Chapter 36: Paying Off

(June 1814)

When HMS Clyde cast anchor in the bay of Valetta, the other ships of their small squadron had already returned. Whilst behind them the captured Jenny Girl, flying the Blue Ensign over her American flag, also dropped her anchor, Thomas watched another ship with interest. She was a large frigate, larger than Clyde, with 14 main deck gun ports and longer by at least 20 feet. Thomas guessed her to be a two-decker that had been razeed to a single gun deck, a procedure that was being performed on a number of older 74s to produce frigates powerful enough to deal with the large American frigates such as the famed USS Constitution. The newcomer was also flying a red ensign, indicating that she was shipping an admiral senior to Hastings.

Hastings was standing at Thomas’s side and offered a rueful smile.

“I suppose this’ll end my command here in the Mediterranean. Well, at least we ended it with capturing a prize.”

Recognition signals were hoisted, and the newcomer was HMS Goliath, 52, an almost 30-year-old veteran of three major naval battles, now reduced to a fourth-rate. Presently, a boat from Goliath approached Clyde, and an older midshipman delivered an envelope to Hastings. With a shrug, the admiral disappeared in his cabin, only to show on deck again after less than five minutes.

“This concerns you too, Captain. Rear-admiral of the Red, The Right Honourable Albert Fanshaw, has informed me of his taking over the squadron and the station. You and I are to return to England, Grey. Clyde will be paid off and placed in ordinary. Sorry, Captain.”

Thomas could not and would not hide his delighted grin.

“That’s not unexpected, Sir Harold, is it?”

“No, it really isn’t. Fanshaw is well connected, and he probably used his father’s influence to get this command. That leaves us to enjoy the fruits of our perils at home, with our lovely wives. Horrible, isn’t it?”

“Absolutely, Sir Harold. Any mention of a peace with America?”

“No. Our prize should be recognised. Her cargo should fetch a pretty penny here, although the ship would be of higher value back in England. Who needs fast cargo ships in these narrow waters I ask?”

An idea had been germinating in Thomas’s head and now it came to the fore.

“Sir Harold, I have been thinking the same. If you have no objection, I would bid for the ship myself and bring her to England.”

“Now, that’s an idea! Would you mind letting me in on this deal? Commerce will be thriving now, with Boney gone for good, and fast merchantmen will be at a premium. We may just clear a tidy surplus.”

Thomas nodded with an inward, wry smile. That was neat of Hastings to bring himself into the deal, but it might be an advantage too. A captain of less than three years’ seniority might be ordered to leave for England post-haste, but a rear admiral was a different matter.

“That would be helpful, Sir Harold.”

“Undoubtedly. By the way, we are invited for dinner in the Goliath. Second dogwatch. Mighty nice of Fanshaw, isn’t it?”

“Will you issue a counter invitation, Sir Harold?”

“Decidedly. I suppose we’ll be invited by the Civil Commissioner too. Let’s take our time. I’ll ask the harbour admiral to assemble the prize court presently, but it’ll take a few days at the least. Well, that’s it, Grey. We’ll go home, and it’ll be in style, sailing a famous frigate back to England with my flag flying from her mast head.”

“Better than returning in a rum cask, Sir Harold.”

Hastings pointed at Thomas. “That’s the truth, by God! Oh dear, to whom shall we entrust the Jenny Girl?”

“I shall ask Mr. Harvey, Sir Harold. With Clyde being paid off, he might relish his own command, at least for a few weeks.”

“Good idea. I pity our officers and crew. They had all hoped for a longer posting. Well, there’s nothing we can do. We’ll be on half pay ourselves before long.”

Rear Admiral Fanshaw was a gracious host. He invited the captains of his entire squadron that evening, treating them to fine foods and well aged wines. Being new to the Mediterranean, he asked many questions of Hastings, but also of Thomas, and he showed much interest in the situation along the Barbary Coast. Thomas guessed that the powers at Whitehall were getting ready to put pressure on the corsairs to end piracy. From what Thomas learned, Britain was now acting as protector and negotiator for the lesser Mediterranian powers, namely Sicily and Sardinia. Personally, Thomas was just as happy to leave this problem to Fanshaw and his captains. He guessed that Tunis might be willing to cooperate, but Tripolis and even more so, Algiers, would not give up the only way of life they knew. With two frigates and two sloops, Fanshaw would be hard pressed to exert any sort of influence.

It took the prize court five days all told to recognise the Jenny Girl as a lawful prize of HMS Clyde. The schooner and its cargo were offered at auction only three days later. The Greek wine fetched a decent enough price. The raisins did not fare as well, and so Thomas made a bid for them, buying ten tons of dried wineberries for fifty-three guineas. He reasoned with himself that he could always transport them in Clyde should his bid on the schooner fail. The olive oil sold for good money to a local trader.

When the ship came up, the bids were cautious. The Maltese traders and shipowners were hesitant, seeing that the ship had limited cargo capacity. Her speed was of less value in the confined waters of the eastern Mediterranean. In the end, Thomas prevailed with a bid of £1.350, mostly monies that had been forwarded to him from Guildford when he expected his posting to last a year or more but also supplemented by £450 from Hastings who thus became a one-third owner of the schooner.

After yet another farewell dinner in Clyde‘s great cabin, the frigate and the topsail schooner under her temporary Master John Harvey weighed anchor for the journey to England. Mr. Curry had to stay behind, awaiting a prisoner transport to England, but his daughters (Thomas was fairly certain of his deductions) sailed as guests in Clyde. All three applied themselves to the task of improving Lady Hastings and her sister’s English, and the great cabin was more or less constantly filled with giggles and laughter as the five young women bonded very quickly with each other.

The wind did not favour them at all, and beating to westward Thomas soon appreciated the seaworthiness of his new acquisition, for the Jenny Girl out-sailed her larger consort handily so close to the wind. That had to be expected with her fore-and-aft rigging and her narrow beam, but it was nevertheless welcome to know for certain. It also caused some pride for Thomas, since he had out-foxed Captain Curry in spite of the superior speed of the schooner.

Once they reached the Strait of Gibraltar, they sailed past The Rock. There was no need to make a stop, no need to pick up a convoy for safe passage to England, and nobody left there with whom they were acquainted. This made Thomas a little more conscious of the changes in his life.

Sailing along the Portuguese coast, the two ships were evenly matched again, with a lively wind abeam driving them northward. It was sheer pleasure now for the Clyde and her crew, and a fitting experience for their last journey.

Past the Cap Finisterre, they encountered a French frigate flying her white, fleur de lys ensign, and they exchanged salute guns with her instead of broadsides. It was slightly surreal to Clyde‘s crew.

More French ships were sighted during their dash through the English Channel, a sign that commerce between the former enemies was already starting again. Once past Dover, they changed course to North, and from this point onward, Jenny Girl held the advantage again. Clyde had been ordered to London for paying off, why Thomas did not know, but he appreciated it anyway in spite of the tricky leg up the River Thames. By dropping their anchors during the ebb tide and using the incoming tide judiciously, the two ships made their way to the Pool of London in two days. August 4, 1814 saw them dropping their anchors.

Thomas now faced the task of paying off ship and crew whilst Hastings, with Chiara, her sister and their three servants left the ship almost immediately. Hastings was very cordial and promised to visit again in the next days, but he was anxious enough to find lodgings and start his married life for real.

Thomas had to report to the port admiral, a position that was occupied by a full admiral, Sir Leander Goode. Thomas was advised that no funds were available for paying off his crew and that he would have to wait for a fortnight or more. He was then ordered to move Clyde downriver to Deptford, anchor there and stow away her top hamper whilst waiting for the next orders. Thomas then asked for and received permission to sleep ashore.

It was too late by then to find the Bennings’ house, and Thomas settled down for one last night on board his fine frigate. He invited his wardroom officers and Miss Curry to dinner and relayed the news to them. Mr. Harvey, after anchoring the Jenny Girl and leaving her under his senior mate, had re-joined Clyde‘s wardroom, and he would be in charge of the ship whenever Thomas was ashore.

On the next morning, Clyde sailed downriver and anchored in the river at Deptford. Whilst Harvey supervised the crew as they removed the top hamper and stowed away the sails, and Bartleby promised to look after the three young women, Thomas took the cutter upriver to Westminster where he went ashore and found a hackney cab that took him past St. James and to Stanhope Gate in Mayfair. The house Angela owned there was certainly grand, with three storeys and an elaborately decorated front facing the street. Thomas let his eyes take in the setting before he climbed the steps leading up to the front door.

Before he could even work the knocker, the door flew open and a beaming Mirabel fairly jumped into his arms, almost knocking him over and back down the stairs. He managed to stay on his feet, but only barely.

“Oh, my love, you’re finally back!” she squealed, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

Thomas laughed happily. “Of course, my sweet Mirabel! How come you...”

“The Morning Chronicle listed Clyde as having cast anchor. I knew that you’d be busy yesterday, but I was waiting for you all morning!”

“They made us sail her downriver to Deptford and anchor there. It took the cutter over two hours to make the Whitehall landings. I really...”

“I know! Oh, please come in already. Angela and Florence are here, and so is Captain Benning, and they all want to welcome you!”

Mirabel dragged him through the door full of enthusiasm. He stumbled after her in a rather undignified fashion, but she was so obviously happy that he did not mind at all. A few moments later, he stood in a fine dining room where three of his best friends sat at the table, eying him with obvious pleasure. It was Angela who stood quickly and led Thomas to the table.

“My dear Thomas, we are so glad that you made your way back to England. Do sit down and enjoy the meal with us!”

“Thank you, Mrs. Benning. You are as kind as ever!” Thomas answered.

Florence had risen from the table and gave him a heartfelt hug. “Welcome back, Thomas!” she beamed unashamedly.

Now Captain Benning was also standing. “Welcome to our house, my dear Grey! So you sailed the old Clyde back home?”

“Yes, Sir. We anchored her at Deptford where she’ll be moored until somebody decides what to do with her.”

“That was to be expected. Northumberland was paid off too. A damn shame, but the war is over and we all returned in one piece. That’s something at least. Are you looking for lodgings, my dear Grey?”

Thomas gave a smile. “I was looking for my wife, first and foremost, Sir. The rest has to come later.”

Benning chuckled, but then Angela nudged her husband and he nodded.

“There’s one thing that needs to be addressed. You and I have been serving together for eight years, and you grew into an officer whom I am very proud to count among my fellow-captains. Will you do me the favour of dispensing with the formalities and call me by my name, Elias? I know that you’re a knight now, but...”

“With the greatest feeling of distinction, Elias, but only if you never address me as ‘Sir Thomas’,” Thomas smiled with pride. “You have been instrumental in making me the officer I am today.”

“That’s settled then, my dear Thomas. Sit with us now and enjoy a belated noon meal. Oh, and pray let us know how your last months went!”

Thomas helped Mirabel with her chair and sat at her side whilst one of the servants produced a China plate and silver cutlery for him.

“Well, Hastings had us sail to Sardinia first, to look for Berbers, but chiefly for him to marry his Chiara...”

“He did, didn’t he? Oh dear, he was smitten with her from the first evening.”

“She has many charms, and she will forever remind him of his successes as Commodore,” Thomas opined. “Well, we visited Cagliari too, and they wined and dined us for a week.”

Thomas proceeded to tell the others about the weeks and months under Hastings’s command, about their cruise along the eastern Barbary Coast, and their capture of the Jenny Girl. It was then that he had to mention Miss Curry and her servants and that they were still waiting in the Clyde. This, of course, was enough for the three women to bombard him with questions as to how the young women were faring and why he had not brought them along. He pointed out, of course, that he’d not had the time to find accommodations for them and that he indeed planned to look after them as he had promised to Captain Curry.

“Obviously, you mean well, my dear Thomas, but they must be rescued post-haste,” Angela declared. “You say the two servant girls are...”

“I am not familiar with the state of slavery in America, but those two are likely Captain Curry’s offspring, and they are very attached to young Miss Curry.”

“Their likely half-sister,” Angela nodded. “Why, my dear Elias, would you mind if we gave those girls shelter until they can find passage back to – what? Baltimore?”

Elias Benning nodded with an amused smile. “Do as you think right, my dear. Are they well behaved?”

The question was directed at Thomas who nodded judiciously. “You will find Miss Curry to be a delightful young woman, and the two servant girls are quite articulate and well behaved. It is obvious to me that they were treated as part of Captain Curry’s family.”

“Well, I have not the heart to send out Thomas, now that he and our dear Mirabel are reunited. Besides, it would take too long anyway for them to return before nightfall. We can hire a six-oar wherry first thing tomorrow, go downriver with the ebb tide, and return with the girls on the incoming tide. They’re lodging in a cabin aboard a King’s ship; they’re safe!”

Angela looked abashed. “Of course, darling, you are right. I did not think of how far downriver Deptford is. You Navy men of course think of this immediately.”

“It’s one of the things a captain has to learn,” Elias grinned. “Now, given the reputation Thomas enjoys for conjuring up lovely ladies, are those American girls any match for these three ladies?”

Thomas actually flushed a little whilst searching for the right answer.

“Miss Curry is a pretty maid by any standard. As for her two companions, they will pass for pretty in any enlightened company. In years past, I would have boasted of their presence at my dinners, but now I merely see them as young maidens entrusted to me by their father.”

“Be that as it may, they will appreciate our hospitality,” Angela ended the discussion. “You men just convey them into my care at your earliest convenience. Well, my dear Thomas, what are your plans for the next future?”