Ransome's Crossing (24 page)

Once the anchor dropped and
Audacious
came to rest near
Alexandra,
Ned released the breath that had been caught in his chest. Gardiner had been slower with issuing some commands than Ned was comfortable with, but the memory of his own first few attempts at bringing a ship into harbor kept him from stepping forward and taking over.

Released from duty, the sailors crowded the sides of the ship as boats bearing everything imaginable flocked around the new arrivals.

“No one is to come aboard,” Ned told the lieutenants, catching a glimpse of a boat full of women of ill repute headed their direction.

“Aye, aye, sir.”

“Captain Cochrane, sir.” Midshipman Lott came to a breathless stop a few paces from him. Ned took a deep breath and schooled his expression before turning to look at her—no, him. He had to keep thinking of Lott as a boy, not as Charlotte Ransome.

“What is it, Mr. Lott?” Ned clasped his hands behind his back.

“Signal from flagship, sir. All captains to report to
Alexandra.”
Lott stared straight ahead at Ned’s chest, appearing as though not wanting to make eye contact any more than Ned did.

“Very good. Lieutenant Gardiner, make ready the ship’s boat.” Ned returned to his cabin without a backward look at Lott. It would have
been logical for him to select Lott to accompany him to
Alexandra,
but if he recognized Lott as Charlotte Ransome, surely her brother and Julia would recognize her as well. As he was unsure what he wanted to do about the situation, he did not want to risk their recognizing her before he made his decision.

Twenty minutes later, Ned climbed up the accommodation ladder in
Alexandra’s
side. Familiar faces lined the waist, greeting him like a long-lost brother. Seeing them all again made him wish to return to duty on
Alexandra
even more, yet he had to admit that after week as acting captain, he was enjoying command more than he ever thought he would.

William greeted him on the quarterdeck. Ned could tell the commodore wanted to question him about his first week on board
Audacious;
however, with the presence of several of the captains of the convoy ships, he was unable to do so. Instead, he introduced Ned to the other captains while they waited for the rest to arrive.

When all were present, William ushered them into the dining cabin. Ned caught a glimpse of Julia in the day cabin before Dawling closed the door between the two rooms. William motioned for Ned to sit at the foot of the table, while the convoy captains lined the sides.

William gave a report on the loss of
Buzzard
to the pirates followed by a strongly worded admonition on the importance of maintaining a tight formation for the remainder of the voyage. Ned tried to keep his focus on the commodore, but the image of Charles Lott kept interfering. Once they left Madeira he would not have the opportunity to speak to Julia or William for at least a fortnight, until they reached Barbados and stopped again to resupply. He realized the knowledge of Charlotte’s presence aboard
Audacious
was a burden he could not carry by himself. He decided he would speak to Julia alone, if the opportunity presented itself.

William called the ships’ masters into the room and spread the charts out on the table. The next hour was spent plotting their course from Madeira to Barbados. Ned’s sailing master took copious notes in his log book, which Ned double-checked against his own. Once assured
that everybody had the correct course and heading, William dismissed them with the expectation that they would have all supplies purchased and stowed aboard their ships by dawn day after tomorrow.

Ned stayed back after everyone else had left. “Commodore Ransome, sir, I hoped to take the opportunity to call on Mrs. Ransome while I’m here.” He hoped William would not take offense to his request.

“Mrs. Ransome is anxious to see you, Ned. Please take your time, and I would be remiss if I did not tell you that you are expected for supper tonight.” William donned his hat and left the dining cabin.

Ned waited until the door closed behind William before he knocked on the door to the day cabin. It opened, and Ned found himself face-to-face with the commodore’s burly steward.

Ned cleared his throat nervously. “I hope to call upon Mrs. Ransome, if she is receiving.”

Dawling stepped back and motioned Ned into the cabin. “Welcome back to
Alexandra,
Cap’n Cochrane.” The steward turned and saluted Julia Ransome, who sat at her desk. “Acting Captain Ned Cochrane to see you, mum.”

With a beaming smile, Julia extended her hand toward Ned without rising from her chair. “Captain Cochrane, how wonderful it is to see you again. I had hoped we would have a chance to speak before you left
Alexandra.
You will forgive me for not rising to greet you properly, but I injured my foot the night of the attack. And with Dr. Hawthorne aboard your ship, I have been unable to convince William that I should be allowed to walk on it now.”

Ned crossed to her side and let her press his hand between hers. “Dr. Hawthorne returned to
Alexandra
with me, ma’am, so I hope he will clear you to return to your normal activities before the day is over.”

She motioned him to the sofa beside her desk, and he perched on the edge of it. He answered her questions about his new command and officers and about the frustration that came from trying to split the crew into three watches instead of two.

After several minutes, conversation lagged. A few long moments of
silence ensued, and then Ned looked up from his perusal of the rug spread under Julia’s sofa.

“While I do so enjoy seeing you, Ned, I cannot help but think there is something you wanted to tell me—more than just of your first few days as a captain.”

Ned could sit no longer. He leapt to his feet and paced the length of the cabin. When he returned to Julia’s position on the larboard side of the room, he stopped and clasped his hands behind his back. “What I am about to divulge is of the utmost confidence. If I tell you, I must beg that you tell no one, especially Commodore Ransome.”

J
ulia stared at Ned for a moment, indecision warring within her. She wanted to help him, but agreeing to keep something from William…

“Perhaps it is wrong of me to ask you to keep this from your husband,” Ned said. “So I will ask you to tell him only when you think it is prudent.”

“Thank you for understanding that it would be impossible for me to promise to keep something from Commodore Ransome. I will promise you that I shall use my best judgment in deciding when to tell him.” Her concern for Ned rose as he started pacing the cabin again.

He took two turns about the room before returning to his seat on the sofa. He perched on the edge, propped his elbows on his knees, and clenched his hands together. “Now that I am here, I hardly know where to start.” He stared at his thumbs for a few moments. “It’s about Charlotte.”

“Charlotte? Charlotte Ransome?” Julia turned her head away to hide her smile as an idea started to form as to the nature of Ned’s discomfort. Although the two had seemed to avoid each other in Portsmouth, the way they had watched each other had not escaped her notice.

“Yes. She is aboard
Audacious.”

“She is…where?” Julia was not certain if she was supposed to laugh, but what else could she do at such an absurd statement? “Charlotte is most likely at this moment on her way home to her mother. Collin Yates promised he would see to that when he visited us the night before we weighed anchor.”

“Nay, Mrs. Ransome. I guarantee you, Miss Ransome is not at Gateacre.” Ned finally looked up at her. “Not only is she aboard
Audacious,
she is in disguise as a midshipman.”

She opened her mouth to protest again, to assure Ned that he was incorrect, but the earnestness in his expression stayed her words. “Why would she do such a thing?”

“I had hoped you could tell me. Is there any reason why Miss Ransome would want to leave England in secret? Why she would want to travel to Jamaica without anyone—including her family—knowing?”

The fragment of the letter Julia had accidentally read flew into her mind with stabbing accusation. Or could it be that Charlotte had anticipated the reprisal from Lord Rotheram? “If it is she, I am certain she has her reasons. Have you…have you spoken to her? Has she given you any sense of her thinking?”

“She does not know I have recognized her—though I cannot understand how no one else has seen her for a woman.” Ned ran his fingers through his thick, golden-brown hair. “Every time I am near her, I fear I will accidentally reveal her secret to everyone else.”

Julia shook her head. “I am amazed she has survived two weeks in such harsh conditions without revealing the secret herself. You should have brought her with you rather than condemning her to continue living in such conditions.”

The corner of Ned’s mouth quirked up. “But she does not seem to mind. In fact,” he hooked his hand behind his neck, “she is thriving. She was just promoted to midshipman of the watch. Truth be told, she rather seems to be enjoying herself.”

Though horrified at the idea of a gentlewoman of Charlotte’s social stature working as hard as the duty of a midshipman required, Julia could not help but smile in remembrance of her own insistence at the age of twelve that she should be allowed to join the Royal Navy along with Michael.

Her mirth faded quickly. “Oh, dear. You mean she has been living in the cockpit with the rest of the midshipmen?”

Ned’s half smile faded as well. “Thus my reluctance to bring her identity to anyone’s attention. Disregarding the reaction the crew of
Audacious
would have to the knowledge they have been taking orders from a woman, of greatest concern is the effect such a revelation would have on her reputation.”

“And on William’s,” Julia breathed, pressing her hand to her chest.

“Aye.” Ned nodded. “I cannot imagine it would go well with the Admiralty if they discovered Commodore Ransome’s sister had done such a thing.”

Though well over her seasickness, Julia began to feel nauseated. “Are you certain she is well and no harm has come to her? We shall be here almost two days. Surely we can find a way to smuggle her off your ship and bring her secretly onto
Alexandra.”

“And what would you tell the crew of
Alexandra?
How would you explain her presence here, if you’re unable to explain her presence on
Audacious?”

The urge to pace was so great, Julia’s legs twitched. “But how can we justify leaving her on
Audacious
in such a precarious position? You yourself said she is in constant danger of discovery. What will you do if her identity is discovered in the middle of the crossing to Barbados?”

“Not only has she managed to stay hidden, she has become an integral part of the crew. Indeed, if she were to leave
Audacious,
I would have difficulty replacing her. As I had to promote two midshipmen to lieutenants, I now have a dearth of midshipmen qualified to lead watches. You may find it hard to believe, but Charlotte Ransome is one of the most capable midshipmen I have ever served with.”

Julia could not decide between rubbing her aching head or her churning stomach, so she settled for wringing her hands instead. Aside from the perilous possibilities arising from Charlotte’s presence on
Audacious,
Julia feared William’s reaction when he learned of it. He would want to bring her onto
Alexandra,
to keep her safe, to try to undo the damage to her reputation—without any thought to his own.

“What are you going to tell Commodore Ransome?” Ned stood and straightened his waistcoat.

“I do not know. I need to meditate on this. Charlotte must have a compelling reason for choosing this means of transportation to Jamaica, and an equally compelling reason for not wanting her brother, or me, to know she is traveling with us.” She pressed her thumb and middle finger to the inside corners of her eyes, trying to rid herself of the headache starting there. “I never mentioned it to her, but I asked Commodore Ransome if Charlotte could travel with me as my companion. But he reminded me of my own opinion that it would be better for her prospects if she stayed in England and took advantage of the opportunities provided her by Lady Dalrymple and the Fairfaxes.”

“She must have determined her prospects lay elsewhere—whether in the Royal Navy or on the other side of the Atlantic I will leave to you to discover. But now I must come to the question and then be on my way. Do I tell Commodore Ransome, reveal Charlotte’s presence, and turn her over to him, or do I continue on, feigning ignorance and allowing her to maintain her secret?”

Julia’s mind wanted to tear itself apart. Half of her wanted to see Charlotte safely installed right here, right now, in
Alexandra’s
big cabin; the other half wanted to allow Charlotte the freedom the young woman had gone to such dire measures to secure for herself.

If she were in Charlotte’s position, what would she want? She knew in an instant that she would want to continue on in her disguise, to be allowed to see her journey through. Julia rubbed her dry tongue against the roof of her mouth. “Keep her secret…for now.” Her chest tightened with the painful knowledge she would once more be breaking her promise to William. “Do your best to keep her from being discovered by anyone else.”

Relief, followed by a different expression of concern, filled Ned’s eyes. “I will.” He bowed. “Mrs. Ransome, thank you for being my confidante in this matter. It will be easier for me to handle this situation knowing I am not alone in my worry and concern.”

“I do not know how long I will be able to hide this from the commodore. I will try to keep it from him as long as I can; however, I cannot lie to him, Ned. I will seek the right opportunity to tell him.”

Ned looked slightly ill at the idea of William’s finding out. “I understand.” He bowed again. “I shall wish you good afternoon, Mrs. Ransome.”

“Good afternoon to you, also.”

He turned and reached for the doorknob.

“Oh, and Ned?”

He spun on his heel to face her again. “Yes, ma’am?”

“Keep a watchful eye on our girl. If you believe she is in danger—whether in physical danger or in danger of discovery—I trust you will know what to do.”

He inclined his head in a nod. “Yes, ma’am. I shall protect her with my very life if need be.”

She had no doubt he would. As soon as he was gone, she rose and, walking on the heel of her injured foot, did her best to resume Ned’s pacing.

William must be told. Not only as Charlotte’s brother, but as the commander of this small fleet of ships, if Charlotte’s presence became known and William discovered both Ned and Julia had known of it and tried to keep it a secret, Ned’s career would be ruined…as would Julia’s marriage. This was no mere run-in with a drunken lord Julia was keeping from him this time.

She could not tell him while they were docked. She had no doubt that if he found out now, he would storm
Audacious’s
quarterdeck and drag his sister back to
Alexandra
—and would probably find a ship bound for England to send her home on.

The letter fragment from a man declaring his love for Charlotte, asking her to marry him, made the girl’s motivation clear: She was running away from England to marry a man of whom she knew her mother and brothers would not approve. Julia knew nothing of the anonymous letter writer, but given that Charlotte had kept the letters hidden and that she now fled to Jamaica incognito, Julia had to
assume the young man had found disfavor with Mrs. Ransome, and thus with William.

No, she could not tell him now. She would wait until they were once again at sea…until they were closer to their final destination. Until she was certain that William could not do anything drastic.

William tried not to think too much of the amount of time Ned had been in the cabin with Julia. He trusted both of them. He simply wished he could spend such uninterrupted time talking with her.

Ned emerged from the cabin so deep in thought that he walked past O’Rourke without acknowledging the new first lieutenant’s greeting until O’Rourke reached out and touched Ned’s arm. What could be so troubling that Ned could speak of it only to Julia?

William pressed his lips together and returned his gaze to the list of supplies the purser wanted him to approve for purchase. He signed the order and gave it back to the warrant officer.

Ned approached with a salute. William reciprocated.

“Unless you require my presence further, sir, I shall return to
Audacious
and see if my officers have completed their supply list.” Ned’s usually laughing eyes seemed dull and distant.

William kept his concern to himself. Julia would tell him if anything was amiss with Ned that would have an ill effect on his ship or crew. “You have permission to leave the ship, Captain Cochrane. However, you will report at three bells in the second dogwatch for supper.”

“Aye, sir.” Ned gave a half bow and departed through the starboard waist entry port. William tried to turn his attention to other matters, but Ned’s unusual demeanor continued to claim part of his focus. He wanted to return to the cabin and ask Julia for an explanation of his former first officer’s behavior, but duty forced him to stay on deck for the remainder of the afternoon.