Hornblower Alphabet Soup 2010 Entry
Written for Lokei's alphabet soup challenge, rated G.
It is the tedium that wears on Horatio most. Life on board ship is routine but the accomplishment of tasks fills the day. Now it is a struggle to occupy himself for an hour. Leisure of course demands money and Horatio has none to spare.
He wraps his thin cloak closer around himself as he makes his way back to his boarding house; he has already pawned his thicker one. He had not been as successful at Whist tonight as he had hoped; perhaps his luck is failing at him at last.
He enters the boarding house as quietly as possible, the rent is late and he has no desire to be confronted by either of the Mason ladies. He is about the creep up the stairs when he is stilled by the sound of the parlour door opening and breathy, giggling, voices. He forces a smile onto his face and turns in greeting.
“Mr. Hornblower! Good evening to you!” The speaker, Edward Baker, says it while detangling himself from Miss Mason. Baker has been courting her for the past few weeks, much to Horatio’s relief. Miss Mason’s friendliness prior to Mr. Baker coming into her life had been most disconcerting to him. Miss Mason blushes and offers an explanation for why they had been alone in the parlour.
“Mr. Baker has asked me to marry him, Mr. Hornblower, and I have consented.”
Horatio’s answering smile is genuine at the news, “Congratulations, that is good news indeed.” They are both beaming at him and it occurs to Horatio they may be waiting for him to offer an explanation of his own, “About the rent…”
Miss Mason appears puzzled at his words, “The rent? Mr. Kennedy paid it earlier, does he require a receipt?”
Horatio shakes his head, “Ah no…never mind.” He says good night and makes his way up the stairs, on entering his, their, room, Archie looks up from the book he is reading. The candle that is lighted is new and Horatio supposes it is the product of the same spoils as the rent.
“Where did the rent money come from?” The suspicion is clear in Horatio’s voice, he fears Archie has pawned some family heirloom, a token from his late father perhaps.
Archie rolls his eyes as he replies, “I let Pellew put his hands down my breeches and he paid me handsomely.”
“Archie…” Horatio says it in exasperation, both at the glib remark instead of the truth and Archie’s continuing belligerent attitude towards Pellew.
“He’d have paid a better price for you, I’m sure.” Archie pauses before confessing, “Mama sent me the money; she must have pawned something.”
Horatio says nothing. Archie’s father had died while they were on Renown and his elder brother has stopped Archie’s allowance. His mother did what she could but unless they wanted the Dowager Lady Kennedy sharing the room with them it was not as much as she would have liked to do. Horatio does not feel any better at the thought of Archie’s mother in the pawn shop.
He sits on the bed to remove his boots and can hear Archie closing his book and putting it on the bedside table before asking, “Are the lovebirds still canoodling downstairs?”
Horatio smiles at that, “I believe they were about to part.” Archie had brought Baker home with him one dinner time and had ignored Horatio’s glare throughout the meal. Later Archie had confessed he did not like Miss Mason ‘making eyes’ at Horatio and thought Mr. Baker would make a suitable distraction for her. If the war never resumed Horatio supposed Archie could make a living from match making if his success with Miss Mason and Baker was any indication.
Once he’s slipped into his nightshirt he climbs into the bed beside Archie while Archie snuffs out the candle he was reading by before curling into Horatio’s side with a yawn. Horatio tries not to sound anxious as he enquires, “Tired?” His fretting over Archie’s health only irritates Archie, as if he had not nearly died from a gunshot wound and Horatio is unduly fussing. Archie does not complain on this occasion though, he rests his head on Horatio’s shoulder and replies, “A little.”
They lie in silence for a while and Horatio tries to listen to any erratic pattern in Archie’s breathing or heartbeat, anything to indicate he is not as well as he claims to be and is only sparing Horatio the worry of how to pay for a doctor. It is Archie who breaks the silence, “There was a letter from Mr. Bush, it was addressed to both of us, I didn’t think you’d mind if I opened it.”
“Of course not, is he well?” Horatio tries to keep his tone neutral, he does not begrudge Bush his promotion.
“Yes.” Archie pauses before continuing, “I still think it strange, that Pellew offered him the Hotspur and not you.”
“The Retribution should have been Mr. Bush’s command, Archie, he was senior. It was only handed to me because he was not well enough.”
Horatio does not think for a moment Archie believes his explanation but he cannot tell Archie the truth. He feels the flush of anger returning at the memory of his confrontation with Pellew. The joy and relief of Pellew’s offer of command of the Hotspur being usurped by Pellew’s caveat. Horatio could have the Hotspur if he agreed not to take Archie with him. Horatio had been shocked at first; that Pellew knew about him and Archie, then he had been outraged. He did not see why he should be rewarded with command yet Archie was not fit to serve when they were both ‘guilty’ of the same crime. When Pellew had muttered that there were rumours concerning Archie on Justinian Horatio had felt like striking him.
He had declined Pellew’s offer. He would rather rot on half pay with Archie than command the finest ship of the line without him. The tedium of the shore and the anxiety of poverty is nothing compared to the thought of them being parted.
They have fallen back into silence and Horatio begins to think that Archie is asleep. He’s proven wrong when Archie quietly states, “The peace will not last, Horatio. The Navy will be in need of men to command ships soon enough and all of this will one day be an anecdote to tell over rich food and fine wine. Pellew is not the only source of patronage, not for a man of your skill.”
Horatio kisses Archie on the forehead as a reply.
It is the tedium that wears on Horatio most. Life on board ship is routine but the accomplishment of tasks fills the day. Now it is a struggle to occupy himself for an hour. Leisure of course demands money and Horatio has none to spare.
He wraps his thin cloak closer around himself as he makes his way back to his boarding house; he has already pawned his thicker one. He had not been as successful at Whist tonight as he had hoped; perhaps his luck is failing at him at last.
He enters the boarding house as quietly as possible, the rent is late and he has no desire to be confronted by either of the Mason ladies. He is about the creep up the stairs when he is stilled by the sound of the parlour door opening and breathy, giggling, voices. He forces a smile onto his face and turns in greeting.
“Mr. Hornblower! Good evening to you!” The speaker, Edward Baker, says it while detangling himself from Miss Mason. Baker has been courting her for the past few weeks, much to Horatio’s relief. Miss Mason’s friendliness prior to Mr. Baker coming into her life had been most disconcerting to him. Miss Mason blushes and offers an explanation for why they had been alone in the parlour.
“Mr. Baker has asked me to marry him, Mr. Hornblower, and I have consented.”
Horatio’s answering smile is genuine at the news, “Congratulations, that is good news indeed.” They are both beaming at him and it occurs to Horatio they may be waiting for him to offer an explanation of his own, “About the rent…”
Miss Mason appears puzzled at his words, “The rent? Mr. Kennedy paid it earlier, does he require a receipt?”
Horatio shakes his head, “Ah no…never mind.” He says good night and makes his way up the stairs, on entering his, their, room, Archie looks up from the book he is reading. The candle that is lighted is new and Horatio supposes it is the product of the same spoils as the rent.
“Where did the rent money come from?” The suspicion is clear in Horatio’s voice, he fears Archie has pawned some family heirloom, a token from his late father perhaps.
Archie rolls his eyes as he replies, “I let Pellew put his hands down my breeches and he paid me handsomely.”
“Archie…” Horatio says it in exasperation, both at the glib remark instead of the truth and Archie’s continuing belligerent attitude towards Pellew.
“He’d have paid a better price for you, I’m sure.” Archie pauses before confessing, “Mama sent me the money; she must have pawned something.”
Horatio says nothing. Archie’s father had died while they were on Renown and his elder brother has stopped Archie’s allowance. His mother did what she could but unless they wanted the Dowager Lady Kennedy sharing the room with them it was not as much as she would have liked to do. Horatio does not feel any better at the thought of Archie’s mother in the pawn shop.
He sits on the bed to remove his boots and can hear Archie closing his book and putting it on the bedside table before asking, “Are the lovebirds still canoodling downstairs?”
Horatio smiles at that, “I believe they were about to part.” Archie had brought Baker home with him one dinner time and had ignored Horatio’s glare throughout the meal. Later Archie had confessed he did not like Miss Mason ‘making eyes’ at Horatio and thought Mr. Baker would make a suitable distraction for her. If the war never resumed Horatio supposed Archie could make a living from match making if his success with Miss Mason and Baker was any indication.
Once he’s slipped into his nightshirt he climbs into the bed beside Archie while Archie snuffs out the candle he was reading by before curling into Horatio’s side with a yawn. Horatio tries not to sound anxious as he enquires, “Tired?” His fretting over Archie’s health only irritates Archie, as if he had not nearly died from a gunshot wound and Horatio is unduly fussing. Archie does not complain on this occasion though, he rests his head on Horatio’s shoulder and replies, “A little.”
They lie in silence for a while and Horatio tries to listen to any erratic pattern in Archie’s breathing or heartbeat, anything to indicate he is not as well as he claims to be and is only sparing Horatio the worry of how to pay for a doctor. It is Archie who breaks the silence, “There was a letter from Mr. Bush, it was addressed to both of us, I didn’t think you’d mind if I opened it.”
“Of course not, is he well?” Horatio tries to keep his tone neutral, he does not begrudge Bush his promotion.
“Yes.” Archie pauses before continuing, “I still think it strange, that Pellew offered him the Hotspur and not you.”
“The Retribution should have been Mr. Bush’s command, Archie, he was senior. It was only handed to me because he was not well enough.”
Horatio does not think for a moment Archie believes his explanation but he cannot tell Archie the truth. He feels the flush of anger returning at the memory of his confrontation with Pellew. The joy and relief of Pellew’s offer of command of the Hotspur being usurped by Pellew’s caveat. Horatio could have the Hotspur if he agreed not to take Archie with him. Horatio had been shocked at first; that Pellew knew about him and Archie, then he had been outraged. He did not see why he should be rewarded with command yet Archie was not fit to serve when they were both ‘guilty’ of the same crime. When Pellew had muttered that there were rumours concerning Archie on Justinian Horatio had felt like striking him.
He had declined Pellew’s offer. He would rather rot on half pay with Archie than command the finest ship of the line without him. The tedium of the shore and the anxiety of poverty is nothing compared to the thought of them being parted.
They have fallen back into silence and Horatio begins to think that Archie is asleep. He’s proven wrong when Archie quietly states, “The peace will not last, Horatio. The Navy will be in need of men to command ships soon enough and all of this will one day be an anecdote to tell over rich food and fine wine. Pellew is not the only source of patronage, not for a man of your skill.”
Horatio kisses Archie on the forehead as a reply.