A/N: this chapter is not book-verse at all, to get my plot to work I've had to make up quite a lot of background info, on the plus side we are going to find out more about Sophie's assignment! Yay!

Chapter 2

A Question of Information

The Surprise was now on its Fourth week of the voyage, and I definitely felt it. I had been away from home before, as my job required, but the choppy water of the Atlantic was not making me feel any better about my prospects of drowning and going down to a watery grave. Nothing much had happened since we set out from Portsmouth, I had avoided Mr Calamy and he had paid the same respect to me. I had been given instruction to stay in my berth most of the time and only to go on deck in the night when I had a chaperone. It was as though the Captain thought I couldn't protect myself. It occurred to me later that perhaps it was the other way around. I spent my time reading and looking through my lists. I had two, the first was a list of agents who would be around the area of our expected course, the second was a list of safe places where the Surprise could be hidden if the worst happened, with marks next to the places with nearby colonies and settlements who would help us.

I almost jumped out of my hammock when there was a knock at the door.

"Yes, can you wait a moment." I called whilst shuffling my papers together and cramming them back into my sea chest. Glancing into a small mirror I realised my hair was very messy so I smoothed it back as quickly as I could, and unlocked the door. I was relieved when I saw it was a young midshipman not, as I feared it might be, Mr Calamy.

"Hello, Miss Carson-Beaumeir. The Captain has asked to see you, I am Mr Blakeney, but if you like you may call me Will." He said this like he had practised it or at least gone over it in his head which I thought was rather funny. He was short and had golden hair, which was curly. I could tell he was one of the landed gentry by the way he spoke, his voice was high and musical with every word perfectly pronounced.

"Thank-you, Will" I said courteously, noting the sparkling quality of his eyes. They were a similar shade to mine but my eyes lacked the shimmering excitement of youth. I was definitely old before my time.

It was around eleven o'clock, and the crew had settled down into the monotony of being at sea, they also seemed to have gotten used to me being aboard. Mr Blakeney lead me down the gun deck chatting politely about how the Surprise was the best ship sailing. I smiled at this. He had so much naivety and hope. I had to admit I found this endearing and replied;

"I'm sure she is." which earned me an approving smile.

"So, um Sophie, how are you liking being aboard the ship?" he asked, probably not thinking how this experience had been for me so far. Of course I had to lie.

"Well, I have learnt a great deal about sailing, and the Captain has been nothing but kind..." in actual fact I had done what I usually did when there was no assignment to complete I would increase my knowledge in anyway I could, at that time I was midway through a book on the Italian language, as it was my wish to learn all the European languages.

"It is nice of you to say that, but I know you are lonely." At this I wanted to shatter the happy façade that I had been forced to put on all these years and scream that of course I was lonely. Instead I did as I always did and pulled a smile onto my face.

"Ah, Mr Blakeney, you see right through me!" I answered, as we finally stopped outside the great cabin.

"Perhaps you can dine with us some time, the midshipmen are always happy to have company, Mr Hollom is kind enough, Mr Williamson and Mr Boyle are rather course but Mr Calamy and I would surely value your presence." I stepped backwards, shock evident on my face. He realized and quickly added;

"Not that you have to...if you would rather...I did not mean to...to upset you, Soph-Miss Carson-Beaumeir." I noticed how quickly he reverted to using formalities again.

"Oh, no, not at all, I was merely surprised. No one has thought about me for the most part of this voyage so far. Sorry, Will. I would like to have a friend on this ship. I confess I have been very lonely." already I had opened up to this boy more than I had for years.

At that moment the door swung open, and as was my usual luck, Mr Calamy stepped out. He had been putting his hat back on but at seeing me it fell to the floor.

"Ah, Mr Calamy, let me introduce you to Miss Carson-Beaumier. And be more careful Peter" Will said the last part quietly, not meaning for the Captain to hear them conversing in a less than formal tone. Neither Peter or I listened to Mr Blakeney. We stared at each other, both of us deciding what to do. At precisely the same time we acted, me curtseying and him bowing. When I curtseyed I dipped low enough to pick up his hat. When I stood up straight again I looked up into his hard, cold, angry eyes and gave it back to him whilst just audibly whispering

"Sorry about your hat, Mr Calamy." he stuffed it back onto his messy, short hair and muttered

"Thank you, Miss Carson-Beaumier." then touching his cap, in a half hearted salute, he walked past me.

Will rapped on the cabin door smartly, when the Captain called for us to enter he opened the door, ushering me through politely.

"Miss Carson-Beaumier to see you sir." the Captain nodded and Will backed out of the room after bowing.

"So Miss Carson-Beaumier, I presume you know why you have been asked here." He said in a powerful, commanding voice. I had no difficulty seeing why the crew followed him so completely.

"You want to know why I am here, Captain." I replied. He grunted. Captain Aubrey was not a man of words, he was a man of action. "I am sorry sir but some of my orders must not be disclosed to you at this time. I can only tell you what Commander Worrall allows, unless I deem the situation suitable." His eyes narrowed at my words.

"You are an inconvenience to me, to my crew, you should not be on this ship. And now you tell me you cannot even inform me for what purpose you are here!" I was not expecting this response, after all this was not the first time an admiralty agent had been stationed on one of his ships.

"With respect Sir I do have some information pertaining to this voyage." He was very keen to get the information out of me, and in his haste he was being quite rude.

"Well?"

"The ship, the French man of war you are supposed to intercept, we believe that it has some key information on the routes and positions of much of our navy. It has been sailing around Europe and since it left Nice it has hunted and sank three frigates and engaged with one whaler. It seems to have ether the best luck God could grant or intelligence of a rather damaging kind." I took a breath. "I am here to investigate and find out how deep the corruption goes, and if at all possible, find out who our mole is." There was more, but I hoped that I had revealed enough to quench is thirst for knowledge, at least for a while.

"I guessed that was why, and now my suspicions have been confirmed. When I got my orders from the Admiralty they informed me that she had been the scourge of Europe recently. Is there anything else you can tell me?" He had deduced the unsaid things in his orders, maybe I had miss judged him. I had thought that he was a good fighter and leader but I hadn't thought that he would have intellect also.

"No Sir, sorry. This intelligence is on a need to know basis at present."

"Thank-you, Miss Carson-Beaumier, I am sorry if you thought me rude but I am missing my Sophie, my wife, you remind me of her, you know. Thank-you for sharing your assignment details." With a smart curtsy I left as quickly as I'd come. On my way back to my berth I saw the ship's doctor walking in the opposite direction with a handful of sheet music. He looked at me with calculating eyes and seemed very interested although he didn't stop, instead he he just opened the door without knocking. I thought his behavior was odd until I heard the beautiful singing of Cello and Violin music. I paused for a moment listening to the wavering notes and then continued my lonely walk back to my cabin.

I hope you enjoyed this updated version of chapter two (damn typos!) and reviews are welcome as usual.