Free The Little Ships (Alexis Carew Book 3) by J.A. Sutherland

thought through the implications his absence will have on his inheritance.” She caught her lip between her teeth. “Do you suppose we can find some way to send him home when we reach the French capital?”
    Euell blinked as though shocked and shook his head. “No, that’s simply not possible. Firstly, it’s three months travel, at best, to his home, but more difficult is that he’s in the Navy now. With the war on, he can’t just resign — oh, they’d allow it, I suppose, but how would it look? A young gentleman resigns in the midst of war? There’d be talk of cowardice being the reason. A judgment which would follow him in all he tries to do.”
    Alexis nodded, her hopes for Artley falling. Such a thing would indeed follow him, and haunt him. Possibly not if he were to gain his own shop back, but certainly if he ever wanted to do something else with his life, such as university or a position in government.
    “And more troubling,” Euell went on, “what happens to him should he return home?”
    “Sir?”
    “Well, Carew, if this man was willing to send him away once, and into the midst of a war at that, he’ll certainly do so again, and possibly to someplace worse.”
    Alexis stopped herself from asking what could possibly be worse than the Navy for a lad such as Artley, but the question must have shown on her face.
    “If this truly was some plot to get the boy out of the way so that this man might somehow steal his inheritance, then it’s a cold fellow we’re dealing with. To send the lad aboard ship in time of war, there had to have been some hope that he’d never return.” Euell paused to let that sink in. “Thwarted in that, might he not turn to some plan with a more certain outcome?”
    “Do you think he’d do the boy harm?”
    “He wouldn’t have to, not directly at least. There are any number of schools an unwanted lad might be sent away to, some of them quite harsh. And some, I’m sure, where a hope may be made a certainty if the proper sum is paid.”
    Alexis’ shock must have shown on her face for Euell nodded confirmation.
    “Oh, they exist, I assure you. For all most schooling is best done through a tablet and proper learning core, there are still some who prefer a more traditional means. And where there’s coin to be had for a vile deed, you’ll find men willing to get at it. All of which is moot, for we’ve no way of getting the lad out of the Navy without harming him in the first place, and no safe way to send him home in the second. No, the lad’s stuck and we’re stuck with him.” He sighed. “Would you like me to transfer him to another division? Hollingshed’s, perhaps?”
    “No, sir,” Alexis said immediately. “I suspect he’d find that more of a rejection and there’d be harm from it.” She frowned. “If our speculations are correct, sir, then I assume the stepfather will have provided him no funds, nothing on the ship’s account? To purchase a new vacsuit, I mean — a proper one.”
    Euell shook his head. “I don’t recall that he came aboard with anything but the most basic kit.” He sighed. “Damn me, but it was a hectic time and I wish I’d paid more attention to the lad.”
    Alexis nodded. She felt much the same.
    “I’ll speak to Mister Grummer, sir? About the suit?” Shrewsbury’s carpenter would be able to cut down a spare spacer’s vacsuit, one of the suits the ship carried for the crew, for Artley to use in the meantime, but those suits had all seen long, hard wear.
    “Yes,” Euell said, “he’ll need something better until we get to Nouvelle Paris , at least.” He frowned, brow furrowed. “And well past Nouvelle Paris , come to that. I doubt there’ll be a solution for our Mister Artley other than for him to make the best of a bad berth. He wouldn’t be the first officer for whom the Navy wasn’t a first choice.”

Chapter 11
    S hadows closed in on her from every side. Dark, flowing masses, reminiscent of the darkspace clouds