The Darlings
About the middle of summer, Jim heard his mother call his name from downstairs. He knew it was going to be a long night because Margaret Darling was about to give birth. David and Margaret Darling had taken up their lodging at the Inn shortly after Jim got home. He could not help but smile at the thought of them having a baby because they were such a nice couple; the baby would be lucky to have them as father and mother. Jim remembered when they first arrived outside the door in the covered coach that had brought them from town. Mr. Darling was so gentle and deliberate when he helped his wife down from the tall seat. He set his walking stick carefully against the coach making sure it would not fall over, and then pulled his gloves off one finger at a time. Giving these to his wife to hold for the moment, he grasped her around the waist and lifted her effortlessly off the seat. He placed her down so carefully it seemed as if she were made of glass. She whispered something in his ear when he let go, and all the while he was smiling at her, but Jim could not tell if he was smiling at what she said, or just smiling at her. Jim's mother had come out side when she heard the coach pull up.
"Hello," he said "may I presume that you are Mrs. Hawkins? My name is Darling, David Darling. This is my wife Margaret. Squire Trelawney spoke very well of your Inn; he told us it was a clean and quiet place that would suit our need for a temporary residence. I must say that he was right. You have a beautiful place situated up here on the cove. Is there lodging available?" he asked.
Jim's mother was always pleased to get another room filled, not only did she appreciate the extra money, but also loved the company and the pleasant sounds of a full house; it distracted her from her sadness. "We have a perfect room right on the ground floor for you" she told them." "Well then" he said, "it would seem that we are in luck" He turned to Jim and asked "What's your name son?" Taken a bit by surprise, Jim gave his proper forename "James….. James Hawkins, but most people call me …" Before Jim could finish, Mr. Darling interrupted "Well then James, could you help me with the bags?" He tossed Jim a coin and winked at him. Jim's mother told him to bring the bags inside to the room near the parlour. Jim took a quick moment to consider the couple before they walked inside. Mr. Darling was in fact quite a bit older than his wife, but he still had a boyish look about him and the difference in their age was not immediately noticeable. He wore a light blue tail coat that was cut high over the top of his breeches. When he removed his hat, which was tall and had a narrow brim, it revealed thick black hair pulled back and tied with a black ribbon. Mrs. Darling was a slight woman with a small upturned nose and masses of curly hair that looked somewhat reddish in color. Her gown was simple and elegant but had rather a loose fit. With help from the driver, Jim grabbed the bags and took them inside.
Mrs. Darling found the Inn to be "completely charming" and Jim was happy that the recent renovations had just been completed; the place looked nearly brand new. As Alice gave them the grand tour, she was twirling around, holding her hands to her mouth and exclaiming "David, I love it! It will be perfect for the baby!" Her energy and passion for life was immediately apparent.
Indeed, she always came to breakfast ready to attack the day. It seemed like Mrs. Darling would wake up with a fantastic new idea for their future every morning. Then, from dawn to dusk , her time would be spent planning it all, as each scheme offered the opportunity for a grand adventure that they could experience with their future child. In the evening at dinner, she would explain it all to her husband. Her stories were so engrossing that everyone who came about the inn could not help but listen in and laugh at her eagerness. On one day, she would want to take up painting, write a book, or do something creative; the next day it was all about being practical, like making their own furniture, raising sheep, or wanting a garden to grow fruits and vegetables. Mr. Darling would meet her excitement with a calm, warm enthusiasm that obviously expressed his devotion to her; his eyes were shining bright, and his grin spread wide across his face whenever he looked at her. For the rest of the evening, she would explain every detail of her elaborate plan, and he would just hold her hands and tell her that she was wonderful.
Mr. Darling spent a great deal of time conducting business in town; apparently he was very wealthy and was planning on establishing a country estate in the area, Margaret had always wanted to live in the country near the ocean and the Devon coast seemed ideal. His business often required trips to Bristol which meant that Margaret was left alone at the inn. Mr. Darling did not like going on these trips without his wife, but he did not want to take her with him as he was concerned that all the traveling might be too much of a strain on her while she was heavy with child.
Jim noticed when he returned from these trips that his first thoughts were always of Margaret. Before he came inside, he would quietly look in at her through the door and ask if she was in good health. The cause of his concern was soon revealed.
They had both grown quite fond of Jim during their stay, especially Mr. Darling. From that first day, he had taken to calling him James, and so had Mrs. Darling. One afternoon, he pulled Jim aside and asked "James, I was hoping we could have a little talk. There is something I would like to ask you." Jim answered "Of course Mr. Darling, we could sit in the parlour if you would like. But please, call me Jim." Mr. Darling shook his head and smiled. He said "I prefer the name James. It's a good strong name with a long history. It comes from the name Jacobus; do you know the story of Jacob in the bible? It suits you and you should be proud of it. But, yes, let's go into the parlour." Sitting in the large arm chair, he pulled out a small pipe, filled it with some tobacco and lit it with a match that he struck against the bottom of his boot. Jim noticed how relaxed and comfortable the man seemed, as if he were sitting in his own home. Mr. Darling grew serious for a moment asked the favor. He wanted Jim to walk with his wife during the day because it was good for her to breathe the fresh sea air. At first, Jim was a little annoyed at the request which would add to his already sizable responsibilities, but he kept listening. Mr. Darling took a long draw from his pipe and exhaled the smoke slowly. His brow tightened and he went on to explain his reasons. With some effort, he confided in Jim, "This is not the first time Mrs. Darling has been with child; she was going to have a baby last year. Unfortunately, she lost it in the third month of the pregnancy. I was not sure we should try again so quickly, but Margaret is so eager to get the family started. It's just the two of us right now, we have no other family." Mr. Darling sighed, and smiled "She was quite convincing. Against my better judgment, we decided to try again, but I made one demand; that we would leave the city. So many people are coming into London to work in the factories, it's getting overcrowded. While the place is booming economically, it smells of squalor and filth; everywhere you look you see rot and disease. Thousands of chimneys spewing out black smoke and soot, sewage in the river; the place stinks. Our doctor suggested we go to a quieter location in the country where we could breathe clean air and that is what brought us here. Besides, I have always wanted a house in the country. My wife is a delicate and frail creature who is all of life to me James." Mr. Darling took another long draw on his pipe, sat back in his chair and then he continued "I want her mood and spirits kept high. All she has ever wanted in life are children; and, she will be a wonderful mother…" he paused for a moment, and then continued "which will make up for my failings as a father. I am afraid that I do not have much patience for small children." He then became even more serious and sat forward a bit. Looking Jim squarely in the eye, he pushed a silver forepenny across the table and asked with a great deal of sincerity "Please James, I want someone to look after her while I am out, and I trust you." It was obvious to Jim what he needed to do, he pushed the forepenny back to Mr. Darling and responded "It would be my honor sir, and requires no payment."
In the mornings after breakfast, Jim and Margaret would stroll around the grounds. Sometimes they would go to the nearby by hamlet and shop, other days they would walk along the cliffs, or down along the shore. Jim would tell her stories about captain Bones, Black Dog, and the old blind man, Pew. He would point to the landmarks and relate to her what had happened in that very spot. He told her about the notch in the lower side of the inn's signboard and how Billy Bones had had attempted to split Black Dog in two with his cutlass, but missed and hit the sign. Mrs. Darling was quite entertained by the stories; she would follow his every word intensely and was constantly asking questions. She often thanked Jim for making her stay at the inn so enjoyable. She told Jim that her husband also commented on how much he liked Jim and how he hoped that their own child would turn out to be such a fine young man.
On one particular day, Margaret asked if Jim could take her to town. She wanted to purchase some items for the baby and since David was there, she thought that they could have lunch with him. While traveling, they past some of the boys that Jim knew. He envied most of the boys that lived nearby; they had no worries or responsibilities. Sure, they had some minor chores to perform in order to help their families, but most of their days were spent playing. Jim remembered when he was younger, grabbing sticks off the street and pretending to be a swashbuckling pirate sword fighting in the alleyways. On the road near the sidewalk something shinny caught his eye; about five boys were shooting a game of marbles in the dirt and the white alabaster balls were gleaming in the sun. It was one of Jim's favorite games. His father had taught him to play when he was very young and had given him a beautiful collection of marbles that he kept in a small leather pouch buried in the captain's trunk. Every couple months his father would come home from town with a new one and he would present it to Jim right after dinner; the marbles were more valuable to him than all the treasure in the world. Jim remembered many happy evenings playing marbles with his father. One boy was on his knees and had just flicked his shooter with his thumb, striking a mib and knocking it out of the circle. Another boy started yelling," Hey, that didn't count; you weren't behind the taw line. It's my turn to shoot; it's my turn to shoot." It started an argument than ended with all the boys chasing each other in a game of tag. "shoot… shoot…" the words echoed in Jim's mind. His mind returned to the island and memories of people shouting "shoot… shoot". He felt the pain in his shoulder where the dagger had pinned his shoulder to the mast. He remembered the face of Israel Hans looking up at him when he pulled the triggers and the look in Israel's eyes when his life left him. A life was taken. Jim shook his head and pulled himself back into the moment. He looked over at Margaret and tried to force a smile. "James," she said in a voice filled with concern. "You look so pale, and you are perspiring. Are you okay?" He wiped his brow, and laughed a bit forcing the images out of his mind. "I'm fine" he said. Jim didn't shoot marbles anymore; he shot pistols and when he did, someone died. The last swords he had held in his hands had the weight of steel not wood, and they were stained with blood. Some of the more gruesome images of the voyage still kept him up at night. He would never go back to that island, not for all the bars of silver in the world.
As the time for the baby's birth grew closer, the walks became shorter because Margaret would become fatigued quickly; she seemed to get tired so easily. Jim enjoyed her company so much, a short time with her was better than no time at all. During their walks, she would go on and on about all the plans she had for their son; at this time she was certain that it was a boy that she was carrying. She would stroke her belly and speak out loud about his future as if the boy were already born. "Like his father, Peter will be attending Eton College when he is of age, and when his education is complete, he will certainly go into Parliament…." Jim thought that she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.