Chapter 4.
Big nose phony.
During the winter, the workhouse was hit with influenza.
Bri caught it. She had to be separate from the other girls In the dorm in case she 'infected' them.
She would lay awake. Her fever getting worse and her limbs sore as she stared up at the ceiling.
Nurse Jennifer would sit beside her bed though, and tell her stories.
Bri always saw Nurse Jennifer as a second mother.
Everyone else in the workhouse were cruel task masters.
But not nurse Jennifer.
Nurse Jennifer would tell Bri stories about mermaids and handsome gentlemen who would save a damsel in distress from the pirates.
But Bri never took interest to the mermaids, the princesses... Oh no.
She was fascinated by the pirates.
Their sea chanteys...the peg legs and the colourful parrots perched on their broad shoulders.
'Nurse Jennifer?'
She turned and smiled at Bri. 'Yes Briony?'
'Tell me more about the pirates!' Bri would ask, her green eyes twinkling.
Nurse Jennifer would simply chuckle and sit beside Bri's bed. 'You are a strange child Briony flint...'
'Yes yes, and one day I will be a pirate too!'
Nurse Jennifer sighed and ruffled messy haystack hair. 'If only life were that easy.' she replied with a grin.
'I'm serious! I will collect Edward and we will both go away and set sail into the sun!'
'But you're simply a lady, young Brioney...you need to work.'
Bri sighed. No one understands though! I just want to be free to do what I want.'
Nurse Jennifer smiled. 'I know you do dear. I know.'
Bri sighed. 'But I don't know how I'll ever escape...'
Nurse Jennifer ignored Bri. 'Right, off to sleep I think.' she whispered as she pulled the dusty quilt up to Bri's chin.
Bri smiled at her.
'Good night Bri.' nurse Jennifer whispered as she switched out the light, before saying goodnight to the rest of the children.
Bri sighed after nurse Jennifer left as she listened to the constant coughing to the bed to her right.
Bri looked at the weak girl in the dark and frowned. 'Hey, are you ok?'
The girl sniffed. 'I feel terrible...'
'Me too.' Bri replied with a sniff. 'But I bet you'll be just fine!'
'You think so?'
'I know so. I promise.'
The girl gave an almighty cough, which shook her entire body as she spluttered. When she stopped, she lay still. She gave no sound.
Bri paused.
The girl sniffed. 'My name is Gwyneth.'
'My names Bri.'
Gwyneth paused. 'Maybe...we could be friends? I don't have any friends here.'
'I guess you can be my friend, but I won't be here long Gwyneth. I am going to leave on my own adventure. As a pirate.'
'My momma told me pirates were evil.'
Bri sighed. 'So is this rotten place.'
Gwyneth paused as she lay still. 'Could I Come with you?'
Bri looked at the girl. 'What?'
'When I'm better... Could I come with you and be a pirate?'
Bri grinned in the dark of the room. 'Sure. Me, you and my little brother Ed.'
'Do you promise?'
'I promise.'
-
'Do you have any gold?'
The pirate with a scarf looked over at Bri. 'Yes, of course.' he lied.
Bri tilted her head. 'Well to be honest, you don't really look like a pirate...'
Scarf frowned. 'I do too!'
'Then where's your eye patch? And your peg leg? And why do you have such a big nose?'
Scarf growled. 'My nose isn't big.'
Bri pouted. 'Right ok.'
The two of them sat in silence, as the ship gently rocked back and Forth on the gentle turquoise waves of the ocean.
The ocean that almost killed her before.
'Do you have a parrot?' Bri asked, her emerald green eyes twinkling in curiosity.
Scarf paused. 'Sort of.'
'You don't give very straight answers. Do you...' Bri sighed.
'You don't shut up.' the young pirate mumbled under his breath.
Bri giggled.
Scarf avoided her stare, but he grinned softly as he let a small chuckle escape his lips.
'I guess you're ok mister pirate.' Bri smiled.
'You can call me pirate with a scarf if you like...' The pirate with a scarf said, as his cheeks flushed a rose pink.
'Bit of a mouthful. What about Scarf?'
'I guess that's ok.' Scarf answered with a shrug.
Bri smiled. 'Scarf it is!'
-
'I KNOW WHO IT WAS MA'AM!' cried a young gentleman as he burst into the room, where a shadow stood, looking out of a clear window. Overlooking the city of London.
'Oh please General; I've just got back...' the shadow replied in a strong royal English accent.
'But milady, we've found out who it was!'
'Oh what on earth do you mean...I do not have time for this general! Especially after that encounter with that...DODO! And those putrid pirates!'
'It's the blood amulet ma'am.'
Her crystal blue eyes shone in the dark, as if a sinister aura emitted from her very soul. 'The...blood amulet...'
She swung around. 'It CAN'T be! That was stolen years ago!'
'Yes, and now we know who took it. He lived in a small cottage on the outskirts of London.'
'WHO WAS HE?' she bellowed. 'IT SHALL BE STRAIGHT TO THE DUNGEONS WITH HIM!'
'H-his name was Jerald Flint Ma'am.'
'FIND HIM!' She shrieked.
'But Ma'am, We found out from the landlord, that he is dead!'
'He must've had family!'
'The whole family is deceased Ma'am.'
'BLAST IT! We will never find it now!'
'But ma'am...there is one member of the family left.'
The blue eyes widened. 'Then she must have it. They wouldn't have just thrown it away; it's far too valuable she must know where it is! Where is she?'
'She was in the hospital. F-Foundling hospital ma'am, but the records say she's been missing for years...'
'We need to find her... Send out my best soldiers! Do you know what she looks like?'
'Scrawny blonde girl. With pigtails...last seen wearing the workhouse uniform. She apparently has red...paint in her hair.'
'Well I will find her!'
'But ma'am, it-'
'SILENCE! We will find her! Someone must've seen her, and I will find out where she is. I will find out where she's going, I will find out everything. For I am Queen Victoria!'
'And the blood amulet is mine.'