Disgraced
Copyright© 2025 by Ogreface
Chapter 21: Preparing for a Wife
There were married quarters just outside the main gate of the base. After inquiring about an available unit, and being shown around a rather cramped an unappetizing two-bedroom cottage with a total lack of privacy, Dane decided that Alita deserved better. He took the hourly shuttle to the small town of Greenfield, about three kilometers from the base, where he bought his civilian clothes.
The town was more like a rustic village nestled on a flat piece of land bordered by three natural borders. On one side was a low rocky ridge. The ridge was broken by a flat shallow ravine where a mid-sized stream ran past the village to form the second border. The third border was the natural forest between the town and the marine base. Across from the stream were green farm fields. Dane could see where the village got its name from.
The village seemed to cater for the marine base since there were a number of pubs and street cafés as well as a few cheap eateries but also a few high-end restaurants. Even the few clothing stores were more middle to high end and aimed at military personnel.
After asking some blunt questions, and getting a number of blank looks, Dane was finally given a name and an address. It was close enough to walk to even if it was on the outskirts of the town. Dane found himself knocking on a door of a cottage near the forest and bordering the stream. The sandstone cottage was surrounded by an overgrown garden. The person who answered was a barefoot young female wearing glasses and a long tube dress that was hiding any hint of a female figure.
“Mom, a marine captain to see you,” she called over her shoulders after Dane asked to speak to the lady whose name he was given. The lady who appeared was a slightly older version of the girl who opened the door, down to the same style dress and being barefoot. Neither of them wore any makeup and both had light-brown curly hair in a functional ponytail. They were not particularly attractive but not ugly or awkward either.
“I was given the name of Madam Gentri Phelps,” Dane said. “I am looking for a place to stay.”
“Officers usually stay in the BOQ so you must have a wife to want to stay in town,” the lady said.
“Or soon will have,” Dane said with a shrug and s smile. “I am Dane Galan, originally from Sagan but now here for maybe the next three years or longer.”
“I will bite, Dane Galan,” Gentri said as she stood back and waved Dane inside. “Let’s have tea while you tell me about yourself and why a young marine captain wants a place in this village.”
“Tea will be fine, thanks,” Dane said. He was about to counter her invitation to first see what accommodation she had to offer but the sudden look of suppressed excitement on the daughter’s face made him decide to have tea anyway.
“Nanette, tea please,” the mother said. “Come, Dane Galan, let’s go sit and talk.”
Dane was led past an open plan lounge which was more library and study than lounge, through a typical country kitchen and out the back door to a stone patio in the shade of a number of large trees. Past the low stone wall surrounding the patio Dane could see more lawn and shrubs. The back garden was also wild and looked as if it could do with some attention, but the effect looked quite calming and natural. Through the trees and shrubs he could see the water of the stream reflecting the sunlight.
“Your backyard is lovely,” Dane commented.
“We like it wild,” Ms. Phelps said as she waved at a wicker chair before sitting herself. “I also like the privacy. How did you get my name?”
“I am looking for a place for my soon-to-be wife and I to stay,” Dane said. “I took a look at the married quarters at the base but what they had there seems a bit...,” Ms. Gentri giggled.
“Unsuitable for a new bride,” she said. “I have some connection with the base so Nanette and I know most of the senior officers by sight. I can’t say I ever saw you around there, are you new here on Secundus?” she asked as Nanette came out with a tray which she placed on the low table in front of her mother.
“I guess I’m new everywhere,” Dane said while Gentri poured three cups of tea into dainty porcelain cups.
“The mystery deepens,” Nanette said as she handed Dane a cup before she took her own cup and sat down. “Who is this mysterious young officer wanting to rent the cottage next door?”
“You look incredibly young to be a captain, and also to be getting married,” Gentri said.
“To my embarrassment I have to admit that I got caught in awkward circumstances, both me and my future bride,” Dane said. “She wanted to watch a fireworks display on Cornell and in the process she dragged me into a private garden with a better viewpoint of the fireworks. What we didn’t know, was that the gates to the garden locked behind us so we were stuck all night.”
“And her father objected to her spending a whole night in your company with no chaperon?” Gentri said as both females giggled. “Quite understandable. I can show you what I have available. I just have..., maybe I should state that I had some issue renting a cottage to a marine officer. The cost is one issue, the other being that I value my privacy. The people in town knows me well enough to stay away from this corner of the town. I am a bit concerned that you might be tempted to invite some of your fellow officers over and that can lead to people wandering around here at all times of the day and night. I don’t know how popular you are among the other officers, but now I think I have been misjudging you.”
“I guess my age actually has a negative effect on my popularity among the others on the base,” Dane said. “I am much younger than all other officers.”
“I should play open cards with you to better explain my point,” Gentri said. “I am a widow. I am in the awkward position of having inherited everything from my husband, and the only child we had is Nanette. I am Lady Gentri Phelps, Dowager Baroness of Greenfield, which include this town and the entire forest between the river and the marine base. Add to that the fact that the Commandant of the Marine Corps is my brother. Nanette has a sizable dowry but as the only daughter of a baron, she is limited to who can court her.”
“Mama, the title is dormant,” Nanette said. “The moment you die, I will be a commoner, actually, I am already a commoner. What does it matter who I marry?”
“The title might be dormant, but I am still the Baroness of Greenfield,” Gentri said with a determined frown. “As for whom you marry, your uncle is and will be your guardian. With that said, how would you feel about renting the next door cottage from me, knowing that you are suddenly under the scrutiny of the Commandant of the Marine Corps?”
“I don’t have anything to hide from him,” Dane said. “I’m not sure if the rental cost is within reach of a mere marine captain. I do know that my bride do not deserve to live in the married quarters. I will need to find out if she has a dowry I can use.” Dane’s comment resulted in the baroness giving him a mildly disapproving look before she stood.
“Let me show you the cottage,” she said as she led the way off the patio and around the side of her cottage. Nanette was quick to follow.
The cottage was much larger and much more private than the bungalows of the married quarters. It was a sandstone building surrounded by trees and shrubs to the point where the cottage was not visible until one was nearly next to it. The cottage had furniture but no other furnishings like curtains, bedding, or kitchen utensils. There were two bedrooms upstairs, the main bedroom downstairs, and a separate office. It had a similar stone patio facing the river and was slightly closer to the river.
“I really like this, but before I can decide, I will need to show it to my bride,” Dane said after he was shown all over the empty cottage.
“Clever man,” the baroness said. “How about you go fetch your bride and bring her here. If she likes the place, and if we like her, we can decide on how much to ask you for the cottage.”
Dane had just gotten back to his room in the BOQ when he got a message telling him to contact the XO. Major Thompson handed him special movement orders, basically giving him the standard vague instructions to do what rangers needed to do to get the job done. Dane was not quite sure about the scope of his orders until the major explained that he could basically act on his own as needed, requisition transport on any navy ship going in the same direction he needed to go.
“The Electra is leaving tomorrow,” the major added. “You are to meet up with the duke of Sagan and the duke of Ceres at the base of the space elevator at noon tomorrow. The Electra is collecting the two dukes from Table Top instead of them going to the navy space station.”
Dane was used to think like a marine. When he was told to report onboard a navy ship, there was no guarantee than he will be back soon. The standard joke among PFCs were to take your toothbrush with when you were sent to fetch the mail. Even his current orders, to fetch Alita and return to Secundus, might get changed at some point before he got back. The result was that while he kept his room, he packed all his possessions into his duffel bag.
The next morning, after a last run with the rangers and a few persistent marines trying to impress the rangers, he got dressed in marine-gray fatigues. Then he strapped his impressively old and perfectly functional saber to his waist. Finally, he put his two medallions around his neck and secured them inside his shirt with pieces of silk so they didn’t rub against each other or made noises, and then he left for the rail terminal.
“Dane, my hero!” Duchess Sarah exclaimed when Dane met up with her and Duke Rolf in a private lounge at the bottom of the space elevator. She looked to be on pins and needles as Dane and Duke Rolf bowed and shook hands before she grabbed Dane around the chest and hugged him.
“I wonder how long the Electra will stop over at Ceres?” Duke Rolf said. “If there is enough time, I might get to show you your lands.”
“At the very least we should be able to show you the land from space,” Sarah said.
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