warily allowed.
“If you do, sir, I cannot recommend Lieutenant Peter Darling of the Thorn brigantine, Lieutenant Tristan Bury of the Lizard sloop, Lieutenant Oliver Lovett of the Firefly sloop highly, enough. All three of ’em are as smart as paint, know the coasts and inlets like the backs of their hands by now, and are as eager t’get at the foe as so many starvin’ tigers. During our service together, they’ve all acquired larger boats for the odd raid into the inlets, and behind the barrier islands. Of course, when we staged our amphibious raids; they had Reliant ’s Marines to go with them, but their sailors are very familiar with the work, and can pull them off.”
“Hmmm … I perhaps could spare some smaller vessels, now and again,” Grierson uncomfortably allowed, frowning. He called for his servant to fetch him a fresh glass of wine. “Such duties would be a nice change of pace for some of the sloops and cutters relegated so far to drearier chores, down-island.”
“Begging your pardon, sir,” Lewrie gently tried to object, “but Darling, Bury, and Lovett are used to working together as a team, and a fine one they are. When I was off on diplomatic port calls, they were perfectly capable of playing merry Hell with the Spanish, taking several prizes on their own. It’d be a shame did you break them up and—”
“Did you teach your grandmother to suck eggs, Captain Lewrie?” Grierson snapped of a sudden, glowering up.
“I only knew the one on my mother’s side, sir, and she was perfectly capable of sucking eggs with no instructions from me, nor anyone else,” Lewrie responded, stung by the sudden change in Commodore Grierson’s demeanour.
By God, I knew he didn’t much care for me, but he don’t much care for advice, either? Lewrie thought; No more “Sir Alan” politeness?
“Sir, you are impertinent!” Grierson gravelled.
“You summoned me to explain the tactical situation and the best use of ships under your command, sir,” Lewrie replied, trying not to take umbrage … openly, at least. “I mean to lend you my experience in the Bahamas, and what I’ve learned in my previous time here, along with what has transpired in the last few months. To ignore the risk to shipping by privateers would be remiss. I would be remiss, rather.”
“You may leave the particulars with me, Lewrie, and I shall take it all under study,” Grierson stiffly said, “but, as we both understand, I am now the senior officer in the Bahamas, and every ship comes under my command. If I deem your recent actions against enemy privateers successful, then your previous orders, and the necessity of your little squadron, are moot, and I will do with them what I may.”
“But of course, sir,” Lewrie said, his face set in stone.
“Which means that you and your frigate come under my command, as well, Captain Lewrie,” Grierson said, shooting to his feet, ending the meeting, and Lewrie had to rise as well, his hat under his arm.
“Very good, sir,” Lewrie said, sketching a wee bow in parting.
“Which means,” Grierson continued with a cold smile, still not making a move to see Lewrie to the doors, “that I may do with you as I will, and you must haul down that inferior broad pendant of yours.”
“I understand that very well, sir,” Lewrie replied with a cock of his head, refusing to lose his temper to this … arse!
“You may consider yourself dismissed, Captain Lewrie. You may go,” Grierson told him in a snooty way, looking down his long nose.
I should’ve known better than t’try humour on a man like him, Lewrie chid himself as he made his goodbye to Lt. Hayes, who was still on the quarterdeck, and who saw him to the entry-port; There’s some people so “tetchy”’bout their bloody honour and prestige that a gay “good morning” will put ’em in a sour mood!
Once in his boat and being rowed back to his frigate, Lewrie wondered whether he should “sing small” round Grierson from
“If you do, sir, I cannot recommend Lieutenant Peter Darling of the Thorn brigantine, Lieutenant Tristan Bury of the Lizard sloop, Lieutenant Oliver Lovett of the Firefly sloop highly, enough. All three of ’em are as smart as paint, know the coasts and inlets like the backs of their hands by now, and are as eager t’get at the foe as so many starvin’ tigers. During our service together, they’ve all acquired larger boats for the odd raid into the inlets, and behind the barrier islands. Of course, when we staged our amphibious raids; they had Reliant ’s Marines to go with them, but their sailors are very familiar with the work, and can pull them off.”
“Hmmm … I perhaps could spare some smaller vessels, now and again,” Grierson uncomfortably allowed, frowning. He called for his servant to fetch him a fresh glass of wine. “Such duties would be a nice change of pace for some of the sloops and cutters relegated so far to drearier chores, down-island.”
“Begging your pardon, sir,” Lewrie gently tried to object, “but Darling, Bury, and Lovett are used to working together as a team, and a fine one they are. When I was off on diplomatic port calls, they were perfectly capable of playing merry Hell with the Spanish, taking several prizes on their own. It’d be a shame did you break them up and—”
“Did you teach your grandmother to suck eggs, Captain Lewrie?” Grierson snapped of a sudden, glowering up.
“I only knew the one on my mother’s side, sir, and she was perfectly capable of sucking eggs with no instructions from me, nor anyone else,” Lewrie responded, stung by the sudden change in Commodore Grierson’s demeanour.
By God, I knew he didn’t much care for me, but he don’t much care for advice, either? Lewrie thought; No more “Sir Alan” politeness?
“Sir, you are impertinent!” Grierson gravelled.
“You summoned me to explain the tactical situation and the best use of ships under your command, sir,” Lewrie replied, trying not to take umbrage … openly, at least. “I mean to lend you my experience in the Bahamas, and what I’ve learned in my previous time here, along with what has transpired in the last few months. To ignore the risk to shipping by privateers would be remiss. I would be remiss, rather.”
“You may leave the particulars with me, Lewrie, and I shall take it all under study,” Grierson stiffly said, “but, as we both understand, I am now the senior officer in the Bahamas, and every ship comes under my command. If I deem your recent actions against enemy privateers successful, then your previous orders, and the necessity of your little squadron, are moot, and I will do with them what I may.”
“But of course, sir,” Lewrie said, his face set in stone.
“Which means that you and your frigate come under my command, as well, Captain Lewrie,” Grierson said, shooting to his feet, ending the meeting, and Lewrie had to rise as well, his hat under his arm.
“Very good, sir,” Lewrie said, sketching a wee bow in parting.
“Which means,” Grierson continued with a cold smile, still not making a move to see Lewrie to the doors, “that I may do with you as I will, and you must haul down that inferior broad pendant of yours.”
“I understand that very well, sir,” Lewrie replied with a cock of his head, refusing to lose his temper to this … arse!
“You may consider yourself dismissed, Captain Lewrie. You may go,” Grierson told him in a snooty way, looking down his long nose.
I should’ve known better than t’try humour on a man like him, Lewrie chid himself as he made his goodbye to Lt. Hayes, who was still on the quarterdeck, and who saw him to the entry-port; There’s some people so “tetchy”’bout their bloody honour and prestige that a gay “good morning” will put ’em in a sour mood!
Once in his boat and being rowed back to his frigate, Lewrie wondered whether he should “sing small” round Grierson from
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