Chapter 10 #2
“I read somewhere that naval vessels are usually known by a series of letters and numbers before they are named and christened by the Queen.”
It was a bit of a stretch of the truth, actually more than just a bit. However, I left it at that. Let him think whatever he would.
“As for the facility at Gosport, there was no restriction, and no one was about to inform us that we were not allowed to enter.” True as far as it went.
“So, I am to believe that you put together these vague clues and assumptions, then took yourselves to Portsmouth to determine what else might be learned in the matter of Mr. Burke’s death?”
Brodie said nothing. I smiled.
“Do you take me for a fool? Am I to believe that the both of you possess such superior intelligence that you are able to discern something from scattered bits of information?”
I was tempted to respond to that, but did not.
“Mr. Brodie, Lady Forsythe, you are the beneficiaries of certain persons in very high places.”
I exchanged a glance with Brodie as Sir Avery threw down his ink pen in obvious frustration. Then picked up the flared end of a speaking tube on his desk, attached to a long copper line that connected through the wall to some distant point.
“Alex Sinclair,” a voice responded, garbled yet recognizable.
“Send in Admiral Williams.” Sir Avery tossed down the tube as I looked over at Brodie.
There as a faint sound from the hallway outside, and the door abruptly opened. The gentleman who had escorted us from Portsmouth, along with a sufficiently armed guard, entered the office.
“Please be seated, Admiral,” our host greeted him, then stood and rounded the desk. He shook his head as if deeply aggrieved.
“I have received specific instructions from His Royal Highness that all pending charges against Mr. Brodie and Lady Mikaela Forsythe are to be dismissed. They are further to be provided every accommodation in the pursuit of their inquiry into the death of Theodolphus Burke. Along with full cooperation by this agency until the matter is resolved.”
When the admiral would have objected, Sir Avery shook his head.
“Sir, I have my instructions. You, of course, may refuse to cooperate, in which case I suggest that you take your objections through proper channels and to HRH the Prince of Wales.”
“You have my full cooperation,” Admiral Williams replied, his expression quite taut.
“Now, Mr. Brodie,” Sir Avery turned to him. “How may we assist you in this?”
I caught the change in the expression on Brodie’s face, the frown that appeared. The slight against myself was not lost on him, that less than subtle omission that both of us were involved in this new case.
“Lady Forsythe has made an observation from our visit to Portsmouth that would seem to be important.”
“What would that be?” Sir Avery replied.
“She might be able to better explain.”
“By all means, Lady Forsythe,” Admiral Williams stiffly replied, obviously less than keen to indulge a woman. Not the first time I had encountered that, and undoubtedly not the last. However...
I retrieved the notebook from my bag and opened to a blank page. I then took out my pen and began to draw as I explained.
“I was quite young when I first saw the illustration in a book by Jules Verne in Lady Antonia Montgomery’s library. It was written in French, and it took me some time to get through it. But most fascinating.” I added more details to the drawing as I remembered it.
“The illustrations were by an artist, Alphonse de Neuville, and absolutely fascinating. You may be familiar with it?” I looked up and caught the change of expression on the admiral’s face.
“Even though the book was published over twenty years ago, the author did have a spirit for adventure and a fascinating imagination.” I added a finishing touch, then passed my notebook to Admiral Williams.
“It would seem, sir, that the Royal Navy is in the process of building a submarine.”
He stared down at my admittedly somewhat crude illustration, drawn from memory because of my fascination with the book. He eventually looked up and handed the notebook to Sir Avery.
“You are very observant, Lady Forsythe,” he eventually commented. He did not deny what Brodie and I had seen. There was another look exchanged with Sir Avery, who nodded as I retrieved my notebook and tucked it into my bag.
“The project was begun two years ago after much discussion with the Prince of Wales and others, in response to growing challenges to our colonies in the Far East and the Mediterranean.”
He appeared to measure what more he would tell us.
“With certain innovations and developments in steam-driven engines, it had become quite clear that the days of Her Majesty’s sailing ships were limited.
In addition, recent confrontations supported that, and it was determined that the Royal Navy needed to pursue advancements in our ability to address those confrontations.
“It was an undertaking of the Prince of Wales, with Her Majesty’s approval, to begin a transition to the new technologies, and specifically included the development of an underwater vessel with the ability to navigate areas unseen. B-10 is being built for that purpose.”
“Ye made the comment that our inquiry case has intersected with that of the Agency,” Brodie reminded Sir Avery.
“The goal for the construction of B-10 was to keep the project secret. There are those in other places who would be very keen to know about the project,” Sir Avery explained.
“You are familiar with Mr. Sinclair’s work,” he pointed out. “He has learned that there has been conversation in foreign places with information about B-10.”
“Every precaution has been taken to make certain that no information has been divulged,” Admiral William added. “Those working on B-10 have been thoroughly scrutinized.”
“Yet, you had knowledge of B-10 through your investigation into Mr. Burke’s murder.”
“Do ye have yer suspicions regarding the person who may be responsible for that information being known?” Brodie inquired.
Another look passed between the admiral and Sir Avery.
“There is someone who has been part of the planning and development of B-10 from the beginning. This person would have specific knowledge and access to all aspects of the project.” Sir Avery hesitated, then continued.
“This person is integral to the development of B-10 and highly regarded.”
He hesitated once again. “He is also a cousin to Her Majesty. It is highly unlikely, but must be considered, that the information he has may have been compromised. It is to that end that we have been making our own inquiries. I am certain that you understand the delicate nature of the situation.”
A most delicate situation indeed.
“If we are to provide assistance, I must ask that ye provide us with all information that ye have.”
“You do understand the serious nature of this, Mr. Brodie? You have stumbled into something that could have serious ramifications.”
“It would seem that it is past the time for that concern,” Brodie then told him, “I will expect the information first thing in the morning. If ye decide against it, then we will continue with our own inquiries.”
“You are leaving?”
Brodie’s hand closed around my arm.
“Unless we are being further detained. In that case I will ask for Sir Laughton to return.”
“That won’t be necessary. I will see that you have all the information that we have. I will send Mr. Sinclair.”
We encountered Alex Sinclair in the hallway as we left.
“I apologize. I was not aware what Sir Avery was about. If I had known, I would have tried to warn you, even though there are things I could not tell you about.”
I did appreciate it, even though it would have been impossible to warn us after we left for Portsmouth.
“We will be working together,” Brodie shared with him. “We will see you in the morning.”
A coach and driver were provided for us. We sat together as we departed for the ride to the Strand.
In spite of his bruises and broken ribs, Brodie pulled me against his side and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
“You were quite magnificent,” I told him as we set off.
It was well after midnight, and I was exhausted from the day’s ‘adventures.’ There was nothing quite like being surrounded by several armed men of the Royal Navy, shackled, then taken aboard a return train to London, and all but accused of conspiracy, and whatever else Sir Avery might have considered.
“Do you trust him?” I asked as I rested my head on his shoulder.
I was fairly certain I already knew the answer from past experience with the man. There were only a few Brodie trusted, hard lessons learned in the past.
“I trust the word of His Highness,” he replied. “Sir Avery will not go against him.” His hand was warm as he took mine.
“And I trust ye. Although I must admit that fer a moment there when the Admiral spoke to ye as he did, I thought it was a good thing that he was sitting in the chair. If he’d been standing, ye might have dropped him to the floor with one of yer moves.”
“I did take that into consideration,” I replied.
“I thought as much. But then when ye explained yer observations and wot ye had read in a book, he knew that he’d been taken down a peg.”
“I was not trying to take him down a peg...well, I had perhaps considered it. He was quite pompous and full of himself.”
“And offended yer womanly intellect.”
He was right of course. It did seem that the ladies had a long way to go before our ideas, opinions, and experiences would be accepted on the same level as a man’s. We just needed to help that along whenever we could.
“And now?” Brodie inquired.
“It is not my womanly intellect that is offended, it’s my appetite. I’m starving.”
There was only a marginal comment from Brodie as we returned to the Strand and then promptly entered the Public House across from the office.
The fare of the evening was stewed chicken with vegetables and dumplings.
Brodie started to make a comment about that fourth dumpling, but I gave him a warning look.
The problem with stewed chicken and dumplings was that I could hardly keep my eyes open as we returned to the office.
Mr. Cavendish greeted us, and Brodie informed him that Alex Sinclair would be meeting with us in the morning.
He then joined me in the lift and escorted me into the office.
I reminded him that there were notes I needed to make.
“In the morning, lass,” he said as he laid my clothes aside, then his own as well and joined me.
Next to Brodie, chicken and dumplings were really quite marvelous. Not that he would have appreciated the comparison.