Miss Whittier Makes a List (39 page)

“
Exactly what I have been telling her, my lord,
”
Spark said cheerfully.
“
Come, Hannah, you can have my chair.
”

She sat down next to Mr. Futtrell, who flashed her a grin and then turned his attention to Lord Tichenor as he read the dispatch. Captain Spark found another chair and pulled it next to her.
“
You made it,
”
he said simply,
and took her hand.

Halfway through the dispatch, Lord Tichenor looked up and cleared his throat. He gestured to the
Dissuade
’s
Marines.
“
Stand by the door, men,
”
he ordered, then returned his attention to the paper. The two other lords stood behind his chair, reading over his shoulder.

“
We were almost through,
”
Spark whispered, leaning close to her.
“
Naturally, I could not say anything about the dispatch, because I did not have it.
”
He looked into her eyes.
“
You are a wonder, Hannah.
”

“
I
am nothing of the sort,
”
she protested, but her voice was soft.
“
How could anyone stand in the chapel at All Saints and see all those wounded men, and not want to do something to end this bloodshed faster
?”

He nodded, then turned his attention to the front, where Lord Tichenor was on his feet now. He clasped her hand more firmly, twining his fingers through hers as though he did not wish to let her go again.
“
About those kisses in the chapel,
”
he whispered,
his eyes still on Lord Tichenor
.
“I
meant every one of them, Hannah.
”

Lord Tichenor rapped on the table for silence. He held out the dispatch toward Lord Luckingham, who sat in the front row, supremely unconcerned.
“
Lord Luckingham, ispered,aps you might find this document interesting,
”
he said, and gestured for him to come to the table.

Luckingham strolled to the front, a question in his eyes.

“
He doesn
’
t have a clue,
”
Hannah whispered.

Lord Tichenor
’
s voice was all affability now.
“
Start
reading here, my lord. It
’
s a letter from the governor of
Antigua
. Take your time; savor it, you bastard.
”

The chamber was silent now, as a hundred officers, men,
clerks, and barristers stared at Lord Luckingham. Luckingham snatched up the document from the table. The paper began to rattle in his fingers and the color drained from his face, leaving behind the wide-eyed stare of an animal in a trap.
“
You can
’
t possibly believe a document delivered by an American, my lord,
”
he said at last,
turning the word into an epithet.

Hannah was on her feet in a second.
“
We have dragged that document through hell, my Lord Tichenor!
”
she shouted.
“
I
have seen
men die for it! I don
’
t care if thee are all pettifogging,
arrogant
Englishmen! No nation deserves to suffer a traitor!
”

Her words rang out in the chamber. Lord Luckingham threw down the docume
nt and leaned against the table, as if h
is legs would no longer support him. He covered his face with his hands as the
Dissuade
’s
Marines led him away. Hannah sighed and sat down again.

Lord Tichenor watched the traitor until the door slammed. He sat
down again, a frown on his face,
and looked again at the other papers before him.
“
Now where were we?
”
he murmured to himself.
“
Ah, yes, Captain Spark, I believe we have to deliberate now and conclude your court ma
rt
ial.
”

Hannah leaped to her feet again.
“
My lord, I hope thee is not going to cut up stiff because the
Dissuade
sank. Thee was not there to see all that water pouring into the hold and hear those pumps clank.
”

The first lord
’
s lips twitched, but he managed a stern face.
“
Miss Whittier, sit down!
”
he ordered.
“
One doesn
’
t get to be first lord without hearing pumps. Captain Spark has already been ably defended and does not need American counsel from some barefoot chit.
”

“
Very well,
”
Hannah muttered and let Spark pull her back into her chair.

The first lords rose and left the chamber.
“
They could be gone all afternoon deliberating,
”
Spark said.

“
Then they are perfect idiots,
”
she replied.

“
Hannah, be quiet,
”
he said, but he was smiling.
“
Thank you for all you have done.
”

The clerk announced the return of the first lords, who filed right back into the chamber almost immediately. Captain Spark rose to his feet on their command. Lord Tichenor took Spark
’
s sword, which lay on the table before him, and turned the hilt toward the captain.
“
You are exonerated of all charges, Captain Spark. The lords admiral are of the opinion that your defeat of the
Bergeron
and subsequent removal to the Azores showed the sort of verve and pluck that
England
expects of its navy. You are honorably acquitted, sir. You need only wait for further orders.
”

Spark smiled and stepped forward for his sword. He saluted, then put the sword back in his scabbard. He bowed.
“
Thank you,
my lords admiral.
”

Lord Tichenor bowed in return, then gestured to Hannah.
“
Thank you, Miss Whittier, for your service to our nation,
”
he said, his voice softer now and his eyes more kindly.
“
Perhaps somewhere in
London
, Captain Spark can find you some shoes.
”

Triumphant in victory, Daniel Spark rescued Adam Winslow from the clutches of the
n
avy.
“
Sirs, he had to create a diversion to get beyond the porter,
”
he
told the first lords, when he stood
with them in the antechamber, looking at
the
char
r
ed draperies.
“
Miss
Whittier
told you how hard it was to do a favor for the British, my lords,
”
he added.
“
And after all, they are Americans, used to dealing with problems on a more primitive level.
”

Lord Tichenor leveled his most ferocious quarterdeck stare at Adam, who grinned back.
“
You appear to be most unrepentant, young man,
”
he began, the words rumbling out of him.

“
I think this little bonfire is just recompense for being impressed and forced to sail to England entirely against my own wishes,
”
A
dam said, returning stare for star
e.
“
And I think Captain Sp
ark should pay to replace the draperies.
”

Lord Tichenor rumbled again, but it sounded more like a laugh desperate to escape from his insides.
“
You are as cheeky as this young lady.
”

“
Almost,
”
Adam replied, grinning at Hannah.
“
I think it is in the blood
,
my lord. And we want passage home from thee as soon as it can be
arranged
, don
’
t we, Hannah?
”

Sh
e took a dee breath and nodded,
not looking at Captain Sir Daniel Spark.
“
Yes, we do,
”
she whispered.

Lord Tichenor threw up his hands.
“
Very well! I will arrange for vouchers to be sent to ... My dear Miss Whittier, where are you staying? I would certainly prefer that the American ambassador, God bless his fractious soul, not get wind that you are in
London
.
”

“
They will stay with my mother and me on
Half Moon Street
,
”
Sp
ark said. He looked at the draperies again and
sighed.
“
And I will replace the draperies in the antechamber.
”

“
Excellent!
”
Lord Tichenor declared.
“
Then we can call this matter closed.
”

“
You two are expensive, indeed,
”
Spark grumbled as he helped Hannah into the hack after Adam.
“
And you, Lady Amber, I suppose you will expect me to find some clothes for your back.
”

“
And shoes, please,
”
Hannah said, laughing at the expression on his face.
“
Above all, shoes.
”

Thee has found me shoes and too much more, Hannah decided as she sat crosslegged on her bed in the Spark mansion on Half Moon Street. A week has passed and I have more dresses and hats than all my
Nantucket
friends put together. She looked around her at the unopened packages on the bed, delivered only moments before and borne triumphantly past the butler and upstairs by the maid that Daniel Spark
’
s mother had loaned her. Only a day or two ago, she would have pounced on the packages and opened them, to exclaim over the beauty within. Now she could only shake her head at such extravagance as a vague feeling of unease gnawed at her Quaker scruples.

She sighed as the maid closed the door behind her. Soon Lady Spark would come up the stairs to exclaim over her son
’
s latest purchases for Hannah Whittier.
“
He is usually such a clutch-fist,
”
she had earlier told Hannah with a pout
.
“
He keeps my household expenses on a tight rein, and I find it such a restraint! But look, he has bought you morning dresses and walking dresses, and hats that are much handsomer than my own!
”

On Captain Spark
’
s command, a French modiste, complete with sneer and superior manners, had arrived the very next mornin
g, when Hannah still lay in bed,
wearing one of Lady Spark
’
s nightgowns and contemplating the handsome plaster swirls in the ceiling. It was a view far removed from the plaster and beams of her own lit
tle bedroom under the eaves on
O
range Street
.
But Madame LeTou
rn
ier could not be ignored, especially when she threw back the covers and demanded that Hannah rise and do her duty. Protest that all she needed was one or two serviceable dresses was useless argument, Hannah soon discovered. Madame LeTou
rn
ier walked around her, taking measurements and announcing her plans for Mademoiselle
’
s complete wardrobe.

“
But I do not need so much!
”
Hannah exclaimed.
“
One
or two dresses, some shoes,
and perhaps a cloak ...
.
”

“
I have my orders from
le
c
apita
i
n
e
,
”
Madame LeTou
rn
ier insisted.
“
 
‘
Rig her out like a ship of the line,
’
he said, and so I shall. Hold still, Miss
Whittier
. How can I measure your foot?
”

She resumed her protests two days later when the first of the lovely confections began arriving, sure indication the seamstresses at LeTou
rn
ier
’
s salon were burning their candles right down to the holder to fulfill their commission from
Captain Sir Daniel Spark,
‘
hero
/span>
of the
Caribbean, savior of England from the hands of traitors,
’
as Madame had put it.

“
Oh, I cannot accept these,
”
she demurred as Lady Spark buttoned her into an especially attractive blue morning dress of the lightest wool. It hung in neat folds to her ankles, with slippers of the softest Moroccan leather, dyed to match.

“
Don
’
t be missish,
”
Lady Spark insisted.
“
Now, turn around. Perfection!
”

She went into the hall and called her son, who arrived in shirtsleeves, with a physician trailing after him, who was trying to resplint his arm. Holding his arm, the captain walked around her, spending more time in the back than she liked, and then faced her.
“
Shipshape from a
l
l points of the compass, Hannah,
”
he pronounced.
“
By God, you are enough to stop a man
’
s breath! Just keep eating that stuff Mama
’
s cook thinks we need, and you
’
ll soon have sufficient meat on your bones. The cut of your jib is
tr
uly a marvel.
”

“
I wish thee would be serious,
”
she said.

“
I am, you silly nod!
”
he replied, his eyes merry.
“
Ask Mama how tight I am with her accounts. I expect a good return on my investments, and you have amply fulfilled that promise.
”

“
It
’
s too much!
”
she insisted.
“
How can I wear these clothes among my own people in
Nantucket
?
”

Daniel sighed and rested his broken
arm
on her shoulder so she would not move.
“
Mama, take Dr. Sanford to the blue saloon for some port. I must reason with a stubborn Quaker.
”
Wh
en the door clsed behind them
,
he kissed her so thoroughly that she could be only grateful he was hampered by a broken
ar
m.

“
Humor me, my dear,
”
he murm
ured into her hair as she rested her head against his chest.
“
I go for years with nothing to look at but gray biscuits and green drinking water and seamen in canvas trousers. You can
’
t imagine what a bright spot you are in my life. Now stop cutting up so stiff over this wardrobe, or I will have to take more drastic steps and kiss you until your knees buckle.
”
He kissed her again, his good hand gentle against her breast.
“
Perhaps I will do that anyway.
”

Later, when the clothes were put away lovingly in the dressing room by the maid, and Spark had returned to t
he ministrations of the surgeon,
Hannah went in search of Adam. He sat in the library wearing some of Spark
’
s civilian clothes and looking over the guidebook the captain had loaned him.