Peace of Amiens - 16. Chapter 16

October 3, 1801

HMS Endymion

Cowes, England

“I will trust you to find our anchorage, Mr. Austen,” Granger said as Endymion made her way past St. Helens.

“Aye aye, my lord,” Austen said. Granger walked up to the binnacle and took out his glass, surveying the anchorage at Spithead. The fleet was evidently on blockade duty so there were only a few ships anchored, making their job a bit easier since there was no need to maneuver past the huge ships of the line. St. Vincent was a firm advocate of a close blockade, so it was a daring Commander-in-Chief of the Channel Fleet who would linger in harbor without good reason. Most of the officers in the navy detested a close blockade for a couple of reasons. First of all, it kept them on station and away from port. Second, it seriously eroded the ships themselves. Being out in the Atlantic, especially during winter, took a terrible toll on the condition of the fleet, causing damage to hull and spars. Meanwhile, the dockyards, St. Vincent’s biggest bugaboo, were incapable of keeping those ships in good condition while also building new ones. But while a close blockade was difficult and unpopular, it was hard to deny how successful it had been at bottling up the French and destroying their commerce.

Granger had expected that with Endymion docked in London and his time in command of her coming to an end, Phillip Durham would simply meet the ship there and read himself in as Endymion’s new captain. A few days after he’d reached London, he’d received curt orders from the Admiralty ordering him back to Portsmouth so Durham could assume command there. It seemed pointless to Granger, and he tended to attribute that decision to either St. Vincent’s stubborn tendency to see things through as he envisioned, or a petty annoyance launched by Nepean. He’d managed to calm himself enough to recognize that they had done him a huge favor. He’d been able to command Endymion one more time on her return voyage, and the ship was such a joy that truly was a gift. Hopefully even more of a gift was his ability to spend time with Calvert. He smiled, thinking that this time they would not be distracted by the entire Court, and they would be relatively safe, ensconced in Granger’s waterfront palace.

He had been a little concerned at leaving Carmella behind so soon after they’d arrived, but she had glided smoothly into Portland Place and had charmed his servants. Perhaps most importantly, William had treated her with a marked degree of respect, yet another thing to remind Granger about how important Calvert was to him. In any event, she was busy rehearsing and preparing for the upcoming season, and Granger suspected she would be happy to have him out of the way for a bit.

The voyage here had taken much longer than he’d anticipated due to a fierce storm that had surged up the Channel, forcing them to fight against adverse winds. Endymion had proved that she was a wonderful sea boat in adverse weather, making Granger love this ship even more. He decided then and there that he would lobby mercilessly for command of her at some point in the future.

Granger peered ahead and saw a boat approaching, with another boat behind it loaded with what must be furniture. Granger opened his glass and stared at the first boat, where Phillip Durham was sitting upright in the thwarts. “Pass the word for Winkler,” Granger ordered.

“Aye aye, sir,” Kingsdale said, to avoid distracting Austen.

“Mr. Austen, you would be well-advised to execute this maneuver with considerable skill, as your new lord and master is in that gig,” Granger said jovially.

“Thank you, my lord,” Austen said, then smiled. “I suspect it is also important that I not ram it as well.”

“If you would be so kind,” Granger said, then turned away to deal with Winkler. “Captain Durham is arriving with all of his furnishings.”

“We are all packed up, my lord,” Winkler said.

“Boat ahoy!” came the shout from the lookout.

“Endymion!” came the reply, announcing that Phillip Durham had come to relieve him.

“Anchor, Mr. Austen,” Granger ordered.

“With your permission, my lord, I will wait until Captain Durham’s boat is beyond where dropping the anchor would douse him,” Austen said.

“A wise move,” Granger said, chuckling. Just as Durham’s head began to appear, the anchor was dropped. “Welcome aboard, Captain!”

“It appears that you took good care of the ship, my lord,” Durham said with a grin. Durham was a Scotsman and had married Lord Elgin’s sister. He was approaching 40 years of age and time had not been overly kind to his appearance.

“She is a joy to command, sir,” Granger said. “Were you not senior to me on the Captains List, I would have worked diligently to steal her away from you.”

Durham laughed. “Perhaps after I read myself in, you can tell me all about her.”

“Of course,” Granger said. “Mr. Austen, have the hands lay aft!”

“Aye aye, my lord,” Austen said. The whistles blew, the men gathered in the waist and the shrouds, then Durham pulled out his orders and read himself in. As of that moment, Granger was no longer the captain of this wonderful vessel. He forced himself to be cheerful, even though he felt no happiness at leaving Endymion. Granger introduced Durham to the quarterdeck officers, trying to ignore how uncomfortable a change in command was for everyone.

“Carry on, Mr. Austen,” Durham said.

“Aye aye, sir,” Austen answered crisply.

“Sir, I had given Mr. Austen orders to water the ship using my pond, such as it is,” Granger said, gesturing towards his home. “The water is considerably fresher.” Durham nodded to Austen to confirm he should still do that.

“I have heard about this system you have built, my lord,” Durham said. “I would have asked you to show it to me, but I have orders to sail as soon as possible.” The two captains instinctively began to pace the quarterdeck while the rest of the ship seemed to become immersed in convulsions, as they prepared to take on water and to swap out the two captains’ furniture.

“Wherever you are going, you will get there quickly, sir,” Granger said. He began a lengthy discussion of how fast Endymion was, and how she sailed, punctuated by questions from Durham.

“I am tasked to make my best speed to the Mediterranean,” Durham said. “Peace was announced two days ago.”

“I had a long voyage down Channel so I had not heard that, although I was aware that the deal had been arranged,” Granger said.

“The Admiralty wants to make sure our ships know about it as soon as possible,” Durham said. “At least I’m not the one who has to courier this news to India.”

“That is a most unpleasant trek,” Granger agreed.

“How is my first officer?” Durham asked.

“He is excellent, one of the best I have worked with,” Granger said. Durham stopped walking and stared at Granger in surprise, for that was fulsome praise from a successful captain with Granger’s reputation.

“Indeed?” Durham asked.

“He has a good handle on the men and the other officers, and I have taken to trusting him with the ship on more delicate maneuvers,” Granger said.

“Delicate maneuvers?” Durham asked.

“I gave him the honor of conning the ship out of port when we were hosting Their Majesties,” Granger said.

“I can think of no greater endorsement,” Durham said. “Thank you.”

“Lord Kingsdale has been adopted by my father so is all but a member of my family. I tell you that so you will know I am biased, but I must sincerely vouch for his abilities. You will also find Mr. Bligh to be an excellent officer,” Granger said.

“Did you want to take Lord Kingsdale with you?” he asked.

“Thank you, Captain, for offering. Sadly, I think that with peace upon us, I will be spending my time ashore for the foreseeable future,” Granger said in a mournful way, then smiled. “Although Lord Berkeley advised me that if the Admiralty keeps me unemployed for too long, a surefire way to an appointment is to make an infernal nuisance of myself in the Lords.”

Durham laughed at that, and Granger laughed with him. “A most useful card to play. I understand you had the privilege of sailing with my sister-in-law.” He was referring to Lady Elgin, a horrible shrew of a woman.

“I do not wish to speak badly of your relation, and as I can say nothing nice, I will say nothing at all,” Granger said, making Durham laugh again.

“My wife will appreciate your comment,” Durham said. “I suspect that if Lady Elgin came up in conversation, the two of you would just stand there silently staring at each other.” They laughed some more until Durham’s steward came up to him.

“Sir, Lord Brentwood left some stores for you,” the man said. “This is their estimated value.”

Granger held up his hand to stop this line of conversation. “There are some smaller items, and I leave them as a gift for you. Perhaps you can find a use for them when you first host your officers for dinner.”

“That is most kind of you, my lord,” Durham said.

“My lord, we have your furnishings loaded into the launch,” Winkler said.

“Captain, I had planned to take my things ashore with the launch, and my person ashore with your gig, if that meets with your approval,” Granger said.

“Of course, my lord,” Durham said. Granger had hosted his officers to dinner last night and had taken his leave of them at that celebration. He shook their hands, and then followed Winkler, Jacobs, Le Favre, Jackson, and Andrews into the gig.

“I’m sorry, my lord,” Winkler said. “I told Captain Durham’s steward you’d left the stores for him, but he insisted on informing his captain.”

“Do not take it as an affront, Winkler,” Granger said. “I think that the steward was trying to explain to Captain Durham how generous I had been.” The gig shoved off and Granger was distracted by the sound of cheering, as the crew of Endymion manned the yards and shouted out for him. Granger smiled and raised his hat to them, then began to wonder if he was starting to enjoy acclaim like this. That was horrifying to Granger, the thought that he could be becoming vain. That cavalcade of negative thought was fortunately truncated when the gig bumped against the dock.

Granger stepped out of the boat and onto the dock, and the first person he saw was Calvert. “It is so very good to see you,” Granger said, and held out his hands.

“It is very good to see you too,” Calvert said. Calvert greeted Granger’s entourage, then they began to stroll up toward the house.

“Winkler, I’ll want a bath,” Granger said. “Sir Francis can join me.”

“With pleasure,” Calvert said.

While his staff handled moving his things back in, Granger and Calvert removed themselves to the baths where they made love, lounged around, then made love again. “How is Her Royal Highness doing?” Granger asked.

“Amelia is doing well,” Calvert said, then swallowed hard. “Quite well.”

“What aren’t you telling me?” Granger asked.

“As soon as Endymion left, or more to the point, as soon as her parents left, she seemed to have a stunning recovery,” Calvert said.

“Indeed?” Granger asked.

“Indeed,” Calvert confirmed. “Her doctor, who is the biggest quack I have ever encountered, prescribed daily riding.”

Granger raised his eyebrows in surprise. “As weak as she was, one would think that riding would be a bit too strenuous.”

“Yet it was not,” Calvert said. “It is obvious to me that she’d feigned her symptoms such that she would be able to stay here and not return to London.”

“So she has, in effect, captured you and sequestered you away here in my palace,” Granger teased.

“I do not know why you find this so humorous, George,” Calvert said icily. Granger could not stop himself from laughing.

“I think it is hilarious that you have found yourself in the clutches of a scheming princess, but I am also glad that her evil plans have worked such that we are able to spend time together,” Granger said.

“It is nice to know that there is at least one side benefit,” Calvert said, then got a truly wicked smile. “As it is almost time for her daily ride, I am sure she will want you to accompany us.”

“I would be delighted,” Granger lied. “Our bath will have to wait until later.” He changed into riding gear and spent two hours exploring the Isle of Wight with Calvert, Amelia, and a host of footmen to guard the princess. By the time he returned to his home, Endymion had left her anchorage. Granger just barely had time to train his glass across the sea to see her topsails vanish below the horizon.

October 4, 1801

Cowes, England

“Let us rinse off,” Granger said, grinning at Calvert. They’d just finished an amazing round of lovemaking in the soaping pool, and that had left him feeling euphoric and playful.

“I think we would have more fun in here,” Calvert said, being the randy lad that he was. Since he had nothing pressing on his calendar, Granger had opted to take a bath to start his day. Hunger was pressing him forward, though, and that was what had made him choose to move them to the soaking pool.

Granger looked at him, raised an eyebrow, then jumped into the soaking pool, sending water flying about the nicely tiled room. Calvert laughed, got out of the bathing tub, and mimicked Granger’s maneuver, splashing just as much water around. “You splashed me on purpose,” Granger said, then splashed Calvert back, which started a water fight that was more appropriate for schoolboys. Their merriment was cut short by a loud knock on the door. They both stopped and stared at each other, then dropped a little lower in the water to better hide their nakedness. Granger’s underlying mood had not changed, but he became much more serious, because his servants knew only to interrupt him if it was something very important. “Enter!”

“I hope I am not disturbing you,” Daventry said as he strode in. Daventry normally wore black-and-gold-colored clothes, but he had allowed himself some leeway recently. Since Beau Brummel had made tan or khaki trousers all the rage, Daventry had decided that those colors qualified as being ‘gold’, so that had manifested in his wearing pants in a shade of khaki with a matching khaki waistcoat, along with a black jacket. His cravat was tied perfectly, reminding Granger of how much harder he’d have to work to make his own tie look adequate when Daventry was around.

“You are not disturbing me at all, and I am very glad to see you!” Granger said, then he and Calvert hopped out of the bath fully naked. “The Right Honorable Charles Daventry, Earl of Rugby, Knight of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath. My lord, may I present to you Captain Sir Francis Calvert, Knight of the Most Honorable Order of the Bath, and an equerry to His Most Britannic Majesty.”

“You may,” Daventy said with fake disdain, then smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sir Francis. I’ve heard a lot about you, and since most of it is bad, I suspect we will become friends.”

“You honor me, my lord,” Calvert said. Granger admired how handsome he looked, with his tall muscular body and the chestnut brown hair that sparsely covered his chest.

“You must join us,” Granger said, then jumped back into the pool, splashing water on Daventry’s outfit.

“You have dampened my garments, George,” Daventry said, acting offended. “You are lucky I am not the Beau, else I would have to challenge you to a duel.”

“Since your garments are dampened, does that mean you will join us?” Granger asked.

“I fear that will have to wait,” Daventry said. “We have orders to appear in London as soon as possible.”

“We do?” Granger asked, emphasizing the ‘we’. He had gone from being playful to being annoyed. He had just gotten here and was thoroughly enjoying Calvert.

“We do,” Daventry confirmed. “Mr. Addington wants to meet with us.”

“And what does he want to meet with us about?” Granger asked.

“He wants us to help him get the preliminary peace agreement through the Lords,” Daventry said. “And he would like your support in the Commons as well.” Caroline had expanded their land holdings during the course of their marriage, and with her political bent, she’d focused on places that allowed the landholder to control the votes for that constituency’s member of Parliament. The end result of that was that Granger controlled seven votes when the Commons divided, and had great influence over five others. That kind of influence put him in the same category as the biggest magnates in the country.

“If the notice I received is correct, Parliament does not open until October 29,” Granger said. All peers received a formal notice asking them to appear on the date Parliament opened. “I would suggest that allows ample time for me to enjoy my lovely fountains and get back to London in a day or two.”

“How about if we leave tomorrow morning?” Daventry asked.

“Allow me to ponder that,” Granger said with a scowl. “Right now, my focus is solely on getting dressed so I can break my fast, lest my mood deteriorate further.”

“Then I shall see you in the dining room,” Daventry said.

“You are to leave already?” Calvert asked sadly.

“I am not sure,” Granger said.

“It seems so unfair since you just arrived,” Calvert said.

“I am not happy about this either, but even if I have to leave, I will be back,” Granger promised. “Now let us get ready so we can eat.”

“A wise suggestion,” Calvert said.

Granger and Calvert dressed quite quickly and hurried to the dining room to find Daventry waiting for them. “I was worried I would starve.”

“I am confident that is not something you have to concern yourself with,” Granger said dourly, although food conveniently came out as soon as they sat down. “I am unclear why you are in such a hurry to meet with Mr. Addington?”

“George, when the Prime Minister asks you to meet with him as soon as possible, it is wise to do as he requests,” Daventry said. His tone was almost patronizing and that irritated Granger enough that not even food could overcome it.

“I am not convinced that it is,” Granger said. “I have something that he wants, not the other way around. And in fact, he wants it so badly that he sent you here to badger me to return to London at once.”

“You are suggesting that by stalling him, you increase your influence?” Daventry asked skeptically.

“I am not stalling him,” Granger stated firmly. “I am just not willing to upset my schedule to accommodate his. And I am suggesting that making him aware of that makes my position stronger, not weaker.”

“Begging your pardons, my lords, but it seems that unless Lord Brentwood were seeking a command, there is no tangible reward or penalty with which the government can influence him,” Calvert said.

“That is a very good point, Sir Francis,” Daventry admitted.

“I will further add that I am unwilling to speak to him about this unless Cavendish is with us,” Granger said.

“You are not allowed to make decisions about politics without his assistance?” Daventry asked, and not in the nicest of ways. When he saw the flash of anger in Granger’s eyes, he realized that he had misspoken, and apologized with his eyes. Granger opted to ignore their exchange and only address the issue.

“Cavendish is the one who manages my men in the Commons,” Granger said in a steely voice. “If I jump in and make a deal with Mr. Addington without informing him, I may cause some very unpleasant side-effects.”

“What would those be, my lord?” Calvert asked curiously.

“First of all, as I have delegated management of that area to Cavendish, so to not involve him would be a considerable slap in the face,” Granger said. “It also ignores the fact that he will probably have more insight into this than the three of us combined.”

“Cavendish’s advice is almost always sound,” Daventry agreed.

“Further, if Cavendish is horse-trading votes on an issue that is more important to me, and I pull those votes away from him, I could cause him to lose credibility with those with whom he had made an agreement, and I may inadvertently hurt my own interests,” Granger said.

“I can see your point,” Daventry said. “What is your plan?”

“My plan was to stay here for a week, then return to London,” Granger said. “I will send a message to Cavendish ensuring he is there, and if you leave before I do, you can alert him as to what we are supposed to meet about.”

“I think I will leave tomorrow as planned and inform Mr. Addington about your schedule, and with your permission, I will discuss the matter with Cavendish,” Daventry said.

“Excellent,” Granger said, smiling at his friend.

“You may take as long as you like, George,” Daventry said, “but there is also the possibility that Mr. Addington has additional matters he needs to discuss with you.”

“Do you know of these other matters?” Granger asked, now truly frustrated, because Daventry had fully piqued his curiosity.

“I do not, but I am not always aware of the important things, or the more secret ones,” Daventry said.

Granger looked at Daventry and Calvert, keeping his frustration hidden even though both of them knew it was there. “I will ponder this tonight, and will let you know my decision in the morning.”

“Thank you,” Daventry said, then changed the topic. “I am quite vexed with you.”

“I would think that was a normal state of affairs,” Granger quipped, making both Daventry and Calvert chuckle.

“I have had my eyes on Carmella Bellini since we returned from Russia, and you have gone ahead and snapped her up,” Daventry said.

“You must learn to be faster on your feet,” Granger teased. “I find her to be exhilarating.” Calvert barely hid his jealousy.

“The thought of that merely vexes me more,” Daventry replied, in his vapid way, making all of them laugh. “Sir Francis, you have also sparked a considerable amount of gossip.”

“My lord?” Calvert asked.

“I have just acquired the latest copy of the Q,” Daventry said, as he pulled out a paper printed on both sides.

“What is the Q, my lord?” Calvert asked.

“The Quintessential Court Circular, known as the Q, is the most read gossip paper in London,” Daventry said. “And you are both featured in this issue.”

“That is usually not a good thing,” Granger said to Calvert, then turned to Daventry. “You are clearly dying to reveal what is printed on those pages. Please enlighten us.”

“With pleasure,” Daventry said, smirking as he did, then began to read as if he were a chamberlain announcing the entry of a dignitary into a room. “The newly minted Sir F., taking up his new appointment as one of His Majesty’s equerries, is rumored to be keeping a certain Royal Princess company as she repairs her health on the Isle of Wight. There is no denying how attractive Sir F. is, although most of the ladies had given up hope of a match with him since he seemed solely focused on his mentor, Lord B. Perhaps Sir F. simply had higher standards, such that nothing but a Royal Princess was deserving of his charms, or perhaps he opted to avoid London since Lord B. has taken up with a certain opera singer.” The three of them laughed at that.

“I am terribly sorry that my liaison with Signora Bellini has fueled your jealousy,” Granger joked to Calvert.

“I am indeed jealous, because I found her to be lovely and charming as well,” Calvert responded.

After they finished breakfast, Daventry opted to pay his respects to Amelia. He gave Granger his copy of the Q, which Granger took with him as he and Calvert repaired to Granger’s room. “This quip is not good, but it could have been worse,” Granger said once they were safely behind closed doors.

“It is not good?” Calvert asked.

“It suggests that you have avoided women because you are too enamored with me,” Granger said.

“That is utterly unbelievable!” Calvert said, pretending to be outraged, then he smiled at Granger. “I cannot believe a gossip sheet actually printed the truth.” Granger laughed at him.

“Idiot,” Granger said lovingly. “I fear that I must return to London tomorrow with Daventry.”

“I thought you had resolved to make the Prime Minister wait until it was convenient for you, and not the other way around?” Calvert asked.

“That was my plan, but as Daventry pointed out, there may be more at play here than just political support,” Granger said.

“George, it is your duty to go to London and ascertain what is happening, and as I told William, you always do your duty,” Calvert said.

“I will try to escape back here as soon as I can,” Granger promised.

“It is quite likely that I will find myself back in London soon enough,” Calvert noted. “Either way, I am sure I will see you soon.”

Granger spent the day with Calvert, Amelia, and Daventry, then spent the night with Calvert. The next morning found him in a carriage on his way back to London.