Jack Caldwell...Persuasion Behind the Scenes

JT – Welcome to More Agreeably Engaged. Lucky lady that I am, I get the Cajun Cheesehead, Jack Caldwell, for my stop of the PERSUASION: BEHIND THE SCENES blog tour. Jack comes with guests of his own, so we are all fortunate indeed. I have a few questions for you fine gentleman, but Jack, would you please introduce your guests to me and my Readers before we get started? 

JC – Thank you, Janet. With me today are Captain Timothy Harville, Commander James Benwick, and several of the crew of HMS Laconia: Mr. Stokes, Boatswain, and Ordinary Seamen Radle, Eades, and Lauck.

JT - It is nice to meet you, gentleman. Thank you all for visiting my blog today. First, do any of you know Captain Frederick Wentworth and if so, how long have you known him? 

JC – Captain Harville …?

HARVILLE – It has been my honor to know Frederick Wentworth for nearly half my life—more, perhaps. We were midshipmen together, and I was proud to be his First Lieutenant aboard the Asp when we took the Laconia. James, here, was with us.

BENWICK – Aye, I was, as were Stokes, Radle, Eades, and Lauck.

HARVILLE – Frederick has also been one of my dearest friends. After I married my dear wife, he was more than happy to bring her to me. Now that I’m beached, due to this leg, Frederick has never failed to write or call upon us.

BENWICK – I believe that was the only time Wentworth sailed with a lady aboard.

RADLE – Too right, by God. Women aboard are bad luck.

JT - Would you tell us what you think of him as a sailor, a leader, and as a man? Mr. Radle, you are raising your hand.

RADLE – Thankee, ma’am. I say “Fightin’ Freddie’s” th’ best captain in the fleet, an’ any man that says otherwise ain’t a shipmate o’ mine!

JT – “Fighting Freddie”?

STOKES – Er … it’s the name they call the Cap’n below decks, ma’am. Not to his face, mind.

EADES – Th’ Cap’n—he ain’t scared of anything! When we took th’ Laconia, Wentworth sat the barge, calm as anything. An’ when we climbed aboard an’ he saw that Frenchie—

HARVILLE – Belay that talk, Eades. We have a lady present.

EADES – Sorry, sir. Sorry, ma’am. Didn’t mean no harm.

BENWICK – If I may comment. I would say the Frederick Wentworth is as fine a gentleman as you would ever find. He is brave, clever, fair, and sensible. And his writing! No one writes a better dispatch than Wentworth! I am proud to have served under him.

RADLE – I’ll sail with no one else, an’ neither will Eades or Lauck.

JT – Mr. Lauck, you have yet to comment.

LAUCK – Just Lauck, ma’am if you please. I ain’t—I mean, I’m no gentleman. It’s just as Radle says. The Cap’n ain’t shy in battle, just careful-like. Eades, remember that time in the Med—

JC – Lauck, if you start talking about your adventures, we’ll be here all day.

JT - I would dearly love to hear of some of your adventures at sea. Can you or will you please share some of those with us? I’m sure each of you much have some exciting tales to tell. 

HARVILLE – Well, ma’am, you ought to talk to Mr. Caldwell here. He’s a fair chronicler of our voyages on the dear Asp and the Laconia.

BENWICK – An excellent raconteur, I agree. He truly captures life under sail, whether it be the day-to-day drudgery or the terror of battle. You can verily smell the cannon smoke—

JC – Thank you, Commander Benwick, but we are here to talk of Captain Wentworth, not me.

BENWICK – But sir, it sits ill with me not to earn those ten pounds you slipped me coming in.

JC – Mr. Benwick! Ha ha. Let us just keep that little thing amongst ourselves, shall we?

STOKES – Ten pounds! I got five!

(GROWLING BETWEEN THE SAILORS)

RADLE – An’ we got only a quid tween th’ three of us. There’s a bit of scrubbery for ya.

JT - I have heard something about “scrubs.” Anyone care to enlighten me on that subject?

STOKES – Ask Mr. Caldwell ‘bout that.

JC – Now, now, gentlemen. We’ll speak later.

EADES – We’d better.

HARVILLE – To the subject at hand, a scrub is an unpleasant sort of fellow. He is indolent, underhanded, and rude. He is martinet to his subordinates, insufferable to his comrades, and sycophantic to his superiors.

STOKES – In brief, a pain in the arse! Beggin’ your pardon, ma’am. We had a bad one back in the Med. Matthews, Melbourne … what was his name …?

LAUCK – That’ll be Little Dickie Musgrove.

STOKES – That’s the name! I shouldn’t speak ill o’ the dead, ma’am, but Mr. Musgrove … When the Good Lord made scrubs, he had Mr. Musgrove in mind.

BENWICK – Stokes! For shame, man.

HARVILLE – Oh, come now, James. Would you want a Musgrove aboard your ship?

BENWICK – Of course not, Tim. But all the same—

JC – Well, in case the you are wondering about Richard Musgrove, we’ve included his story in Persuasion: Behind the Scenes, as well as some of the adventures of these fine men. Joining me in telling the story of not only Frederick Wentworth but Miss Anne Elliot are the wonderful Diana Birchall, Marilyn Brant, L.L. Diamond, Maria Grace, Cassandra Grafton, Kara Louise, Susan Mason-Milks, Jane Odiwe, C. Allyn Pierson, Mary Lydon Simonsen, and Shannon Winslow. With a group like that, you can’t go wrong.

EADES – Any o’ them scrubs?

JC – Of course not!

EADES – Well, ya can’t be too careful, scrubberly bein’ catching an’ all that.

JC – I said we’ll speak after the interview.

RADLE – And I’m sharpin’ me knife. Just thought you’d like ta know.

JT – Gentleman, gentleman, please! Mr. Caldwell meant no harm, I’m sure of it! 

(CURIOUS GLANCE TO MR. CALDWELL)

Ahem, on a different topic, is there anything you can tell us of an amusing nature? I realize you are on serious business when at sea, but certainly there must be some diversion aboard. What of it? Do you have a prankster? One that is fun and not a trouble-maker? I would dearly love to hear any fun tales that you might be willing to share.

HARVILLE – Er … well, in the midshipmen’s berth, there were often pranks and such.  Nothing too dangerous—just the youthful exuberance of young gentlemen far from home.

BENWICK – Much the same behavior as in public school, I should say.

JC – From what I have learned of English public school during the period, that is not saying much. I believe our fair interviewer is asking about harmless pranks.

(HARVILLE AND BENWICK LOOK AT EACH OTHER) – We’ve got nothing.

LAUCK – Hey, what about that time we hung Jackson by his ankles from the mainsail yardarm? 

STOKES – Hah! He screamed like a little girl!

JT – Gentlemen, I see that humor aboard ship is a bit … rough for ladies’ ears.

RADLE – And that’s another reason woman shouldn’t be aboard ship! But no worries, ma’am. Laconia will never be a “hen frigate” while Cap’n Wentworth has ‘er, by God! 

EADES – Too right, there, mate.

JT – Umm … Thank you for stopping by and visiting with me today. Jack, thank you for getting these men together and having, or urging, them to chat with me. 

(SMILES MISCHIEVOUSLY AND ARCHES EYEBROW) 

It has been a most enlightening visit. I must agree with your assessment of the group of authors for this story. They are a fine group and it most certainly will not go wrong. 

By the way, Mr. Caldwell, might I suggest you watch out for that knife?

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Jack Caldwell is the author of nine JA-flavored historical novels, including The Three Colonels and Mr. Darcy Came to Dinner. He is one of the contributors to Persuasion: Behind the Scenes and author of the upcoming Persuasion sequel, Persuaded to Sail.

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There are still four more stops on the blog tour. I'm eager to see what else is in store for us, aren't you?

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Wasn't it generous of Jack Caldwell to visit More Agreeably Engaged and bring these enlightening guests along with him? I worry a bit about his conversation with Radle, and I do hope all goes well! 

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