the hard narrow bed he said to himself:
'Langton must wait. Today I will seek out James, very
discreet, and discover what that blackguard at the Marine
Hotel meant by his questions. Aye – this damned bed is
uncommon firm – I must discover from James what is afoot.
If he will tell me. If he will oblige me.'
He fell silent, and thought of his house at Middingham, of
the quiet life he had grown used to there, his pleasant easy
routine, his understated clothes, his agreeable diet, his every
comfort attended to by his servant girl Jenny. Every comfort
– excepting one. A little sigh, and he lifted his head.
'In course I had much rather be at sea, I had much rather
have a ship under my legs,' he told himself briskly, coming
out of his brief reverie with a slapping of palms on thighs.
'But my condition of life at Norfolk – was I a landlubber by
nature – could not be better, I think. Nay, it is very pleasant
there – was I a lawn-loving, pond-gazing fellow, wandering
tranquil among shrubs.'
Captain Rennie found Lieutenant Hayter, not as he had
expected by assiduous discreet enquiry as to the location of
the Hawk cutter, and the whereabouts of her commander –
but by chance. He found him at Bracewell & Hyde, trying on
his new coat. Rennie happened to glance in at the window as
he passed by, and caught sight of his friend inside. He went
in, to the sharp jingling of the above-door bell.
Mr Bracewell's assistant, that was not Mr Hyde – Mr Hyde
had sold the business to Mr Bracewell long since, and then
had died – came forward with a professional smile, recognizing
the naval look when he saw it, in spite of the civilian
dress, and:
'Sea officer, sir? In need of new – '
'Nay nay, thank you, ye may strike that measuring tape.'
The sound of that familiar voice caused James Hayter to
turn from the long glass.
'Good heaven, it is you, sir. Here in Portsmouth.' A happy
thought. 'You have got a ship! You have got a commission!'
'Nay, I have not, James.' They shook hands, James in his
half-made coat, one sleeve attached, and the back marked
with chalk. 'I came to find you, to say the truth.'
'From the Admiralty? They have changed their minds,
then?' James as Mr Bracewell waited.
'Eh? No. No, I am here privately. What made you think I
had come from the – '
'Give me one moment, sir, if you please.' James nodded,
touched his forearm, and returned to Mr Bracewell at the
glass. He shrugged out of the new coat, handed it to Mr
Bracewell, and retrieved his old coat from a chair. He slipped
it on. 'Thank you, Bracewell, I shall return tomorrow, or very
soon after.' To Rennie: 'And now, shall we stroll a little way,
sir, and talk?'
'I should like very much to talk, James. That is why I have
come to Portsmouth, you know. In that hope.'
They went out into the busy street, and walked – at
Rennie's urging – away from the press of people, and the
traffic and noise, along Battery Road to the fortifications,
the castle away to the east against the sky. Rennie walked
with his plain hat jammed well down on his head, nearly
hiding his face.
'I had myself hoped – half-hoped, anyway – that you would
come, sir.' James, as they came to the wall.
'Eh? Had you?' A sideways glance. 'You surprise me,
James. Twice in five minutes you have surprised me.'
And the two officers talked. James about his commission,
his duties, the murder of Captain Marles – he held nothing
back – and Rennie about Sir Robert Greer, his flight from
Norfolk, the incident on the road and the intruder at the
Marine Hotel, with his questions about James – he held
nothing back, in turn.
'I am living under the name Birch, at the Mary Rose.'
'Birch?'
'Aye, you notice the choice of name. Mr Birch of
Dorsetshire. I hope y'don't mind me using the name of your
house, James.'
James laughed. 'In course I do not, sir. I am flattered.
Catherine would be flattered, I am in no doubt.'
A moment of quiet now between the two men, in the
echoing cries of gulls, and
'Langton must wait. Today I will seek out James, very
discreet, and discover what that blackguard at the Marine
Hotel meant by his questions. Aye – this damned bed is
uncommon firm – I must discover from James what is afoot.
If he will tell me. If he will oblige me.'
He fell silent, and thought of his house at Middingham, of
the quiet life he had grown used to there, his pleasant easy
routine, his understated clothes, his agreeable diet, his every
comfort attended to by his servant girl Jenny. Every comfort
– excepting one. A little sigh, and he lifted his head.
'In course I had much rather be at sea, I had much rather
have a ship under my legs,' he told himself briskly, coming
out of his brief reverie with a slapping of palms on thighs.
'But my condition of life at Norfolk – was I a landlubber by
nature – could not be better, I think. Nay, it is very pleasant
there – was I a lawn-loving, pond-gazing fellow, wandering
tranquil among shrubs.'
Captain Rennie found Lieutenant Hayter, not as he had
expected by assiduous discreet enquiry as to the location of
the Hawk cutter, and the whereabouts of her commander –
but by chance. He found him at Bracewell & Hyde, trying on
his new coat. Rennie happened to glance in at the window as
he passed by, and caught sight of his friend inside. He went
in, to the sharp jingling of the above-door bell.
Mr Bracewell's assistant, that was not Mr Hyde – Mr Hyde
had sold the business to Mr Bracewell long since, and then
had died – came forward with a professional smile, recognizing
the naval look when he saw it, in spite of the civilian
dress, and:
'Sea officer, sir? In need of new – '
'Nay nay, thank you, ye may strike that measuring tape.'
The sound of that familiar voice caused James Hayter to
turn from the long glass.
'Good heaven, it is you, sir. Here in Portsmouth.' A happy
thought. 'You have got a ship! You have got a commission!'
'Nay, I have not, James.' They shook hands, James in his
half-made coat, one sleeve attached, and the back marked
with chalk. 'I came to find you, to say the truth.'
'From the Admiralty? They have changed their minds,
then?' James as Mr Bracewell waited.
'Eh? No. No, I am here privately. What made you think I
had come from the – '
'Give me one moment, sir, if you please.' James nodded,
touched his forearm, and returned to Mr Bracewell at the
glass. He shrugged out of the new coat, handed it to Mr
Bracewell, and retrieved his old coat from a chair. He slipped
it on. 'Thank you, Bracewell, I shall return tomorrow, or very
soon after.' To Rennie: 'And now, shall we stroll a little way,
sir, and talk?'
'I should like very much to talk, James. That is why I have
come to Portsmouth, you know. In that hope.'
They went out into the busy street, and walked – at
Rennie's urging – away from the press of people, and the
traffic and noise, along Battery Road to the fortifications,
the castle away to the east against the sky. Rennie walked
with his plain hat jammed well down on his head, nearly
hiding his face.
'I had myself hoped – half-hoped, anyway – that you would
come, sir.' James, as they came to the wall.
'Eh? Had you?' A sideways glance. 'You surprise me,
James. Twice in five minutes you have surprised me.'
And the two officers talked. James about his commission,
his duties, the murder of Captain Marles – he held nothing
back – and Rennie about Sir Robert Greer, his flight from
Norfolk, the incident on the road and the intruder at the
Marine Hotel, with his questions about James – he held
nothing back, in turn.
'I am living under the name Birch, at the Mary Rose.'
'Birch?'
'Aye, you notice the choice of name. Mr Birch of
Dorsetshire. I hope y'don't mind me using the name of your
house, James.'
James laughed. 'In course I do not, sir. I am flattered.
Catherine would be flattered, I am in no doubt.'
A moment of quiet now between the two men, in the
echoing cries of gulls, and
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