New Frontier - 12. NF Chap 12

Two days after we had completed the boardwalk extension, with two sections leading to four metres from the waters edge, at thirty metres apart, Simon, his crew and I headed for Hobart onboard the Duchess, to pickup a purchase that I had made earlier in the week.

After some research, I found a company in Hobart that builds floating pontoons, and I had ordered one that is to be three metres wide and thirty four metres long, and is secured with steel cables to the two concreted posts at the end of the two boardwalks, and a walkway from the end of each boardwalk goes to the main floating pontoon, with height adjustable hinges, that allows the pontoon to go up and down with the tides.

After an 8 hour round trip, we headed to our cabins to rest, with tomorrow to be a busy day, with the installation of the pontoon, with the team already starting on a new project of building a boardwalk northwards from the main deck, while Sarah was keeping busy with marketing to get business started at our new location.

We had just finished securing the two walkways to the pontoon, when Simon spoke up, “Err boss, are you expecting anyone with a huge motor yacht?” he asked, and I looked up and around to the north to see an enormous yacht heading straight for the pontoon.

“No, I’m not, unless it is Vic and Rita making a dramatic arrival,” I replied, just as my mobile rang, and I saw that it was the Kenworth’s calling. “Hello, is that you approaching the island in that monstrosity of a yacht?” I asked when I answered the call, and I heard two people laughing.

“You better eat your words Anton, or the owner of this fine yacht will not be happy. I see you have a pontoon ready for our arrival, how delightful,” Rita responded. “Yes we have just finished securing it, so this is a good time to test it out,” I replied, “Yes it is. See you in a bit,” Rita said before she ended the call.

Soon we saw a team of crew preparing for berthing at the pontoon, as we stood on the pontoon stunned at the arrival of this huge yacht, and it wasn’t long before the rest of our team appeared to check out this yacht, which I estimated to be over 60 metres long.

Expertly the captain of the yacht passed the main jetty with the three much smaller yachts moored at it, and when it came to a stop, then used thrusters, the yacht slowly moved sideways towards the pontoon, and the crew threw us the mooring ropes, one fore and one aft, before the yacht dropped its two anchors, also one fore and one aft.

Once the anchors had secured the yacht into place, we tightened the mooring ropes to the pontoon mooring posts before we heard the engines go quiet, except for a slight humming noise from within. “That would be the generator that you can hear,” Simon said to me quietly, and I nodded my head in understanding, as a side door, midships opened up, and a fold away decking plate was unfolded, and landed with a clunk on the pontoon.

Vic and Rita soon appeared, smiling and looking in good health. “Hello all, please come in and meet our host,” Rita said to us. “Just Simon and I for now I think,” I responded, loud enough for everyone to hear me, and we stepped onboard, entering a large foyer.

“Welcome onboard, please follow us, our host is looking forward to meeting you, as he has been following your adventures for some time,” Vic said to us. “Does this have anything to do with that ruckus at the Hobart Airport two weeks ago?” I asked.

“Yes, it does, and you will see why when you meet him,” Rita replied, as she lead us up the grand staircase, to the upper foyer, then towards the back of the yacht, where we entered a large saloon. “Sir, may I present to you Mr Anton Hamilton, and his best friend Simon Adamson,” Vic said addressing the man who was seated and stood up before turning to face us.

“Bloody hell. That is Lord… What’s his name, he is from Tasmania, but he has a few Scottish titles,” Simon whispered to me, and we heard Vic and Rita chuckle on hearing this. “Did you hear that My Lord, you have a new title, Lord What’s his Name,” a middle aged man dressed in a tuxedo said from behind us, as he stepped around and walked over to the yacht’s owner.

“Lord Fordell is his proper title,” Rita said to us, as she bobbed a courtesy to the man while Vic gave a small bow of his head, before walking around to the lounge area, and we cautiously followed. “Welcome to my yacht, it is my second home here in Tasmania, I have a hidden retreat in the forests near Strahan, but I also spend a lot of time here onboard this yacht, just to get away from the damn media,” his Lordship said to us, who looked to be around the same age as Simon and me.

“It is a great honour to meet you My Lord, I have read some of those news reports, and I agree they can be a real nuisance,” Simon said as he came to a stop and gave a bow of his head, and I did the same. “What brings you to our humble little hideaway, apart from delivering the island owners?” I asked, and his lordship chuckled at this.

To be honest, I am getting a little bored of just hiding away at the Forest Manor, as we call it, so I agreed to come along with the yacht to deliver our good friends Vic and Rita to you,” his Lordship replied. “I see, well it is very nice to meet you sir, I too have read a bit about you, I believe you were educated in Launceston,” Simon stated.

“Yes, that is correct, I went to a grammar school just north of Launceston, and I have a great uncle who is an Earl, who I go and visit every now and then in Scotland,” His Lordship replied. “I have offered Lord Edwin the use of the Island if he ever needs to escape from the media, who have started taking closer attention to all activities happening in the Strahan area, so if it is alright with you Anton, Lord Edwin will need your charter services from time to time,” Rita informed us.

“Yes of course, just let us know and we will help as best as we can,” I responded. “I see that you have three yachts, two sail and one motor,” Lord Edwin said to me, “Yes sir, the catamaran named Front N Back is my first ever vessel, which my good friend Simon and his grandfather worked on to get her in good order, while I was having trouble at home.

As you may know the Last Frontier, was originally owned by Vic and Rita, and I bought it off them when we met on the Cocos Keeling Islands, on the Indian Ocean. The Huon Duchess is my most recent purchase, and it has been a regular charter vessel in this region for some years now, and we aim to continue doing that, goes down the west coast of Bruny Island and back. The two sailing yachts have a cruise itinerary, heading up the east coast as far as Marie Island and back,” I stated.

“What is the total number of staff and crew that you have now?” Rita asked me, “Including my two brothers, there is eleven of us, not including you and Vic,” I replied. “Good, inform all of them that they are invited to a semi formal dinner on the yacht tonight at 7 pm,” Lord Edwin said.

“That will be very nice thankyou My Lord, I will inform everyone, as soon as we leave. May we excuse ourselves now please?” I replied, “You may, see you at dinner,” Lord Edwin replied, as Si and I bowed and left the upper saloon, finding our way back downstairs and out onto the pontoon.

After informing everyone that we had all been invited to have dinner onboard the yacht tonight, I headed to the office, where I found Sarah busy on the computer. “How are things going?” I asked, “Good Anton, we have a number of bookings but not until next week, one is on the Duchess, and three on the Frontier,” Sarah replied.

“Excellent news, we need to keep the income coming in as well as keeping everyone busy,” I replied as I sat down at my desk and began looking at the figures for the time that we have had very little work. A knock on the door, which opened a moment later, had me look up and see Rita at the door.

“Hello Mrs Kenworth, how may I assist you,” and Rita chuckled. “Cut that out you, it is Rita or boss lady,” Rita responded, which made Sarah laugh. “A request has been made for just you Anton to arrive forty five minutes before everyone else tonight,” Rita announced, “Ooo, you are in someone’s bad books,” Sarah said and I frowned at her.

“Any reason why?” I asked, “No, I think it is just a social meeting with Lord Edwin, and I would stick to less formality now that you have officially met him, he really hates all of that formal stuff, and don’t forget he was just a teenage school boy, when he first learnt that the was a member of British Aristocracy,” Rita said before leaving again.

“That was interesting? I wonder what Lord Edwin wants to speak to you about?” Sarah stated, and I looked at my watch. I better get a move on, if I am going to be there on time, catch you later,” I said before heading out the door and down to my new home.

Arriving right on time, I was directed to go up to the upper deck saloon, where I found Lord Edwin chatting to a man and a woman, who I hadn’t met yet. “Ah, here he is, Anton, this is my mother, Lady Alexandria Crawford, and this is Mr James Hunter, who is my Body Guard and Chauffeur,” Lord Edwin announced.

“It is an honour to meet you both,” I said giving a slight bow of the head. “A body guard my lord?” I added, “Yes, a demand from my cousin Robert, the 29^th and current Earl of Crawford,” Lord Edwin replied, as he indicated for all of us to sit.

“I am not sure how much you know about me, but let me fill you in on a few things. With the discovery of my ancestral history, I made a trip to Scotland during the school holidays, at the time I was in Year 11 at Launceston Grammar School. While there I met Her Majesty the Queen for the first time, and at Holyrood Palace.

At my cousin’s recommendation, Her Majesty bestowed on me the title of Baronet of Wigan, as I had inherited some land from my great uncle, the Earl’s brother. I own a remote island in the far North Sea, which takes quite a rough journey to get too, I also own Crawford Farm and Castle, which is quite an amazing sight, plus I own Crawford Priory Estate, which I supervised the restoration of the Priory, plus I own Fordell Castle and estate.

Again, at my Cousin Charles’s recommendation, I was given the title of Baron of Fordell, after my cousin gifted me Fordell Castle, and once again it was Her Majesty who bestowed the honour to me. Apart from all of that I have also purchased an apartment in Horgen, on the edge of Zurich, where I studied for a few years, plus I own a small patch of Tasmanian Forest, at the location of a former railway siding near Strahan,” Lord Edwin informed me.

“Wow, that is a lot of property to own,” I commented, “Yes it is, and I bet you are asking yourself why I am telling you all of this,” Lord Edwin responded, and I smiled and nodded yes. “Although we have only just met, I get a vibe that we will get along well, and we are of simular ages. I also want to ask you a big favour.

Although I have James with me nearly all the time, he is working for me, and I would like to have a travel companion friend to travel with me, when I go to Switzerland and Scotland soon,” Lord Edwin said to me, and my mouth dropped open in surprise.

“Well sir, I am a little surprised by all of this, especially as you say we have just met today, may I think about it for a few days please?” I eventually replied. “Yes that is fine, and you can stop with the Sir and Lordship, I am just Edwin to my friends,” Lord Edwin said, “Yes, sir… I mean Edwin,” I answered.

“About ten minutes later Lady Alexandria stood and we did too, before she left the room, and James followed her out. “Now that we are alone, I wanted to let you know that I suspect that you have the same preferences as I do, if you know what I mean,” Edwin stated.

“Yes sir, I mean Edwin, I am gay, but I have not been in a relationship for some years now, since I discovered my boyfriend at the time was cheating on me, and the majority of my permanent crew members are gay, and are partners,” I replied.

“Good, now that we have that bit of information out in the open, I would like us to be good friends, and if it leads to a lot more like developing a relationship, I would be very pleased if that happens,” Edwin said, and I just smiled and nodded my head in understanding.

“So you really had no idea that you had aristocracy blood in you until you were in Year 11 at Grammar School in Launceston?” I asked, “Yes that is correct, it was our history teacher who unknowingly set the wheels in motion, so to speak, when he gave us a 3500 word assignment to be completed during the school holidays.

We were to find a past member of family who has an interesting past and write about it. When I arrived home that afternoon, which for me was just four houses down from the back of the school, I informed my single mother and great aunt who help to bring me up since a young age, about the assignment, and I asked them both if their was anyone in the family that I could write about.

From that moment on things changed dramatically for me, as I was sat down and told about a tiny Island in the North sea called Papa Stour, where my ancestor, an officer in the British Indian Army was declared insane for refusing to fight in a war in the 1830’s.

In disgrace he was sent to the island of Papa Stour, off the far north coast of Scotland, where he remained for five years, with barely enough to survive on, until he was rescued by a female Quaker preacher, who arranged for his release.

This officer was the younger brother of the 7^th Earl of Balcarres and 24^th Earl of Crawford. When he arrived back in London, a court case was held to decide if he was held in illegal detention, which was proven, and for compensation, he was granted full ownership of a smaller island call Fair Isle and a substantial amount of money.

Travelling to Australia, he changed his name by deed poll from Lindsay to Crawford, and he married in a small country church, and happily lived the rest of their lives there. I am a direct descendant of Edwin Lindsay, and a second cousin to the current Earl of Crawford.

As a result of me being a direct descendent, I inherited all of Edwin’s possessions, which was the island in the Shetland Islands, and the land in Scotland that I mentioned earlier, and as a gift Lord Robert Lindsay, the Earl of Crawford gave me the two titles that I now have, which unfortunately often brings a lot of media attention, which is the real pain in the butt part of being a Lord,” Edwin said to me.