O'Brian quotes for Lady Legrace and Miss Flossy:
"…Mr. Pullings, or the Maiden as the Kutaliotes called him because of his mild face and gentle manners…"
"Much of the night he spent on deck, watching the clouds scud from the north as he passed up and down, irritating the harbour-watch and absolutely terrifying Mowett as he crept back from a venereal assignation…"
The Mission
The heavy, uncomfortable silence stretched between them, tactile and unpleasant. At first, Tom reached out to take her arm, but he hesitated and stopped: what was between them prevented him. They walked in silence; saying nothing, she preceded him into the silent gunroom and thus to her cabin, entering and leaving the door open for him. He stood in the doorway gazing at her back as she wrung her hands.
What could he say to comfort her? Did she really think that he would want to break their engagement? "Rose," he began a little uncertainly.
"if you are going to say that I should have stayed here as you told me, then you can save your breath," she said with a sudden burst of bitterness as she turned to face him. "If it's a compliant and obedient woman you want, you will be sorely disappointed in me."
"Compliant and obedient?" he repeated, wondering what had provoked her outburst. The absurdity of such an idea! Although he knew that they had privacy here while the others were with the captain, he closed the door behind him. "No, that is not what I want. I want a woman who commands me to lie back because she wants to get on top of me."
The response caused her to turn away again quickly. "You are funning with me," he heard her say in a low mumble.
"No. I would not make light of such a thing." His reply was met with no response, and he waited to see what she would say, but there was nothing. "Rose?" He went nearer and realized that she was weeping. "Damn! Forgive me, I was not funning. I should not have – no, I was most serious although perhaps I spoke in too light a tone. Forgive my manners, it was kindly meant."
She looked at him again, her eyes wet and red; there was no doubt that he was in earnest. With a sigh, she moved closer and reached to embrace him about the waist.
Only for a moment did he hesitate then hugged her firmly. "You are safe now," he soothed, "at least for a few days." By no means did he blame her; however, he knew nothing at all about comforting a distraught woman. "You can cry if you like, sweetheart," he told her. "You ain't a killer, to be sure, and you told how violence disturbs you. I've killed plenty of men in my life, and I know how hard it is, and after, when it's over, you feel shaky."
A little muffled laugh was audible from where her face was buried against his chest. How well he understood!
Drawing back a little, he looked down at her tired, pale face and red-rimmed eyes. Nonplussed, he hardly knew what to say. "They've had their rations for the day, to be sure, and you know you're safe now and will be safe asea. We'll sail with the morning tide."
The day had been long and trying; she nodded, looking weary and worn. "I wish you could stay though I know you cannot."
"As do I." He kissed her temple. "Soon, my sweet."
"This evening was bad," she remarked gloomily. "It will be worse before the end."
By the time Stephen awoke at the end of the morning watch, the Surprise was out of sight of Jamaica and heading southwest. The wind, which had been with them on the easterly run off the south coast of Cuba, was against them, and once out of the island's currents, they had to make against the gentle trade winds. The weather was fine, but he could see that the events of the previous night had struck every man in the crew. Stories were already abounding of the lady battling the boarders, standing back to back with Captain Howard, brandishing two cutlasses and cutting down a dozen men. No, it was a score of men with a blade and a pistol. Then it was eighteen men with just a knife. It amused him a little to see how things grew with each telling.
Besides that, the men were talking of the engagement. The lads who had waited on the gunroom for dinner had told of the lieutenant's announcement and the toast that had been interrupted when the alarm went up. A bad omen, it was said, and although her sordid past was known only to the officers, the hands believed the marriage to be cursed even before the vows had been spoken. On that point, Stephen imagined that Rose would agree.
Mr. Allen was fed beef broth and red wine for both breakfast and luncheon and was much better when they all came together in the Great Cabin during the afternoon watch to go over the actual mission. When she saw him, Rose lit up with a smile and said, "How joyous it is to see you so much better, sir!"
His reply was with the barest of civilities, and he did not bother to look at her. "Thank you for your concern, ma'am," he said in an icy voice, and the lady recoiled as if she had been struck.
Since he could not actually add anything to their plans (he could not even follow the points they were making), Stephen sat back and observed the interactions of the others around the chart of the island instead. Jack himself was entirely professional and kept a tight rein on the proceedings. Pullings, too, was professionally reserved in behavior; however, his facial expressions often gave him away. Mowett was cool to the point of being unreadable: he asked questions to clarify certain points and treated the lady cordially, as if she were a respected stranger. Allen, on the other hand, had developed a strong disgust for her and did not come near her. Dressed in her only remaining summer gown, Rose Stirling was pale and serious, and she spoke confidently as she explained to them how the ship would have to be sailed into the bay: diagonally, from the southeast, over a fatally dangerous reef.
"It cannot be done!" the sailing master declared, eying her with disapproval. "Into the wind at that angle with a ship of this size! It's madness."
"Of course it can be done," she assured him, achieving a respectful tone. "It isn't easy, of course, but it's possible."
"That reef will rip the hull from stem to stern!" he continued forcefully.
"That is a risk, sir, with a pilot who does not know the reef and its secrets," she assured him, "but I know this island, and you may rest assured that I can take her in safely."
"Sir," he said to the captain in a voice edged with sarcasm. "Must we really listen to this madness?"
"Now, Mr. Allen, there's no need to take that tone here," said Jack.
"I have done it," she told Allen defiantly. "The Walrus is a 36-gun frigate at more than a thousand tons. The Surprise is not more than six hundred: it will be easy. I sailed the Walrus in with her hold full of gold."
Her words had an immediate effect: the men looked at her with expressions of mixed disapproval, distaste, and horror. Even Stephen understood this, for she was talking of stolen gold, pirate booty, the stuff for which honest men had been murdered. Even poor Tom Pullings looked at her with a shocked, sorrowful expression.
"Since it has been done with a bigger, heavier ship," Stephen broke in. "It makes perfect sense to say that the Surprise can enter the bay with some sense of ease."
"That is exactly what I am saying doctor," Rose replied. Her face was flushed and her brows lowered; he wondered what it would take to really rouse her temper.
"Three will be no more discussion," Jack told them all. "Mrs. Stirling will guide us into the bay. Mr. Allen, you will note the entry carefully so that you may reproduce it. Mr. Pullings, Mr. Mowett, you will aid the lady with the crew, for they will not be used to taking orders from her, and you will also note the entry so that you may reproduce it if necessary." He looked around at each of them, his eyes slowly traveling from face to face as he assessed the situation. "Now, ma'am, if you please, start from the beginning and go over the route past the reef in a step-by-step manner."
The voices droned on, and Stephen stopped trying to follow what they said. He studied the people, instead, curious about the uncertain Will Mowett and the antagonistic John Allen.