Windfalls, Chapter 8
I would say I'm about half-way through this story now. I hope it still is enjoyable to all of you.
TITLE: Windfalls, Ch. 8
RATING: PG to be on the safe side.
WORD COUNT: 2,280
PAIRING, IF ANY: Eventual Horatio Hornblower/Captain Amelia
SPOILER WARNING: None.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here.
SUMMARY/NOTES: Another day, another bizarre meeting with Captain Drake.
Although they were sailing alongside each other, Hornblower didn’t see Drake again for three days. Ordinarily, he’d have thought nothing of it; they each had their ships to attend to. But after that unfortunate dinner, Hornblower found himself concerned for Captain Drake. Perhaps she had spoken while under the influence of drink, but her words had most certainly come from the heart.
Now, as he thought back over all their interactions, he wondered if it had all just been an act, a mask Drake put up to keep from breaking down in front of her crew. Were her biting remarks and flippant attitude her way of concealing her fear of failure? Was it possible that she was more reserved than she appeared? And most importantly, was there any way to reassure her that things weren’t quite so dire for her?
On the evening of the third day, the two ships came upon a merchant vessel. After an exchange of signals, The Legacy dropped anchor and paid a visit, while the Sutherland lingered behind. The next morning, Hornblower was woken by the news that the Legacy had requested a meeting. Hornblower signaled back that he would arrive in an hour. He would be interested to see how Drake acted to him now; although her actions the day after the dinner couldn’t exactly be considered cold, they weren’t entirely normal for her either. If she continued to act strangely with him, then he’d know for sure that she was putting up a façade.
When he arrived on the Legacy’s deck, he was surprised that Drake wasn’t out to meet him. Archie, however, was, and held out his hand immediately. “Good morning, Captain Hornblower.”
Hornblower shook hands. “While it is always a pleasure to see you, Lieutenant Kennedy, I am a bit surprised that Captain Drake is not here to greet me.”
Archie had a strange look on his face, a mixture of amusement and trepidation. “Something…came up. She’s in her cabin.”
Hornblower strode to her cabin and raised his hand. Before his knuckles touched wood, however, he heard a loud swearing from within. Footsteps strode faintly away from him, and a door creaked open. “James!” Drake called, her voice harsh, “Isn’t it ready yet?” The answer was apparently not to her liking, because the door slammed shut and she groaned very audibly. Curiosity overcame Hornblower, and he rapped on the door. “Captain Drake? It’s Hornblower. You sent for me?”
There was silence for a moment, then the rapid clicking of boots before the door swung open. “My deepest apologies, Mr. Hornblower,” Drake said, waving him inside, “I had forgotten that you would be arriving so soon. I was just trying to put some things in order. Please, take a seat.”
Hornblower sat down in the chair opposite her desk, watching her. Clearly something was bothering her. Her face was pale, and although she was striding about the cabin, moving things about, she walked gingerly, as though she was afraid of straining something. On top of all this, there was something different about her that Hornblower couldn’t quite put his finger on. Deciding it might be best for both of them if he started up a conversation, he began, “Did you learn anything interesting from the merchant ship last night?”
“Oh yes,” Drake said, as she picked up a few sheets of paper and carried them over to her bed, “Something I’m sure you’ll be very interested to hear. It seems…damn!”
She dropped the papers on the bed and put a hand to her stomach, groaning loudly. Hornblower got to his feet at once. “Stay, stay!” Drake said, waving a hand at him, “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re in pain! What is it?”
At that moment, the other door to her cabin opened, and a man who was clearly Drake’s steward appeared, carrying a tray that contained a cup and a large, steaming bowl. “Oh thank God,” Drake moaned, “Set it on the bedside table, James. Thank you.”
“No trouble, captain,” James said evenly, “Shall I tell Mr. Kennedy that he has the ship?”
“Yes,” Drake said, pulling off her boots, “and send him my apologies.”
“I think he understands, captain,” James said, touching his forehead and turning to go, “I’ll be back in an hour with more hot water.”
When he had gone, Drake picked up the glass on the tray and downed it in one go. She groaned again. “Foul as ever, but it will serve.” She turned back to Hornblower, who was sure that he was now looking completely bewildered. “Forgive me, Captain Hornblower. I wasn’t expecting this to happen for another day or so. It took me quite by surprise. You’ll excuse me if I conduct the rest of our conversation from the bed, won’t you?”
Hornblower, not knowing what else to say, nodded. Drake pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. As she did so, Hornblower realized what was different about her. Up till now, she had always alternated between white breeches and white trousers. But today, she was wearing black trousers. He hadn’t known she even owned a pair.
He looked back at Drake again. She had taken a cloth from the bowl and placed it underneath the covers, upon which she gave an enormous sigh of relief. And that was the moment when Hornblower put it all together. “Captain Drake, if you would rather I left you be until you have…” he cleared his throat, “well, until certain matters have been settled, I am sure the news could wait another day or so.”
Drake laughed her old familiar laugh. “I appreciate both your thoughtfulness and your discretion, Captain, but really, you have no reason to leave. The laudanum dose and the hot water will dull the pain quickly, and besides, talking to someone will help keep my mind off things.”
Hornblower cleared his throat again and leaned back in his chair. “Well, if you’re sure. What were you going to tell me?”
Drake’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed for the papers she’d placed on the bed. “This is quite interesting indeed, Mr. Hornblower. When I talked to Captain Trilby, he told me that he and other merchant vessels have seen what is undoubtedly a privateer in these waters. It’s attacked and looted a few vessels, but the most important thing is that it’s damn fast. If this keeps up, the ship’s going to become a thorn in England’s side. What a coup for us if we manage to catch it, eh?”
Hornblower grinned, overcome by Drake’s enthusiasm. “It sounds like it could be a good chase. Do we have any information about what it looks like?”
“Trilby said that it’s called La Vacarme. It’s relatively small-he said it was about the size of The Legacy-but that it has powerful guns, the better to disarm its prey. Brown in color, tan sails, and a drum painted on the stern in black paint. It might be a bit hard to spot, but I think it’s doable. What do you think?”
“It’s a privateer, isn’t it?” Hornblower said, attempting to make a joke of it, “We’re honor bound to track it down.”
“Excellent!” Drake said, smiling at him, “I’m glad to have you on board.” A bead of sweat ran down her face at that moment, and she rolled her eyes and pulled out the cloth, exchanging it for a fresh one. “Nearly burning myself to prevent still worse pain; what is the world coming to, I ask you?”
Hornblower wasn’t sure what to say to that. She laughed and waved a hand. “Never mind. It’s not something you would particularly want to understand. So, how shall we go about tracking down the Vacarme?”
“Split up?” Hornblower suggested, “We’ll be able to patrol the area in more time.”
Drake shook her head. “This is a joint effort, Mr. Hornblower. You were sent here to accompany me on my mission, and I think it best if we stick together. Besides, what if the Vacarme should turn on one of us? I wouldn’t want to feel responsible for any damage done to your ship if I wasn’t there to help, even if it was just a broken off topsail.”
Hornblower nodded. “If you think so. Do you have any suggestions?”
Drake picked up a book that was lying by her side and beckoned him forward. When he was standing over her, she opened the book to reveal some nautical charts. “Trilby told me where the ship has been spotted in the past, namely, here, here, and here,” she pointed to the spots, “We’re currently over here. The Vacarme is making its way along the trade route, west to east, the better to get the goods back to France. If we changed course this evening, and stayed close to the route, we could probably meet the ship halfway. Won’t he be surprised?”
Hornblower looked over the charts, considering and making the calculations in his head. “What are the wind speeds?”
She looked up at him, blinking. He explained. “It all depends on if the wind is in our favor or theirs. We could come upon them sooner than we think if the wind blows westerly.”
“Oh! Oh, yes, of course,” Drake said, shaking her head, “Stupid of me. Well then…” she pulled another paper out of the book, “The wind’s generally been out from the east. Looks like luck’s currently on the Vacarme’s side.”
“Still, that only adds a few extra days to our journey. If I’m right, and luck changes loyalties, we would encounter the Vacarme here, about a week from today.”
Drake paused, running her finger over the chart. “Yes, I believe you’re right. Well, shall we make that our course of action?”
“Yes,” Hornblower said decisively, “It makes sense. By your leave, Captain Drake, I’ll return to the Sutherland and set the new course.”
“I applaud your enthusiasm,” Drake said with a smile, “But by your leave, I would ask you to wait for a few minutes. My medicine has yet to kick in, and I would appreciate having you here to talk to until it does.”
Hornblower bowed and obligingly took his seat again. Drake smiled. “Thank you, Captain. It’s a silly request, I know.”
“I do sympathize, Captain Drake. Is it always this bad?”
“No, no, but then again, usually I’m prepared for it. But you don’t want to talk about that! What shall our plan of action be for the Vacarme, when we do meet him?”
Hornblower considered. “It seems easiest to me to flank him on both sides. That way, it will be much harder for him to escape.”
Drake started fiddling with the latch of a small case that was resting on the opposite pillow. “I agree. We can hammer the decks with cannon shot, then, when the moment is right, I can board the ship.”
“Board her?” Hornblower said, “Do you think that will really be necessary?”
Drake flipped open the lid of the case and took out a small, wooden ball-the same ball Hornblower had seen the night he had come over for dinner. Rolling it around idly on the mattress, Drake continued the conversation. “Perhaps not. But my men enjoy a bit of boarding action, and truth be told, I do too. An exchange of gunfire always gets the heart racing, but boarding an enemies ship, entering the Frenchman’s territory, seems like even more of an affront to the emperor than the loss of his goods. If it’s worth the risk, therefore, I send the ropes across.”
Hornblower cocked his head. He really couldn’t find fault with her argument, but…it just didn’t seem like boarding the ship should be her default course of action. Drake picked up the ball and spun it in her hand. “I think it’s part of the reason I’m known as ‘Wildcat’, truth be told; because I fight like one. It started as a bit of a cruel joke,” she jerked her thumb up at her ears as she said it, “but I’m not one to take an insult lightly. I made sure to actually earn the nickname. Now I think I’m the only one who remembers its origins.”
She laughed again, tossing the ball into the air casually. Hornblower was about to ask what the purpose of the ball was when James came back in, carrying a teapot. “More hot water, Captain?”
“Yes, please,” Drake said, nodding to him. Turning to Hornblower, she said, “I believe I can cope on my own, now. If you wish to return to your ship, feel free to do so. Just send Kennedy in if you see him; I need to tell him about the new course.”
“Of course,” Hornblower said, standing up and bowing, “Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Captain Drake.”
“Thank you, Hornblower,” Drake said, inclining her head, “Godspeed.”
On his way back to the Sutherland, Hornblower turned things over in his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that Drake must have been in awful pain if she had taken to bed; the Drake he was used to didn’t seem like the sort who would let an injury stop her. But despite all that, she had laughed and joked with him, as she always did. If she could still do that through the pain, then perhaps it wasn’t a mask after all. The child who feared failure was undoubtedly there, deep underneath the surface, but the woman she had grown into had done her best to make the most of her position. The thought made Hornblower smile. He need not fear for her; after all, she knew herself better than he did.
TITLE: Windfalls, Ch. 8
RATING: PG to be on the safe side.
WORD COUNT: 2,280
PAIRING, IF ANY: Eventual Horatio Hornblower/Captain Amelia
SPOILER WARNING: None.
DISCLAIMER: I own nothing here.
SUMMARY/NOTES: Another day, another bizarre meeting with Captain Drake.
Although they were sailing alongside each other, Hornblower didn’t see Drake again for three days. Ordinarily, he’d have thought nothing of it; they each had their ships to attend to. But after that unfortunate dinner, Hornblower found himself concerned for Captain Drake. Perhaps she had spoken while under the influence of drink, but her words had most certainly come from the heart.
Now, as he thought back over all their interactions, he wondered if it had all just been an act, a mask Drake put up to keep from breaking down in front of her crew. Were her biting remarks and flippant attitude her way of concealing her fear of failure? Was it possible that she was more reserved than she appeared? And most importantly, was there any way to reassure her that things weren’t quite so dire for her?
On the evening of the third day, the two ships came upon a merchant vessel. After an exchange of signals, The Legacy dropped anchor and paid a visit, while the Sutherland lingered behind. The next morning, Hornblower was woken by the news that the Legacy had requested a meeting. Hornblower signaled back that he would arrive in an hour. He would be interested to see how Drake acted to him now; although her actions the day after the dinner couldn’t exactly be considered cold, they weren’t entirely normal for her either. If she continued to act strangely with him, then he’d know for sure that she was putting up a façade.
When he arrived on the Legacy’s deck, he was surprised that Drake wasn’t out to meet him. Archie, however, was, and held out his hand immediately. “Good morning, Captain Hornblower.”
Hornblower shook hands. “While it is always a pleasure to see you, Lieutenant Kennedy, I am a bit surprised that Captain Drake is not here to greet me.”
Archie had a strange look on his face, a mixture of amusement and trepidation. “Something…came up. She’s in her cabin.”
Hornblower strode to her cabin and raised his hand. Before his knuckles touched wood, however, he heard a loud swearing from within. Footsteps strode faintly away from him, and a door creaked open. “James!” Drake called, her voice harsh, “Isn’t it ready yet?” The answer was apparently not to her liking, because the door slammed shut and she groaned very audibly. Curiosity overcame Hornblower, and he rapped on the door. “Captain Drake? It’s Hornblower. You sent for me?”
There was silence for a moment, then the rapid clicking of boots before the door swung open. “My deepest apologies, Mr. Hornblower,” Drake said, waving him inside, “I had forgotten that you would be arriving so soon. I was just trying to put some things in order. Please, take a seat.”
Hornblower sat down in the chair opposite her desk, watching her. Clearly something was bothering her. Her face was pale, and although she was striding about the cabin, moving things about, she walked gingerly, as though she was afraid of straining something. On top of all this, there was something different about her that Hornblower couldn’t quite put his finger on. Deciding it might be best for both of them if he started up a conversation, he began, “Did you learn anything interesting from the merchant ship last night?”
“Oh yes,” Drake said, as she picked up a few sheets of paper and carried them over to her bed, “Something I’m sure you’ll be very interested to hear. It seems…damn!”
She dropped the papers on the bed and put a hand to her stomach, groaning loudly. Hornblower got to his feet at once. “Stay, stay!” Drake said, waving a hand at him, “It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? You’re in pain! What is it?”
At that moment, the other door to her cabin opened, and a man who was clearly Drake’s steward appeared, carrying a tray that contained a cup and a large, steaming bowl. “Oh thank God,” Drake moaned, “Set it on the bedside table, James. Thank you.”
“No trouble, captain,” James said evenly, “Shall I tell Mr. Kennedy that he has the ship?”
“Yes,” Drake said, pulling off her boots, “and send him my apologies.”
“I think he understands, captain,” James said, touching his forehead and turning to go, “I’ll be back in an hour with more hot water.”
When he had gone, Drake picked up the glass on the tray and downed it in one go. She groaned again. “Foul as ever, but it will serve.” She turned back to Hornblower, who was sure that he was now looking completely bewildered. “Forgive me, Captain Hornblower. I wasn’t expecting this to happen for another day or so. It took me quite by surprise. You’ll excuse me if I conduct the rest of our conversation from the bed, won’t you?”
Hornblower, not knowing what else to say, nodded. Drake pulled back the covers and climbed into bed. As she did so, Hornblower realized what was different about her. Up till now, she had always alternated between white breeches and white trousers. But today, she was wearing black trousers. He hadn’t known she even owned a pair.
He looked back at Drake again. She had taken a cloth from the bowl and placed it underneath the covers, upon which she gave an enormous sigh of relief. And that was the moment when Hornblower put it all together. “Captain Drake, if you would rather I left you be until you have…” he cleared his throat, “well, until certain matters have been settled, I am sure the news could wait another day or so.”
Drake laughed her old familiar laugh. “I appreciate both your thoughtfulness and your discretion, Captain, but really, you have no reason to leave. The laudanum dose and the hot water will dull the pain quickly, and besides, talking to someone will help keep my mind off things.”
Hornblower cleared his throat again and leaned back in his chair. “Well, if you’re sure. What were you going to tell me?”
Drake’s eyes lit up, and she grabbed for the papers she’d placed on the bed. “This is quite interesting indeed, Mr. Hornblower. When I talked to Captain Trilby, he told me that he and other merchant vessels have seen what is undoubtedly a privateer in these waters. It’s attacked and looted a few vessels, but the most important thing is that it’s damn fast. If this keeps up, the ship’s going to become a thorn in England’s side. What a coup for us if we manage to catch it, eh?”
Hornblower grinned, overcome by Drake’s enthusiasm. “It sounds like it could be a good chase. Do we have any information about what it looks like?”
“Trilby said that it’s called La Vacarme. It’s relatively small-he said it was about the size of The Legacy-but that it has powerful guns, the better to disarm its prey. Brown in color, tan sails, and a drum painted on the stern in black paint. It might be a bit hard to spot, but I think it’s doable. What do you think?”
“It’s a privateer, isn’t it?” Hornblower said, attempting to make a joke of it, “We’re honor bound to track it down.”
“Excellent!” Drake said, smiling at him, “I’m glad to have you on board.” A bead of sweat ran down her face at that moment, and she rolled her eyes and pulled out the cloth, exchanging it for a fresh one. “Nearly burning myself to prevent still worse pain; what is the world coming to, I ask you?”
Hornblower wasn’t sure what to say to that. She laughed and waved a hand. “Never mind. It’s not something you would particularly want to understand. So, how shall we go about tracking down the Vacarme?”
“Split up?” Hornblower suggested, “We’ll be able to patrol the area in more time.”
Drake shook her head. “This is a joint effort, Mr. Hornblower. You were sent here to accompany me on my mission, and I think it best if we stick together. Besides, what if the Vacarme should turn on one of us? I wouldn’t want to feel responsible for any damage done to your ship if I wasn’t there to help, even if it was just a broken off topsail.”
Hornblower nodded. “If you think so. Do you have any suggestions?”
Drake picked up a book that was lying by her side and beckoned him forward. When he was standing over her, she opened the book to reveal some nautical charts. “Trilby told me where the ship has been spotted in the past, namely, here, here, and here,” she pointed to the spots, “We’re currently over here. The Vacarme is making its way along the trade route, west to east, the better to get the goods back to France. If we changed course this evening, and stayed close to the route, we could probably meet the ship halfway. Won’t he be surprised?”
Hornblower looked over the charts, considering and making the calculations in his head. “What are the wind speeds?”
She looked up at him, blinking. He explained. “It all depends on if the wind is in our favor or theirs. We could come upon them sooner than we think if the wind blows westerly.”
“Oh! Oh, yes, of course,” Drake said, shaking her head, “Stupid of me. Well then…” she pulled another paper out of the book, “The wind’s generally been out from the east. Looks like luck’s currently on the Vacarme’s side.”
“Still, that only adds a few extra days to our journey. If I’m right, and luck changes loyalties, we would encounter the Vacarme here, about a week from today.”
Drake paused, running her finger over the chart. “Yes, I believe you’re right. Well, shall we make that our course of action?”
“Yes,” Hornblower said decisively, “It makes sense. By your leave, Captain Drake, I’ll return to the Sutherland and set the new course.”
“I applaud your enthusiasm,” Drake said with a smile, “But by your leave, I would ask you to wait for a few minutes. My medicine has yet to kick in, and I would appreciate having you here to talk to until it does.”
Hornblower bowed and obligingly took his seat again. Drake smiled. “Thank you, Captain. It’s a silly request, I know.”
“I do sympathize, Captain Drake. Is it always this bad?”
“No, no, but then again, usually I’m prepared for it. But you don’t want to talk about that! What shall our plan of action be for the Vacarme, when we do meet him?”
Hornblower considered. “It seems easiest to me to flank him on both sides. That way, it will be much harder for him to escape.”
Drake started fiddling with the latch of a small case that was resting on the opposite pillow. “I agree. We can hammer the decks with cannon shot, then, when the moment is right, I can board the ship.”
“Board her?” Hornblower said, “Do you think that will really be necessary?”
Drake flipped open the lid of the case and took out a small, wooden ball-the same ball Hornblower had seen the night he had come over for dinner. Rolling it around idly on the mattress, Drake continued the conversation. “Perhaps not. But my men enjoy a bit of boarding action, and truth be told, I do too. An exchange of gunfire always gets the heart racing, but boarding an enemies ship, entering the Frenchman’s territory, seems like even more of an affront to the emperor than the loss of his goods. If it’s worth the risk, therefore, I send the ropes across.”
Hornblower cocked his head. He really couldn’t find fault with her argument, but…it just didn’t seem like boarding the ship should be her default course of action. Drake picked up the ball and spun it in her hand. “I think it’s part of the reason I’m known as ‘Wildcat’, truth be told; because I fight like one. It started as a bit of a cruel joke,” she jerked her thumb up at her ears as she said it, “but I’m not one to take an insult lightly. I made sure to actually earn the nickname. Now I think I’m the only one who remembers its origins.”
She laughed again, tossing the ball into the air casually. Hornblower was about to ask what the purpose of the ball was when James came back in, carrying a teapot. “More hot water, Captain?”
“Yes, please,” Drake said, nodding to him. Turning to Hornblower, she said, “I believe I can cope on my own, now. If you wish to return to your ship, feel free to do so. Just send Kennedy in if you see him; I need to tell him about the new course.”
“Of course,” Hornblower said, standing up and bowing, “Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Captain Drake.”
“Thank you, Hornblower,” Drake said, inclining her head, “Godspeed.”
On his way back to the Sutherland, Hornblower turned things over in his mind. There was no doubt in his mind that Drake must have been in awful pain if she had taken to bed; the Drake he was used to didn’t seem like the sort who would let an injury stop her. But despite all that, she had laughed and joked with him, as she always did. If she could still do that through the pain, then perhaps it wasn’t a mask after all. The child who feared failure was undoubtedly there, deep underneath the surface, but the woman she had grown into had done her best to make the most of her position. The thought made Hornblower smile. He need not fear for her; after all, she knew herself better than he did.