ricky

Welcome Kagenokami! Nice of you to step out in the sunlight or the word gods! Enjoy.

ok, its 4 minutes into saturday already and its not there! I know, I know. Anxious much? I can't help it. He's that good.

Welcome Suvitar! And I agree, and what a pleasant addiction it is. Look at it this way, if you're spending your time here, you're not someplace else getting into trouble. lol Cheers, be welcome!

Welcome Ian! Perhaps you can get Cosmie to give us a new chapter! "A Class By Himself" is a favorite of mine too! So be welcome!

Be welcome Bushy! Lots of fun around this place and lots of good ones your age too. So get happy. You "deserve" to be happy. You may need to work at it though.

What a delightful tale of wonderful pure sweet love. Thank you for sharing your gift.

Excellent! Start with sex and end with MORE sex. And a little Christmas in between. It was a little sad in that Steve's parents were still alive at this time. Had he known then what he knows today, I doubt he would be there. Boyfriend or not. Well done. R

What a great story. Fell in love with Zack and Noah right off. I love a true love story. I can't wait for book 2.

Heart Wrenchingly beautiful. I needed those pesky tear ducts flushed anyways.

Thank you for that. I find it interesting that the peasants who were put in power as "the committee" would be so willing to give up the power once they had it. And the returning aristocrats would probably be resentful once the order had been restored. I find it interesting that the French, much like the colonists who rebelled against the aristocracy then turn around and embraced them. I confess that I know little about the history of France. Or England for that matter. But this fickle behavior intrigues me. Perhaps it is worth a dig or two. It seams that the lesson of wanting being better than having prevails. Chivalry is not dead, just on holiday so to speak.

And where can you find this list? And what benefit can be derived from holding the number one spot? Is there a "most talked about in the forums" list?

I still find that as they've severed the head of most of the aristocrats and those they've not, left. I have to wonder what will face this English aristocrat. And who's left to socialize with? And who's got the power to protect him? I can only hope his stay is brief. It's obvious that he will be exposed to the mob. He's there for propaganda. This can't be good. It means humiliation and he doesn't do that well. He's humble but that is different from having humiliation thrust upon you. As for Calvert and Gatling, they are both part of his crew. If they give Calvert a ship of his own will he be able to hang on to Granger's crew or will they be pressed into other ships? And will there be animosity over it when Granger returns? And where will it place Gatling if Granger returns and wants Calvert back in his arms? (Although I can't imagine why. He's so needy.) Will Winkler and Jacobs be able to stay together? And will LaFavor be able to help? He is quite French after all. Perhaps he has a hidden secret? Knows someone perhaps? And when he gets back, what could they possibly do to honor him? And what will happen when when he learns of the fate of his brand new ship? And Humphries will reap the heat. He lost not one but two ships. And he's dead so no one will think twice about blaming him for it all. And yet, he was loyal to the very end. He deserves better than he will receive. Even posthumously.

What are you talking about?

This truly has been appropriately named. Granger should be endeared even more to his Brentwood renters as Gatling should return with a butt load more money than the average sailor. At least by comparison to what they are used to having. And I'm sure he will return some of that to his mother. It might make for an interesting moment If Granger meets Calvert at Brentwood while he is in port staying with Gatling. AWKWAAAARD! I'm looking forward to Granger's return. Everybody told him his return would be special and he would not have to go to the ends of the earth again. Both Cavendis and the king, if I recall correctly inferred that his homecoming would be special. But in the light of the great victory over the French it may not be good for Granger to steal Nelson's limelight "again". Although that may not be helped if for no other reason than the mobs golden boy was a prisoner of the French! A great story Mark. I may have to learn another language just so I can find a better word for it. Great just doesn't quite cut it anymore.

A great Chapter Mark. I confess to a little disappointment however. Retrieving the shipwrecked sailors from the French was a little anticlimactic. I was hoping for a corvet out of the deal. What a coo that would have been and the young Lord Kingsdale would have at least gotten a feather in his cap over it. Instead he just became another bit character. On the other hand,Calvert getting praise from St Vincent (Calling him saint anything is a bit of an oxymoron don't yo think?) was a real milestone. And him wishing that he return to his squadron was an even higher compliment. I just got through the door from a grueling 19 hour double show day and there it was, sitting there waiting for me to read it. I better put the frozen groceries away now or I'm gonna have to have a HUGE dinner tomorrow. Priorities you know. And then I'm gonna pop the top on a Redds Apple Strawberry Ale and read it again. Thanks! PS - Winkler has his man now! WooHoo! But I hope they both continue to follow Granger. Granger without Winkler is just . . . well it just wouldn't be right.

Westie! That was mAssage, not a note from his mother.

It occurred to me that Lord Granger has dispersed the entire Granger on-board family. Calvert has hooked up with Gatling, Winkler is with Jacobs. Even the LaFavor is with his wife. (We hope he made it.) The only one not hooked up would be Cavendish and undoubtedly he's been made to marry. ;( Then there's the fever and his ship being at the bottom of the sea. But not before his wealth is rescued. So prize money isn't a relative goal anymore. He's fabulously wealthy. **sigh** I think his swash buckling days are over and he is headed for the big house. Parliament. We all know how much Lord Arbour enjoys political intrigue.

No worries Carlotta, my English is excellent and I still make people cringe. Be welcome!

Welcome Solo_DR. This is a great place to hang out.

Well said on all accounts. Both on Mark's understanding of leadership and on predicting Lady Granger's explosion. At least they have not yet heard of Granger's fever. The only message that carried that tune was on Bachantee and it died with her. I fear that Winkler and Jacobs getting together will insure that the story is headed for a land based trend. Mark loves politics. But I fear that Winkler will be written out if Granger goes back to sea. He almost stayed ashore before this odessy. I still think he has served above and beyond the call and Granger owes him a debt. I know his prize money will be large like the rest, but something more personal is due him. Perhaps some land and a cottage somewhere near where he can still serve and still settle down with his about to be new love. **sigh** And what of the men who were sailing to meet the french corvet? Will they get it as a prize? How cool would that be? Especially if our little Irish peer was given command to bring her back home.He could use a boost of morale and a little favor from the King. Ah, if wishes were horses then beggers would ride . . . I suspect the next chapter will be aboard Santa Clarita, the French Corvet and in gay Pari' Well done Lord St Arbour.

A great chapter! And Winkler dining with the Admiral! I suspect that if he was not carrying the adventures of Granger such would not be the case. The Admiral is a softy at heart. And Granger in Paris! If they had not beheaded the King I would expect some award of Merit if for nothing else than being handsome. Seems all the other Kings fancy him!

OMG you are too funny. Of course the truth is often funnier than fiction. And using one's budget completely IS a must lest they think you don't need it the next year. Yes, a scrumptious concept and probably a reason our government is full of obese people. I mean, you can only eat so many doughnuts before they start to show. So the addiction begins, the next thing you know they have a doughnut budget. NOW what do they do at the end of the year? Ice cream? Oh, let them eat cake.(Preferably the same kind Marie Antoinette referred to.) In the case of winning, We learned that tactic from the Indians. We explained to our new allies what was expected of them and they laughed. "You're gonna do what?" they said. "Well we are going to stand out in front of them in our uniforms while we shoot at each other." Again they laughed. "Well we have a better idea. Why not wear our regular earth toned clothes and hide behind rocks and trees and wait for them to walk in front of us then shoot them like ducks in a lake!" "Brilliant! Now what do you say to a cup of tea?" "Any fire water? Tea tastes like deer ass." And the birth of Gorilla warfare began. It should be noted that we bought Manhattan for $24 worth of beads and blankets. They've made millions selling that crap back to us over the years. So winning? Completely subjective I agree.

I was amazed to find that my second wife was taught in the UK that we didn't win our independence but the King cut us loose because we were too much trouble. My German friends were taught that we aimed for Duseldorf and we ended up bombing Heroshima. They never explained if it was poor aiming they were taught or a changed target directive at the last minute. Go figure. (Would have been more than just having a a blonde doing the aiming if the former were true.) lol

Mark, If, "Conservatives yearn for the past, Progressives yearn for the future" then what do conservative progressives yearn for?

I guess I'll have to read the text version. It sounds delightful. Thanks Jimmy. If it isn't electronic then my screen reader isn't as helpful.