Chapter Six
Lizzy was the one to find Natalie, who had apparently suffered a strong blow to the head. "Lia, there's something else: the boat is gone, Horatio was shot in the head, and I know who did it." I was very surprised. "Who?" She sighed. "Simpson: he had a tie to all of them: he hated Horatio because he was transferred to the Indy first, and he hates Natalie not only for insulting him, but for siding with Horatio and Archie, and for gaining enough of Archie's trust that he would tell her his darkest secret. Of course, it was also because she was a witness." Wait a minute... "And Archie?" Lizzy squeezed her eyes shut. "It is possible that Simpson molested Archie when he was younger, and that is what caused his fits, so Archie probably told Natalie about it, and she kept his confidence." What a sicko! "Poor Archie, what is going to happen next?" With a gulp, she answered me. "He will die." Just then, Natalie opened her eyes. "Wait 'till I get my hands on that Simpson guy, I'll wring his treasonous little neck!" She muttered, and Lizzy pulled her to her feet. "No need, Captain Pellew will do away with him in the end." Natalie shook her head, and I suppose she might have been clearing it. "Go tend to Horatio, Lizzy, it's nothing but a big bump." Something was really bothering her: I'd known her for almost four years now, and I had never seen her looking so defeated. "What is wrong, Natalie?" Sighing, she looked over her shoulder at the sea. "I might've been able to stop the boat if I hadn't screamed at Simpson." I shook my head. "Then, he might've killed you instead of knocking you unconscious, and three people would have been lost."
"Only two, my lady." Came a strangled voice from behind us, and we turned to see that it was indeed Horatio. "Well at least you're all right." Natalie acknowledged. "What do you mean?" Lizzy explained slowly. "Simpson sent Archie out to sea right before he shot you, and then Natalie gave him an earful, so he knocked her cold." Horatio winced, as did Natalie. "I am sorry, Miss Klavier, but right now, there is nothing I can do, and I forbid you to do anything, else you get yourself killed." Naturally, Natalie wasn't going to stand for that, so she rebuffed him. "And who the hell are you to order me around?" I felt badly for the both of them. "Perhaps you should report to Captain Pellew before he pronounces you dead on Simpson's word... both of you should in fact." I said helpfully: when Natalie is upset, it is impossible to reason with her. "Fine." She snapped, and stomped off. "I'd hate to be Simpson right now, or at any other time, she's ready to kill him!" Horatio struggled to stay balanced, but in the end, Lizzy had to support him. "But why? All he did was knock her unconscious." With a sigh, I corrected him. "Not quite: he also cut Archie loose, and that in itself is enough to piss her off." He waved a hand in front of my face, and I cocked my head. "You're actually making sense? And what does that have to do with anything?" How to put this in simple English? "I am not always spacey: I've known Natalie since she was ten, and believe me, she likes Archie." Clearly this was not simple English. "Mr. Hornblower, Horatio if I may? Natalie likes Archie as in, she fancies him." Horatio looked incredulous. "What? But she is only fourteen!" Lizzy nodded. "She'll be fifteen soon enough, and you should know that fifteen is of a courtable age. Archie is really only two years her senior. I can't believe that you didn't notice though, don't you remember how she tried to calm him down during his fit? Don't you remember his preference to her? The attraction was mutual: Lia and I picked up on it a few days ago." He spluttered for a few moments, and looked in the direction that Natalie had disappeared in. "But... I never found any reason to believe that Archie was partial to Natalie!"
"You weren't there when he said that she was stunning, and he told her a secret that she hasn't revealed to us, though I might know what it is. You also weren't there when Natalie said she missed Sammy, and Archie was jealous." I giggled at the memory. "Who's Sammy?" Lizzy joined me in my laughing. "Her cat." I managed after taking a few deep breaths. "Anyway, believe it or not, your best friend fell for my friend." At that point, Natalie showed up with Captain Pellew, and Lizzy and I stifled our laughter. "I don't see what is so funny." Natalie snapped, and I only informed her of our recent conversation. "We just told Horatio that you like Archie." Her eyes went wide for a moment, and I knew that I had managed to make her even angrier. "I do not!" I cocked my head. "But you said..."
"Never mind what I said! Captain, Simpson was the one who cut the boat loose, and he was the one that shot Horatio." Horatio nodded with a faintly amused expression. "And he knocked Natalie out." I added helpfully, but the captain was paying more attention to Natalie and Horatio. "That is a serious accusation, are the two of you prepared to back it?" Natalie bit her lip. "Mr. Hornblower and I have nothing but our eyes to verify what Simpson did." Captain Pellew and Horatio turned to face each other since Horatio was more-or-less sturdy by now. "Are you prepared to duel with Mr. Simpson, Horatio?" Natalie seemed to understand that she could not really defend herself in these times. "Sir? You ordered me not to duel with anyone." Captain Pellew nodded. "Yes, and now I am ordering you to defend Miss Klavier, Mr. Kennedy, and yourself." He nodded, and I wondered at the importance of this. "Yes sir, I am ready to duel with Mr. Simpson."
Lizzy was the one to find Natalie, who had apparently suffered a strong blow to the head. "Lia, there's something else: the boat is gone, Horatio was shot in the head, and I know who did it." I was very surprised. "Who?" She sighed. "Simpson: he had a tie to all of them: he hated Horatio because he was transferred to the Indy first, and he hates Natalie not only for insulting him, but for siding with Horatio and Archie, and for gaining enough of Archie's trust that he would tell her his darkest secret. Of course, it was also because she was a witness." Wait a minute... "And Archie?" Lizzy squeezed her eyes shut. "It is possible that Simpson molested Archie when he was younger, and that is what caused his fits, so Archie probably told Natalie about it, and she kept his confidence." What a sicko! "Poor Archie, what is going to happen next?" With a gulp, she answered me. "He will die." Just then, Natalie opened her eyes. "Wait 'till I get my hands on that Simpson guy, I'll wring his treasonous little neck!" She muttered, and Lizzy pulled her to her feet. "No need, Captain Pellew will do away with him in the end." Natalie shook her head, and I suppose she might have been clearing it. "Go tend to Horatio, Lizzy, it's nothing but a big bump." Something was really bothering her: I'd known her for almost four years now, and I had never seen her looking so defeated. "What is wrong, Natalie?" Sighing, she looked over her shoulder at the sea. "I might've been able to stop the boat if I hadn't screamed at Simpson." I shook my head. "Then, he might've killed you instead of knocking you unconscious, and three people would have been lost."
"Only two, my lady." Came a strangled voice from behind us, and we turned to see that it was indeed Horatio. "Well at least you're all right." Natalie acknowledged. "What do you mean?" Lizzy explained slowly. "Simpson sent Archie out to sea right before he shot you, and then Natalie gave him an earful, so he knocked her cold." Horatio winced, as did Natalie. "I am sorry, Miss Klavier, but right now, there is nothing I can do, and I forbid you to do anything, else you get yourself killed." Naturally, Natalie wasn't going to stand for that, so she rebuffed him. "And who the hell are you to order me around?" I felt badly for the both of them. "Perhaps you should report to Captain Pellew before he pronounces you dead on Simpson's word... both of you should in fact." I said helpfully: when Natalie is upset, it is impossible to reason with her. "Fine." She snapped, and stomped off. "I'd hate to be Simpson right now, or at any other time, she's ready to kill him!" Horatio struggled to stay balanced, but in the end, Lizzy had to support him. "But why? All he did was knock her unconscious." With a sigh, I corrected him. "Not quite: he also cut Archie loose, and that in itself is enough to piss her off." He waved a hand in front of my face, and I cocked my head. "You're actually making sense? And what does that have to do with anything?" How to put this in simple English? "I am not always spacey: I've known Natalie since she was ten, and believe me, she likes Archie." Clearly this was not simple English. "Mr. Hornblower, Horatio if I may? Natalie likes Archie as in, she fancies him." Horatio looked incredulous. "What? But she is only fourteen!" Lizzy nodded. "She'll be fifteen soon enough, and you should know that fifteen is of a courtable age. Archie is really only two years her senior. I can't believe that you didn't notice though, don't you remember how she tried to calm him down during his fit? Don't you remember his preference to her? The attraction was mutual: Lia and I picked up on it a few days ago." He spluttered for a few moments, and looked in the direction that Natalie had disappeared in. "But... I never found any reason to believe that Archie was partial to Natalie!"
"You weren't there when he said that she was stunning, and he told her a secret that she hasn't revealed to us, though I might know what it is. You also weren't there when Natalie said she missed Sammy, and Archie was jealous." I giggled at the memory. "Who's Sammy?" Lizzy joined me in my laughing. "Her cat." I managed after taking a few deep breaths. "Anyway, believe it or not, your best friend fell for my friend." At that point, Natalie showed up with Captain Pellew, and Lizzy and I stifled our laughter. "I don't see what is so funny." Natalie snapped, and I only informed her of our recent conversation. "We just told Horatio that you like Archie." Her eyes went wide for a moment, and I knew that I had managed to make her even angrier. "I do not!" I cocked my head. "But you said..."
"Never mind what I said! Captain, Simpson was the one who cut the boat loose, and he was the one that shot Horatio." Horatio nodded with a faintly amused expression. "And he knocked Natalie out." I added helpfully, but the captain was paying more attention to Natalie and Horatio. "That is a serious accusation, are the two of you prepared to back it?" Natalie bit her lip. "Mr. Hornblower and I have nothing but our eyes to verify what Simpson did." Captain Pellew and Horatio turned to face each other since Horatio was more-or-less sturdy by now. "Are you prepared to duel with Mr. Simpson, Horatio?" Natalie seemed to understand that she could not really defend herself in these times. "Sir? You ordered me not to duel with anyone." Captain Pellew nodded. "Yes, and now I am ordering you to defend Miss Klavier, Mr. Kennedy, and yourself." He nodded, and I wondered at the importance of this. "Yes sir, I am ready to duel with Mr. Simpson."