The Powder Monkey by Ted Bell

Author:Ted Bell [Bell, Ted]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781488094583
Publisher: MIRA Books
Published: 2006-01-10T05:00:00+00:00

Captain Blood,

Make for Cadiz at once under a full press of sail. Once our fleets are united with Spain’s, England is ours! Surprise Nelson en route to Trafalgar and all will be over. Six centuries of shame and insult will be avenged. Lay on with a will! His Majesty counts as nothing the loss of his ships, provided they are lost with Glory…

N.

I said in a daze, “Astounding, sir. And proof of the tale!”

“Yes. Proof enough, I should think.”

We were both silent, staring down at the remarkable document.

“How much is the Globe’s prize then?” Hornby asked, puffing his pipe in a contemplative fashion.

“Seventy-five pounds, sir.”

“A goodly sum.”

I took a deep breath and said, “Mr. Hornby. There is one last piece of business I must discuss with you. Cecily and I—well, Cecily and I are to be married. Sorry. What I mean to say, sir, is that I’ve come here because I should very much like your permission to ask for your daughter Cecily’s hand in marriage!”

He stared into the embers and made no reply. I was sure he found me, shabby as I was, a poor match for his beautiful daughter. It seemed he couldn’t even summon the energy to deny me my hopes. I got to my feet and stretched my weary bones. I closed the notebook and slipped it inside my breast pocket, patting my jacket, finding some measure of hope and reassurance for my future there.

I was about to head upstairs in search of an empty bed, for I was sorely tired, when Hornby got to his feet.

“You’re a good man, Penn Tolliver. An honest soul. Cecily said as much in her letter. I told her I should like to find that out for myself. It was I who suggested you make this long journey in fact.”

“Well, sir, I don’t—”

“Take the Napoleon letter, lad, as your proof. You’ll win the prize, all right. It’s yours. I’ve always wondered these many years whether or not it was worth anything. Now I see that it is worth a great deal, indeed.”

“You knew of the letter?”

“Of course. It’s how Captain McIver and Hawke proved the existence of the plot to Lord Nelson himself!”

“But, Mr. Hornby, this letter is worth thousands of pounds! Ten thousand at least! Perhaps more! I cannot possibly accept it.”

He put the battered glass into my hands and closed my fingers around it.

“Take it, lad.”

“And, about Cecily, sir? I don’t mean to push, but—I do love her very much, sir, and I can only pray that in time you could come to accept me as someone who only has her best—”

“I’d be honored to have you in the family, Mr. Tolliver.”

The old man put his head back against the cushion and was fast asleep before I was halfway up the stairs, flying up them, a happy man, determined to get a bright and early start next morning.

After all, I was a young man with a future.

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