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Part 35
Soon, everything was back to normal on Abbey Mill Farm. About three weeks after her arrival at home, Liz received her first letter from Mrs Campbell.
She informed Liz that she and her husband had settled comfortably in Portsmouth by now. She sent her husband's compliments; he hoped that Miss Martin was well.
We have had no news from Mr Price yet, but my husband says that there is no reason for worrying. He may not have had an opportunity to send a letter to England yet, or the letter may have been sent to our address in Cranston - in which case we will receive it soon, I am sure.
"Oh, you will certainly not worry, Mrs Campbell. I would have wondered if you had, after all, it does not affect you, does it?" Liz said, angrily.
She did worry about William - no news from him yet - what could that mean? She had to allow for Mr Campbell's being acquainted with the Navy and with shipboard life, but...she was worried nevertheless. A lot could have happened, she did not dare thinking of it, and still she imagined things...
She rose from her seat; she could not stay here, doing nothing. The atmosphere in her room suddenly oppressed her, she needed to go out.
When descending the stairs, wearing her coat and bonnet, she met Rob, who was looking at her anxiously.
"Where are you going, Liz?"
"I just need some fresh air, Rob, that is all."
He smiled. "You can go with me, if you want to, I want to go and see Harris."
"Oh, I...I'd love to, but not today, Rob...I need to be alone, please."
She wanted to walk past him, but he got hold of her arm.
"Liz, I think we need to talk, don't you think so too?"
Liz looked at him and sighed. If her brother had that determined expression about him, it was better not to oppose him. He could be just as stubborn as she could. She would have to give in - and could as well get over it.
"Well, let's go then."
Rob gave her an encouraging smile, as they walked out of the house, heading into the direction of Harris's cottage. Liz did not want to make it that easy for him. He would have to start on the topic; she had no intention of beginning that conversation.
"Liz, I've been watching you, and I have to tell you I'm worried about you. I thought you might tell me sooner or later, but you haven't. Don't you trust me any more?"
Liz was astonished. What made Rob think so?
"How can you say such a thing? I've always trusted you, and I still do. It was just that I needed some time for myself, and I didn't want to bother you with my affairs. You have quite a lot of things to care for without being burdened with my problems, too, haven't you?"
Rob laughed. "Liz, that's a big excuse, and surely you don't expect me to be tricked by it, right? I've known you since the day you were born, so there is no possible way you can fool me. Come now, what is the matter? If you won't let me know, I'll ask George and Cathy, I'm sure they will tell me."
"You would not!"
"Give it a try, if you want to," Robert said, grinning.
Now Liz started talking, telling her brother everything that had been on her mind in the past weeks, and he listened to her patiently, without a comment.
When she had finished, she felt relieved and anxious at the same time. What would he say about the whole matter? Liz looked at her brother earnestly, waiting for him to say something.
Robert cleared his throat. "Well, Liz, I have to admit this is quite a story...you've been through a lot of things, and I'm sorry for teasing you, I didn't know..."
"Your teasing me, Rob, has done no harm to me. On the contrary." She smiled. "It kept me from worrying all the time. But what do you think about all that business?"
Robert gave a short laugh. "Where do I start, then? As far as I have understood it, you feel guilty about that Mr Searle, am I right?"
"He was killed because of me, so I have every reason to feel guilty."
Robert shook his head. "Whatever has happened to him, Liz, is not your fault. You did not make him associate with those smugglers, did you? His fate was sealed on the day he decided to join their business. He knew very well about the risks, and he accepted them as a part of the deal. All this happened long before he even knew of the existence of a girl like Elizabeth Martin."
Liz had never seen it from that point of view, and she had to admit that Robert might be right.
"Of course you were shocked, I fully understand your feelings there. It's not like you not to take interest, especially since Miss Searle is your friend, and I suppose that Mr Searle was your friend, too. But do not blame yourself for a thing you did not - and could not - foresee. Or is there...another reason for you to...grieve about his death?"
He looked at her apprehensively. "Liz, it may sound strange, but I have the strong impression .... Have you been in love with Mr Searle?"
"No, I haven't. I liked him, that is all. He was charming, agreeable, and fun to be with. We used to spend some pleasant evenings in each other's company, nothing more."
That evening, the Masons came to dine with the Martins, as they did at least once every week.
When the gentlemen joined the ladies after dinner, George took Liz aside and gave her a letter.
"Read this," he said, smiling.
Liz looked at the piece of paper in her hand. She knew the handwriting; it was Edward Mason's.
"Why should I read a letter from your brother to you? I am sure he has nothing to tell you that might interest me."
"Just read it, Elizabeth," George said, " and make your decision then."
Liz only needed to read the first lines to get George's meaning. She embraced him happily and kissed him on his cheek.
"You are a dear, George Mason," she exclaimed.
"Good news from my brother seem to have a certain effect on you," George said, teasingly. "Shall I tell him about it? I am sure he'd be pleased."
"George, do not risk my favour so soon after gaining it," Liz said. "You have no idea what trouble sisters-in-law can make."
Liz turned to the letter again. It was not long, Edward merely informed his brother that "the "Achilles" had reached the port of Gibraltar safely, and that he was looking forward to his duties there", and that his commanding officer, a certain Colonel Fitzwilliam, "was a fine fellow, though he was a bit too particular about some things". He did not mention William, but knowing that the "Achilles" was in Gibraltar, Liz knew that he would be safe.
Her hands, holding the letter, trembled, and she had to sit down. William was in Gibraltar...nothing had happened to him. But why had Mr and Mrs Campbell not had any news from him yet? Strange...
Two days later, Liz received another letter from Mrs Campbell. After informing Liz about her social life, she gave her the details Liz had so long been waiting for.
As I have told you in my last letter, we did not have any news from Mr Price until yesterday. His letter was directed to Cranston, and so it arrived here in Portsmouth later than expected. He is well, and is enjoying his short stay in Gibraltar before the Achilles sets sail again.
He also writes that he has met a gentleman of your acquaintance, a certain Mr Edward Mason, and that he could not prevent his men making fun of him - a bit. My husband laughed out loud when reading the letter, but he did not want to tell me what it was about - which did vex me exceedingly, I can tell you.
Liz grinned. Whatever the navy officers had done to Edward Mason, he had certainly deserved it, and she wished she had been there, too, not because of Edward Mason, though. She could imagine William, with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes, ready to join the fun.
"You could not prevent it, indeed," she said, smiling. "Poor William, it must have troubled you, indeed."
This was all the news that Mrs Campbell was able to give her, or so it seemed, but Liz was content. William was alive, and he was well, what more could she wish for?
Part 36
William enjoyed his stay in Gibraltar. He had been there five or six years before, just before he had been made lieutenant, and had taken a liking to that town.
The admiral and the officers of the "Achilles" were invited to nearly every important occasion during their stay, and a bit of amusement did William good. It kept him from pondering. Still, not even the charms of the most beautiful young ladies of Gibraltar could divert his thoughts from Elizabeth Martin - not that these ladies had not tried.
Captain Murdoch was a great favourite with the Gibraltar ladies, too, and William understood perfectly why that was so. He treated them with much respect, was charming, witty and - above all - if not exactly good-looking, at least not far from it.
Still, when they were on their way to Malta, at last, William did not feel sorry for leaving Gibraltar behind him. Each mile he came nearer to Malta also meant that he would soon be homeward bound - and see Elizabeth again.
He hoped there would be nothing to delay their voyage. At this time of year, the weather was usually fine, but if they wanted to be home by Christmas...autumn and winter were not a good time to be sailing in either the Mediterranean or the Channel. A short journey could well take them longer than expected, and they might be forced to stay in harbour all winter to wait for the right moment to set sail again.
Fearing the worst again, are we, Price? William thought.
No, the worst would be if a rumour he had heard in Gibraltar turned out to be true - that the "Achilles", instead of going back to England, would have to sail to the Cape right away...who knew when William might set foot on English soil again then? Half a year ago, such news would not have bothered him at all; he would just have accepted things as they were. But now he was impatient to be home soon, and hoped that this rumour - just like most other rumours - was not founded on fact.
He had received a letter from Campbell while he had been in Gibraltar, telling him that Elizabeth had gone back home to her family. William was glad about that. He was sure that she would be well taken care of, and hoped that she would not miss him too much ... well, he would not mind if she missed him a little, at least.
He missed her more than just a little; it was as if a part of him was absent. William felt that his life would not be complete without her, and more than once he was tempted to sit down and write her a letter, to tell her all he had not been able to let her know while he had still been with her.
He gave up that idea, however. Leaving such important business to a letter should be his last option, in the worst case - which meant his going to the Cape.
One never knew how things worked out with letters - they could, perhaps, do more harm than help.
Apart from one minor thunderstorm, the journey went well and the sea was calm. After a short time they saw the coast of their destination in the distance - the rocky shores of Malta.
Captain Murdoch, who had been in Malta before, told William and Lieutenant Grey everything he knew about the island.
"It has always been an important strategic point, and both Arabs and Turks have tried to invade it in its history. The Knights of the Order of St John have controlled the island for centuries since the Crusades - and have been very successful in defending it against enemies. No wonder, you'll just have to look at the fortresses they have built.
In the past years, however, the Maltese have not been very lucky."
He looked at William and Lieutenant Grey earnestly. "Do not expect a warm welcome. The locals do not like us, and they do not trust us. I do not know why, but let us just face the fact."
Later that day, they finally reached Valletta, and William had the opportunity to see everything Captain Murdoch had said verified - at least what he had said concerning the fortresses.
Valletta was a strongly fortified city, situated on a small peninsula, surrounded with battlements.
"Fort St Elmo", Captain Murdoch said, pointing to a huge fort overlooking the harbour. On the other side, there was another fortress, guarding the entrance to Grand Harbour.
William could imagine that a fortress like that could, indeed, hold off enemies for some time.
During the following hours, William was very busy, and a visit ashore was not to be thought of, but he was impatient to see more of that town soon, a town "built by gentlemen for gentlemen", as Murdoch had said.
There were other English ships in the Grand Harbour of Valletta, and messages for the Admiral were arriving from them all the time.
William saw a young man come on board, a handsome youth; with fair hair...he had a striking resemblance to himself.
William grinned, and while the young man was speaking to the Admiral, delivering his message, William was waiting for him. When the young man left the admiral's cabin and turned to go, William grabbed his shoulder and bellowed, "Mr Price!!!"
The young man was startled at first, but gave a broad grin as soon as he recognised William.
"Oh, it's you, is it?" he said. "Fancy I have to go to Malta to meet my brother - and the first thing he does is yell at me."
William laughed. "How are you, Sam?" he asked.
Sam shrugged his shoulders. "I'm alive and well, so I can't complain."
"No, indeed, you do not look as if you had anything to complain about."
"How are Mother and Father and the rest of the gang?"
"Our parents are well, as far as I know. I did not see much of them. As for the rest of the gang, which, I suppose, means our relations, well...I had a letter from Fanny when I was in Gibraltar, she seems to be fine, and she sent me Susan's compliments as well. I have not seen Charles, he had left Portsmouth on his way to the West Indies just three days before I arrived there."
Sam nodded. "We're an interesting set, aren't we? Each of us travelling around, and meeting each other more by chance than anything else."
William looked at his brother mischievously. "That sounds as if you were fed up with the life we are leading. Would you like to swap with - let's say - an office clerk?"
Sam looked at him in astonishment, pointing to his forehead with an unmistakable gesture.
"Are you mad? Never! What a suggestion!"
William laughed. "You'd better behave like you are supposed to, considering I'm a superior officer. Brother or not, I shall not put up with such behaviour. Well, how long have you been here by now?"
"One month, sir," Sam answered, grinning.
"How long are you going to stay in Valletta?"
"I'm not sure, sir, but I think we will leave in a week, sir."
"Going home?"
"Aye, sir."
"Will you stop sir-ing me all the time, Sam?"
"Aye, sir."
William started laughing.
"Why are you laughing? You told me I should talk to you the way I talk to my senior officers, sir, so I did."
This was just like his brother - wilfully misunderstanding everything!
William gave him his hand. "Peace?"
"Truce, brother."
Midshipman O'Grady had joined them in the meantime, and William introduced the two young men to each other. They seemed to be most ready to be friends - and William hoped that O'Grady might have some good influence on Sam.
Sam Price was seventeen years old, and, just like William, had spent most of his time since his eleventh birthday at sea.
But even though there was a strong likeness in looks between them (no one could deny them being brothers if one saw them together), he was different in character.
Sam did not take life too seriously, he thought that fun was the reason for living, and tried to get his fair share of fun at all times.
In a way, he reminded William of their father. He was fond of drink, women, and lively company. William was not sure how much experience Sam had already had concerning drink and women, and he did not really want to know either. One thing was sure: Sam was charming, witty, good-looking, and even if he was but seventeen, he knew exactly about the effect this mixture had on the female sex, and tested it as often as possible.
Sam Price was an irredeemable flirt, just as his brother was an incurable romantic. He had already got himself into a scrape once or twice because of that, and William did not dare thinking of what might become of him if he went on like this. Either he would not live to see his twentieth birthday, or he would be married before reaching that age.
"Well, it's time for me to take leave, William," Sam said, after chatting a few minutes with O'Grady. "The Captain said he'd skin me if I did not come back in time. I think that a meeting with my brother, whom I have not seen for three years, will be an ample excuse, though, what do you think?" He grinned, and winked at William. "If not, tell our parents I bore it like a man, will you?"
"Do you think you can get a few hours' leave to show us around in town," William asked.
Sam laughed. "I'm sure Captain Wentworth will be quite happy to be rid of me for a few hours, yes. But I can't promise a thing, I'll send you a message."
It seemed as if Captain Wentworth, was, indeed, most ready to get rid of Sam Price. He had not the least difficulty in procuring his Captain's permission to go ashore and spend some time with his brother, although Wentworth did doubt if it was merely fraternal regard that made Midshipman Price ask for leave.
So Sam met William and O'Grady on the quay, and they decided to take a walk around the town and - as Sam made clear right from the beginning - to go for a drink in a tavern afterwards.
"You won't want me to walk around in that heat without allowing me to have one for the tonsils, right," he said to William.
"As long as you don't get drunk, I do not care," William answered. "I will not carry you back to your ship on my back, do you hear?"
"As if," Sam answered, grinning.
While walking along the street, there was one thing that struck William as extraordinary. There were statues on each of the houses, and there were balconies as well.
O'Grady, being Catholic, was quite ready to inform them that the statues represented different saints.
Sam frowned. "What makes people put those statues there, then? Strange, is it not?"
O'Grady shook his head. "Not at all. You see, people have their patron saints, and they will pray to them for help and protection. Look, it's Saint John the Baptist over there, and Saint Peter - always shown with the key."
"What do they pray for, for example?" Sam asked. "You said for help and protection - what sort of help?"
"Depends on the situation you are in, really. For us, Saint Nicholas would be important - patron saint of sailors. I have prayed to him quite often - and he did help me, believe it or not."
Sam shook his head in disbelief, but William said, "Sam, you will never understand religious matters that are not your own. Just accept them as they are, and tolerate them, will you?"
"But it sounds b***dy superstitious to me!"
"Mind your language, Sam!"
Sam glared at his brother. Sometimes he was just so...
Then he caught a glimpse of O'Grady, and said, "I'm sorry, O'Grady, I didn't mean to offend you."
O'Grady laughed. "Well, I'll forgive you this once - but better leave that topic in the future, it'd be easier for you. You don't want me to get really angry, do you?"
They walked on, and reached a market. "If you want to buy anything, this is the right place," Sam said. "Lace is to be had in abundance here. Actually, I have thought of buying some lace for our mother, do you think she'll like it, William?"
"I am sure she will be delighted."
There were not many women to be seen in the streets of Valletta. William supposed that it was just the same as in Sicily, where respectable women stayed in their houses, except if they went to church, of course. And, as far as he was concerned, he did not care to meet the other sort of women that were usually to be found in seaports.
Finally, they had seen enough of Valletta to get a general impression, and Sam headed towards a tavern. They entered it, and Sam went to speak with the innkeeper.
"I have learnt a bit of that unintelligible language they have got around here," he had boasted before, and now he wanted to demonstrate this knowledge to his brother and O'Grady.
However, it did not work very well. The innkeeper had given them a rather hostile look when they had entered the house, and now he listened to Sam with a motionless face, pretending not to understand him.
William had to grin. He had met with this trick very often already - locals tended to do this in order to protest against foreigners in their countries.
Sam had tried speaking English at first, which had not had the desired effect, and was now struggling with his rudimentary knowledge of Maltese.
Then a door opened, and a young woman, presumably the kitchen maid, entered with a jug of water. Sam grasped this chance at once, and addressed her, using his irresistible smile in combination with a puppy-like look.
The girl blushed, answered some quick words, and hurried back into the kitchen. The innkeeper now looked at Sam as fiercely as if he wanted to kill him. By this look, William could tell that the girl had probably not been the kitchen maid after all, but the man's daughter, in which case Sam might be in trouble any moment.
William decided that it was now time to act. He went over to Sam, who was glaring at the innkeeper angrily, and told him to leave the business to him.
He, too, addressed the innkeeper in English first. He could tell by the expression in the man's eyes that he had understood everything very well, but was determined not to show it.
William smiled, and started speaking Italian in his most agreeable voice. The man raised one of his eyebrows, but that was all.
"Too bad you do not understand us," William said, resolutely, but still smiling. "We will just have to try next door then," and half turned away.
Suddenly, the man seemed to think that there had been enough nonsense now, and addressed him respectfully, asking him if the gentlemen would like to try some really good wine, home-made, of course.
"How did you do that?" Sam asked William when he returned to their table.
William laughed. "Whatever his feelings as a Maltese may be, he earns his living with us. As soon as I told him we'd go and try next door, he was as friendly as can be."
The rest of the evening went by pleasantly, with William and Sam talking about their family and sharing memories, and O'Grady listening eagerly.
Even the innkeeper seemed to have forgotten about before, and was very attentive to his guests. However, he looked at Sam suspiciously whenever he passed their table. William was glad that the young woman did not make any further appearance that evening.
One week later, Sam was gone, his vessel heading for England. William would have loved to swap places with him - he longed to be back home. He had given Sam some letters to take with him - one for his parents, one for Fanny, one for Campbell, and one for Captain Harville. He would have loved to add one more, for Elizabeth, but had not dared to do so.
William only hoped that the voyage to the Cape, which was still a much-discussed topic on board the "Achilles", would not take place. As long as the Admiral had not said anything about it, they were still safe, or so William thought.
Part 37
Several months had passed now since Liz had arrived back home. She had recovered from the events in Cranston, and was quite herself again.
Mrs Campbell had sent her a number of letters, and had kept her informed about everything that William did. He had arrived safely in Malta, and was to stay there for some time (as Mrs Campbell put it), and it was not yet certain when he would be in Portsmouth again.
Meanwhile, it was nearly Christmas, and the Martin family were not only preparing for the gaieties of the holiday season, but also for the birth of Harriet and Robert's first child.
Liz was not sure which of the two was more excited about it; Harriet seemed to look towards the event with anxiety, or so it seemed, which Liz thought was absolutely natural.
It is her first child, after all, so she does not know what exactly is going to happen. Even I would be nervous in her situation, I guess.
Robert was extremely attentive to his wife, even more than usual. Harriet could not take one step without him watching her, and, as she confessed to Liz, this was rather adding to her unease.
"He makes me even more nervous with doing so. I know he means well, but...sometimes I think he believes that I am ill, and I am not! There is nothing wrong with me."
Liz could understand her brother, though. He just wanted to do everything right, and wanted to show his wife that he wished to be of use to her.
I wonder why he takes the trouble, though. He knows he cannot be with her when the day comes...he will be sent out of her room, and all he can do is wait. Poor Rob! It will drive him mad, I am sure! Perhaps George can come over and distract him a bit, I am quite certain Rob won't leave the house.
Davey Harris came to Abbey Mill Farm every day for his reading lessons. Soon after Liz's return to Surrey he had asked her shyly if he was allowed to come and read with her again, and Liz had been delighted to have something to do.
In a way, Davey became her confidant, she told him about her stay in Dorset, and he was particularly fascinated with the smuggling stories.
If the weather was fine enough to do so, Liz often took a walk to Donwell to visit Cathy. George was in his office all day, and so Cathy was always glad to have some company. However, in the last few days it had been rather cold, and such a walk was not to be thought of, so Liz had taken to reading again.
One afternoon, there was a knock at the drawing room door, and the maid came in with a letter for Liz.
Liz, who had just been sitting in the window seat wrapped up in her shawl, looking out of the window gloomily and dreaming of summer days in Dorset, opened the letter eagerly and started reading.
Portsmouth, December___________
Dear Miss Martin,
I hope everyone is well in Donwell. I suppose your sister-in-law is already preparing for her confinement, and so your family will have some trouble at the moment.
My husband and I are both very well, my husband's business in Portsmouth is prospering, and we seem to be very popular in Portsmouth society. I have not enjoyed myself half as much for ages! Sometimes I even think I could do very well if society were not quite as numerous.
"Hear, hear, Mrs Campbell," Liz said aloud.
We are going to spend the Christmas holidays in London with my father and mother, and will return to Portsmouth soon in the New Year.
I have a suggestion to make, which may delight you. What if you went with us to stay in Portsmouth for a few weeks?
PORTSMOUTH!! Liz was astonished. The offer was tempting, indeed, even if it was Mrs Campbell who was making it. But what would her mother say about it, and Robert? She would be needed here, on Abbey Mill Farm. Well, she could ask them, could she not?
We would be most happy to come to pick you up when we are leaving London. I have to admit that we are a selfish lot; we are simply wild to see you again.
So, if you want to accept the offer, and if your mother can spare you for some time, send me word, and we will come to take you with us to Portsmouth on January 4th.
Meanwhile, I wish you and your family a merry Christmas, and hope that all will be well on Abbey Mill Farm.
Your friend,
E. Campbell
Liz put the letter aside, pondering. Would William be there, too? What would he think if he found her there? Would he be pleased? Or had he already forgotten about her?
Will you stop thinking of him all the time?
In all those months, she had not been able to forget him. In her mind, she had lived through every single moment she had spent with him again and again.
There were many things she would change if she could...
Her behaviour at the assembly in Cranston, for example. Why had she not been friendlier to him that evening? She still felt ashamed for the way she had acted that night.
When she remembered how she had felt about him even before she had met him, she could not understand herself - she had been so determined not to like him, because she had wanted to spite Mrs Campbell.
I do not like him anyway. I love him. There is a difference!
Liz sighed. She took her letter and went to speak with her mother about it. Her mother would know if it was right to go to Portsmouth - or if she'd better stay at home.
Mrs Martin had no objection to Liz's going to Portsmouth but one.
"I cannot let you go to Portsmouth before I know who is going to bring you back here again, and when you will be back."
Liz promised that she would ask Mrs Campbell about it, and the matter was left aside until Mrs Campbell's answer would arrive.
Two days later, the whole house was in commotion - it seemed as if Harriet's baby was in a hurry to be born.
As Liz had already predicted, Robert was beside himself with worry.
Even though both his sisters were there to support him, he could not be easy. Liz wished that Mrs Pearce, the midwife, would be so reasonable and let Rob be with his wife, at least for the time being. She was sure that could do no harm, Harriet might even be happy to have him with her, but the first thing Mrs Pearce had done when she had arrived had been to tell Rob to leave his wife's room.
"I can't understand it," he said to Cathy. "Why can't I stay with her? I'm sure I could be of use."
Cathy shook her head. "This is nothing for menfolk to see, Rob, and I am sure Harriet is well cared for. Mrs Pearce knows how to do her job, and mother is with her, too."
"But it is so unfair, is it not? I'm the father, after all! Why can't a father be there when his child is born?"
"This is just the way it is, Rob, and you will not change it," Cathy replied.
Robert submitted, grudgingly, and sat down to read - for a few minutes, then he jumped up from his chair, and told his sisters that he would not put up with this any longer.
Just at this moment, George entered the room, and suggested to take his friend for a walk.
Robert refused to go with him at first, but the man was not born yet who could withstand George's powers of persuasion for long.
"Listen, Robert, it is no good for you to stay here. We'll just go out for a while, until you've calmed down, and if anything happens in the meantime, the ladies will send for us, I am sure. Won't you," he said, turning to Cathy and Liz.
"Of course we will," Liz said.
"There, you see? Come now, don't act like a mule, or I'll treat you like one. Put on your coat and hat and come along with me."
So Robert went with his friend, still protesting, but George did not pay much attention to his protest.
Liz turned to Cathy. "Do you think all will be well," she said. "I did not want to ask as long as Rob was here, but...do you think Harriet will be fine?"
"Of course, Liz," Cathy answered. "How can you doubt it? She's young, she's healthy, and strong."
Liz nodded. "I only thought sometimes, when I was talking to her, that she was afraid of...well, you know."
"Believe me, nothing will happen. We are just going to be aunts soon, that is all."
Liz laughed. "A pretty strange notion - me being an aunt. I'll probably spoil that baby with my affection in the first three days of his or her life."
"Probably, Liz. But I do not think you will be here long enough to do much harm."
"What makes you think so," Liz asked, taken aback. How could Cathy possibly know?
"I think you will lead a life of your own one day, and I do not think it will take long until you do so. Why do you ask?"
"It is just - I had a letter from Mrs Campbell, and she has invited me to come with her to Portsmouth. I was wondering if I should accept or not."
"What did our mother think?"
"She said that she would wait with her decision until she knows some more details, like my getting home again."
"Hmmm...I would go there, if I were you. One never knows..."
"Cathy!"
"Liz, I have never said a thing about that topic ever since you got home in summer, but I have watched you. Your affection for a certain gentleman - I will not mention his name, do not worry, we both know very well who I am talking about - is still the same, am I right? His absence has not changed a thing, as far as you are concerned."
"But what about him?"
"You might be able to find out about that in Portsmouth."
Liz nodded. "I will give it another thought."
That evening, another family member was introduced to Liz and Cathy.
Mrs Martin entered the room, smiled at her son, and said, "There is someone to meet you upstairs," she had said, with a smile. "Congratulations, son, you may call me Grandmama from now on."
Robert darted upstairs at once.
Mrs Martin gave another smile to her daughters and son-in-law, before she followed Robert.
"Well now, we are left in the dark again," George said. He grinned. "I suppose that the new-born father will soon join us again, though, with his son or daughter."
Instead, Mrs Martin came back into the drawing room, smiling happily.
"We just left the young family to themselves for a while," she said.
"How is Harriet? And what about the baby?" Liz asked impatiently.
"Harriet did very well, but now she is very tired," Mrs Martin answered. "And as to the baby - she is well, too."
"It's a girl, then," George said. "Another Miss Martin. If she is in any way like her aunt, it will never be boring around here."
The door opened, and Robert came in, carrying a bundle in his arms, and glowing with happiness.
"Isn't she a beauty," he asked. Somehow, he was still awkward, not being used to holding a baby in his arms. "May I introduce your niece to you," he said. "Please meet Miss Frances Elizabeth Martin."
"Frances?" Liz said.
"Yes, Harriet says she always had a fancy for that name, and I said as long as her second name is Elizabeth I do not mind."
Liz laughed. "I do not mind either. May I hold her?"
Robert hesitated for a moment, but then he said, "All right, but be careful, will you?"
Liz took the baby into her arms, looking at the little girl. Little Frances seemed to feel quite comfortable in her aunt's arms, she looked at her with big blue eyes, before she closed them again and yawned.
Robert was standing next to Liz, looking over her shoulder and watching his daughter.
"Isn't she amazing?" he said. "Just look at those tiny fingers..." He grinned at George.
"This is love at first sight," he said. "I'm lost forever."
Meanwhile, Cathy had joined them to look at the baby as well.
"You are right, Robert," she said. "She is a beauty. How is Harriet?"
Robert sighed. "Asleep. She needs some rest now."
With the arrival of the youngest family member, everything changed. Soon little Frances had everyone under her spell, and the daily schedule on Abbey Mill Farm was set according to her needs.
Harriet had soon recovered enough to leave her room, and spent much time with her mother-in-law and Liz.
One day before Christmas, Liz received another letter from Mrs Campbell, informing her that both Mr and Mrs Campbell would be most happy to convey her back to her home as soon as she wished it. Now, Mrs Martin had no more objections to Liz's going to Portsmouth, and left the decision entirely to her daughter.
"If you want to go there, Elizabeth, feel free to do so. I am sure Mr and Mrs Campbell will take good care of you. Of course we will miss you here, but do not feel obliged to stay if you do not want to. Just let Mrs Campbell know in time."
Liz thought about it for a few hours, and then replied to Mrs Campbell's letter. She would be glad to accept the invitation, and she would prepare for her departure on January 4th.
Mrs Charles was to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Martins. It was the first Christmas after her husband's death, and none of her friends had been able to endure the thought of her being all alone on such an occasion.
Liz also thought of Emily. How would she feel? Christmas without a family to be with was a gloomy business, no doubt.
This reminded her of William again. He, too, would spend Christmas far away from his family...Liz felt pity for him. She wished she could be with him, to comfort him.
Mrs Charles was delighted when Liz informed her of her intention to visit Mr and Mrs Campbell.
"You could not do better, Elizabeth," she said. "Mr and Mrs Campbell are such a delightful couple, they are really good friends, too. When I think of how obliging Mr Campbell was in Cranston! How he spent all his spare time in our house to take care of you! I have never seen a gentleman more devoted to his profession, I dare say, or one more capable of doing good."
This praise of Mr Campbell went on for about five minutes. Robert looked at Liz and winked.
"I can't wait meeting that Mr Campbell," he said. "Sounds as if he was an interesting sort of fellow."
But then his daughter demanded his attention again, and so he did not have the chance of conversing with Liz any more.
On January 4th, Liz took leave of her family once again. Again, she was on her way to the seaside, and again she was anxious to get there. She had heard a lot about Portsmouth already, but what would it be like to live there?
Mrs Campbell had told her in her letters that her acquaintance in Portsmouth included William's family and many of his friends - what were they like? Would they like her?
And - the most important point - would he be there, too?
This question, however, was soon answered in the negative. Mr Campbell told her that he had heard from his friend lately, and that there was no chance of his getting back home before February.
"The "Achilles" was severely damaged in a gale, Miss Martin, and they had to sail to Sicily in order to get the worst damages repaired. During this gale, the captain was injured, too. Still, we must consider this good luck, in a way. Had this not happened, the "Achilles" would have had the order to sail on to the Cape, and would have been gone for at least two years. Now they are to return to Portsmouth as soon as the ship is fit for service again."
Part 38
Liz arrived in Portsmouth and was fascinated by the city at once. She had never seen anything like it, and it exceeded her wildest expectations. Even London had not managed to extract such admiration from her as Portsmouth did - although Liz was quite ready to admit to herself that this had less to do with the town than with its residents.
Liz did not know many people in London, and those she knew were - with the exception of Emily Searle - not really worth knowing either.
But Portsmouth was another matter...
Soon after her arrival, she got acquainted with the Campbells' friends. They were an interesting set of people, it seemed.
On Sunday they went to the service in Garrison Chapel, and Liz held her breath for a moment when she thought to distinguish William in the crowd - but only for a few moments, then she realised that the young man, though he looked very much like him, was several years younger than William. Still, the likeness was amazing...
Liz turned to Mr Campbell and asked him who that young man was. Mr Campbell grinned.
"They look very much alike, do they not? This is Mr Sam Price, Mr Price's younger brother. There is the whole of his family over there - Mr and Mrs Price, and Betsey, his youngest sister. Do you want me to introduce you?"
Liz blushed. "Oh...no, I do not think it is...necessary."
Campbell laughed. "Mrs Price seems to think it necessary, though, she is just coming over."
If that was possible, Liz blushed even more, and scolded herself for it.
What a wonderful first impression you are going to make, she thought.
Mrs Price joined them, and with her was Betsey, a girl who was about twelve years old.
When Liz was introduced to Mrs Price, she tried to distinguish any likeness between her and her son, but could not find any.
Mrs Price must have been a beautiful woman some time ago, but now she had a bitter look about her. Liz wondered what had caused that expression. Her manner or speaking, however, was warm and friendly, and she welcomed Liz in Portsmouth with the most animated expression.
"Are you well acquainted with Mrs Campbell," she asked.
"Yes, Mrs Price, we were in the same school."
"Oh, I see. Some school friendships last a lifetime, do they not?"
Liz smiled. "They do, Mrs Price." She wondered if Mrs Price might know about her acquaintance with her son, but no - she did not look like the sort of woman who would keep silent about it if she did.
Meanwhile, William's brother had joined them and was introduced as well.
Liz liked Sam Price at once - she had to admit that he seemed to be fun to be with, and if he had been a few years older...Liz had no doubt that he was a great favourite wherever he went. Maybe her favour had to do with the fact that he looked so very much like his brother, but his ability to make her laugh was another reason.
In a way, he reminded her of her own brother-in-law, George Mason, in his half flirting, half joking manner. The only difference was that Sam Price seemed to know exactly that the ladies doted on him, while George had always been rather surprised by that fact.
The Prices went with them for a few minutes, and while Mr Price and Mr Campbell were absorbed in some talk of their own, and Mrs Campbell and Mrs Price were exchanging the latest local gossip, Liz was left to Sam Price and his sister Betsey.
"Are you fond of dancing, Miss Martin," Sam asked.
"I am, but I do not often have the opportunity to dance, sir," Liz answered.
"It's a shame, a girl like you and not dancing...what a waste, really. There are assemblies here in Portsmouth every week, do you think you will be there sometimes?"
Liz shrugged. "I do not know, it all depends on Mr and Mrs Campbell, as I cannot really go there all by myself."
Sam laughed. "That would be a novelty, to be sure, Miss Martin. But if Mr and Mrs Campbell's staying at home is the only thing that can keep you away from the assembly, I shall be perfectly at ease, because they never do. I do not think Mrs Campbell has missed one assembly ever since she moved here - or, let us say, since I came back from Malta; I cannot tell what she did before."
Liz was startled. "You were in Malta, Mr Price?"
"Yes, I was, Miss Martin, I was. Do you know someone there?"
Liz blushed, and he started grinning. "I seem to have found out about some secret there, have I? Well, out with it, Miss Martin, who is it? Do I know him? Come on, you can tell me, your secret is safe with me."
"Mr Price, indeed, you sound like the worst gossip in Highbury!" Liz exclaimed, laughing.
He laughed, too. "I will find out about it, just you wait. But now, I have to leave you alone for the time being, having reached my home. Too bad, really, I would have loved to tease you some more."
"Feel free to do so, sir, but be warned. I can be rather good at teasing myself."
"In that case, I shall test you, Miss Martin. Until next time we meet." He took a mocking bow, before he turned and held the door open for his mother and sister.
Liz turned to Mr Campbell, still laughing.
"This young man is quite a character, I say. He cannot be one day older than seventeen, and yet he behaves like a man of five and twenty. If I did not know better, I'd swear he tried to flirt with me."
Mr Campbell laughed. "You can assume safely that he did, Miss Martin. Sam Price flirts with any woman between fifteen and fifty-five, and I agree with his brother by saying that he will end badly one day. Still, his father used to be the same when he was younger. The same looks, and the same behaviour."
"Indeed?" Liz tried to imagine the gentleman she had just met before as a young man. She had not been able to find much likeness between him and any of his sons.
"Of course, his age and his way of life have had their effects," Mr Campbell said.
" I have promised Mrs Price to call on her tomorrow, Miss Martin. Do you want to join me?" Mrs Campbell asked.
Liz nodded. She was eager to see more of that family.
Meanwhile, the "Achilles" had left the harbour in Sicily and was on its way back to Portsmouth. The storm in which the vessel had been damaged had been one of the most ferocious ones William had ever experienced, and - for a while - he had feared for the lives of everyone on board. He remembered how he had told O'Grady that it was, perhaps, not a bad idea send a prayer to whichever saint was in charge of them, and O'Grady had replied, "I've done nothing else for the last half hour or so."
During this gale, both Captain Murdoch and First Lieutenant Grey had been injured, and so the Admiral had given William the responsibility for the ship. William had tried to argue - he had tried to convince the Admiral that, after all, he was commanding the ship, being the highest rank on board, but the Admiral did not want to hear of it.
"Mr Price, you know just as well as I do that a ship of this size cannot be commanded by one man alone. I will do my duty, of course, but you will do yours as well - by taking over control until Captain Murdoch is fit for service again."
"But what about Lieutenant Jurvis, sir? He is my senior."
"Nonsense! Jurvis is an idiot, Mr Price, and I would not even trust him with finding his way back to Portsmouth from the Isle of Wight."
So William had to give up his opposition and had to obey the Admiral's orders, fully aware of Jurvis's angry looks and comments about "people putting themselves forward".
Lieutenant Grey's injuries turned out to be of the most serious sort, and so it was decided that he was to be left in a local hospital. Actually, William had also suggested that Captain Murdoch could be left there and could join them as soon as he felt better - but there he had collided with the stubborn nature of his captain. Sick as he was, he refused to leave his ship.
"No way, Price," he had said when William had dared mention this possibility to him.
"Captain, you are ill, and you need treatment. It would really be much better for you."
"I said no way. Do not tell me what is good for me and what is not, I know that very well for myself. There is only one possible way for me to leave that ship before I have brought her back to Portsmouth - over the side."
William had taken this message to the Admiral, who had just grumbled something about "Yorkshire tykes" and "taking the sense of duty a bit too far", but had then given his permission for Captain Murdoch to stay on board.
"Just tell him to keep out of the way as long as he cannot be of use, will you, Mr Price."
As soon as Captain Murdoch was well enough to leave his cabin, he often joined William on quarterdeck and assisted him with his advice. He was still too weak to stay there for long, but he tried to conceal that fact as much as possible and always had to be persuaded to consider his health.
On these occasions, the two men had some serious conversations.
"What are you going to do when you are back home," Captain Murdoch asked William one evening.
William shrugged his shoulders. "I am not sure yet. I have promised my sister in Northamptonshire a visit that is long overdue, so I suppose I'll leave for Mansfield as soon as possible. What about you?"
Captain Murdoch gave a sigh. "I'm going to visit my family, too, I think. My mother has some experience in nursing me back to health." He laughed. "Maybe she'll even manage to marry me off, finally. She has threatened to do so for years, but until now I've always been able to escape."
"You have never had the inclination to marry, then?"
Murdoch laughed. "No, never. I suppose I haven't met the right woman yet. My mother seems to be quite worried about that fact, but I am not. I will marry one day, I think, but then it will be my choice, not my mother's." Murdoch became more earnest again. "What about you? Never thought of marrying?"
"More than once, since last summer. But I suppose I am just dreaming - she will have forgotten about me by now."
Murdoch shook his head. "If I have come to know one thing about you in the past months, Price, it is the fact that you are anything but a dreamer. I have never seen a man who was so much of a realist as you are."
Finally, after a rather calm passage, considering the time of year, the Isle of Wight became visible in the distance, a fact that cheered everyone on board- everyone except O'Grady, who knew that he would not be able to see his family, as his leave of absence would not be long enough to allow him a journey to Cork and back.
But he brightened up thinking of the fact that Portsmouth offered enough amusement for a young man, and William told him that Sam would be there, too. So, maybe, Portsmouth was not that bad after all.
Captain Murdoch would not have given up commanding the "Achilles" going into the harbour for the world, even though his state of health had grown worse again in the last three days.
William watched him anxiously, and decided that he'd take him to see Campbell as soon as they could leave the ship - the surgeon on board the "Achilles" was not even half as skilled as Campbell was.
Liz was taking a walk with Mrs Campbell and Mrs Price, when they met a Mr Reardon. Mrs Campbell introduced him as a customs officer, and Liz gave him a closer look. He was young, about twenty-five, lively, and good-looking.
Had Liz been as prejudiced as some Portsmouth girls, she would probably have thought that nothing but a Navy Captain's uniform was missing to make him irresistible. As she was not, she thought him quite charming as he was.
"I've got good news for you, Mrs Price," he said, smiling. "The Achilles went into harbour this morning."
Liz started. The "Achilles" ... did this mean that...
"This is good news indeed," Mrs Price exclaimed and turned to Liz. "Now you will get to know my eldest son soon, Miss Martin."
Liz smiled, and said, "I think I already know Mr Price, Madam, I met him in Cranston last summer."
"Oh, really? I had no idea ... Have you had any opportunity to speak to my son, Mr Reardon?"
"I have, Mrs Price, and he told me that he would soon be home."
"They have arrived earlier than I thought - was there not a rumour saying they were not to be here before February?"
Mr Reardon laughed. "They have had a fair wind and a good navigator who was eager to get home, Mrs Price."
He turned to Liz. "So you are acquainted with my old friend William Price, are you? That business in Cranston seemed to be quite a nasty one, it kept him worrying for some time."
"How do you know, Mr Reardon?"
"He wrote to me about it, Miss Martin, that is all. Was it really that bad?"
Liz looked at him earnestly. "Even worse, Mr Reardon."
"I am sorry, Miss Martin, I did not know you were affected by it, too."
He gave her an interested look. He would have liked to know in how far Miss Martin had been involved in that affair.
They went on, at a faster pace now, as Mrs Price wanted to get back to her house as soon as possible to get everything ready for the reception of her son.
Mr Reardon turned to Mrs Campbell. "It is Assembly night tomorrow, Mrs Campbell. Will you and your husband be there this time?"
"I think we will, Mr Reardon, and I dare say that Miss Martin will be there, too."
"Really? There is one thing to look forward to, then."
He eagerly turned towards Liz. "May I already ask for the first two dances? I know it is early, but in a place like Portsmouth I have to be quick, or someone else will snatch the pretty partners away from me."
Liz laughed. "Very well, Mr Reardon, I shall reserve the first two dances for you."
Meanwhile, they had reached the Prices' home, and Mrs Price was just going to open the door to go in when it was opened and out came - nobody else but William Price.
Both he and Liz were speechless - even if Liz had been prepared for seeing him sooner or later, she had not expected to see him so soon, and William had not had the slightest idea that Liz was in Portsmouth.
However, he managed to hide his astonishment after a few moments, and, after greeting his mother with an affectionate hug (regretting that he could not embrace Elizabeth just as well), he turned to her and said, smiling, "Now this is what I call a pleasant surprise, Miss Martin. What brings you to Portsmouth?"
"Mr and Mrs Campbell have invited me to stay with them, Mr Price," Liz said. After all those months of separation, all she could see was that this man was even more handsome than ever - quite breathtaking, really. Seeing him again made her feel small and unimportant - and incredibly shy. Was he still feeling the same way he had felt before he had left?
"If I had known you were here, Miss Martin, I would surely have found a way to be here even sooner," he said, smiling at her.
Mr Reardon laughed. "Which would have been quite difficult, though, as far as I have heard. Unless you'd flown across France, that is."
Now William became aware of his friend's presence and turned towards him, grinning.
"I shall consider that possibility next time, Reardon."
"But do not forget that it was me who gave you the idea, then, Price."
"I won't." William turned to Mrs Campbell and offered her to escort the two ladies to their house.
During that short walk, he was not able to speak much with Elizabeth, because Jim Reardon was walking with her and did not seem to be inclined to give way to his friend. So there was nothing left for him to do but walk with Mrs Campbell and keep up some polite conversation.
Mr Reardon left them at the Campbells' door, reminding Liz once again of their dancing engagement for the next evening, while William went inside with Mrs Campbell.
"I have come here with Captain Murdoch, Mrs Campbell, he wanted to consult your husband. I was just leaving them to themselves for a while, but I think Captain Murdoch will be ready by now."
He turned to Liz, who was just coming in. "So you will come to the assembly tomorrow evening, I understand," he said, with an undertone that she could not quite make out.
"Will you be there, too, Mr Price?" Liz hoped he would - she wished to have the opportunity to be with him, a few hours at least would do to show him what she felt for him...
"I do not know yet," he answered earnestly.
Liz was disappointed. He was so different - what had happened? Had she done anything wrong? But no - the way he looked at her was still the same. Could it be that he was suffering from this situation just as well as she did?
The inclination she had felt when she had first seen him had been to run into his arms and to hold on to him...but circumstances had forced her to be calm, and to act indifferently.
"Will you consider it, Mr Price?" she asked, anxiously.
"Of course I will, Miss Martin."
Now Mr Campbell joined them with another gentleman who was introduced to the ladies as Captain Murdoch.
Even if Mr Reardon had not noticed what was wrong with his friend, Captain Murdoch did so at once. There was something between Price and Miss Martin - one could feel that there was strong mutual attraction.
While they were on their way back to Murdoch's lodgings, he said, "I suppose this was the lady we were talking of the other day."
William nodded. "How did you guess?"
Murdoch laughed. "It was quite easy, actually. Now, what do you think, what are your chances?"
William sighed. "If only I knew...well, tomorrow evening will show."
Part 39
That night, Liz could hardly sleep at all, even if she tried. William was back! She would see him again; perhaps every day...she could hardly believe her own happiness.
He had been surprised to see her, but he had not been unpleasantly surprised, it appeared - he seemed to have been happy to see her. Still, he had not promised to come to the Assembly - probably he would not be there at all? What would keep him from being there?
Liz sat up in her bed, wide-awake. What if he had had the impression that she was in love with Mr Reardon? Or that Mr Reardon was in love with her? Perhaps he would not come to the assembly because he wanted to avoid her, or to avoid seeing her with Mr Reardon!
If only I had refused to dance with Mr Reardon, Liz thought, but then she laughed at herself.
Don't be stupid, Liz, what reason would you have had to refuse? "I am sorry sir, but I cannot dance with you, just in case Mr Price will turn up!" No, this would not do...
But then, William was a sensible man; surely he would notice that Liz had no serious interest in Mr Reardon. It was not possible that he should deceive himself so much to believe she was in love with someone else.
Her nervousness increased the next day. She tried on several gowns before she decided which one to wear - a thing she had never done before, as she had always thought that she looked the same, how much she might ever trouble herself.
If there had been enough time, and if she had been able to afford it, she might even have bought a new dress for the occasion.
Oh, for Heaven's sake, pull yourself together! You are not a little girl any more; you are twenty years old, so behave like it! He wouldn't notice anyway if you wore a new dress, men never do.
William, meanwhile, was concerned with his own thoughts. He had spent much time during his absence thinking of what he would do or say when he saw Elizabeth again - and then he had been taken completely by surprise with her being in Portsmouth, and had not been able to say even one word to her without anyone listening.
He had to change his plans now. He had promised Fanny to visit her, and had planned to stop in Donwell and see Elizabeth. Well, he would just write to Fanny and tell her that he would arrive two days later. He could not leave Portsmouth before he had settled this affair once and for all - one way or the other, he had to know.
He had not particularly liked seeing Jim Reardon's interest in Elizabeth. Still he could not blame him, he could not blame other men for admiring her just as he did.
And he had to admit that, although she had been friendly and attentive to Reardon, she had not shown any particular regard, while he could have sworn that there had been something in her look when she had looked at him. She seemed to like him still...
In the evening, half of the population of Portsmouth were meeting in the Assembly rooms. Everyone of some social standing, or believing to have some, was there, to see and be seen. Mrs Campbell had a hard time telling Liz who everyone was - there were too many people of importance in this town, it seemed. Liz only waited for the moment when Mrs Campbell would faint because she had forgotten to breathe.
"Do you see the lady and the gentleman over there? Admiral and Mrs Croft, a delightful couple, really. Quite worth knowing. They say that Mrs Croft spent nearly as much time at sea as her husband since they were married - she never wanted to be separated from him."
Liz looked at Mrs Croft with particular interest. She had never thought about the possibility of a sailor's wife being at sea with her husband - well, an admiral's wife could do that, probably.
"And the gentleman over there is Captain Wentworth, Mrs Croft's brother. Is he not a handsome man?"
"Oh yes, very handsome, Mrs Campbell," Liz said, absentmindedly, looking for William.
He was nowhere to be seen.
"The lady who is just talking with Mrs Croft is his wife, a delightful creature - I quite envy her, she is so ladylike, I always feel ashamed of myself when she is around."
Starting to see your own faults, Mrs Campbell? But I have to admit you have improved since last summer.
Liz looked around, but she could still not see a trace of William. What if he would not come?
"...Admiral and Mrs Maxwell over there, and Admiral Crawford, too. Oh, and this gentleman must be Admiral Crawford's nephew - what is he doing in Portsmouth, I wonder? It is said that there has been a scandal, years ago, concerning him and a London lady...I cannot remember her name right now, but it was indeed awful..."
Liz did not actually listen to Mrs Campbell's gossip. She was really worried by now, and feared that William would not be there tonight. Something had happened to keep him away, she knew it.
She had seated herself next to Mrs Campbell and had tried to find a position that allowed her to keep an eye on the entrance without rousing too much suspicion.
Finally, she saw William enter the room, accompanied by his brother and another young man wearing a midshipman's uniform. Liz caught herself straightening her dress and trying to keep a stray curl out of her face, somehow.
Oh, Liz, will you stop doing that, and will you please stop grinning like a lunatic?
He had noticed her and the Campbells, and moved towards them, but was often stopped by some acquaintance or other.
Liz had stopped playing around with her hair by now, and had started toying with her necklace instead. Mr Campbell watched her, and gave his wife a knowing look.
Liz sighed. It was not to be hoped that William would be with her before the dancing started...and then she would dance with Mr Reardon.
Meanwhile Sam Price and his companion had reached them and Sam introduced his friend, a Mr O'Grady, to Liz and the Campbells.
Mr O'Grady was eager to make their acquaintance, and was soon involved in a discussion with Mr Campbell while Sam set his mind on teasing Liz into confessing the name of her admirer.
"I suppose he is a sailor," he said, smiling. "After all, he must have been in Malta when I was."
"Oh, it will take you some time to find out, Mr Price, if you start with questions like that. Half of Portsmouth's young men are sailors, are they not? I am not sure about the rest, but I think there will be quite as many Marines...."
"May a young man, neither sailor nor marine, remind you of your promise to dance the first two dances with him, Miss Martin?" Liz turned and found herself addressed by Mr Reardon.
"Of course, Mr Reardon, you may. Even though you are neither sailor nor marine," she answered playfully and rose.
He laughed and offered her his arm to lead her to the set. On moving there, they passed William, who gave her an admiring glance and greeted her with an affectionate smile.
"Too bad Reardon was there before me, now the prettiest dancer is already taken for the first two dances," he said. "And I suppose your dancing schedule is already full."
"Not at all, Mr Price, I always keep one or two dances free for old friends," Liz said, teasingly.
"Old friends? How old exactly does a man have to be to belong to that category?" William answered, with a mischievous smile.
"At least five and twenty," was her answer.
"I'm old enough to be an old friend, then. So, are you already engaged for the next two dances?"
"Not yet, Mr Price."
"Are you going to dance them with me?"
"With the greatest pleasure, Mr Price."
William turned to his friend. "Take good care of your partner, Reardon. If she sprains her foot, I shall hold you responsible for spoiling my evening."
Mr Reardon laughed. "I shall do my best, Price, although, considering the crowd, one never knows."
William gave Liz another smile and then went off to ask the youngest Miss Gregory for the first two dances. Even if he could not dance them with Elizabeth, he wanted to be near her, and keep an eye on her - and Reardon.
You are jealous, William Price! That's what you are. Just because Jim Reardon is dancing with the woman you love, this does not mean he's in love with her, and if he is - who cares? It all depends on Elizabeth, and on the way she receives his attention. There is nothing wrong about that, as far as I can see.
Liz enjoyed dancing with Mr Reardon. He was a good dancer, and he had a knack for entertaining conversation.
"You and Mr Price have been friends for a long time, I suppose," Liz said.
"We have known each other ever since we went to school together - before he went to sea."
"You had no inclination to go to the sea yourself?"
"Perhaps I had, but no captain was mad enough to take both Price and me on board his ship, and without him it would have been only half the fun. So I decided to stay on shore and give the Navy as much trouble as I can." He grinned.
"Like?"
"Like stealing their dancing partners, for example."
Liz laughed. "You do not feel the least guilty, do you?"
"Not at all, Miss Martin. As I told you before, a fellow has to be quick in these parts if he wants a partner for the dance. Price would have done just the same if he had been in my place."
Dancing with William was just as pleasant as Liz had remembered it - even more so. The awkwardness she had felt during their first meeting in Portsmouth was gone completely.
"Too bad we did not have much time to talk with each other yesterday," he said. "I must admit I was astonished to see you here in Portsmouth."
"I already told you that Mr and Mrs Campbell invited me to come here."
William smiled. "And your being a particular friend of Mrs Campbell's made you so eager for the journey."
"I could not resist the chance of seeing old friends again," Liz answered, laughing.
He looked at her earnestly. "Old friends, Miss Martin?"
Liz blushed. She had already said too much, and tried to change the topic.
"You have met a Mr Edward Mason on your journey, Mr Price, have you not?"
He started laughing.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Well...yes, I did meet him. Quite a ... pleasant fellow, really..."
"Then he was not the same Mr Mason I know, because the one I know is insufferable."
"What strict censure, Miss Martin! But you are right, he is not that pleasant after all."
He laughed again. "Colonel Fitzwilliam said he'd swap him for O'Grady, but the Captain refused the offer."
"Why?"
"He said that if he did there'd be mutiny on board, and he did not want to risk that."
Well, actually he said that even the rats would swim ashore if Mason staid on board any longer...
Liz laughed. "He was that bad, then?"
"I thought you knew him," William answered, grinning. "Ask Mr O'Grady if you want any particulars."
"I always knew that sailors had to endure all sorts of hardship, Mr Price, but I did not know that Mr Edward Mason was one of them."
"After O'Grady had done with him he was quite easy to manage."
The music having ended, William led Liz back to her seat, and offered to get her a drink - which was gratefully accepted. Liz would have gratefully accepted anything that brought him back to her side.
When William passed Admiral Crawford, the admiral stopped him.
"Mr Price, there is something I have to speak to you about. Would you come to my lodgings tomorrow morning? It is an important business."
"Certainly, sir." William wondered what this important business could possibly be - he had spotted Henry Crawford in the crowd and hoped that it had nothing to do with him.
Liz, meanwhile, was back with the Campbells, and Sam Price approached her, grinning.
"Now there is Miss Martin, with her cheeks all aglow, and I think I have finally found out about her secret."
"Really, Mr Price," Liz answered, trying to look unaffected.
"Oh yes, it took me some time, but now I have. I should have known right from the beginning, when you mentioned Malta...you have got quite a good taste, actually, you could have chosen worse."
"Mr Price! Really, I..."
He laughed. "Miss Martin, I told you before your secret is safe with me. I shall not mention a word." And, winking at her, he left, in search of some other young lady to flirt with.
William, coming back with a glass of wine for Liz, looked at him in astonishment.
"What did my brother want, Miss Martin?"
"He wanted to tease me into telling him my secret."
"Your secret, Miss Martin? What would that be?" William smiled. "Maybe my brother is not successful with teasing you into confessing it, but what if I ask you to confess it?"
Liz smiled and shook her head. "Not here, and not now, Mr Price, although I must say that your chances of hearing it are much better than your brother's."
William laughed. "I shall consider this a challenge, Miss Martin."
"Do as you will, Mr Price. How long are you going to stay in Portsmouth?"
"I have leave of absence for the next two months, which is quite long - the longest I ever had. But I have promised my sister Fanny to visit her, and I shall be off the day after tomorrow. Which reminds me of one thing - as my journey to Northamptonshire will take me through Surrey, I should be glad to take anything you wish along with me to bring it to your family. Have you got any letters or presents for them?"
Sure, going through Highbury is the NEAREST way from here to Northampton - dear William...
"If you would be so kind as to take them with you, Mr Price, I should be .... most obliged."
He gave her one of his irresistible smiles. "When shall I come for them, then? Will tomorrow morning be convenient?"
Liz nodded. "Very convenient, Mr Price."
William looked into the direction of the Campbells for a moment, and saw that they were engaged in some conversation. So he said, in a low voice, "Try to be alone, will you?"
He gave her a pleading look.
Liz nodded. "I will try."
Now, Mr Campbell asked William something and their tête á tête was over. But Liz was in raptures. His wanting to see her the next morning - alone - could only mean one thing, could it not?
She had to find a way to get rid of Mrs Campbell.
Conclusion
Getting rid of Mrs Campbell had never been an easy task, and it was not easy that morning either. She sometimes just did not notice if she was in the way, and if she had noticed, she would probably still have insisted on staying, since she was too nosy to want to be left out.
Liz could only hope for Mr Campbell's assistance. It was impossible that he should not have noticed what had passed between her and William the previous evening, and Liz sincerely hoped that he would help her somehow.
"What would you think of going with me today, Miss Martin," Mrs Campbell said during breakfast. "I want to call on Mrs Admiral Maxwell, she has been particularly friendly yesterday evening."
Liz tried hard to think of an excuse and started with telling Mrs Campbell half the truth.
"Actually, I was planning to write some letters this morning, Mrs Campbell," she said, hoping that this excuse would be sufficient.
"Letters! Can you not write them later, Miss Martin? What can be more pleasant than taking a walk in the morning in such lovely weather? And Mrs Maxwell is such a delightful woman, I am quite sure you would enjoy the visit. Leave your letters until later, Miss Martin."
Liz decided that it was, by now, time for a bit of playacting. Even if it was not right, she needed to stay at home.
"I wanted to stay in the house today, Mrs Campbell...", she gave a cough and cleared her throat, "I seem to have caught a bit of a cold last night."
She noticed Mr Campbell's amused look and suppressed a grin. He knew exactly what she was about, but it did not look as if he was going to help her.
"A cold! Dear Miss Martin, you should have told me earlier! Well, in that case, I shall stay at home as well."
NOOOOOOOO!
"Really, Mrs Campbell, this is not at all necessary, I shall do very well by myself. I would not want to inconvenience you by any means," Liz said desperately.
Get the hint, will you? Just leave!
Now Mr Campbell interfered. "My dear, I think Miss Martin will not object to your leaving for an hour or so. If you want me to, I shall stay here to keep her company until you come back. It does not look as if I shall be very busy today."
"Are you sure?" Mrs Campbell looked at her husband suspiciously. "I would not want Miss Martin to be here all by herself because you had to go to see a patient."
"In that case, dear, the servants will be here as well, will they not?" Mr Campbell gave his wife a significant look.
"Very well then, I shall go and visit Mrs Maxwell by myself. Too bad, Miss Martin, you would have liked her."
"I am sure I would, Mrs Campbell, but I cannot help it - I really do not feel up to going out today."
Liz coughed again to emphasise her last sentence.
Half an hour later, Mrs Campbell left the house and Liz sat down at the writing desk in the parlour to write her letters. Mr Campbell went to his study.
"If there is anything you need, Miss Martin, just send for me," he had said with a smile, "but I do not think you will need me, do you? Except if your cough is getting worse, that is."
Now Liz was sitting in the parlour all by herself, writing her letters, and occasionally looking out of the window to see if William was already in sight.
Let's only hope he will come before Mrs Campbell gets back, she thought.
William decided to call on Admiral Crawford first. Whatever business he had to talk about, William wanted to be done with it before he went to see Elizabeth. He wanted to have enough time to spend with her, without having to think of the admiral.
The admiral was already waiting for him, or so it seemed. He greeted William with a ready smile and asked him to take a seat.
"I am sure you already know why I asked you to come here today, Mr Price," he said.
"To be honest, sir, I have not the slightest idea."
Admiral Crawford shook his head in disbelief. "You are not usually so slow in understanding, Mr Price. Have you never wondered why you had orders to join the "Achilles" ? The reason why I asked for you, Mr Price, was that I wanted to find out more about you.
I have heard many excellent reports concerning you in the past years - I wanted to see if they were really true. A man should always trust his own judgement more than that of others. I wanted to test you."
"Test me, sir?" William was surprised that the admiral was talking to him so frankly. What was his reason for "testing" him?
"I wanted form my own opinion of you. I have to tell you that I have been very content with your work."
"Thank you, sir."
"Especially the way you accomplished your duties as a commander in Captain Murdoch's place caught my notice. You were in a difficult situation, I knew that, but you dealt with it very well. It showed me that you are, indeed, fit for a command of your own. So, during the past few days, I have set my mind on assisting you with a promotion, which, in my opinion, was long overdue, and here it is."
The Admiral took a letter out of a drawer, and handed it over to William. William recognised the seal at once.
"Open it, Mr Price, and tell me what you think."
William broke the seal and started reading. It took him some time to realise the full importance of what was there before his very eyes.
"You do speak Spanish, do you not, Mr Price?"
William looked up from his letter. "I do, sir...a bit, though I am not very good at it..."
"Never mind, you will have plenty of time to learn. You will need it, to be sure."
William turned to his letter again, reading once again to convince himself that it was true.
Yes, it was true, he was made Commander of HMS Calypso, bound for the West Indies...to be stationed there for the next two years...
"Your station will be in Jamaica, Mr Price."
William looked at the Admiral again. "If I did not say anything until now, sir, it was just my astonishment that kept me from speaking. I ...I do not know how to thank you, and I am still trying to think of a reason for deserving such attention from you."
"Mr Price, your advancement has been your own doing. You proved to me that you were the right man for a commission like this. If you had not been, nothing would have induced me to support your promotion."
William left the admiral's lodgings, heading for Campbell's house. He had to tell Elizabeth the good news...Elizabeth!
William stopped. Would she agree to marry him if she knew that he had to leave her again so soon, to stay away for such a long time?
Could he actually ask her to do this for him?
Then he remembered what she had said to him the previous summer.
If I loved a man well enough to marry him...
"Now, that is the question," William muttered to himself when he rang the doorbell of his friend's house.
The maidservant showed him into the parlour, and one look convinced William that he was, indeed, alone with Elizabeth.
She gave him a shy smile and wished him good morning.
"Good morning, Miss Martin. I have come here for your letters," he answered, glancing at the maidservant who was still standing in the doorway. Would this girl never leave?
Liz noticed that the servant was still there and told her that she would not be needed at the moment. The girl curtsied and left.
"You look as if you had had good news, Mr Price," Liz said, smiling.
He smiled back. "I have, Elizabeth," he answered.
There, he calls me Elizabeth again - just like that evening before he left.
He took a letter out of his pocket and gave it to Liz.
"What is this, Mr Price?" she asked, anxiously.
"It is a commission, Elizabeth."
She unfolded the paper, reading...William watched her anxiously, noticing every change in her expression.
Liz looked up, and said, with a happy smile, "You have been made Commander! Congratulations, Mr Price, I know you are worthy of it!"
She longed to embrace him, and to kiss him to show him how happy she was on his account - only this was a thing she could not do.
She reached out to give him his letter back - and he seized her hand instead and drew her towards him.
"Elizabeth, there is one drawback in the whole scheme, and a severe one as that - I will have to leave and shall not be back for - I do not know how long."
He paused, for a moment, trying to find the right words.
"Going away from home, going away from you, Elizabeth, is something I cannot do without letting you know my feelings for you. You do not know what I have gone through all the time I was away, and I was not even able to write to you... in short, Elizabeth, everything would be much easier for me if I knew that you were here, waiting for my return."
He looked into her eyes, trying to read their expression.
"Will you marry me, Elizabeth? I cannot promise you a life in luxury, and I cannot even promise you always to be there for you - but I can promise you one thing, and that is...I will never stop loving you, and I will do my best to make you happy."
Now Liz could not stop herself any more. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him.
William was completely taken by surprise by her reaction, but he responded to her kiss at once. How often had he dreamed of such a moment? He did not know, but he was sure that never in his dreams he had been able to imagine that situation as beautiful as it was.
"I suppose that was a yes," he said, smiling happily.
"It was, except for one thing."
William frowned. "And what would that be?"
"I do not want to wait for you here, oh no, sir. When I am your wife, I shall go with you wherever you go. There is no getting rid of me."
"Are you sure? You would have to leave everyone behind, your family, your friends...Life on board is not easy, Elizabeth, it can even be dangerous sometimes. I do not want to expose you to such harsh conditions. Think about it."
"There is one thing for sure, William, I would rather be with you on a raft right in the middle of the Pacific Ocean than here in England, in a palace, and all by myself."
He laughed. "I could not afford a palace, anyway. But although the Calypso is not a raft, she is not really a comfortable place for a woman. You should give the matter more thought."
" I will go with you, and we will share all hardships. I have heard that there are many pretty girls in the West Indies - do you really think I would let my husband go there all by himself, with no one to keep an eye on him? I am a very jealous creature, you must know."
William put his arms around her. "Really? I would not have noticed."
"You did not notice last summer?"
He sighed. "I suppose a lot of things escaped my notice last summer. I have to confess that I was in love with you since the very first evening I met you...I would not have thought that such a thing could happen to me, but it did. I was a rather jealous fellow, too, I thought you were in love with Mr Searle."
"You did not! What gave you the idea?"
"Your behaviour at the assembly, for example. You were so particularly attentive to him, and did not seem to care much about me. So I decided it would be better to be your friend, and not to let you know how much I loved you. It was not easy ... I was very near telling you what I felt the other evening, when I met you in that corridor...do you remember?"
Liz nodded. "I do. It was the night we spent at the Searles' house."
"That was the first time you showed real concern for me, more concern than you would have had for a mere acquaintance - I would have done anything for you that night."
"I was worried about you. You were going to go out, in that nasty weather, and then there were those signalling fires...I knew you would go there, somehow I did, and I did not want you to get hurt. I do not know what I would have done to stop you from going."
"I am sure you would have found a way."
Liz grinned. "You can be sure I would. But did you really not notice that I was in love with you, too?"
"When I did, it was too late. If nothing had happened, I would have made you an offer of marriage on my last day, I was planning to do so, but then - the whole tragedy got between us. The smugglers captured you, and then there was the shooting at the beach - and Mr Searle got killed. You fell ill - and so I had to leave you without doing what I should have done long before. I only hoped that you would not change your mind until I came back."
Liz smiled. "How could I? I could think of no one else...and I must have acted rather stupidly sometimes, even my brother-in-law found out about my feelings for you soon, and I have to give him credit for not teasing me, which is quite unusual, considering his temper."
William laughed. It seemed as if Elizabeth's family were an interesting set of people.
"I remember the weeks when I did not have any news from you from Gibraltar. Probably I would not have worried if Mrs Campbell had not written about it - I nearly went mad, imagining what might have happened to you."
William embraced her. "You should not have worried, Elizabeth. I would not have wanted you to."
"I could not help it, William, I thought I would never see you again, and it hurt so much."
He looked at her earnestly. "But I promised you I would be back. There are not many circumstances that could stop me from keeping my promises."
"I know," Liz answered, " but these are the circumstances I feared. This is why I want to go with you - whatever may befall, I want to be by your side. This is the only place where I want to be."
William looked into her eyes and knew that she was serious. "Very well," he said, smiling, "it is your decision, love."
He kissed her again, and then they stood there for a while, wrapped up in each other's arms, Liz's head resting on William's shoulder.
Then Liz said, "What about your family? What will they think about our marriage?"
William laughed. "I am sure they will like the idea. As to my father - I can already anticipate what he is going to say about it, my mother will be in raptures and will cry at the same time, Sam will think it a good joke, I suppose, and Fanny..."
He paused for a moment.
"Fanny is your sister in Northamptonshire, the one you are going to visit, right?"
"This is Fanny, yes. I think she will be happy on my account. Fanny always agreed with everything I did - although I have to admit I would not have wanted to disappoint her in any way. She had a hard life, sometimes; especially our Aunt Norris made life hard for her. But whatever happened, she always remained the same Fanny Price."
He laughed. "When we were younger, I wanted to save money to buy a house of my own one day, and to take her there. I wanted to rescue her, I suppose, but now she does not have to be rescued any more. She is very happy with her husband, and I am glad about it. Susan is now living with our Aunt and Uncle Bertram, and she is doing well. You will like Susan, I am sure, and you will also like Fanny."
"I cannot wait to meet them," Liz answered.
"What about your family, what will they think?"
"Well, let me see. They will approve of our marriage, to be sure. My mother would approve of anything that makes me happy. My brother Robert is like me in many ways - we always were very close, even though he was seven years older and I often was a nuisance to him. Whatever he and George Mason tried, I would be there, trying it too."
William laughed. "I can imagine."
"My sister is quite different - both in looks and in character. Exceedingly pretty, with a sweet temper...I am lucky she is already married, I am sure you would fall in love with her as soon as you met her."
"Impossible, Elizabeth."
"My brother-in-law, George Mason, may look familiar to you, but his character is very different from his brother's. I think he is already very eager to meet you. So is my brother, I think."
William soon had the opportunity to see that Elizabeth had been right. Her family gave him the warmest welcome he could imagine, and he soon was on the best terms with all of them.
Although Mrs Martin lamented the fact that her daughter would soon be gone and out of reach, she comforted herself with the thought that Mr Price was a reliable, intelligent man, and she had no doubt that he was capable of making her Elizabeth as happy as she deserved to be. She soon set off to Portsmouth to take her daughter home, after all, there was a wedding to be prepared, and the wedding was to take place very soon.
Robert Martin tried to persuade William to stay on Abbey Mill Farm a few days longer, but William told him that he had already promised his sisters a visit, and so the stay on Abbey Mill was deferred until later, when William would be on his way back to Portsmouth again.
Fanny, Susan and the Bertrams, too, were happy to hear the news, although Sir Thomas had often wished that William Price might connect himself with a rich woman.
It was true, neither Liz nor William was very affluent, but they could afford a comfortable way of life, and that was all they wanted. After all, not even the greatest fortune could make a couple happy if they had no real love and respect for each other.
The wedding took place in Donwell parish church on a bright morning at the beginning of March.
There were not many wedding guests - the Martins and Masons were there, of course, and Mrs Charles, too. She had surprised Liz with the announcement that, according to her will, Liz would inherit one third of her fortune one day, as there were no other heirs than Liz, Robert and Catherine.
As for William's family, Fanny, Susan and Edmund had come to attend to his wedding, and Sir Thomas had come, too, although William suspected that the real reason for his coming had been some urgent business in Antigua Sir Thomas wanted him to settle. Still, William was glad that the head of the Mansfield Park family showed his consent for their marriage by honouring them with his presence at their wedding.
Sam, Tom and Charles were at sea, as usual, and William's parents could not afford the journey to Surrey, so the wedding had to take place without them. However, Mr and Mrs Price were eager to welcome the young couple in their home in Portsmouth.
Mrs Campbell was, perhaps, the person who prided herself most for having brought Mr and Mrs William Price together - after all, it had been she who had encouraged her husband to invite Mr Price to Cranston, she had invited Miss Martin - and this was enough for her to consider herself the world's best matchmaker.
One week after their marriage, William and Liz went on board the "Calypso", and were on their way to the West Indies to stay there for the next few years.
Although life on board was not easy, Liz soon got used to it, and she never regretted her decision of going with William. After all - what could happen to her, with her husband, her lover, her friend by her side?