Lieutenant O’Brien hid his face behind his hand.
“Oh, that’s excellent, excellent.” The captain beamed at them, rubbing his hands together. “Nothing like a good fat roasted miller. I hope you put in plenty of herbs, Brown.”
“Aye, Captain. They bring out the flavor, so to speak.”
The captain regarded the midshipmen’s pained expressions, exchanged a look with his steward brimful of mirth, and burst into laughter, joined by Brown and O’Brien. “Oh, gentlemen, if you could see your faces! Have no fear, there are no rats on the menu. We can give you a better dinner than that.” And indeed he did: roast chicken and ham, and potatoes roasted with turnips and carrots, and even fresh rolls baked earlier in the day. Harville and Wentworth partook like the growing boys they were, encouraged by the captain and his steward, who refilled their plates as soon as they could empty them.
At last they were replete, and the captain passed round the port. Wentworth, as junior officer, made the toast to the King.
The captain lifted his glass. “To friends at home.” They all echoed the toast and drank. “Speaking of friends at home,” he said, “I hope Miss Wentworth is in health?”
“Yes, sir, thank you, sir. I had a letter from her in the last mailbag, and had the pleasure of hearing her well.”
“Very good. Is she an unmarried lady?”
“Yes, sir. She teaches at a school in Portsmouth.”
“A teacher, eh?” The captain sipped his port. “Have you no other friends with whom Miss Wentworth might find a home? Your uncle, perhaps?”
“No, sir; my uncle is a fellow at St. John’s College, and my brother is up at Oxford as well. He is to take orders, sir. After my father died, Sophy lived with our cousin for a while, but they did not get on. Sophy does not like to be idle, so teaching suits her, sir.”
“Of course. That speaks well for her.” Wentworth did not feel that the captain’s questions were impertinent; he was pleased by the attention, and it occurred to him that it was a good thing for an officer to know about his underlings’ situations and obligations. The captain then turned his gentle inquiries upon Harville, and within a few moments knew all about his family, the farm his parents and older brothers tended, and the sisters who plagued him. “My sisters are not pretty like Mr. Wentworth’s, Captain.”
“Indeed? Miss Wentworth is a pretty girl, then?”
“I have not seen her, sir, but Mr. Bailey saw her in Portsmouth and said she is monstrous pretty.”
“I hope, gentlemen,” said the captain, addressing Wentworth and Harville, “that you will not model your behavior on that of those officers who are not as they should be; if I may speak plainly, between us, you should not model yourselves upon Mr. Bailey.” The captain’s tone was familiar; he was speaking to them as a father. “There is a reason that Mr. Bailey is thirty and still a midshipman. No captain will have him as a lieutenant, he has no interest to get on, and he has failed to take advantage of opportunities presented to him. You must always be ready to take advantage of opportunities, boys. That is how you get ahead in the Navy. Is that not so, Mr. O’Brien?”
“Aye aye, Captain.”
“Very good. You’ve finished your port? Then go see how the wind is.”
The midshipmen, knowing this to be a dismissal, made their way to their hammocks. As they undressed, Harville whispered, “The captain is a ripping ’un, ain’t he?”
“Yes,” said Wentworth. “He is.”
HM Sloop Viper
Spithead
My dear Sophy,
We were ordered to Spithead with dispatches. You must not be alarmed at any rumors you hear about the Viper’s condition. Well, they are not really rumors as she’s taken a blow, and we came in under jury-rig. We saw some action, though, and have taken a barque as prize, and there’s a French frigate that won’t soon forget the Viper’s strike.
I am writing to tell you that while the captain was at the port admiral’s, he heard that there was to be a ball tomorrow. He asked me to write to you and say that you, and the other teachers, and any of the young ladies old enough for dancing, are invited. All the officers are to go, and the captain says we need plenty of pretty ladies to dance with.
If you can contrive to come to the sally port around four o’clock, I will have myself rowed in. I will look for you there, and know that if you are not there you could not leave your duties.
In haste, F.W.
Miss Wentworth
Miss Burns’ Select Seminary for Young Ladies
“Freddy!” Sophy stood at the sally port, waving her handkerchief over her head. “Freddy! Over here!”
Wentworth raised a hand to acknowledge her. He could not help smiling. Sophy looked so fresh and young and, yes, pretty—he could see it now. As soon as the boat scraped against the bulkhead, he raced up the ladder and ran to meet his sister.
She embraced him for a very long moment. “How you have grown! I must look up to you now!”
“You have looked up to me for a year, Sophy.” He kissed her cheek. “I am very glad to see you. I have much to tell you, but I cannot stay long.”
“I am just glad you could get away.” She looked him over. “You are outgrowing that coat. If you can give it to me, I’ll let down the sleeves.”
“This is my old work coat. I do not care what it looks like.”
“I care. I would not want anyone saying I do not look after you.” She took the arm he offered, and they made their way to the ramparts, where they walked and looked out into the busy harbor, and he told her about the battle.
“The Admiralty now thinks the French sloop that was intercepted with the news of the Irish invasion was a spy sent to give false information. The French ships came out from Brest, but they turned south instead of towards Ireland, and they made it to the Med.”
Sophy gasped. “Oh, no!”
“I hope the Frenchies like the Med, for they won’t get out of there soon, now that we know their tricks. Bridport ordered us to Spithead with dispatches, and on the way we fell in with a French frigate escorting the barque, trying to sneak through the blockade. We took the prize and gave the frigate a tickling, to be sure, before he made a run in to Brest.”
“But you were carrying dispatches, and it was a bigger ship. Should you not have run away?”
“Well—yes, but then the frigate would have got through the blockade and done who knows what mischief. No, it is better this way.”
Sophy looked up at her brother solemnly. “I thought being on a sloop, I did not have to worry about you.”
He smiled at her. “You do not have to worry about me, Sophy. You know I have always been lucky. Look at the prize money I shall have! I’ll buy you a new gown.”
“You’ll do nothing of the sort; I can very well afford to buy my own gowns. You’ll put your prize money in the Funds, if you please. I hope,” she said, looking away from him and out to the harbor, “that the captain will not have trouble as a result of this action. I hope the Admiralty will not think he should have kept the dispatches safe, and not gone after the prize.”
“Oh, Sophy,” cried Wentworth, turning to her, “you should have seen him! He is so much the gentleman, you know, as I told you, but in battle so many captains start swearing and shouting, just in the moment, but he was just the same! Cool as you please, I declare—it was, ‘Mr. O’Brien, if you please,’ and ‘Mr. Wentworth, I would be greatly obliged if,’ as though he were asking us to pass his hat. And he never hesitated; as soon as they were sighted, we went after them.” He stopped and said in admiring tones, “He is a ripping ’un, Sophy, I tell you.”
She smiled and said, “I hope you will present your captain to me; perhaps at the ball?”
“Will you come to the ball, then?”
“Oh, yes; the ladies of Miss Burns’ Select Seminary know our duty to our fighting men, and will present ourselves, beribboned and perfumed, for your dancing pleasure.”
Wentworth hesitated. “I should probably tell you—B
ailey saw you when I embarked, and he has told everyone that you are the prettiest girl in Portsmouth.”
Sophy laughed heartily. “I hope you disabused them of that notion!”
“It was not possible,” he said. “And now the officers are all wild to dance with you.”
“Well, they may,” she said, “but just be sure that you present your captain to me. For my part, I am wild to meet him.”
The assembly room was agreeably crowded, and the Viper’s officers, despite the captain’s apprehensions, were pleased to see there were plenty of pretty young ladies to go round. Wentworth stood on tiptoe, trying to find his sister in the crowd.
He did not know that Captain Croft was at his elbow, and was startled when he spoke. “I hope,” he said, “that you will present me to Miss Wentworth.”
“Yes, sir. She particularly asked to meet you.”
“She did?” He looked surprised, yet pleased.
At that moment, Wentworth heard his sister’s voice calling him. He turned to see her, smiling and pretty, in a new gown that seemed to his brotherly eyes cut shockingly low in the neckline. Her hair was swept up into a profusion of curls with white beads woven through them. She looked lovely and sophisticated, and he felt like a scrub in his ill-fitting dress uniform. Nonetheless, he took her hand and kissed it with what he thought was great gallantry.
She smiled and squeezed his hand. “Dear Freddy! I am glad to see you.”
“And I you. May I present Captain Croft to you?”
Did she blush? Sophy never blushed! “Yes, of course.” She lifted a hand to her hair, and then snatched it down and held it behind her back.
Wentworth brought the captain forward and put on his best formal manners. “Miss Wentworth, please allow me to present Captain Croft of His Majesty’s sloop of war Viper to your notice. Captain, my sister, Miss Wentworth.” Thinking he had carried it off rather well, he stepped back, and only then noticed that the captain had taken his sister’s hand, and that they were looking into one another’s eyes, their expressions all wonder and delight.
“Miss Wentworth,” said the captain.
“Yes,” replied Sophy breathlessly.
“Yes,” said the captain, nodding and smiling broadly. “Of course you are. You could not be anyone else.”
Wentworth stood by awkwardly, waiting for them to remember him. At last the captain said, “Mr. Wentworth, you will oblige me greatly if you go and dance. Spread yourself around, and dance with all the young ladies you can; it is an officer’s duty.”
“Aye aye, Captain.” He hesitated. “Sophy, are you going to stay here?”
“Yes,” she said, her eyes never moving from the captain. “I will stay here.”
“I shall look after her,” said the captain.
“Yes, Freddy,” said Sophy. “Go and dance.”
“Very well.” He left them, and looked back once as he walked away. Sophy had taken the captain’s arm, and they moved into the crowd, still smiling and looking at one another.
The ball was considered a particularly successful one, though several of the officers of the Viper were inclined to grumble that Wentworth’s pretty sister was rather high in the instep, as she refused to dance with any officer under the rank of commander; though truly, she danced with no other officer than Captain Croft. When Miss Wentworth and Captain Croft were not dancing—and drawing every eye to themselves as a handsome, happy couple—they were sitting out together, taking a turn about the room together; always together.
Wentworth danced with many pretty young ladies, who did not seem at all put off by his outgrown number-one uniform. Harville had similar success, and they annoyed their messmates by talking excessively about how they had enjoyed the ball.
Two days after the ball, the captain went ashore to see the port admiral. An hour later, the boat came back to the sloop without the captain, and the boatswain conveyed the captain’s compliments to Mr. Wentworth, and requested that he join him at the sally port.
Mystified, Wentworth obeyed immediately, and found the captain pacing on the pavement. “Mr. Wentworth,” he said, seizing Wentworth’s sleeve. “I must see your sister right away. If you would be so kind as to take me to her, I would consider myself greatly obliged.”
“Of course, sir.”
At the school, they rang the bell and asked for Miss Wentworth; they were shown to a small parlor, and soon Sophy joined them, looking anxiously from one to the other. “What is it?” she said. “Has something happened?”
“No, nothing is wrong, my dear,” said the captain softly. “Mr. Wentworth,” he added, “you will oblige me by waiting outside. I must see your sister on a private matter.”
Wentworth looked his surprise. “Have I done something wrong, sir?” he cried. “I hope you will not send me away like one of the boys.”
The captain smiled and said, “No, Mr. Wentworth. It is nothing about you.”
Wentworth looked at Sophy, who was blushing fiercely. She said gently, “Just go outside, Freddy. I do not think we will be long.” She exchanged a smile with the captain.
“No,” he said. “Not long at all.”
There was nothing else to do; Wentworth went outside to wait. As the door closed behind him, he overheard Captain Croft saying, “Sophy, lass, I just heard—I’ve got my step!”
They kept their word; he had only to wait five minutes, and the door opened. “Come in, Freddy,” said Sophy. “We have something to tell you; but you must have guessed.”
“Indeed, I have not,” he said.
Captain Croft put out his hand. “Frederick, I have asked your sister to be my wife, and she has accepted. I hope you will welcome me to the family.”
Wentworth stared from one to the other in astonishment; then he let out a whoop and shook the captain’s hand energetically. “Yes! This is good news indeed! But how—when—”
Sophy and the captain looked at one another and laughed. “You must take the credit for making this match, Freddy. You told us all about each other,” said Sophy.
“And then we were just waiting,” said the captain. “Waiting to meet. Once we met—we knew.”
“Yes,” said Sophy. “We knew right away.”
Wentworth waited politely, but when nothing else was forthcoming, he made them laugh by asking, “What did you know?”
As Wentworth had overheard, Captain Croft had got his step; had been promoted to post-captain. No longer merely a commander given the title “Captain” as a courtesy, his career was assured; from now on promotion would come from strict seniority, and had nothing to do with interest. He would have to leave the Viper, of course, and get a rated ship to command, and all the officers, except Bailey, were disappointed. Though he had lost a captain, however, Wentworth had gained a brother, and he was well pleased.
Captain Croft had asked Sophy to marry him on the strength of his promotion, though he did not yet have a ship. They did not see this as a difficulty. Captain Croft had saved a little money, and Sophy had saved a little money, and on his half-pay they would contrive; and he knew he would soon have a ship. There were no families to consult, and nothing to wait for. Captain Croft heard there might be a command soon available in the North Sea fleet, and he engaged lodgings in North Yarmouth, to which they would go immediately after the wedding breakfast.
The captain asked Wentworth to be his groomsman, an unexpected honor. Sophy had one of the teachers as her bridesmaid; a no-longer-young woman with a squint who simpered at Wentworth over her nosegay. The ceremony was over quickly, and they all signed the register and went to breakfast at the George.
After breakfast, Captain Croft said to Wentworth, “I have done what I can for you. I haven’t much interest myself, you understand; but as their lordships of the Admiralty are at present kindly disposed towards me, I convinced them that you and your crony Harville have learnt all you can be taught on Viper, and you’re to go into a frigate.”
“A frigate!” He was eager to get back to the Viper and tell Harvil
le. “Thank you, sir! Thank you!”
Sophy said what they were all thinking. “You will have a chance for more prize money now, Freddy. You must take care to save it, and not spend it frivolously.”
“I will.” He was determined to do so.
The happy couple’s post-chaise was announced, and Wentworth went outside to see them off. Sophy kissed him and embraced him for a very long moment. “Remember to order some new uniforms before you go on your frigate,” she said.
“Yes, Mrs. Croft.” She started at the use of her married name, and then laughed.
The captain smiled at her fondly. “Someday, Frederick, you will meet a young lady and you will know that she is the one for you. When you meet her, I advise you to marry her as soon as you can. You have only yourself to please; and so I advise you.”
“Yes, sir.” Captain Croft had always given him good advice, so Wentworth mentally filed this useful item away for the future.
The captain handed Sophy up into the chaise, and then followed her, and they drove away, waving goodbye. Wentworth momentarily forgot he was a Royal Navy officer, and he ran after them hallooing and waving his hat in the air until he could keep up no longer.
Anne sat with her chin on her hand, her dark eyes shining. “And did you take your brother’s fine advice, Captain Wentworth?”
He reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Indeed I did; eight years and a half passed between the start and the finish, but I carried it off at last.” He had been dreadfully angry, and Anne wretched, when she had broken off their engagement all those years before, but now they could laugh about it. They exchanged smiles full of love and remembrance; remembrance no longer bitter, but sweetened by their present happiness.
The Crofts looked at them, the admiral’s brow furrowed with confusion, and Sophy’s eyes bright with dawning comprehension. “I think,” she said, “there is another story to be told.”
Wentworth looked at Anne, who nodded. “Tell them, Frederick,” she said.
He accepted a fresh cup of tea, and said, “In the summer of the year six, you will remember, after Santo Domingo, I was promoted to commander and, not having a ship, put on the beach.…”
Jane Austen Made Me Do It Page 18
