HMS Valiant - 18. Chapter 18

October 18, 1799

HMS Valiant

Off Porto, Portugal

“I think we’ve finally gotten things organized again, my lord,” Winkler said, looking at Granger’s cabin with satisfaction. “It’s nice to have it back the way it was.” It was set up exactly as it had been when he’d taken Valiant to retrieve Lord St. Vincent.

“Yes it is,” Granger agreed. “Pass the word for Mr. Weston.” The call was dutifully sent to Weston, who was on the quarterdeck, so he came into Granger’s cabin quickly enough.

“You asked to see me, my lord?” he asked.

“I did,” Granger said. “As you have probably noticed, I have reconfigured my cabin to eliminate quarters for Lord and Lady Elgin.”

“Yes, my lord,” Weston said.

“I have decided that we can craft a space for Her Ladyship on the gun deck, in the center of the ship. The movement there should be less intense, and should help alleviate Her Ladyship’s seasickness.” He didn’t tell Weston that he had washed his hands of Lady Elgin. The woman was a self-absorbed shrew, who showed her low breeding with her reprehensible behavior. Granger didn’t have to explain that to him. Weston, and all the other officers on board Valiant, were quite capable of figuring out that was the reason.

“Begging your pardon, my lord, but how will we handle it every morning when we go to quarters?” Weston asked.

“I think that the crews of the two 24-pounders in the middle of the deck on each side will have to stand with their colleagues at the neighboring guns,” Granger said. “I think that the chances we will encounter an enemy of such superior firepower at dawn that would require us to use our entire broadside, are very slim. I have balanced that against the need to provide Her Ladyship with adequate quarters that will help her retain her health.”

“Of course, my lord,” Weston said. It bothered him, because it went against the intent of their orders to meet each day at quarters, but since the men for the partitioned-off 24-pounders were technically at quarters adjacent to their gun, it was a feasible adjustment to make. “Where will His Lordship and Her Ladyship dine?”

“I suspect they will dine in their cabins,” Granger said, indicating that he was no longer going to host them at his table. “I will explain that to them at dinner this afternoon.”

“That should make for an interesting dinner, my lord,” Weston said with a smile.

“I will spare you the drama, and not compel you to attend,” Granger said. “I think I will need witnesses, though, so I plan to impose upon Lieutenant Clifton and Major Treadway. Unless you wanted to be there?”

“I think that those two gentlemen will be excellent dinner guests, my lord,” Weston said, grinning more broadly, then changed the subject. “As you asked, I have leaked news of the potential value of our prizes to the men. Morale is good.”

Granger smiled as well. “I suspect it is, and I suspect that desertion will not be a problem.” Any man who deserted would give up his share of the prize money, and thus his windfall.

“I think that is one thing we will not have to worry about, my lord,” Weston agreed. His jocular manner was a good balm for unpleasantness.

“I would be obliged if you would inform Major Treadway and Mr. Clifton they are to dine with me,” Granger said.

“Aye aye, my lord,” Weston said, and then left his cabin.

“Winkler, did you extend my invitation to Lord and Lady Elgin to dine with me this afternoon?”

“I did, my lord,” Winkler said. “His Lordship said he would attend, while Her Ladyship was unable to give me a definitive answer.”

“I can accomplish my objective by meeting with Lord Elgin if Her Ladyship chooses not to join us,” Granger said. That would make this meeting that much easier. Unfortunately for Granger, his luck was not with him that day.

Granger’s four guests arrived promptly at 1:30, the time he had designated. Granger welcomed them, and bid them to join him at his table. Lady Elgin looked around at Granger’s cabin, noting that it had been completely reconfigured and was much more spacious now that their cabins had been removed.

“I hope you will try this pork,” Granger said, trying to be a good host. “I have asked Lefavre to use a sauce that is not so rich for Your Ladyship.”

“That was kind of you,” she said coldly, “but I do not eat pork.”

“That is certainly your choice,” Granger replied.

“It would appear that Your Lordship has opted to reconfigure our cabins,” Lord Elgin said. “I would have expected you would have consulted me prior to making such a change.”

“Sharing my quarters with you was a courtesy, not an obligation,” Granger said firmly. “I am not required to ask you how I arrange my cabin.”

“If you do not intend to discuss this with me, then I fail to see the purpose of this dinner,” Elgin said. He was posturing back at Granger, and despite Granger’s normal desire to be polite, he could not tolerate that kind of behavior from Elgin without losing complete control of the situation.

“The purpose of this dinner is not to consult you, it is to inform you,” Granger said. “I had agreed to share my cabin and my table with you and Her Ladyship, but Her Ladyship’s conduct has been so horrible, I find I am unable to offer you the hospitality of my cabin.”

“My conduct has been horrible?” she demanded, outraged.

“Yes,” Granger said firmly. “You have been petulant and rude, and while that was something I was willing to tolerate up to a certain point, your interference in the operations of this ship when she was in combat, and your pointed rudeness to our Spanish prisoners was inexcusable.”

“They were our enemies,” she said. “I am surprised I have to remind you of that.”

“I am surprised that you feel you have the right to remind me of anything,” Granger said. “You have no place to so much as voice an opinion about such matters, and the appropriate course of action for you is to remain silent. It is a travesty that your husband has not acquainted you with the behavior that is expected of someone of your new station.” That enraged her, since Granger was clearly picking at her merchant roots.

“I do not need you to tell me how to handle my wife, Granger,” Elgin said.

“Indeed?” Granger asked coolly. “I have not seen you handle your wife in any way but with kid gloves. As she was distracting my officers and me in the middle of battle, you did nothing. When she was rude to our Spanish guests, you did nothing. Someone with your breeding certainly knows how inappropriate that behavior is, and you also are most certainly aware that as the head of your family, you are responsible for the actions of your family members.”

“You don’t know who you are dealing with!” Lady Elgin threatened.

“No?” Granger asked. “I think I am very aware of the situation I am in, but I am concerned that you do not.”

“Explain it to me,” Elgin said. Both of the Elgins were furious, while Granger maintained his calm. That was not entirely an act, since he had let his anger with them dissipate, as he had channeled it into resolving his issues with them.

“I was chosen for this mission because my connections in London are more powerful than yours,” Granger said. “I am here because I am impervious to your complaints and your threats, and because Her Ladyship’s conduct is well known in London.”

“I spent time at court prior to our departure,” Clifton added. “Lord Granger has accurately stated his position, and the perception of Your Lordship and Your Ladyship.”

“I have also received letters from friends, expressing the same viewpoints, my lord,” Treadway said, piling on. The Elgins stared at them, in total shock. For Lady Elgin, the shock hid her outrage, while for Lord Elgin, it hid his embarrassment. Elgin had worked assiduously to build his reputation and his bonafides as a diplomat, and here was his new wife, threatening to destroy all of that. Granger cringed internally when he considered that he was in a similar situation with Caroline.

“Now that we have established our positions, I am going to explain to you how we are going to spend the rest of this voyage, and if Your Lordship is unwilling to agree to my terms, you may depart this ship in Lisbon. In that event, I will return to London, and explain verbally what I have already explained in writing,” Granger said.

“You have already written to London about this?” Elgin asked. He had been angry but composed up until now, but this had truly shaken him.

“I have written to Lord Spencer, as the man who gave me direct responsibility for this mission, and I have written to Lord Grenville, His Majesty’s Foreign Secretary.” Grenville was Elgin’s superior.

“You have slandered me!” Lady Elgin decreed.

“I would observe that Your Ladyship would be correct only if my words were incorrect. I can assure you that I was painfully honest,” Granger said.

“What exactly did you tell Grenville?” Elgin asked.

“I told him that I was impressed with you, but that I was gravely concerned about posting you to a foreign location in the event you decide to bring your wife with you. I explained to him, just as I have to you, that Her Ladyship has yet to demonstrate those necessary social skills, including grace and charm, His Majesty has the right to expect from someone invited to accompany her husband on a diplomatic mission,” Granger said.

“Well that is just your opinion,” she said. He was wondering if she was slightly unhinged, as the rage seemed to have given her eyes a glazed look.

“I can assure you that His Majesty’s government will weigh and value my opinion far more heavily than yours,” Granger said to her. “In any event, it is for you to prove me wrong, should you eventually arrive in Constantinople.”

“What is it you require of us, Granger?” Elgin asked, his annoyance permeating his normally stolid exterior.

“I have established the two cabins in the center of the gundeck as your temporary lodgings while you are aboard this ship,” Granger said. “As you have noted, we greet each morning with the hands at quarters. We will exempt your cabins for the duration of this voyage. You should note, however, that if we do encounter an adversary, your cabins will be cleared away with indecent haste, so you are wise to plan your dawn activities with that in mind.”

“It is highly unusual for a ship to allow two of her broadside guns on each side to remain unmanned at dawn, is it not, my lord?” Treadway asked, to tell the Elgins Granger was going above and beyond what was required of him.

“It is, and it may be a contravention of a strict interpretation of those rules, but I think that it is permissible to try and make things more tenable for Lord and Lady Elgin,” Granger said to him. “I have chosen the cabins in the middle of the ship, because the motion of the seas will be less pronounced there.”

“Thank you,” Lady Elgin said, with a total lack of grace.

“In the past, we have dined together as a habit. That will no longer be the case,” Granger said. “I would recommend that Your Lordship acquire stores to make your trip more palatable, and would further recommend that you engage a chef to prepare your food.”

That really annoyed Elgin, since that would take a sizeable amount of money from his purse. “Your lack of grace and hospitality, in denying us the privilege of your table after you have acquired unimaginable amounts of wealth on this voyage, is truly reprehensible,” Lady Elgin said.

“On the contrary,” Granger said. “When choosing to allow you to dine with me, something so coarse as the cost of such hospitality did not enter my mind. Rather, I based that on your behavior, which convinced me that I could not trust you to conduct yourself appropriately with my other guests.”

“You have made your position on this clear,” Elgin said. “We will endeavor to outfit ourselves in Lisbon.”

“We will stop in Lisbon for one week, in Gibraltar for one week, in Minorca for one week, and in Sicily for one week,” Granger decreed. “For each day that you delay our departure from those locations, I will subtract two days from our next port of call.”

“Is that necessary?” Elgin asked.

“I am not convinced, if there is no incentive to adopt a rigid time schedule, that you will adhere to it,” Granger said. “And if your embassy is so unimportant that we can dally about in the Mediterranean, then it is so unimportant that we may as well turn about and return to Portsmouth.”

“History will show you that it is important,” Elgin insisted.

“I truly hope that is the case,” Granger said. “I think that you have the ability to make it so.”

“Thank you,” Elgin said, but his tone indicated that he did not mean it.

“And finally, I do not want Lady Elgin to directly address any member of my crew, or any of my officers,” Granger said to Elgin. “Any requests, or issues she has, she may funnel through you.”

“You have sat here, in your chair at the head of the table, moralizing to me, and insulting me about my lowly birth, as you would explain it,” she said to Granger.

“I did not mean to insult Your Ladyship. I would have though that merely laying out facts would not offend you.”

“Yet your own household is hardly above reproach, now is it?” she asked, warming up to this argument. “Surely you are not unaware of the rumors that Major Treadway,” she said, gesturing at him, “entered your baths, which are truly constructed in the spirit of Sodom and Gomorrah, with not only your wife, but with yet an additional man, Lord Frederick Cavendish.” She said that confidently, so sure that she would send Granger cringing from the table.

Instead, he raised his eyebrows, as if surprised by something so amusingly absurd, then laughed. “Indeed? Major Treadway, I would like you to tell me honestly, pledging your honor, as to whether you have had carnal knowledge of my wife.”

“My lord, I pledge my word of honor that I have done no such thing,” Treadway said. Granger thought that was pretty neatly done, since Treadway had indeed been with Caroline, but he had not penetrated her; only Cavendish had.

“That is a convenient statement,” she said.

Treadway was outraged, as well he should be, and stood up violently. “Madam, when gentlemen pledge their word, it is their bond. You have insulted my honor, and if you were a man, I would challenge you to a duel for such an affront.”

“Hopefully now Your Lordship will see why I am forbidding Her Ladyship from interacting with my officers and men,” Granger intervened, talking to Elgin. “You can clearly see that, with her inability to understand how polite society functions, she is quite capable of causing irreparable harm. And I would further note that in this situation, Major Treadway would be justified in seeking satisfaction from you instead.”

“Major, I most heartily apologize for my wife’s comments,” Elgin said. “They really were inexcusable.” Lady Elgin looked at him with an expression so evil; it was as if she was trying to vaporize him with her eyes.

“Thank you, my lord,” Treadway said, and sat back down in his chair.

“And to conclude this gossip you have heard, I will merely observe that it is unthinkable that if Major Treadway had done what you have accused him of, that he would be serving aboard this ship. And if what you have alleged is true, Lord Frederick Cavendish would not be one of my best friends, one whom I spent time with at Carlton House before our departure,” Granger said. “It is truly coarse that you would pick up gossip from the lower deck, or from servants, and think that it is correct. That is certainly beneath you.”

“You have made your position very clear,” Elgin said, in essence agreeing to Granger’s demands.

“Excellent. Then you will understand that if Her Ladyship is unable to curb her tongue, I will land her at the next available port. It will then be Your Lordship’s decision as to whether you will proceed without her, or return to England with her.”

“I would thank you for this meal,” Lady Elgin said as she stood up, “but I am not allowed to speak to you.” Granger pretended as if she had said nothing to him, as did Treadway and Clifton.

“We should arrive in Lisbon in two days,” Granger said to Elgin. “I will give you the exact date and time of our departure, complete with the time when I expect you to be on board.”

“We will do our best to adhere to Your Lordship’s schedule, knowing full well the consequences of not doing so,” he said as he stood up.

“Excellent,” Granger said, standing as he said that. He remained standing, as did Treadway and Clifton, until they left. “And now gentlemen, perhaps we can continue this dinner with just the three of us. It should be much more pleasant.” They all chuckled as they sat down and resumed their assault on the dishes LeFavre had prepared.

“That was an unfortunate encounter, sir,” Clifton said. “I am sorry that Her Ladyship chose to dredge up lies about your wife.”

“Thank you, Mr. Clifton,” Granger said, “although I fear the blame for those rumors lies with Major Treadway.”

“Me, my lord?” Treadway asked, quite upset.

“If you were not so gallant, handsome, and charming, no one would even begin to believe that my wife would succumb to your advances,” Granger said. Clifton had watched Granger’s demeanor, paying close attention to determine if he were sincere or not. The fact that Granger could joke and laugh about it made it seem impossible, at least in Clifton’s mind, that such a thing as Caroline’s ménage a trois could have actually happened. Granger knew this, and suspected that when Clifton posted letters home from Lisbon that he would describe the rumor in just that way: a bunch of rot.

October 20, 1799

HMS Valiant

Lisbon, Portugal

“Let go!” Granger ordered, and with those words, Valiant’s anchor splashed into the water and sank until it lodged in the mud and rock of Lisbon’s harbor. “Call away the launch,” Granger ordered.

He saw Lord and Lady Elgin coming up on deck, and noticed that everyone made a point to avoid Lady Elgin. “I would be obliged if you would provide us with a boat to go ashore,” Elgin said to Granger formally.

“It would be my pleasure to accommodate you,” Granger said. “The launch is already being lowered, and will take you ashore. I have also asked Mr. Andrews to assist you in acquiring stores for your own table, should you wish to seek his guidance.”

“Your Lordship is too kind,” Elgin said, with his tone suggesting that he meant anything but the words he had spoken.

“As per our conversation, as we are arriving in the morning of October 20^th, we will leave port on the morning of October 27^th. We will leave on the morning tide, so in order to avoid delaying our departure; it may be prudent for Your Lordship to consider boarding Valiant on the night of the 26^th.”

“We will take Your Lordship’s recommendation under advisement,” Elgin said, although it sounded as if he had invoked the royal “we”.

“We will see you then,” Granger said, and gave the orders to hoist Lady Elgin over the side by way of a bosun’s chair. The men pulling on it were probably tempted to drop her; such was the disdain with which she was held by the crew.

Granger paused to ponder that, to understand why the men of the lower deck would have such antipathy toward her. He had gotten his clue from Winkler, who had explained that they were furious at the way she had interfered with Granger when they were trying to capture the Spanish frigates. In their minds, her actions had jeopardized their prize money. On top of that, Colonel Avila was quite popular with them, especially with the men who had served with Granger on Bacchante or on Santa Clarita. He had been the man to deliver that astounding sum of prize money into their hands, so to see him treated rudely by Her Ladyship was intensely annoying to them.

Granger watched as the launch pulled away from Valiant and headed toward Lisbon. Undoubtedly Elgin would seek the sympathy of His Britannic Majesty’s envoy to Portugal, Robert Walpole. Granger was unsure of Walpole’s attitude toward him. He had been, to all accounts, a man who had risen to his ambassadorial position by being a clerk of sorts, albeit an exalted one. Against that, he was the fourth son of the 1^st Baron Walpole, and the brother of the current Baron, so he came from a noble line. Walpole’s own political views were murky, but his son was a staunch ally of Charles James Fox, a man with whom Granger did not get along. Yet even his son may be conflicted, since his niece was married to Granger’s brother, Freddie. In the end, it would not matter overmuch. Walpole was an old man, and would be able to cause him little harm in London. And Granger knew, even if Walpole did not, that Walpole’s days in his role as envoy were numbered.

The morning passed uneventfully. It was as if the Portuguese government had decided to ignore the British warship moored next to their capital. Other than the pilot who had guided them in, no one had bothered to come and call on them. Granger stood on deck for a while, until he decided that he looked anxious, awaiting some Portuguese delegation that may or may not arrive. The fact that he was wearing his best uniform added to his annoyance, because it made him seem slightly ridiculous.

“I will be in my cabin,” Granger said to Weston. He walked in and shed his heavy dress coat, then went to his desk, where he began to work on the myriad of paperwork that plagued a captain of one of His Majesty’s ships. Miraculously enough, he managed to absorb himself in it, to the point that he was surprised when the sentry announced Mr. Travers.

“Boat approaching, my lord,” Travers said.

“Indeed?” Granger asked. “And who might be in this boat?”

“Mr. Weston said that it looks like that Colonel who helped us in Rio de Janeiro, my lord,” Travers said nervously. Granger smiled at that. He would be referring to Colonel Federico da Colma, Conde de Villa Verde, of Her Most Faithful Majesty's Household Guards. He was the man who had helped Granger unravel a smuggling plot, and who had helped Granger prepare for the voyage around Cape Horn and into the Pacific. Granger did not trust the Portuguese, primarily because he’d had bad dealings with them, but he trusted da Colma.

“Thank you,” Granger said. “I will be with you shortly.” Travers all but fled from Granger’s cabin, while Granger took a moment to put on his dress coat and look in the mirror to make sure his appearance was spruce enough.

He went on deck to find the boat almost up to Valiant. Weston had turned out the honor guard, of course, so there was little for Granger to do but wait for da Colma to board the ship. He saw his head as it appeared above the deck, then smiled as the Colonel stepped aboard Valiant, saluting the quarterdeck smartly.

“What a pleasure to see you again!” Granger said effusively, as he stepped forward to greet him.

“I am certain the pleasure is mine,” da Colma said with his sly grin, making him seem even more attractive. “I have come to welcome you to Lisbon.”

“I must thank you for that,” Granger said. “I see once again the government chose to send a suitable representative to greet me.”

Da Colma laughed with Granger at that memory, of how Granger had demanded to be treated respectfully by the Viceroy of Brazil; to the point of refusing to enter port in Rio because the Viceroy had sent a mere major to welcome him. “I think the government has shown remarkably good judgment with their choice.”

“I agree,” Granger said. Da Colma greeted Eastwyck and Weston, whom he already knew, and was introduced to Clifton and Treadway. “Would you join me for a glass?”

“With pleasure,” da Colma said. Granger led him back into his cabin. “You have acquired a larger ship, and a bigger cabin.”

“I have,” Granger said.

“Word of your exploits reached me first in Rio, and then on my return, here in Lisbon. That was quite a voyage you had.”

“Thank you,” Granger said.

“I also heard of your bout with the fever. I am glad to see you recovered from it.”

“It was a near thing,” Granger admitted. “What has brought you back to Lisbon? You seemed quite happy in Rio.”

“I think that happy is not the correct word. I think it would be more appropriate to say I was bored,” da Colma said. “Much as Mr. Cochrane’s purposes were accomplished, so too did I achieve my goals. I think it is likely I will return there at some point, but for now, my place is here.”

“Your return is certainly my gain,” Granger said.

“Indeed,” da Colma said, leering at Granger “I am not sure if you are aware of this, but His Royal Highness Prince John has just this year been appointed regent to rule in place of Her Most Faithful Majesty.” Prince John had been ruling Portugal since the early 1790s, though, so the regency was merely formalizing the arrangement. “I have been a loyal aide to His Royal Highness, and with this change in his status, he requested that I return to Lisbon.”

“That is a great compliment to you, and also a commentary on how important you are,” Granger noted, feeding da Colma’s ego a bit. Regardless, it was flattering to have one’s sovereign specifically request his presence, and to recall him to Lisbon. That, more than da Colma’s boredom, explained why he was here.

“Thank you,” da Colma said, and then changed topics. “Lord Elgin has been busy this morning, attempting to destroy your reputation here. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say that his wife has.”

“I am not overly worried about that,” Granger said. Da Colma raised an eyebrow, challenging that statement. “We will be here for one week. In that time, you will all get to know Lady Elgin, and that should serve to mitigate how seriously people take her comments about me.”

Da Colma laughed. “She is not the most pleasant woman.”

“She is not,” Granger said. “Did you hear of the battle we fought three days ago?”

“I did not,” da Colma said. It was typical that the Elgins would not disclose that to anyone.

“Valiant, in concert with three other frigates, captured a Spanish treasure convoy,” Granger said.

“Your luck with prizes has certainly not deserted you,” da Colma said with a grin. “The capture of San Fernando made you something of a legend in Portugal.”

“Thank you,” Granger said. “We estimate that we captured gold and silver worth six hundred thousand pounds as a result of this latest battle.”

Da Colma’s eyes bulged. “That is a fortune! An amazing victory! If you will give me the details, I would like to convey them to His Royal Highness, Prince John.”

Granger got up and retrieved a copy of his report, the one he’d sent to London, and gave it to da Colma.

“I am sure this will make for interesting reading,” he said. “In the meantime, I am wondering if you would accept my invitation to dine ashore with me tomorrow?”

“It would be my pleasure,” Granger said.

“I was thinking that perhaps I could pick you up in the morning, and I could show you parts of Lisbon.”

“Based on how enjoyable our time was in Rio, I will look forward to it,” Granger said.

“I would make one additional recommendation,” da Colma said. Granger just looked at him, waiting for him to go on. “I would avoid going ashore without a guard. You should have a squad of marines with you.”

“I am that unpopular here?” Granger asked. He wasn’t used to that; he generally had to fight to avoid adoring crowds.

“It is not the people who would cause you harm, but your enemies. You must remember that you have created quite a bit of chaos among the various governors you have encountered,” da Colma said with a smile. “One is not a governor without connections, and those connections are generally hostile to you.”

“I suppose that if one is to create a ruckus, one should expect some consequences,” Granger said with a smile.

“If you are with me, I will see to your security,” he said. “You have my word that I will keep you safe.”

That was nice of him to say. “I would not question your motives as being anything but honorable where I am concerned.”

Da Colma smiled. “Other than that, if you are ashore, even for an official call, I would take an escort.”

“Your counsel has served me well in the past, and I am sure it will serve me well now,” Granger said. “But since you are the only one who has called on me so far, it seems that everyone is more than happy to ignore that I am here.”

“You are not being ignored, you are being approached with some consideration,” da Colma said. “In any event, I will take my leave, and pick you up tomorrow morning.”

“I will see you then,” Granger said, and then saw da Colma over the side.