Code Name Apple
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: My code name is I Don't Own Castle. Rating: K Time: The year 1919, mostly.
Despite his age, Joseph Davidson was an excellent Navy doctor. His one regret was his oldest son, Josh. When the US entered the war, he had fled to Mexico, the nearest neutral country to avoid the military draft. Unfortunately for him, Mexico in 1917 was not hospitable to Americans. He was executed by a group of rebels. They only managed to shoot him in the stomach and the officer who'd approached him to give him the coup de grace with his pistol was too drunk to shoot straight and shot Josh in the hand and leg. Eventually, Josh Davidson died, slowly and painfully.
By the time he got to Miss Beckett's car, Castle had worried himself to the point that he was sure he'd be court martialed and thrown out of the Navy.
Miss Beckett noticed how glum he was.
"Please, Rick…May I call you Rick?"
"Certainly. I'm not likely to be Lieutenant Commander Castle much longer."
"You must call me Kate, then. I'm sure that the Navy is not going to punish you. I know what was in the intelligence you sent to them. It will be very valuable to your country. They won't want to cut off that kind of intelligence."
"I hope so." Castle said glumly.
Castle went to Ambassador Peabody's office and was shown right in.
"Sir, I have some documents from the men who accompanied me, and I think…"
"Oh, don't worry about that, my boy." Peabody said with a smile. "I'm afraid I might have been a bit hasty the other day. It seems the young ladies you rescued are actually Russian nobility. The Duchess Olga Petrova and her younger sister Anna. They're grandnieces of the late Queen Victoria and the current King, George V, was their godfather back when he was the Prince of Wales. The British were extremely happy that you rescued them. Their Foreign Office notified President Wilson at once. He's in Paris, of course, for the peace conference. Actually, the British have asked you to come to a reception at their embassy tonight at seven o'clock."
Castle was amazed at the sudden change in his perceived fortunes.
"I'll certainly attend, sir."
"One more thing. The intelligence we both sent was received by Secretary of State Lansing with great interest. It seems it confirms a great deal of what the State Department was concerned with and provided some new and important information."
"That's due entirely to Miss Beckett's work, sir." Castle said.
"Yes. Yes. Miss Beckett. I do hope that you can continue to work with her."
"That would be entirely up to her, sir." Castle said sharply. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do have a reception to prepare for."
When he got back to Miss Beckett's car, he had had a little time to think.
"You knew who those girls were, didn't you?" he said accusingly.
"I knew who they said they were, but that didn't prove who they were. Of course, Count Oblansky, who met them with his Rolls-Royce was very happy to see them, but that didn't mean that they were who they said they were."
Castle thought about that.
"You're sure you didn't know?"
"Of course, I didn't. There is one thing I do know, however. You've been invited to a reception at the British Embassy at seven tonight."
"How do you know that?"
"Because I've been invited as well. Now, we need to look over your full-dress uniform."
"That'll be difficult. It's with my mother in New York."
"What do you have, then?"
"My best service dress blue uniform back at the ship."
"Then we'll have to have a look at that."
Miss Beckett gave directions to her driver and in minutes they were back at his ship. He managed to brief Lieutenant Richter on what had happened before Miss Beckett dragged him to his cabin. She closely examined his best uniform.
"The trousers seem to have been darned rather sloppily." She noted.
"I caught them on something. My steward at the time made the repairs."
"Well, we can have them rewoven."
"Rewoven? The reception is at seven tonight."
Miss Beckett ignored him.
"This is your best dress shirt? It looks more yellow than white. It'll never do." She gathered up his clothing." Come now, we must hurry."
Her driver roared through the streets of Stockholm and arrived at a discrete tailor's shop in record time. Miss Beckett explained what was needed in Swedish and Castle's uniform was whisked away. Then the proprietor brought out a selection of shirts.
"My God!" Castle said. "These are silk. I can't possibly afford anything like this."
"I'm buying them for you. I will not go to a formal reception with someone dressed like some wandering hobo."
"But Miss Beckett…" Then he caught sight of his uniform coat. "Wait. They're stripping the gold braid off of my uniform."
"Oh, that." Miss Beckett said dismissively." They're merely taking the gold-colored braid off your uniform and replacing it with braid made from gold bullion."
"Miss Beckett…" He began and then stopped. He could hardly go to a reception without a shirt and with no rank insignia. It was too late to stop this now.
The tailor finished Castle's uniform in record time after which Miss Beckett to him to a ladies' beauty shop where he was shaved and given a haircut. At least a half a dozen beauticians gathered around him, giggling and chattering in several languages, none of which Castle knew.
Then they were off to Miss Beckett's home. She and her maid disappeared and an hour later Miss Beckett came out dressed in a formal gown of dark blue.
"You are beautiful, Miss Beckett."
"I thought we were on a first name basis, Rick?"
He blushed.
"You're beautiful, Kate."
"Much better. We have a bit of time before we have to leave. Should we have cocktails?"
Castle would much rather have remained cold sober, but Kate was already mixing up something called a martini.
So fortified, the two left for the British Embassy, arriving just a few minutes before seven. When they entered the ballroom, they were announced.
"Captain Richard Castle, United States Navy, and the Honorable Katherine Houghton Beckett."
"What? The Honorable Miss Beckett?" Castle said. "You're nobility?"
"Oh, my father is a baron, but in the Irish Peerage. It's not like he sits in the House of Lords."
"Your father?" Rick said.
"Didn't you think I had one? He's Baron James Beckett."
Before Castle could properly consider this, he was overwhelmed by two teenaged girls who hugged him, cried and spoke in Russian. It took Castle a few seconds to realize these two very well dressed, bejeweled young ladies were the two he had rescued from Latvia.
An older man, whom Castle now recognized as Count Oblansky came to him. The Count spoke in Russian which Kate translated.
"The count wishes to thank you for rescuing his cousins. After the murder of the Imperial Family last year and the deaths of so many good people murdered by the Bolsheviks, he feared for the worst. He regrets he can no longer recommend you for a Russian medal for your bravery, but he will send several cases of Crimean wine to your ship for you and your officers to enjoy."
Castle was quite embarrassed as he had initially been opposed to taking the girls along. He was even more embarrassed when Duchess Olga told the assembled crowd her version of what had happened. According to her, Castle and his small band of American sailors had fought off a battalion or more of fanatical Bolsheviks.
"I'm afraid Duchess Olga is exaggerating." Castle said, embarrassed by Olga's description of the events.
"Nice to see a nice, humble American hero." Said a voice form behind him.
Castle turned around.
"I'm merely being factual, sir."
The man laughed.
"I'm afraid that in this day and age being factual will be overwhelmed by excitement and bravado in the press. I'm afraid you're a hero, young fellow. You may as well get used to it."
"Captain Castle is unfortunately rather modest." Kate said. "I put everything in perspective in my report. I'm assuming you've seen it, sir?"
"Indeed, I have. The British were kind enough to send me a copy. By the way, Captain Castle, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Judge George Abbott. May I assume you've heard of me?"
Castle was sure every American had heard of Judge Abbott. He was a lifelong friend of President Wilson and one of his closest, if informal, advisers.
"Of course, I've heard of you, sir. Who hasn't?"
"A lot of people in Europe to tell the truth. Actually, that's kind of a help to me. I have no official position, just the ear of President Wilson. A lot of people see no reason not to gossip with some unknown American."
"I suppose that's a help, sir."
"Speaking of help, what you and Miss Beckett have done has caught the eye of President Wilson. He'd like to for you to continue to work together. I've talked to the British Ambassador and radioed Admiral Cowan and they're all for it. Secretary Lansing has cleared it with the British government and the President has told the Navy to put you and your ship on detached duty, reporting directly to the Office of Naval Intelligence with copies to President Wilson. I should ask you if there is any reason you'd have trouble working with Miss Beckett?"
He saw Kate smile at him and smiled back.
"No, sir. I'm perfectly happy working with Miss Beckett."
"Excellent! Excellent. It's all settled then."
Castle, as the hero of the hour had to be introduced to everyone at the reception, but eventually he had time to talk to Kate.
"Did you suggest that we work together?"
"No. Judge Abbott brought it up to me and the ambassador. It seems your country is shockingly short of any sort of intelligence assets, not just in the Baltic region but around the world."
Castle had to agree.
"One other thing, Kate. Your father is a baron? You're part of the nobility?"
Kate laughed.
"My dad, Jim, is a barrister, a lawyer to you Yanks. He works for the Treasury in London. During the war the Government of India presented a bill to the British government for goods and services they'd provided. My father was put in charge of defending the government. He found that the government of India had wrongly interpreted a law and the amount owed went from several hundred million pounds to just over a million. Dad always says that they made him an Irish baron because it was cheaper than raising his salary."
"I had this view of you living in one of those marvelous English country houses, chasing foxes and drinking champagne."
"My parents have a flat in London, I've never chased a fox for fear I'd catch one, but I do drink champagne. Could you get me a glass?"
Castle hurried away and when he came back, he found Kate deep in conversation with a British army officer. He didn't know if he should intrude or not.
The officer caught sight of him, however,
"I say, that's Captain Castle in the flesh. Good show, old boy, snatching those ladies out from under the noses of the Bolshies. Major Reginald Gardener here. I'm on the staff here. I was just talking to Miss Beckett here. We may have something for you two."
Kate took over.
"As you know, Admiral Cowan was called to Estonia to support the Estonian forces facing the Red Russians. There's a big battle brewing and we should go see how things are shaping up. Is the Thomas Ford ready to sail?"
"Any time, Kate."
"I think we should leave now so that we can leave Stockholm at first light. It would be easier if I were to sleep aboard your ship tonight. That way we can leave promptly."
"Um, Kate, we have no…facilities for ladies on the ship."
"There were no facilities for ladies anywhere in the Baltic states where I've been for the past six months. I'll manage."
TBC