Chapter Eighteen
The news about the Prince Regent’s inspection of the new HMS Regent was confirmed quite quickly, and it gave Roberta the chance to write her husband a mildly effusive letter when the one with his address in Bern arrived.
Dear Husband, she wrote. It is with great pleasure that I must report that our plan to gain access to the Prince Regent is beginning to bear fruit. I committed myself to a date at the beginning of March as the time I can bring HMS Regent to Chatham and will have to honour it or else displease the very gentleman we wish to please. Do let me know if the date will suit your plans.
I propose to keep the finery I procured in Antwerp until I have shown it off to His Royal Highness as the fashion that impressed the Emperor. I have sent a detailed accounting to the Officers of the Prize Court for the cost and the source of the funds used in the purchase. I will remind you that I am in possession of little more than a half of the total expenditure, but do not know the present whereabouts of the rest. You are likely to be more capable of satisfying the Prize Court with the particulars than I.
I have all the details of the Baron Berkeley affair committed to memory from the detailed account sent by your legal advisors through Mr. Holmes. I am confident that I can quote as much as is necessary to jog His Royal Highness’s memory should such a distant dispute not immediately come to mind.
I have written a letter to your father, as you may have been informed by now. I assume you are conversant with the contents of the communication he sent me at the hands of Aunt Caroline. I have to admit that its assumptions and tone angered me greatly, and I penned a letter that I feel sure he has never been the recipient of before. As a consequence, I can only assume that he will take as little pleasure in the possibility of our repeating our matrimonial vows should the present ones be found contrary to canon law and the dictates of Holy Scripture as he did the original, even if the bishops would prefer the stain of the former wiped clean by a new ceremony.
I leave it entirely in your hands that the present, disputed, nuptials are honoured by both Church and Family if we are to continue in Holy matrimony with all the present disputes ended. I have carried out my duties as your wife to the very extent of my power despite the calumny of jealous gossip and scandal. You can hardly have been considered dutiful in warning me of these assaults when we first spoke of marriage in the Great Cabin of HMS Medusa and you undertook to give me the protection that a husband promises a woman who agrees to share his life.
A little over three weeks later, Roberta was surprised to learn that Commander Worthington was on his way to Clydebank with Spiteful for some minor changes to the engines; as well as the intention of bringing her some of his trained men to fill out the crew for HMS Regent when it made the voyage to Chatham for the Prince’s inspection.
When he arrived and they were able to walk into the privacy of her office in the shipyard, he smiled as he explained. “I found Spiteful to be covered with coal-dust and soot when I made that journey. I was lucky that the First Lord accepted the dirt as no more than a sign of our speedy voyage. I doubt that the Prince Regent will be sae understanding.”
“I must thank you, my friend. The number of experienced crew available for my yard tests and proving journeys remain the same, but the duties multiply daily, it seems. I thank you for your thoughtfulness, but wonder that the Navy gives you such a free hand.”
Commander Worthington laughed as he stood by the window. “I believe I have our friend Mr. Holmes to thank for that. He has visited my command several times and has written training manuals for my Spiteful students that have allowed me to accept more trainees than before. I have brought you twenty of my men who are almost ready to take up their duties, and hope the voyage with you an’ Mister MacRae will serve as their passing out parade.”
Roberta pulled out her office chair but spoke before seating herself. “You know, then, that I will be commanding Regent.”
He smiled. “Aye, Mr. Holmes tauld me the reason. Ah hope you are not angered that we have spoken so about yer private life.” He reddened as he said this. “You know that you may always count upon me fer whatever support you may need in the troubles ahead.”
“Yes. I thank you profoundly,” she answered. As she said this, Roberta found herself blushing as well. It only took a glance at Commander Worthington’s face to read what thoughts and unspoken support he meant. He was no longer the bashful engineer lieutenant she had first met when he came aboard Spiteful as inspector. He was clearly pledging to be more than a friend only in time of need.
But that brought an uncomfortable thought to her mind. “How much of my marital problem has Mr. Holmes shared with you? Do you know that I have to be very careful not to give my father-in-law any opportunity to force my husband to bring an act of divorce before Parliament?”
“Nay, surely not. He had not explained to me such detail. How cude that be―?” His words trailed off and his colour returned. “You mean that―?”
Roberta turned her head to hide her own embarrassment. “You know, of course, that the only grounds that would allow such a suit are . . .” The strength of her words lessened. “. . . adultery. For that reason I have to be even more pure than Caesar’s wife. The Marquess would not hesitate to buy false testimony.”
“A’ see, My Lady.” He looked away in his turn. “What a despicable act! I had expected to join your family for a few days while here―but I see that, for your good name, I mus’ remain in my quarters aboard ship or find lodging in the town.”
Roberta found her heart pounding as she formed words of agreement and understanding. The very fact that she found the situation so emotional told her more than her mind might divulge. They allowed themselves one long look, filled with unspoken thoughts, before tearing their eyes away to speak more of shipyard matters.
They seated themselves on opposite sides of her drafting table and kept their eyes on the papers that covered it.
“You do know the nature and purpose of the Antiochus we are building here? The Admiralty must have confided in you.”
“The ship to tak’ on the French armoured steam battleship? Aye.”
“I have been obliged to change my design in order to carry cannon.” She looked up briefly with a smile. “As I recall you urging for the spitefuls several times.”
“Aye, My Lady. But I accept yer reasoning. If commanders had cannon at their disposal they might choose to use them instead of closing to ram. But the bigger design has cannon?”
“I have allowed only four . . . and those are carronades mounted on rails in a larger casemate where the rockets were to be fired. I have brought up the watertight bulkhead behind the redoubt to the weather deck level to strengthen the structure for the new forces.”
Comdr. Worthington pulled the drawings toward him and studied them. “How much dead weight does that add to the bow structure?”
“I have held the increase to a little under ten tons, and have balanced that change by adding an extra steam powered water pump at the stern that will serve as both bilge pump and fire pump as needed.”
“It seems a clever solution.” He smiled at her, but quickly looked away as his eyes met hers. “I see that the force of the ship have been increased without detriment to its handling.”
Roberta spoke more of Antiochus before turning to the Spiteful. “I believe Elizabeth has prepared the engine parts needed to effect your changes. She had suggested the modifications, I suspect.”
“Very true. She wrote them up for me to send to Commander Ripley afore she returned to you here. I trust you are as pleased to have her services as we are disappointed to lose them.”
“Indeed I do value her. She does most of the engine testing and boiler inspections―which leaves me free to spend my time on the construction problems. She has made arrangements to use the Urquhart and MacArthur dock for the work on Spiteful.”
“She said it would take no more than three days, when she prepared the request for the Admiralty warrant.”
“She allowed three or four when she asked for the machinists to carry out the work. We find most tasks have a bad habit of taking longer than expected―it must be the pressure of war bearing down upon us.”
“Indeed, My Lady. I will be glad when we receive the Regent in our little squadron. We always has more duties required than we have time for. I am most concerned that Spiteful will be away two weeks before I can make another training voyage to the blockade off Flushing.”
“You visit the Medusa at its post quite often?”
“As much as I can. For one reason, I believe the new Spiteful crew members should be as familiar with the enemy coastline as their own. They mostly arrive for their posting with ideas in their heads that the spitefuls are merely some kind of armed tugboat, and I must get them used to the idea that we has to be the steamship support for our blockading ships.”
“That was not what I had in mind when I planned them.”
“Perhaps not, My Lady, but I am especially concerned for the ships and crews who patrol the waters off the Schelde. It is there that one day the French steamships will make their presence known.”
“You expect them to challenge our blockade before the invasion fleet sails?”
“It seems most likely to me. They must have the same practice in the Channel as my spiteful crewmen to be sure of performing their planned duties. And besides, I have seen the smoke of pyroscaphes in the distance several times when I have approached the Westerschelde.”
“You have sailed into the estuary? No one told me.”
“And please keep that secret between us, My Lady. The Admirals have tipped me a wink, but they would demand a Court Martial should any mishap occur.”
“Please be careful, my Dear Friend. Promise you will not dare the Frenchmen alone—” She had to stifle a catch in her breath. “I cannot bear the thought of all my friends in danger while I am safe in Clydebank.”
“You have done yure part o’ danger, My Lady. Mr. Holmes has told me of yure perils in Antwerp. It is our part, now.”
Commander Worthington was still mulling over the conversation with Lady Bond when he discussed the new engine features with Elizabeth Grandin in the engine room of the Spiteful in dock. When he sent the artificers to bring the new items from the dockside storage, they were quite alone.
“Lady Bond and I had a private conversation yesterday that has quite aroused my anxiety,” he said. “I suppose you have had more personal discussions about the matter since you have returned to Clydebank.”
Elizabeth eyed him guardedly. “We have spoken, but I do not think I am at liberty to discuss her personal matters with another.”
“Nay. I would not wish to pry, but could you speak about the Marquess―what drives his animosity? It seems I could even harm her good name should Her Ladyship and I spend time together under the same roof.”
Elizabeth lowered her voice. “It is an affliction I experienced as quite a small child. At that time the French aristocracy were even more obsessed with Purity of the Blood.”
“Purity o’ what? I don’t think I understand.”
“The idea that nobility comes from birth, and a marriage below one’s station is not merely a scandal but that the children of the union are to be considered blighted in the eyes of God. I remember my family were at loggerheads for months over a boy they wanted to betroth me to. Was the second son of a mere count good enough for me?”
He regarded her in some surprise.
She laughed. “It seems so trivial a matter to me now. Half of the disputants went to the guillotine before I was six.”
Worthington shook his head. “But this is the reason fur the Marquess’ concern over our Roberta?”
“Yes. He will not accept her fit to bear a future marquess.”
“Good Lord, and he can end her marriage for that?”
“He is trying to, as I believe Mr. Holmes informed you.”
Worthington began to see the seriousness of these issues Mr. Holmes spoke about to him―it had seemed a great deal of snobbery over nowt when they spoke of it at Chatham. The poor girl could be robbed of her marriage and her good name over some matter normal folk could laugh at. Why had His Lordship not spoken to her about it? Was there nothing Bond could do without her pleading for the Prince Regent’s assistance? Perhaps that would be the end of it if she was successful.
“I would have liked to have told her how disposed I am to assisting her to the very end of my ability,” he said. “But it is clearly not appropriate for me to say to a married lady. If there were some way . . .”
“I believe she understands your concern and appreciates it. She too would like to discuss these issues more deeply and is constrained by her marriage vows.”
“But if the Marquess does cast her out . . .”
“Then I believe many of us would feel free to take her side,” Elizabeth said. “Your inclination would then be most appropriate.”