Thank you to all the reviewers! :-) It seems like the mystery really is getting unravelled. ;-)
Chapter 6
When they finally arrived next to the ship, Elizabeth felt slightly intimidated. From so close it was gigantic. Jim gave her instructions as to how to climb the dangling ladder. It seemed they all had fun in showing a non-sailor how their life looked like.
Elizabeth felt slightly out of breath when at last she was handed onto the deck. It had been a bit scary with her long skirts, but she had managed.
Two men stayed in the dinghy. They would row it back to pick up the other members of the crew.
On board Annamaria now started giving orders. She appointed Jim to show Elizabeth the captain's cabin for when she needed some privacy, and after that he would give her a tour over the ship.
Soon all around her was full of activity. Orders were given and repeated. Men were hauling on various ropes.
Elizabeth tried to stay out of the way as much as possible.
She was amazed at Annamaria. On shore she had been a kind enough lady with a lot of self-confidence. Here on board it was clear who was the boss and her crew obeyed her without hesitation.
This was truly such a different world!
Annamaria had been looking at the sky various times already. Then she would look towards the quay and sigh.
"What is the matter Annamaria?" Elizabeth asked.
"Can you see those clouds on the horizon?" Annamaria pointed. "There's a big storm coming up. I hope my other men will make it in time before it starts. It can become very rough out here with a storm like that. It also seems that the Margarita won't be sailing yet. I can't see much activity there."
She handed Elizabeth the spyglass. Fascinated by the instrument, Elizabeth took it, looked at it for a moment, before placing it in front of her eye. After some adjustment she could distinguish the quay side and after moving along a little further she saw the Margarita. The deck was full of people, but they seemed to fasten everything in preparation for the storm. It did not look like they were getting ready to sail.
Then she asked: "Do you want the spyglass back now?"
Annamaria shook her head. "No, you may use it for a while. I am going to halt the preparations for sailing." And after shouting some orders, she said: "It is very likely my other men will have some news. If they confirm that we can't get into the harbour, all our work will be for nothing. Best to stop now than having to redo everything."
After about ten minutes they could see the dinghy approach. It looked like the men on board were trying to row as fast as they could. And when Elizabeth turned around, she was surprised at how much those dark clouds had advanced. The wind was picking up and it was fascinating to see how the waves began to get higher.
The first thing the men called when they got out of the dinghy was, that the ship would have to stay in place. And that they must be quick in getting prepared for the storm.
Everything was now being tied securely to the deck.
The first drops of rain started to fall. Annamaria called to Elizabeth that she should go indoors. A lady like her should not have to get wet.
Elizabeth took the advice and went into the captain's cabin. From a window she could see the activity. Everyone was working as fast as they could, eager to get under cover.
The rain started to fall faster and the wind picked up even more. Elizabeth felt the ship being rocked by the waves, but for now it was not an unpleasant feeling.
Suddenly the thought struck her: Would she now be able to go on land again? If the weather stayed like this, it was not likely they would have the dinghy go to the quayside just to bring her back.
She started to regret her decision to join Annamaria and her crew. She could see in her mind the worried faces of Jane and of her aunt and uncle. But there was nothing she could do.
Annamaria entered with her first mate. They talked for a moment and then the captain said: "Well Elizabeth, we are now ready for the storm. It is likely to stay like this all day. I am afraid we will not be able to bring you back ashore. Would you join us below deck?" Elizabeth nodded and then followed the woman to the narrow steps and down into the depths of the ship. All men gathered around a large table. For a while they talked and the second lot that came from the harbour told what they had heard before they left.
After that, Annamaria set most of them to work. There was a cook who was going to get busy in the galley and the majority of others went to the lowest deck as Annamaria thought it convenient to use this time for some cleaning and scrubbing.
Elizabeth could soon here a lot of noise. Things were moved, the sound of splashing water and brushes rubbing the floor. And singing. It sounded awfully off tune but quite jolly.
"I have to do some work in my cabin," Annamaria said. "Would you like to join me?" Elizabeth nodded and both women went upstairs again.
While Annamaria was filling in some charts and doing other things Elizabeth did not understand, she decided to write some letters.
She wrote a note for her aunt and uncle, just in case she got the chance to send it off to them. Then she wrote a letter to Jane, to tell her about everything that had happened so far. And after that she got out her journal and started writing in it as well. It made her stop to think. So many things had distracted her in the last few hours, that she had nearly forgotten about that disastrous proposal. Now, writing in her journal, she wanted to be honest with herself and examined her feelings about the whole ordeal. She still felt anger rising when she thought about what Mr Darcy had said. In the end she was glad that she had left Hunsford when she did.
She decided to write down all that she remembered the sailors had been telling. Most likely lots of their stories were highly exaggerated. Still, it was very exciting to hear them told.
After their tasks were done, everyone gathered around the large table again. Outside it was still pouring with rain and the wind was very strong.
Inside it was quite pleasant. Some food and of course drink came on the table.
The rest of that day Elizabeth heard many fantastical stories. They told her about fighting a cursed crew of undead pirates. The men described seeing these pirates, who, by day looked like normal people, but by moonlight were transformed in an army of skeletons.
Elizabeth shivered of the horrors, but she knew it must be made up for most part.
Annamaria told her how once they had tried to out-sail the fastest ship in the Caribbean on the second-fasted ship. And how they had failed and had been captured.
When evening fell, the storm had slightly lessened in force, but the rain continued to fall relentlessly. The meal on board was nothing particularly special, rather plain, but Elizabeth had hardly enough time to pay much attention to her food.
These sailors were rough, somewhat savage people. They were not used to be in company of a gentlewoman and seemed to have never heard of propriety or etiquette. Their speech did Elizabeth blush sometimes. But this was such a different world to that of her own, she could not really blame them. Besides, she found that beneath that rough exterior, most men were good-natured fellows.
Annamaria invited Elizabeth to share her cot in the captain's cabin as there was no other place she could stay.
It was rather cramped, but, since she was tired of the day's events, she slept too soon to be very bothered about it.
