“So you let the letter stand uncontroverted then?” asked Captain Eden.
“I don’t consider the letter to provide any evidence against me,” Eli replied. “Captain Powlett himself confirms that I am a man of good character, and he has no proof I committed any crime. The circumstances of the shipwreck and my unwilling separation from my crew are well-known. The captain confirms there were pirates traveling the region at the time of the wreck. If the case against me is merely that he thinks it strange they made no demand for ransom, this falls short of the standard required for a court-martial.”
“Thank you, Lieutenant.” Admiral Ward held up a finger to signal patience while he exchanged a murmur with the others. Eli strained to catch his words, but they were even softer than the splash of the waves against the hull outside. Time seemed to stretch on and on before he turned back to Eli. “You understand that even if we were to accept your argument that the evidence is insufficient to support charges, we would still be within our rights to recommend your demotion or dismissal to the Admiralty in light of your refusal to elucidate matters?”
Any relief Eli felt at the beginning of that sentence had evaporated by its end. Dismissal. It would mean infamy and the censure of the ton, if the story made the papers. Even if he’d told Jane he would askfor a discharge, he’d planned to do so on his own terms, with his reputation intact.
Now that the moment was before him, he hesitated. It was a huge risk he would be taking. What if her club failed and they were left with nothing? He couldn’t recover his rank and income once he abandoned it.
But if Jane really believed they could do this, he had to trust her.
“I understand, Admiral, and I accept the consequences of my choice today. I only hope that the lords commissioners will prove understanding of the difficult position I’m in. I would be grateful to receive the courtesy of a discharge, rather than a dismissal, if you’re inclined to spare a consideration for my reputation as a gentleman.”
“Very well,” Admiral Ward replied. “We’ll take your request under advisement. If you refuse to be examined, do you wish to recommend any other witnesses to the Court who might have knowledge of this matter?”
“No, sir.” Every survivor of the wreck would only say the same thing as Captain Powlett: they’d seen him pulled under and never heard from him again until now.
“Does anyone see a need to hear from Captain Powlett in person?” Captain Eden cast a glance to the other judges. “It seems to me his letter encompasses the whole of his account.”
“I agree,” Admiral Ward said. “There’s no sense in dragging this out. I’d like to confer with my colleagues in private a moment.”
Everyone stood to attention as the three judges retired to an adjacent room. The scribbling of the judge advocate had finally stopped, though it was past the point where it could bring Eli any relief. The dice were cast. All he could do now was wait.
They returned after a quarter hour, retaking their seats with solemnity.
Admiral Ward cleared his throat. “After deliberation, this courtinquiry is in agreement that there isn’t sufficient evidence of any crime to allow us to recommend charges be laid before a court-martial.” Eli drew a long breath, trying not to let his relief show. “Though we understand why you might believe it contrary to your interest to testify in the absence of any formal charges, your refusal has left this court with unanswered questions about your whereabouts during the time you were absent from your service following the wreckage of theLibertas. In the circumstances, we intend to recommend your other-than-honorable discharge from the navy. We shall inform you once our report is submitted to the lords commissioners. That is all, Lieutenant.”
It was the best he could have hoped for, given the situation. He’d escaped both a court-martial and a dishonorable discharge. Even so, he felt lost.
He needed to see Jane and reassure himself that he hadn’t made a mistake. He needed to hear her good judgment again.
“Thank you, sirs.”
With a salute to his superiors, he took his leave and climbed back up to the quarterdeck, then walked the gangplank back to the docks.
“Iknewyou were keeping secrets from me.” Cecily sipped her tea as if it were the distillation of all her suspicions. “There really was a fight between Eli and MacPherson, wasn’t there?”
“Pardon?” It took Jane a minute to recall their quarrel at the Pearsons’ ball. How was she expected to focus when Eli might arrive any minute? She wondered if Bertie had reached the bank yet, and if he’d been able to reason with Edmund. It wasn’t a long ride. “No, there wasn’t any fight. And there’s not much to tell. Eli and I care for each other, and we’ve decided to marry.”
If she didn’t add fuel to the fire, perhaps they could keep this brief.
Jane glanced at the clock on the mantel, which ticked off the seconds at a pace that seemed to slow the longer she watched it. Did it just go backward?
“I’ll have to host a ball to celebrate your engagement, I suppose.” Cecily sighed, as if this was an imposition and not her own suggestion. “Do you suppose it will be very awkward for you if I do?”
“Why would it be awkward?”
“Well, surely everyone who sees us together will be thinking of how Eli was supposed to marry me first.”
Perhaps it was the headache that had been slowly building at her temples since her quarrel with Edmund, or perhaps she was simply overset by the events of the day, but Jane had reached the limit of her patience. She closed her eyes and steeled herself, drawing in a long breath before she spoke again. “Cecily, I need you to stop doing this if we’re to get along for Uncle Bertie’s sake.”
“Doing what?” She brought a palm to her chest, ready to assume a wounded pose at a moment’s notice. “I was only concerned that—”
“This.” Jane jabbed a finger at the air between them. “The little barbs, the false concern. I don’t have the energy to keep it up anymore, honestly. If you want us to be able to spend time in each other’s company, you’ll have to be kinder to me.”
“Me, be kinder toyou?” Cecily’s voice rose a touch. Gone was the injured facade, replaced by more genuine sentiment. “You’re the one who dislikes me. I invite you to all my parties and when have you ever returned the favor? You didn’t even invite me to your gaming club.” Cecily was sitting quite straight in her chair, and the line of her mouth had gone as rigid as her spine. Her eyes, in contrast, were bright and liquid. “I had to hear about it from others. It was humiliating!”
“It—it wasn’t personal,” Jane stammered. It felt like thisconversation had slid on a wet tile and was now careening toward a sudden fall. “I didn’t think you even liked cards.”
