Thad came to an abrupt halt. Cochrane and Ross had reached the steps of Mount Wyndham, and he would give them plenty of time to settle inside. Slamming his hands onto his hips, he glared down at the lieutenant. “You think I intend to share my ideas with you? A lowly aide?”
Ah, there it was, the sizzle of dislike in his eyes. “I am a lowly aide because Admiral Cochrane trusts me, sir. He trusts me to keep the charlatans out of his company so he can attend to important matters.”
“Charlatan?” Blustering with the presumed outrage, Thad reached for the pistol at his hip.
Michaels, thankfully, knew his role well. He jumped to his side and stayed his hand. “Now, Captain.” He somehow managed to make his tone both panicked and placating. “Calm down, sir. You remember what happened last time you called out a fella. We haven’t been able to step foot in St. Lucia since.”
Thad sniffed and made a show of lowering his arm. He wasn’t sure if the lieutenant looked more relieved or disappointed.
“There now.” Michaels gave his arm a pat and motioned toward their companion. “Why not give this gent an idea of our business so he can present it to them?”
He grunted and pursed his lips. Then let out a gust of breath and leaned toward the lieutenant. “Tobacco.”
After a momentary pause, the lieutenant shook his head and walked again toward the house.
Thad took two large steps to put himself beside the officer again. “I am sure they will want to speak with me right away.”
The glance he received bordered on weary. “With all due respect, sir, tobacco has nothing to do with the campaign. Now, if you are interested in buying a commission and—”
“A commission? What good would one more soldier do?” Thad waved that idea away. “Better to affect the morale of them all than add one more body to the mix. Though granted, I am a crack shot and a natural-born leader.”
’Twas all he could do not to echo the lieutenant’s snort of mocking laughter. He could handle a weapon as well as most, but Mother and Amelia both put him to shame.
Which was neither here nor there. “Tobacco, my good man, is as crucial to our soldiers as gin. Provide good tobacco, and you provide an escape from the perils of war for a blissful five minutes at a time. With my suppliers, I can guarantee enough of the finest tobacco for the entire army.”
The lieutenant sighed. “The army has tobacco enough, Captain.”
“Enough perhaps, but good enough? Do our chaps not deserve the best?”
The veranda loomed a mere stone’s throw away, close enough that Thad could get a gauge of it and calculate the best approach to his plan. The stairs were always an option, but trickier to handle. The door, though, if low enough…which it was. With a silent apology to his forehead, he clapped a hand to the officer’s shoulder. “I do appreciate your willingness to vouch for me, Lieutenant. I shall be sure to put in a good word for you. Now I shall show myself in.”
“No! Sir, you must wait in the receiving room.”
Thad bounded up the stairs, onto the wooden decking, and toward the door. And he winced well before allowing his head to make contact with the lintel. The thwak of collision brought Michaels rushing up to support him.
The officer didn’t hurry in the least.
Thad pressed a hand to his forehead, which protested despite his apology to it. Once the lieutenant passed him, he blinked rapidly, careful to keep his eyes unfocused. “I think…I think I shall await the admiral out here, Lieutenant.”
“You do that, sir.”
A moment later the door shut behind the blazing red coat. Thad stumbled along the veranda—in case anyone watched—until he rounded a corner. Then he went silent, easing from open window to open window until he heard the voices he sought.
“Ah, there you are, Lieutenant Grey. Who was that who detained you?” Admiral Cochrane’s voice. Thad had heard him speaking yesterday in town.
He caught Michaels’s gaze and grinned.
The sound of a clearing throat floated through the window. “No one of import, Admiral. I dismissed him.”
Ah, so he intended to leave Thad waiting indefinitely. Not the most active offense, but it had a certain charm.
“Very well. Cigar?”
“Ah. No. No, thank you, sir.”
Shuffling sounds floated out, and idle chatter. Thad noted everything they said, though none of it struck him as more than gossip. After five minutes or so, he heard the opening of the front door again, and those in the room all seemed to rise.
“General Gosselin, Admiral Codrington, how good to see you again. You remember General Ross, I assume?”
Gosselin. Thad closed his eyes as he slowly ticked down his mental list of officers. That would be major general, and for longer than Ross had owned the title, which meant he was the higher in rank. And Codrington—Rear Admiral Sir Edward Codrington, the captain of the fleet. Esteemed company.