HMS Valiant - 46. Chapter 46 (Final Chapter)

The last chapter in this book.  The next story will take us to new waters. 

Chapter Forty-Six

April 4, 1800

Portland Place

“Thank you, Cheevers,” Caroline said, dismissing him so they were alone.

“This is hideous,” Granger pronounced with disdain. He was so repulsed; he almost spat the words out. Arrayed around the room, taking up virtually every available shelf, table top, or other platform, were commemorative items celebrating Granger’s career.

“I expected that you would think so, but I do not,” Caroline said firmly.

“I cannot believe that these objects adorn my own drawing room!” Granger exclaimed angrily. He was inherently modest, so such blatant displays of his successes were the equivalent of grandstanding, and vulgar to him in the extreme. It was a sign of how strong those emotions were, such that he would express them by summoning anger, another rarity for him. “While I am gone, my home is set up as a shrine to worship me!”

Caroline eyed him coolly, and her own manner fully deflated her husband’s anger. She had known exactly how Granger would react to seeing the room adorned this way, and had carefully planned out how to handle him. “George, you cannot possibly be so naïve as to be unaware that such items as this exist and are eagerly consumed by the public.” He merely ignored her and let his anger override his polite demeanor.

“Look at this,” he exclaimed, picking up a soup tureen with a horrible likeness of him, one commemorating his destruction of a small ship of the line in St. Martin.

“It certainly does not accurately reflect your person or your skill,” Caroline said wryly, “but it is exceptionally special.”

“And why is this tureen so special?” Granger challenged.

“This was the first widely available commemorative item celebrating your successes,” she told him. “This is when you first became a public figure. As a mere commander, in your little sloop, Intrepid, you sank a ship immeasurably more powerful and held an entire island at your mercy.”

“And this public figure is now hounded by mobs of people whenever he goes out and about,” Granger grumbled.

“As distasteful as this tureen is, it is not only the common people who want such items,” she said. She picked up a necklace, one that was exquisitely designed, that had a string of seven ships of the line carved from ivory hanging like charms from a beautiful gold chain. “This was a gift from His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to Mrs. Fitzherbert to celebrate your victory at the Nile. Perhaps you can see the letters G-R-A-N-G-E-R, one engraved on each ship?”

“This truly is an exceptional work of art,” Granger said, acknowledging the workmanship and not the intent. “Did you steal it from her?” he asked playfully.

Caroline smiled back, more because Granger’s humor showed that he had moved beyond his annoyance and was now in a more receptive mood. “She presented it to me, with His Royal Highness’ approval and blessing, at one of his levies.”

“That was quite an honor,” Granger said.

“Mrs. Fitzherbert is quite fond of you, as is the Prince of Wales, so I think I was merely the beneficiary of their feelings toward you,” Caroline said. “You will note that the likenesses of you have improved of late.”

“They have made a print from the portrait I had done when I received my knighthood,” Granger said, as he picked up a plate and looked at it.

“That evidently requires a substantial investment,” Caroline informed him. “Those creating these items must take the risk that you are popular enough that they will sell their wares in quantities to justify the expense.”

“Let us hope they have lost enormous sums of money and are now less enthusiastic about risking their funds,” Granger said.

“I have heard, albeit indirectly, that you are one of the more profitable naval officers, although everyone has been eclipsed by Lord Nelson,” she said.

“I am glad of that, at least, for he does not like to be upstaged in the public eye,” Granger said.

Caroline moved them on, and pointed out some of the other items. She showed Granger a purse crafted to commemorate his return from captivity in France, along with several items themed around the Battle of the Nile. There was a figurine to celebrate his attack on Valdivia, and a large fan that was beautifully crafted to tout his capture of the Spanish galleon in Peru. His capture of the Oran ruby had spawned lockets, medallions, and even wallpaper, while there were snuff boxes to celebrate all of his achievements. “This is one of my favorites,” Caroline said, showing Granger a cream-jug displaying his capture of the Spanish treasure fleet just this past year.

“Going through all these items sparks many memories, some good, others less so,” Granger said. As he did, he held up a tobacco box showing the loss of Aurore, and the death of Travers. It was a stylized representation that made it seem as if his ship, Belvidera, had vanquished the French frigate that had blown up together with Aurore when she had done nothing of the sort.

“Yes,” Caroline agreed somberly, for she had liked Travers, and had found him much more easy to deal with than Calvert.

“I cannot resolve myself to appreciate these trinkets, such as they are, without feeling that I am guilty of being vain,” Granger said honestly.

“George, I know these things make you uncomfortable,” Caroline said soothingly. “That is why they are cleared away when you are here.”

“As the order to put them out was to beat to quarters, I am wondering what the command is to remove them,” Granger said with a grin. “I am thinking it may be useful for me to know.”

“When you return, we clear for action,” she said.

“Action?” he asked playfully, raising his eyebrow.

“And now you are being a cad,” Caroline flirted back. “You have seen these once, and I doubt you will see them again.”

“You are that careful?” Granger asked, amazed at how she had set this up to make sure he wasn’t annoyed by these ego-fueling trinkets.

“The staff has orders to clear them away at the slightest rumor you are home,” she said.

“Why do we have them here in the first place?” Granger demanded, annoyed that these things would be part of his home at all.

“You would have society think I am more of a monster than they already do?” Caroline asked caustically.

“Society does not think you are a monster,” Granger corrected. “I would suspect most people are afraid of you.”

“Unlikely,” she said, shaking her head. “Think about it, George. The common people adorn themselves with likenesses of you, as do many of our friends. I am to completely ignore that? I would be seen as the most ungrateful shrew in the world if I did not have such a display.”

“So my fame has compelled you to adorn our drawing room like this,” Granger said sadly.

“Only unlike you, I enjoy these things, and in fact, I treasure them. There are many days when I will spend time in here just looking at these items because, to me, they are a part of you,” she said.

“I am flattered that you would do that,” Granger said uncomfortably, since he wasn’t being entirely honest.

She gestured for him to have a seat, and continued their conversation. “Do you review the reports I give you about our estates?”

“I do,” Granger said. “They make for good reading on long voyages. It is impressive that you have increased our holdings in land and industries.”

“The industrial investments have the ability to provide the highest returns, and some have done that. They are riskier, but can be rewarding.”

“So it seems,” Granger said, since he didn’t really understand that world.

“Land is a much safer investment, and it has the benefit of bringing with it political power,” she explained.

“And how is that?” Granger asked, curiously.

“When the Commons divides, we control four votes automatically, and can influence an additional eight votes,” she said. Granger stared at her, shocked because he had no idea they wielded that much power.

“How is that possible?” he asked. He knew, he was just stalling for time as he digested that.

“Wise land investments, if you will allow me to flatter myself and to give credit to your father for his sage advice. We have managed to acquire some rotten boroughs,” she said. Rotten boroughs were seats in parliament elected by very few people, the most notorious being Old Sarum, with three houses and seven voters. If Caroline had bought up all the houses and land in a small borough, the voters would be tenants, and would vote as she so directed.

“I think we will have to build another room to house trophies to your successes,” Granger said sincerely.

“Thank you,” Caroline said sincerely, since she did not suffer from excessive modesty like her husband did. “There are other things we must consider.”

“What?” he asked.

“We have the ability to have a significant effect on votes in the Commons, but you are in the Lords, which is also an important venue to have a voice. But it is important that we speak in unison,” she said.

“Because it will be counterproductive if we are influencing votes in one direction in the Commons while I am voting the other way in the Lords,” Granger agreed.

“And it will make us look less than honest,” she said. “Our allies would look at us, wondering exactly what we were doing, while our enemies would take a less charitable view of it.”

“Has that happened?” Granger asked, horrified.

“Once,” she said. “It was on a matter regarding the abolition of the slave trade. Our votes in the Commons were opposed, while you voted for it in the Lords.”

“Why would you want to support that horrible institution?” Granger demanded. “I have seen slave ships, and how those people are packaged like pilchards and shipped to the Indies. It is truly horrific.”

“Do not moralize to me,” Caroline said, because she was seriously annoyed that he’d suggest she approved of such a heinous affair. “I would remind you that the house we are sitting in was a gift from your grandfather, and our votes were registered in that division as a favor to him. You must surely realize he has achieved much of his wealth as a result of the efforts of slaves?”

“I am well aware of that,” Granger snapped. “But that does not have to control how I vote.”

“And it did not,” Caroline insisted. “I made the decision based on our obligations to him. You made your decision based on what was right.”

“Is that what sparked our row with the Guild?” Granger asked.

“It is not, but it could be a sign of weakness,” she said. “In this situation, it was harmless, because ours was not the only family to have differing opinions.”

“You are trying to tell me that we must coordinate our efforts more, and that means that I must, in essence, vote as you dictate in the Lords,” Granger said.

“I do not think I said that, and I certainly did not mean that,” Caroline snapped, losing her patience with her husband. “What I was trying to say, and what I will state much more clearly now, is that we need to work together and to build consensus on these subjects in the future.”

“Oh,” Granger said, but smiled to show that he understood. “Why are you only telling me this now?”

She swallowed and took a second to gather her thoughts. “I was concerned that if you knew how involved in these things I was, you would find it repulsive.” He made to speak, but she stopped him with a look so she could finish. “And more than that, I was worried that you would forbid me from doing so in the future.”

“You love politics that much?” he asked, stunned by that revelation. He thought it was a necessity for her to be involved, just to protect their interests, but here she was telling him that she enjoyed it.

“When you were stuck here, prior to your exchange, you were chomping at the bit to get out and get into action,” she said, stating something they both knew. “I thought it would be nice to have you home, and even contemplated scheming to delay your exchange to keep you here.”

“But I became so tiresome, you worked to speed it along,” Granger teased, trying to lighten the conversation a bit.

“No, I saw how miserable you were, removed from the milieu that you thrived in. When you ordered me to stay at Brentwood and I was removed, I felt much the same way,” she said. There was no mistaking the bitterness in her voice.

“It seems to me that we both have much to apologize for,” Granger said, ending this painful conversation. “In the end, it would probably be more productive to figure out how we move forward.”

“I think that is easy,” Caroline said. “I think that we must be of one mind on basic principles and issues, and when you come home, it is incumbent on me to educate you about what has transpired so we can act as a team.”

She was nervous when she said that, because she was all but demanding that he leave her alone and let her control their empire such as it was, but he was more than happy to do that. The rough and tumble world of politics had no attraction for him. He would much rather think about it from an elevated and largely disengaged vantage point. “Then we have solved that problem.”

“We have?” she asked, surprised.

“Did you want to argue about it?” Granger asked her. “Usually a smart person will stop fighting when she achieves her goal.”

“Usually,” Caroline said. “That does not achieve my entire goal, though.”

“No?”

“I need you to forgive me for my transgressions,” she said. In fact, she wanted much more than that. She wanted him to love her again.

“And that is also easy enough to do,” he said, smiling at her. “I was incensed that you risked so much for what I had seen as nothing more than a weakness of the flesh. I now understand that it was so much more than that.”

“Thank you,” she said with relief.

“I would like to point out, though, that the reason for these problems originated in your fear of what I would think, and of your subsequent need to act behind my back. I do not see that I have given you reason to act in such a way, and I think it is incumbent on you to be honest and open with me such that a rift like this does not develop again.” When he said that, he was severe, and he was a little annoyed to see that it didn’t seem to impact Caroline at all.

“Then that, too, is easy enough to resolve,” she said. “I will be transparent about my political efforts, provided you do not judge me for my errors and actions.”

“I will not judge you, but I may disagree with you,” Granger said.

“I can work with that,” she said with a smile.

He stood up and she followed suit. “It seems that when such a treaty is concluded, there is some formal exchange of properties or territories.”

“You want one of the seats in Parliament?” she asked jokingly.

“I was thinking of a different kind of exchange,” he said, and leaned in to kiss her. She responded enthusiastically, and Granger broke off their embrace to lead her back up to her room. There, they made love, sealing their reconciliation with bodily fluids.