often feeling as if she was wearing side blinders like a dray horse. The hat protected her eyes and her complexion from the white-hot glare of the tropical sun.

She gazed out over the water. The sea and the sky never ceased to amaze. One would think the sight of the sea to be unvarying, but Elizabeth had found the opposite to be true. The colours of the water and of the light shifted and changed from one minute to the next. In her few months on board, she had seen waves that shimmered like gold, or moved in deep rolls of olive green, or lapped gently in bright turquoise. Now, the Melisande was sailing through tropical waters, west of Africa. Their first stop had been at Gibraltar, then briefly at Cabo Verde. After a swing to the west to catch the trade winds, their next, God willing, would be Simon's Town, at the Cape.

Her early worries about being an idle accessory to her husband had vanished. Elizabeth had wondered about finding her purpose on board, but in truth, there were not enough hours in the day. The Melisande had been without a schoolmaster for the younger midshipmen, and she had taken on the responsibility. The key had been to follow her husband's example by keeping the success and wellbeing of their mission foremost in her mind. She had laboured over learning the name of every crew member but now felt she had almost conquered it.

It had taken a few days to get used to the constant movement of the deck beneath her feet; a few weeks to get used to the ship's bells sounding at all hours. It had also taken time to get used to the sight and sound of so many men. Longbourn had been so overwhelmingly feminine. Shirtless men, barefoot men, men of all shapes and sizes and colours and places of origin. Some had chosen to join the Navy; many others had been pressed into service.

At first, the sight of half-dressed seamen had shocked her. She had not known where to direct her eyes. She had rarely ever seen her father even in shirtsleeves, and only once, the night of Lydia's death, in his nightwear. Now, she had grown used to it. How sheltered she had been!

She had been surprised to discover she was not the only woman aboard. The quartermaster's mate, Youssef, was also accompanied by his wife, a Portuguese woman named Agueda. She was a strong, practical older woman who introduced Elizabeth to some of her more harrowing duties. She would be expected to help care for sick crewmen. In battle, she would work with the wounded in the surgeon's area of the orlop deck, far below the water line. Elizabeth liked Agueda and found herself wanting to please her. She promised herself she would be strong and not shirk the most difficult of her duties.

There was also a passenger, a Miss Alice Channing, the daughter of a diplomat in Singapore, who had completed her education and was rejoining her family there, accompanied by her aunt, a maidservant, and two officers.

They had received letters at Cabo Verde and had news of Jane's baby daughter, Mary's pregnancy, and the progress of the house in Somersetshire overlooking the Bristol Channel. Kitty and Aunt Gardiner had sent several long missives, and there were letters for Samuel from not only Henry and Mrs Newfield but also Uncle Gardiner and Alexander. There had even been letters for both of them from Papa.

Along with the mail packet came a letter to Samuel from a colleague at the Admiralty. Standing by the desk in the captain's quarters, he opened it and gasped in shock.

"What is it?" cried Elizabeth. She had never seen him so perturbed.

He handed her the letter. It contained the news that his nemesis, Roger Maltravers, youngest son of Lord Akers, had been removed from service and quietly court-martialled. The elder Lord Akers had died and been succeeded by his eldest son, who had no interest in shielding his youngest brother from the consequences of his own actions. After a particularly egregious series of behaviours, including an inability to control his temper, acts of brutality towards his crew, and even once issuing commands that would have run his ship aground, it had at last become impossible for the Admiralty to overlook the issue.

To Elizabeth's surprise, Samuel was more apologetic than relieved. "Had I known that this action would take place, I would never have taken you away from your home and family. You have sacrificed much to help me, and now to discover that it may have not been necessary!"

"I would not trade this time for anything!" she exclaimed, gently laying her hand on his arm. "This life on board has taken some time to get used to, but it has given me a sense of purpose that I have never had before, even in my former occupations of tending to tenants and my household tasks. You have given me your trust and friendship, Samuel, which I value beyond measure. You are my mentor and have given me the gifts of experience and adventure. I have no cause to repine."

"You are certain?"

When she nodded, Samuel responded with one of his rare smiles. "I, too, am glad of our friendship, Elizabeth. I have come to depend on you. You have gained the respect and admiration of the crew. Indeed, you have improved the happiness and welfare of all the men and raised the tone of the entire mission. You are my partner in command, and you will always have my deep and abiding respect." He indicated his stack of letters. "And I have gained a family of quite prolific correspondents."

Elizabeth was recalled from her thoughts when Miss Channing appeared, her arms filled with paper and pencils. "Are you ready for our lesson, Lizzy?"