The Captain's Beloved

20 - Governing Heartsick Men

"Yes, of course." Anne wrote out the address on a piece of parchment and hurried to oblige my second request.

Soon after, Alice and I journeyed through the streets of Chatham, enjoying the spring gardens. I knew we were being followed as soon as we left the inn, but it was only Rory obliging the earl's request, so I did not make a fuss. Along the way, I shared the details of the rumors that prompted my meeting with the general to bring Alice into the loop.

She listened attentively and seemed to understand the strange, discomfiting feeling I expressed as we traveled up a sloped street toward the general's two-story home. Based on the slant of the path, I expected it took a strong assistant to push his invalid carriage to the door.

Before I talked myself out of it, I knocked, and Alice offered a reassuring smile as she stood beside me. I felt extremely grateful for her company. After a bit of a wait, I heard the creak of floorboards, and the door was pulled open by an aged manservant. By the look of his quill-thin frame, sunken eyes, and browbeaten posture, I immediately assumed he had spent his career under the general's command.

"How can I help you?" He spoke in a tentative whisper, like his mere presence at the door might be seen as a crime. I swallowed past a nervous knot as I curtsied.

"I am sorry to disturb you, Sir. My name is Rosalind Hayes, and this is Alice Thompson. I met the general on Monday at the Sea Dog Pub, and our conversation did not proceed well. I have been worried about his state of mind and wished to offer an apology. I have written everything in this letter, including my address in London should he wish to correspond further."

I handed over the missive, and he took it with a trembling hand. The longer I stood there, the more I hoped this man was not the one to help the general up and down the steep slope to his home.

After staring at the envelope, his gaze lifted to me, and concern wrinkled his brow. Had he heard the rumors? Did he believe them? "I will deliver this to the general, but I cannot guarantee he will read it. However, I will tell him you came by to offer an apology. That message, I assure you, will be delivered."

I appreciated his forthright reply, which confirmed what I had already learned. The general was a bitter, ill-mannered man. As Alice and I left the stoop and made our way down the slanted street, I could not help wondering if the general's demeanor might have improved had his family survived to comfort him into his later years.

"It's alright, Rose. You have said your piece. There is nothing more you can do."

Alice's thoughtfulness reassured me more than I realized. While there was not a cloud in sight to signal a storm, I felt something like a raindrop slide down my cheek.

~    ~   ~

The tea cakes were a smashing success with my carriage mates on our journey from Chatham to London. The duke offered his regrets that he could not travel with us, but he assured Alice and Albert that he would manage a trip to Oxford to attend the dinner party. For his part, the earl behaved himself for the entire ride, although I knew this had to do with our traveling companions.

Once we arrived in London, the earl insisted he see me home while Albert stayed with the Thompsons to discuss wedding plans. I knew full well that nobility enjoyed pushing their advantage. The earl had already proven this. But I had not allowed any man to intimidate me thus far, and I was not about to start with him.

The carriage had barely left the walk when the earl moved to sit beside me, and I felt his breath against my cheek as he spoke into my ear. "Being in your presence is like a balm. I have been lost without your companionship. All I have are memories. The beautiful memories of our intimate moments."