Chapter 10: The Quays of Rosetta

February 1833

The journey down the River Nile was almost anticlimactic after the excitement in Cairo. Maddalena and Ettore were strictly confined to the cabin. Nothing was to be be risked so close to safety, and the influence of the former owner of the siblings could easily reach to Rosetta where they were embark for the journey to Malta. The roughly 120 nautical miles from Cairo to ancient Rosetta, or Rashid, took almost three full days, and they arrived in the evening.

A Maltese ship, the Gozo, was moored at the quay, ready to take the travellers on the next leg of their journey. It was decided to dress the siblings as Indian girls again, and Neeta and Sadie worked on that from sunrise the next morning. The luggage was transferred first, and they could see that each chest was opened and inspected. Clearly, the soldiers were searching for the fugitives.

It helped a little that the Potters were bringing along almost twelve tons of stone steles and tables, distributed over more than three dozen wooden crates. Each had to be opened and was searched by the soldiers, tiring them out. Then the crates were nailed shut again and had to be stowed in the Gozo packet. The Potters had been let in on the secret, and Mister Potter and his son held themselves ready.

When they could not delay the disembarkation any more, they readied themselved for running a gauntlet, so to speak, hoping for the youngsters’ masquerade to suffice. The Potters left the barge first, and as agreed, Mister Potter drew the Egytpian officers to the side, to hand over the bakshish on which they had agreed. This would at least distract the officers in charge at the quay.

Then the Carters followed. At the last moment, Ellen took a deep breath. Maddalena and Ettore had to carry Anthony and Sally on their arms, and Ellen made them understand to walk right behind her, head bowed.

Then she told Neeta to take off the cape she usually wore, exposing her in all her colourful and strange beauty. Ellen herself took off her head scarf and opened her hair. The waist-long blond tresses flowed freely over her back, and she took a moment to brush them into a golden cascade. Then she gave the sign to leave ship.

The 120 feet from the barge to the gangplank of the packet were the longest walk Ellen ever made. She forced herself to walk leisurely and with dignity, head held high, and looking around, letting her hair move in the soft breeze. Neeta and Sadie bracketed Maddalena and Ettore between them, and Sir Anthony with Harriet brought up the rear, together with John Little. Harriet had taken off her head scarf, too, following Ellen’s example, and her reddish hair, only slightly streaked with grey, was another eye catcher.

The quick glances around told Ellen that she had not miscalculated. Every eye on the quay was on her; her brazen display of — for the Egyptians — exotic feminine beauty left the workers and soldiers breathless. Not one of them had ever seen hair like hers, let alone on a woman clothed in the Western style. Scarcely anyone seemed to cast a single glance at her entourage, and those who did were captivated by Neeta’s naked midriff and the gay colours of her silk sari or by Harriet’s red hair. Whatever the reasons were, Ellen’s or Harriet’s hair, Neeta’s tummy, or the effective masquerade of the two youngsters, they made it safely to the gangplank of the merchant man.

Richard had not spoken a single word on the short walk, but once they were in their cabin, his hand let go of the sword hilt he had held the entire time. Similarly, Sir Anthony, who had held one pistol at the ready under a coat he held over his arm, relaxed.

“Ellen, that was brilliant!” he conceded, “although I thought my heart would stop at any moment.”

The enormity of the risk she had just run made Ellen weak, and she sat.

“It worked!” she expostulated. “This was probably the most shameless act I ever committed.” A silly giggle rose to her mouth, shaking her shoulders. “It will be a while before those soldiers can attend to their duties again.”

“I’ll speak with the captain. Perhaps we can weigh anchor today. I think everyone is on board, and I’d rather not wait until somebody might become suspicious.”

Sir Anthony rose and left the cabin. He found the Maltese captain on the quarterdeck and introduced himself. Fortunately, the man spoke good English, and Sir Anthony was able to persuade him to leave early, in fact within the next hours. He cited urgent government business and promised an extra gratification for captain and crew.

And really, within two hours flat, the Gozo went up-anchor and crept out into the big stream. Before the sun set, they had cleared the mouth of the river and passed the last Egyptian coastal battery. It was done.

The harbour of Valletta was one of the most beautiful sights they had seen on their journeys. The fortifications built by the Knights of St. John were awe-inspiring, contrasting white with the blue sky and the green sea. Most importantly, Malta was British, and they would have a chance to rest in peace and security.

As travellers on government business, they were invited to the Governor’s residence, in fact the former palace of the Knight Commanders. The British Governor, Vice Admiral Lord Bugler, was junior to Sir Anthony, and he greeted them effusively. They had last met in 1803, during the blockade of Brest, and Sir Anthony knew him as a brilliant officer who, like himself, had made it from the most humble origins. He had married wisely, too; his wife, Lady Bugler, was a distant cousin of the Duke of Wellington. Some of Lord Bugler’s achievements and distinctions were rumoured to be owed to this fact. As Foreign Office representative, Richard received a friendly welcome in his own right...

For once, Ellen met a woman whose social skills and standing far surpassed her own. Lady Bugler had been in her cousin’s entourage at the Vienna Congress, and she knew almost every crowned head in Europe. She also found out quickly whom the Lamberts had brought with them. Maddalena and Ettore were the only children of the Savoyan Viceroi of Sardinia, Guiseppe-Maria Robert, Conte di Castelvero, and they had been taken captive almost two years ago when their ship, en route to Cagliari, was taken by Algerian pirates. Lady Bugler immediately saw the political impact; the Viceroi would be indebted to the British forever. She saw to it that Maddalena and Ettore were clothed according to their stand and given appropriate accommodations in the palace.

Ettore had picked up some English, as had Maddalena, but a translator was procured who helped to interview the youngsters. Ettore could tell a little bit about the small harbour on the Algerian coast where they had been landed, an information Lord Bugler would pass on to the French authorities in Algiers.

Maddalena, however, would not talk about her experiences at all. Her demeanour had become withdrawn, almost morose. Ellen began to sense the reasons behind the girl’s withdrawal, and one evening, she pulled Ettore to the side to question him. He was stubborn, however, in his refusal to talk about his sister. The loyalty between the siblings was strong.

The next evening, after dinner, Ellen went into Maddalena’s room. The girl looked up at her with her usual mixture of gratitude and stubbornness. Unasked, Ellen sat down on the bed beside the girl. She knew that Maddalena had enough English already.

“Maddalena, won’t you tell me what happened to you?”

The girl’s eyes flew open, and she shook her head, clearly pleading to be left alone.

“Maddalena, we can’t help you if you don’t tell us.”

She shook her head, sending the black curls dancing.

“Nobody help me!” she said through gritted teeth.

“Don’t say that, please! We are your friends. Has it to do with that merchant, did he force you?”

A look of confusion was on the girl’s face now; she obviously did not understand.

“The man, the merchant, Maddalena, did he take you?”

Maddalena’s eyes filled with tears as she nodded.

“He say wanta me, no hurt Ettore.”

“He threatened to hurt your little brother if you did not give in? Hurt, how?”

Maddalena pointed at her own crotch and made a cutting motion with her hand, the gesture crystal clear in its meaning.

“Your brother was safe then?” Ellen asked softly.

The girl shook her head. “Man say, Ettore too big, must cut him. I kill guard at night, and we run, find you.”

“Then you saved him twice, you brave girl!” Ellen said, taking Maddalena’s hand. “You are a wonderful girl, the best sister Ettore could find. Your father will be proud of you.”

A bitter laugh broke forth from the girl’s mouth. She said something in Italian, but the only word Ellen could make out was ‘convento’ — monastery. She understood. The girl, her maidenhood broken, would never find a husband in the circles of her father. From Maria, she knew already that in Catholic countries, girls like Maddalena were locked away in a monastery to keep the family name unblemished. Her heart went out to the girl. Only sixteen, and her life and dreams were for all purposes over. Out of impulse, she put her hand on Maddalena’s arm.

“Come with us! The governor will send your brother to your father and to safety. You can come with us. If you don’t want to live with us, my mother will take you in. You will be free.”

To say Maddalena was shocked was an understatement. She looked at Ellen with open mouth whilst she tried to digest the words. Ellen saw a cloud of doubt on her face.

“What do when with you?”

“Whatever you want. First, you will have to learn English, of course. We shall help you find a place in life.”

“Why you do that?”

Yes, why did Ellen want to help this girl? Was it because she was already accustomed to pick up strays? Was it because life had dealt a bad hand to the girl? Or was it because the young girl’s dark beauty appealed to her? The last thought was unsettling, but she dismissed it quickly. In the end, she thought she had an answer.

“When I was your age, I was alone in the world and miserable. My parents were dead, and I had to run from my stepfather, just as you ran from that merchant. But I found a wonderful woman who took me in, and a wonderful man to marry me. I’ve had so much good fortune, I want to give back some of it to those who are in need.”

She had spoken slowly, waiting after each word for understanding to show in Maddalena’s eyes. When she was finished, Maddalena nodded in response.

“I wanta come with you.”

Ellen felt a big relief, and she hugged the girl spontaneously. For the first time, Maddalena hugged her back.

Ellen spoke to Lady Bugler in the next morning, and she explained the gist of what she had found out and what she planned to do. Her hostess agreed emphatically that the girl deserved better than to be locked away in a monastery. Together, they went to His Excellency’s office and presented the case. Lord Bugler was easily persuaded — he wisely followed his wife’s counsel in all social matters — and he promised to organise Ettore’s travel to Cagliari. Lady Bugler suggested that he sent his young cousin, Lt. Jonathan Bugler, who served as the governor’s aide-de-camp, to accompany the boy and to return him into his father’s care.

Next, the two women went to find Maddalena and her brother and found them together in the boy’s room. Both had been crying, apparently, and their eyes were downcast as Lady Bugler explained her offer. The siblings looked at each other and, after an encouraging nod from the boy, Maddalena consented.

A few days later, everything was arranged. HM sloop Pylades, 18 guns, sailed for Cagliari with the boy and with letters from the governor and from Maddalena. She had spent days over those letters, explaining to her father her motives but also what had happened to her in Cairo. Assuring him of her love, she asked his forgiveness for failing to return.

Ellen held Maddalena’s shoulders from behind as they watched the sloop leaving the harbour under her white sails. Ellen felt the silent sobs that shook her young charge, and she hugged her more tightly, assuring the girl of her friendship and support.

Three days later, they boarded the regular steam packet, the Hermes, owned by the Peninsular Steam Navigation Company. Lord Bugler and his wife personally saw them off. Lady Bugler and Ellen parted as friends, and they planned to meet once the governor returned to England. They lived on a manor house near Maidstone in Kent, not too far away from London, where they also had a town house in Bond Street.

Eight days after leaving Valletta, they reached Gibraltar where they took coal. The Hermes was a much better ship than the Hugh Lindsay, with more room and more efficient engines. The top heavy construction, however, was the same, and she rolled heavily in the seas. After leaving Gibraltar, where they took a few more passengers, the next stop was Porto. They took leave from the ship for a day, climbing the narrow streets of the city and enjoying the food in a tavern they found overlooking the harbour.

Two days later found them on their last leg, 1100 nautical miles, from Porto to London. The mood changed. For more than a year, they had been gone. More than a year, they had not received news from family members and friends. Suddenly, Harriet began to fret over whether Eleanor was all right. A lot of things can happen in sixteen months, including pregnancy and child birth, illness and death. They all grew nervous as the Hermes plowed her way through the Atlantic Ocean and into the English Channel.

Reaching the Thames estuary, Hermes once more proved her superiority over sailing ships by steaming upstream against the running tide. It was a Sunday, March 21, 1831, when Hermes reached her berth in the Pool of London. A billet was sent to Cavendish Square, and to Boscombe Drive to inform Harriet’s mother and Eleanor of their safe return. Then, a number of rented cabs were procured. Whilst Sir Anthony and Harriet drove to their own house and John Little headed for his home, the rest of the party climbed into three cabs and gave Cavendish Square as their destination.

Driving through London’s streets was almost unreal after the last months, Ellen found. Two of their number were missing, too. Mabel was dead, and Millicent would not return to England for another half year or more. The new additions, Neeta and Maddalena, looked about with wonder in their eyes. Never had either of them seen the like of the capital.