The glasses came up as one and the voices rumbled the reply, “And confusion to our enemies!”

The admiral called to his captain, “Time we were going, Cope!”

Bolitho followed him to the upper-deck, only half listening to the scamper of feet and the hurried creak of oars alongside. It was over. The admiral would never admit a mistake, but Bolitho knew that the worst was behind him. Phalarope was free of disgrace at last.

He lifted his hat as the admiral crossed to the port and waited until he had vanished to the waiting barge. Then he clamped on his hat and began to pace the deserted quarterdeck, his hands clasped behind him.

The admiral had also made it plain in his own way that if the ship was free of disgrace it was up to her captain to keep her so.

He looked at the riding lights dancing across the water and listened to the plaintive scrape of a violin and the accompanying sadness of an old shanty. If the men could still sing there was hope for all of them, he thought.

13

DANGER FROM WITHIN

THE PIPES shrilled in salute as Richard Bolitho stepped through the ornate entry port and on to the Formidable’s wide deck. Automatically he doffed his hat to the quarterdeck, and as he returned the greeting of the flagship’s officer of the watch he allowed his eyes to move swiftly up and around him, taking in the busy activity, the seemingly endless deck space and the long lines of gleaming guns.

An impeccable midshipman in white gloves crossed the deck at a trot, and under the beady eye of the duty officer led Bolitho aft towards the great stern cabin, to which every available captain had been summoned at an hour’s notice.

Bolitho had been toying with his lonely breakfast, pondering on the previous night’s strange dinner party and Sir Robert Napier’s persistent questions, when Maynard had hurried into his cabin with news of the signal. As he had hurriedly changed into his best uniform Bolitho had wondered why Sir Robert had not mentioned this meeting with the Commander-in-Chief. He must have known about it. As Bolitho had stared unseeingly at his reflection in the bulkhead mirror he had wondered if Sir Robert was making just one more private test. He probably kept his glass trained on the Phalarope’s deck from the moment Formidable had hoisted her general signal.

He almost cannoned into the midshipman and realised that they had reached the great cabin. The youngster called, “Captain Richard Bolitho of the Phalarope!”

But only those officers standing near the door took any notice, and soon returned to their own busy conversation. For that Bolitho was grateful. He made his way to one corner of the cabin, and as one messman took his hat another placed a tall glass of sherry in his hand. Neither spoke a word, and Bolitho guessed that it was no easy matter to remain calm and unruffled when serving the Commander-in-Chief.