Before too long, the news came to the British in St. Augustine that peace was being worked out and that the Spanish and British had agreed to trade the Bahamas for East Florida, thus ending 20 years of British control over the peninsula. While future generations of Florida men and women would likely have preferred that the British maintained their hold over the area, the Spanish were happy to gain a territory back that they had never done very much with aside from the areas of St. Augustine and Pensacola. What the state became to later observers and residents would have deeply confused the Spaniards who had ruled over the territory for so long, and might have amused the British, who had at least managed to retain control of the vast majority of their islands despite being heavily outnumbered for the last few years of the war.

As anyone could have predicted, the British felt a lot happier about the colony swap when they received the news simultaneously that Major Deveaux’s mission was successful and that the Bahamas had not merely been returned in a peace deal, but reconquered by force of arms, and all without cost of life to the British. That the Spanish did not lose any lives was not a problem either, since it allowed for a bloodless victory to confirm that the Bahamas would remain British, and that if there were hostilities between the Spanish and the British that British ships could easily come out of New Providence to harass whatever shipping the Spanish would try to send through the Straits of Florida, as had been done for many generations in the past. What neither the British or the Spaniards understood–and no one could have predicted at the time–was that it was American Southerners and later on retirees from Canada and northern American states, and political refugees from Cuba, that would shape Florida in the most profound ways for the next two centuries and more of its history. The people of the time were, like the people of any time, far better of coping with present realities and assuming that the future would look like the past than they were as prophets of what would happen.

Not everyone was happy with the changes that were promised that ended the short experiment of British rule over Florida.

“I wish we could stay here,” Lady Martin said, a bit wistfully. “And though he is free, I still miss my son. I wonder what he is doing.”

“He might be helping to prepare the way for our arrival,” Lord Martin said.

“What makes you say that?” Lady Martin asked.

“Along with the news that the British were given control of the Bahamas again came an appointment for me as Lieutenant Governor of the colony,” Lord Martin said.

“Does that mean we have to live there?” Lady Martin said.

“It would appear so, at least for a while,” Lord Martin said. “I am no spring chicken, though, so I cannot imagine the appointment will be a very long one. It does mean we will have a nice house and that I will earn a good salary, though. I hope we can find a good place in the Bahamas to make our home, before retirement comes and we return to England.”

“I can always look forward to your retirement,” Lady Martin conceded philosophically.

“I suppose that we could pack up the personal belongings for your son and bring them with us,” Lord Martin said.

“I am sure that Robert would appreciate that a lot,” Lady Martin said. “I wonder why he has never collected his stuff himself and why he did not return back with the messenger who delivered the news of the victory at Nassau, now that he is free and all.”

At this point a young man rushed into the house where Lord and Lady Martin were talking and planning their packing to evacuate the city. “I’m sorry I didn’t deliver it earlier, the young man said, but this message is for Lady Martin.” He bowed and then rushed out of the house.

“It looks like this might be an answer to your questions,” Lord Martin said helpfully when he saw the familiar left-handed scrawl on the paper that served as the letter’s envelope. Indeed, it was. The letter said something like the following:

“Nassau, Bahamas,

My dear mum,

I gather that by the time that this letter finds you, you will be aware of a few things that I will only be able to retail to you after you have already heard them. For one, after being set free in a sort of house arrest by the Spanish, who were far kinder jailers to me than Vice Admiral Maxwell had been, I helped to negotiate the initial ceasefire between the Spanish and the English under Major Deveaux. He said he had enjoyed your hospitality and wished I could have been there to talk with you all, and I heartily wish it as well. The food at the fortress was fine, but the company would have been far better with you all. I hope to be able to see you soon, as from what I hear the majority of those in St. Augustine will be transferring over to Nassau. I know that you have some bad memories of the place, but I hope you will be able to enjoy Freetown, at least, which is some distance from the city and is a smaller and more peaceful place. I am working on a lease that would allow you to serve in the government at a low expense, and without the hustle and bustle of life in the capital. I have stayed in the house and it was a good one. The owner of the house is a young man who served in the British government and it is the finest home in the town. I hope you will get a chance to see it when you come.

I also have received news that Grampa died, and I am to be the next Viscount Lipton. I have not heard the news from England itself, only through Major Deveaux, though I do not know how he heard about it. I am waiting to hear the news confirmed from England before I return, so I do not expect to be spending the future in the Bahamas. I do hope you are able to find a good place for my books. If you bring them with you and find a room for them I would greatly appreciate it. When you arrive in Nassau, I will take you on a tour of where I spent my time here, if you do not think you will be appalled to see the dungeons or my quarters in the citadel. After that, if the business about your house is transacted well, we can leave for Freetown and get you settled in here, at least for a little while. I imagine that there will be some news from home–I am already thinking of Yorkshire as home, you know–and then I will be able to return to the area where we were born. I hope to see you soon.

Love,

Your son, Robert”

Though Lady Martin would have preferred many postings for her husband rather than the Bahamas, it was not bad if they were to have a nice house away from Nassau. It was good to know that Robert was doing well and was trying to work out some logistics to make their lives easier. She decided that it would be good to bring along his books even if he would not be spending much if any time in the Bahamas. At least she or Lord Martin could read the books to while away the boring hours spent in a small town in a young colony missing a great deal of the culture that made cities interesting to live in. She did look forward to being able to visit England again now that peace was on the way, and since it would be less dangerous to travel than it had been for the last few years. The thought that her son would be the Viscount and inherit the glorious Lipton estate was something that pleased her as well, for though she had been born into a mercantile family, it was one which brought no disgrace, at least, to a noble house, seeing that Robert’s father had been a second son lacking in a courtesy title and that she had brought a considerable dowry with her that had been managed well through her own thrifty ways.

Before too long, Lord and Lady Martin were able to pack up their chattel property and bring themselves and their servants to Nassau. Robert met them at the dock, and invited them to stay with him at the Citadel where he was still serving, at least temporarily, as part of the establishment there, it being known that he would soon be serving in the House of Lords. Lord and Lady Martin were not too squeamish to see the whole tour, as Robert took them to the places where the retaking of Nassau had occurred, showed them the governor’s office and was able to introduce his father-in-law to the new British governor of the Bahamas as his second-in-command, which the governor found to be greatly pleasing. Lord and Lady Martin saw the modest quarters that Robert had lived in for the past few months after being set free from the prison and also saw the much less enjoyable quarters where he had been imprisoned for months. Before too long, they were able to sign the lease for the property in Freetown, and then they sailed with their belongings and servants from Nassau to their new home in Freetown, where they were installed in a position of some ceremony, the inhabitants of the town greeting them and wishing them well. It did not take too long for the two of them to make a positive impact on the town through their fondness for gardening and also their simple and decent ways, and their hospitality to the other residents of the city, as well as their reputation for an unobtrusive piety and strong sense of justice.

It did not take too long for the family’s goods to be delivered and furniture and books to be added to the house. For at least a little while, Robert lived with them and helped them conduct their business and also dealt with the settlement of many freedmen in the town, which would soon become a large enough town to be worthy of some significance. He stayed long enough to see that Major Deveaux had been deeded a large estate of his own on Cat Island, where he was to build a very lovely manor house of his own. It was, however, not a long time at all before Robert received the following letter from his business manager, on one of the mail packets from Nassau. It went something like this:

“Lipton House, Yorkshire

Viscount Lipton,

I imagine that you have heard by now that your grandfather has died and that you have inherited his position as Viscount Lipton along with all of his estates. Although I do not know yet where you are, I trust that as you are a person who is well-known in those parts, that the message will be able to get to you in a timely manner. I regret that we have not been able to see you at all for the last two decades. The staff here is somewhat anxious to know what kind of lord and master you will be over the household, not having grown up here or known the house very well, but we trust from the correspondence that we have had with your mother that you are a gracious and mild person and that you will find the house and estate and those who serve it to your satisfaction. We therefore urge you to come at your earliest convenience, trusting that with the return of the Bahamas to the control of the crown that you are once again at liberty to return home and take up your responsibilities.

I wish you to know that during the last few months when I have been taking care of the estate during the last illness of your grandfather as well as the time after his decease, that the estate has not suffered any loss. I trust you will find that nothing has been done that you would not approve of. I do wish, however, for your speedy return so that the estate as well as the annuities and other benefits that the house provides to others as well as the placement of servants may be confirmed. Since there is no one to inherit the house after yourself, and your mother indicates that you are still unmarried, I hope you will not consider it too forward for me to urge that you consider finding an appropriate helpmeet of your own to raise up an heir (and hopefully a spare) for the noble house of which you are a part. I do not wish to give you too much advice, though, without knowing for sure if you will appreciate the counsel I provide.

Your obedient servant.”

Upon the receipt of this letter, the new Viscount Lipton resolved to pack a trunk and make his way to his new home.