Fic: Legacy
This was a joint plot bunny effort. One part came from the following_sea Shifting Sands challenge, which basically said I could do whatever I wanted as long as it somehow related to the theme of shifting sands. The second came from a prompt of captainzarina's over at disney_kink, which was a request for a relationship between Captain Amelia and Alice from the live-action Through the Looking Glass. Being a Captain Amelia fan, I figured I could try my hand at something that was close to both prompts. Given that I don't think it quite meets the qualifications of either, though (I'm going with the more nebulous "shifting sands of time" meaning), I'm posting it here rather than on either of the communities. Hope you enjoy it anyway, though!
Title: Legacy.
Rating: PG just in case.
Summary: The Old Guard Meets Young Blood.
As Alice Kingsleigh stepped off the Wonder’s gangplank, the first thing that caught her eye was the young man standing just outside the throng of people. It wasn’t his physical distance that got her attention, it was the look he was giving her. Ordinarily, people (especially men) would look at her askance when they saw her in her Captain’s uniform, their expressions ranging from surprise to disgust. She supposed she couldn’t blame them, in a way-they were still caught up in matters of “what’s done” rather than “what’s best”-but that didn’t mean she enjoyed the scrutiny. This man, however, had an expression of approval on his face. Given that she currently couldn’t see her mother or Lord Ascot nearby, Alice gave some orders to the workmen to unload the cargo, then made her way over to the man. “May I help you, sir?”
The man’s smile grew a little wider. “Not exactly. But the explanation can wait till we’ve made our introductions.” He held out his hand. “William Kennedy Hornblower.”
“Alice Kingsleigh.” Alice replied, shaking his hand. Just as she started to release her grip, the last name registered, and she stared at the man in amazement. “‘Hornblower?’ As in Rear-Admiral Hornblower?”
Young Hornblower’s eyes twinkled slightly. “Ah, so you know of my father.”
“Of course I do!” Alice said almost indignantly, “It’s best to stay acquainted with Naval matters, to learn which sea passages are safe to take. And Admiral Hornblower has been particularly adept at keeping the waters safe.”
“I’m flattered to hear him given such praise, though I’m not sure he would share the sentiment,” young Hornblower said, “But he’s not exactly the reason I’m here.”
“Oh? Then why are you here?”
“You’ve obviously heard of my father. But my more pressing question is, have you heard of my mother?”
Alice cast her mind back, trying to remember the naval gazettes she’d read or any of the society papers she’d been forced to leaf through before starting work for the trading company. “I’m sorry, I can’t say I have.”
“Don’t apologize. It’s something that people do their damndest not to bandy about. All that’s important is that my mother recently became aware of your exploits, and she expressed a desire to meet you. Do you think you can find the time to come round to our rooms in London while you’re in port?”
Now even more puzzled (but equally as curious), Alice nodded. “I believe so. I need to settle the Wonder’s affairs and move my effects to my home, but I should be able to manage at least a brief visit.”
“Very good,” young Hornblower said, removing a card from his coat and giving it to her, “Send word when you’ll be able to visit, and we’ll make sure to have tea prepared.”
Alice glanced at the card (it bore an address, but the names given were merely “Lord and Lady Hornblower”) before tucking it into her pocket. “Thank you, Mr. Hornblower. I will try to come as soon as I can. You have successfully piqued my interest.”
He tipped his hat at her. “I’m glad to hear it. I hope to see you in the near future.”
With that, he stepped away and began to make his way down the dock. Alice watched him go for a few seconds, then shook her head and turned her attention back to her ship. Intriguing as this situation was, she had duties to attend to first.
***
That evening, Alice sent a note to the Hornblowers’ lodgings, asking if she could come for tea the next afternoon. A reply came an hour later, written in a surprisingly informal hand, saying that she would be expected at three, and that “it would also be of great pleasure to me if you would wear your uniform, rather than any formal dress”. The note was signed “Amelia Hornblower”. So at least Alice now had a name.
Unfortunately, that name was all Alice had. She had talked to both Lord Ascot and her mother and dug through all the papers she could find, but she hadn’t been able to turn up much about Lady Hornblower. She had found one or two mentions of her attending gatherings or holding salons, but it was as if the papers didn’t want to talk about her. That just made Alice even more curious. If Admiral Hornblower had married the woman, she had to at least be respectable. So why the silence? Alice prepared for bed and tried to sleep, reassuring herself that she would get answers soon.
The next afternoon, Alice (dressed in her uniform as requested) took a carriage to the address on the card. The carriage stopped in front of a handsome building, and Alice looked it over intently as the carriage drove away, but the façade gave no answers to her questions. Taking a deep breath and smoothing her coat, she stepped up to the door and knocked. A servant answered the door, took one look at her, and without batting an eye, said “Ah, you’ll be Captain Kingsleigh. Lord and Lady Hornblower are waiting for you in the parlor. If you’ll just come with me…”
Alice eagerly followed the man, wanting to learn what was going on as soon as possible. After going up a flight of stairs, the man stopped at a door, knocked, and after receiving a reply that Alice couldn’t quite hear, pushed the door open. “Captain Alice Kingsleigh to see you, my lady.”
Alice immediately stepped into the room and bowed. “It’s a pleasure to make your ac…”
Her voice died away as she lifted her head and finally got a good look at her hosts. Admiral Hornblower was about what she expected-a dignified, serious looking gentleman with his remaining hair carefully maintained and his posture as straight as age would allow. But then Lady Hornblower stepped into Alice’s line of sight, and everything suddenly became simultaneously clear and even more confusing.
For a start, Lady Hornblower was wearing a naval uniform of her own. The design was outdated, bearing epaulettes instead of stripes, and yet it was perfectly tailored. Then Alice looked up into Lady Hornblower’s face, and her eyes widened when she saw the pointed ears, the tan skin a stark contrast against the white hair. Despite all she had seen in Underland, Alice wasn’t sure what to make of this. What on earth…
Lady Hornblower must have seen the shock on Alice’s face, because she gave a wry smile as she dipped into a bow of her own. “The pleasure is all mine, Captain. Please, sit down, and I’ll do my best to answer the questions I know you have.”
Alice took the nearest seat, trying her best not to stare. “Forgive me,” she said, “I know I’m being rude.”
Lady Hornblower waved her hand. “It happens everytime we meet someone new. I’ve learned to stop being put out by it. As long as you’re willing to listen to what I have to say, I don’t hold it against you.”
“Of…of course.” Alice said, glancing over at Admiral Hornblower. He was looking her over intently, with that judgmental expression Alice was familiar with, except for once it didn’t seem to be related to what she wearing. If anything, it seemed to be warning her to be on her best behavior. A little unnerved, Alice swallowed and turned her gaze back to Lady Hornblower. “If I may, Lady Hornblower…where is Mr. Hornblower?” Perhaps having a friendlier face would make this easier for her.
“William had his own business to attend to,” Lady Hornblower said, adjusting her uniform as she sat down, “Besides, I wished this tea to be between Naval officers only.”
Alice’s eyes flicked down to Lady Hornblower’s outfit. “Naval…”
“Yes, Captain,” Lady Hornblower said, touching the tips of her fingers together and fixing Alice with a hard stare, “In my prime, I was Captain Amelia Drake, in command of HMS Legacy. And if I may say so, I was the best privateer hunter the Royal Navy had.”
Alice couldn’t stop her mouth from dropping open. Her mind whirled as she tried to come up with an appropriate response. Demanding to know how that was possible, given her own hardships in becoming a Captain, seemed rude. Admitting she’d never heard of either a Captain Drake or the Legacy didn’t seem like the wisest course of action either. But she felt like she needed to say something.
Fortunately, Admiral Hornblower finally spoke. “I’m sure this is an unexpected revelation to you. It is to many people. The question is, will that negatively affect your opinion of my wife?”
“N-no!” Alice responded, “How could it? My own life hasn’t exactly been conventional either, so who am I to pass judgment?”
Immediately, the atmosphere in the room changed. Admiral Hornblower’s posture didn’t change, but his expression softened into something a lot more inviting. Looking back at Lady Hornblower, Alice saw that she was smiling a broad smile, eyes twinkling. “I told you so, Horatio.” she said.
Admiral Hornblower just cleared his throat. Lady Hornblower turned her attention back to Alice. “That’s why I sent for you. As soon as I heard that you had managed to gain a Captaincy for yourself, I knew I had to meet you. If nothing else, I could get a taste of the old life from the stories you told. And perhaps, if you were receptive, I could offer you what little advice I had.”
“I would be honored,” Alice said, “Though I’d like to know how exactly you managed to attain the rank of Captain first. Even though I had the support of Lord Ascot, I still had to fight tooth and nail for my position. For you to achieve it in the Royal Navy…”
Lady Hornblower smiled grimly. “My struggle wasn’t quite the same as yours, as you might expect. But this is a story that should be told over refreshments.” On cue, their servant returned, pushing a tea tray. “Thank you, Brown,” Amelia said, giving the man a nod before starting to pass out the teacups, “Now then, I suppose I should begin with the part of my tale that needs the most explaining.”
With that, she launched into a story that had nearly as many twists and turns as Alice’s experiences in Underland. An unexplained malformation of her ears, family tragedy, an elaborate ruse that had her posing as a man, the inevitable discovery, a trial. Lady Hornblower was a good storyteller, her voice ringing with emotion, though Alice got the distinct impression that part of it was due to old wounds that had never fully healed. She listened attentively, her tea mostly forgotten, as Lady Hornblower described the Admiralty’s unorthodox decision allowing her to keep her position, at the cost of many privileges. “I often chafed against my shackles,” she said, her spoon clattering a little too hard against the sides of her teacup, “But I accepted them, given the circumstances. Besides, Lord knows where I would be now had the Admiralty not made the decisions they did. Certainly not here, with money, land, a title, and a fine family.”
“You would have managed,” Admiral Hornblower said, “You’re too strong to have let it break you.”
“I appreciate the vote of confidence, my dear, but back then, I wasn’t nearly as sure of myself. Being ousted from the Navy might very well have done irreparable harm.”
Admiral Hornblower had no response to that, though whether it was because he agreed or disagreed, Alice couldn’t say. Lady Hornblower turned her attention back to her story, relating how she had finally found her place chasing down privateers, and how it eventually led to her relationship with Admiral Hornblower, though they had both been captains at the time. She glossed over many of the details, claiming that it wasn’t important, but Alice could tell by the warmth in her voice and the soft glances she threw at Admiral Hornblower that it was important, at least to Lady Hornblower.
The story came to an end at the same time the war did, Lady Hornblower following the orders laid out for her at her court-martial and resigning her position. “I’ve done my best to be a proper wife since then,” she said, though she said it with a wry smile, “Though I avoid Society gatherings if at all possible. I serve Admiral Hornblower better by providing him with a sympathetic ear as he tells of problems with his ship, or by making sure he has a tidy, welcoming home to come back to. Besides, that allows me an excuse to wear the clothes that suit me.”
She gestured to her uniform at that. “I do need to have new clothes made every few years to adapt to the ravages of age, but I don’t mind the cost or the odd looks. Fortunately, the older I get, the easier it is to dismiss my requests as eccentricities, and thus people are less likely to look at me askance.”
Alice nodded; she’d noticed a similar trend. Lady Hornblower refreshed Alice’s teacup and pushed over the cream and sugar pots. “But I’ve prattled on enough. While you now understand why I was compelled to see you for myself, I have specific reasons for inviting you here.”
Alice wasn’t surprised. “At your service, Lady Hornblower.”
“Oh, don’t,” Lady Hornblower said, “I have to hear that enough from servants and Society. My friends call me Amelia. Which is my first reason for calling you here. I…” her voice faltered for the first time, “I was rather hoping that you and I could become friends. I have old friends from the service, and there are a surprising number of ladies who can look past my ears and my history, but you…you’re the first woman I can really talk to candidly about Naval life and adventures. I’d like to take advantage of that.”
“It would be my pleasure,” Alice said, suddenly feeling a little taller and stronger, “And I’d certainly be grateful for any advice you can offer me. Though I’m not certain I’d be entirely comfortable calling you by your Christian name just yet.”
“I understand,” Lady Hornblower said, “In which case, I would much prefer it if you would call me Captain.”
“I can manage that, Captain.” Alice said, giving her a grin and a salute.
Lady-Captain Hornblower grinned back. “You can’t imagine how nice it is to hear that again. It might not seem like it now, but there will come a point when you’ll find it hard to respond to anything else.”
“I think I’m already reaching that point,” Alice admitted, “I bristle internally when anyone at a party refers to me as ‘Miss Kingsleigh’.”
Captain Hornblower laughed, and even though it rasped due to her age, Alice recognized the hearty note in it that was common among sailors. “Then you’re in for a long battle of fighting for the correct form of address. But if you’ve made it this far, that shouldn’t be a problem for you.”
Alice flushed slightly at the praise. Captain Hornblower got to her feet and made her way over to a nearby end table, where a small but ornate box was sitting. “I understand that your line of work will make it difficult for us to meet regularly,” she said, “But I would be content if we were able to meet up for an afternoon whenever you make your way back to England. The Admiral and I are either here in London or at our home in Smallbridge.”
“I’m sure I’ll be able to sneak away,” Alice assured her, “In fact, it might be just the excuse I need to get out of various stuffy parties. Conversation with you sounds much more appealing.”
Captain Hornblower picked up the box and returned to her seat. “I’m flattered, and more than willing to provide you with that excuse. Now then, onto my other reason for calling you here.”
She set the box on the table, resting her hand on top of it. “I take care of myself as best I can, but there is no denying that I’m old. While I have no intention of dying just yet, I have started to make plans for what happens after I am gone. Both Admiral Hornblower and I have had wills drawn up, making sure our children will be taken care of and that our friends will have something to remember us by. But the will mostly applies to our money and our estate. It’s a little harder to decide what to do with individual items.”
She looked over at Admiral Hornblower, who had been mostly silent throughout all this. “What do you think, Horatio?”
Admiral Hornblower looked Alice over again. Then he nodded. “I think she’s a perfect fit.”
Before Alice could ask what he meant, Captain Hornblower opened the box. Nestled in the satin interior was a wooden ball, rubbed smooth by time but fairly ordinary looking, given the box it rested in. “An heirloom of the Drake family,” Captain Hornblower explained, lifting it out of the box and rolling it around her hands, “Broken off a ship that fought the Spanish Armada. It was one of the few possessions I brought with me when I first went to sea. I always thought of it as a good luck talisman. Horatio-the Admiral-understood what it meant to me, but no one else seemed to appreciate it. Even my children see it only as something I care about, without fully realizing why. I do not wish for it to be thrown into the fire upon my death, or to be kept upon the mantelpiece as a memento mori. It was meant to be at sea, and if I can’t be there to accompany it, then it deserves to be with someone who will treat it with the same amount of care and respect.”
She held the ball out to Alice. “I bequeath it to you, Captain Kingsleigh. May it give you the same good fortune it gave me.”
Alice couldn’t repress a gasp. Reaching out, she picked up the ball and held it gingerly in her hand. It was light, weighing no more than a full cup and saucer, and rested perfectly against her palm and curved fingers. Her hand seemed to tingle the longer it sat there, as though the ball was giving off some sort of energy. She looked back at Captain Hornblower, who was watching her almost tentatively. Exhaling slowly, Alice rubbed the ball with her thumb before placing it in its case and closing the lid. “It will be safe with me,” she promised, “Shall I bring it round whenever I come to visit? I wouldn’t wish to take it from you before your time.”
Captain Hornblower’s eyes glittered, and Admiral Hornblower reached over and rested his hand on hers. Captain Hornblower took a few deep, shaky breaths, and then she nodded. “I would appreciate that. Thank you.”
“Thank you,” Alice said, “I wish I’d known about you before. It might have made gaining my own Captaincy that much easier. Perhaps I’ll make sure to make my own case more public, so I can smooth the way for other women like us.”
“If you need assistance, feel free to come to me,” Admiral Hornblower said, “I cannot change the rules on my own, but my name and position have enough clout that I can help things along a little.”
Alice nodded. “I will. Thank you. Both of you.”
The clock on the mantle chimed the hour. Captain Hornblower gave a faint start and glanced at it. “Four already? Now I’m certain I talked for too long. I hope I haven’t kept you from anything important, Captain Kingsleigh.”
“Nothing that can’t wait.” Alice assured her.
“Even so, I’m afraid we’ll have to cut this visit short,” Captain Hornblower said, getting to her feet once more, “I need to make dinner arrangements, and my son will be home any minute. But I’d be delighted if you’d call on us again.”
“I’ll be sure to,” Alice said, following her hostess’ example and standing up, picking up the chest as she did so, “Perhaps you can offer me advice about the best routes to take.”
“Excellent,” Captain Hornblower said, “Just let me know when you’re free, and I’ll be sure to set aside some time for you. Allow me to see you to the door.”
After shaking hands with Admiral Hornblower, Alice accompanied Captain Hornblower to the front door. When she held out her hand to make her goodbyes, the Captain surprised her by pulling her into a hug. Despite her age and her slender frame, the Captain’s grip was still strong. “Forgive an old woman’s eccentricities,” she murmured in Alice’s ear, “But knowing someone like you is out there gives me hope for the future.”
Alice smiled and returned the embrace. “There’s no need to apologize. I’m eccentric myself.”
Captain Hornblower released her and smiled warmly. “I know. Best of luck on your journeys, Captain Kingsleigh. I look forward to reading about your exploits.”
“I’ll be sure to write and tell you about them first-hand.” Alice answered, giving her an answering smile before stepping outside, where the Hornblower carriage was waiting to take her home. As the carriage set out, she carefully stroked the top of the case and wondered when it would be the right time to tell Captain Hornblower about her other set of exploits. She was certain there would be a right time, but not this early on. Perhaps once they had reached a first-name basis.
When Alice departed for China a week later, the ball and its case were given pride of place on her desk. And one year later, when Alice was preparing to strike out with her mother, she chose to reflect the change by having her hair cut to match the style of the captain who had come before her.