Passage to St. Kitts
Chapter 13
Jack stood at the helm and looked out over the ocean. Seeing Joseph below him on the main deck, Jack called out to him. "Joseph, come up here, please!"
Joseph climbed the stairs. "Yes, Captain?"
Jack looked at him seriously. "I'd like to thank you for coming to Miss Tracy's aid yesterday. Your intervention was most opportune."
Joseph bowed slightly. "No need to thank me, sir. I dislike seeing women mistreated."
"I'm in your debt, however. If there is anything I can ever do for you, I beg you will remember it."
"Thank you, sir, I will." Catching sight of Annamaria toward the stern of the ship, Joseph watched her as she stopped to speak to one of the sailors.
Jack noticed Joseph's gaze and chuckled. "Have an eye for me second mate, eh?"
Joseph looked quickly at Jack, but saw nothing but amused kindness in his eyes. "That I do, sir. Do you find that impertinent?"
"No, lad. She might, though. Annamaria is a law unto herself."
"She's an admirable woman. She told me her story last night."
"Did she?" Now Jack looked surprised. "She rarely tells anyone. I don't think she's told the full tale even to me."
"If she didn't tell me the full tale, I can't imagine what she'd left out. Fair made my blood boil to be truthful."
Jack gave Joseph an appraising look. "Did it now?" He looked forward again. "Well, now I hope you're not planning on hurting the lass. I'd hate to have to kill you."
Joseph smiled. "Would that be with or without the handkerchief, sir?"
--
The Aldonza was anchored at Port-au-Prince for three days. Norrington was expecting to be taken ashore and turned over to the military garrison there, but it did not happen. Antonia did not visit him for the length of time they were in port, either, so Norrington assumed that she had gone ashore.
On the fourth day, he felt the movement of a ship headed back out to sea. Next port of call, Santo Domingo, if what Antonia had told him was accurate. That should take several days. Captain Natalez would no doubt skirt the southern edge of Hispaniola so to avoid coming too close to Tortuga. Toward evening on that fourth day, Antonia came down the stairs with Norrington's dinner. Pulling the keys from the pocket of her gown, she unlocked and entered Norrington's cell.
"Antonia, you must stop doing that," he warned.
"I will not be able to check your injuries from outside the cell," she reminded him, setting down the bowl of stew. My future brother and sister- in-law insisted on staying in town for the last few days. I apologize for not coming sooner to see how you fared. Please remove your shirt."
"No apologies are necessary," he said, stripping off waistcoat and shirt. "You have already been kinder to me than I had any right to expect."
Antonia unwrapped the binding around his ribs and prodded gently. "They are healing, but it will be a while yet." She reached up and touched his lips, looking at the cut there. "This is better."
At that moment, a piercing scream echoed through the small space. Norrington and Antonia whirled to see a middle-aged Spanish woman standing on the steps staring at them in disbelief.
Antonia gasped "Senora." but was cut off by the torrent of angry Spanish that poured from the woman's mouth.
Senora Lucia rushed down the remaining steps, reached into the cell and dragged Antonia out by the arm, and dealt her a stinging slap across the face. "Slut!" she screeched. "Shameless slut!"
Alerted by the scream, several men rushed down the stairs. Seeing the cell open and the man inside only half dressed, they came to the same conclusion the older woman had. Norrington could not understand most of the rapid Spanish, but he knew the word for 'whore', which was being spoken repeatedly by the older woman. When the armed sailors ordered him out of his cell, he paused only to pull his shirt on before following. Once out of the cell, they grabbed his arms and hustled him up on deck.
Her face raw from the blows, Antonia stumbled up the stairs, half dragged by Senora Lucia. When they emerged onto the deck, she saw both Captain Natalez and Senor Tomas Valera approaching, concern in their faces. "Lucia, what on earth is happening?" asked Tomas in alarm.
"I found this pig of a slut in the cell with the English soldier! She was in his arms, and he was only half dressed!"
"No!" cried Antonia. "I was seeing to his injuries!"
"Be quiet you viper!" snapped Tomas. "How could you so dishonor my brother as to sneak into the arms of a criminal, an enemy of Spain?"
Captain Natalez spoke sharply. "How is it that the cell is unlocked?"
Lucia saw the bulge in the pocket of Antonia's skirt and pounced. "Ha!" she cried. "The wretched girl stole the keys!"
"We must not allow Rodrigo to marry such a treacherous whore!" stated Tomas firmly. "For surely she would shame him within a fortnight!"
"What of the English dog she crept in to meet?" demanded Lucia. "What of him?"
Captain Natalez studied Norrington. "Commodore," he said in English. "You stand accused of dishonoring Senorita de Salazar."
Norrington stood at attention. "I did not," he stated firmly. Miss de Salazar was kind enough to see to the injuries I received at the hands of your man. I have not touched her in any dishonorable way."
The Captain regarded him. "Oddly enough, Commodore, I believe you. However, it does remain that the girl stole my keys and crept in to meet a man in secret." Switching to Spanish he reported Norrington's protestation of innocence to Tomas and Lucia.
"Hmmph," snorted Lucia. "He may say he did not touch her, but I saw her in his arms. Stupid slut!"
Captain Natalez shrugged. "She can be locked in her cabin for the remainder of the voyage."
"No," stated Lucia. "Let her stay in prison with her lover."
Chapter 13
Jack stood at the helm and looked out over the ocean. Seeing Joseph below him on the main deck, Jack called out to him. "Joseph, come up here, please!"
Joseph climbed the stairs. "Yes, Captain?"
Jack looked at him seriously. "I'd like to thank you for coming to Miss Tracy's aid yesterday. Your intervention was most opportune."
Joseph bowed slightly. "No need to thank me, sir. I dislike seeing women mistreated."
"I'm in your debt, however. If there is anything I can ever do for you, I beg you will remember it."
"Thank you, sir, I will." Catching sight of Annamaria toward the stern of the ship, Joseph watched her as she stopped to speak to one of the sailors.
Jack noticed Joseph's gaze and chuckled. "Have an eye for me second mate, eh?"
Joseph looked quickly at Jack, but saw nothing but amused kindness in his eyes. "That I do, sir. Do you find that impertinent?"
"No, lad. She might, though. Annamaria is a law unto herself."
"She's an admirable woman. She told me her story last night."
"Did she?" Now Jack looked surprised. "She rarely tells anyone. I don't think she's told the full tale even to me."
"If she didn't tell me the full tale, I can't imagine what she'd left out. Fair made my blood boil to be truthful."
Jack gave Joseph an appraising look. "Did it now?" He looked forward again. "Well, now I hope you're not planning on hurting the lass. I'd hate to have to kill you."
Joseph smiled. "Would that be with or without the handkerchief, sir?"
--
The Aldonza was anchored at Port-au-Prince for three days. Norrington was expecting to be taken ashore and turned over to the military garrison there, but it did not happen. Antonia did not visit him for the length of time they were in port, either, so Norrington assumed that she had gone ashore.
On the fourth day, he felt the movement of a ship headed back out to sea. Next port of call, Santo Domingo, if what Antonia had told him was accurate. That should take several days. Captain Natalez would no doubt skirt the southern edge of Hispaniola so to avoid coming too close to Tortuga. Toward evening on that fourth day, Antonia came down the stairs with Norrington's dinner. Pulling the keys from the pocket of her gown, she unlocked and entered Norrington's cell.
"Antonia, you must stop doing that," he warned.
"I will not be able to check your injuries from outside the cell," she reminded him, setting down the bowl of stew. My future brother and sister- in-law insisted on staying in town for the last few days. I apologize for not coming sooner to see how you fared. Please remove your shirt."
"No apologies are necessary," he said, stripping off waistcoat and shirt. "You have already been kinder to me than I had any right to expect."
Antonia unwrapped the binding around his ribs and prodded gently. "They are healing, but it will be a while yet." She reached up and touched his lips, looking at the cut there. "This is better."
At that moment, a piercing scream echoed through the small space. Norrington and Antonia whirled to see a middle-aged Spanish woman standing on the steps staring at them in disbelief.
Antonia gasped "Senora." but was cut off by the torrent of angry Spanish that poured from the woman's mouth.
Senora Lucia rushed down the remaining steps, reached into the cell and dragged Antonia out by the arm, and dealt her a stinging slap across the face. "Slut!" she screeched. "Shameless slut!"
Alerted by the scream, several men rushed down the stairs. Seeing the cell open and the man inside only half dressed, they came to the same conclusion the older woman had. Norrington could not understand most of the rapid Spanish, but he knew the word for 'whore', which was being spoken repeatedly by the older woman. When the armed sailors ordered him out of his cell, he paused only to pull his shirt on before following. Once out of the cell, they grabbed his arms and hustled him up on deck.
Her face raw from the blows, Antonia stumbled up the stairs, half dragged by Senora Lucia. When they emerged onto the deck, she saw both Captain Natalez and Senor Tomas Valera approaching, concern in their faces. "Lucia, what on earth is happening?" asked Tomas in alarm.
"I found this pig of a slut in the cell with the English soldier! She was in his arms, and he was only half dressed!"
"No!" cried Antonia. "I was seeing to his injuries!"
"Be quiet you viper!" snapped Tomas. "How could you so dishonor my brother as to sneak into the arms of a criminal, an enemy of Spain?"
Captain Natalez spoke sharply. "How is it that the cell is unlocked?"
Lucia saw the bulge in the pocket of Antonia's skirt and pounced. "Ha!" she cried. "The wretched girl stole the keys!"
"We must not allow Rodrigo to marry such a treacherous whore!" stated Tomas firmly. "For surely she would shame him within a fortnight!"
"What of the English dog she crept in to meet?" demanded Lucia. "What of him?"
Captain Natalez studied Norrington. "Commodore," he said in English. "You stand accused of dishonoring Senorita de Salazar."
Norrington stood at attention. "I did not," he stated firmly. Miss de Salazar was kind enough to see to the injuries I received at the hands of your man. I have not touched her in any dishonorable way."
The Captain regarded him. "Oddly enough, Commodore, I believe you. However, it does remain that the girl stole my keys and crept in to meet a man in secret." Switching to Spanish he reported Norrington's protestation of innocence to Tomas and Lucia.
"Hmmph," snorted Lucia. "He may say he did not touch her, but I saw her in his arms. Stupid slut!"
Captain Natalez shrugged. "She can be locked in her cabin for the remainder of the voyage."
"No," stated Lucia. "Let her stay in prison with her lover."