13 Lone Escort Fighting Sail #13) by Alaric Bond

Author:Alaric Bond [Bond, Alaric]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781943404308
Publisher: Old Salt Press LLC
Published: 2019-12-31T23:00:00+00:00

* * *

“It’s sprung right enough, your honour,” Joe Morales, the carpenter, declared when King was finally free of the meeting. The man was well built with black close-cut hair and an earnest look in his dark eyes. King already knew he could be trusted; the fact that Tenacious was sailing at all after her engagement with the corvette was chiefly down to him and he was pleased to have someone so competent to call upon. “But then the spar is as wide-grained as can be,” the man continued. “Not seen wood so rough since Old Jervie took control of the yards, if you don’t mind me sayin’ so.”

“Can anything be done to strengthen it?”

Morales shrugged. “Most of the lads are former India hands an’ one ’as served the King; they done a fair enough job with batons, but I reckon my mates could tighten it further. Might take somethin’ with a reef then though I wouldn’t want to trust it far.”

King nodded; it was what he had expected and ironically good news; at least with the damage blatantly unsuitable for further progress, the Lady Camden had every reason to turn back. And as a vessel carrying a valuable cargo – he was not including the army officers in this assessment – his duty was to see it safely to the nearest home port. Which would be Ireland, there could be no doubt of that for there was equally no reason to go the extra miles to England.

It did, however, present one drawback, he told himself when the carpenter had finished his report. He supposed it possible to ditch the unfortunate Leyton in Cork; there may a solid replacement available but unlikely. Any officer worth his salt would be seeking a post in one of the major naval ports and they were hardly likely to remain long enough to send for Cooper. But this was not the time to think of such things, he had to speak to Gilroy.

“It’s as we expected, sir,” he said, approaching the master. He was on the merchant’s half deck with his first officer while Croft and Summers had appeared and were standing close by. “My men might be able to add some reinforcement but agree that you should proceed no deeper into the Atlantic.”

“Then the sooner we make for Ireland the better,” Gilroy supposed. The man had eyes that might have been made from blued steel and, though his skin was weather-beaten and his greying hairs undoubtedly thinning, there was more than a spark left in him. “You are certain you wish to accompany me?”

“I would not see you return alone,” King replied. “’Tis a pity more support were not available though Admiral Cox was hardly blessed with escorts.”

“The protection of one of His Majesty’s frigates will be ample I am certain,” Gilroy smiled in return. “But forgive me, when we were speaking earlier I could not be certain what were your own thoughts and what had been said to annoy our military friends.”

“I

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