St. Vincent - 5. Chapter 5

October, 1796

Granger was back on his quarterdeck, trying to keep himself focused on the task at hand, at getting to Corsica, but the weather was not cooperating at all. It was October, the perfect time for a fall gale, something that would push him and his crew to the limit of endurance, tax them physically and test their strength, and force them to channel all of their energy into fighting it, leaving nothing left for anguish or sadness. Yet there was no gale; the weather was perfect, with a moderate breeze and relatively smooth seas.

Like a good first lieutenant, Roberts didn’t let that stop the activity on board. As usual, Belvidera was a beehive of activity, with gun drills and sail drills, not to mention maintenance and cleaning details. Granger tried to distract his thoughts by focusing instead on his latest problem: Integrating Darby into his crew. He’d thought about that, about how to ensure that the young man got the deference he deserved as a man with royal blood in his veins while not blowing his secret.

“Pass the word for Winkler, and Mr. Darby,” Granger said to the officer on watch, who just happened to be Carslake. He kept on pacing, ignoring Carslake’s ‘aye aye sir’. He was comfortable with his officers, his men, and his ship and he knew that they’d obey almost any order he gave. They were bound by mutual trust as much as by naval discipline.

Winkler arrived first, and Granger saw Darby arrive almost right after him, while dutifully standing off to the side. Granger summoned him over. “Winkler, I want to entertain my officers to dinner this afternoon. Let Lefavre know, and the officers as well.”

“Aye aye sir,” Winkler said.

“Make sure Mr. Ramsey is included,” Granger called after him. He turned to find Darby trying not to look disappointed at not having time alone with Granger, and found that to be endearing. “Walk with me, Mr. Darby.”

“Aye aye sir,” Darby said, falling automatically into a perfect rhythm with Granger as they paced the deck.

“I believe I had planned for us to dine together, so you must be wondering at what reprehensible manners I have for subsequently inviting a whole crowd of people,” Granger said with a smile, turning on his considerable charm. He watched it have an effect on Darby, so much that it almost overwhelmed the young midshipman.

“Not at all, sir. It will give me an opportunity to meet the officers I will be serving with,” he said. Then he got nervous. “I’m sorry, sir. I was assuming that I’d get to remain aboard. That was presumptuous of me.”

“No, it wasn’t, Mr. Darby,” Granger said soothingly. “You have a right to know your future. I hope to retain you aboard this vessel, if you are willing to serve.”

“Most willing, sir.”

“It is what I want, and I know it is what Captain Travers would have wanted.”

“Did he say that? Begging your pardon sir,” Darby asked nervously.

“He did,” Granger said. “I am assuming that you will not become so popular so quickly that you cannot join me for supper instead?”

Darby’s face split into a huge smile. “With pleasure, sir.”

“That will give us a chance to discuss the letter you carried to me from Captain Travers, among other things,” Granger said. He found it interesting that Darby got very nervous and uncomfortable when he said that.

“Of course, sir.”

“I have been trying to devise a way to ensure that you receive the treatment that you deserve, due to your birth, while not revealing your secret. I have come up with a strategy, but I will only implement it if you do not find the entire premise insulting.”

“Sir?” Darby asked, confused.

“I plan to inform the other officers that you are my cousin,” Granger said. “These men know me well enough such that you won’t get a free ride from them, and you’ll be held to the same standards as any other midshipman aboard. At the same time, you will perhaps find their approach to you to be slightly more polite than it otherwise could be.”

“I don’t know what to say, sir. It is quite an honor.”

“Do not forget yourself, Mr. Darby. The honor would be mine. In any event, it is most likely true anyway. My mother’s family was founded by a man who was a royal bastard, so in essence, we are cousins. We are just making a tie that is distant and tenuous seem much closer.”

“I think that is very clever, sir. Thank you for looking out for me.”

Granger ignored that sentence. “Very well. Then it appears I am to be providing your sustenance for the day, and based on your appearance, that may very well clear out my pantry.”

“It is quite possible, sir,” Darby said, flashing him that adorable smile as he did.

“I am going to see how your men are faring. Join me,” Granger ordered. The men had spent the evening and morning on ‘make and mend,’ where they’d been focused on integrating themselves into the crew of the Belvidera. That meant bathing, getting assigned to a mess and a watch, and sewing uniforms. They were largely gathered on the main deck and forecastle, enjoying the nice weather and bright light as they labored away.

“Begging your pardon, sir, but I believe you meant to say ‘our’ men,” Darby corrected.

“I do believe you are correct, Mr. Darby,” Granger said with a smile. He walked across the now-broad gangways to the forecastle. The men there froze in terror at the appearance of their new captain, a man with almost unlimited power over them. “You there, what’s your name?” Granger asked one younger seaman.

“Deadmarsh, sir,” he stammered nervously.

“And how old are you, Deadmarsh?”

“Twenty-one, sir,” he said. “I’ve been at sea since I was 12.”

“Deadmarsh is one of our best topmen, sir,” Darby interjected.

“And a man who is quite skilled with a needle and thread,” Granger said as he took the tunic Deadmarsh was crafting from him and inspected it. The man had done an excellent job.

“Thank you, sir,” he said proudly.

“Mr. Darby, you may have to dig into your purse and bribe Deadmarsh to help you make your uniforms fit better. You appear to be exploding out of them.” Granger had taken a friendly poke at Darby to see how the men reacted, to gauge whether they liked him or not. Their laughter was proof that they did.

“I’d be happy to help you out, Mr. Darby, and I’d not charge you a farthing,” Deadmarsh said sincerely.

Darby tried not to let that choke him up. “Thank you Deadmarsh.”

Granger wandered among the men, mostly those from Aurore, but also those from Belvidera who were helping them out. It was satisfying for Granger and for his men, and it was a nice way to spend his time and avoid thinking of Travers.

Dinner was a grand affair, which rather surprised Granger, considering that he’d given Lefavre and Winkler relatively short notice. He suspected that they were trying to ease his pain over the loss of Travers. Normally that would have irritated him, since he would have been annoyed that they’d divined a weakness that he’d been lax enough to show, but in this case, there was no way to hide how devastated he was from them. Everyone worked hard to make dinner especially festive, but there was still an underlying sadness to it, one that none among them could quite shake.

“Sir,” Roberts said as what was left of the food was removed, “I’d like to propose a toast. To Captain John Travers, as brave a captain as there ever was.” Everyone chimed in with “hear hears”, and they all drank to honor the dead hero.

“To the gallant crew and officers of His Majesty’s former ship Aurore,” Granger said, raising his glass next. That was met with similar approbation, although that was not unusual, since a toast by the captain usually was.

“We know that Captain Travers was a good friend of yours, Captain,” Ramsey said indelicately. “I am sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you, Mr. Ramsey,” Granger said stiffly. “When I first joined the Navy, I served under Captain Sir Evelyn Fellowes aboard the Barracuda. I remember being full of wonder, amazement, and not a little fear at the strange world of the sea that we call home.” That got some chuckles. “Captain Fellowes assigned me to then-lieutenant Travers’ section, and he became my mentor. I can only hope to honor his life by following his example.”

“The two of you achieved some amazing things, sir,” Carslake said. “The capture of the Intrepide, and the way you saved those poor Americans from pirates, those were impressive, begging your pardon, sir.”

“Thank you, Mr. Carslake,” Granger said, desperate to change the subject. He was thinking not of storming the decks of the Intrepide, but of his time with Travers in Gibraltar or Minorca, where they’d been united physically as well as emotionally. “Occasionally, even the worst tragedies can yield some happy results, as is the case this time.”

“Sir?” Roberts asked curiously, as the senior.

“Mr. Darby will be joining our ship, pending Sir John’s approval, of course. Mr. Darby is my cousin.”

“I didn’t know you had a cousin in the Navy, sir,” Ramsey observed.

“Well, Mr. Ramsey, as our resident spy, I would have thought you’d have been familiar with my family tree. Mr. Darby is related to me through my maternal grandfather, Admiral Sir Alexander Lammert.” The other officers guffawed when he referred to Ramsey as their spy, since they’d all grown rather fond of him.

“I must beg your pardon sir,” Ramsey said playfully. “I will try to be more thorough in my research.” The officers seemed to accept Granger’s story, since there really was no reason for them not to. Who were they to deny Granger’s assertion, and Darby’s acquiescence, that there was a family bond between them? In the end, it seemed to work out just about right, judging from the way they treated Darby after they found out. There was some question as to Darby’s seniority, but Travers had already figured that out on Aurore, generating a date that ended up putting him junior to Brookstone but senior to Gatling and Villiers.

Granger had watched as his midshipmen devoured the food at his table, and none of them was more voracious than Darby. No wonder he was a large young man, and it was no wonder he wasn’t lean like most younger officers. Life in the Navy did not always provide ample provisions, even for officers, even for wealthy officers, but Darby somehow seemed to get enough.

After such a large dinner, supper seemed like an anti-climax. Granger had spent the balance of the day with Meurice inspecting the ship. Now, as the sun set behind them, he sat at his dining table with Darby, preparing to enjoy yet another one of Lefavre’s wonderful meals. They were dressed casually, with trousers and open shirts. Granger thought back to a similar dinner he’d had with Calvert on Intrepid the first night they’d made love. He put that aside and used his ship as a way to start a conversation with Darby.

“How do you find Belvidera compared to Aurore?” Granger asked.

“She seems bigger, sir,” Darby said. “Aurore seems cozy in comparison.”

“I guess that makes sense,” Granger mused, “since Belvidera is longer and a bit wider as well. The big difference is in her construction.”

“Sir?”

“Belvidera was a prototype ship for the French. Their ships are generally not as well built as ours. Belvidera was built to be tougher than most French frigates, the intention being to send her on foreign service. If you study her knees, for example, you will find they’re almost a variation of English knees as opposed to the ones you encountered on Aurore. ”

“I can’t believe I didn’t notice that before, sir,” Darby said in amazement as he looked beyond the opulent but tasteful décor of Granger’s cabin to the ship that contained it.

“You haven’t been here that long, Mr. Darby,” Granger joked.

“Yes, sir,” Darby said, shooting his cute grin at Granger. “Your other innovations are very interesting. The deck seems so spacious and clean with the boats on davits, and my men and I were shocked when we discovered we’d been drinking water almost a month old that was still relatively clear.” Granger laughed. Most water would have been green by then.

“I am fortunate to have Mr. Meurice aboard. He has a vivid imagination, and has been surrounded by others of a like mind.” They ate on in silence after that, both of them dodging the key issue on the table. When Granger finished his meal, he decided it was time to address it.

“Captain Travers said you and he had a special relationship,” Granger said as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin.

“He said that sir?” Darby asked, horrified. Granger had been all but sure that their relationship had been sexual, but Darby’s reaction to Granger’s comment removed any doubt. Darby was almost hysterical.

“It is alright, Mr. Darby,” Granger said soothingly. He was more curious as to why Darby was nervous. He could be nervous because he knew Travers and Granger were lovers, he could be nervous because he didn’t know that and he thought himself exposed as a sodomite, or he could be nervous because he thought Granger didn’t know that Travers was a sodomite either.

“I was worried that you would be mad at me, that you would hate me,” Darby said, suggesting that Granger’s first supposition was the reason for his nervousness.

“For sleeping with Captain Travers? Why?”

“He talked of you constantly. I knew he loved you, knew that his feelings for you were deep, and I assumed you felt the same way.”

Granger smiled gently. “You were worried that I feared you were plotting to steal him away from me? Our relationship wasn’t like that. Naval relationships can’t be like that.” Granger felt like he was having the same conversation he’d had with Cavendish some months ago. “Committed relationships are hard to maintain in the Navy.”

“Did you know about me, sir?”

“No, I didn’t. I suspected when I saw you with him on board Aurore as we were abandoning ship, but I didn’t know about you for certain until I got the letter.”

“What did he say about me?” Darby asked, forgetting himself. “I’m sorry sir,” he said when he realized it.

“I can see why he found you so attractive,” Granger said, making Darby blush. “He said you’d captured a piece of his heart, and asked me to honor his memory by keeping an eye on you and taking you under my wing.”

“Thank you, sir,” Darby said a little insincerely. “I feel like a bit of a charity case.”

“It hurts really badly,” Granger said to Darby with deadly seriousness. “Losing him is tearing me up inside. I know it is doing the same thing to you. That’s why he said that to me, and that’s why I’m doing it. We need each other now.” Granger wasn’t so sure that he needed Darby, but he was sure Darby needed him.

Granger stood up and held out his hand to Darby, who took it nervously and stood up. “Where are we going, sir?”

“To bed, unless you don’t want to,” Granger teased, flashing Darby his most charming smile.

“I definitely want to,” Darby said, grinning back. Granger led him to his sleeping cabin and shut the door. He turned around and was surprised to find himself enveloped by Darby in a massive hug. Darby’s body, so big and so soft, just enveloped him, overwhelming Granger’s normal aversion to being hugged by people. He allowed himself to sink into the man’s young, soft skin, and enthusiastically wrapped his arms around him, matching Darby’s own moves.

They stood there like that, embracing, until Granger felt Darby’s body start to convulse, slowly at first, then much more violently, as he sobbed and sobbed, letting his emotions rip away the outer shell. Granger held him tight and let him cry, then slowly moved Darby over to the cot. Granger lay down on the bed, pulling Darby on top of him, feeling his weight pin Granger to the mattress, as the young man continued to sob. Granger slowly stroked his soft, blond hair, and moved his head so their cheeks were touching. He gently kissed Darby’s neck, a gesture intended as an act of kindness.

Granger felt the mood change immediately as Darby let his grief subside to the background to be replaced by lust. Granger felt his erection growing against his thigh as Darby moved his mouth to Granger’s own neck, then behind his ear, where he began to nuzzle against Granger’s skin with a soft growl. Granger threw his head back, exposing his neck and giving Darby full access to it. Darby slid sideways so he was fully on top of Granger and between his legs, with their hard cocks rubbing as their bodies writhed together.

Darby had gone from a crying blob to a man in charge, as he purposefully ground his hips into Granger. He moved his lips from Granger’s neck up to his lips and kissed him for the first time. Darby smiled as a bolt of electricity seemed to fly through Granger’s whole body, igniting a sexual beast within the man. It was as if Granger was the one who was unhinged now, frantic to have his own sexual release.

Granger had repressed his sexual urges for quite a while, and now that they were released, he was desperate to sate them. He thrust and struggled against Darby, trying to get enough friction to get off, but the young man frustrated him, using his own bulk and strength to keep Granger pinned down and largely immobile. Granger got frustrated, knowing that they were both young and they’d recharge quickly. Why wouldn’t Darby give him the relief he needed?

Darby seemed to sense Granger’s mood, and what’s more, he seemed to sense exactly how to handle it. He kept Granger pinned and keyed up until he was almost over stimulated, then he got up and began to take off his clothes. He smiled as Granger ogled his smooth chest, and then dropped his pants nervously, exposing his hard cock. He’d been confident and in charge until that minute, but now that his member was exposed, he felt his confidence fade.

Granger, being the excellent lover that he was, picked up on that and sat up so his mouth was directly in front of Darby’s dick. It was probably six inches long, and on the thin side. It throbbed and twitched in front of Granger, making him giggle as he moved forward and enveloped it, lodging Darby’s head firmly in the back of his throat. Granger didn’t bob up and down on it, he just held it in his throat and swallowed, using his throat muscles to squeeze and massage the head of Darby’s cock. His nose was buried in Darby’s pubes, and he inhaled his smell enthusiastically, savoring the tangy, musky odor. He’d been with men who smelled good and men who smelled bad, but none smelled as erotic as Darby.

Darby’s moans increased and Granger felt his hands on his head, trying to pull him off, but Granger reached around and grabbed Darby’s ass, two firm hard melons of muscle covered with the same fatty layer as the rest of his body. And then Darby exploded, his seed flowing down Granger’s throat in a torrent as shot after shot ejaculated from his body. Only when he was done did Granger pull off of his dick and suck out the last drops of cum, finally tasting Darby. He was surprised to find that the young man tasted as good as he smelled.

Darby kicked off his trousers and lay on the bed face down, spreading his legs to expose his hole, offering himself to Granger. Granger tore off his own clothes and then lay down on Darby’s back, rubbing his cock against Darby’s hole. Granger’s hormones screamed at him to push in and just enjoy the fuck, but Granger knew that Darby needed more. Granger kissed the back of his neck while he moved the shaft of his cock back and forth across Darby’s hole. “You tasted so good, I can’t wait to sample the rest of you,” Granger said huskily into his ear. Darby moaned and thrust his ass back, begging Granger to fuck him.

Instead, Granger moved his mouth down Darby’s back, kissing his skin as he went, until he got to his crack. He spread Darby’s cheeks apart and using his tongue to just barely touch Darby’s skin, he worked his way down his crack to his hole. Granger flicked his tongue out at Darby’s cute little pucker, teasing it, licking it every time it spasmed, savoring the young man’s moans.

Finally Granger had had enough, and could restrain himself no more. He grabbed some lanolin and spread it on Darby’s hole and his own cock and then lined himself up. His last coherent thought before he plunged into Darby’s ass was that he needed to fuck Darby like Travers did, and having been Travers’ lover for years, Granger knew just how to do that. Travers had been a very aggressive lover, very physical, and Granger did the same types of things to Darby Travers had done to him. He pounded the young man, savoring the feel of his spongy ass as his pelvis rammed into it, and relishing the way Darby responded so enthusiastically, moving to enjoy it as much as Granger was.

“Oh yes John, fuck me, fuck me hard!” Darby said excitedly in the throes of passion. Granger grinned because he’d accomplished what he’d set out to do, and because it was amusing to be amused by something that would otherwise have annoyed him intensely. There weren’t normally many things more annoying than hearing your lover cry out another man’s name.

Granger pulled out and heard Darby gasp at losing the dick in his ass, then rolled him over. He pinned Darby’s big legs backed and thrust into him just as hard, pounding him again, determined to get them both off this time. “I’m going to fuck you until you blow your load all over yourself,” Granger said roughly. “Then I’m going to lick the cum off your body. You taste so good!”

“Ahhh!” Darby cried softly, although Granger guessed that if they’d been somewhere besides his cabin the shout would be much louder, and began to blast his second load all over his abdomen. Granger let himself go, let himself thoroughly enjoy the orgasm that overtook him as he shot his load into Darby. It seemed as if their orgasm went on forever, both of them quivering as they spent themselves. Then, true to his word, Granger licked the cum off Darby’s body, smiling back at the young man while he did.

Granger lay back down and pulled Darby on top of him, enjoying the feel of Darby’s body on top of him again, only more so since they were both naked. “I’m sorry that I called out his name,” Darby said. Then he realized he’d forgotten himself, and quickly added “sir.”

“Mr. Darby, when we’re in bed, don’t call me ‘sir’,” Granger admonished in a teasing way.

“Alright,” Darby said, and they both giggled, when he almost said ‘sir’ after that anyway.

“Didn’t John let you call him that when you were fucking?”

“When I said it like I did with you, it was OK, but otherwise, when we were like you and I are now, I always called him ‘sir’,” Darby said.

“John and I were lovers for years, and I know how he made love. I wanted to do it like he did, to hopefully make it better for you, so it doesn’t bother me that you called out his name.”

“Thanks. Do you think you may want to do this with me again?”

“Absolutely. I’d make love to you constantly if I could,” Granger said. Darby looked into his eyes and grinned. He was truly captivating.

“Good. Then next time, I think I’d like you to make love to me your way, not his.”

“It’s my turn,” Granger said, turning away from Darby.

“You want me to do that to you?” he asked, shocked.

“You like it, don’t you?” Granger asked him.

“Yes,” he said, grinning.

“What makes you think I wouldn’t, then?” Granger knew exactly why he wouldn’t, but he wanted to hear it, needed to hear it.

“Captain Travers never wanted me to do that to him.”

Granger smiled, getting the answer he wanted. “Well I do.”

He felt Darby’s soft body mold to his, felt his dick pressing against the entry to his hole, and then felt the young man slide in effortlessly. “This is wonderful, this is fantastic!” Darby cooed in Granger’s ear as he moved in and out with a purpose.

Evidently the stimulation was a little too much for Darby, because he didn’t last very long, but he rolled Granger onto his back and finished him off using his considerable oral talents.

“Did Captain Travers ask you to do that to him?” Darby asked when they were done.

“It was a very rare occurrence,” Granger lied. “He preferred to be the penetrator.”

He watched Darby process that. The lad had clearly fallen head over heels for Travers. This must be really hard on him; to find that Travers had been much more uninhibited with his other lovers. ‘If I were in Darby’s situation,’ Granger reasoned, ‘I would end up feeling like little more than a fuck toy.’ But Granger’s lie had given the young man the ability to rationalize it, to work it through.

Darby looked up at him after he’d gotten it, smiling softly at Granger. Granger suddenly realized that in this very short period of time, Darby had picked a new hero, and that made him very nervous and very uncomfortable.