‘I found that when I heard the language again, it all came back. It is a natural facility, not the result of deep study. I have a quick ear, that is all.’ A quick smile.
‘Hm, so you say, James.’ Returning the smile. ‘I think you are a great deal deeper than y’will ever allow, hey?’
‘Erm the message?’
‘What?’
‘Should not we send that message straightway to the ambassador?’
‘Just so, just so.’ A nod. ‘The message. I will go below and write it out.’ A frown. ‘Damnation. I should have asked one of those officials to take it ashore to the residence. What is it called again .?’
‘The Palazzo Sessa.’
‘To the Palazzo Sessa, indeed.’ He turned aft, then paused and: ‘James, you know where it lies. Perhaps it would suit our purpose if you took the message there. Nay, now that I think on it why don’t ye simply go there, and request an inter-view?’
‘Well .I expect I could do so .’
‘Then that is the way to manage it. You will go ashore in my gig.’
‘ .but I think that you must come with me, William.’
‘You think so?’
‘The request for money will come better from both of us, will it not?’
‘Make it an official request, d’y’mean?’
‘Surely that it is the only way such a request could be made, aint it?’
Now he stared at Rennie.
‘Good God, you did not think ? Surely you did not think that I would ask Sir William for a personal loan?’
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
The Palazzo Sessa was not by English standards a palace at all; it was a pleasant dwelling about the size of a manor house. It stood on the hill of Pizzofalcone above the bay, in the most fashionable part of the city. An elderly maidservant showed Rennie and James into a wide, airy room overlooking the bay, telling James that His Excellency had been informed. She left them alone.
Rennie wandered to one of the broad windows, and stood looking out at the splendour before him, his hands clasped behind his back. James examined the paintings on the walls. There were few in this room. The walls were largely filled with great gilt framed mirrors, which reflected the grand view of the bay, the sea and spreading sky, and the buildings that lay in a line along the waterfront in the foreground below the residence. One of the paintings was a portrait of Emma, Lady Hamilton, as a bacchante with a tambourine. James studied it closely.
Presently the ambassador joined them. He was an elderly man dressed as a gentleman would dress in England, and still favoured the wig, but there was about him an ineffable air of the exotic, as if he had left the customs and attitudes of his native land far behind, long ago. It was his manner, James realized. It was not reticent in the least. Although no longer robust he was open and welcoming, almost flirtatious, without being in the least effeminate. James introduced himself, and Captain Rennie, and began to say that although His Excellency would have no memory of his earlier visit .when Sir William interrupted him.
‘But you are Sir Charles Hayter’s son, in course. On the contrary, I collect your visit very well. You flirted with one of my serving maids.’
‘Good heaven I believe I did .to my shame, sir.’ Astonished.
‘Not at all. She was very pretty. I see you have noticed the portrait of my wife.’
‘Indeed, sir, I was admiring it.’
‘It is a fair likeness, else I should not have allowed it to be hung at all. Emma likes it, and that is another reason though it don’t compare to Romney, in course.’
‘Who is the artist? I could not make out the name.’
‘Hm she is Elisabeth Vigie le Brun, a most disagreeable woman. I paid her very handsome, and she has done nothing but make herself malicious ever since. Rumour, malice, and intrigue are her watchwords, I fear. And avarice.’
‘Forgive me, I should not have inquired.’
‘Nay, nay, it is a very fair likeness, and that is all that counts. You like paintings, Sir James? If you have time, I will show you my modest collection ’
‘You are very good, sir. I should like that very much.’ A little bow.
Rennie had been observing this exchange with increasing impatience, which he attempted to conceal by keeping his face sternly expressionless. Sensing his discomfiture, Sir William turned to him, and:
‘Captain Rennie, you was admiring the view. Ain’t it wonderful, though? But that is not why ye came. I expect you will like to discuss the matter that has brought you to Naples, hey? Let us sit down, gentleman. Will you have something to drink?’
‘Erm, your Excellency is very kind. If I may I will leave it to Sir James to. to provide the explication.’
They sat down on wide sofas. Even sitting down their view over the bay, reflected in the mirrors, was splendid. The elderly maidservant brought coffee, and James had time to reflect that since his earlier visit there were probably no young and pretty maidservants left in the house. Sir William made it his business to flatter Rennie, and put him at his ease.
‘A visit by the Royal Navy is always welcome, Captain Rennie, since Nelson has gone away to Malta, and Hood’s fleet that left Toulon is now situated at Ajaccio in Corsica, far to the north, and the admiral has gone home. Yes, the navy is more than welcome here at Naples, sir, in these troubled days.’
‘Your Excellency is very kind.’
‘And in course, you will both come to dinner, very soon? Perhaps the other officers in .forgive me, the name of your ship is ?’
‘HM frigate Expedient, sir, thirty-six guns.’ Captain Rennie.
‘Exact, Expedient. Yes, you must all come.’ Turning again to James. ‘And now, Sir James ?’
James outlined their difficulty, explaining in brief the scheme, the desire of the government in London to acquire Mr. Milson’s invention, the details of which he was clear in pointing out neither he nor Captain Rennie knew. He did not mention Mr. Symonds, for fear that the added complication of his duplicity would cloud the waters. He indicated only that the money that had supposedly been brought into Expedient at Portsmouth had not.
‘How could that anomaly have occurred, Sir James?’ The ambassador was both puzzled and troubled. ‘Surely, if the scheme was of such vital importance--’
‘We departed in a very great rush, Sir William.’ And now he told the ambassador of their earlier attempt, of the disastrous action at sea, and their subsequent
return to Portsmouth, concluding: ‘I fear that because of the urgency involved, many things got muddled, and--’
Sir William held up an interrupting hand, and:
‘You assumed the specie had been brought aboard? You did not make sure of it? How much money are we talking of?’
‘Twenty thousand guineas.’
‘Twenty thousand .?’ He raised his eyebrows, then lowered them in a frown. He glanced at Rennie, then returned his gaze to James. He drew in a deep breath, banished the frown, and:
‘Gentlemen, gentlemen .had not ye better tell me the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? Hey?’
James sighed, smiled in apology, and after a quick nod from Rennie told the ambassador the whole truth.
‘In course I knew Beckford was attached to the Secret Service Fund. He is a very astute fellow.’ Sir, William, mildly, when James had finished. ‘However, until now I knew nothing of Milson and his invention.’
‘I hope Beckford’s failure to inform you will not count against him.’ James, anxiously. ‘I hope that you will not dismiss him.’
‘Nay, in course not.’ Again mildly. ‘He is an admirable man of business, and I have always been aware that the retinue of an ambassador must of necessity include spies part of whose duty is to keep and discover secrets.’ He drank off his coffee, then: ‘Mr. Symonds is yet confined aboard your ship?’
‘He is.’ Rennie, a grim little nod. ‘And I am not inclined to release the fellow, neither.’
‘Perhaps that is wise, perhaps not.’ A returning nod. ‘In any cas
e, it is a matter for you, Captain Rennie, not for me. Now then .’ Turning again to James ‘ .what is it that you want from me, exact?’
‘We have come to ask you, sir, if under the circumstances you will grant us a small loan.’
‘Yes, I had thought that perhaps we should come to that, yes.’ He looked from one to the other, then: ‘In course I do not keep large sums in gold at the residence.
Naples may be a very congenial city, but it ain’t free of villains. How much was you thinking of ?’
Rennie and James had argued this point before they came ashore. Rennie had thought a hundred guineas. James had thought a thousand. They had agreed in
the end to ask for five hundred. James now mentioned that figure.
‘Five hundred guineas?’ Sir William sniffed in a breath, and shook his head.
James and Rennie exchanged an anxious glance. Then Sir William:
‘If everything you have told me today is true and I have no reason any more to doubt your word then five hundred will not be nearly enough. You will need five thousand. It will take me a day or two to raise it. And then let us meet again say the day after tomorrow, when I will like you to dine with me here at the residence.’
‘May we have your permission to make use of Mr. Beckford’s local knowledge, in the mean time, sir?’ James asked.
‘The Queen is kindly aiding my wife, and my wife’s mother Mrs. Cadogan, with advice in the matter of the refurbishment of our little villa at Caserta, near the palace in the hills, and Beckford is there with them to keep an eye on costs at my request.’
He saw then to the door. ‘Emma will be here, returned from the country, when you come to dine. I know that she will like to meet you. And the admirable Beckford will be available to you afterward. Good day, gentlemen.’
CHAPTER SIXTY-TWO
As they were rowed back to the ship in his gig, Rennie seemed almost unaware now of the beauty of the setting, and sat in the stern sheets deep in thought. Coming into the boat a moment or two before Rennie, James had heard a snatch of talk among the boat’s crew ribald comment on the women of the town, and the delights of Italian wine.
As he and Rennie conferred in the great cabin on their return, James made passing reference to this fragment of conversation. Rennie had sternly forbidden his people leave to go ashore even his boat’s crew had been ordered to remain waiting with the gig at the jetty and was reluctant even to consider a reversal of this stricture. He made a face, and:
‘Yes, well well, it is just as you heard them say, James. Was they to go ashore, they would be intent on two things: cunt, and drink. As much as possible of both.’
‘They can hardly be blamed for that.’ James, mildly.
A sharp sniff. ‘Ain’t a question of blame. It is a question of opportunity. We may have to weigh and make sail at a moment’s notice. I cannot have the bulk of my people lying sodden with drink in bawdy houses.’
‘It is your decision, William. You are in command, and I am no longer even a sea officer.’
‘Hm.’ Rennie turned away and stood beside the stern gallery window, looking out.
‘In any case,’ James continued ‘we must concentrate our attention on another question, entire. What are we to do about Hav Symonds?’
‘Hav? Hav? You still feel friendly toward the fellow?’ Glancing at James.
‘I agree he has been duplicitous, you know but perhaps after all that was on instruction from his paymasters. The Fund’s funds don’t come from his own pocket, but from Downing Street, that clearly continued to believe in spite of all that has happened that twenty thousand in gold was always an unnecessary expense if Milson could be took for nothing.’
‘Christ’s blood, he cannot be took for nothing, James. It will cost us five thousand. And even then we cannot be sure of him. Suppose he refuses to emerge from his hiding place until he has had sight of the whole twenty thousand he was promised, hey? Until he has counted it with his own hands?’ A sigh, and he rubbed the back of his neck: ‘The longer and deeper we proceed in this venture, the murkier and more intractable it becomes.’
Rennie stood staring distractedly out of the open window at the waters of the
bay. Reflecting shafts of light from below the ship’s stern danced gently over his face. Far from softening his expression these wandering shafts deepened the lines on his forehead and on either side of his nose, and made them seem harsher. James saw more clearly than ever before that Rennie was an ageing man, and that his present difficulties and responsibilities weighed more heavily upon him than they would on a younger officer. Presently Rennie roused himself from his brief reverie and:
‘Howsomever, you think I should now release Symonds, and allow him again to be a part of the scheme?’
‘Frankly, I do. We will need him to sign the paper.’
‘Paper?’
‘In return for his five thousand guineas Sir William will undoubtedly require a written guarantee that he will be recompensed by His Majesty’s government.
To which document one of us must attach his name. That can only be Mr. Symonds, surely?’
Rennie turned again from the window and looked at James. ‘Aye, by God I had not thought of that, but you are quite right, James.’
A thudding of footfalls, and a sharp rapping at the cabin door. Which was banged open at once, and the master at arms came bursting in.
‘Captain, sir! Mr. Symonds has broke free of his bilboes, and has absconded!’
CHAPTER SIXTY-THREE
Rennie had spared Mr. Symonds the indignity of being put in irons in the orlop, and instead had allowed him to be put in irons in his own quarters.
He went below at once to see Mr. Symonds’ empty cabin for himself the bilboes bar and the leg irons lying discarded on the decking then ordered an immediate search of the ship. He knew in his heart that Mr. Symonds was no longer aboard, that he had escaped ashore, but waited until the Marine officer Captain Dysart had made his report: Mr. Symonds could not be found.
Rennie held an immediate captain’s inquiry. He questioned the Marine sentries that had been on duty outside Mr. Symonds’ cabin.
Both sentries swore they had not neglected their duty, and that they had only discovered Mr. Symonds was not in his cabin when they had looked in after an hour or two to ‘observe the prisoner’, and found him gone.
How Mr. Symonds had escaped, and how he had then got himself ashore remained unresolved. Rennie was nearly certain that bribery had been the key,
but he could not prove it.
When the brief inquiry had been adjourned and they were alone in the great cabin James said to Rennie:
‘Likely he jumped down into one of the many boats passing to and fro in the harbour, and paid the boatman to put him ashore.’
‘Damnation! I was far too damned lenient with him. I should have had him took into the orlop and put in the bilboes there. It is my fault, entire.’
‘Yes, well .he would likely have bribed his way out of the orlop, just the same. Perhaps it is your fault, you know. Perhaps he should not have been put in irons at all ’
‘Pish pish, don’t talk womanish, James. He deserved to be put in irons. He lied to us, and put the whole of the commission in jeopardy.’ He paced back and forth, then:
‘Where d’y’suppose he went, once he had got ashore? He don’t know Naples.’
‘Likely he asked directions and went straightway to the Palazzo Sessa.’
‘The residence?’
‘Where else? At this moment he is very probably enjoining Sir William to have you put under arrest, in the king’s name.’
‘Again that is idle talk. Kindly do not--’
‘In truth I would wager twenty gold guineas on it.’ Over him. ‘Nay fifty, indeed.’
Rennie paused in his pacing and faced James, leaning forward over the table.
‘Listen now, we are in a damnable bloody fix, and we must act in unison, else fail entire. Drop all this piddling talk and tell me: are you with me, y
ea or nay? Speak plain.’
‘In course I am with you.’
‘You are quite certain?’
‘No more idle talk.’ A nod. ‘I am with you.’
‘Very good. Then let us return at once to the Palazzo Sessa, and resolve the matter. If Symonds is there, we will have it out with him. If he ain’t then we must proceed on our own, as before.’
‘Suppose he is there, and that he has prevailed upon Sir William to have us both seized and clapped in irons, the moment we show our faces?’
‘We will go armed. Swords and a brace of pistols each. Any damned nonsense from the fellow and I shall present a cocked pistol at his head. He will submit and we will prevail, I warrant you. You may stake your fifty guineas on that!’
CHAPTER SIXTY-FOUR
Mr. Symonds had gone to the ambassador’s residence. Just as James Hayter had
surmised, he had paid a passing ferryman to put him ashore at the mole, and had then asked for directions to the Palazzo Sessa. He walked there at a brisk pace
to alleviate the residual pain in his ankles, and the burning anger in his heart. With him he brought an official letter of introduction signed and sealed, which he carried as his credentials.
When Sir William heard that he had another visitor he assumed that in all probability it was Mr. Symonds, lately and wisely released by Captain Rennie. He received him cordially, gave him something to drink, and read the letter.
When he had listened to what Mr. Symonds required of him, he felt at first that had no option but to oblige. Mr. Symonds embodied the direct authority of His Majesty’s government, and took clear precedence over Captain Rennie and his associate, Sir James Hayter.
Mr. Symonds wished to interview the ambassador’s man James Beckford. Sir William said that he would arrange it.
‘At once, if y’please.’
‘Ah, well that is easier said than done, you know.’ A polite smile. ‘Beckford is in the country with Lady Hamilton and her mother, Mr. Symonds.’
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