The Rape of Venice (17 page)

‘Oh, Roger, what a man you are!' she laughed. ‘I believe you would pull the wool over the eyes of the devil himself.'

‘We'll not succeed in this without your loyal help,' he warned her seriously. ‘During the whole voyage you must not give away by a word or a look that your feelings for me are anything but those a young girl should have for a normally indulgent uncle. Have I your promise on that?'

‘Yes,' she said a shade reluctantly.' ‘Twill be hard to appear indifferent to you for so long, but I learnt to do so while Amanda was alive—at least, I thought I had. To hold to such a
resolution, though, I'll need some earnest of future happiness to buoy me up; so I must have a promise from you in return.'

‘M'dear, your situation is hardly one which gives you the right to demand promises about the future.'

‘Oh, but it is,' she smiled up at him. ‘Do I not play this game as you would have me play it, what then? I could tell the Captain that having seduced me you would have abandoned me, had I not learnt your intention in time and succeeded in getting aboard without your knowledge. Thus I could swiftly deprive you of the vast satisfaction you expect to derive from having saved me from myself, and make you appear a heartless villain into the bargain.'

Roger was not often caught out, and this was the second time that Clarissa had used her wits to get him in a cleft stick. Despite her unscrupulous methods, he admired her for it; and, although he did not believe that she would really go to such lengths, he thought it wisest at least to appear willing to consider any proposal she might make, so he said:

‘I recall that you as good as blackmailed me into refraining from sending you home from the Indies; but I warn you that I will dig my heels in should you demand anything I consider it unreasonable to grant.'

She laughed. ‘How cautious you are; but I ask no more than to take you at your word, and my condition is one that you should not find onerous. It is that, should I find in Calcutta some impotent old dodderer who would like a decorative wife to brighten his last years until he sinks into his grave, you will become my lover.'

After only a second's hesitation, he stood up and bowed. ‘Should that happen I'd count myself the most fortunate man in India.'

Serious now, she nodded. ‘You see, although I would much liefer have been free to love you openly, I am willing to accept even half a loaf rather than starve for lack of bread. Go now, if you wish, and tell your story to the Captain.'

As he left her and made his way up to the deck, he could not decide whether he was glad or sorry that, although he had triumphed over immediate temptation, he was now, in given circumstances, committed to her. He had spoken the truth when he said that if she were married he would have no scruples about becoming her lover; but it had never occurred to him that she might be prepared to tie herself to some other man in order to become his mistress. That she appeared willing
to do so was yet another revelation of the profoundness of her love for him, and he found it a little frightening.

Unthinkingly, he had given her the power to call the tune. If her obsession for him continued, she had only to let it be known on reaching Calcutta that she had come out to look for a husband, and within weeks that tune would be the wedding-march. But what would be the outcome of such a desperate measure? So fierce a passion as hers, when consummated, might become a cauldron of white hot fire and, once they had plunged into it, consume them both.

Glibly as Roger had told Clarissa the story he had thought up to account for her presence on board, he was by no means confident that Captain Finch would swallow it hook, line and sinker. If he did not, he might discuss the matter with his Purser, or others, and that could lead to most undesirable speculations. It might, just possibly, emerge that, although Roger claimed to be Clarissa's uncle, he was not in fact; and, anyway, he knew himself to be too young and good-looking for it not to cause at least mild surprise that he should be the uncle of a fully grown woman. In the close confines of a ship, it needed only a rumour that it was Clarissa's eagerness not to visit the gorgeous East, but to be with him, that had brought her among them, and his whole plan to protect her reputation would fall to the ground.

It was, therefore, of the first importance that he should play his cards in such a way that Captain Finch would believe him from the beginning and not be left with doubts which he might mention to anyone else.

Having made up his mind on the line he meant to take, he went up to the poop and asked the officer of the watch to secure him an interview with the Commander. The officer sent a Midshipman down with his request and the youth disappeared through a doorway under the poop. Two minutes later he reappeared and led Roger to a handsomely furnished cabin with tall sloping windows that looked out onto the churning wake of the ship.

Captain Finch politely rose from the desk table at which he was seated but, as he was a stickler, for cleanliness in the small community of which, while it was at sea, he was the absolute
master, he gave a quick frown of disapproval at Roger's dishevelled appearance. Before his visitor could even speak, he said sharply:

‘Mr. Brook, it is one thing for me to see a passenger on deck with unshaven chin and hair like a bird's nest at six in the morning, and quite another for him to present himself before me in that state at this hour. Kindly retire and tidy yourself.'

Roger had purposely refrained from doing so before asking for an interview because he counted on the fact of his still being ungroomed being taken as sound corroborative evidence that he had not considered himself free to use his own cabin. Standing his ground, he said:

‘My most humble apologies, Sir; but when I have informed you of the trouble I am in, I feel confident I may count on your forgiveness.'

‘Well; what have you to say to me?'

‘It is about the packet, Sir, of which I spoke to you earlier this morning.'

‘I have already told you that there is no possibility whatever of my putting in to land your packet.'

‘Unfortunately, Sir, the packet is a woman.'

‘What!' Captain Finch's blue eyes almost shot sparks. ‘D'you mean to tell me that you had the temerity to bring aboard some trollop at Deal, for the purpose of a last-night fling before putting her off at Lymington?'

Pretending righteous wrath, Roger drew himself up and let him have it back. ‘Were that the case I would count it no cause for you to make such a display of indignation. I am informed, Sir, that not infrequently men of quality bring aboard, in the guise of servants, trollops, as you term them, to provide them with amusement through the whole voyage.'

The sailor flinched a trifle, but he replied stoutly, ‘Sir! Were such an irregularity brought to the knowledge of a Commander of one of the Company's ships he would not tolerate it for an instant.'

‘No doubt,' retorted Roger. ‘But I'll wager some of them take good care that it is not brought to their knowledge. At all events that is so if the table talk of Mr. Secretary Dundas is to be relied upon.'

Again Captain Finch's stern glance wavered for a second and, in a slightly less belligerent tone, he asked:

‘Are you, then well acquainted with Mr. Dundas?'

‘Indeed, yes: he is an old friend and I have dined at his house
out at Wimbledon in company with Mr. Pitt and others many times.'

In that, Roger told no lie, although he had made a completely unscrupulous use of Dundas's name when introducing it into the conversation. Harry Dundas was the Prime Minister's most powerful colleague in the Cabinet. He was a man of great ability and boundless energy. He managed their party, ruled the Scottish members with a rod of iron, and did all the unsavoury political jobbery with which Mr. Pitt did not care to soil his hands. In addition to being Minister of War he had, two years earlier, become President of the India Board, a new creation that now gave Parliament control over the affairs of the East India Company which, under its ancient Charter, had previously enjoyed complete immunity from interference in its activities.

It was, therefore, not to be wondered at that even a stout-hearted man like Captain Finch should, in those days when nepotism and patronage were almost universal, now display a somewhat greater readiness to deserve the good opinion of a gentleman possessing such powerful friends as did the tousle-haired and unshaven Mr. Roger Brook. With an abrupt little bow, he said:

‘I can only regret, Sir, that I am unable to oblige you. To land your, er, hum—packet, now would be contrary to my duty to the Company. With such a stiff breeze blowing the delay might even cause us permanently to lose touch with the convoy and our escort.'

Roger had feared as much, but the sailor's change of tone told him that his tactics of first treading on his corns, then revealing himself as a man with too much political influence behind him to be offended lightly, had served their purpose. The thing which concerned him was that the Commander should accept his story without question, whether he entirely believed it or not, and give his willing co-operation to transforming Clarissa as smoothly as possible from her present state to that of a respectable passenger. Judging that he had now been manœuvred into a suitable state of mind, Roger returned his bow and said:

‘Believe me, Sir, I fully understood how you were situated when we first spoke of the matter this morning; and in coming here I had no intention of endeavouring to persuade you to alter your decision. Moreover, I am happy to be able to assure you that the unauthorised presence aboard of this young
woman is in no way due to moral turpitude on my part. Far from it. She is, I admit, a flighty, spoilt, adventurous-minded minx and has played upon me a most wicked prank. But she is no trollop, Sir. She is my niece.'

‘God bless me!' exclaimed the stalwart sailor, his prawn-like eyebrows shooting up into his square forehead. ‘This is a fine kettle of fish!'

‘It is one, Sir,' rejoined Roger grimly, ‘that not only causes me grave embarrassment, but is like to put me to considerable expense, and she should be punished for it.'

Captain Finch suddenly sat down, motioned Roger to a chair and said with quick sympathy, ‘You imply that you did not know her to be aboard until after we had sailed. If so I can appreciate the intense annoyance you must feel. Pray disclose the whole matter to me without delay.'

At this friendly invitation Roger turned on all his charm, told the story he had made up, and put forward his proposals for dealing with the affair. When he had done, Captain Finch said:

‘One must admit the young lady has shown exceptional spirit in her determination to see the East, and I trust you will not deal too harshly with her by confining her to her cabin for a while, or anything of that kind. The ladies aboard are few upon this trip, so she will make a welcome addition to our company. I would have suggested saying that on her coming aboard I showed her straight down to her cabin myself and that suffering from a malaise last night she decided against leaving it. But, unfortunately, her joining the ship at Margate and her face having since become familiar to the other servants puts that out of the question. There can be no concealing her escapade, so we must make of it the best we can. In any case, it was most wise of you to elect to spend a wretchedly uncomfortable night rather than occupy the other berth in your cabin, as many uncles would have done. Your forethought in that was most praiseworthy, as there will now be no grounds for wagging tongues. Since you wish her to retain your cabin, I'll order your luggage to be removed to another, then have hers retrieved from the hold and sent down to her. I shall look forward to your presenting her to the company when we meet for dinner.'

He coughed and added, ‘It only remains now for us to arrange about her passage money.'

The officers in the Company's ships were paid only a
nominal salary, but were more than amply compensated for that by being allowed, on a scale in accordance with their rank, free shipping space to conduct a private trade of their own. On outward voyages the allowances ranged from fifty-six tons for a Commander to one ton for a Midshipman; and even the petty officers were allowed a certain number of cubic feet. On the homeward voyages the allowances were reduced by roughly one third all round but, even so, sound buying could bring them very handsome profits. In addition, while the commander was responsible for feeding the passengers, any profit he could make out of their passage money was also part of his perquisites. For the Company's Servants there were fixed rates of from £95 to £250 according to rank for the one way trip out, but private passengers had to make their own bargain with the Commanders and in a good ship, homeward bound, for which the rates were considerably higher, they often asked as much as £1,000.

Droopy had secured for Roger a passage at a cost of £500, which included £100 for the privilege of sitting at the Commander's table, where the food served was of a far higher standard than the ordinary passengers' fare. Now, Roger had no option but to enter into a bond for a further £500 to secure for Clarissa the same amenities as he was to enjoy himself. While making the transaction he was hard put to it to conceal his chagrin, and Captain Finch to conceal his delight. The latter was under no obligation to purchase a single extra chicken or bottle of wine; so if, on account of this extra passenger, his table had to go a little short towards the end of the voyage, he could not be blamed for it, and the £500 could be regarded as clear profit. A few minutes later he bowed Roger out of his cabin with the greatest affability and his assurance that he would give the necessary orders forthwith.

Within a quarter of an hour, Roger's trunks were transferred to another cabin and, shortly afterwards, Clarissa's were brought to her; so they were able to set about making themselves presentable. When Roger emerged clad with his usual elegance, he again looked in on her to tell her to remain below until he came to fetch her, then he went up on deck to carry out another and, he hoped, less tricky part of his programme for protecting her reputation.