Captain Kate in the Caribbean
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: We all know by now who owns Castle, right? Rating: K Time: An AU 18th Century.
Captain Gwinnel was soon on his way. Although he appreciated the French help, he still felt nervous about two heavily armed ships near his ship and its cargo of gold, even if France and England were at peace.
The Witch returned that night, reporting that they had lost the pirate in the dark.
Captain Kate met with her family and her officers later that night.
"How could some pirate know that HMS Hermes was carrying gold?" She answered her own question. "Someone in authority, or who has recently been in authority, knew about it and tipped off the pirates. I'd bet all we have that that person is Sir William Bracken, and we now know where he is."
'It could be a trap." Castle said. "Remember he tried to lure you to your parents' old home to kill you, me and Alexis. His plan misfired, but it did destroy your old home. Why would he live in a ruined house?"
Kate nodded and then smiled. "If it is a trap, then I hope to trap Bracken. He has no troops at his beck and call, not even the Jamaican militia. All he has are his pirate friends, and they'll be little use in a stand up fight. We'll pay him a visit on a dark night."
Indeed, it was a very dark night, with just a sliver of a moon showing, when Kate and a well-armed party surrounded Windward Manor.
"He's rebuilt it." Kate said softly. "It looks exactly the same as when…" She stopped, unable to speak any more.
Queen L'Anie's scouts came in and advised Kate that there was not one outside of the house. Bracken and his men must all be inside. There were no lights on, so they might all be asleep.
A persistent rapping on the front door roused a servant, who lit a candle and went to see who could be at the door at this time of night. The servant opened the door and raised his candle to shed more light. Before him was a lady of quality, wearing a long boat cloak, which covered her from her neck to her feet.
"May we be of service, ma'am?" He asked politely.
Kate smiled, and before the man could react, he found a razor-sharp dirk at his throat.
"You can be of service and live to tell the tale, and all you need do is not make a sound. Not any sound at all."
Before Kate could go further, a male voice called out from the top of the staircase and the end of the entry hall.
"Richard, do we have guests?"
The speaker came down the stairs. He was not William Bracken and he didn't appear to be pirate. He was tall, clean shaven, greying at the temples and wore a dressing gown and slippers. As he crossed the entry hall, a dozen of Kate's followers came into the house. Most were red coated Irish, and the rest Kate's pirates and a few of L'Anie's men, along with Rick, Alexis, Priscilla, and Lhamso Thondup and Zhu De, who had come along in the hopes of avoiding bloodshed.
"I see." He said. "We do have guests."
Before anyone could say anything further, another voice called from the head of the stairs.
"Theodore, is someone here?"
"It's nothing, Beatrice. Go back to bed. I'll be back soon."
Beatrice had no intention of going back to bed. She came down the stairs, walked up to her husband and glared at Kate and her men. She firmly put her arm around her husband.
"This is my wife, Beatrice. She is French, from Martinique."
Kate nodded to the pair. She found she rather liked the two.
"Please, I have no intention of hurting you, however…."
"Uncle Theodore, I see we have company."
The speaker was a young lad, who appeared to be just entering his teens. Unlike the adults, he was not dressed for bed, but wore a smart linen suit.
"This is my nephew, Benjamin." The man explained.
"And what are you doing still awake at this hour?" Beatrice demanded.
"I couldn't sleep, so I went to the library to read."
"Is someone here?"
This was a young girl of perhaps ten years, dark haired like her mother and dressed in a long night shirt.
"Anne-Marie! Why are you awake?" Beatrice asked.
"I was listening to Benjamin read from Marco Polo's Travels and I fell asleep. Who are these people?"
"If I may ask who you are?" Kate said, hoping not to be interrupted by any more family members with odd sleeping habits.
"I'm Doctor Theodore Franklin and this is my home. And you are?"
"Uncle Theodore, she's the lady in the painting." Benjamin said.
Kate imagined that one of the reward posters with her likeness had made its way here.
"Are you sure?" Theodore Franklin asked.
"Certainly. Richard, can you help me bring it here?"
"I'll help, too." Said Anne-Marie.
The servant, Richard, now had a bayonet at his throat, held by L'Tee, one of Queen L'Anie's men.
"Perhaps Richard would prefer to come with us and be a free man, rather than a slave?"
Richard raised an eyebrow.
"We are all free here. Dr. Franklin abhors slavery and has manumitted us all."
"For now, perhaps." Said L'Tee. "Maybe later he changes his mind."
"Last fall when we all went to Philadelphia to pick up Master Benjamin, we took three of the older free persons with us. They are now safe and protected by the Society of Friends, commonly called the Quakers, who share his views."
"That attitude must not make you popular with the local plantation owners." Alexis said.
Dr. Franklin smiled.
"The only other doctor on this side of the island is a Doctor Demming, a hopeless drunkard. Once he tried to bleed a patient, a practice I do not follow, but in his stupefied state, put the leeches on his own arm."
"What happened?" A shocked Alexis asked.
"The leeches died."
"Have Richard go with the two children to get this painting." Kate said, wanting to get this over with.
The three soon came back with a painting and when Kate saw it, her eyes filled with tears.
"See, Uncle Theodore?" Benjamin said. "It's her. She's Kate Beckett and those with her in the painting are her parents, James and Johanna Beckett, who were foully murdered."
Dr. Franklin looked shocked.
"You're Katherine Beckett? My God, I swear when I bought Windward Manor from Bracken, I assumed that he held a legal title to it. Now, it appears that he didn't. Perhaps we can agree to some form of payments to…"
Kate waved him to silence.
"As I'm sure you're aware, I'm in no position to dispute your ownership of Windward Manor. You're merely one more person whom Bracken has taken advantage of."
"But, please, Miss Beckett, take the painting. It must mean a great deal to you."
Kate nodded and one of the Irishmen took the painting.
"Now, I assume he's not here, do you know where Sir William Bracken is?"
"He's not Sir William anymore, as his title was stripped from him shortly after I bought the Manor. In fact, he left Jamaica before notice of that had reached here."
"What happened?"
"After the incident with the King's…." Dr. Franklin looked over at young Anne-Marie, who was paying close attention. "…the King's friend."
"The King's fancy lady." Muttered Benjamin.
Anne-Marie frowned.
"Should not the ladies of the court be fancy? The ladies I've seen at balls and such given by the Governor of Jamaica are quite fancy. I'd say that Mama is quite fancy herself."
"We shall discuss this when you are older, Anne-Marie." Beatrice said.
"I'll just ask Benjamin. He knows everything." Anne-Marie replied.
"I assume that Benjamin doesn't know how to get into my library or my laboratory without a key, and that if her wants further access to those, he should remain silent on this matter."
Ann-Marie stamped her foot.
"When I'm older. Everything is when I'm older."
Kate suppressed a smile. She rather liked the whole family.
Dr. Franklin shook his head.
"After the incident in London, a delegation was sent to Jamaica to look into certain improprieties that had allegedly occurred when Bracken was the governor. The head of the delegation was a…." Franklin frowned in concentration.
"George Whitefield, Member of Parliament for Bristol." Benjamin finished for him. "And a Captain James Hood, Royal Navy, the brother of Lady Carolyn Hood, the King's…friend."
Priscilla spoke for the first time.
"I understand that Lady Hood's husband killed Lord Desmond in a duel. I'm surprised he had the courage to show up."
"He didn't." Said Benjamin, getting a glare from his uncle, but continuing. "He wished to flee to the Continent, but got beastly drunk while his servants loaded his carriage. Several of Colonel Sir Arthur Hood's friends came to Desmond's home and found him. They loaded him in his carriage and took him to the dueling ground. They put a pistol in his hand and the fellow just stood there, too stupefied with drink to understand what was happening. Then Hood shot him."
"I know what drunk means." Anne-Marie said. "That's what happens to Parson Williams every time he goes to a party."
"Perhaps you could be a bit less descriptive, Benjamin?" Beatrice said archly.
"So, Bracken was stripped of his knighthood?" Kate asked.
"Not just that, "said Dr. Franklin, "but warrants were made out for his arrest. He fled before the warrants arrived, but if he's ever caught, he'll hang."
"How did he flee?"
"Aboard the Zephyr, 22. And he also had with him the brig Phantom, 18 and the sloop Saucy Sal, 10 guns. He may have other pirates with him at any time. He's still highly regarded among that group."
"Do you have any idea where he might be?"
Dr. Franklin shook his head.
Benjamin, however, cleared his throat.
"Do you know something, Benjamin?" The Doctor asked.
"Two days ago, I was near the Compass Rose Inn and I happened to overhear…"
"Benjamin!" Said Beatrice. "You are too young to go to a place like that."
"I sat outside and ordered a cup of tea." Benjamin said. He did not add that Nancy, who had waited on him, while only a few years older than he, but much wiser in the ways of the world, had added a dollop of rum to his tea, for which she received a shiny silver coin. "I happened to overhear Lieutenant Smallwood, Royal Navy, discussing the habits of Bracken as a pirate. He was talking to several sea captains and merchants. He said that it was well known that Bracken based himself on the northern shore of Haiti, but that there were dozens of small ports there where he could slip in and out of."
Dr. Franklin thought.
"I know of no worse place than Haiti. There is corruption, brigandage, slave revolts, piracy and all manner of evil ashore there. The only place I could advise you to go to in safety is Mole St. Nicolas. There is a plantation there run by a Colonel Josef von Bachmann, late of the French Swiss Guard Regiment. He also despises slavery and has raised a regiment from his former slaves and keeps the peace on land and as best as he can at sea."
He stared at Castle for a moment.
"Excuse me, but are you not Doctor Richard Castle, of Trinity College, Dublin?"
Castle looked at the other doctor.
"Yes, but I don't recall you."
"Oh, I studied at Edinburgh College, but we met in London some fifteen years ago when the Dutch scientist van Houck was demonstrating his improved microscope. I regret I've not been able to afford one like his, but if you'd care to come to my laboratory, I'd be happy to show you what I've discovered."
"I'd love to. I've always had a great curiosity about what Dr. van Houck discovered, but alas, I also have been…."
"Running for you life, Rick." Kate said with a smile. "And as much as I hate to keep you from science, we really must go."
"My wife is correct." Castle said sadly.
"Mine usually is as well." Franklin replied.
TBC