Chapter 1

He sat with a melancholy expression on his face in the stern of the wherryboat as it edged slowly towards the Tourniquet. His boat cloak was wrapped close around him to try to preserve some warmth. Lieutenant Ashley McKay let out a silent curse as once again his only his only pair of silk stockings got caught on the rough thwart of the boat. The uniform was his best one and was reasonably presentable, but his hasty departure from his lodgings had meant there was no time to stock up on provisions. Not that more time would have helped; as a new lieutenant, he had not yet accumulated sufficient pay to buy a full wardrobe. Ashley had also hoped to find an agent who would get him credit against his future pay and, hopefully, future prize money before embarking, but things being as they were he was prevented from this endeavour by tides, winds and an impatient captain eager to make use of them. The young lieutenant placed his hat firmly onto his head of wavy, auburn hair carefully tied into a smart pigtail. He wished to make a good impression on his superiors on his first day, and he deemed that anything, a mark on his uniform, an untidy queue, or a missing item of uniform could affect people’s opinions of him. Ashley felt that though he may be rather lazy and scruffy by nature, he did not want to show his superiors his less admirable traits straightaway.

As the wherryman brought the boat around beside the ship he was to join he carefully looked over his new assignment, the HMS Tourniquet, a Third Rate of 74 guns. Ashley was to join as the fourth and lowest Lieutenant. He sat back for a moment gazing in awe at the ship, feeling dwarfed by the size of the vessel. His body tingled with both excitement and trepidation. He could hardly believe that he was here. Ashley, even now, was still coming to terms with his promotion. A promotion, he suspected, was won by the good fortune of influence rather than his seamanship.

After identifying himself the wherryman let the boat come to a stop beside the ship. Ashley took a deep breath then slowly and deliberately started to climb up the sloping wooden sides of the Tourniquet. As the young lieutenant reached the point of no return, his nerves took hold. He froze. It took all his self-control not to let out a terrified cry. Pulling his body closer to the side he closed his eyes and gripped the ropes, which were there to aid his climb. Once again his old fear of heights, a fear he had had since childhood, came back to haunt him. It was a handicap Ashley wished he could get rid of forever. Just grab it and hurl it into the sea. At the though of being hurled into the water, he began to imagine himself slipping. Of letting go and falling into the murky water below, and suddenly became quite dizzy and nauseous. While Ashley tried to get his emotions and equilibrium, under control he heard through his panicked thoughts a voice call over the side.

“You alright sir? Do ye’ need a hand?”

Ashley slowly opened his eyes and looked up to see whom it was who had called out to him. He could see it was one of the seamen who were staring down over the edge.

Ashley called back in what he thought was the boldest voice he could muster.

“No! I know what I’m doing, thank you,” yet it came out rather strained as if his voice had broke.

A raucous laughter could be heard coming from topside, but he tried to ignore it. Ashley took a couple of deep breaths and made a conscious effort to push all the terrifying thoughts running through his mind out of his head. He decided that he should set an example to the other men and would not give them cause to mock him. He reached out with his right hand, which trembled with fear and proceeded to climb slowly, but steadily up the side, his pride spurring him to carry on the ascent. Ashley mentally rebuked himself for his foolish cowardice, for he feared nothing except his peer’s opinions of him. He had faced such a situation many times before, but each time it happened it made him feel worse. His fear of heights was the bane of his life, and it had often caused him to lose face in front of his friends and colleagues.

“Just my luck that the first officer is on deck,” Ashley muttered under his breath.

At the thought that his superior had seen his weakness, he felt an intense longing to jump back over the side of the ship. At least, he thought, it would end this feeling of embarrassment that permeated his whole being. So he had made a fool of himself in front of his superior, now he thought not only would he be ridiculed behind closed doors by the lower berths, but the officers would criticise him behind his back as well. Ashley imagined it was an incident that would be played over and over again in his nightmares, his mind exaggerating the consequences of such a minor matter. He felt his cheeks burn red as he walked towards the first lieutenant of the Tourniquet. Ashley made his salute to his superior.

“Ah, Lieutenant McKay I presume. I hope you didn’t have too much trouble getting here,” asked Mr Saxon, the first lieutenant in a nonchalant, yet slightly sarcastic tone. Ashley was tempted to make some witty rejoinder, but he knew better to do so, as the repercussions that would result from his loose tongue would be more than he could handle. Instead he bit his lip, handing over his papers and answered smartly.

“Aye, sir. Lieutenant Ashley McKay reporting for duty to the Tourniquet, sir.”

“Very good Lieutenant, you will be the Fourth. Midshipman Catt, please show

Lieutenant McKay to his cabin and have someone carry his luggage.”

“Aye, aye, sir,” replied the midshipman, turning to Ashley he asked, “Lieutenant, if you would please follow me?”

“Why, certainly,” replied Ashley.

Catt signalled a seaman to hoist the chest while he led Ashley through a hatch and down the ladder into the inner recesses of the ship. The young lieutenant ventured to question the tall, young dark-haired midshipman.

“Is Captain Scavage, about…anywhere?”

“No, sir. He is supposed to be coming onboard tomorrow, sir,” came the timid reply.

Ashley deduced that he would not gain much information from this lanky youth.

When they reached their destination, Catt asked, “Will that be all, sir?”

“Yes, that will be all…Mr Catt. Thank you.”

Ashley surveyed the place he would be berthed for the foreseeable future. “There isn’t room to swing a cat,” he muttered to himself, chuckling at the pun he had just made although there was no one to hear it. He may have made a fool of himself in front of the ship’s company, but he had been spared from total humiliation, as the captain hadn’t been present.

***

By now, two days later, Ashley had got into the swing of his duties and had mostly forgotten his momentary lapse of courage. He was rather relived that his first day aboard the Tourniquet hadn’t turned out as badly as when he had joined the Velox as a midshipman. When he recalled all the mistakes he had made, the young lieutenant shuddered. He was not keen to repeat the experience. Today was the day Captain Scavage came on board and everyone was busy making preparation for the big event. Mr Saxon had been particularly industrious, insuring everything was all in order for the captain. Ashley pondered on these last few days he had spent getting acquainted with the ship and crew. He had made some enquiries, and he now knew that the seaman who had hollered at him on his first day was named Lake. An appropriate name for a sailor thought the young lieutenant to himself as he stood on the quarterdeck, surveying the hurried activity around him. The crew were milling around like ants, and the officers were bellowing orders left right and centre. Ashley gave a small nod of recognition to the third lieutenant aboard the Tourniquet who was an old friend of his. He had been part of a club back in his village when they were children. It had been led by Lieutenant Christopher Scarlett had then been quite a rakish child always getting into trouble. As a young boy, Ashley had struck up a friendship with the charismatic Scarlett even though there was a year and a half age gap.

Ashley was suddenly shaken from his contemplation by a crash. His attention was drawn to Midshipman Catt. The young man had inadvertently knocked over several buckets of water, which the seaman who had been cleaning the deck had left lying in the way. Ashley walked briskly over to where the commotion had taken place, but Lieutenant Saxon was already there, berating Mr Catt for being so clumsy, and anyone else who was in earshot for leaving objects on the deck where some one could hurt themselves.

“Mr Catt, I would ask you to please look before you go running about the deck,” shouted the first lieutenant. Then turning to the sailor whom he had discovered left the bucket in the way, “Next time do not leave your damn bucket in the way for people to trip over and break their necks, or I’ll break yours!”

When Ashley approached, he saw the thunderous look on Saxon’s face and regretted his decision to come and investigate. He opened his mouth to say something constructive when the fuming lieutenant jumped in.

“Mr McKay. I should have guessed something like this would happen on your watch. Get this mess cleaned up at once before the captain gets here!” 

He was slightly taken aback by the ferocity and volume of Saxon’s order. Ashley supposed that any more pressure would cause the first officer to explode.

“Aye aye, sir,” he replied, instinctively.

Saxon then stormed off below decks, leaving Ashley to get everyone back to their tasks. The commotion had caused many of the men to stop their work and watch the furore.

“Get back to your work you idle landlubbers,” he shouted, relishing the power.

Ashley turned to Catt and said in a hushed voice, “If I were you, I’d stay clear of Mr Saxon. At least till he calms down.”

Catt turned to him and replied with a weak, “Aye, sir!” then made his way slowly to his destination, making sure he didn’t make the same mistake again.

Ashley thought to himself that Saxon had every right to be a bit on edge with the captain coming, for the first lieutenant’s work would be under scrutiny and his professional career might rest on it. Ashley walked back to his station. It was nearly the end of his watch. He stood there listening to the normal sounds of a ship in port, the fresh breeze blowing around him. He felt time went with such speed he hardly noticed it pass.

***

“Mr McKay,” enthused Scarlett, the Third Lieutenant who had come to relive Ashley. “Why, anyone would think you didn’t want your watch to end.”

It was Scarlett’s watch next, and the third lieutenant was the type of jolly person that was always in a constant state of cheerfulness. He was friends with everyone, and always seemed to have a joke ready for every situation.

“Oh!  Excuse me, sir,” replied Ashley taken by surprise, “I must have been in a world of my own. What was it you said, sir?”

“It is of no consequence. It’s-,” but Scarlett cut off his sentence mid-way.

Ashley looked up to see why his colleague had stopped talking and saw the look on the lieutenant’s face. He glanced over at where Scarlett was looking. Then Ashley took out his telescope, snapped it open and placed the glass to his eye. He could make out a boat making its way towards the ship and sitting in the bow was a captain, his gold epaulettes glinting in the early morning sun. Moments after his discovery there was a cry from the lookout and the ship was thrown in a state of organised chaos. Everyone rushed to their posts and made themselves presentable. Ashley, on his part, took up his position and straightened his jacket, which had been disordered in the rush to get to his place. There was what seemed like an endless wait. Ashley felt a mixture of anticipation, excitement, and dread rise in him till it was almost unbearable. The Bosun's call was poised, the whistle winking silver in the sun. Then, as the captain came up the side, the call set off, and when Captain Scavage’s feet touched the gangway the whistle ceased and a loud bellowing order was given, the marines presented arms and everyone’s hat came off.

The captain surveyed the officers in front of him. He slowly and deliberately walked down the line while being introduced to them. The captain was in his late forties, or early fifties. He had blonde hair, a grizzled roughness to his appearance and spoke with a deep gravely voice. As the captain came nearer Ashley’s muscles tensed in anticipation. It was like he was preparing to swallow some unpleasant medicine. His palms were sweaty. All that ran through Ashley’s mind was what would he say? What if he said something that offended the captain?

Then the moment of truth, the captain had reached him and there was no turning back.

“And this is?”

“Lieutenant McKay, sir,” replied Ashley.

“Ah, yes Mr McKay. I met your grandfather once. Nice fellow, for an Admiral. I look forward to having you under my command,” commented the captain.

“Aye, sir,” said Ashley, as he stiffly touched his hat. The captain politely returned the complement and carried on to the next victim.

When the captain finally went down to his cabin, Ashley let out a sigh of relief. The young lieutenant also heard Seaman Lake make some facetious remark. Something like “I’m glad that bloody things over! Now we can get on with some proper work!” which caused a ripple of laughter amongst the men around him. Ashley ignored it. He felt too exhausted to care and if he was honest it echoed his own feelings on the matter. He could have sunk onto the deck with fatigue from the effort of keeping up appearances. Ashley, though, bolstered himself thinking that he could not show any weakness in front of the men, and so went about his duties.