Amsterdam Harbor
March 21, 1761
"I have found us passage on a merchant ship bound for Cork. I hope ye will be having no regrets in leaving the continent behind," Chris said.
"None Chris, there's no going back to France ye ken. Ye do have a way of burning yer bridges mon," Buck chuckled.
"Lt. General, the Marquis de Castries takes himself entirely too serious," Chris muttered sheepishly. "We only took our back wages. Shameful the way he set the hounds upon us."
"I'm thinking it had not to do with . . . liberating our wages," Buck chuckled ruefully. "Twas insult to injury that had him up in arms. Ye shouldn't have taken his boots, Christopher."
"I had worn through the soles of me own. I'm certain he'd several pairs in amongst all that baggage." Chris smirked.
"Tis the principal of the thing ye mad Irishmon," Buck sniffed, then chuckled.
Vliegende Draeck
Flying Dragon
A Dutch Merchant Ship
"Twill be trouble, mark me words, Christopher Larabee." Buck Wilmington muttered as he studied the foppish man and his entourage boarding the ship. At seventeen Buck was all weedy height and coltish limbs growing too fast for all the parts to keep up.
Chris shrugged. "Lord of the English realm or not he'll have no power aboard a Dutch vessel," Larabee responded.
"Tis not his rank I'm concerned with it's yon bit of muslin flouncing behind him will be dangerous." Buck scowled.
"Such talk of the colleens is not yer way Buck. She's nay but a child, not more than twelve I'm thinking." Chris studied his companion in confusion.
"That one is no child, keep watching," Buck grunted. Ah Chris yer such an innocent still. That little vixen is knowing full well what she's about. "Many a maid has been wed and bred by twelve," Buck reminded.
The dark haired girl 'stumbled' upon stepping off the boarding plank and fell against one of the ship's officers.
"Already plying her wiles," Buck chuckled faintly. "Glad I am this will not be a lengthy voyage."
The girl seemed to apologize prettily and stepped back. Chris frowned as he tried to place what seemed 'wrong' about the situation. Buck has me looking for something is all . . . tis not like Buck to dislike any woman much less a girl child.
"So innocent rubbing 'gainst him like a wee cat begging ta be petted," Buck chuckled knowingly.
Larabee studied the girl for a long moment. Too innocent to realize how a man might take such a thing. Chris frowned when the girl's smile disappeared and an innocent look replaced it in time for her to answer her father's gaze. Well, Well perhaps not so innocent as it might appear.
"More dangerous in a few years, but dangerous enough now with her wanting more of a man than is seemly for a maiden," Buck noted seriously.
"She simply flirts," Chris answered. "She's just a babe."
"Old enough to get a man killed with her games," Buck warned coldly.
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First night aboard
At the Captain's Table
Lord Gaines sniffed derisively and curled his lip as if offended by a foul odor. "Bog Irish."
"Nay, simply a poor highland Scot seeking his fortune after being driven from his home," Buck grinned widely, exhibiting his perfect white teeth. The scar creasing his cheek lent a rakish look to the handsome face.
"Wilmington," Chris growled.
"He has no respect for his betters," Lord Richard huffed.
"I ha'e never found a mon to be his better," Chris answered making certain that the Irish in his own accent was plainly heard.
"This is a Dutch ship, there will be peace at mine table lest I confine all to cabins," Capt. Van de Meer thundered putting an end to the bickering.
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A few nights later
"It made fer a more peaceful meal with the lass being laid low due to Mal-de-mer," Buck sighed in relief.
The pair made their way below deck heading for their cabin.
"I'm beginning to feel like a fox being hunted by the hounds," Chris growled. "I'll be having to spend me days in the rigging to be out of her clutches."
"Lads you will be joining Mister Booth and me for a few hands of Whist," Mistress Booth, another of the travelers aboard greeted the pair. Clamping hard fingers on Buck's earlobe she tugged him toward their cabin.
"It's thanking ye for the invitation we are Mistress Booth but tis late and we're for bed," Buck smiled winningly.
"Best you sleep on our cabin floor seeing as how young Christopher's bed be taken," Mistress Booth growled in disgust.
"Ella?" Chris groaned.
"Aye lad, I saw her slip in a few minutes ago. Everyone on the ship is knowing she's set her cap for you. What is that fool father of her's thinking? The girl needs to be under the care of a governess or chaperone and not left to her own devices." Mistress Booth's usually cheerful face settled in an angry frown. "Trouble indeed. Stay close to me lads lest you end up suffering because of her."
The plump little woman led the pair into her cabin where Mister Booth was reading.
"Wife?"
"Lady Gaines seems to be where she should not," the motherly woman fumed.
"Humph, well then make yourselves comfortable lads. Mother, be asking the cabin boy for some tea if you will. The lads need to be seen with us," Mister Booth ordered.
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Chris growled in frustration as he was once more waylaid. "Mistress Gaines."
"So formal, Christopher? My name is Ella." The girl took advantage of the narrow passage way to plaster herself against Larabee.
"T'would be unseemly." Chris grimaced and removed the far too familiar hands from his person. Now it's knowing how the tavern wenches must feel when the soldiers have pay to spend.
"Chris mon are ye below?" Buck Wilmington's shadow darkened the stairs.
"Aye," Chris called in relief side-stepping out of Ella's reach.
Ella pouted prettily and turned away swinging her hips as she made her way to her own cabin.
"Best ye stick to me like me shadow," Buck growled as he joined Larabee.
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Chris Larabee looked up sheepishly from his hiding spot in the rope locker.
"Ye have ta admire the lass' determination. Tis safe, she's with her father, ye can be getting out now." Buck Wilmington grinned widely and offered his hand to help his friend out of the cramped quarters.
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Chris Larabee leaned forward bracing himself against the ship's rail as the first glimpse of Ireland could be seen on the horizon.
"Wishing will not be having ye reach the shore a moment sooner," Buck reminded his friend.
"Home Buck, it's me own land," Chris' voice was filled with longing.
"Aye," Buck sighed.
"Perhaps some day ye can return to yer own home," Chris said sympathetically.
"Naught for me there, Chris," Buck reminded. "Someone needs to be keeping watch o'er ye else it's hanging from the gallows or shipped off to the colonies to be eaten by the wild Indians ye'll be." Wilmington shook off his melancholy.
"I don' ken that they eat people, Buck," Chris chuckled.
"Mam told me," Buck answered seriously.
"Then it must be so," Chris agreed. "As for hanging, wasn't it ye being chased across all of Amsterdam?" Chris reminded Buck of his near skewering by an angry husband.
"Chris, ye be knowing I canna abide a lass with a sad face. Pining away for a bit of company she was. How was I to know she had a husband I'm asking?" Buck protested innocently.
"Perhaps ye should have asked. What of the farmer's daughter before that?" Chris demanded.
"I'm thinking that farmer was more interested in catching himself a chicken thief than he was me," Buck chortled at the memory of Chris fleeing from the little man and his pitchfork.
"I was not seeking to steal his chickens. Twas his daughter's honor he was determined to defend," Chris growled.
"His daughter?" Buck grinned.
"He had more than one daughter," Chris admitted ruefully. "His milch cow was prettier."
"It's a few more holes in yer hide than God intended if I hadn't distracted him from ye," Buck said.
"Falling out of the barn loft naked as the day of yer birth, the pair of ye, certainly distracted him," Chris agreed.
"Ye wound me, Christopher Larabee. I could have done meself an injury coming to yer rescue that way," Buck charged.
"Only if ye had landed on that pitchfork. Ye cleared the stile like a stag, twas no way he was catching ye with his short legs," Chris refuted. "That wench in Deventer?"
"Twas but a misunderstanding," Buck protested indignantly.
"Buck, she near unmanned you," Chris snorted.
"Ye saw her kiss me fare thee well the next morn." Buck waggled his eyebrows and grinned.
"Aye and her sister as well." Chris shook his head in disbelief.
"Twas only fair I comfort them, after all, how was I to know they were a matched set? One like unto the other like peas in a pod. Far easier to tell the one from the other once the lights were out," Buck enthused unrepentantly.
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Cóbh, Contae Chorcai
Cove, Cork County
March 31st, 1761
12:10 am
"Only Buck, we've nay been ashore an hour and already it's dragging him out of some wench's bed I am," Chris chucked ruefully. I best be hurrying before the Harbor Master makes his way home to find his bed in use.
Chris gasped and stopped in his tracks. The very earth seemed to shudder under his feet as if it a great beast trying to shake off a fly. Tis an earth quaking.
People screamed and ran from their homes as they swayed. Straightening Chris hurried his feet along when he caught sight of the Harbor Master in the distance. Best we get away from the shore lest we get caught in a rising sea. Mam told me often of how the waves came in along Erin's shore when the earth shook back in '55.
"Hst Buck!" Larabee called then whistled in warning.
Buck crept out of the window and made his way across the slippery roof before lowering himself to the ground. "Wait, wait I'm in love Chris," Buck protested as his friend chivied him along. "I could swear I felt the earth move."
Chris groaned and rolled his eyes before pushing Buck along.
Author's note:
March 31, 1761 a earthquake struck west/southwest of Lisbon about noon. The tremor was felt in Ireland, Wales and England some 15 minutes later. At Kinsale the sea rose suddenly some 2 ft for 4 minutes doing this several times starting at 6 pm of the same day.