The Wardroom - 10. Chapter 10

September, 1793

One of the advantages of being back aboard the Victory was that Granger caught up with his mail. There were several letters from Caroline, but it was the last one that really got his attention.

Dearest George,

I could say how much I miss you, repeating myself over and over again, but it still would not reflect the depth of my feelings. All the news here at home, though, has to do with our passionate parting. I am with child. I know how happy this will make you, and I hope you know I share your joy.

I fear you will hear this news elsewhere as it has been the topic of gossip at court, and especially at Carlton House. The Prince of Wales asked me to congratulate you on your fertility. I am the envy of all the ladies at court because I get to share your bed, and I get to have your beautiful babies.

I have tried to manage our affairs to your satisfaction. Sadly Brentwood House is in bad repair, but I have hired contractors to put it to rights. It is a beautiful property and I know we will spend many years of happiness there. I have taken up residence with your parents in London, as seemed proper, and they have treated me as if I were a queen. I could not love them any more if they were my own parents. When you decide the time is right, though, I will not object to acquiring a property here in London and setting up our own household.

In the meantime, I pray for your safe and timely return. All my love,

Caroline

Granger smiled at the letter. Caroline, busy managing their affairs, wanting to set up their own household while pregnant; the woman was redoubtable. He thought about their lovemaking, and how he'd enjoyed it, but it hadn't been spectacular. He found that as his feelings for her grew, the more desirable she was. He looked down at his lap to find his trousers tenting again.

There was a knock at his cabin door and Shafte peeked in. “Lord Hood would like to see you sir, at your earliest convenience.”

“I will come now, with pleasure,” Granger said with a flourish, making Shafte grin slightly. He followed the cute young midshipman up to the admiral's quarters and found Lord Hood at his desk, focused on documents and reports.

“It's good to have you back, Mr. Granger,” Lord Hood said. Granger had been dreading his return to the Victory, but he'd forgotten about Hood and how fond he'd become of him.

“Thank you, my lord. I missed you as well,” Granger said, slightly teasing the old admiral.

“Well you got lucky. Had to send Devlin ashore to coordinate with the Spaniards, so you get to stay here, safe and sound. Get the cabin to yourself too.”

“Yes my lord. Although I don't have Mr. Devlin's snoring to lull me to sleep,” Granger said, enjoying his banter with Lord Hood. He looked over at Shafte and was worried about him. He looked more withdrawn, and more haggard, than before. There was something bothering him, and that was affecting his performance. And that in turn meant more work for Granger. He'd come back on board to find a huge backlog of reports to be done, and the ones Shafte had done were riddled with errors.

“I heard the news about your good lady. Congratulations, Mr. Granger.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Granger said, and couldn't help smiling. “It was actually an easy and pleasurable task on my part. The tough duty falls to Caroline.”

“Let us hope she did not find the conception to be tough duty, as you say,” Lord Hood teased, a twinkle in his eye.

“She did not appear to, my lord.” He saw Shafte blushing at this reference to sex, and that made him smile harder.

Mr. Chalmers, one of Victory's midshipmen, knocked and entered the cabin. “Captain Fremont's boat is approaching my lord,” he said crisply. Granger saw Shafte look at Chalmers with a combination of fear and loathing.

“Very well Mr. Chalmers. Show him down when he arrives,” Hood said. He turned to Granger and Shafte. “I will see you two at dinner this afternoon.”

“Aye aye my lord,” they all said, and filed out of the cabin.

Granger stopped Shafte outside the Admiral's cabin. “Follow me to my cabin Mr. Shafte.”

“Yes sir,” said the midshipman nervously. Granger led him into his cabin and closed the door. Shafte looked on edge, as if he'd jump through a gunport if someone dropped a marlin spike on the deck.

“You appear troubled, Mr. Shafte.”

“I'm fine sir,” Shafte said.

“You are not. You appear more tired and haggard than normal, and you are making mistakes in your work that would have been unthinkable before.” Granger was trying to be severe to get Shafte to answer.

It didn't work. “I'm sorry sir. I'll try to do better.”

“Look, Mr. Shafte, I like you. You're a smart young officer, and you've been a great help to me.”

Shafte grinned at him. “Thank you sir.”

“I want you to know that if you are having problems, you have only to come to me and I will help you work them out. If we cannot solve them between the two of us, I'm sure that with Captain Curtis' help we can.”

Shafte swallowed uncomfortably. He wanted help. He needed help. But he wouldn't ask for it. “Thank you sir. I'll remember that.”

Granger sighed. “See that you do.” Then nodded, indicating that Shafte was dismissed. Granger lay on his cot, frustrated. Winkler came scurrying in to take his dirty shirts. The gunner's wife was proving to be an expert at keeping them white.

“Winkler,” Granger said to get his attention.

“Sir?”

“What's wrong with Mr. Shafte?” Granger saw Winkler look very nervous and uncomfortable.

“I don't know what you mean sir,” he said.

Granger looked at him, pissed off. As his servant, Winkler's loyalty was to him, first and foremost, with the exception of his loyalty to the King, of course. Winkler quavered under his glare. “Winkler, have I treated you well?”

“Yes sir,” Winkler said. “You've treated me right well.”

“Do you like being in my service?” Granger asked severely.

“Yes sir, of course sir,” Winkler stammered.

“Up until this point I've been quite pleased with you.”

Winkler stared at him, aghast. “I'm sorry sir. What did I do wrong?”

“You know about Shafte and you're not telling me. I expect loyalty from you; I expect to be able to rely on you completely. It appears that is not the case.” Granger felt bad about raking Winkler over the coals, but this was an important concept for Winkler to understand.

Winkler looked at him, terrified. In a second, he'd be crying. “Yes sir. I'm sorry sir. I won't let that happen again.” He caught his breath. “Mr. Shafte has been having a rough go of it in the Midshipman's berth. Mr. Chalmers is the senior, and he seems to take special pleasure in torturing him.” That made sense. Chalmers was probably jealous that Shafte had the coveted position of working directly with Lord Hood.

“Has no one said anything?” Granger asked.

“From what I hear sir, before we got here, Mr. Shafte complained to Captain Curtis, who complained to Captain Knight. But that just pissed them off, begging you pardon sir, and things got worse.” Winkler sighed. “I'm sorry sir. I should have told you before. I just didn't want to get involved.”

“Did anyone threaten you?”

“Not directly sir. But Mr. Chalmers has tight connections with Bedard, the bosun's mate, and a few other senior warrant officers. Wouldn't take much to make my life difficult, or pitch me down a hatchway.”

“Well, you are trusting me with this information, so I'll make sure they don't come after you.”

“Thank you sir.” He hesitated. “There's something afoot sir.”

“What do you mean?” Granger demanded.

“I heard rumors about something going on at two bells in the middle watch sir.” 1:00am Now that he'd started talking, it was like he couldn't spill his guts fast enough. “I don't know what they're planning, but I think it involves Mr. Shafte.”

“Where is this event supposed to take place?” Granger asked.

“The forward hold sir.”

“Thank you Winkler. I will need your help tonight.” He stared at Granger, terrified. “I'm going below, to see what is going on. If I am not up from the hold 15 minutes after two bells, go get Captain Curtis and Captain Knight.”

“The Captains sir?” Winkler gasped.

“Do you have reason to believe that either of them is in collusion with Mr. Shafte's abuse?”

Winkler shook his head. “No sir. From what I hear, the men was right scared they’d find them sir.”

“Still, if they act differently, the miscreants will be alerted,” Granger said. “Can you go rouse Captain Curtis at 1:45am?” It was important that Winkler would do as he asked, and not get panicked at disturbing Curtis in the middle of the night.

Winkler swallowed hard. “Yes sir.”

“You'll have to tell them to be quiet. I want them to catch these men in the act.”

“Yes sir,” Winkler said.

The rest of the evening was hell for Granger. He tried to figure out what they were planning to do to Shafte, but couldn't come up with anything. He pretended to go to sleep. At one bell, he thought he saw his cabin door open slightly. Someone was checking to make sure he was in his cabin. Granger got up and looked out his door to see Baker, the wardroom steward, checking each cabin. So he was in on it too. Granger waited until he left and then descended into the hold from the stern, and then gingerly worked his way up to the bow. The smells were horrific down here where the bilge accumulated, and Granger felt living things scurry across his shoes as he went: rats.

He positioned himself behind a cask, an excellent hiding place, and waited. He began to get frustrated, convinced that the whole thing was a sham, and actually prepared to head up on deck when he heard muffled voices, and sounds of a struggle.

“Keep on moving. It will just be that much harder on you,” he heard Chalmers say. They were carrying a sack, only the sack was moving. They dropped the sack onto the deck and he heard the sack cry in pain. They chuckled. They had a dim lantern, but there wasn't enough light to see who was there yet. The only voice Granger recognized was Chalmers.

Once the lantern was opened, letting a little light out, Granger could see the others. Bedard, as expected, and two other midshipmen, Cabot and Ferris. He shook his head sadly. They were a bad bunch. Ferris was the only one with any political connections at all, but not enough to save him if he was guilty of a crime. Chalmers and Cabot were from naval families, which is probably why Knight let them join Victory. They pulled the body from the bag, and Granger knew before they did that it would be Shafte.

“Well now, Mr. Shafte, you're going to entertain some of the boys tonight. We're going to get you ready,” Chalmers said. Granger saw Shafte struggle, but they rapped him on the head with a club and that quieted him considerably. Granger knelt there, feeling horrible, feeling that he should save Shafte now, but he wanted irrefutable proof. And he wanted the Captains to see this too.

They stripped off Shafte's clothes then tied him to the deck beams. Granger watched as Chalmers ran his hand over Shafte's cute little ass, then cringed as he slapped it. “We'll be selling your ass, Mr. Shafte, and a cute little ass it is. Smooth as a woman's.” There was motion from the steps and Granger hoped it was Curtis, but it was only more men. Granger gasped. There were a lot of men here to fuck Shafte. In addition to the four masterminds, there was the wardroom steward, Captain Knight's personal servant, one of the clerks on Hood's staff, and six other seamen.

He felt a presence next to him and almost jumped out of his skin. He turned to see Captain Knight next to him. Knight put his finger to his lips and watched, horrified. He had someone with him, a messenger of sorts. Knight motioned for him to go do something. Granger saw Curtis on the other side of him.

Chalmers dropped his trousers, pulling out his cock, a large sized organ. “I'm going first to blaze the trail for you other boys. Give Bedard your money. You go in order of how you pay.” That caused a mumble and a rush as the men hurried to pay Bedard. He turned to Shafte. “Just so you like it, Mr. Shafte, I'm actually going to lube myself up.” The others were chanting encouragement softly to Chalmers as he approached Shafte and grabbed his hips. Shafte struggled, but he was tied up and could do nothing. He could see that Chalmers had lined himself up to Shafte's hole and was about to push in.

Granger was about to jump up on his own but Knight put a hand on his thigh to keep him quiet. Chalmers grabbed Shafte's hips and thrust into him firmly. They could hear Shafte scream through his gag. Then Knight was up, and so was Curtis, their swords drawn. Granger followed suit. “Hold there!” Knight bellowed.

Chalmers pulled out of Shafte and turned around, horrified. The men had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. Granger heard the clumping of boots and saw a squad of marines behind them, and saw more peering down from the orlop deck. “Take them into custody,” Knight said. The Marines moved forward and put the men into chains, then secured the chains to the hold, leaving them down here in the dark with just the rats.

Granger moved over and cut Shafte down and un-gagged him. He grabbed his clothes, or what was wearable, and handed them to him. “Mr. Shafte, I'll see you in my cabin,” Curtis said. Granger helped him up the ladders and then helped him aft, through the throngs of sleeping men, until they got to Curtis' cabin. Knight and Curtis were there with a secretary to take a statement.

“Would you like a drink?” Granger asked Shafte, reminding Curtis to be a good host. Shafte nodded.

“Mr. Shafte, we need to ask you some questions about this event,” Knight said formally. “Please don't be offended. Understand that it's for the record.”

“Yes sir,” Shafte said.

“Did you know that these men were planning to abduct you tonight?”

“No sir,” said Shafte indignantly.

“So you weren't a willing party to the buggery.”

“No sir!” Shafte said angrily.

“Calm down Mr. Shafte. It's for the record.”

“Yes sir. I'm sorry sir,” Shafte said.

“Have you had any sexual contact with any of those men before?”

“No sir. They threatened me sir, but they did that all the time.”

“What did they do to you?”

Shafte poured out a tale of horror, a handbook for asshole midshipmen, teaching them how to torture another midshipman. It was truly disgusting.

“Did you report these abuses to your senior officer?” Knight asked.

“Twice sir.”

“Whom did you report these abuses to?”

“Captain Curtis sir.” Granger saw Curtis blanch at that. The real trouble would land on Knight though, when it was discovered that Curtis had reported it to him. Shafte explained that after he'd reported them they'd only intensified their mistreatment.

“And the other time?”

“To Lieutenant Devlin sir.”

“And what did he do?”

There were tears in his eyes. “He did to me what Mr. Chalmers did, sir.” Shafte swallowed. “He told me if I let him fuck me, begging your pardon sir, he'd get the other midshipmen to leave me alone. And it kind of worked sir. But now that he's ashore, there was no one to stick up for me.”

“Did you approach Lieutenant Granger?”

“No sir. He approached me.”

“But you told him nothing?”

“Right sir. After Captain Curtis tried to help, the abuse got worse. I was worried that if I told Mr. Granger the same thing would happen.” Shafte looked at Granger. “I'm sorry sir.”

They finished up with Shafte, and then took Granger's statement. It went well until they asked where he got his information.

“I can't say sir.”

“You mean you won't say?” Knight asked him, irritated.

“That's correct sir.”

“I'm giving you a direct order to divulge your source Mr. Granger,” Knight said.

Granger felt backed into a corner. But he'd lectured Winkler on loyalty, and he owed him loyalty back. He got an inspiration. “I will reveal it gladly sir, with a direct order from Lord Hood.” Granger was on Hood's staff, and it was entirely credible that he would not want to disclose confidential information without appealing to his superior first.

Knight looked at Curtis, who could effectively force Granger to reveal it, or at least cause him significant problems, but Curtis was stunned and embarrassed by this scandal amongst his staff, and he wasn't about to force the issue. “Very well Mr. Granger, we'll ask Lord Hood for such a directive.”

“Thank you sir,” Granger said insincerely. They heard the bell strike, eight bells in the middle watch. 4:00am.

“That is all for now,” Knight said, exasperated. He'd probably feared mutiny, but instead he'd unleashed a scandal that would embarrass him and his ship throughout the fleet. And there was absolutely no way to hide it, to cover it up. “You may return to your quarters.”

Granger saw the fear in Shafte's eyes. “Sir, I'd like to request that Mr. Shafte be allowed to share my cabin for the time being. There's an extra cot in there since Mr. Devlin is ashore.”

“In the wardroom, Mr. Granger?” Knight asked.

“I think he has earned it, at least temporarily sir,” Granger said.

“Would you like to share a cabin with Mr. Granger?” Curtis asked Shafte.

“Yes sir. Thank you sir.” Granger led Shafte down to his cabin and shut the door behind him. Then Shafte was in his arms, sobbing. Granger didn't know what to do, other than to just hold him tight and stroke his back. His heart went out to this kid, who had put up with so much shit. But then he remembered how cute Shafte looked naked, his cute little fuckable ass, and felt his erection grow. He cursed himself for being such a randy bastard. Shafte moved away from him and grinned shyly.

“Thanks for saving me,” he said softly. He reached down and softly touched Granger's hard dick. “If it was you, I would have had to tell them it was voluntary.”

Granger moved Shafte’s head up and looked into his eyes. He lowered his mouth onto the lad’s and felt him respond eagerly. “Mr. Shafte, we can't do this,” Granger said, remembering himself and pulling away.

“Yes we can,” Shafte said. “I want you so bad.”

“It's almost daylight, and with all the issues, we could get visitors at any minute. When it's safe. When it's safe.” Granger cooed into his ear, pulling him into a hug again, and feeling Shafte's hard cock pressing against his.

“Does that mean you want me too?” Shafte asked.

“Yes, Mr. Shafte, I want you too.” Shafte gave Granger an adorable smile then, and walked over to the door. There was a piece of wood above the cabin door, neatly concealed. Shafte lowered it down and slid it through the door handle.

“Lieutenant Devlin did that when he fucked me sir,” Shafte said, as he stripped off his clothes. Granger looked at his cock, a nice dick, about six inches long but really thin. Then he turned around. “Please, Mr. Granger. Please.”

Granger pulled his cock out and moved up to Shafte and gently probed his ass. He responded readily. Devlin had broken him in, and Chalmers had lubed him up. He pushed in gently, and heard Shafte moan lightly. Granger moved in and out of him slowly, plunging into that cute little ass he'd been lusting after, feeling his hormones surge, and his balls start to rise.

He pulled out of Shafte and turned him around so Shafte was on the edge of his cot. Granger knelt next to the bed, between Shafte's legs, and pushed them back enough to expose his hole. Granger reentered him, and then leaned down to kiss him as he slowly and gently moved in and out of Shafte's ass.

Shafte broke off the kiss and wrapped his arms around Granger, pulling Granger to him, whimpering and moaning softly into his ear. That aural stimulation was too much for Granger, and he came, a massive orgasm, flooding Shafte's bowel.

Shafte reached down to stroke himself off, but Granger pushed his hand away and used his own, masturbating Shafte while he left his cock lodged in Shafte's ass. Shafte squirmed and moaned, and then he shot his load all over his own chest. He was so cute when he came. He almost had a look of panic on his face.

Granger pulled out gently and then did what Travers had always done to him. He lowered his mouth down and licked Shafte's cum off his body, inch by inch, drop by drop, until he'd gotten all of it, even the residual that was left in his dick. Shafte smiled and giggled as he did it.

Granger got up and removed Devlin's improvised door lock, then gave Shafte a quick peck on the lips. “Good night Shafte.”

“Good night sir. And thank you sir.” Granger looked over at him to see an idiotic grin on his face, the first time he'd ever seen him smile like that.

“Well, Mr. Granger, you certainly have stirred things up on my flagship,” Lord Hood said to him severely. Granger glanced around the room at the assembled officers: both captains, all of the lieutenants, and the senior warrant officers as well. Plus a very uncomfortable Mr. Midshipman Shafte.

“There was evil afoot, my lord,” Granger said.

“So it seems. The standard procedure is to convene a court martial and try these criminals. I fear we will have to do that, unless of course Mr. Shafte and Mr. Granger are willing to withdraw their statements,” Hood said. In other words, cover the whole thing up. Everyone stared at Shafte, but Granger intervened as the senior officer.

“My lord, when I accepted my commission, I swore an oath to the King, and swore to uphold the articles of war. To retract my statement would be tantamount to breaking that oath. I can't imagine how I would be able to look His Majesty in the eye again, having betrayed him in such a manner.” Knight looked at him with that same exasperated look, and so did Hood. But he'd pointed out that justice was on his side, and reminded these men that even as a mere lieutenant he had some power in his own right. How many of the men in this room went to court weekly when they were in London? How many were welcome without an invitation at Carlton House? And how many of them had a spitfire of a wife like Caroline Granger?

“My lord, sir,” Cavendish said, speaking up. “I think Mr. Granger is right. This is really a heinous offense. King's officers plotting with warrant officers and enlisted men to physically harm and assault another King's officer. As we speak, the story is flying through the fleet. If we do nothing, won't discipline suffer? Would we not be telling the men that they can attack an officer with impunity?” Now Cavendish got the frowns and glares. That had been very brave of him. And what's more, he was right. But Knight was ready to flay him alive.

Hood was not. “That was well said Mr. Cavendish, and you are quite right. We cannot erode the morale and discipline of the entire fleet for the sake of expediency. Summon a sufficient number of captains, Captain Curtis. We are trying young gentlemen, so it should be as many as can be spared.

“Aye aye sir,” said Curtis.

“Mr. Shafte,” Lord Hood said, redirecting the attention back to the unfortunate young man. “You may continue to stay with Lieutenant Granger.”

“Yes my lord,” Shafte said softly, betraying his nervousness. Hood nodded, dismissing them. Granger lingered, knowing that his meeting with Hood was not over yet.

“Mr. Granger, a moment please.”

“Yes my lord?”

“Captain Knight wishes to know who told you of the meeting in the hold. He said you refused to divulge it without a direct order from me.”

“Yes my lord,” Granger said as he stepped forward to speak more softly. “It was my servant, Winkler. I gave him a lecture on loyalty, and how he needed to tell me of such things, of this plan to rape Mr. Shafte. It seemed that I owed him the same loyalty, my lord.”

“And you are concerned that if you divulge him as your source, if something else is amiss, you won't be told about it?”

“That too, my lord,” Granger said, daring to smile.

“I should force you to do it so you won't stir up any more scandals,” Hood said, then held his hand up to stop the protest forming on Grangers lips. “You have my direct order not to reveal that Mr. Winkler was your source.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Granger said, stepping back. “Thank you, my lord.”

Hood eyed him carefully. “You did very well, Mr. Granger. I don't want you to think that my severity in the meeting was an admonition. I may, however, ask Mr. Shafte to alter his statement to avoid incriminating Mr. Devlin. I need his services. Mr. Shafte may rely on me to see that Mr. Devlin receives justice down the line.”

“Yes my lord. And thank you again.”

“Do you think Mr. Shafte encouraged him?” That question hit Granger hard, but he kept his cool.

“No my lord. Mr. Shafte was very upset last night. I don't see him willingly submitting to advances from any of those men, or Mr. Devlin. I noticed that he was afraid of Mr. Devlin when I first arrived my lord. If he were enjoying himself, I'd have expected an entirely different attitude.”

“Shafte is a bright young man, an organizational demon. You saved him, you are his hero. Maybe you can help him heal his wounds.”

“Yes my lord,” Granger said. You have no idea, he thought.