“What’s happened?” Cecily spoke before her father could. “Does it have to do with your engagement? Imagine how surprised I was to learn of it from Papa. You know how I hate to be the last one to find out!”
Jane ignored this accusation and focused on her uncle. “There’s no time to explain. What matters is, I desperately need to withdraw a portion of my inheritance if I’m to marry Eli, and Edmund has gone to the bank to clean house and leave me without a single shilling. If you go after him directly, you might arrive before my portion is spent.”
“That doesn’t sound like our Edmund.” Bewilderment tugged Bertie’s eyebrows up toward his hairline. “Why should he do such a thing?”
“He’s taken it into his head to purchase a commission.” They were running out of time. Every minute brought Edmund that much closer to his goal. “Never mind that. Onlypleasego stop him while you still can. We can hash out the details once he’s back at home and the funds are safe.”
Bertie seemed at last to grasp the urgency of the situation. “Very well. Rest assured that I’ll do my best to prevent any irreversible action until we’ve had a chance to talk this over properly. Are you coming with me?”
Jane hesitated. She might miss Eli’s call, but wouldn’t it be preferable to salvage her funds than to face him empty-handed?
Cecily filled the silence, her voice bright and helpful, “I can mind the house in case Eli calls while you’re out.”
Goodness, no.That wouldn’t do at all. “I’d best stay here too. You go ahead, Uncle. If you miss him at the bank, you might try—I don’t know, where do young men go to buy commissions?”
“I imagine the War and Colonial Office, or the military academy,” Bertie supplied, placing his hat back atop his head and opening the door. “I’ll check both if he’s already left the bank. Don’t lose hope.”
He was gone a moment later.Please let him arrive in time. Jane sent the prayer out into the world, hating how useless she felt to stay behind and wait.
“Well, darling, shall we take some tea until your beau arrives?” A hungry smile tugged at Cecily’s lips, though her eyes remained cool. “I daresay you’ve a lot to tell me.”
Twenty-Eight
“I bring this to your attention only in keeping with my highest sense of duty toward Her Majesty’s Royal Navy. Signed, Captain Richard Powlett.” Admiral Ward set down the letter, turning his eyes to Eli with solemnity. “Well, Lieutenant Williams? What answer will you make to these charges?”
The admiral, a white-haired man nearing eighty, was the president of Eli’s inquiry. He sat now in the day cabin on the roman HMSAchilles, dressed in full uniform and flanked on either side by the two other judges who heard Eli’s case. The judge advocate sat at his own table a little further down, scribbling notes in his log as they spoke. It was a large room, lined with windows to let in the sun, and several of the skeleton crew that manned theAchilleswhile she was at harbor had come in to occupy the space, perhaps seeking some novelty in their day.
Though Eli would have preferred no audience at all, it could have been worse. The real challenge would be if one of them decided to alert the papers.
“With the greatest of respect, Admiral, I understand them not to be formal charges, merely concerns.”
“True,” Admiral Ward amended quickly. “I don’t mean to overstate the situation, but whatever information you can provide to us will certainly determine whether we recommend charges be brought or no.”
The scribbling of the judge advocate’s pen upon the page grated away Eli’s concentration. He fought back the urge to tell the man to be quiet. He needed to approach this carefully, just as he’d planned with Halsey. One wrong word could mean his ruin.
“There lies my difficulty, sirs.” Eli measured each word. “As no charges have been brought yet, I cannot know what case the Crown will have to prove. You can understand my reluctance to give any evidence at the inquiry which may be used against me later.”
He couldn’t be forced to lie if he refused to speak. Time to see how the judges would take it.
“You have been summoned here in order to present your side of the story, Lieutenant,” said Captain Eden, who sat, frowning, to the admiral’s left. “In the hopes that we may avoid a court-martial altogether, if it is not needed. I ask you therefore: Were you a hostage of pirates, as has been reported in the papers?”
All they wanted was a yes. If he gave it to them, this could end now.
But it was a false hope. For once he submitted to examination, another question would follow. And another.
“This court has no authority to compel me to testify.” Eli glanced down at his notes. “In the case of Sir John Mordaunt—”
“Yes, yes,” Admiral Ward interrupted. “We’re all familiar with that matter. But even if we cannot compel testimony, surely you can see that it may benefit you to cooperate with us. I’ve followed your story with interest, and I’m sure we would all be happy to see this resolved today, if you can only satisfy us that there is a full explanation for your absence.”
It could be so easy. Was he making a mistake in refusing to answer?
But if they asked how long it had taken him to get home, whatwould he say? If they wanted the name of the merchant ship, if they tried to track down its crew to verify details and dates, everything would start to unravel.
No. He’d found his way forward, and he would have to hold to it.
“Thank you for your candor, Admiral, but I must maintain my refusal.”
Behind him, a few of the onlookers murmured at his response. Admiral Ward sighed, exchanging a dark look with Captain Eden, who shook his head. The judge advocate’s pen scribbled furiously on.
