Mutiny (8 page)

_{'She is a married
woman!'}

_{'So
I'm to refuse her? I think not!'}

_{Cockburn paused. He
leaned back and said, in an odd voice, 'Do ye know her husband?'}

_{Kydd's face hardened.
'She's not discussed him wi' me at any time — must be a poor shab, he doesn't
keep station on her more. Mr Mulvany is
—'}

_{'The
town major.'}

_{A shadow passed over
Kydd's face. 'Acting town major only,' he replied stubbornly. Cockburn kept his
silence, but the pressure of his disapproval was tangible. 'An' I regret I
cannot be aboard t'night. The bishop is receivin' an' I'm invited,' Kydd added.}

_{The news of the climactic battle of
Cape St Vincent broke like a tidal wave on Gibraltar. The anxieties of the past
months, the hanging sword of an invasion and devastation, the flaunting of
enemy naval power just a few miles away, as they passed in and out of the
Mediterranean — their sea now — needed a discharge of emotions.}

_{Over the horizon, on St
Valentine's Day, two great fleets had clashed: fifteen British
ships-of-the-line and a handful of frigates met the enemy's twenty-seven
of-the-line and a dozen frigates, and had prevailed.}

_{Admiral
Jervis had been reported as saying, 'A victory is very essential to England at
this moment,' and had gone on to achieve just that. Details of the battle were
sketchy, but wild rumours made the rounds of the daring Commodore Nelson
disobeying orders and breaking the line to fall on the enemy from the rear.
Apparently he had then personally led a boarding party to the deck of one enemy
battleship and from there to yet another in a feat of arms that must rank alone
in its bravery.}

_{Gibraltar went berserk
with joy - bells, guns, excited crowds flooding into the street and, finally,
an official feu de joie ordered by the governor. Six regiments stood motionless
on the Alameda parade-ground in tight-packed rows, small field pieces at each
corner. At twelve precisely, artillery thudded solemnly, then by command the
redcoats presented their muskets — and a deafening running fire played up and
down the ranks, beating upon the senses until rolling gunsmoke hid the
soldiers. The noise stopped, the smoke cleared, and the spectacle was repeated
twice more.}

_{On the water, every
ship replied with thunderous broadsides; even the smallest found guns to mount
and fire. The sailors dressed their ships in flags and there were wild scenes
that night in the grog-shops.}

_{Kydd responded warmly,
but this was tempered by the realisation that he had missed what must have been
the defining battle of the age. With a stab of dread he realised that Renzi
might have been struck down, mortally wounded, thrown overboard in the heat of
battle. He fought down the thought, then turned his mind to other things. Emily.}

_{At their last meeting, she had
shyly offered a little package, neatly finished with a bow. It was a pair of
gloves - kidskin, probably Moorish, but of obvious quality. There was no
conceivable need in his station for gloves, but Kydd's imagination grew fevered
with conjecture. A gift from her to him: what did it mean?}

_{He found Cockburn with a slim book.
'Tarn, I'd be obliged f'r the lend of a clean waistcoat, if ye please. That
scurvy gunroom servant's in bilboes after a spree ashore.' Cockburn looked up,
but said nothing. 'I have t'go somewhere tomorrow,' explained Kydd.}

_{Cockburn laid down his book. 'Tomorrow,
it seems, I shall need my waistcoat,' he said, his face hard.}

_{This was nonsense:
without means, he was spending all his time on board. 'Then y'r other one — I
know you have 'un.'}

_{'Strangely, it
appears that I shall need that also,' Cockburn said evenly.}

_{Kydd breathed hard.
'An' what kind o' friend is it that—'}

_{'A friend who sees you
standing into perilous waters, who fears to see you play the cuckold without—'}

_{'She
cares f'r me, I'll have ye know.'}

_{'Oh? She has told you?
Pledged undying love when not free to do so?'}

_{Kydd
clamped his jaw shut.}

_{'I thought so. You are
naught but a fool,' Cockburn said, in measured tones, 'treading a path where so
many poor loobies have gone before.' He sighed and returned to his reading. 'I
can only grieve for your future.'}

_{'Be damned t' you 'n'
y'r prating,' Kydd snarled, and stormed off petulantly.}

*     
*      *

_{They started in the cool of the
morning, Emily mysterious as to their destination. 'It might be Africa - or the
bowels of the earth. Or the very summit of the Rock ... or perhaps all three.'}

_{Kydd grunted in
bafflement, but was much taken by Emily's outfit; instead of the wide morning
dress, it was a more close-fitting garment. Letitia followed behind, leaving
the conversation to them.}

_{They emerged on to the
upper spine of the Rock, a stretch of rifted rock layers, covered with furze
and pungent with goat smell. Emily descended daintily from her donkey and
pointed to an irregular small peak. 'The highest point of the Rock,' she
declared.}

_{Silently cursing his
clumsiness, Kydd staggered off his beast.}

_{'Governor O'Hara wishes
to build a tower on it, which he swears will allow him to look into Cadiz bay,'
Emily said, idly twisting her muslin scarf. 'The surveyor calls it
"O'Hara's Folly", but he will not be dissuaded.'}

_{Her cheeks appeared
rosier at this height, wisps of hair framing her face under the wide straw hat,
and Kydd felt desire build. He glanced behind. There was Letitia, still on her
donkey, her unblinking eyes gravely on him.}

_{'They call him
"Cock o' the Rock",' Emily said, with a giggle, then dropped her
eyes. To cover his embarrassment, Kydd bowed gallantly to Letitia and offered
to help her down, but she shook her head mutely and slipped easily to the
ground.}

_{From nowhere a
dark-complexioned Iberian appeared, taking the donkey bridles and fixing Kydd
with glittering, unfathomable eyes. Kydd hastily caught up with Emily, Letitia
as usual falling behind.}

_{'This
is our destination, then,' Emily said. *I do hope you think it interesting.'}

_{'Africa? Th' bowels of the earth?' It
was nothing more than an undistinguished cleft in a jutting crag.}

_{Emily stepped forward confidently, Kydd
at her side. It was a cave of sorts, the outside light dimming the further they
entered, their footsteps changing from a tap into an echo as the light died and
mysterious vertical shapes appeared from out of the Stygian blackness.}

_{She stopped to let the
Iberian catch up. He produced candles in colourful pottery holders, and got to
work with flint and steel. As each flame leaped and guttered, the golden light
spread to reveal a huge vaulted cavern, a magnificent palace of gilded stone.}

_{Emily's candle
illuminated her face from beneath in an unearthly radiance, and for a long
moment Kydd was lost to her beauty.}

_{'St Michael's cave. Such a spectacle -
you'd never know that the Rock is hollow from the outside,' she said softly,
her eyes wide. The cavern smelt of damp soil, and tiny drip sounds were
amplified all around.}

_{Letitia shivered, and
stepped back, pulling her shawl close.}

_{Emily pointed forward:
the path trended down, then reached a lip of rock. 'We must climb down there.'
It continued as another chamber beyond, untouched by their candlelight.}

_{'I — I shall wait here,
Emily,' came Letitia's small voice. 'I have no stomach for these places. Do
let's return now.'}

_{'Nonsense, Letitia. I mean to show
Thomas the inner chambers.' Carefully she laid her candle-holder on the stone,
and slid over the lip to the blackness beyond. 'Come along!' she called
imperiously to Kydd.}

_{The inner cave was
smaller, longer, much colder. The path dipped sharply, and as they plunged out
of sight Letitia's plaintive voice echoed, 'Please hurry back - I'm
frightened.'}

_{Kydd kept up with
Emily, the candlelight casting startling shadows that continually moved as if
alive. They entered a vast chamber, the sounds of their steps and voices
dissipating into the cold, breathy stillness..}

_{Emily stood still,
gazing upwards, enraptured. She moved further in, found a broken-off stalagmite
and placed her candle on it, letting the tiny golden light lose itself in the
distance, as it did, hinting at fantastic shapes in the gloom. 'Isn't this the
most splendid sight you have ever seen?' she breathed.}

_{Kydd's heart was
thumping: this was the first time they had been alone.}

_{Her eyes roamed upwards,
and Kydd added his candle to hers. The combined light beamed out strongly and
grotesque shapes were illumined on all sides. But Emily's face was brushed with
gold.}

_{'We're now in the centre of the Rock! No
one has ever reached the end of these caverns — it is said that they stretch
all the way to Africa . ..' Her voice was a whisper of awe.}

_{A swell of emotion
surged in Kydd — a wellspring of feeling that could not be stopped. It found
focus in the soft loveliness of Emily's face. He closed with her, held her, and
kissed her in silence.}

_{Her lips were formless
with surprise, but she did not resist: his kiss grew deep with passion and she
responded avid and strong, her body pressing against his. They broke apart,
hands clasped, staring into each other's eyes.}

_{'M' dear Emily! You -
you're . . .' Kydd was shaken with the power of his feelings.}

_{She did not speak; her
face was flushed and taut. Kydd still held her hands, and their warmth and
softness triggered another passionate upsurge. He pulled her close, but she
turned away her face, yet not resisting him.}

_{Baffled,
he let his arms drop. 'Emily, I—'}

_{'Thomas, please.' Her
voice was shaky. She disengaged from him, and half turned away. Kydd was unsure
of what was happening; he felt gauche and adolescent.}

_{'We — we must return, Letitia is on her
own.' She avoided his eyes, but did not try to move away.}

_{Kydd sensed he would lose all if he
pressed his attentions now. He picked up his candle. 'Yes, of course.'}

_{A trim 28-gun frigate materialised
out of the morning haze to seaward, slow and frustrated by the light winds. But
Kydd was not watching. He'd gone to the master's sea cabin, ostensibly to
correct charts for the Spanish coast but in reality to struggle with the
wording of a letter to Emily. They had returned safely from the cave, and after
a somewhat distant leave-taking, which he put down to necessary caution in
front of Letitia, they had parted.}

_{It had now been some
days since they had met, and his mind was feverish with thoughts of her. He had
to decide if her silence meant that she was waiting for a more bold approach
from him, even a romantic gesture. He knew he was not as taut a hand in these
waters as he would like, and it was too much to expect a steer from Cockburn,
whose cold manner now wounded him.}

_{All
he knew was that he was besotted with her. He stared at the bulkhead, seeing
her lovely eyes and perfect lips. It was time for action! He would invite her
casually for a tour of the ship - after the dog-watches but before the
frustrated men started their interminable drinking and fighting.}

_{He scratched his head
at the taxing necessity of getting the wording exactly right; it would not do
to have his motives misconstrued. 'Dear Emily' . . . Damn! Of course he must
put something more in the formal way. Another piece of paper. The master did
not have many fresh sheets in his cabin desk: he always employed the other
sides of used paper for everything except formal work.}

_{'Dear Mrs Mulvany, It
would be a right honour to escort you on a visit aboard my ship, HMS Achilles
64.'}