So Near So Far by Parkinson C. Northcote Page B

social occasion, whether she were hostess or guest, gave Richard an intense pleasure which was destined to be his for as long as they were together. He never saw her make a mistake.
    As the rumours of war were heard more often, Delancey learnt, through Sir James Saumarez, that he was no longer in such disfavour at the Admiralty. It was the same administration, to be sure, but his treatment of Mrs Farren had been almost forgotten. The fact was that she had since made a very good match with the wealthy Sir Jocelyn Baxter, Bt.—a match compared with which her marriage to a mere naval officer (and one without post rank) would have been a disaster. Theirlordships may have felt no great warmth towards Delancey but they had to admit that he had served with credit. He was, after all, the man who had destroyed that French 74, the
Hercule,
on the west coast of Ireland. It was more than everyone could boast! When they received his application in writing, with war now imminent, they appointed him, after some hesitation, to command the small frigate
Vengeance
(28) destined for service under Saumarez in the Channel. He clearly owed this appointment to Sir James’s recommendation and it brought him the post rank which put him, at last, on the road which might lead to high command. He would now be a full captain, no longer Master and Commander, the equal of an army Colonel. That main point gained, the fact had still to be faced that the
Vengeance
was not the crack frigate about which he might have dreamt. She belonged rather to a semi-obsolete class, the 28-gun Sixth-Rate ships, mostly built during the previous war, the latest in 1787 and the earliest—heaven help us!—in 1737. The typical ship in this class was the
Enterprize
built at Dept-ford in 1774, the ship from which many of the others were copied. The
Vengeance
was one of these and came immediately above the
Vindictive
in the Admiralty list—the
Vindictive
being (oddly enough) the Admiral’s house at Sheerness. Like the
Enterprize,
then, but built at Deptford in 1779,
Vengeance
measured 394 tons and 120 feet 6 inches on the gun deck, mounted twenty-four 9-pounders and four 6-pounders, and was established for a crew of 195. She was a good ship, over twenty years old, but was not to be compared with the newer frigates in the superior classes mounting 32, 36 or even 38 guns. Delancey had never seen her but he knew other ships of her class and had no illusions about his new command. He had been givenwhat was left over after the more important posts had been filled. And what else could he expect, the most junior post-captain on the list? To Fiona he said,
“Vengeance
is mine, saith the Lord. I must leave at once for Chatham.” Quickly changing his mind, he added, “No, I must go to London first and try to secure Mather as my First Lieutenant.” Changing his mind again, he went on, “I mean to say that
we
should go to London together—it will give us the chance to revisit Drury Lane.”
    â€œVery well, Captain sir,—no, I mean ‘Aye, Aye!’—but I am coming to Chatham as well. I shall see to it that your cabin is properly furnished. Now you are a great man, you must have carpet on the deck, a proper table, decent curtains, and a tablecloth to look the part. You must be prepared, sir, to welcome me aboard!”
    Leaving Mrs Mahy to look after Anneville Manor, the Delanceys presently set off for Southampton, for London, and so to Delancey’s old lodging in Albemarle Street. At the Admiralty it was obvious enough that war was now expected. Ships were being commissioned and manned, appointments were being made, and plans drawn up. Defence against invasion had been given an early priority, hence the bringing forward of ships destined to serve in the Channel. In one thing Delancey was disappointed. Mather and certain other followers of his were not immediately available, having been sent to recruit seamen at Whitehaven. It