Mark Arbour

To my long-suffering readers, I am very sorry that I've been so absent from GA, both in posting and in presence. I've been doing great with my health, but I've just been incredibly busy. Unfortunately, it looks like that trend is going to continue for the next 6-9 months. I truly do appreciate your patience and forbearing with my slow posting pace. I hope you have a very Happy Holiday Season, and I've tried to contribute to that a bit by posting the few chapters that I've managed to finish up.

I suspect that Brad at 55 is even more cynical than he is now.

August 1800 The Admiralty, London Granger stared at the box curiously, wondering what Spencer would reveal, and wondering what it would mean for his new mission. “This came to us from Lord Elgin. I was of a mind to send it over to you, but after I had mentioned it to Caroline, I felt it was important to give it to you personally, and explain the circumstances.” “As I currently do not have a ship to command, and we were talking about

September 7, 2003 The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel New York, NY Will “God, that’s good,” I moaned, as Patrick thrust in and out of me slowly. We were lying on our sides, and I could feel his abs against my back as he exerted himself. His arms were both wrapped around me, with one holding me tight to him, and the other poised to allow him to stroke my cock in time with his slow, measured penetrations. “I’m gonna fucking f

I'm so glad you didn't, but just so you know, if the day comes that you decide to do that, I promised Sharon that JJ gets hit by a bus.

This is the only thing in your post that I have to vehemently disagree with you about. JJ has ample grounds to whine and bitch about his family neglecting him, etc., etc., but the deal with Maddy was pretty clear cut. Keep in mind that we're seeing this through JJ's eyes, so we don't know if the kids were really being that obnoxious, but even assuming that they were that bad, he had no grounds to interfere, and he had absolutely no right to grab her. That type of physical action is always out of line for someone who isn't the child's parent. He's her half-brother, and even though he's shown no interest in Maddy (or Riley), that status gives him at most the right to talk to them sternly. I would have expected him to say to them, "hey, calm down!" or probably a more snarky "settle down, this isn't a playground." If that didn't work, he needed to talk to Tiffany. Quite frankly, the only person who has, IMHO, the right to voice true and firm disapproval (besides Tiffany) is JP (or maybe Isidore). It's his kitchen, and he likes having his great-grandchildren (as he would consider them) around. I suspect that if he would have been there, he would have treated them indulgently, taking into account that it was a busy morning, one that would have been a bit chaotic with preparations to leave. If it were dinner in the dining room and not breakfast in the kitchen, he would have expected an entirely different type of behavior.

I think Will's biggest problem with the motel was the external door. Will may be many things, but the Pharma Bro persona is definitely not him.

My comments on Chapter 48: I forgot how much fun you guys are. I think part of the problem here is that, with a serial story, it's sometimes difficult to get all the thoughts out in one chapter. In addition, I've been busy as f**k so I haven't been able to post chapters fast enough to fully explain the rationale behind this. I think it's safe to say that JJ has been acting like a total douche. He had absolutely no business treating Maddy the way he did, he's been a jerk to Will and most of the other family members, and he's been pointedly rude to Carullo. That he set himself in New York, education at all, is just lovely, but it isn't an excuse or even a reason to excuse the way he's acted. If performing well in life's duties was a plausible excuse for asshole behavior, the Will-haters out there would have no leg to stand on. We've seen JJ do this before, where he builds a cocoon around himself and in that cocoon is a world that isn't real. Outside pressure doesn't seem to get through to him. The only thing that does it, it seems, is if he's shocked out of his complacency. That's what JP, Stef, et al. were trying to do.

I forgot how much fun you guys are. I think part of the problem here is that, with a serial story, it's sometimes difficult to get all the thoughts out in one chapter. In addition, I've been busy as f**k so I haven't been able to post chapters fast enough to fully explain the rationale behind this. I think it's safe to say that JJ has been acting like a total douche. He had absolutely no business treating Maddy the way he did, he's been a jerk to Will and most of the other family members, and he's been pointedly rude to Carullo. That he set himself in New York, education at all, is just lovely, but it isn't an excuse or even a reason to excuse the way he's acted. If performing well in life's duties was a plausible excuse for asshole behavior, the Will-haters out there would have no leg to stand on. We've seen JJ do this before, where he builds a cocoon around himself and in that cocoon is a world that isn't real. Outside pressure doesn't seem to get through to him. The only thing that does it, it seems, is if he's shocked out of his complacency. That's what JP, Stef, et al. were trying to do.

September 6, 2003 The Waldorf-Astoria Hotel New York, NY JJ Normally when I went to an event, it was centered on a runway, with hors d’oeuvres to feed people and a bar to lubricate them. This gala was different because it wasn’t a show, it was a fund-raiser for some charity, and that meant it was a sit down dinner with various presentations and pleas for cash. These were different in other respects, in that people were able to get up and

August 1800 Ryde Granger stepped out of his boat and onto the dock, but significant activity drew his attention back to Renown. He saw her working to raise her anchor, and set the main topsail, while her boats were all recalled. Evidently Sawyer wanted to move her away from Granger’s home, and closer to the victualing yard. Granger shook his head sadly at the man who commanded her, but thought that the man or men who put him in command were just as pathe

I'll bet that happens to you with everything you read. :-)

Yes. You should.

Or maybe Zach has found someone else to fuel his before-game testosterone infusion.

September 5, 2003 Tribeca, NY JJ I sat at my desk, working on my latest school project, determined to get it finished so I’d be free this weekend. The Spring 2004 fashion week was starting on the 16th, and there were a bunch of pre-show events that I’d been invited to attend with Bellona. The biggest was tomorrow, where we were attending a charity banquet at the Waldorf Astoria. It wasn’t a formal show with a runway, but it was the social start of

I think Dylan is a better match I can see this one. Good call.

I actually did a bit of research on this and found a similar case where the punishment was what Granger had alluded to...as what he would have expected...and not the more severe penalty meted out.

July 1800 HMS Ville de Paris Off the coast of Brest, France A single gun sounded, and the court martial flag rose up the massive ship’s mast, announcing to the fleet that the ultimate naval legal procedure was about to begin. Granger had been surprised at the speed with which St. Vincent was trying this case; he’d sent his report over to the admiral immediately after the event happened, and that was the day before yesterday. That had been

September 4, 2003 San Francisco, CA Brad “I love this place,” Jake said, as we sat on the balcony of my condo. It was a large area for a balcony, one that held a small table and chairs, along with a separate seating area with an outdoor sofa and two chairs. “So do I,” I agreed. “I’ll have to talk to Stef about making a larger outdoor area when they redo it.” “Pretty nice just like it is,”

Some thoughts on the Hornblower connection here. As I've said before, the Hornblower saga by CS Forester is one of my all-time favorites. Having a character in the same era as Hornblower makes incorporating pieces of that story into this one almost irresistible to me. Those of you who have read the saga will know that Hornblower is largely oblivious to things that happen behind the scenes. He seems to have acquired friends and supporters along the way, but he didn't seem to understand how those people could/would/did advance his career. This seemed like an ideal way to bring Granger into the mix. I hope you agree.

Not sure which part of Mike's statement was confusing, but I don't blame you for finding it puzzling. There was such a long lapse in chapter publishing, I imagine it's hard to get back into the groove of the story again. I'm trying to keep up with weekly postings so I don't do that to you again.

I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

Thanks for the comments! As for a lack of drama...I think you're reading the wrong story. LMAO.

Thanks so much for the comments! If you've read the Hornblower saga, you'll know how this all dovetails nicely into "Lieutenant Hornblower." That saga is one of my favorite literary efforts, so I can't resist incorporating it in while trying not to detract from that story.

July, 1800 The Channel Fleet Off the coast of Brest, France The men pulled at the oars while the coxswain tried to guide the admiral’s barge through the moderate seas without getting swamped by an errant wave. The seas had seemed calm this morning, but they’d risen a bit, although they were certainly much larger when one was in a rowboat as opposed to being on the quarterdeck of a first-rate battleship. Granger ignored the efforts of these men, tr