Chapter 74: Trouble Comes To Roost Part 1

After months at sea, the Kestrel returned to port in Anglia. They'd picked up Henrichs on the way home. The purser had fallen for a tavern keeper's widow and stayed behind. Henrichs refused to resume command, grinning wickedly as she talked with the Commander on deck. Cal pushed away her irritation and did what she had to.
"I will be taking extended shore leave while the Kestrel is being refitted. Joliu wants to tinker with the coal feeder. Thinks we need a better crusher to handle all the different qualities of coal. If it isn't too much for you, keep an eye on him. I don't want to need a bigger ship to hold the engine."
"Aye, Ma'am." Henrichs snapped to attention, her eyes glinting with humour.
Cal glared at her. "I will return as First Mate, or not at all."
"Cal, you can't go backwards. Trust me. Hire a First Mate with lots of experience you can trust. There's no reason they have to be younger than you." Henrichs coughed and went pale. "I'm not sure I'll be going back to sea. That fever stole something from me and I'm not young anymore."
"Then you'd better be on the lookout for suitable Mates."
"Aye, Ma'am." Henrichs enveloped Cal in a hug. "You did a damn good job, Cal. Don't let anyone tell you different."
Cal hoisted her belongings, leaving Henrichs with the Kestrel. She looked back, the old girl tugging at her heart. Maybe Henrichs was right.
She caught a train into the city. Outside the window, the trees passing by were just budding into green.
The taxi dropped her off at the gate of the home she shared with her father.
"Hello, Hans." Cal stuck her head into the stable. "How's the new engine running?"
"How did you know we had a new engine?" Hans pushed his hair back with a greasy hand. "It's supposed to be more efficient, but I don't know."
"I'll come to have a look at it after I've said hello to Father."
Hans looked like he wanted to say something, but nodded instead.
Cal walked into the house and carried her gear up to her room where she washed up quickly and changed into what she thought of as her civilian clothes. She found her father in his office surrounded by ledgers and drawings.
"How's the memoir coming?" Cal asked and gave her father a kiss on the cheek. He looked up at her, worry clouding his face for a moment before he smiled.
"I continue to be amazed I survived to be an old man." Sir Shillingsworth pushed a journal aside. "I took some terrifying risks in my youth." He waved for Cal to sit. "I can't tell you how helpful it is to have your drawings to remind me of things. Memory changes in a way paper and pencil do not." He pushed a paper over to her. "This is your earliest drawing of my work that I could find."
"I remember this," Cal looked at the careful picture of a skull with predator's teeth in a perpetual snarl. "I snuck into the room and drew this. I was bored with flowers and fruit. You were furious, but the next day you asked me to do more, and I never stopped."
"So tell me, what kind of art were you able to do as a First Mate?"
"Actually, I was Captain for most of the voyage. Henrichs stayed ashore with a fever."
"Yes, I remember now, you mentioned something about it in a letter," her father put a hand to his head as if he was in pain.
"Are you all right, Father?" Cal's heart ached.
"Just tired, Cal." He smiled at her. "Let the old man see what you did while you were away."
Cal brought out a sketchbook and they spent the time until Beth called them for supper talking about her drawings and the voyage.
***
"Lord Carroway sends his compliments and asks you to come to a gathering at his estate. He's delighted you've returned." Sir Shillingsworth passed Cal the letter over breakfast.
"Will Pentam be there?"
"He and Crysabel are away at her father's estate. She's expecting and her mother wants her close by. Pentam is using the time to work on his thesis."
"He's finally going to do it, is he?" Cal put the letter down, enjoying the feel of the quality paper between her fingers. If only she could afford to draw on such fine material.
"Yes, he'll be Dr. Booksdale before the year is out. Even Gostan has given up and admitted the boy is brilliant."
"That's wonderful. Maybe I'll have time to make a trip out to see them." Cal stood and picked up Lord Carroway's letter. "I'll let Lord Carroway know I'll be attending his gathering."
"Gathering? Oh, yes, of course." Sir Shillingsworth got up. "I'll be working in my study."
Cal watched him limp away, a crease of worry on her brow. She scribbled a response to Lord Carroway, then took it out to Hans.
"Please deliver it this morning."
Hans nodded and started the fire on the one steam carriage that wasn't in pieces all over the stable.
She poked through the remaining parts, imagining how they'd go together. They were a trade-off. Less coal to heat the water, but a shorter range since the water tank was smaller. She saw some interesting ways the maker had used to seal the pistons better so not as much steam was used. It did make the engine more complicated and likely to break down so it wouldn't work on the Kestrel. She needed an engine which worked under all conditions; losing some efficiency was a small price to pay to know they'd always have power.