21: The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey by Patrick O’Brian

but he did not believe it. He knew, far better than Stephen, that there was little amiability to restore. Not from the beginning, when the little girls were virtually one being, but quite early, he had seen this jealousy directed by a mutual common understanding against any person, any creature even, for whom their gentle and affectionate mother showed a particular liking. Their father, being a sort of household god, was exempt, and so were some of the minor animals; but not George, who was accused of siding with Brigid against them and of running after her like a little dog.
    It was an unhappy state of affairs, above all that Edward Heatherleigh was away in the north and that in his absence Christine was staying at Woolhampton, where her support for Brigid increased the atmosphere of ill-will.
    ‘ Sometimes I count the remaining days of holiday on the calendar,’ wro te Sophie. ‘ They seem to stretch on and on, and I am so afraid that Christine and I may quarrel. Sometimes I see her check the angry words when the twins are particularly unkind: and rather than have that I am minded to suggest that she and Padeen should travel up to the north to stay with dear Edward, at least until the girls go back to school. I know that she is particularly anxious to escape the attentions, the very pronounced at tentions, of Captain Miller.’
    “ I do not thi nk I know about Captain Miller.” said Stephen. “What is his ship?”
    “Oh no: he is only a soldier,” said Jack. “ He has a moderate estate the other side of Caxley. A surprising number of pheasants; but a sad coxcomb, I fear. I only say ‘ How d'ye do?’ when we meet. A soldier: his regiment was posted to Sierra Leone at one time. That will be the Admiral,” he said, breaking off as the salute began, doubled and redoubled by echoes and by the citad el's prodigious reply to Leyton’ s civility.
    “The Admiral is at hand,” said Jack in the flattened silence, and I should have told you before that he begs the favour of passage home for his flag-captain and another unfortunate whose name I forget. And I rather think, brother, that I have pledged your word in exchange for the moving of sixty-odd prime hands to Suffolk, which can hardly win her anchors else. Oh , they were so happy when . . .”
    “Wittles is up,” said Killick, and the scent of toasted cheese wafted in with him.
    They ate in silence, intently, hungrily; and then , resting his fork, Jack said, “ I have had what I think is an idea worthy of Newton: but during the night I must spend the rest of my time reading the rest of my letters and unless they contradict me I shall tell you at breakfast: for once that is eaten, Surprise must make sail.”

CHAPTER THREE
    T he diminished but still well-manned Surprise and her lithe fore-and-aft companion Ringle swung easily at their moorings on the making tide not far from the imposing Suffolk, and they gazed at the South African squadron farther inshore, actively victualling, watering and getting ready to move into various docks and yards beyond the citadel for repairs, some of them urgent.
    “Good morning, Stephen,” said Jack as his friend walked into the cabin.
    “Good morning to you, my dear,” said Stephen.
    “ You have done your writing, I see?”
    “ So I have too: a simple harsh direction that Brigid shall be delivered into the hands of the bearer and carried aboard — whichever vessel we decide upon — there to be in her father’ s custody: this is, as I understand it, a necessary legal form in case any of Diana’ s relatives should object. It is, I hope entirely softened by a most affectionate private note to Christine and her bro ther, inviting them to join us.”
    “ I have done much the same, simply requiring Sophie to come aboard with the utmost dispatch, bringing a minimum of impedi ments, and of course the girls.”
    Each eyed the other’ s letter, which looked more like a laboured study than a simple note; and Jack said, “ Well, let