The Amorous Campaign

Posted on Wed Oct 16th, 2024 @ 4:45pm by Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale

Mission: Deep freeze
Location: Matrix
Timeline: One Month after Cat's Out of the Bag

On:
{London, England, 1815}

Life in London was not to Mira’s liking. Certainly there was more to divert one’s attention from their problems, parties and balls, strolls and riding in Hyde Park, the theater. But the increased social interaction meant an increase in the number of gentleman, both young and old, seeking to court her. And her uncle seemed quite satisfied in his role as gatekeeper.

Her aunt's illness had not been serious but her recovery was proceeding slowly. Her doctor had prescribed vigorous activities and plenty of fresh air for his patient which regularly brought Mira into public to escort and assist her aunt. Their daily excursions had been growing in length as her aunt regained her constitution and with the longer excursions brought more attention from the single gentlemen of London’s society.

Her suitors were many and her uncle had been very selective about those that he permitted to woo his niece. Unfortunately, all of those that had met with his approval were wholly unsatisfactory to her. Too old, too fat, too ugly, uncouth, coarse or vile, susceptible to drink or gambling. Mira had no idea what her uncle’s criteria was for determining who was fit to court his niece. Perhaps all men possessed a fatal flaw and it was left to the woman to determine which flaw she could best endure.

Mira drum her fingers on lap as her aunt went on and on about this gentleman and that gentleman. The problem was they weren’t gentlemen. Then were was the incident in her lost communication with her friend.
Every letter she had sent had gone unanswered. Mira couldn’t figure out why until she had entered into her uncle’s office to retrieve her aunt's scarf. There, in a basket on the bookshelf, was all her letters. She had been so beside herself with anger that she could have smacked someone. Taking the last one she had written, she mailed it herself.

{Twinings Teahouse, London}

Taking a sip of her tea. Mira just listened to what her aunt Lela was talking to an older woman who had joined them. Mira had remembered the old woman. Her father had not liked her at all. Why her aunt spend so much time with Ester, Mira couldn’t understand.

Mira wanted to be as far away from where as she could possibly get right now. It truly was all she could do not to cry. A little blond headed boy had run by, and her heart had sped up. Until he had turned and his eyes were brown. Her heart had cracked a little more after that. Too bad Kolar’s father had thought so little of her. She had promised she would stay as long as his father permitted it but he made that impossible.

Ester, the old woman, frowned. “Have you not heard a word I just told you?” She tapped on the table.

Mira eyebrows raised, when had she been included in the discussion?

“I said I found the perfect dress for you. It just arrived from Paris. Green silk, and it leaves the shoulders bare.” Ester told her, “You are going to settle for one of the men chosen for you very soon.” Ester turned back to her aunt. “Men have come from all over and paid a hefty price for the chance to move up in station. It’s a shame she isn’t as exotic as her mother was with those unusual marks.”

Aunt Lela just laughed as she put the tea cup down. “She does, but for some odd reason, she covers them.” Her aunt rolled her eyes.

Ester turned back to look at Mira with interest. “My son is very taken with you. He even went down to that horrible place you were staying at, but a beastly man, turned him away. “

So that was the woman’s last name, Rodriguez. Mira thought, still trying to deal with the shock her aunt just gave away her secret. It took a few moments to realize what Ester had said before that. Her uncle was getting paid by men for the opportunity to marry a lord’s daughter. No wonder all the men were so horrible. Since her uncle had not been able to use her inheritance to clear his debt, he was trying to sell her off.
Now it was her and her inheritance to pay off his gambling debts. The horrid little weasel.

Her brother-in-law was going to kill him. Lord Bastian Eckhart would not take kindly to this disgrace.

{Castle Drury, Two Weeks Earlier}

There was a scream as the newest of Kolar’s governess went running out of the Castle.

Lord Kevin frowned down at his son. He was holding a harmless snake.

“What have you done?” Kevin asked him.

“I made her go way like you did miss Mira. She promised me she would never leave until you made her. You made her go away!.” Kolar nodded folded his arms over his chest and sticking out his chin. “She was perfect and even had my spots. You made her scared and she ran away.” He had heard the servant’s talking about it.

Lord Kevin was irritated by the accusation, more so because there was a kernel of truth to the claim. Had he not been so forward two weeks ago, Miss Rodale would still be there. Yet, he had not forced her to leave. That had been her own choice.

He clasped his hands behind his back and drew himself up. “Mister Lance,” he replied coldly, “I did not dismiss Miss Rodale. She was called away by familial obligation and through either convenience or design has elected to not to return. No amount of bad behavior on your part is going to change that fact.”

The little boy was unmollified. He stared up defiantly at his father. “You made her go away,” he insisted.

Kevin reflected that his son was much more defiant and uncontrollable than before Miss Rodale’s arrival. Previously, a stern talking to with a slight implication of physical punishment was all that was needed to get the boy to behave properly. Now, he was growing resistant to such intimidation. Kevin wondered if it was perhaps time to introduce corporal punishment as a consequence. He wasn’t delighted by the idea but if words were insufficient to bring Kolar to heel then a demonstration of his father’s determination was needed.

But not today. Instead, Kevin dropped to a knee and wrapped Kolar in a great hug. “It hurts me too,” he whispered to the boy.

Kolar’s emotions tripped from anger to anguish at the sudden display from his father. He started to cry as he said, “I want Miss Mira back!”

“I do too, Cub,” Kevin admitted. He had sorely felt her absence this fortnight and nothing had been sufficient to break his feeling of melancholy. He had not even returned to the painting studio since that fateful kiss. “God willing,” Kevin continued, “she will come back to us.”

There was a clearing of a man’s throat and Kevin turned in its direction without releasing Kolar from his grip. “What is it, Haldersen?” he asked without embarrassment.

The butler was holding a silver tray with an envelope in one hand. “A letter from the Admiralty, my Lord.”

{Astley’s Amphitheatre, London, Two Weeks Later}

Mira was seated uncomfortably between her Aunt Lela and Diego Rodriguez at a musical presentation of Italian arias by a noted opera singer. While her acknowledged suitor snoozed lightly through the songs, Mira entertained herself by translating the lyrics. Most of the songs were about love and loss that fit the longing emptiness Mira had been nursing the past month.

During musical interludes with no words to interpret her mind wandered to Kolar, wondering what the boy was doing. Unfortunately, this further lead to thoughts of his father and her unresolved feelings in that quarter. She shook her head to try to clear such thoughts from her mind but whatever she tried to divert herself with inevitably came back around to Lord Kevin.

She was about to excuse herself to get some air when an intermission was announced. Mira braced herself a renewal of Diego’s overbearing attempts to woo her when that gentleman excused himself to find from refreshment. She was more than happy to see him depart but still felt the need to get away from Diego’s mother who could be relied upon to press her son’s prospects while he was away. “Aunt Lela. I would like to ask the performed a question about the lyrics,” she said.

“As you wish, dear,” her aunt replied, “I suppose that there is little mischief that you can get into while you are in sight.”

Mira smiled and headed towards the pianoforte at the front of the room. As she walked, she was forces to navigate through a group of naval officers and their wives. “Your pardon, gentlemen,” she asked graciously. The tallest of the officers turned towards her and she was shocked to see Lord Kevin.

“Miss Rodale!” he exclaimed in surprise, “It is a pleasure to see you.”

Mira was shocked. How by all that holy how was he here? Was Kolar? Her eyes darted around before but did not see him. She returned her attention to Lord Kevin, he looked so handsome and happy. Her confusion grew. Why did he look happy to see her? He said she couldn’t follow the simplest of orders and was an unfit governess. Now he is smiling? What she would have given for a smile from him a few months ago. She gave a lady like curtsy.

“Good evening, Lord Kevin. I hadn’t expected to see you here. How is Kolar?” she asked before she could think better of it. She shouldn’t have asked. As soon as she had, she wanted to put her hand over her mouth to keep the words from leaving.

“He is well,” Kevin replied before and expression of sadness crossed his features, “but he misses you greatly.” Mira looked crestfallen and Kevin curse himself silently. He hadn’t wanted to use Kolar’s emotional state against her, yet here he was, wielding it like a cudgel. “I wonder if I might be so bold as to request he be permitted to wait upon you?”

Mira brighten almost immediately. She would dearly love to see Kolar again. Even if it meant his father would also be in attendance. She was on the verge of accepting when she was interrupted.

“There you are. I have been looking all over for you.” Diego Rodriguez voice had her wincing and her fingertips coming up to her forehead to ease a headache coming on from just being near him. She delicately sniffed the air. The man smelled of alcohol. How many spirits could he have consumed in that short length of time?

“Well, you must have taken a wrong turn at the bar, my lord. I did tell Aunt Lela I was going to talk with the…” but before she could finish what she was going to say, Rodriguez cut her off again

“My fiancé shouldn’t be going off to talk to other men.” Rodriguez told her.

Lord Kevin’s face flushed at the mention of her being affianced.

Mira frowned, turning slightly more toward Rodriguez. He had two drinks in his hand. “I have not accepted your suit, Lord Rodriguez. I am not your fiancé.” The man had been in the carriage when her aunt had gotten into it to come here. Rodriguez said he had volunteered to be their escort. Her aunt had been all too pleased. Mira had not been.

“I hope one of those drinks is not mine because I do not drink.” Mira told him. He had been underfoot for weeks now, and still, he knew nothing about her.”

He looked at the drinks and then shrugged. “Then I’ll drink them both.”

Mira didn’t care what the man did as long as it was away from her. She turned her attention back to Kevin as she warmly said, “I would be most happy for Kolar to visit me.”

“Would tomorrow afternoon be convenient for you, Lady?” Kevin asked.

She would need to arrange things with her aunt but delighted at the idea of being able to spoil Kolar with cake and cookies. She was about to agree when Rodriguez interrupted again.

“Is it really proper for you to meet with this fellow without your uncle’s consent?” he asked pointedly.

“I am afraid that I do not have the pleasure,” Kevin’s tone left little doubt that it was far from that, “of having been introduced to this gentleman. Might I trespass upon your time, Miss Rodale, to do so?”

Mira had really rather not but in so public a setting, she felt compelled by custom and duty. “Baron Longspire,” she intoned formally, “may I present to you Mister Diego Rodriguez, third son to the Senor del Burgos.”

“A Spaniard?” Kevin asked arching an eyebrow.

“Quite.”

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir,” Kevin replied non-noncommittally as he held out his hand.

Rodriguez, a glass in both hands, was unable to return the courtesy. Instead, he mutter a spanish oath and turned away to return to his seat.

Despite not caring one wit about Rodriguez, Mira was embarrassed by his rude behavior toward Lord Kevin. She was desperate to distract him and asked, “What brings you to London?”

“Duty,” Kevin replied, “With the return of Napoleon to Paris and the raising of the Seventh Coalition against him, I have been recalled to naval service as a Commodore.”

Mira nodded slowly. Worried for both him and Kolar. More than likely, he had replaced her already, but still, the boy had her heart…. Probably always would.
She gave Lord Kevin the address to her aunt’s home. Still having mixed feelings about seeing Kolar again. Would he even want to see her? And of course, that would also mean spending time with Kevin. After what he had said about her, why would he even want his son around her. The intermission was over, and she had to return to her seat. “I should return to my aunt. Have a lovely evening.”

"Thank you," Kevin replied, "I looked forward to our meeting." And without further comment he returned to his seat.

Rodriguez was furious by the time Mira took her seat. Her aunt was frowning at her. Mira said nothing by way of explanations. She wasn't going to talk about Kevin or Kolar to either of them. Thank goodness the music started again, and she could put her full concentration into it. The smile that came to her lips wasn't brought on by the music. It was the thought of spending the afternoon with Kolar....and his father. Maybe not the wisest idea she had, but it was something she just couldn't pass up on.

Kevin was wholly distracted through the rest of the performance. Thoughts of spending time with Mira fully occupied his thoughts. Perhaps there was was some optimism that front.

:off

Commander Kevin Lance
Executive Officer
USS Chuck Norris

and

Captain Mira Rodale
CO USS Chuck