Well, here it is at last, we are slowly drawing to the end. Thank you to Alteng for pointing out my mistake in ignoring my opening line. I am, however, going to follow the current plot to it's end – later I might make an alternate ending that fits in better. (plz review if you think this is a good/bad idea, in fact - review anyway)
The next morning dawned wet and grey, but to me the sun shone brighter than it had done for months. I had not awoken to the curses of pirates or whores, and there was Lieutenant Audrey!
My bare feet skipped lightly on the wooden floor as I drew my dress off a hook on the back of the door. I eyed the green satin suspiciously and wondered what Audrey had made of it the night before. I reasoned he could not have thought anything untoward, either it had been too dark in the tavern to properly see my clothes or he saw nothing wrong with such attire. After all, I mused as I dressed, was it really so much worse than the gaudy silks and jewels worn by women at home?
I checked my reflection in a cracked mirror, scrubbed my face of all traces of make-up and rinsed my hair in a jug of water before pinning it back neatly. I contemplated my appearance and longed for a jacket, or even a piece of lace gauze to hide the low bodice of my dress. Sighing and patting my hair, I left the room.
And walked straight into Audrey.
"Good Morning Catherine" He beamed at me, his face red and clean shaved and cravat freshly washed and starched. I smiled to note the care he had also taken over his appearance. "Won't you join me for breakfast?"
"Last night you learned all about me, but I am still none the wiser about you." Audrey commented over a hearty meal of toast, butter, jam, cold meats and hot coffee. I lingered over the fresh food and trued not to blush at his questions. What brings a beautiful young girl to be al alone in Tortuga, with no lodgings?"
I set my knife down with deliberation, and lied more smoothly than I had done since my days of deceiving my parents for petty gains.
"My story is not unremarkable. I was accompanying my father on a voyage of business. We were captured by pirates, my family were killed and last night was my first change of escape." You see, I had firmly decided to convince Audrey to take me to the Americas, ignoring all thoughts of Jack and my dear Anamaria, not to mention my parents and home.
"My goodness, so you really do have nowhere to go, you poor child." I nodded as meekly as I could, while stuffing myself with thick slices of toast, I had not tasted food this good since my stay at Smyth's house. My heart sank as I remembered Jack carrying me through the streets of Accra with my hurt ankle, when he could of left me for dead.
"Yes, Lieutenant, I have nowhere and no one." I sighed, and cast my eyes downwards, continuing my breakfast. After a short period of silence there was a clatter of Audrey upsetting the toast rack as he hurriedly reached across the table.
"Catherine, my dear child, I declare you must come to America with me!" I looked up, feigning shock. "No, I'll have no argument, I feel it my duty to rescue you from this place and give you the change of a new life."
"Oh Lieutenant!"
"Rot, woman – the name's James."
"James, you are too kind. I would not like to be a burden to you on your long journey."
"My dear child, you have no idea! This place is deadly to young women such as yourself. Yes, it is quite lucky I found you before you came to harm." He twirled his moustache and smiled. "Now, come to America with me."
"Yes, James." I took a long drink of coffee.
The rest of the day was spent walking out across the docks, discussing the details of the voyage. The town was quiet, its inhabitants sleeping off their excesses and we were alone. James spoke of extravagancies in such an off-hand manner it quite took my breath away.
"Of course, new dresses must be bought for you as soon as we reach America. There is nowhere decent on this island to buy clothes, ad in any case they would be hard to keep clean on the voyage. What will you need? Let's see everyday, dinner, ballgowns, church and then there's coats, parasols, slippers, boots, shawls, hats and I'll warrant you'll want some jewellery?" He tickled me under my chin, but I just smiled. To hear a man talk of such things as necessities made me feel quite my old self again.
"Oh, James."
"Ah, hear is the ship we are to sail on, a pretty Galleon if ever I saw one." Immediately I was taken aback. It did not look to me like a merchant ship. Its lines were built for speed, as was its rigging and even for the threat of pirates, it was heavily armed. As I looked closer I could see scratches and dents in its sides, looked to be made my canon and grapeshot, and their were bites of cutlass marks on the rail, its name was 'Mary Read'
"She's a rough and ready old thing, to be sure, but manned by a good honest crew. Mostly delivering luxuries to the Governor of Virginia, I believe."
I nodded attentively and wondered if James knew it had once been a pirate ship. "We sail tonight, Catherine. I take it you have no further business on this island?"
I longed to say goodbye to Anamaria, maybe even stow her aboard, but I knew if I saw her, I would not be able to leave.
"Not at all."
"Then let us retire back to our quarters for lunch."
I was quiet for the rest of the day, though I took in another large meal, relishing the taste of tea, which I had not tasted for months. As much as I tried, I could not keep my thoughts off the subject of Jack. I went over every intimate moment together, from our first kiss, to my last sight of him with that abominable Ginny.
James kept out of my way, preparing things for or voyage. I was glad, as I hated lying to him and began to daydream of my new life in America with my dashing Lieutenant.
"Well, dear child, it is time for us to take our leave of this awful place." James set down his knife and fork, I nodded sleepily in agreement. After the third heavy meal of the day, and two glasses of wine I felt a little woozy and longed to be tucked up in a ship's birth, it sea rocking me to sleep. "I can see your tired, Catherine – Take my hand and I'll lead you to the ship."
I did so and we walked in the cool evening air down to the docks, Tortuga was just coming alive for the night, it's stenches and it's evils rearing their heads again. My step was unsteady and I was surprised, after drinking grog for a good while on the Pearl I thought myself used to drink. Happy at the thought of the fine wines that awaited me in Virginia I stepped aboard the 'Mary Read' and allowed myself to be lead to a small cabin under the galley.
"Goodnight, my dear child." And, without asking this time, James planted a wet kiss on my cheek.
"Go-nuugh," I faltered, and shook my head as if to clear it, that wine was really very strong. James left me, and I stumbled about the room, preparing myself for bed. I had just removed the pins from my hair when their was a knock at the door.
The next morning dawned wet and grey, but to me the sun shone brighter than it had done for months. I had not awoken to the curses of pirates or whores, and there was Lieutenant Audrey!
My bare feet skipped lightly on the wooden floor as I drew my dress off a hook on the back of the door. I eyed the green satin suspiciously and wondered what Audrey had made of it the night before. I reasoned he could not have thought anything untoward, either it had been too dark in the tavern to properly see my clothes or he saw nothing wrong with such attire. After all, I mused as I dressed, was it really so much worse than the gaudy silks and jewels worn by women at home?
I checked my reflection in a cracked mirror, scrubbed my face of all traces of make-up and rinsed my hair in a jug of water before pinning it back neatly. I contemplated my appearance and longed for a jacket, or even a piece of lace gauze to hide the low bodice of my dress. Sighing and patting my hair, I left the room.
And walked straight into Audrey.
"Good Morning Catherine" He beamed at me, his face red and clean shaved and cravat freshly washed and starched. I smiled to note the care he had also taken over his appearance. "Won't you join me for breakfast?"
"Last night you learned all about me, but I am still none the wiser about you." Audrey commented over a hearty meal of toast, butter, jam, cold meats and hot coffee. I lingered over the fresh food and trued not to blush at his questions. What brings a beautiful young girl to be al alone in Tortuga, with no lodgings?"
I set my knife down with deliberation, and lied more smoothly than I had done since my days of deceiving my parents for petty gains.
"My story is not unremarkable. I was accompanying my father on a voyage of business. We were captured by pirates, my family were killed and last night was my first change of escape." You see, I had firmly decided to convince Audrey to take me to the Americas, ignoring all thoughts of Jack and my dear Anamaria, not to mention my parents and home.
"My goodness, so you really do have nowhere to go, you poor child." I nodded as meekly as I could, while stuffing myself with thick slices of toast, I had not tasted food this good since my stay at Smyth's house. My heart sank as I remembered Jack carrying me through the streets of Accra with my hurt ankle, when he could of left me for dead.
"Yes, Lieutenant, I have nowhere and no one." I sighed, and cast my eyes downwards, continuing my breakfast. After a short period of silence there was a clatter of Audrey upsetting the toast rack as he hurriedly reached across the table.
"Catherine, my dear child, I declare you must come to America with me!" I looked up, feigning shock. "No, I'll have no argument, I feel it my duty to rescue you from this place and give you the change of a new life."
"Oh Lieutenant!"
"Rot, woman – the name's James."
"James, you are too kind. I would not like to be a burden to you on your long journey."
"My dear child, you have no idea! This place is deadly to young women such as yourself. Yes, it is quite lucky I found you before you came to harm." He twirled his moustache and smiled. "Now, come to America with me."
"Yes, James." I took a long drink of coffee.
The rest of the day was spent walking out across the docks, discussing the details of the voyage. The town was quiet, its inhabitants sleeping off their excesses and we were alone. James spoke of extravagancies in such an off-hand manner it quite took my breath away.
"Of course, new dresses must be bought for you as soon as we reach America. There is nowhere decent on this island to buy clothes, ad in any case they would be hard to keep clean on the voyage. What will you need? Let's see everyday, dinner, ballgowns, church and then there's coats, parasols, slippers, boots, shawls, hats and I'll warrant you'll want some jewellery?" He tickled me under my chin, but I just smiled. To hear a man talk of such things as necessities made me feel quite my old self again.
"Oh, James."
"Ah, hear is the ship we are to sail on, a pretty Galleon if ever I saw one." Immediately I was taken aback. It did not look to me like a merchant ship. Its lines were built for speed, as was its rigging and even for the threat of pirates, it was heavily armed. As I looked closer I could see scratches and dents in its sides, looked to be made my canon and grapeshot, and their were bites of cutlass marks on the rail, its name was 'Mary Read'
"She's a rough and ready old thing, to be sure, but manned by a good honest crew. Mostly delivering luxuries to the Governor of Virginia, I believe."
I nodded attentively and wondered if James knew it had once been a pirate ship. "We sail tonight, Catherine. I take it you have no further business on this island?"
I longed to say goodbye to Anamaria, maybe even stow her aboard, but I knew if I saw her, I would not be able to leave.
"Not at all."
"Then let us retire back to our quarters for lunch."
I was quiet for the rest of the day, though I took in another large meal, relishing the taste of tea, which I had not tasted for months. As much as I tried, I could not keep my thoughts off the subject of Jack. I went over every intimate moment together, from our first kiss, to my last sight of him with that abominable Ginny.
James kept out of my way, preparing things for or voyage. I was glad, as I hated lying to him and began to daydream of my new life in America with my dashing Lieutenant.
"Well, dear child, it is time for us to take our leave of this awful place." James set down his knife and fork, I nodded sleepily in agreement. After the third heavy meal of the day, and two glasses of wine I felt a little woozy and longed to be tucked up in a ship's birth, it sea rocking me to sleep. "I can see your tired, Catherine – Take my hand and I'll lead you to the ship."
I did so and we walked in the cool evening air down to the docks, Tortuga was just coming alive for the night, it's stenches and it's evils rearing their heads again. My step was unsteady and I was surprised, after drinking grog for a good while on the Pearl I thought myself used to drink. Happy at the thought of the fine wines that awaited me in Virginia I stepped aboard the 'Mary Read' and allowed myself to be lead to a small cabin under the galley.
"Goodnight, my dear child." And, without asking this time, James planted a wet kiss on my cheek.
"Go-nuugh," I faltered, and shook my head as if to clear it, that wine was really very strong. James left me, and I stumbled about the room, preparing myself for bed. I had just removed the pins from my hair when their was a knock at the door.