Odyssey - 55. Chapter 55

July 28, 1798

HMS Vanguard

The dinner had been a fun and lively affair. Granger had never felt so relaxed in a group of fellow captains. He had consumed a great deal of wine, enough to mildly impair his brain, but studiously avoided complete inebriation, as did the others. There was a feeling of excitement, an air of anticipation that lifted the spirits of all of them, so over-imbibing did not seem appealing, necessary, or appropriate. “I am wondering if you are fully recovered from your fever, such that you can return to duty.” Nelson asked Granger.

“I am fully recovered, sir, such as I can be,” Granger replied with a smile, getting a laugh.

“We must all live with our limitations,” Nelson joked back, then turned to the group. “Gentlemen, it seems that as an admiral commanding a fleet of more than ten vessels, I am entitled to a Captain of the Fleet. As Lord Granger has duly dropped from heaven onto this vessel, I am of a mind to appoint him to that position.” Nelson paused, more for effect. “I am aware that such a post would normally fall to one of the more senior captains amongst you, but as we sail into almost certain battle, I am doubtful as to whether any of you would be willing to exchange places with His Lordship.” Granger stared at Nelson and just barely prevented himself from looking amazed. That was a huge honor, and one which could arouse significant jealousy under normal circumstances. All of the captains here, with the exception of Miller and Berry, were senior to Granger. Any one of them would be within his rights to object and claim the post for himself. That momentarily alarmed Granger, until he realized that if a captain did that, Granger would most certainly get to take his place and command a ship in this battle. In addition, the captains stood to earn more in prize money for the upcoming battle than Nelson did, or that a captain of the fleet would. The other men were obviously thinking along the same lines, as they didn’t seem overly disturbed by Nelson’s decision.

“I am quite happy where I am, Sir Horatio, and more than willing to let Lord Granger tackle the paperwork and the politics of a flagship,” Saumaurez said, getting chuckles from everyone. As he was the senior captain in the fleet, the position was his by right. By making that statement, he removed any reasonable objections to Granger’s appointment.

“I would be most happy to trade places with His Lordship,” Hardy said, and that made everyone laugh, since he was a mere lieutenant, and commanding a brig.

“I suspect that would cause more irritation than Granger could, although we have not yet seen how irritating he can be,” Nelson said.

“I have always been told I am quite charming, sir,” Granger said, flashing them his dazzling smile.

“Then as there is no objection, it seems, Granger, that you have traversed the desert only to find yourself with a possibly more challenging role,” Nelson noted, finalizing their discussion. “Captain Berry, perhaps we can oust the master from his opulent quarters and convert them into something more suitable for His Lordship.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Berry said. Of all the men at the table, he was the only one who did not seem happy about Granger’s promotion to that position. The man was having a difficult time hiding his jealousy, and that got him less-than-positive looks from the others. To feel jealousy was one thing, to show it was another thing entirely. It was also, to all of their minds, wholly inappropriate for Berry, the most junior captain at the table, to have a voice in the matter at all.

Berry’s mood, along with Nelson’s demeanor, indicated that the dinner was over. Westcott was the first to stand to take his leave, followed by the others. Lieutenant Capel and Midshipman Collier went to attend to calling their boats aside in the prescribed order of seniority, while each captain in turn took his leave of Nelson, Granger, and Berry, in that order. Berry seemed reluctant to leave, which Granger thought was almost comical. “Granger, perhaps you can join me for some port and I’ll review our situation and introduce you to my staff.”

“Certainly, sir,” Granger said. Berry finally got the hint and took his leave of Nelson.

“I hope you will not hold Berry’s attitude against him,” Nelson said. “I think that once he adapts to the idea, he will appreciate your presence.”

Granger smiled. “I think that even if he does not, it will be no matter. We will both follow your orders, sir. But I will do what I can to make him happy.”

“I am not sure ‘happy’ is an adjective that often describes Berry,” Nelson observed wryly. “I will let you get settled in, and then you can sup with me.”

“Aye aye, sir,” Granger said. The door opened and Midshipman Simon Perkins walked in. It was all Granger could do not to get an erection on the spot. He had not seen the young man since his encounter with him back in Corsica on Belvidera.

“Ah, Mr. Perkins,” Nelson said. “Lord Granger is assuming the role of captain of the fleet, and will thus be in charge of my staff. As that includes you, I will rely on you to help make sure he is accommodated on board.”

“That’s wonderful news, Sir Horatio,” Perkins said.

Nelson turned to Granger. “I am assuming you will take your meals with me. It is high time that I reciprocated as host after all those wonderful creations you and your chef provided me last year.”

“It would be a pleasure, sir,” Granger said. He nodded briefly to Nelson, and then followed Perkins out of the cabin.

“My lord, they’re rigging the master’s cabin up for you,” Capel said.

“Thank you, Mr. Capel,” Granger said. “And who is on our staff?”

“I am the admiral’s flag lieutenant, while Mr. Collier and Mr. Perkins are assigned to his staff as well, along with two clerks, my lord,” Capel said. “Captain Berry has volunteered to find you a personal servant, but I am confident that we can find someone suitable.”

Granger recoiled at the thought of Berry assigning someone to take care of him, as he most certainly did not want to be saddled with one of Berry’s spies. It was incredibly pleasant that Capel was watching out for him like that. “Thank you, Mr. Capel. Please give my compliments to Captain Berry and tell him that I am sure he is quite busy, so you will handle finding me someone. I will put my care in your capable hands.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Capel said with a smile. “I am wondering if you might not enjoy a stroll on the deck. We can allow Mr. Perkins to supervise the unpacking of your gear.”

What Granger wanted to do was to pin Perkins down in his cot and fuck him senseless, but he would be patient. There would be time enough for that later on. “It would be my pleasure,” he said. “I will see you later, Mr. Perkins, and we will catch up on gossip about our grandfathers.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Perkins said with his impish grin. Granger and Capel strode onto the quarterdeck and began to walk, an activity that truly boosted Granger’s already excellent mood. He felt as if he were at home, back aboard one of His Majesty’s ships, with the familiar sights, sounds, and even smells around him. In Granger’s mind, there was nothing quite as invigorating as pacing the deck of one of His Majesty’s warships under a moderate breeze, as Vanguard currently was experiencing.

“I do not know if Your Lordship has gotten much news since leaving England,” Capel said. He was a well-connected young man, the fourth son of the Earl of Essex, so he would be aware of court gossip.

“I have not, but would relish anything you can share,” Granger said.

“The last I heard of Your Lordship’s family, everyone was in good health, and doing quite well,” Capel said. “Your wife gave birth to a daughter in the fall, and it is my understanding that she was named Elizabeth.”

Granger could sense how carefully Capel was trying to tell him this, since the paternity of the child was undoubtedly questionable, and the wags in society would have had a field day with it. “Do you know when?” Granger asked.

“I do not, my lord. It seems that the announcement was vague.”

“I suspect it would be,” Granger said, to let Capel knew that he was not treading on sacred ground. “And the baby is healthy?”

“She is, my lord,” Capel said.

“That is good,” Granger said with a smile. “And my other children were all doing well?”

“The last I heard, they were all in excellent health, my lord,” Capel said. He noted that Granger had included Elizabeth as one of his children, and wondered what that implied.

“What of my wife? How is she doing?”

“My lord, I do not know for certain, but I heard that the birth of your daughter was a difficult one,” Capel said. “I have a friend who spoke to Lady Heathford, and there is a concern that Lady Granger will no longer be able to bear children.” Lady Heathford would be Caroline’s mother, so it was likely that she would know the details.

“That is unfortunate,” Granger said, trying not to sound sad. There was much to contemplate in what Capel had told him. He would be able to have no more children, which was the first thing that came to mind. That did not bother Granger overmuch, as he already had two sons and two daughters. But Caroline would be devastated, and she would see this as a punishment for her infidelity. He felt guilty, then, for not returning to England with Winkler and Jacobs. Now, more than ever, Caroline would need him. He pulled himself back to his conversation with Capel. “I am lucky to already be blessed with four children, so if the rumors are true, I will still be quite content.”

“Of course, my lord,” Capel said. “And as I said, it was just a rumor.”

“Thank you for sharing that with me. Did you see my wife in London?”

“I did. I saw Lady Granger at Carlton House before we sailed, my lord. She was being escorted by Lord Frederick Cavendish, and seemed to be doing very well,” he said, then got nervous. “May I speak candidly, my lord?”

“By all means, Mr. Capel,” Granger said.

“There were rumors of your wife’s affair with Prince William, and it was generally assumed that she was banished because of them, my lord.”

“There is often truth in the rumors we hear,” Granger said, all but confirming what Capel had said. Granger knew that Caroline’s affair was much talked about, so to deny it would be to insult Capel since he had taken a risk by trusting Granger with gossip. Granger felt it reasonable for him to trust Capel in return.

“I hope I am not broaching a painful topic, my lord,” Capel said, clearly worried that he would offend Granger.

“Lieutenant, please speak your mind. I am well aware of my wife’s extracurricular activities, at least prior to my sailing over a year ago. As a naval officer who is gone for extended periods of time, you must be aware of the various strains and temptations that situation places on spouses who are separated,” Granger said.

“Yes, my lord. I have not had the honor of getting to know Your Lordship, and these are conversations I would assume you would be more comfortable having with a friend,” he said. “That is why I am so reticent.”

“You are correct, Mr. Capel. These conversations are more suitable for a conversation between friends,” Granger said, just as they turned to face each other. “As that is the case and we are having this conversation, perhaps that indicates that we are indeed friends.”

“It would be my pleasure, my lord, to consider you as a friend,” Capel said gallantly. He really was a handsome man, with dark brown hair and bright, blue-green eyes.

“Excellent,” Granger said. “Then please expound on my wife’s activities.” Granger had been without news for much too long, and his patience was wearing thin.

“Lady Granger stayed mostly at Brentwood until the child was born, my lord. There were rumors that Prince William called upon her, my lord, but most people discounted that as malicious gossip, since they did not appear together at all. She returned to London around Christmas and began to rebuild her life in the capital, or so I have been told,” Capel said.

“That is much as I had expected,” Granger said, and was relieved that Caroline was doing what she had pledged to do, at least as far as he knew.

“Begging your pardon, my lord, but your wife was known before this affair as a formidable politician.” Granger laughed at that.

“That, Mr. Capel, is most certainly an understatement,” Granger joked.

“Yes, my lord. Since her return, she has done much to restore her reputation, and possibly to expand on it. She has also become quite active at Almack’s.” That was curious. Almack’s was an exclusive club, one usually frequented by those wanting to gossip and gamble. It was unique in that it was open to both men and women. The other two clubs worth mentioning were Brook’s and White’s. Brook’s was a bastion of the Whigs, while White’s was virtually the headquarters of the Tories. Granger was a member of Brook’s club, but did not go there very often. He tended to do his gambling at Carlton House. Granger’s brother Freddie was a member of White’s, as was his father.

“I suspect that means I am also a member of Almack’s,” Granger joked.

“I suspect you are, my lord. You should go there when you return to London. I think you will enjoy yourself,” he said. “It has gone through a period of decline, but there are efforts to revive it, and your wife is evidently part of those efforts.”

“Then I suspect Almack’s will be quite successful,” Granger joked.

“I have seen you at Brook’s, my lord, but we did not have a chance to have a conversation.”

“A fact I am most saddened by,” Granger said, “Having enjoyed your charm for but a brief period of time.”

“Thank you, my lord,” Capel said, and almost seemed to be blushing. “In any event, when I last left London, Lady Granger had repaired and enhanced her influence, something which I hope meets with Your Lordship’s approval.”

Granger nodded. “My wife is a brilliant and charming woman. I would be disappointed if she did not use her talents.”

“There is more news of your family, my lord,” Capel said, changing topics. “Lady Blankford gave birth to a son in December, and I am told he is a fine, healthy lad.” So Davina had given Freddie an heir.

“That is good news,” Granger said. The child would someday be the Earl of Bridgemont, assuming he outlived his father and grandfather.

“They named their son George, which I assume is after Your Lordship, a fitting compliment.”

“It is indeed a compliment, although he was more likely named after His Majesty,” Granger said, remaining calm even though internally he was roiling with this news. “Do you recall when the child was born?”

“I do not, my lord, but I will see if we can find copies of the announcement posted in the papers. In fact, it was my intention to find as many newspapers as I could. I thought you may enjoy reading them.”

“That is most thoughtful of you, Mr. Capel,” Granger said.

“There have been problems in Ireland, my lord. There were uprisings in May, but we have heard little recent news about it. It has caused problems in the fleet with some of the Irish crewmen.”

“That is an unwelcome distraction when we are fighting against France, and most of the rest of the world,” Granger noted.

“It is, my lord,” Capel agreed, but neither one of them wanted to expound further on the issues surrounding Ireland. “I have a man in mind to attend to you who is Irish, if that meets with Your Lordship’s approval.”

“We are all subjects of His Majesty, Mr. Capel,” Granger said. “I am confident that if you are recommending him, he will do a fine job,” he added, worried that his first sentence had been a bit abrupt.

“Thank you, my lord. He has served gentlemen in the past, and while I am not sure as to how exactly he ended up in the Navy, he has done well as an assistant in the wardroom. I fear that he has been kept at that level because of his nationality, and because of these current problems.”

“If he poisons me, you will have to answer to Lady Granger,” Granger joked.

“Then I suspect he will take excellent care of Your Lordship,” Capel said.

“I enjoyed our walk. You have made me feel very welcome,” Granger said. “Please pass the word for this man. I will meet him in my new quarters.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Capel said. Granger went to find his cabin being transformed by Perkins. There was a party expanding the partitions to give him more room, enough for a small office and a sleeping cabin. That would further sour Berry’s mood, since the space being claimed to make these quarters larger would come from his cabin, but Granger decided that Berry was lucky to retain as much of his room as he had. Granger could have simply taken a cabin in the wardroom, but he did not feel like being that embroiled with the officers of the Vanguard. In addition, cabins in the wardroom were quite visible, and that meant everyone would know who came and went from his quarters. It would almost be as bad in this cabin, but not quite.

A seaman appeared, looking quite nervous. He was probably in his early twenties, with bright red hair and green eyes. “My lord, I’m Seamus Donegal, and I’ve been tasked to serve you.”

“Nice to meet you, Donegal,” Granger said, and shook the man’s hand, surprising him. “Keeping up with me may be a bit of a challenge, and my uniforms may require a great deal of effort to look serviceable. You may also find they are still layered with sand.” That was a joke, but Donegal just looked at him, surprised.

“Sand, my lord?”

“I have come from India, by way of Egypt and the desert,” Granger said. “It was not a pleasant journey.”

“I should think not, my lord,” Donegal said, impressed. “Will you need supper?”

“I am dining with the admiral, and that is the plan for the foreseeable future,” Granger said. “So there is a bit less to for you to worry about there.”

“Yes, my lord,” he said.

“Then I will leave you to it,” Granger said. He returned to the quarterdeck and began to pace again, his mind grappling with what Capel had told him. He was worried for Caroline, worried about how she would handle this news of her infertility, if indeed she was unable to have children. Granger thought of his family, and was quite content with his children. It would have been nice to have another child, maybe two, but Granger had grown up with two brothers, and that had seemed to work out well enough. Still, there was always the possibility that one or more of his children would not survive. That was a thought almost too painful to contemplate, although when Michel, the child Granger had adopted, had died, he had come to understand what that kind of pain would be like. Granger allowed himself an internal sigh. There was nothing to be done about it anyway. They would have to help the four children they had forge the best paths possible.

But he knew Caroline so well, and knew that she would see this as divine retribution for her sin, for the sin of adultery. She would flagellate herself over her affair with Gloucester, and would decide that God had intervened to punish her for so misusing that part of her body. God would sanction her for her sins by assuring that no further children would ever emerge from her womb. She would see herself as half a woman, one who was not worthy of him, and one who had failed in her duty.

Granger resisted letting the cynical part of his mind assert itself, but ultimately gave in to the temptation. If Caroline could no longer bear children, she would be able to have affairs, to entertain other men, without worrying about an unfortunate pregnancy as a result. He fought back the jealousy that surged into his brain, chiding himself for being unfair. Caroline had been an absolute gem, understanding his attraction to other men, so as long as she did not damage her reputation with her affairs, he had no grounds to object to them.

His mind shifted to thoughts of Freddie and Davina, and their first-born son: George. He wondered if that was significant, if they’d named the child after him because he was in fact Granger’s child. He wondered how they would know, if they could tell that the baby was his child. He wondered if he would be able to tell.

“I hope you are settling in, my lord,” Berry said, interrupting his thoughts.

“My things are being unpacked as we speak, Captain. I must thank you for accommodating me by giving up part of your cabin,” Granger said.

“It was no problem at all, my lord,” Berry said insincerely.

“I suspect if we rescue any other wayward officers, your quarters will be as small as if you were commanding the Mutine,” Granger joked referring to Hardy’s 18-gun brig.

“I will manage quite well in any event, my lord,” Berry said. The man seemed stiff and formal, and Granger got the feeling that Berry did not like him, but Granger was determined not to let that irritate him.

“My lord,” Collier said, interrupting him. “Sir Horatio has asked to see you when it is convenient.” A look of extreme annoyance flashed briefly across Berry’s face, because presumably in the past it was Berry that Nelson would have summoned.

“I will come at once,” Granger said to Collier. “Thank you again, Captain, for your hospitality,” Granger said to Berry. He didn’t even hear Berry’s response, as he headed toward Nelson’s cabin.

“Ah, Granger,” Nelson greeted him in his affable way. “I wanted to discuss the French fleet.”

“Of course, sir,” Granger said. Nelson led him to his dining table, where he had a rough sketch of Aboukir Bay laid out, with the ship locations marked.

“You don’t know which ships were which?” Nelson asked.

“I have an idea, sir, but I am not certain,” Granger said. “The time we spent inspecting the vessels for the émigré fleet at Toulon was most useful as I tried to identify them, even though it has been five years since I surveyed them.” Hood had ordered Granger to pick the four French ships of the line in the absolute worst shape to disarm and send to French Atlantic ports with rebellious French seamen. Granger had asked Nelson for his assistance, and they’d inspected all of the French ships of the line in Toulon.

“I suspect it was,” Nelson said.

“The first ship is the Guerrier, followed by the Conquérant, both of 74 guns. The third ship is a newer 74. One of the men on the American brig thinks she’s the Spartiate.” Nelson made notes on the chart as Granger shared what he knew. “She is followed by two more 74s, Aquilon and Peuple Souverain. Peuple Souverain was known simply as Souverain when we inspected her.”

“All but the Spartiate were at Toulon when we were there,” Nelson noted, which meant that he thought Granger was most likely correct in his assertion as to which ships these were. “Go on.”

“The sixth ship is a new one, one of their 80s, sir,” Granger said. “The men on the brig said she was the Franklin. After that is the L’Orient, mounting 120 guns.”

“She is a large ship, and quite powerful,” Nelson said.

“She is, and if she handles like Commerce de Marseilles, her sister ship, she will be quite nimble at sea. The Commerce handled probably as well as a British 74-gun ship, sir.”

“Fortunately L’Orient is anchored,” Nelson said.

“Yes, sir,” Granger agreed.

“What of the others?” Nelson prompted.

“Sir, she is followed by another 80-gun ship, the Tonnant. There are two more 74s behind her, the Heureux and Mercure,” Granger said. “The rear division is led by an 80-gun ship. I think she is the Guillaume Tell. She is followed by two 74s, the Généreux and the Timoléon. The Timoléon was the Commerce de Bordeaux when we first met her in Toulon.”

“That was very thorough, Granger,” Nelson said with a grin. “What of the frigates?”

“They have two 36-gun 18-pounder frigates, the Sérieuse and the Artémise, sir. The Artémise was under construction when we took Toulon.”

“What of the other two?”

“Those are two of their big frigates, sir. The Justice carries 40 guns, and was building when we were at Toulon. The Diane is a 38-gun frigate, and she was just recently completed,” Granger said. “One of the men on the brig had recently been in Toulon, and was able to identify her for me.”

“Our forces are evenly matched, but all of our ships are 74s,” Nelson noted.

“As I recall, sir, you said those were excellent odds,” Granger said. “I think you said that odds of three to one were good.”

“I do believe that I did,” Nelson said, then looked back at his map. “They are anchored now, but what are the chances they will sortie to meet us at sea? They could already be gone!” He said that last sentence with almost panic in his voice. Most admirals were anxious to close with the enemy, but Granger had never encountered one as determined to do so as Nelson.

“While that is certainly possible, sir, I think it is unlikely,” Granger said.

“And why is that?”

“They were moored in this convex way, clearly intending to concentrate their fire on an attacking enemy. It is a defensive posture, one they would assume if they thought your fleet was in the area, sir,” Granger said. “In addition, there was almost no noticeable activity on board. If they were planning to sail, I would have anticipated some movement, boats moving about or the like. They looked fairly well buttoned down sir.”

“So you do not think they will sortie when they see us coming?”

“I do not, sir,” Granger said. “If that were the case, they would not have rigged chains between their ships.”

“But you said there were not cables between all the ships,” Nelson noted.

“That is correct, although I don’t know why that would be the case, sir,” Granger said, then smiled. “Perhaps French captains do not listen to their admiral as closely as your captains do.”

Nelson laughed. “I forgot what good company you are, Granger.” He refocused on the map. “I know we can defeat them, but I want to do more than that. I want to annihilate them. If we cannot take or destroy at least half of their ships, I will be disappointed.”

“That would be quite a victory, sir,” Granger said, hiding his skepticism. It would also be unique. Large fleet actions did not tend to generate that many prizes. The Battle of Cape St. Vincent had resulted in the British capture of four Spanish battleships out of a fleet of over thirty. The French had lost seven ships at the Glorious First of June from a fleet of over twenty-five. Even in the last war, at the Battle of the Saintes, Rodney had cost the French five ships of the line out of a fleet of thirty-three. All of those had been spectacular victories. Nelson was talking about inflicting losses of fifty percent or more, when losses of fifteen to twenty-five percent had been the margin in prior victorious actions.

“It will be,” he said confidently. “We must use their position to our advantage, and we must use the winds as well.”

“How do you intend to do that, sir?” Granger asked.

“We will attack them here,” Nelson said, pointing at the van. “As our ships disable theirs, and force their surrender, we will move down the line methodically.”

“We will be under sail, sir, and they will be anchored,” Granger noted. “It will be difficult to maintain position.”

“Not at all. We will anchor as well. We will use our anchors as a sort of brake, stopping to attack a ship, and then raising the anchor to move on to the next one after she has struck her colors,” Nelson said. “The only problem will be with maneuvering once we anchor.”

Granger thought about that, then smiled, his smile broadening as he remembered one of the exploits he was most famous for: the destruction of the Bey of Oran’s fleet of xebecs. That had only been possible because Granger had been in water shallow enough to rig a spring cable. “Not if we rigged springs, begging your pardon, sir.”

Nelson’s smile matched Granger’s. “An excellent idea, Granger!” They went on to talk about various details and the like until supper was served. It was an excellent meal, with stimulating conversation, but it was a tired George Granger who walked the short distance to his cabin.

“I have your cot rigged up, my lord,” Donegal said. “And if you’ll let me attend to that coat, I’ll see if I can make it serviceable for tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Donegal,” Granger said.

“It’s my pleasure, my lord,” he said. “Mr. Perkins said he needed to see you. I suggested he return at dawn, but he was most insistent.”

“You may pass the word for him,” Granger said. Granger found his lanolin, and put it next to his cot. Perkins appeared in no time, as he’d clearly been waiting for him. “One moment, Mr. Perkins,” Granger said formally, then opened the door to his cabin and spoke to the marine guarding his door. “You are to let no one pass.”

“Aye aye, my lord,” he said.

Granger walked back into his cabin and took Perkins arm, all but hauling him into his sleeping cabin. “I have been longing to be alone with you again since Corsica,” Perkins said. Granger ran his hand across the young man’s face, admiring his blond hair and his handsome features, and then pulled him in for a kiss.

They were on a flagship, where coupling like this was very dangerous, and Granger did not have Winkler to watch his cabin door for him. The marine may or may not stop any intruders. “No time for a proper fuck,” Granger whispered in his ear as he spun the young man around so his hands were firmly planted on the door to Granger’s sleeping cabin, blocking anyone who would barge in. Granger pulled his own trousers down enough to expose his cock, and then pulled Perkin’s down lower, to provide access to his amazing ass.

It was truly beautiful, thin and pert, with almost no padding to stop an intruder from penetrating it. The only thing that marred it was a brand, one placed there by Perkin’s former captain, a sadistic action that ultimately cost that captain his ship and his career. But Granger could see how a man could be fueled to take this beautiful young man and make him his own, fueled by the lust that consumed Granger now. He worked the lanolin into Perkin’s hole, then lined his cock up and pushed in slowly, taking his time as he worked his way in.

Perkins didn’t resist, and he didn’t cringe. As handsome as he was, and as willing a partner as he was, Granger would have guessed his ass would be well worked over, yet he was still tight. Granger buried his dick as deep as he could and held himself still, letting Perkins adapt to his presence, then he began to fuck the young midshipman, picking up his pace as he went. Their moans were muffled, so only the sound of their soft panting, and the sound of skin slapping against skin, may have given them away.

“My lord!” Perkins whispered urgently, his attempt to warn Granger that he was going to cum. Granger maintained his pace even as he nuzzled Perkin’s neck.

“Shoot your seed in my hand,” Granger said seductively as he took over stroking the young man’s cock. Perkins pulled one hand off the door so he could bite his knuckle in an attempt to stifle his scream as he came, blasting his load into Granger’s hand. Once he was done, Granger made to stop.

“Please, finish,” Perkins whispered. Granger kissed his neck, until Perkins turned his head so their mouths could mesh. Granger kissed him as he fucked him more urgently, breaking off their kiss to lick Perkins’ cum off his hand. The taste of Perkins’ load sent Granger over the edge. He clamped his mouth down onto Perkins’ and moaned loudly into it as he blasted his load into Perkins’ bowels. When Granger was finished, they hastily pulled up their pants and returned to the other cabin.

“I will expect similar reports from you at least daily, Mr. Perkins,” Granger said formally, but with a twinkle in his eye.

“Aye aye, my lord,” Perkins said.