Miss Whittier Makes a List (38 page)

They hurried up the steps, just ahead of the rain that had been threatening all morning, and into the antechamber
with its black-and-white marble floor.
Wellington
set his hat on straighter and strode to the porter
’
s desk, looking down at the man who sat scratching away with his pen.
“
Are there any court mart
ial
s
in session right now?
”
he asked.

“
Yes, sir,
”
said the porter,
“
but they have begun after noon recess, so you cannot enter.
”

“
We have come from
Portugal
with an important dispatch,
”
the viscount replied,
rapping his knuckles on the desk.
“
We demand entrance to Captain Sir Daniel Spark
’
s cou
rt
martial.
”

“
Well, you cannot have it
,
”
the porter replied,
turning back to his paperwork.
“
The rules apply to the
ar
my as well as the navy.
”

Wellington
stepped back, surprised. Hannah tugged at his cloak.
“
I told you how difficult it was to do a favor for the English people,
”
she said.

The viscount nodded and withdrew to the chairs by the large windows. He thoughtfully regarded the porter, who
was deep in his form
s again.
“
I am forced to agree with you, Miss Whittier. This calls for a classic
ar
my response. Adam, can I trust you to make an appropriate diversion in this antechamber while I whisk Hannah into the trial?
”

Adam grinned and held out his hand.
“
Does thee have a match,
my lord?
”

The viscount smiled back and handed Adam a box from his pocket.
“
Make it a good one, Adam. I
’
ll go your bail if the navy hauls you away.
”

“
What can they do? Impress me?
”
Adam asked as he str
uck a match and held it under the nearest drapery.

“
Resourceful chap,
”
Wellington
said as he watched the smoke rise in a choking cloud from the ancient cloth.
“
Come, my dear. We have an appointment with the First Lords, whether they know it or not.
”

By now the porter was staring at the window, where smoke billowed. Screaming,
“
Fire! Fire!
”
he scrambled from his chair, knocking over the inkwell, which spread ink all over his precious paperwork. Adam went to the next window, set another fire and da
rt?
ed out the door as the viscount grabbed Hannah by the elbow an
d
steered her down the hall.

The first chamber yielded nothing more than a clutch of clerks, busily working over another stack of documents.
“
We should send Adam in here,
”
Wellington
said as he closed the door.
“
Think what a bonfire that would make. Do you suppose anyone actually reads that stuff? We could be doing the navy a favor.
”

Hannah laughed and let him tug her along the hall to a massive doorway at the end. It was guarded by two sailors, but the viscount didn
’
t even pause. He slammed the door open and looked around him in satisfaction.
“
Ah, yes,
”
he said and patted Hannah
’
s shoulder.
“
Well, here you go,
my dear.
”
He bowed over her hand.
“
I am certain my wife would thank you for darning all those socks. And I will try to trim my toenails more frequently.
”

She let him kiss her hand, her eyes merry.
“
Good luck with Napoleon, sir. I think thee will win.
”

He winked and left the room, his cloak billowing out behind him. Hannah turned her attention to the chamber before her
,
sighing with relief to see Captain Spark, handsome in full unifo
rm
and with his
arm
in a sling, standing by his chair, a grin on his face. Others rose, among them Mr. Futtrell and several Marines from the
Dissuade.
She started d
own the aisle, but was s
topped by the sailors from the d
oorway.

“
Let me go!
”
she shouted.
“
I
am so out of patience with
t
he
Royal
Navy!
”

And then Spark was beside her.
“
I recommend you re
l
ease her at once,
”
he said, scarcely ran>
“
Lively now,
”
he added and the sailors let go.

“
What
is
the meaning of this!
”
shouted a loud quarterdeck voice from the long table at the front of the chamber. The First Lords were standing now, too, craning about for a better view.
“
Is that a woman?
”

“
Yes, my lord, quite a woman,
”
Spark replied,
tucking her
arm
in his good one and pulling her toward the front.
“
Hannah Whittier from
Nantucket
,
Massachusetts
. She has a little present from the
Bergeron
for you, my lord.
”
He turned to Hannah and whispered,
“
Where is Adam?
”

“
Setting fire to the curtains in the antechamber,
”
she replied.

He stopped and put his hand on her shoulder.
“
And whose idea was that?
”

“
Why, Arthur Wellesley, the Viscount of
Wellington
. He thought a diversion would get us past the porter.
”

Spark stared at her.
“
Hells
’
bells, you have been keeping excellent company.
”

“
He is a fine man, Daniel, and I wish thee would not swear,
”
she said as she took the dispatch out of the front of her
shirt
.
“
Who do I give this to?
”

“
Give it to that red-faced walrus with the pop eyes,
”
he whispered.
“
That is Lord Tichenor.
”
He hurried her toward the long table, where the lords all stood, surrounded by lesser ranks of officers.
“
My Lord Tichenor, we request perm
ission to approach the table.
”

“
This is highly unusual, Sir Daniel,
”
bellowed the admiral, his voice still equal to any battle or hurricane.
“
God bless me, it
is
a woman!
”

“
Well, more of a young lady, actually, but she will grow,
”
Spark amended.
“
Give him the dispatch like a good girl, Hannah.
”

She handed it over.
“
This is from the
Bergeron,
which Captain Spark sank. It makes excellent reading, sir, so we saved it for thee.
”

Spark looked around the room until he located Lord Luckingham. He leaned across the table.
“
My Lord, you may wish to set a stronger guard at the door before you begin reading.
”

“
As you were!
”
the first lord shouted.
“
Find that
... that young lady a chair. My God, madam, have you no shoes?
”

“
Why, no,
”
she replied, unable to keep the laughter from her voice.
“
We could not find any that small in ship
’
s store, and it was warm in
Portugal
when we left.
”

The officers in the room laughed. The admiral banged on the table with the flat of his hand, and then stopped suddenly, sniffing the air.
“
Do I smell smoke?
”
he demanded in the same rasping voice.

“
Yes, sir,
”
she replied.
“
My friend Adam had to set fire to the curtains to distract the porter long enough for me to get in here.
”

The admiral stared at her. Captain Spark shrugged his shoulders.
“
Americans, sir. What can one say?
”
The admiral clutched the dispatch to him and sat down slowly. His eyes narrowed.
“
Madam, you come from a distempered race.
”