Chapter 10 - Brothers, blood and Crossing Blades with Dad.
Jonathan lunged across the table. Adam always caught in the middle tried to stop him but it was too late. Charles and Jonathan were at each others throat again. The breaking dishes, crashing furniture and the brothers engaged in hand to hand combat was amplified through the halls of the house.
Sidi had been caught by surprise by Charles' insults. Courtney caught up behind her and pulled her into her arms. The girl looked terrible.
"Go back to bed love. Its nothing to get so upset over."
Servants scurried down the hall in what seemed a routine drill to separate the brothers. By the time James appeared in the dining room his sons were separate and nursing their wounds. Nothing had to be said. James turned and walked upstairs his silent sons followed him to his quarters. Jonathan stopped to console his crying wife and protested as Courtney brushed him away. James grabbed his collar and dragged him up the stairs.
Courtney walked Sidi to her room and called for maid to bring tea and another to prepare a bath. As the girl undressed she sat and sipped the tea. Hearing Sidi's soft whimpering and labored breathing she called
"Don't let it upset you so dear. It happens all the time. You will get used to it"
" Oh my God Mum!" Sidi shrieked. "Jonathan!"
Courtney ran to the suddenly hysterical girl. She was on her knees by the tub with one hand clutching her belly her undergarment soaked in blood below the waist.
" No, no, no! Help me" she cried. "Jonathan!" As Sidi fell to the floor death claimed her child.
Jonathan was glad Sidi was unconscious when she miscarried their daughter. He knew she would not have been able to cope with it. The baby was what she lived for. To make matters worse the gypsy purity laws were strict. It was hard enough talking her out of the intensive set of rules in normal life let alone worry about having to deal with marime at a time like this. He knew she would never enter this room again. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel. He felt guilty that he wasn't writhing in grief. He knew she would be.
. "Go down and change love. Get a bath and eat something" his mother encouraged him.
"She doesn't need you half dead when she wakes up."
She sat down by Sidi's bed and stroked her hair. Jonathan looked at her.
"You're right. I have some things I need to do."
He walked out of the room found a brandy bottle and drained it. His cutlass was in the closet dusty from non-use. He unsheathed it and walked down the hall. Charles was surprised to see Jonathan walk into his room.
"You can't be serious." he gasped as the point of the blade touched his throat.
"Charles I am going to kill you and I'm very serious."
"Jonathan I didn't mean for her to hear that." There was an extended pause.
"Fancy that. She did hear it. Get up." His brother got up.
"My child is dead. Get your sword."
"Oh God Jonathan I am so sorry." Charles said sincerely.
"You will be even more sorry if you do not get your bloody sword." He directed Charles toward the wall where his sword hung.
"Jonathan this is insanity" He said securing the sword and raising it to counter Jonathan's coming attack
"The name is Jack."
He saw Jonathan lunge forward. Never being one to maneuver a sword Charles froze and closed his eyes waiting to feel the blade penetrate his ribcage.
But before the sword met his flesh he heard metal on metal, parry, riposte, counter-riposte along the blade. Silence. He opened his eyes to see James and Jonathan Sparrow as still and stiff as an artist's sculpture. Swords locked. .
NEXT - Ex-mapmaker
Jonathan lunged across the table. Adam always caught in the middle tried to stop him but it was too late. Charles and Jonathan were at each others throat again. The breaking dishes, crashing furniture and the brothers engaged in hand to hand combat was amplified through the halls of the house.
Sidi had been caught by surprise by Charles' insults. Courtney caught up behind her and pulled her into her arms. The girl looked terrible.
"Go back to bed love. Its nothing to get so upset over."
Servants scurried down the hall in what seemed a routine drill to separate the brothers. By the time James appeared in the dining room his sons were separate and nursing their wounds. Nothing had to be said. James turned and walked upstairs his silent sons followed him to his quarters. Jonathan stopped to console his crying wife and protested as Courtney brushed him away. James grabbed his collar and dragged him up the stairs.
Courtney walked Sidi to her room and called for maid to bring tea and another to prepare a bath. As the girl undressed she sat and sipped the tea. Hearing Sidi's soft whimpering and labored breathing she called
"Don't let it upset you so dear. It happens all the time. You will get used to it"
" Oh my God Mum!" Sidi shrieked. "Jonathan!"
Courtney ran to the suddenly hysterical girl. She was on her knees by the tub with one hand clutching her belly her undergarment soaked in blood below the waist.
" No, no, no! Help me" she cried. "Jonathan!" As Sidi fell to the floor death claimed her child.
Jonathan was glad Sidi was unconscious when she miscarried their daughter. He knew she would not have been able to cope with it. The baby was what she lived for. To make matters worse the gypsy purity laws were strict. It was hard enough talking her out of the intensive set of rules in normal life let alone worry about having to deal with marime at a time like this. He knew she would never enter this room again. He didn't know how he was supposed to feel. He felt guilty that he wasn't writhing in grief. He knew she would be.
. "Go down and change love. Get a bath and eat something" his mother encouraged him.
"She doesn't need you half dead when she wakes up."
She sat down by Sidi's bed and stroked her hair. Jonathan looked at her.
"You're right. I have some things I need to do."
He walked out of the room found a brandy bottle and drained it. His cutlass was in the closet dusty from non-use. He unsheathed it and walked down the hall. Charles was surprised to see Jonathan walk into his room.
"You can't be serious." he gasped as the point of the blade touched his throat.
"Charles I am going to kill you and I'm very serious."
"Jonathan I didn't mean for her to hear that." There was an extended pause.
"Fancy that. She did hear it. Get up." His brother got up.
"My child is dead. Get your sword."
"Oh God Jonathan I am so sorry." Charles said sincerely.
"You will be even more sorry if you do not get your bloody sword." He directed Charles toward the wall where his sword hung.
"Jonathan this is insanity" He said securing the sword and raising it to counter Jonathan's coming attack
"The name is Jack."
He saw Jonathan lunge forward. Never being one to maneuver a sword Charles froze and closed his eyes waiting to feel the blade penetrate his ribcage.
But before the sword met his flesh he heard metal on metal, parry, riposte, counter-riposte along the blade. Silence. He opened his eyes to see James and Jonathan Sparrow as still and stiff as an artist's sculpture. Swords locked. .
NEXT - Ex-mapmaker