Today Pegman took us to Portsmouth, Hampshire, UK. Having never heard of it I zipped over to Google and found the HMS Victory and this gazebo. 149-words later I present Cuthbert-the-Cad.
Cuthbert and I were to be wed within this gazebo. Standing tall in my gold-trimmed dress, breathing in a mixture of wax from one-hundred candles and the scent of seawater, I noted him waving his hat from the deck of the HMS Victory. The jingle of the small silver bells hanging above my head turned to a cacophonious clang.
Surprise overwhelmed me, for although he mentioned Lord Nelson readying the ship for war, Cuthbert never broached the subject of joining the Battle of Trafalgar. My fiance was a physician, not a soldier.
Mother cried when I destroyed my dress. Father stormed when I threw my silk slippers into the sea.
I expected to be grateful upon Cuthbert’s return. Unhurt he swaggered down the plank to whisper, “It was I who thought to preserve Nelson’s body in a barrel of brandy.”
“Pour yourself a toast,” I replied before turning away.
Poor Cuthbert learned the hard way: there are some things you can’t keep from your lady love and not expect to face consequences!
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True dat! Thanks, Joy.
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Sad…. and well
Done on bringing us to the setting – I could smell wax and seawater – almost
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Thanks so much.
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Great to see you Lish!
Oh my word, that Cuthbert really had his priorities messed up. Although the narrator has a temper that is not to be trifled with! The voice was perfect. I could see (and smell) it all!
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Thanks, K. I meant this to be a solemn tale until I read that Nelson’s body had been preserved in brandy for the trip back home. Since I’d already turned Cuthbert into a physician I couldn’t help but have the narrator suggest he now drink that same brandy in a toast. Yuck ~ and all that. Can’t imagine.
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I had to go spit just reading that. Ack!
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Love the rhythm in this piece, Lish.
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Thanks, Josh. Pure goofiness on my part.
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Me thinks she was better of without him.
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She does, too. That’s why she suggested drinking the brandy with a preserved body in it. She’s right up our alley, me thinks. 🙂
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Hey, Lish, this was goofily great. You have now visited my hometown. I hope you liked. That smell of and that toning and frying of the sea is alive in this piece.
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Thanks, Kelvin. Your hometown looks delightful. I’m glad you enjoyed the goofiness in my story. Lish
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