by Smith, Skye
"Have they declared their vows yet?” Daniel whispered back as he fought off her icy hands.
"You know they won't,” Teesa replied. "If she enters into a short contract with him then her contract with you is ended. If he puts a child in her, then that is not a problem, for he has promised to marry her in a church if that happens. If there is no child, then what? Nay, they won't declare their vows until her belly swells, so she is still your second wife."
Venka roused herself enough to turn over and face Daniel. "Rob is a Christian, worse, a Presbyterian, so he will be hoping for a son and heir by his seed. If you go to them and tell them that you want to bonk her as well, then they will have no choice but to declare their vows so as to cut you off."
"I care for both of them too much,” he replied, "to do such a mean spirited thing to them. I can be patient while they see what comes of their rabbit bliss."
"That's why we all love you,” Venka whispered, and then kissed him full on the lips, and afterwards pushed his head down under the covers to bury his face between her breasts.
"Teller is not happy about it,” Teesa whispered.
"Teller is in no position to throw stones at his mother,” Venka replied. "He's been playing rabbit with someone else's wife for weeks now. It's past time he was back in school, and before the husband returns. Danny, ...."
"I'm not taking him back to school,” Daniel interrupted. "He's old enough to take himself, after all, it's him that is in such a hurry to become a man.."
"Oh, and here I was thinking that he was in a hurry to become a rabbit,” Teesa giggled. "I'll take him to Cambridge. I haven't ridden Femke for way too long, and we both need the exercise."
"But that would mean you coming home by yourself,” Venka pointed out, "you, a young and impressionable virgin.” The three of them broke out in endless giggles and chuckles until a loud hiss from across the room forced them to cover their mouths and control their mirth.
"Wait a few days more,” Daniel said when he could finally control his voice again. "By then the ice bridge will have melted and we'll be able to float the Alice down to Lynn. We've almost finished refitting her. Two more days, perhaps three.” The crews had been working hard on the Alice to modernize her. Back when the Alice had been called the Friesburn Two, she had been the very first ship they had converted form square sails to triangle sails. While converting eight other ships, they had learned a lot, and now they were bringing the Alice up to date. This included removing the tiny stern cabin, and replacing the long tiller with a wheel, and installing a six pounder as a bowchaser.
"Go to sleep,” a woman's voice hissed at them. Probably the young woman with the new baby. Mornings came early to her.
* * * * *
The news sheets that Teesa brought back from Cambridge were filled with news, but it was mostly from The North where General Fairfax had the royalists on the run everywhere. Using the great snowfall as a cover, Fairfax had stormed and taken Leeds. The royalist forces were regrouping in York under the command of the coal baron, the Earl of Newcastle.
More of the king's letters had been captured, and were again published by Parliament. They proved that the king was making promises to the Catholics of The North, and that he was urging his queen to sail with her invasion force.
The news from The South was thinner, probably because things were not going well for Parliament, now that Ruthven and four thousand men had been defeated. The only good news was that the royalists had lost control of Cheshire. On the dark side, Hopton was again on the River Tamar at Saltash and preparing to lay siege to Plymouth.
All this news decided Robert Blake to gather his crew on the Alice and take her down to Lynn, where the lieutenant may have had word back from the Earl of Manchester. Rob was hoping that this would include a letter for him about his company in Devon. At the last minute Daniel decided to join the Alice as far as Lynn, and depending on what they learned in Lynn, as far as the Thames or even Portsmouth.
Wellenhay dock filled with women saying their fare-thee-wells, and not just to Rob and Daniel, but to the crew from Lyme, Dorset. If, err, when this clan moved to Bermuda, their last port of call in England would be Lyme. If they set up a Bermuda trade with England then it would be to Lyme. Folk from Lyme may even join them in Bermuda, for it had been mostly men from Lyme who had crewed the Swift when Daniel and Rob had been to Bermuda two years ago. For all these reasons, the crew had been well treated during their stay in Wellenhay.
The Ouse waterways were no longer choked with ice, and wisps of mist were rising everywhere due to the warmer air and the warmer sun. The Fens had lost the clean look of the white snow, and was looking muddy and marshy again. Folk and animals were outside in the fields again rather than huddled under roofs. Fishermen were out searching for the traps that had been hidden by the ice for weeks.
Punts and boats were the main mode of transportation again, rather than winter boots, and ice schaats, and horses. The question on everyone's lips was whether this was a true spring thaw, or just a few warm weeks between two big freezes, as had happened last year.
Unlike the last time they had gone to Lynn, the quays were almost empty of boats and ships. The skippers were all making the best of this spate of good weather and the melting of the ice. As soon as they were alongside, Rob leaped ashore and began a quick march north. Daniel saw this and leaped ashore to follow him, for he knew where he was going. To Saint Annes Fort to see if there were any letters for him. The militiamen at the fort well remembered army Captain Blake and made a practiced salute to him as he stormed through the gate and right up to the officer's quarters. Lieutenant Joris van Coevorden stood up behind his desk, but rather than salute he offered his hand and then a chair to the captain.
"You were right to send those dispatches to all three places, captain,” Joris said as he pulled out some letters from his desk. "For each of the officers who received them had different concerns about the governor's actions. I have been ordered to keep and eye on him and keep a log of men he visits and men who visit him at Castle Rising. Here are the three responses to your dispatches, and you are most welcome to read them. The fourth is a personal letter for you. If you had not come today, I would have sent it on to Wellenhay."
Rob ignored the official responses, and snatched up his letter and ripped open the seal. It took him but a moment to read it and then he beamed at the others in the room. "They are alive and well. My company and my brothers were not with Ruthven when he was ambushed. As they were mostly seamen, they were left behind to guard the ferries in case Ruthven needed them for a retreat. They are heroes for ferrying what was left of Ruthven's army safely out of Saltash to Plymouth.” He was to the point of dancing a jig, but instead he picked up the other letters and began to read them.
He finished reading first and told Daniel, "Norwich advises us not to trust Le Strange for he is trying to raise up the royalists lords of Norfolk.” He finished the second and said, "Cambridge advise us to arrest Le Strange if he goes anywhere near the militia's ships again.” He finished reading the last before saying, "The Earl of Manchester advises us to keep Le Strange under observation, send him weekly dispatches of his contacts and activities, and hopefully the man will hang himself.
He also says that the Eastern Association does not pay tolls to the governor for the leased ships that the militia uses to keep Lynn safe. The earl wants the militia ships to put to sea as soon as the weather allows and resume their patrols. He want two ships to station themselves out of Great Yarmouth and patrol the coastline around Lowestoft, but under no circumstance are they to use Lowestoft harbour."
"Trouble in Lowestoft then,” Daniel nodded. "Good to know. Which of my ships went to Yarmouth, Joris?"
"The Friesburn Five and the Seven,” Joris replied. "They drew straws."
"So Daniel, do you get off here?” Rob asked. "Or do you ship aboard with us to points south?"
"South. There's still no sign of the Swift here, so she must be making a delivery to Lond
on. I've two ships in Yarmouth so I'll catch a ride at least that far."
"Lieutenant,” Rob said, "did any reinforcements for Lynn arrive with these letters?"
"Nay, but I doubt we will have need of them. Christmas is over, the storm is over, and so the militia groups are on the move again. Every day now there are groups arriving in Lynn and others leaving. That is why all the Friesburn ships have put to sea."
"Good. Thank you for the letters. You wouldn't have any news sheets we could read, would you?"
"Not today. Perhaps tomorrow,” Joris replied with a shrug.
"By tomorrow we will be in Great Yarmouth,” Rob told him, and then shook his hand and bid him well, and then turned to walk out the door and back to the Alice.
Daniel was right behind him. "What do you think of the warning about Lowestoft? Do you think that has anything to do with the queen's invasion?"
"Perhaps. Lowestoft is the first landfall for ships coming to the east coast from Holland. Certainly the Earls of Manchester and of Warwick must take the possibility seriously, as one is the commander of the Anglian militia and the other is the admiral of the navy, and one is the son-in-law of the other.” Rob stopped speaking and gave it more thought.
Daniel spoke into his silence. "Or perhaps it's just that there is a local rising of the royalist lords in Lowestoft, similar to how Le Strange is causing trouble here."
"The problem that the queen will have in landing an army,” Rob pointed out, "is that our army and navy have made a point of seizing control of almost every port between Plymouth and the Humber. Lowestoft is an exception. If she doesn't make use of Lowestoft then her convoy will not have a quick trip across the narrows. It's a long sail from Holland to North Yorkshire, and a longer one from Holland to Cornwall."
"So that would explain why the royalists are rising up in Lowestoft. They have to organize to protect the port."
Rob chuckled and said, "In a round about way it would be good news if the queen were to land her army in Lowestoft. The two best organized militias are the ones in Anglia, and the ones in London. The Anglians would only need to keep her army pinned down for two or three days before the London bands would arrive and tear into them. With the queen a prisoner and her invasion force captured, the king would be forced to come to terms."
"And the Anglians are supported by the Earl of Manchester, and the Londoners are supported by the Earl of Warwick,” Daniel added. "Again the Providence Island Company takes the lead in this rebellion against the king."
Rob nodded and then asked, "What are you going to do once we reach Great Yarmouth?"
"We've two ships there. I'll grab a berth on one. If the queen's invasion is coming, then I want to see it for myself."
"Their orders will be to report the sighting of the convoy immediately so that the navy can be sent out. After all, what good are two small ships against a convoy?” Rob stopped walking and stared at Daniel. "You aren't thinking of..."
"One ship will need to report the sighting. The other ship will need to trail the convoy,” Daniel said nodding, but then added, "And while trailing them, why not have a go a slowing them down?"
"With a forty foot ship with a crew of four and one six pound gun?"
"Five counting me, and perhaps some militia lads. Besides, we'll not be boarding them, just make them limp a little so the navy can catch up to them."
Unlike most members of parliament, Rob had read History at college, rather than Law. He began to think about his friend's plan, as he brought to mind the histories of other invasions and then pictured the coastline in his head. "If the queen's convoy is heading further north, then where to? The king's northern army is no longer at Newcastle, but at York, and it is the Humber that leads ships to York. It would make more sense to use the speed of your ship to race them to the Humber and warn the navy ships berthed at Kingston-Upon-Hull."
"Hmm, aye, there is that,” Daniel muttered. "Well, we have a full day's sail together to discuss it."
* * * * *
* * * * *
The Pistoleer - Invasion by Skye Smith Copyright 2013-15
Chapter 21 - Sighting the Invasion off Yarmouth February 1643
The crew of the Alice knew that it would take them until the next morning to reach Great Yarmouth. In truth they could get to the sandbar sheltered roads off the mouth of the River Yare sooner than that, but it would be foolish of them to try to enter the river in the black of night. With hours to spare the took the time to test and prove the new fittings and rigging that had been added to the Alice in Wellenhay. They would not risk pressing any speed out of her until they were confident in the rig.
With the tiny stern cabin now gone, and a wheel replacing the tiller, the entire stern of the ship had been turned into a well for tillerman and crew. Most things the crew needed to control while underway, whether it be helm, oars, or sheets, could be handled without leaving this well. With the aft castle gone, the mainsail boom had been repositioned lower on the mast and the sail had been lengthened. Not only did these changes increase the crew's safety, and make the Alice easier to handle, but they expected it to increase her speed in light winds.
Although they called the cannon their bowchaser, it was not at the very bow of the ship. A small ship like this did not have enough floatation under the bow to carry a heavy bronze gun fully forward. Instead the roof of the cabin just forward of the mast had been reinforced and turned into a gun deck surrounded by a low curb. The deck was just long enough to allow the tiny wheels of the gun carriage to absorb some of the recoil, and just wide enough so that the gun could be swung about at angles and shoot towards each side of the bow. Its normal position was to the starboard of the mast so that it could shoot directly forward without hitting the forestay.
The six pounder was not a navy gun, but an infantry field gun of a type known as a minion, although it had been fitted to a low ships carriage rather than a tall field carriage. Since the infantry mainly used their field guns for grape and canister shot, it had a much shorter barrel than a navy gun of a similar calibre, and was therefore lighter. The shorter barrel and lighter weight was a good thing on such a small ship with such a small crew. Testing the new rigging also meant testing the new cannon, and they made little actual headway towards Yarmouth for a few hours while everyone had a try. On a larger ship, such a small cannon would be assigned a gun crew of three, but they practiced with two, and were pleased enough with the aim and the range and the ease of reload.
When not in use, the gun was hidden from sight and protected from the weather by flipping their dinghy over top of it like a roof.. Though this meant that the first action of readying the gun must be to flip over and launch the dinghy, this was not a bad thing. If times were dangerous enough to warrant the gun, then they were dangerous enough to warrant towing a life boat.
Robert Blake, who was a captain of both this ship and an army company of mounted infantry, was thoroughly impressed by the changes. "Your clansmen did a lot of good thinking to improve the Alice and to fit her with such a gun,” he told Daniel.
"Well, remember that this was the ninth such gun they've mounted, and all on sister ships to the Alice,” Daniel replied. "I doubt their first try at fitting a gun went as smoothly."
"Nothin' good will come of that gun,” Leslie Scudds warned them. "I'll say an extra prayer each night that we never have call to use it."
"In these troubled times, Les, I'd rather have it, than not have it,” Rob told him.
"Aye, and I'd agree with yee,” Leslie replied, "if yee weren't a man so keen on findin' trouble."
It was a long journey from Lynn to Great Yarmouth, all along and around the great curve of the Norfolk coast. Though the wind was from the North and cold, it was fair and did not raise any whitecaps. The waves were long swells, either a reminder of the last great storm, or a warning from the next. Rarely did they need to adjust the sails, so the entire crew took turns on the wheel, and watching forward from the hatch in the cabin roof near the bow. It gave the
rest of the crew much time to doze and to think.
Daniel's thoughts were all about how he was failing his clan. That they were yet again suffering through another long, frigid winter made the guilt swell in him for the delay in moving them to a coconut island in Bermuda. Yes he knew that it was not his decision alone to make, and yes he knew that the clan had been earning hand over fist during the lead up to this rebellion by Parliament, but he still had a hollow feeling in his stomach, a feeling of foreboding. These were interesting times in England, for sure, but that also meant that they were dangerous times.
When he wasn't feeling guilt over Bermuda, or dreaming of that comely place of warm seas and white sands and the ease of life offered by fishing and coconut trees, he fretted about the arguements that would swirl around him once he went ashore at Great Yarmouth. In October one of the Wellenhay ships, while on its way to pick up supplies destined for the Norfolk militia stationed at Boston, had happened upon a ship aground on the sandbars off Great Yarmouth. She was the Dutch fluyt Avontuur and though she was not hard aground, the tide was ebbing.
The crew of the fluyt had dropped their boats, and were trying to tow her off the bar, so the Friesburn had thrown her a line and then positioned themselves to help with the tow with oar and sail. It was while doing this that they realized from the dress of the passengers aboard and from the comments of the fluyt's crew, that this ship had been chartered by Queen Henrietta to carry troops and supplies from Rotterdam to England. At the time the Wellenhay ships had no bowchaser, just swivel guns, so it was not like they could do anything about it.
The only action the Freisburn could take was to trail the Avontuur to find out what port she would unload at, in hopes that somewhere along the way they could mark her to the Navy. It never came to that. Running aground had sprung some planks on the Avontuur's bottom and she was taking on water. The fluyt had two choices, run back aground or make for the closest port, which was Great Yarmouth. The Freisburn sped ahead of her into the River Yare, and roused the militia, and so it was that the Avontuur was captured with Henrietta's troops and supplies, and held in that town. The supplies were distributed along the coast to militia posts by the Friesburn. The prisoners were sent to Norwich by barge. The captured ship was repaired and renamed the Adventure.
