Page 49 of The Scandal of the Deceived Duchess
“I’ll drink to that,” retorted Cockburn, inclining his head a notch. After he drank, he answered the question plaguing Jonathan’s mind. “Not to worry, your men will be well taken care of. Your second in command gave one of my officers his word earlier that he and your men will not attempt an escape while they are sharing our hospitality.” He cleared his throat. “After tonight, and if you are well enough, you will be free to leave on the morrow.”
“That is most gracious of you.”
“Of course, it is a dangerous decision to let men such as you go free. God only knows what havoc you will cause should we face one another again in battle,” said Cockburn, smiling wanly.
“We all do our duty to our country; it is all an honorable man can do,” said Jonathan, taking another sip of the excellent vintage.
“Well said, sir. We in the Navy, following in the footsteps of the great Lord Nelson, always say ‘thank God I have done my duty.’”
“He was a great man and the most able seaman that ever lived,” said Jonathan, meaning it. He admired the admiral that had defeated the French on so many occasions and often against great odds.
Cockburn arched his eyebrows. “You must have seen some action other than your command of the flotilla in the Chesapeake?”
“Yes, I did. I used to command theTriton, a frigate off the American coast and in the Caribbean Sea.”
“Ah, I knew it. You are Black Joe.” Cockburn laughed throatily. “Your reputation precedes you. We should have impressed you into the Royal Navy, but then I doubt we would have ever captured you on the high seas. Your exploits are well renowned among his majesty’s navy and we could have done well with a man of your talents.”
“I am loyal to the United States of America, sir,” responded Jonathan.
“Indeed, you are, sir. And your country is lucky to have you.” Rear Admiral Cockburn motioned for his servant to come to the desk. He asked him for more wine and that he serve the evening meal. “You will, of course, partake in a small bite to eat with me, sir?”
Jonathan nodded. “I would be delighted to share my supper with a fellow seaman.”
“Excellent! We have obtained some fine vittles from President’s House. If I am not mistaken, we shall be having beef this evening.” Cockburn sipped his wine thoughtfully. “Are you a married man, sir?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No, sir. I have not had such luck,” said Jonathan. Answering the question, he thought of Amelia. What would she be doing? Instinctively, he knew that she was back with her betrothed. He worried that she might be married already. The notion made him slightly nauseous. He would do anything to get her back and hold her in his arms again. The happiness they shared had been far too brief. The pain in his thigh was nothing in comparison to the agony he felt in his heart.
“But you have a woman?” asked Cockburn, reading the man sitting across from him perfectly.
“Yes, I do. Or at least I had a woman.”
Cockburn frowned. “Oh, I didn’t mean to pry, sir.”
“It’s all right. She is English…” At that moment, Jonathan wanted nothing more than to open up to the English naval admiral. It just felt right to tell him about the woman he loved. He had bottled up his emotions for so long since Amelia had been taken from him that it hurt inside. The pain he felt incurred by the loss of the woman he loved astounded Jonathan. He was certain that it was a state worse than an agonizing death.
“English, is she?” Cockburn pleated his brow. “How did you come to meet her?” He chuckled deeply. “Abduct her, did you?”
Jonathan looked at his counterpart thoughtfully. “As a matter of fact, I did. When I was still captain of theTriton, I took a British ship bound for Canada. The woman to whom I have given my heart was on board.”
“Now, that sounds like a veritable love story.” Cockburn thanked the servant as he placed their food in front of them. “Nothing like an English woman to make a man’s heart beat faster.” He indicated with his head that they start eating. “So, what happened? You said before that you had a woman. Where is she now?” he asked, after he swallowed his first bite of beef.
“She is back in England with her betrothed,” said Jonathan, feeling the earlier pain resurface.
“That is bad luck, old boy. How did that come about?”
“I sent her on her way to Canada so that she could be reunited with her family. Only I realized what she meant to me – I could not let her leave – I followed her. But by the time I got to her close to the border, it was too late. The English captured her and her lady’s maid and that was the last I saw of her. She is back in England now. And most probably married to the son of a duke.”
“You truly are an honorable man. You did the right thing, but it pains you that you didn’t act less gentlemanly. That is a most awful position to be in, sir.” Cockburn popped some more food into his mouth and chewed in silence. He took a sip of wine. “What’s the gentleman’s name?”
“Lord Templeton French,” said Jonathan, almost spitting the words from his mouth.
Cockburn whistled. “And the lady’s?”
“Amelia Carlyle.”
Cockburn whistled again. “Their union was the talk of London when I was last there. The son of the Duke of Brandon getting married had everyone talking in the city.”
“You know the man?” asked Jonathan, looking up from his plate.
