AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Hebe realised her stepmother was watching her anxiously. The alternative was to exchange Malta for the far more restricted society and less pleasant climate of Gibraltar. The voyage to England would be an adventure, she told herself firmly.
‘I am sure it will be perfectly all right, Mama,’ she said reassuringly. ‘I am sorry you cannot be in England for my first London Season, but it will be delightful to stay with Aunt Fulgrave. How very kind of her.’
Sir Richard hurried off, back to the pressing business that would fill his days until his departure, promising Mrs Carlton that he would send up a reliable and energetic clerk to assist with all her preparations.
The widow sank down in her chair after he had gone and looked despairingly at Hebe. ‘My dear, so much to be done! My head is in a whirl, what shall we do first?’
‘Obtain your bride clothes, of course,’ Hebe said firmly. ‘And send out the invitations, order the wedding breakfast—or will Sir Richard look after that? Perhaps the Admiral would lend his banqueting hall?’ She jumped to her feet. ‘I am going to fetch some paper and we will make lists. Cheer up Mama, it will all be done in time.’
Chapter Nine
Hebe was right: everything was done in time and only seven days later the new Lady Latham was standing on the harbour side in Dockyard Creek, dabbing her eyes with a scrap of lace and bidding a tearful farewell to the friends who had gathered to see her on her way.
Her stepdaughter was trying very hard to maintain the bright smile that everyone appeared to expect from her. It seemed to occur to no one that she might be sad to leave Malta, and of course, none knew that she felt as though she was leaving her heart behind her.
‘You lucky thing,’ Miss Smithson lamented for the fourth time. ‘A London Season, all the shops, the balls… You are so fortunate, Hebe!’
‘Yes, I am,’ Hebe replied firmly. If she said it often enough she might believe it, and one part of her was looking forward to the new adventure. But she did not view the prospect of weeks at sea with nothing much to think about than Alex Beresford with anything other than the deepest misgiving.
The last week had not been too unendurable during the day at least. There was so much to do, and all the excitement of the wedding, that it was impossible to mope. But Hebe cried herself to sleep night after night, smothering her sobs in her pillow and trying to dry her tears on a crumpled neckcloth. Maria, almost beside herself with excitement once she discovered she was going too as ladies’ maid, kept trying to remove it to wash it, but Hebe would not let her take the sorry-looking rag, not while it retained the faintest scent of Alex.
There had been no sign of him, which was what she expected. She knew he was staying away, not to neglect her, but because, as a betrothed man, it would be wrong of him to give the slightest appearance of courtship, or even flirtation with her. Hebe could only hope he had believed her when she told him her affections were not deeply engaged.
Their luggage was being swung aboard the frigate HMS Audacious in nets, most of it bound for the depths of the hold where it would remain until Gibraltar. Only a few valises could be accommodated in their tiny cabins and Maria was having the time of her life bossing around the sailors deputed to seeing them stowed safely, while giving them the full benefit of her big dark eyes and curvaceous figure.
Sir Richard was sailing as a supercargo, with no command position at all on the sleek warship, but he was already deep in discussion with Captain Wilson. The captain, far from showing either resentment or nervousness at having a distinguished senior officer on board to watch his every move, was eagerly exchanging views on the current state of the campaign against the French fleet.
The first lieutenant came briskly down the gangplank and saluted Sara. ‘Lady Latham, ma’am, we will be sailing within the hour, may I show you to your cabins?’
‘Yes, thank you. Hebe, Maria, come along. Oh, good-bye, Georgiana?
??’ She turned to kiss her friends and stopped with a gasp. ‘Hebe, look, it is Major Beresford.’
Approaching them along the dockside, a porter trundling a laden barrow at his back, was Alex Beresford.
Of course, how had she forgotten that he had expected to be posted back? But on this ship? Oh, please, no, Hebe prayed silently. Alex stopped where a pair of midshipmen were supervising the loading and spoke to them briefly. Hebe held her breath, only too aware that she could not take her eyes off the tall figure. They touched their hats and showed the porter where to leave the Major’s trunk, then called up a sailor to manhandle his cabin luggage aboard.
‘If you ask for the Captain of Marines, sir, I believe you are billeted with him,’ one of the lads added.
The Major thanked him and made for the foot of the gangplank, stopping as he came face to face with the Commodore’s ladies. Hebe suspected he had known they were there all along, but he made a creditable show of pleased surprise. ‘Lady Latham, Miss Carlton! May I help you on board, ma’am?’
His face showed no more than the pleasure to be expected upon coming across a party of acquaintances, but Hebe recognised the bleak, hawk-look in his eyes and shivered. Had he known she would be on this ship? And how did he feel? Possibly he was concerned that she might make things awkward for him by wanting to flirt, Hebe thought grimly. Well, if that was what he feared he would find that Miss Hebe Carlton could be just as cool and polite as he, whatever the circumstances.
With a flustered look at Hebe, Sara took his proffered arm and walked up the gangplank, Hebe and Maria at her heels. They were welcomed by the Captain and Alex melted away after making himself known. She saw him talking to a tall, harsh-featured man in Marine uniform and the two vanished below decks.
One of the midshipmen escorted the ladies down, taking great care that they came down the companionways backwards and holding on to the ropes. Maria tried to run down facing forward, and was hastily put right. ‘No, no, miss! Not like stairs in a house, you’ll soon fall if you do that when we are at sea. Along here, Lady Latham, ma’am, mind your head at the entrance, here we are, ma’am.’ He threw open a door on to a tiny cabin with two bunks, a folding washstand, a few coat pegs and not much else. ‘The First Lieutenant’s cabin, ma’am. He presents his compliments, and says if there is anything he can do to make you and Sir Richard more comfortable, please do not hesitate to ask.’
The lad seemed anxious that her ladyship might be shocked at the tiny space, but Sara had been on a warship before, with Hebe’s father, and accepted the accommodation without a blink.
‘And Miss Latham…sorry, Miss Carlton, you are along here, ma’am, with your maid. The Second Lieutenant’s cabin.’ Hebe and Maria found themselves in an even smaller space with curving walls that followed the lines of the ship.
‘And what happens to the displaced lieutenants?’ Hebe asked, earning a smile for her concern.
‘Well, ma’am, First has Third’s cabin, Second has Fourth’s. They have the senior midshipmen’s mess—that’s me and Wilkins, ma’am, and we have the junior midshipmen’s quarters.’
‘And they have…?’
‘Hammocks with the men, ma’am.’
