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Sir Edward Pellew was a man who preferred the social circle of a ship and her crew to the high society of England. High society of anywhere really.
Of course, because his wife enjoyed such outings, he would join her out of husbandly duty, but many of those events were a range of distasteful to downright torturous for him.
This invitation however, he was greatly delighted to accept.
The home was gracious and elegant, and he supposed he should have expected nothing less from Lady Barabara Wellesly, now Hornblower.
He deeply desired to ask her how Hornblower had worked up the nerve to speak to her much less propose to her, but as that would be breaching all sorts of social etiquette, he restrained himself. He was almost at an age where he could be that impertinent and get away with it, but not quite and not in this setting.
As dinner parties went, this one was not very large and he appreciated it. His wife was chatting happily to Lady Barbara and there were other small knots of people assembled in the spacious drawing room. Sir Edward, after accepting a glass of sherry, stood a little apart to observe the action before plunging into it--a habit long bred into him in His Majesty’s Navy.
He had greeted Hornblower already, soon to be ‘Sir Horatio’ if Pellew understood things correctly (and as he was fully in support of the idea, he damn well did understand) and would have enjoyed more speech with him, but the Captain was doing his best to recall that he was the host this evening and was doing his duty somewhat stiffly.
Sir Edward hid his smile. Horatio was much like himself, and was far more comfortable and natural on the deck of his ship, rather than a drawing room. But he was clearly devoted to his lovely wife and was frequently shooting fond looks to that golden head. Lady Barbara would catch them and incline her head ever so slightly, the pair of them very good at exchanging affection with their eyes alone.
So Pellew was quite happy to let his protege do what he must while he allowed his gaze to roam the room.
And it was thus that he found someone who was looking more visibly out of place and uncomfortable with all this high society, though doing his best to hide it. And oh . Oh bloody hell. The man was stuck speaking with Lord Fitzwallace, an insufferable and bloated example of the nobility who was clearly enjoying his ‘superiority’ over a lowly naval captain.
This was no mere captain, however, and Pellew tried to keep his satisfaction off his face as he moved in that direction, determined to enjoy every minute of what he was about to do. His wife would likely not approve, but Pellew was not so rough with verbal maneuvering as all that. He hadn’t made Admiral purely because of naval ability after all. He was fairly good with people as well, though it wasn’t his favorite thing to do.
“Ah, Sir Edward,” said his Lordship, raising his glass as the Admiral joined the pair. “Excellent to see you.”
“Good evening, sir,” added Hornblower’s friend respectfully. The man still bore the marks of his ordeal in France---a little too pale and thin for an experienced naval officer--but he stood straight in the face of the bloviating Fitzwallace.
“Mr. Bush. I’m delighted to see you, sir,” said Pellew heartily, causing the first of what he hoped would be many raised eyebrows on the part of his Lordship.
Bush looked a little surprised as well at the warm greeting, but allowed himself to relax marginally, perhaps realizing that he may have an ally here to deal with Fitzwallace.
“And you, Admiral.”
“You know Mr. ah….Bush then, I take it, Sir Edward?” Fitzwallace asked in his rather affected tones.
“Naturally. Doesn’t everyone in England by now?” Pellew responded, calmly enjoying the slight fluster that appeared on his Lordship’s countenance.
Bush shot him a sharp look with those keen blue eyes and the Admiral gave it right back, hoping the man understood he was to keep his mouth shut for the moment.
“Ah….of course, Sir Edward. Yes indeed.” By which Pellew understood that the pompous ass knew nothing of Bush’s recent exploits. “I was explaining to the captain how these social evenings usually run. It was very kind of Lady Hornblower to invite him, wasn’t it, Mr. Bush?”
Bush’s jaw tightened ever so slightly at this condescension, and Pellew ruthlessly crushed his own offence on behalf of the man.
What a bloody insufferable toff.
“It was indeed, my Lord.”
“Well of course she invited him!” Sir Edward boomed, laughing with false geniality . Pompous Lords forsooth.
“Captain Bush is Hornblower’s second in command. I believe you are staying with them as well, is that correct, Captain?”
Bush flushed ever so slightly. “Yes, Admiral. Lady Barbara is very kind.”
“Nonsense man. Lady Barbara is very insistent or I don’t know her at all.”
Bush smiled at this and took a sip of his sherry. “She is that as well, sir.”
“You are….residing here?” Lord Fitzwallace asked, unable to conceal his tones of surprise. “We did not receive that invitation though it would have been most convenient.”
“Ah, well your, Lordship, I do not believe that you are the hero who sacrificed so much at the battle of Rosas and then made the daring escape under Napoleon’s very nose with only one foot, and an inordinate amount of courage, now are you?” Pellew rejoined, face and tone still jovial, but eyes hard.
This at last seemed to get through to his Lordship who flushed and stammered something before beating a hasty retreat.
Pellew felt nearly as delighted with himself as though he had successfully sunk an enemy ship.
Bush was very red when he turned back to the Captain.
“Admiral….that was a bit of an exaggeration, sir. It was Captain Hornblower who did all that. Saved my life, sir.”
“True, true,” Pellew agreed genially. “Hornblower has a way of achieving the impossible, Mr. Bush. But tell me, was it Hornblower who had his foot blown to bits?”
This steady eyed and faithful first officer was easily as terrible as Horatio at receiving well merited praise. Pellew was only too happy to force some down his throat.
“Well, no Admiral, but…”
“And was it Hornblower who survived that and the subsequent surgery to then escape during the winter?”
“Admiral, sir…” Bush tried to protest.
But Pellew was warming to his subject and enjoying himself immensely.
Across the room, Horatio, as though sensing something, was glancing their way. Pellew raised his glass. Hornblower gave him a slightly skeptical look but inclined his head. Trust the man to have a sixth sense when his friend might be in any sort of trouble.
“And was it our brave Captain who learned to walk once more, and then set out to escape France in a rowboat ?” Pellew queried, raising his eyebrows and pinning Bush with his stare.
“He helped me with all of that, Admiral,” Bush told him steadily.
They were impossible. But Lord help him was he fond of them.
“Good God man can you not take a compliment?” Pellew asked, shaking his head. “You are quite a pair, you and Hornblower.”
Bush was looking at him quizzically.
“I could have done none of that without Captain Hornblower, Admiral.”
Pellew chuckled. “And I have it from the man himself, that he could have done none of it without you , Mr. Bush. What do you say about that, hmmm?”
The newly minted captain opened his mouth then shut it again and Pellew rocked up slightly on his toes in his success.
“Exactly. Bloody well listen when your Admiral lays some accolades on you is my advice, Mr. Bush.”
He was rewarded by a crooked smile and Bush saluted him with his sherry glass. “Aye aye, sir.”
“So. You need a ship,” Sir Edward continued, pondering the ones available in his mind.
“I...do?”
“Did you think you were promoted so you could sit around and twiddle your thumbs, Captain Bush?”
“I really didn’t know what to expect, Admiral.”
Pellew watched Hornblower find Kennedy and clap him on the shoulder. And quite suddenly he was struck with the fact that these three men operated best together. Produced some rather fantastic action when working together as a matter of fact.
“Well, I think you can reasonably expect a ship, Mr. Bush. But…..some things are afoot. I can’t say more at the moment. So do not worry if you are not offered one immediately.”
“I’d be happy to have one at all, sir. But I must confess….I am also very content to serve as Captain Hornblower’s second even if that was the rest of my career, Admiral.”
Pellew smiled into his glass. He intended to maneuver circumstances to allow that very thing, but Bush could not know that.
“You have been remarkably loyal to Captain Hornblower, Mr. Bush. Tell me why.”
Bush looked slightly taken aback at the blunt nature of this order.
“Sir. He’s my Captain and that is my duty, Admiral.”
Pellew snorted. “That sort of answer won’t deter me, sir. You were willing to contravene orders to save him. He most certainly did some fancy interpretation of his orders to save you from that nonsense in Norway. And this latest action with Kennedy as well tells me that you three seem to be destined to stand by each other. Come man. I’ve heard the stories. Hornblower can be impossible sometimes. Yet you stay by his side.”
Bush considered his friend across the way, now having joined his wife in a group chatting by the fireplace.
“Admiral Pellew, you have known him longer. I do believe sir, that you already know the answer to your question.”
“I think I may, Mr. Bush, but I would hear an assessment from you. Indulge your Admiral.”
Bush let out a breath but he was trapped and he knew it. “I did not expect to get on with him at first, sir. I do not know how much you know of our time on the Renown….”
Pellew took a drink at that name. Sawyer had been a bloody lunatic by that point and it was to the great shame of the Admiralty they had given him a ship to abuse. Many poor bastards had died directly as a result of that decision. Such a waste. It still gave him chills to think that Hornblower could have died many times over while serving upon the Renown. He had dragged the Bosun into his office after all the business in Jamaica with the court martial, and made Matthews tell him exactly what had gone on aboard the Renown. The man had been only too happy to sing the praises of the lieutenants who had saved the ship and crew from certain destruction.
“Let us assume that I know most everything, Mr. Bush,” he told the other man dryly. Bush raised his eyebrows at this, but inclined his head.
“Aye sir. Well. He seemed too willing to take too much responsibility on his shoulders, sir. I understand now what I had come into there, but my first impression was that he was getting above himself.”
“Understandable,” Pellew murmured.
“However,” Bush continued, “I soon realized what the situation was, and I credit Mr. Hornblower with guiding us all, even poor Mr. Buckland, sir.”
“He has a rather quick mind, does he not?” Pellew said.
“Indeed, sir. He sees many things the rest of us don’t.”
“Such as a shell that is about to explode, wouldn’t you agree, Mr. Bush?” Pellew asked as the man’s eyes widened in surprise.
“But that wasn’t in the report….”
Pellew allowed some of the smugness to show on his countenance.
“I know some things about Horatio Hornblower, Mr. Bush. Tell me, did he make you rewrite your report so as not to reveal that he might have had a part in the shell that didn’t explode on the Hotspur?"
Bush was giving him the appropriate amount of awe at this seemingly super intuitive knowledge.
“He…..did, Admiral. Sir. How… .?”
“I have learned, Mr. Bush, that when Captain Hornblower chooses to studiously avoid the word ‘I’ and goes to the passive voice he is trying to avoid taking credit for his actions.”
Bush actually snorted at this. “Ahem! I beg your pardon, Admiral Pellew….”
“Nothing to be concerned about, Captain Bush. But I see you know this tendency of his.”
Bush sighed longsufferingly. “Admiral. If I was inclined to write I could compose volumes on the subject, sir.”
“Mmm.” Pellew looked at him knowingly. “But you are no better, Captain. Kennedy may perhaps be happier to acknowledge his part in heroic exploits, but I suspect that his association with you both has had an effect even on him.”
Bush ducked his head slightly. “I have no desire to advance myself like a prating fool, Admiral.”
“I can assure you, Mr. Bush,” said Pellew, smiling broadly at the honest face before him. “That none of your advancement will ever be due to that, nor has it been to date. It was a happy day for Mr. Hornblower when you came aboard the Renown.”
He was rewarded with a flush and genuine pleasure in the blue eyes.
“That is very kind, sir.”
“I don’t do kind, Mr. Bush. I deal in facts,” Pellew assured him, and looked up as Lady Barbara approached with her husband behind her.
“We are to go into dinner, Admiral,” she told him, smiling in a way that made the room seem more brilliant. “And you must share William now as I have not been able to speak with him yet and neither has Horatio.”
Bush coughed self consciously, and Pellew raised a conspiratorial eyebrow at her Ladyship as he offered her his arm.
Hornblower escorted Pellew’s wife and the procession made its way to the dining room.
“And I must know what you said to Lord Puffchest,” Lady Barbara said in a low voice, leaning toward him as they walked down the broad corridor. “He deflates every time he looks at you and I saw him cornering poor William earlier.”
“Ah,” Pellew responded sotto voice. “I had the very great pleasure of pointing out that Captain Bush was a far more welcome guest in your home than he was. Not in so many words of course.”
“Oh,” breathed her Ladyship happily. “I want to hear the words you did use. Leave nothing out.”
“I trust I shall be seated by you, Lady Barbara.”
“Naturally, Sir Edward.”
“Then the tale shall be yours.”