The Custom of the Trade by Shaun Lewis

Author:Shaun Lewis [Lewis, Shaun]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Endeavour Media
Published: 2017-09-27T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

October 1914

‘Hello, is that you Ashridge?’

‘It is, sir, but it’s a bad line, so you’ll have to speak up.’

‘Well, I can hear you fine just now. Is that any better?’ Richard raised his voice.

‘Much better, thank you, sir.’

‘What’s up? Durton, my father’s butler, said it was urgent.’

‘It is urgent, sir, but I thought I would try to catch you on the telephone, rather than send a telegram. I’m glad I caught you in London.’

‘I leave for Lancashire tomorrow. I thought I would have a few days up there before the wedding. My mother has already gone up.’

‘That’s what I’m ringing you about, sir. We’ve had fresh orders.’

A tingle of excitement ran through Richard and for a moment he forgot about his wedding that weekend.

‘I’ve just seen Captain (S) and he’s told me to cancel all further leave. Everyone is to report back on board within seventy-two hours. We and two other boats are on standby for some sort of special mission. But Captain (S) knows you’re getting married, sir, and wondered if you might be able to bring it forward. It’s bad luck you being inconvenienced twice this way, sir.’

Richard was silent for a minute. Several things were passing through his head. His first thoughts concerned what needed to be done to make E9 ready for any form of special mission. The boat was in the middle of a maintenance period and half the ship’s company had just returned from a fortnight’s leave. The other half, like him, had only just started their leave. There were bound to be more than a few disgruntled by the sudden recall. The maintenance work would have to be halted and the boat put back together again. There was storing to be considered, fuelling, the loading of new torpedoes and a hundred and one other things. It wasn’t fair to impose such a burden on Ashridge, competent as he was. Then he remembered his wedding and he imagined Lizzy’s disappointment at a second postponement, and after all the aggravation in persuading Mutti to attend, too. Might he be able to obtain a special licence and marry in a registry office? No, it was unthinkable. It was just one of those exigencies of the Service. Of course they would still marry, but the arrangements would just have to be put on ice for a little while.

‘Can you give me any clue as to the nature of our possible mission, Number One?’

‘I can’t, sir, because I don’t know. All Captain (S) said is that three E-boats would be involved, but he is waiting for Boyle and Cochrane to get back from a preliminary recce, and then it’s all dependent on some hush-hush conference for the go-ahead. It might all come to nought.’

‘Very well, Ashridge. I need a little time to sort out my affairs, not least in breaking the news to my fiancée, but I’ll be back in Harwich by tomorrow evening. In the meantime, I am relying on you to start making the boat ready for sea at short notice.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.