Admiral Rundel (book 9 of 9 of the Rundel Series)

By N. Beetham Stark

Ben has suffered injuries to his feet and is partially crippled. He has made port admiral, but hates the constant string of petitioners and the paper work that he must sort through daily. He learns of the capture of Napoleon at Waterloo and the plans to exile him on St. Helena. He and Tom lay plans to get the Admiralty to send them off to escort Napoleon to St. Helena. Aboard ship Ben asks the little Emperor some pointed questions and gets some equally surprising answers. Then it is back to the daily grind of port admiral.

Eventually Ben retires and tours England looking for a place to settle. He has become a wealthy man and finds a place on the south coast close to where he was born. He takes on several local people to help him manage the property and Stewart Giles, his steward from aboard ship, joins him.

It is Stewart who coaxes him into writing his life story. His first lieutenant, Thomas Murphy, joins him too.

Eventually the older people become lonely and Ben sets out to adopt a boy from the orphanage where he was confined as a child. But the orphanage is now for girls only. He falls for a shy young girl and takes her home to keep the family happy. She brings a huge baggage of troubles and is every bit as much of a challenge as any ship at sea in a Levanter.

Ben finds troubles with his ship wright business and must endure travel and embarrassment over the false claims made by impostors. He is also caught in the cross hairs of an evil woman known as Lula Mae and must tread carefully to avoid disaster.

Even worse are the troubles of his friend, Tom. He has remarried after the death of his first wife and he has taken on a “she witch.” Ben travels to Ireland several times with Tom. One fine day they set out on the channel in their little sail boat. A storm comes up, the boat capsizes and they two men are separated. Ben ends up in a nunnery in Brittany and nearly starves before he can heal and escape. One adventure leads to the next and finally Tom dies. Ben takes him home to be buried on his farm.

One day as Ben sits in his back yard overlooking the Channel, a handsome young man arrives. He is deemed an impostor when he claims to be Ben’s son. But after a time, the young man knows of things that no impostor could possibly know. He has the ring that Ben had given to Annie and her letters as well. Ben accepts him as his son.

Young Ben quickly falls in love with Ben’s adopted daughter and the two marry. When Ben knows that he is dying, he asks to have a suitable burial at sea, a Viking’s funeral. Thus ends a saga covering some sixty years of English history. Enjoy!

• Language: English
• Publisher: N. Beetham Stark
• Release date: Jun 15, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458198945

N. Beetham Stark

Nellie Beetham Stark was born November 20, 1933, in Norwich, Connecticut to Theodore and Dorothy Pendleton Beetham. She attended the Norwich Free Academy and later Connecticut College in New London, CT before graduating with a MA and a Ph.D. degree in Botany (Ecology) from Duke University.Stark worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a botanist for six years and then joined the Desert Research Institute in Reno, Nevada where she worked on desert and forest ecology and later tropical nutrient cycling. She has consulted in many countries, working for some time in Russia, Australia and South America. She developed the theory that explains why tropical white sand soils cannot grow good food crops and described the decline processes of soils. She has also developed a science of surethology, or survival behavior which describes how humans must adapt to their environments if they hope to survive long term. She has 96 professional publications and has published in four languages.Her life long hobby has been English history, with emphasis on naval history. Her family came originally from Tristan Da Cunha in the South Atlantic in the early 1900’s. Her grandfather was a whale ship captain for a time which spurred her interest in naval history. She also paints pictures of sailing ships which she has used as covers for her historical novels. She has built several scale models of sailing ships and does extensive research on ships and naval history, traveling to England once yearly.Stark was awarded the Connecticut Medal by Connecticut College in 1986 and the Distinguished Native Daughter Award for South Eastern Connecticut in 1985. She was named outstanding Forestry Professor three times by the students of the University of Montana, School of Forestry.Today she writes historical novels, mostly set in England. She has published some 21 novels in the past twenty years, mostly on the internet. She lives on a farm in Oregon and raises hay and cows.Stark's two most popular book series are:Early Irish-English History1. The Twins of Torsh, 44 A.D. to 90 A.D.1. Rolf "The Red" MacCanna, 796-8462. An Irishman's Revenge, 1066-11124. Brothers 4, 1180-12165. Edward's Right Hand, 1272-13076. We Three Kings, 1377-1422The Napoleonic Wars at Sea (Benjamin Rundel)1. Humble Launching - A Story of a Little Boy Growing Up at Sea, 17872. Midshipman Rundel - The Wandering Midshipman, 17953. Mediterranean Madness - The Luckless Leftenant Rundel, 17974. The Adventures of Leftenant Rundel, 1797-17995. Forever Leftenant Rundel, 1800-18036. Captain Rundel I – Trafalgar and Beyond, 1803-18067. Captain Rundel II – Give Me a Fair Wind, 1806-18098. Captain Rundel III – Bend Me a Sail, 1810-18139. Admiral Rundel – 1814-1846

Book preview

Admiral Rundel

An Historical Novel of the Sea

by N. Beetham Stark

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Discover other titles by N. Beetham Stark at

Smashwords.com or at NBeethamStark.com.

Admiral Rundel

Book 9 in the Benjamin Rundel Series

Written by N. Beetham Stark

Copyright 2010 by N. Beetham Stark

Cover art by N. Beetham Stark

Published by Smashwords, Inc.

ISBN 978-1-4581-9894-5

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form

without the written permission of the author or trust agents.

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.

* * * * *

Dedication – This book is dedicated to Tintagon and our mutual friend, P.P.

History builds a bridge to the past and helps plot a course for the future which we dare not burn lest we fall into an abyss of ignorance.

N. Beetham Stark

Acknowledgements

The author is indebted to the Royal Naval Museum, the National Maritime Museum, The Maritime Trust and the Lancaster Maritime Museum for information used in reconstructing the historical events in this novel. Authors such as C.S. Forester, Dudley Pope, Alexander Kent and Patrick O’Brien stirred my interest in stories of naval adventures. Nelson’s Captains by Ludovic Kennedy, Nelson by David Walder, The Illustrated Companion to Nelson’s Navy by Nicholas Blake and Richard Lawrence, and

Nelson’s Battles by Nicholas Tracy were all invaluable in providing insights into the life of seamen of the times. Travels in England provided information on the areas where the admiral lived. Note that resemblances of persons in this story to people who actually lived at the time are accidental and that all characters are fictitious, with no intent to malign anyone.

The Benjamin Rundel Series by N. Beetham Stark

This is the last in a series of nine books centered around the life of an orphan, Benjamin Rundel, a fictitious character who relates history to the reader as he might have experienced it himself. The complete series includes:

Humble Launching – A Story of a Little Boy Growing Up at Sea, 1793

Midshipman Rundel – The Wandering Midshipman, 1795-1802

Mediterranean Madness – The Luckless Leftenant Rundel, 1797-1801

The Adventures of Leftenant Rundel, 1797-1799

Forever Leftenant Rundel, 1800-1803

Captain Rundel I – Trafalgar and Beyond, 1803-1806

Captain Rundel II – Give Me a Fair Wind, 1806-1809

Captain Rundel III – Bend Me a Sail, 1810-1813

Admiral Rundel – 1814-1846

See NBeethamStark.com for information on how to find all of the books in the Rundel series, as well as Stark’s other works.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 – Limping Through Life

Chapter 2 – The Devil and St. Helena

Chapter 3 – The Hard Years

Chapter 4 – Touring England – The Migrating Admiral

Chapter 5 – Settling In – A Mansion for a Pair of Dirty Stockings!

Chapter 6 – Tom Marries the Devil’s Daughter

Chapter 7 – The Wild Boar and Ireland’s Finest

Chapter 8 – Vanquished

Chapter 9 – Sea Breeze

Chapter 10 – Spit Up Out of the Sea!

Chapter 11 – Return to Rosewood and Hell

Chapter 12 – Goodbye Jon, Hello Admiral Rundel

Chapter 13 – Lula Mae

Chapter 14 – The Fox Hunt

Chapter 15 – The Black Widow

Chapter 16 – Kidnapped

Chapter 17 – A Good Irish Scheme!

Chapter 18 – The Corpse Files Charges!

Chapter 19 – Threats – Lula Mae Rides Again

Chapter 20 – Surprise

About the Author

About the Book

Chapter 1 – Limping Through Life

Ben sat on the edge of his bed at Greenwich Naval Hospital. He had been there for two months now and his ankle was still stiff, lacking all flexibility. His thigh injury drained less each day, but it gave him considerable pain and discomfort. The surgeons decided that it had been too long since he had received the musket ball that smashed his ankle, so they dared not try to rebreak the fragile ankle bones. They said that he would heal in time. What time? I haven’t much time left!

Suddenly he heard a loud, deep voice, one which must have spent years yelling orders over a nor’easter! It has to be Tom Murphy!

Where’s Cap’n Rundel, mate? he was heard to say.

Tom strolled into the ward, but it was immediately clear that this wasn’t the old Tom. He wasn’t smiling and Ben couldn’t see those teeth which were his most prominent feature. Instead, his face was grey and lined, his mouth set hard and his whiskers several days old. He walked to where Ben sat.

Ben got up awkwardly. Tom, What are you doing here? I’m delighted to see you! He grabbed his old friend’s hand and shook it eagerly and then the two men embraced.

Here lad, sit yourself down. You’re not ready yet to stand so long, said Tom as he sat on the bed beside Ben.

What brings you to London, Tom and why the long face?

Well, when I arrived home, me Mary had been dead four days. I wuz there for her funeral, but not there when she needed me most. I should have been there Ben. I should have been there to comfort her. At that, Tom broke down and laid his head in his hands and began to weep.

Tom, you couldn’t have known. And with the cursed weather, we couldn’t have gotten you home any sooner anyway, said Ben.

I knew that she weren’t right when I left last time. I knew in me heart that she was failing, some woman’s problem which she refused to talk about, but I knew. I should never have left her. His words were bitter, cutting.

What is done can’t be undone. You have been a good husband to her.

That I have but I have failed my Little Tom. He came home for the funeral, said, ‘Howdy Dad,’ and was off to his school the next day. From what I have seen of his grades, he’s having a fine time and not paying a bit of attention to his lessons. He’s a terrible disappointment.

But he’s still a child, Tom. He must be, what, nine years old? He has a long ways to go to be a man yet. Don’t give up on him, Tom.

But I’ve been dwelling on my own grief. How goes it with you, lad?

I am little changed from when I arrived two months ago, but I have about decided to leave hospital and try to get myself a ship. Tom, I miss the sea!

If you do that lad, you will take me with you, won’t you?

Aye, I will Tom. But I suspect that there are few ships lacking a captain now that the wars are over. There should be hundreds of young captains begging for ships.

Perhaps, but few have your experience, sir.

And most don’t have my disabilities! What say I leave here today and we set out for London to see if we can get us a ship, Tom?"

I’m with ye, lad! A sudden look of joy lit up Tom’s face, the contrast with his former self was amazing and uplifting. It lit a fire under Ben.

Ben had sat in bed for too long and in spite of the pain in his ankle and his thigh, he was ready to do something different, anything different! "Come, help me get dressed. I’ll see the surgeon later. They managed to get Ben into his best captain’s uniform and Ben took up the crutch that he had used to get about hospital. Tom carried his chest with his belongings and they headed for the surgeon’s quarters.

Sir, I can stay no longer. I’m not sick and shouldn’t be occupying a hospital bed which someone else needs. I can see no change in my condition, so I wish to be released.

William Broke, the surgeon on duty, looked at Ben. Are you sure that you can cross streets and manage cobbles with that game ankle and your sore thigh?

Aye sir, I can.

Very well then. I’ll sign the papers.

A few minutes later, Ben was walking slowly with his crutch, out the door of the hospital and out into the real world where everything seemed to be moving rapidly, frantically even. Horses and their carriages swayed as they came around the corner and people were walking rapidly, everyone intent on some far-off destination. Tom took Ben’s arm and helped him along. They hailed a passing carriage and Ben asked to be taken to the Sharing Cross Inn. It was the first place that he could think of at the moment.

You’ll stay with me at the Cross tonight, won’t you Tom?

Aye, I will.

They took a room and shared a large bed. They shared a fine meal that evening and laid plans for an assault on the Admiralty early the next morning. Ben slept poorly because he was still in pain, and Tom struggled with the pain in his soul which was every bit as tormenting as his friend’s.

At five, Ben awoke and the men shaved and dressed. No time to dally if we want to get in to see the First Lord early, said Tom. They ate a sailor’s breakfast and headed off to find a coach.

Tom helped his friend into the coach. It would take a few days before Ben could get used to walking on a stiff ankle and stick leg. As they went along, Ben stopped the carriage and asked the driver to wait. Tom sat there wondering what could have stirred his friend to the exertion of leaving his coach. Soon Ben returned with a fine black cane made of native wood. He put the crutch on the floor saying, A cane is much more dignified and doesn’t make a man look such a cripple.

They arrived early at the Admiralty and fortunately, there was no Board meeting in progress. Ben and Tom were led into the Board Room by an immaculately dressed marine.

There sat Admiral Robert Dundas, whom Ben knew quite well.

"Captain Benjamin Rundel and First Lieutenant Thomas Murphy of the Explorer here sir, reporting from hospital ready for duty." Ben saluted smartly and Tom followed suit.

Have seats, gentlemen. I can guess why you’re here. Half the officers in the Navy are seeking reassignment now that the war is over with the Colonies.

"Well sir, we considered that Britain has colonies flung across the globe and there will be ships needed to send supplies and such to them. We hoped to be able to get the Explorer back to sea sir and do some real good."

"Rundel, the Board and I were discussing your case just yesterday. We think that you are too ill yet to go to sea. You still look pale and tired. There are at least a hundred captains with two good pegs under them hankering for your position aboard the Explorer. We have decided to offer you the position of Port Admiral of Portsmouth, beginning in a week. Admiral Ayers has just retired from the post. It’s a most active port and I think that you would do well to stay off that leg for awhile."

Ben sat in his chair as if someone had set a twelve pound cannon ball in his lap. He couldn’t believe his ears! Port Admiral! That’s the one position that I have never even considered. That would be worse than being beached!

Ben looked at Tom and their eyes told the same story. Neither thought that a good idea. Give me a couple of days to consider the plan sir and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

Fine Captain Rundel. I’ll await your return. Nothing was said about a position for Tom. Ben was too shell-shocked to even know what to ask in regards to his friend. The two men rose and saluted. They walked from the Admiralty offices as if both had taken a load of grape in the belly.

Back in the carriage, Ben ordered the driver to head to their Inn. As they rode along, the wheels bumping on the cobbles, a loud young voice came to them from the street.

Get yer news. Boney’s broke out of Elba an’s marching on Paris with 1,100 men!

Ben looked at Tom. Their faces were distorted with disbelief! Both men couldn’t believe what they had heard. Ben came to his senses and struck the wall of the carriage with his cane as a signal for the driver to stop. Without a word, Tom bolted out of the carriage and ran back to where the youth stood. He pressed a coin in the child’s hand and relieved him of a newspaper, the Gazette.

Both men looked at the headlines and Tom read the story out loud. Today it was learned that Napoleon Bonaparte alluded British warships and escaped from Elba with some 1,100 of his followers. He is picking up soldiers as he marches, and appears to be headed for Paris!

Tom, do you know what this means? There may be more naval action yet! If we’re beached and out of service, there’s no chance that we’ll ever get to serve again, but if I’m Port Admiral of a place like Portsmouth that’s so close to France, we’re bound to see some action if the war heats up again! I think that I should go back and accept that position as Port Admiral right now!

As usual, you’re right lad.

Ben rapped on the wall of the carriage again and the patient driver looked down to see what it was that these sailor men wanted now. Turn around and take us back to the Admiralty, good sir. I’ll make it worth your while.

Ben turned to Tom. "Would you prefer to be lieutenant of the Explorer or her Captain?"

You know me, sir. I’ll always be a lieutenant and glad of it.

Back at the Admiralty, Ben offered his services as Port Admiral and the First Lord accepted. I thought that you’d see things my way, Rundel. I’ll have your commission and orders ready by late tomorrow. Where are you staying?

Tonight we’ll be at the Royal Inn sir.

Very good. You’ll find that Port Admiral isn’t such a bad job after all.

"Sir, I would like to request the Explorer as my flag ship and Lieutenant Murphy as my first lieutenant. I’ll see to a captain later. Could you have the Explorer send to Portsmouth as soon as she has been refitted with as many of her original crew as can be found?"

"Well, that will take some time. The Explorer is not suited to being a flag ship, but I suppose that it would serve until a better ship can be found. You know that the Admiralty doesn’t man ships fully during peacetime. You’ll have just enough men to sail the Explorer, perhaps sixty or so. You’ll have to recruit more men if there is need to take the flag ship to sea."

Aye sir and thank you!

Ben and Tom left the Admiralty jabbering like a pair of washer women on wash day. Their gloom had suddenly been dispelled. At first Ben thought to leave Tom there in London to see to the outfitting of the Explorer, but when he learned that it might take three months he decided against the plan. Ben ordered the driver to take them to German Street. He needed a rear admiral’s uniform! Ben realized that he would never make full admiral, but he needed new uniforms for the many functions of his new office. He entered the shop where he had visited many times before. They had epaulets with a single star, suited to his needs. His cuffs would bear three golden bars crossed by a single gold bar going around the sleeve. He would be rear admiral of the blue he supposed. He sat through the usual measurements and was appalled to see that he was carrying a bit more cargo midships than he had for the last measurements. Then he turned to Tom. You’ll need some new clothes if you’re going to serve as flag lieutenant, won’t you?

Aye sir. So another team of tailors came out and began to work over Tom. He definitely was carrying more cargo midships than he ever had before. Getting a bit heavy in the midships, eh! said Ben.

After the fittings, Tom and Ben went to an inn for a fine dinner and then to the bank to withdraw money needed for Ben’s uniforms. He had ordered two new uniforms, complete with gold buttons for the undress uniform. They picked up their luggage at the Cross, and then checked on the Explorer as it sat at dock at Greenwich. The two men went aboard the ship and when they learned that she might be there in dry dock for as much as three months, they removed their gear. Ben put Tan, who had been in the tender care of Will Patrick, into her cage and he ordered seamen to bring his belongings ashore and put them in the carriage. Then they headed for the Royal Inn. Both men were tired after such a trying day. They sat long into the night reading the news and discussing how they could get back into the thick of things. Both men were convinced that the Port Admiral position although limiting, would set them on the right track.

Three days later, Ben picked up his uniforms and Tom was fitted for his. They had to make a bit more room in the waist of Tom’s trousers, but once the alterations were made, the men settled back at the Inn.

Ben went to a performance of Beethoven’s 3 rd symphony that evening at the Royal Opera House. Tom didn’t enjoy classical music enough to attend. Ben was curious about the symphony because Beethoven had originally dedicated it to Napoleon, but when the little fellow crowned himself Emperor of all Europe, Beethoven took exception to the arrogance of the man and removed his name from the symphony! Ben enjoyed the evening, but there was always the pain of his memories of Annie Sutherlin, the woman that he had almost married and now could not find. He sat so that he could see high into the three balconies. Could she be sitting there somewhere, just out of sight? Perhaps she’s behind a post or off in the shadows. At the intermission, Ben walked through the crowd, always looking for that one beautiful, unforgettable face, but she was not there. He strained his ears for her voice which would haunt him until death, but no woman sounded like Annie.

The next morning, the two men arrived at the post in time to be first to board the carriage for Portsmouth. Everyone was talking about Boney breaking out and marveling at the audacity of the man. But Tom said nothing all the way to Portsmouth. He was suffering from his life-long malady, coach sickness! He had never shown the slightest tendency to be sick at sea even when the seas were roiling over the decks and the ship was plunging deep into troughs, but in a carriage on land, it was all different. Tom sat on the edge of his seat with his head hung out of the window most of the way to the first post stop. One woman passenger took pity on him and tried to comfort him. But Ben, feeling a bit mischievous, said, Madam, he’s a sailor for these thirty years and never gets sick at sea. At that the woman put her hand over mouth to suppress a laugh, which ended up as a squeal and a giggle that brought a sour look from poor Tom.

At their first stop, Ben entered the Inn. It seemed familiar in some way. Isn’t this the Inn where I found that lovely grey kitten years ago? Then the serving girl came into the room. Anything I can get you gentlemen?

No, but were you serving here some twenty years ago?

Aye sir, I wuz.

Are you the girl to whom I gave a gold piece for the care of a grey kitten?

The girls looked at him as if he had lost his charts and gone aground. No gov’nor. I don’t believe so.

Then she looked again at him. She was used to men using all kinds of tricks to get her to bed with them and she thought that was what Ben was about, but something nagged at her memory. Was she a scroungy grey female?

Aye. The girl turned and headed for the kitchen.

Wait here sir. In a few moments she returned with a large basket with a soft towel in it. As Ben and Tom looked into the basket, they were surprised to see five healthy grey kittens squirming about. Their eyes were just open and they were beginning to show interest in chasing each other’s tails. Ben picked one up and cuddled it, crooning to it softly. Needless to say, two very dignified seamen made fools of themselves while the horses were being changed. Then the girl came for the basket. It’s time fer their feedin’. You two can’t be of service there, she said with a laugh. Ben reached into his pocket and pressed a coin into the girl’s hand. See they eat well!

Thank ‘e sir.

As they climbed back into the coach, Tom said to Ben, I’m glad you broke me of gamblin’ sir. In the old days when I wuz a gamblin’ man I’d have bet that you couldn’t have come away from that Inn without one of them grey kittens in yer pocket.

As they sat down, Ben’s face lit up, his eyes aglow. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny grey bundle what wiggled and squealed. Just a bit of interest on my investment, lad.

But what are you gunna do with it?

I can’t keep her because of Tan, who was asleep in her cage at Ben’s feet and had enjoyed a brief romp at the Inn. But the old tom who was at the Boatworks for so many years has died. I think I’ll give the kitten to Jon and his wife. They have children and a kitten will be fun for them.

The trip to the next stop was trying for Tom and he said not a word until he was able to set his feet on solid ground at Portsmouth. Once there, the men took rooms at the Lamb Inn. Ben dared not let on that he had two cats with him, but the serving maid must have been suspicious when he ordered a saucer of milk brought to his room and took away meat scraps from his supper in his pocket.

That night Ben and Tom talked of the future. "Tom, while I’m getting used to being a Port Admiral, you’ll have nothing to do, not until the Explorer arrives at least. You know that old Henry Henshaw willed his boat works to me when he died in 1803. I have a man who runs it for me while I am away. I have been thinking about putting a steam saw in the shop at the boatworks, but the building isn’t large enough to house two boats under construction and the saw as well. So I have proposed to Jon that we find the right saw, put it in place and build a new building around it. Jon thinks that he has found the saw that he wants. Now would be a fine time to undertake the construction of the new building, although I fear that orders for new ship’s boats may decline with the depression of the country’s economy. Would you be interested in working with my partner, Jon Wills, while we await the arrival of the Explorer?"

Why yes sir. I like to work with wood. But the timing may be bad. Everywhere you look there are men out of work. The factories are slowing down and even wool has plummeted in price. With the Colonies cranking up their own manufacturing capabilities, we may see a long dry period with few jobs sir, and little demand for new boats.

I have made enough on the boatworks that it won’t matter, Tom. Besides, once the government ships have replaced their worn out boats, there are always the merchantmen. We have had contracts recently with a number of merchant ship owners for boats.

The next day early, Tom and Ben awoke and dressed to go to the Port Admiral’s office. Ben would have an office on shore for meeting land lubbers and later his flag ship could be his headquarters if he wished. But often when the bay was choppy, local dignitaries refused to board a ship in the bay. Sometimes that was a blessing.

Ben found that his land office was in need of some discipline. The sergeant who stood at the door had his shirt tail flying in the wind and was slow to respond when Ben approached. Worse yet, his musket wasn’t clean and shining. His aides were solicitous, but Ben sensed that the second that he left, they would return to playing cards or whatever pastime they had devised for their entertainment.

Ben took Tom to the Henshaw Boatworks and introduced him to Jon Wills, his partner. The two men get on well right away and Ben began to explain his plans for placing the new saw that very spring. Jon agreed, although he also had reservations about the amount of future business that they could expect. So it was agreed. Tom would work with Jon for whatever time it took to get the Explorer to port. Ben knew that Tom needed something to take his mind off Mary. This was the best he could do for his friend.

Ben changed the subject when he withdrew the tiny grey kitten from his pocket. He handed it to Jon saying, Here, this little fellow can replace the old tom that we lost several years ago. He’ll grow up to be a fine mouser. Jon took the small bundle of fur and petted it gently. Oh what a fine fellow you’ll grow up to be! We’ll have grand times together and you’ll keep the mice out of the shop. Thank you sir.

Then the two men began to look for a place to live. The land office had a large Board Room, a smaller office for the Admiral, spaces for his clerks and scribes, his aides, and sizable barracks for the marines who would be attached to the Port Admiral, but no place suited for living. They looked all afternoon. It was nearly dark when Ben spotted a sign, ‘To Let.’ I wonder if that’s a single room, Tom?

The men approached the house and knocked. A smiling lady of about fifty came to the door, wiping her hands on her apron from some chore.

We’d like to ask about your room, Madam, said Ben.

Are there two of ye?

Aye Madam.

Well, this might suit you quite well. It has two small sleeping compartments, a great room, a bath and a small kitchen. My name is Mollie Morgan and I’m a widow. My husband was killed at Trafalgar and I have run this house ever since. Please come this way, gentlemen.

Ben climbed some stairs and entered a clean, neat room with a large fireplace. The two men wandered about the rooms, looking and asking questions. There’s a fine view of the harbour gentlemen, said Mollie. Your sea faring men are ye?

Aye, I’m Benjamin Rundel the new Port Admiral who will take over the office tomorrow. This is my flag lieutenant, Thomas Murphy.

You gentlemen indulge in drinkin’ or women? Or maybe gamblin’?

Neither of us drink much, Madam and you needn’t worry about women. Tom is a recent widower and I have never married. I won’t allow gambling.

That’s fine.

Tom looked at Ben. He stepped close and whispered, Leave this to me. I think that I can get the room a bit cheaper. She’s Irish. I can see it in her eyes. Irish women will always bargain with another Irishman.

So Tom went to work on the woman. By the time he was finished, the room was to cost them several pence more a day because the landlady was to furnish the fire wood! As they left, Ben nudged Tom. So you had her wrapped around your Irish finger, did ye?

Well sir, the matter of wood was bound to come up. I did my best, said Tom sheepishly. They moved their things in that evening and settled into life ashore. Neither man would willingly exchange life ashore for life at sea, but just now they had no choice. Tom settled into his job at the boat wright shop easily and began to show pride in his work. The three of them had figured that Jon could buy cheap logs, saw them into lumber and make their own framing, siding and roofing for half of what it would cost at the wood yard. In addition, the wood waste could be burned to fire up the steam boiler of the saw. Ben was mighty pleased with the whole operation.

But things were not going as smooth for Ben at the Port Admiral’s office. He had discipline problems with his entire staff. The aides had fallen into the habit of taking four-hour dinner breaks and returning to work a bit tipsy. The marines were slack and lacked proper discipline. Ben spoke with Colonel Shorey in very strong terms and soon the marines were a respectable lot again. But his talk with the supervisor of the staff, Mr. William Weems, had little effect but to raise the hackles on the back of the man’s neck and set him dead against Ben. Ben was beside himself. He had no idea how to deal with these people whom he couldn’t flog or court martial. He finally decided to single out the worst trouble makers and fire them. When the others saw their friends go redundant, they quickly got the message that Admiral Rundel was serious and that they had better shape up. Soon he had a reasonably efficient staff to help him with the day to day trials of the Port Admiral’s office. But recovery from a bad start takes time and Ben had many a day that he wanted to fire the whole lot. At least I’m rid of Weems!

Daily at least ten broken down seamen would assail his office begging for a ‘ship sir, any ship.’ Ben knew that these men had been paid off after their last tour and had spent the money unwisely on drink and women. He had little sympathy for them, but he still couldn’t forget their pleas. Something should be done for them. Everywhere he looked men huddled in alleys and rummaged through garbage seeking a bit to eat. England was in a severe depression. With the Colonies cranking up their own manufacturing factories and demand at an all time low for wool, there were few jobs for any man, no matter how skilled he might be. Times were hard. He met frequently with members of the Sick Board to plead the case of this amputee or that. So many of the sailors knew nothing of how to get compensation for their war-related injuries, that he was a regular visitor at the Sick Board. Ship modelers called at his office to show him their latest models in hopes that he could sell the Admiralty on building more ships, but with hundreds of ships rotting in port, there was no chance. And then there were the local dignitaries with this or that complaint about the Navy ships clogging the harbour and keeping the merchantmen out. He dealt daily with barrels of rotting beef, stale water and weeviled biscuits. The rope walk had shut down and that caused ship builders to line up outside his doors with demands that he ‘do something!’ Ben often retuned to his new home at night in a foul mood. Tom had to humour him for half an hour before Ben would loosen up. Usually some wild tale of the antics of the grey kitten, whom Jon had named, Nemo, would bring Ben around. He couldn’t resist the antics of cats and Tan was not to be outdone by any kitten. She did her part to entertain them as well.

Tom proved to be the better cook, so he did most of the cooking. That left the shopping, cleaning and fire starting to Ben, which he did without complaint. They settled in to a comfortable life in their cozy home. On Sundays Jon and Marianne Wills would often invite the two men to dinner with them. That gave Ben a chance to check on the progress of the addition and to play with Nemo who was growing rapidly. At times Mrs. Morgan would have a choice cut of beef or perhaps some fresh plaice and she would invite Ben and Tom to sup with her. Ben was surprised that Tom showed no interest in the woman. He had imagined that she would slip into Tom’s heart and bed as easily as a hawser slips through the bits, but that didn’t happen. Tom had loved only his Mary.

Each night Tom brought home the latest news and the two men read about the progress of ‘Boney’ in Europe. But it seemed that he had had enough of the British Navy. He stayed well on land, feet dry and managed to slip through the traps of the allies who were in hot pursuit. Both Britain and Prussia were anxious to catch the little emperor. I fear that Bonaparte will never allow this renewed war to take to the sea, lad, said Ben.

Would you blame him for all the times we’ve given him a trouncing.

Ben set two marines to watching the semaphore which communicated with London and the Admiralty. That practice had fallen off when Admiral Ayers had left. Now Ben needed to know the latest news and he needed that information fast. He threatened to flog any marine who failed in his duty of watching for signals. Ben wasn’t sure he could carry out the threat, but Ben’s attitude was enough to convince the marines that he could. That was all it took. But day after day the only signals were boring demands from the Admiralty for yet more paperwork. Ben began to suspect that he had been given this position because of his careful reporting. He had a long standing reputation in the Navy as the man who could file perfect paperwork, a duty that troubled even the best captains. It serves me right for being a good officer all these years that I must now pay in this boring hell hole.

There were social events too. Ben was expected to don his dress uniform and attend the marine’s ball and other social functions. He went, but found little joy in the events. He ignored the women who found him both handsome and exciting. On occasion he would take a long weekend and travel to London to hear a concert or an opera. He loved fine music and London had the best to be found.

Then one day, one of the marines ran to Ben’s desk. Sir, there’s a strange sail approaching from the East. They’re just passing Ryde Point now sir.

Ben hurried to his window. He looked out and took up his glass.