The Shadow of the Eagle (25 page)

‘Yes,’ said Marlowe.

‘It’s another chance, Frederic, to rid yourself of this man’s influence.’

‘He may see it as something else.’

‘He may see it how he likes; I am instructing you to carry out this duty and you are the first lieutenant of the ship. Whatever complexion Mr Ashton may wish to put upon the case is quite irrelevant, but it will do you no harm either way. Oh, and by the bye, either way I want the matter examined with scrupulous fairness.’

‘Of course, sir,’ said Marlowe.

‘That way any opinion Ashton may have to the contrary will be conscionably groundless.’

The wardroom presented an untypical appearance next morning, for Marlowe had ordered the table cleared completely and all personal items, which in the usual run of events would have cluttered the place, removed into the cabins of the individual officers. The announcement of this requirement was made at breakfast to which all, except for Frey, the officer of the watch, were summoned. The usually degenerately homely room now took on a forbidding appearance.

‘What’s afoot?’ Hyde asked, aware that some sort of effort was required on his part and that his entire day was being set awry at an early moment by this disruption of routine.

‘I am charged with examining the circumstances surrounding the incident which occurred on the mole at Santa Cruz yesterday …’ began Marlowe, only to be interrupted by an incredulous Ashton who rose and asked:

‘You are
what?’

‘Oh do sit down Ashton,’ said Hyde laconically, ‘and pray don’t be too tiresome, I have other things to do.’

‘The day you actually accomplish them will be witness to a damned miracle,’ Ashton snapped unpleasantly. ‘I asked a question and I demand an answer.’

‘I think, Josiah,’ Marlowe cut in quickly, ‘you should heed the advice you have just been given. You shall demand nothing, and sit down at once.’ Marlowe took no further interest in Ashton and turned to Hyde. ‘I wish you to sit with me, Hyde. We will commence our examination at two bells; Mr Birkbeck, I should be obliged if you would relieve Ashton of his watch this forenoon, in order that we can carry out this duty without delay. He may substitute for you after noon.’

‘Very well, Mr Marlowe.’ Birkbeck drew his watch from his pocket and stared at it a moment, then he rose, went briefly into his cabin, reappeared and went on deck.

As soon as he had gone, Ashton began to expostulate. ‘Look here, Freddy, is this some kind of a joke, because if it is …’

‘It’s no joke, Josiah. I’d be obliged if you would clear that boat-cloak and bundle of papers and remain in your cabin until called.’

‘By God, I’ll…!’

Ashton stood up again with such force that he cracked his head on the deck-beams above and ducked in reaction with a further torrent of oaths. Then, seeing he was cornered, he snatched up his cloak and papers, and withdrew into his cabin, shutting the door with a bang.

‘Knocked some sense into himself at last,’ remarked Hyde with a grin as Frey entered the wardroom, his hair tousled.

‘Hullo, I hope you lubbers haven’t done with breakfast yet; I’m ravenous. Sam!’ The messman having been summoned, Frey was soon spooning up a quantity of burgoo and molasses, drinking coffee and pronouncing himself a new man, whereupon Marlowe opened the proceedings by summoning Ashton from his cabin. The third lieutenant was quizzed as to the exact nature of his orders and Hyde noted down his reply. He was then told to cool his heels in his cabin, to which order he resentfully complied, giving Marlowe a malevolent glare.

Midshipman Paine was then called and permitted to sit at the table. He admitted having been asked by the boat’s crew if they could nominate two of their number to obtain some fresh bread.

‘Why do you suppose the boat’s crew wished to purchase bread, Mr Paine?’ Marlowe asked.

‘Because they were hungry, sir, and could smell fresh-baked bread from a bakery across the harbour.’

‘And how did you think they were going to pay for this bread, the scent of which so fortuitously wafted across the harbour?’ queried Hyde.

‘Why sir, from money which they had brought with them.’

‘Isn’t that a little unusual?’ asked Marlowe.

‘That they had money, sir?’

‘Yes.’

Paine shrugged, ‘I didn’t think so, sir. I believe it was no more than a few pence.’

‘Did any of the marines contribute?’

‘I’m not sure, sir. I don’t think so.’

‘Where was Sergeant McCann at this time?’

‘He had posted himself on the beach as one of the sentinels, sir.’

‘So he was not party to any of the discussion in the boat.’

Paine shook his head. ‘No, sir, though it wasn’t really a discussion.’

‘Did you think there was any ulterior motive in the men’s request, Mr Paine?’

‘You mean … ?’

‘I mean, did it, or did it not occur to you that the men might have come ashore with ready money in order to buy liquor?’ Marlowe asked.

Paine flushed. ‘Well, sir, yes, it did occur to me, but the smell of the bread persuaded me that…’ The midshipman’s voice tailed off into silence.

‘How many men contributed money towards this bread?’ Marlowe enquired.

‘I can’t be absolutely certain, sir, but about a dozen.’

There was a brief pause while Hyde made his notes and then he looked up and asked, ‘Did you make a contribution towards the bread, Mr Paine?’

Paine coughed with embarrassment and his Adam’s apple bobbed uncomfortably. ‘Yes,’ he murmured.

‘Speak up, damn it,’ prompted Hyde, dipping his pen.

Paine coughed again and answered in a clearer voice, ‘Yes sir.’

And it
was
bread you were investing in, I take it?’

‘Oh yes, sir.’

‘Why?’

‘I was hungry, sir.’ A thought appeared to occur to the midshipman and he added, ‘I was jolly hungry, and I thought the men must be, too, since they had had a long hard pull from the ship, sir.’

‘So you thought that justified disobeying Mr Ashton’s order?’

Paine’s mouth twisted with unhappiness. ‘No, not exactly, sir …’

‘Then do enlighten us, Mr Paine,’ pressed Marlowe, ‘what
exactly
you did think.’

Paine relinquished the role of martyr and confessed: ‘I thought if only two men went, they would soon be back.’

‘Soon be back… ?’ prompted Marlowe, his face expectant.

‘You know … before Mr Ashton returned.’

Both officers sat back and exchanged glances. ‘So you deliberately disobeyed Mr Ashton’s order?’

‘In a manner of speaking, yes, sir.’

‘Why?’

Having placed himself at the mercy of his interrogators, Paine’s attitude hardened and he fought his corner. ‘I thought no harm would come of it.’

‘But harm has come of it, Mr Paine,’ argued Marlowe.

‘Yes, sir, and I regret that and I take full responsibility for it. As a matter of fact, sir, I thought Mr Ashton’s order unreasonable. The men could not desert, for the place is an island and for two men out of sixteen to run ashore for some bread, seemed, in my opinion, reasonable enough.’

Marlowe pressed his finger tips together before his face, sat back and regarded the midshipman in silence. Hyde pursed his lips and made a soft blowing sound.

‘I had no idea Mr Ashton would make an issue of the matter with McCann, sir. I cannot allow the sergeant of marines to be involved. The truth is that having let Shaw and Ticknell go, I confess I made myself comfortable in the stern-sheets and was roused by the kerfuffle when Mr Ashton returned with the passenger.’ Paine finally fell silent and looked down at his threadbare knees.

‘Well,’ began Marlowe, ‘it seems Mr Ashton’s wrath was misdirected. You realize what this means, Mr Paine?’

‘The gunner’s daughter, sir?’ Paine’s face twisted with apprehension.

‘At the very least, my lad.’

Paine drew himself up in his seat. ‘Very well, sir.’

‘You may carry on. The matter will be refered to the Captain with our recommendations.’

Paine got to his feet. ‘Aye, aye, sir.’

When he had retired, Marlowe turned to Hyde and said, ‘That would seem to wrap the matter up then.’

‘No, Mr Marlowe,’ said Hyde, stirring himself, ‘it won’t do at all. Of course Paine must be punished, but Ashton’s treatment of McCann remains reprehensible.’

‘That’s as may be, Hyde, but the crime was disobedience to Ashton’s order and it was Paine, not McCann who was culpable. Ashton’s intemperate conduct was unfortunate, but McCann is only a non-commissioned officer of marines.’

Hyde drew in his breath sharply. ‘Mr Marlowe, that non-commissioned officer of marines once held a commission in a Provincial regiment and fought for King and Country as, I suspect, Lieutenant Ashton has only dreamed of. He was insulted, called a Yankee bugger, neither of which accusations can be substantiated and for which, had they been used to me, I would have demanded satisfaction!’

‘I daresay you would,’ observed Marlowe drily, ‘but they weren’t addressed to you. Anyway, what do you suppose we can do about it?’

‘Get Ashton to apologize,’ said Hyde in a voice loud enough to be heard on the far side of the flimsy bulkhead dividing the dining area of the officers’ accommodation from their personal sleeping quarters. It proved too much for the eavesdropping Ashton, who wrenched the door open and made his appearance at this moment.

‘Damn you, Hyde!’ he snarled, ‘You heard my orders and you’ve found your culprit. What more d’you want?’

‘Well, old fellow,’ said Hyde leaning back in his chair, ‘since you ask, an apology to McCann.’

‘I’ll be damned first!’

‘Very likely, but Ashton am I correct in thinking you flung the bread, not to mention four miserable bottles of wine — four, mark you, about the number you would drink in a good evening at Spithead, to be shared between at least a dozen men — that you flung this bread into the harbour?’

‘Of course.’

‘Why “of course”?’ persisted Hyde.

‘Because they had no business buying it.’

‘Ashton, have you never drunk French brandy?’

‘Why yes, but…’

‘Which you had no business buying, I daresay …’ Hyde sneered and Ashton coloured, realizing he had taken the bait. Beside Hyde, Marlowe smiled.

‘And which you would have defended as your own, no doubt,’ Marlowe added, whereupon Ashton shot the first lieutenant a look of such pure venom that Hyde was certain Marlowe had hit upon some incident in their mutual past.

‘So you will not apologize to McCann?’ Hyde pressed.

‘The devil I will!’

Hyde completed his note. Marlowe sat forward and closed the proceedings. ‘I believe we asked Sergeant McCann to hold himself ready for questioning. I do not think that will be necessary at this juncture.’

‘I shall go and tell him so,’ said Hyde, rising and fixing his eyes on Ashton. ‘You are a lesser man than I had hitherto thought, Josiah. McCann would have forgiven you a momentary loss of temper. By refusing to withdraw you remark, you not only affirm it, you make him an inferior, and I am not persuaded he is. Certainly not now.’

Hyde swept from the wardroom without a backward glance, leaving Marlowe with a fuming and humiliated Ashton. For a moment the two officers sat in silence, then Ashton rose and leaned over Marlowe.

‘I wish’, he said menacingly, ‘I had words adequate to describe what I feel for you, Frederic, and I wish I could express the pity I feel for Sarah!’

But if Ashton thought the contempt in his voice could intimidate Marlowe, mention of his sister was a sad miscalculation. Marlowe’s spirit was no longer cowed, and he stood slowly and with a new-found dignity to confront his future brother-in-law. ‘I pity her too, Josiah, but I have at least the consolation Sarah chose me.’

And with this Parthian shot Marlowe left the wardroom to report to Drinkwater. As for Ashton, he turned to find Frey standing in the open doorway to his cabin regarding him with a cold stare.

CHAPTER 13
A Long Wait

May 1814

Angra do Heroismo,’ observed Birkbeck, staring through his glass at the principal port on the island of Terceira. Once again
Andromeda
was hove-to and awaiting one of her boats, the port quarter-boat commonly called the red cutter, which had been sent in under the command of Lieutenant Frey to convey Mr Gilbert ashore. It was anticipated that it would be absent for some time and in the interim Captain Drinkwater was in his cabin, dining early with Mr Marlowe and discussing the fate of Mr Midshipman Paine, who slouched disconsolately about the quarterdeck, awaiting the captain’s verdict.

Although relieved as officer of the watch by Lieutenant Ashton, Birkbeck remained on deck, watching the red cutter as it swooped over the wave crests and vanished in each succeeding trough. Its worn lugsails were only a shade lighter than the grey of the sea, which had forsaken its kindly blue colour after the wind had swung back into the south-west again. Although only a moderate breeze, this had first veiled the sun, then at noon brought in a layer of thickening overcast which presaged rain and turned the sea a sullen hue.

Finally, Birkbeck could see the cutter no more as it passed into Angra. He shut his glass with a decisive snap and made his way below.

In the cabin, Drinkwater toyed with his wine glass as Marlowe concluded his report.

‘So, sir, the nub of the matter is that Paine disobeyed Mr Ashton’s explicit order and while Ashton may have acted in an intemperate manner, falsely accusing Sergeant McCann of being the culprit, it is Paine who must be punished.’

Drinkwater grunted. ‘Yes, I suppose so. What have you in mind?’

Marlowe considered the matter for a moment and said, ‘A dozen strokes, sir.’

‘A pity. I thought the boy had promise. This will be a humiliation for him.’

‘I had thought of that, sir. It doesn’t have to be done over a gun. I can turn the midshipmen out of the cockpit…’

‘Or the officers out of the wardroom. But the purpose of the punishment is as much to deter others as to strike at the guilty’

‘The others will all know, sir.’