The Sea Dog Pub and Scrub sat at the edge of port, welcoming visitors with buoyant laughter and the scent of stale pipe tobacco. My nerves had been tweaking since we left the dockyard, but I tried to hide my anxiety from Jules. An independent woman needed to keep her wits at all times, especially when facing an ornery general who might be her kin.

"Don't worry, Rose. I'll be with you the whole time." Jules offered his support, having read my thoughts perfectly. 

Captain Forsythe nodded in agreement as he ushered us through the pub's weathered door. Suddenly, the noise level died out, which I guessed had to do with me. After a quick survey of the room, I determined I was the only female in the place other than the barmaid. Captain Forsythe made his assessment as well, and I watched his gaze fall on three men sitting around a table. All of them looked as old and battered as the ships moored at the landing, but I guessed the general to be the one occupying an invalid carriage.

"That's him over there. Are you ready to do this?" Captain Forsythe waited for my nod. Of course, there was no turning back now, given that every face had turned our way. When I confirmed my readiness, we proceeded toward them, and the good captain performed introductions.

"General Hayes, I am Captain Daniel Forsythe of the royal navy. My friend here is interested in meeting you." He turned and nudged me forward. "May I introduce Mistress Rosalind Hayes. She is visiting from London with her betrothed, Captain Jules Thompson of the royal navy. There has been some speculation that you and Mistress Hayes may be related."

Throughout the captain's lengthy introduction, the general scowled at me, leaving little doubt that he had, indeed, heard the rumors and believed them to be false. "It is good to meet you, General Hayes. I am sorry to interrupt you and your compatriots, but I felt it would make our lives easier if we managed these speculations before they are pulled out of proportion."

His forehead pinched, although his thin skin and frail bone structure did not allow for much animation. He offered his friends a pointed look, and they politely relinquished their seats to us. Jules held my chair as I sat across from the general, then he pulled his next to mine, allowing Captain Forsythe to flank me on the other side. All of these actions were observed closely by General Hayes, a tactic I felt certain he had employed for most of his career.

He also did not impress me as a talker, which gave me an opportunity to assess his military dress. It was clear he missed generaling, as Anne put it, by the telling signs of his faded jacket and tarnished medals. A well-worn blanket sat across his lap, and he kept his hands wrapped around a half-full pint of brown ale. Although his body had aged to the point of near uselessness, his eyes held a feisty gleam, and that gleam never left my face.

"Well?" he said finally.

"Well, Sir... I am not exactly sure what we might accomplish through this meeting, but I suppose I could begin by telling you my story."

I proceeded to recite the chronological account of my life, leaving nothing of import out; my birth at the foundling home, my charity work, even my tutelage under the most respected courtesan in London. I knew our conversation was far from private, but I had come to put the rumors to rest, and I preferred not to beat around the bush. I finished with my stirring adventure at sea and how Jules and I were reunited.

After a few moments of silence, wherein the entire pub held their breath, the general lifted his mug and drank. Then he returned to scowling. "If you came here to claim the Hayes fortune, let me set you straight. I am not some sickly, old man you can manipulate. And nothing about that story convinces me we have any relation."

"With respect, Sir. I came here knowing nothing of you or your family. I lead a perfectly happy, fulfilling life. I have no reason to seek more."

He snorted. "If you believe your charity work saves you from a life of ill repute, you are mistaken. A whore is the lowest form of charity work. You're lucky this captain saved you by taking you off the streets."

Jules's face hardened, and I imagined him contemplating the fallout from assaulting a retired general in front of his comrades. "General, if I may interject. Mistress Hayes has shared a personal account of her life to appease a town of gossips. The least you can do is keep your grievances to yourself and share something of merit in return."

"Here. Here." The comment came from the bar, and I tensed up when I recognized the man behind the voice. I did not bother turning when I felt the duke's presence beside me. A moment later, the earl appeared and offered me a sly wink. "This woman and her tutor are close personal friends of the House of Norfolk," the duke said.

"As well as the House of Oxford," added the earl.

"In fact, I would go so far as to say I have not met a more intelligent, courageous, and principled female in all my years. If there is any chance your family might have a relation to her, you should be proud to claim her."

You could have heard a pin drop as the duke spoke his mind. After which, the general assessed the formidable group surrounding him. While his comrades had not gone far, they knew they were outranked.

"What do you want me to say? I have not heard from my daughter since she left me and her mother twenty-nine years ago. Not a single missive was written or sent on her behalf. The grief and uncertainty stayed with Millie until the day she died. And now you expect me to reopen old wounds on the chance that Laurel's unborn child sits here before me, a foundling orphan who turned to a life of prostitution to gain the favor of a few officers and noblemen? I am not interested in managing such rubbish."

Without a second look in my direction, he abandoned his ale and signaled to his party with a wave. They rushed over and took charge of his carriage, silently wheeling him out of the pub. To my mind, the meeting had played out the way I envisioned it. Why would a man at his stage of life want to relive something so painful?

"This was a terrible idea," I said. "I should have ignored the rumors and not put that poor man through such pain." I stood and surveyed our audience as they pretended to go about their business. With luck, their morbid curiosity had been satisfied.

Without waiting for an escort, I made my way to the door, listening to the commotion behind me as my friends hurried to follow. After putting a bit of space between myself and the pub, Jules joined me at a small patch of wildflowers, where I watched the river meander by. I imagined life for the townsfolk in Chatham and how much quieter it felt than London. The incident in the pub would likely give them cheap fodder to last throughout the summer.

"How are you, Rose?" Jules asked.

"A little troubled, but I'll be fine."

The three men in our company took up positions nearby, each one feigning interest in the river while Jules and I chatted.

"I know you will. You're a bigger person than that bitter, old curmudgeon."

"Don't blame him, Jules. Many people use anger to cover their pain. Confronting a reality he had long put to rest must have been terribly discomfiting for him."

"Yes, but that is still no reason to treat you so poorly and dismiss you out of hand."

I turned to him, hoping he would read the resolve on my face. "It's fine. And it's over. Let's just go back to enjoying ourselves while I'm here."

Jules offered a withering look. "I don't know how an arse like me earned the affections of an angel like you."

"It would be a shame to keep an angel from spreading her wings." The earl put in his two pence, and the duke punched his arm.

"William and I are staying with Lord and Lady Pembroke until I leave for Scotland," the duke said. "They will not mind if we arrive with a pair of guests for supper and an aperitif. You won't find a finer collection of brandies from here to Canterbury, I assure you."

"Oh, I would like that very much, your grace," I told him. "I have not made Lady Pembroke's acquaintance since leaving the Price household, and I found her to be quite forward thinking. Jules, please say you can get away for the evening."

While Jules would have been happy never to have made the duke or earl's acquaintance, I tried to accept as many invitations from nobility as I could. It was yet another aspect of my independent lifestyle that he would need to adjust to, and with a little prodding, he might enjoy.

Jules politely obliged the offer, and we soon found ourselves in an expensive carriage bound for the Pembroke estate. As promised, the brandy flowed freely, and the company provided lively and thoughtful conversation. Despite Jules's diligence to remain at my side, the earl made several attempts to sequester me away to some private alcove. All of which I eluded without making my avoidance obvious to him or our hosts. Although, I suspected Jules was privy to everything that went on.

Upon our return to Chatham, Jules saw me to my room and left me with a chaste kiss on my gloved hand. He appeared nearly as fatigued as I did, but I suspected he had exhausted himself protecting my person throughout the evening. Conversely, mine stemmed from my inability to forget the encounter with General Hayes. Apparently, I was not as fine as I had claimed.

~ Tuesday May 4, 1813 ~

Morning arrived after a difficult night of restless dreams. Not feeling in the mood to chat, I managed Anne with the excuse that I needed a bit more sleep when she came round with breakfast. She insisted on setting up my tray while I remained beneath the coverlet. All the while, I sensed she wished to speak with me, given the tentative nature of her queries about my wellbeing. If she was looking for forgiveness with regard to the damage her gossip had caused, it would have to come later.

I managed to catch some sleep, and after breakfast I sat down to begin my writing assignment. To my great surprise, the words flowed much easier than I imagined. Perhaps it was my ability to picture Mister Morrisey in the throes of passion, taking my buttocks into his firm hands and my breasts into his mouth, charging forth and wielding his manhood like a knight with his broadsword. His course language added to the image, the descriptions of his pleasure as he worshiped my body, and the manner in which he sated himself through our untempered lovemaking.

When I set down my pen, I had a fully fleshed first draft, along with the strong desire to write a missive to Mister Morrisey telling him how much our relationship meant to me. Of course, a letter of such intimacy would not be appropriate given the circumstances, but the lingering melancholy remained with me through dinner. I nearly failed to notice Rory's presence until I caught him standing at the kitchen door watching me finish a most excellent pudding.

Day long training required that Jules remain at the dockyard until late afternoon. I had promised him I would take care if I chose to investigate the town beyond the port. After the previous day's pub mess however, I was not keen on meeting up with anyone who wished to share their opinion.

Therefore, I chose to return to my room and tighten up the prose on my story. When I felt it had enough polish to serve as a decent submission, I popped it into an envelope addressed to Mister Sheldon Merriweather at the London Chronicle and sent it by royal mail coach.

Having taken care of that business, I was free to attend Jules when he arrived at the inn shortly before supper. Anne served us tea and biscuits while we chatted in front of the dining room fireplace.

"I really must get something off my chest," Jules said as he cradled his teacup. "I have not been able to relieve myself of this burden all day."

"What sort of burden? I am all ears."

"It has to do with the earl and his behavior last evening at the Pembroke estate. I know he wished to corner you alone. And I know you did your best to evade him, but I really cannot abide his behavior. Should we all become bound by marriage, I will need to take affirmative action against this incessant harassment of you."

"Surely, his harassment will cease should you and I become a married couple."

"Hah. I have yet to meet a nobleman who treats marriage as the sacred accord it is. You should be well aware of this fact."

While I did not appreciate his pious tone, he undoubtedly spoke the truth. "Of course, I am aware of it, but that does not mean a nobleman cannot find his manners when there is mutual respect between the parties. I believe the earl respects me. And, therefore, if any affirmative action needs to be taken on your part, I would like to be involved."

As Jules mulled over my request, the most inopportune thing happened. The inn door opened, and the earl waltzed inside.