The Threat in the Baltic (The Merriman Chronicles Book 5) by Burnage Roger

Author:Burnage, Roger [Burnage, Roger]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2015-01-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15 – Merriman meets Admiral Nelson

Merriman stared gloomily out of the carriage window. It was pouring with rain and the city was dank, dark and miserable. The streets were littered with sodden indescribable rubbish and the smell –---------------- Well! He tried to breathe no more than absolutely necessary through the kerchief he held to his nose. Mr Grahame was with him and they were making their way to a hotel Grahame knew of. He had brought his ship creeping into the Medway River, carefully avoiding the changeable mud banks on either side, to Chatham dockyard. Merriman and Grahame had decided to take the ship there and then a post-chaise to London which would be quicker than sailing round to Portsmouth and then coaching back to London.

They had not sent word ahead of their arrival in London but once they were settled in the hotel and in fresh clothes, a messenger was sent to the Admiralty and they were trusting that Admiral Sir David Edwards would be eager to hear what they had discovered during their foray to Denmark. The usual harassed Lieutenant took their names and showed them into the waiting room which was surprisingly almost empty except for a single Lieutenant worriedly biting his lip and a Midshipman, little more than a nervous boy who almost cringed when Merriman, a Captain, looked at him.

The inner door opened and another Captain emerged smiling broadly. He walked past, hardly noticing anybody there. “He's had some good news I think” thought Merriman, “Maybe a new command” . The Lieutenant and the Midshipman were called next, to come back after some twenty minutes with the Lieutenant white-faced and the boy in tears. Obviously they had received bad news or a censure, perhaps the end of their career in the Navy.

Merriman recalled the time he was waiting here when a pasty faced and miserable Captain had emerged from the inner sanctum with his career in ruins. He had been the Captain of a frigate which suffered a mutiny only put down with difficulty by the loyal men. That frigate was renamed the Lord Stevenage and given to Merriman when he was promoted to Post Captain. He was brought out of his reverie by the Lieutenant calling “Sir David will see you now Gentlemen”.

The big room was just as Merriman remembered it with its ornate, coved and plastered ceiling, the weather repeater on the wall so that the wind direction could be seen at a glance. A beautiful, highly polished mahogany table was in the centre of the room with Admiral Edwards sitting at it with another officer near him. Merriman was startled to realise that he must be the famous Admiral Horatio Nelson. The pinned up sleeve of his coat confirmed it “Ah, Merriman” said Admiral Edwards, “Maybe you know my other visitor- eh?”

“Yes Sir, I do. It is an honour to meet you my Lord, your name is known everywhere” said Merriman bowing. “Oh never mind that Captain, Admiral Edwards has been telling me about your exploits round Ireland and the Caribbean Sea.

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.