Usual disclaimers. phoey!
With this and any following chapters, please remember that most of the conversation will be in French. I don't speak French and am relying on a translator-site for the odd word or two. Any conversations between Oran and Kitty will probably be in English, especially if they are alone.
Does that makes sense? I hope so!
***
January
Despite good winds, it took them nine days to reach the Mississippi Delta. The Black Pearl sat at anchor, hidden in one of the many small bays of the region. Joshamee Gibbs reluctantly took over the Captaincy in the absence of Jack and now Catherine, watching as she climbed down into the small boat that Oran had readied.
"You sure you don't want us to stay Kitty?" he asked, still not too happy with the plan - even if it did make more sense than some of Jack's plans. No, he corrected himself, it made more sense than all of Jack's plans - even if they did work.
"No Joshamee - until we know where Jack is or find some leverage against Lact then there is little point." She smiled up at him. "Just go and ask questions - nice and obviously. I don't want Lact knowing we are onto him so fast." She grinned. "And sink lots of French ships for me, make the bastards pay. okay?"
He nodded reluctantly. "Okay - but you keep safe!"
"Stop fussing old man!" Oran shouted up to him. "You need to sail if you are to be clear of here before daylight!" Pushing off from the Black Pearl, Oran hoist the small sail, steering his small boat towards the mouth of the Mississippi.
"And take on more crew!" Catherine shouted up from the bobbing boat. "We need at least twenty more men - trustworthy and not French!"
"Aye Kitty," Joshamee acknowledged before turning his attention to the Black Pearl. "Weigh anchor!" he ordered. "I want us well away by dawn!"
***
Oran sighed heavily as he watched the Black Pearl sail away before raising his small sail and heading in the opposite direction. They had decided to keep their own names, conscious of making a slip with people listening - except taking their surname from Oran's French mother - Duras. She had left her pearl necklace and earrings onboard as they were too expensive for their new status. Instead, just a simple pendant threaded on a ribbon adorned her neck. Oran thought she looked very pretty in the plain pale green dress, her hair tied simply away from her face. She was nervous, he could tell as she was biting her lip.
"It'll be alright Kitty, we'll find him." She smiled, but her eyes were worried. "Get some sleep - there's nothing but marsh here anyway." He frowned. "And you don't look like you've slept much since you came back either. Just remember to keep your accent terrible and mangle your words and we will be fine!"
Catherine smiled and settled down amongst their baggage in the prow, eventually drifting off to sleep with the gentle rocking of the boat.
She was awoken by the sound of voices speaking fluently in French. Sitting up carefully she looked around. Oran was shouting up to a merchant vessel. "Yes Monsieur, we are headed for New Orleans. It is most kind of you!" Seeing she was awake, Oran switched back to English. "The Captain of the Chouette Blanc has offered us passage on his ship to New Orleans. Come, gather the bags."
Catherine passed the bags up to the hands of the waiting Captain, before accepting his hand herself. Oran climbed swiftly behind her, tying their small boat securely alongside. "Merci Monsieur," she smiled.
The Captain looked at Oran sharply. "My wife is English, Captain Ambazac," he explained. "But she tries her best and is still learning."
"Ah!" He turned back to Catherine, taking her hand and kissing it. "Enchanté Madame," he purred, switching to heavily accented English. "You must come into my cabin and take some wine, the sun is very hot at this time of the year."
He offered his arm, leaving her with no polite recourse except to join him. Oran followed, carrying the baggage, finding that the Captain had already poured three glasses of wine.
The conversation switched back to French. "What brings you to New Orleans, Monsieur Duras?
Oran smiled sadly. "Some might say destinée, although the English would be nearer the truth. When they learned I was French it was time to leave."
"Yet your wife is English?"
"Which annoyed them even more. so we fled. Hopefully my dear Catherine will not be judged as I was by the English." He paused. "A fresh start, so to speak."
Catherine sat quietly sipping her wine, careful to keep her expression neutral and not to react to what she understood of their conversation. She went and sat next to one of the small windows, looking out at the river bank.
"But what will you do?"
Oran sighed, inwardly delighted at the chance to test out their cover story so soon. "I can turn my hand to most things, but I am looking for something ashore. There are times when a man must leave the sea." He let his gaze linger on Catherine. "Perhaps we will find work in a tavern, where I can keep a safe eye on my wife. who knows." He shrugged.
One of the crew tapped on the door. "Captain, we are coming into New Orleans."
Captain Ambazac rose. "Excuse me, I must see to my ship. Please, finish your wine before joining me on deck."
Oran downed his wine in one gulp, walking across to where Catherine sat. Placing one hand on her shoulder he pointed upwards to a broken pane in the skylight - warning that they could be overheard. "Don't worry dear, we will have a better life in New Orleans." he assured her, speaking in English.
She nodded at his signal. "I know," she sighed. "But I am frightened."
"Come on, let us go and see New Orleans." He held his hand out to her, leading her out onto the deck.
***
That is all I have typed at the moment so I probably won't be able to update until at least the end of the week. unless I get a moment of madness and my fingers run away with me.
Thanks for all the new reviews!
With this and any following chapters, please remember that most of the conversation will be in French. I don't speak French and am relying on a translator-site for the odd word or two. Any conversations between Oran and Kitty will probably be in English, especially if they are alone.
Does that makes sense? I hope so!
***
January
Despite good winds, it took them nine days to reach the Mississippi Delta. The Black Pearl sat at anchor, hidden in one of the many small bays of the region. Joshamee Gibbs reluctantly took over the Captaincy in the absence of Jack and now Catherine, watching as she climbed down into the small boat that Oran had readied.
"You sure you don't want us to stay Kitty?" he asked, still not too happy with the plan - even if it did make more sense than some of Jack's plans. No, he corrected himself, it made more sense than all of Jack's plans - even if they did work.
"No Joshamee - until we know where Jack is or find some leverage against Lact then there is little point." She smiled up at him. "Just go and ask questions - nice and obviously. I don't want Lact knowing we are onto him so fast." She grinned. "And sink lots of French ships for me, make the bastards pay. okay?"
He nodded reluctantly. "Okay - but you keep safe!"
"Stop fussing old man!" Oran shouted up to him. "You need to sail if you are to be clear of here before daylight!" Pushing off from the Black Pearl, Oran hoist the small sail, steering his small boat towards the mouth of the Mississippi.
"And take on more crew!" Catherine shouted up from the bobbing boat. "We need at least twenty more men - trustworthy and not French!"
"Aye Kitty," Joshamee acknowledged before turning his attention to the Black Pearl. "Weigh anchor!" he ordered. "I want us well away by dawn!"
***
Oran sighed heavily as he watched the Black Pearl sail away before raising his small sail and heading in the opposite direction. They had decided to keep their own names, conscious of making a slip with people listening - except taking their surname from Oran's French mother - Duras. She had left her pearl necklace and earrings onboard as they were too expensive for their new status. Instead, just a simple pendant threaded on a ribbon adorned her neck. Oran thought she looked very pretty in the plain pale green dress, her hair tied simply away from her face. She was nervous, he could tell as she was biting her lip.
"It'll be alright Kitty, we'll find him." She smiled, but her eyes were worried. "Get some sleep - there's nothing but marsh here anyway." He frowned. "And you don't look like you've slept much since you came back either. Just remember to keep your accent terrible and mangle your words and we will be fine!"
Catherine smiled and settled down amongst their baggage in the prow, eventually drifting off to sleep with the gentle rocking of the boat.
She was awoken by the sound of voices speaking fluently in French. Sitting up carefully she looked around. Oran was shouting up to a merchant vessel. "Yes Monsieur, we are headed for New Orleans. It is most kind of you!" Seeing she was awake, Oran switched back to English. "The Captain of the Chouette Blanc has offered us passage on his ship to New Orleans. Come, gather the bags."
Catherine passed the bags up to the hands of the waiting Captain, before accepting his hand herself. Oran climbed swiftly behind her, tying their small boat securely alongside. "Merci Monsieur," she smiled.
The Captain looked at Oran sharply. "My wife is English, Captain Ambazac," he explained. "But she tries her best and is still learning."
"Ah!" He turned back to Catherine, taking her hand and kissing it. "Enchanté Madame," he purred, switching to heavily accented English. "You must come into my cabin and take some wine, the sun is very hot at this time of the year."
He offered his arm, leaving her with no polite recourse except to join him. Oran followed, carrying the baggage, finding that the Captain had already poured three glasses of wine.
The conversation switched back to French. "What brings you to New Orleans, Monsieur Duras?
Oran smiled sadly. "Some might say destinée, although the English would be nearer the truth. When they learned I was French it was time to leave."
"Yet your wife is English?"
"Which annoyed them even more. so we fled. Hopefully my dear Catherine will not be judged as I was by the English." He paused. "A fresh start, so to speak."
Catherine sat quietly sipping her wine, careful to keep her expression neutral and not to react to what she understood of their conversation. She went and sat next to one of the small windows, looking out at the river bank.
"But what will you do?"
Oran sighed, inwardly delighted at the chance to test out their cover story so soon. "I can turn my hand to most things, but I am looking for something ashore. There are times when a man must leave the sea." He let his gaze linger on Catherine. "Perhaps we will find work in a tavern, where I can keep a safe eye on my wife. who knows." He shrugged.
One of the crew tapped on the door. "Captain, we are coming into New Orleans."
Captain Ambazac rose. "Excuse me, I must see to my ship. Please, finish your wine before joining me on deck."
Oran downed his wine in one gulp, walking across to where Catherine sat. Placing one hand on her shoulder he pointed upwards to a broken pane in the skylight - warning that they could be overheard. "Don't worry dear, we will have a better life in New Orleans." he assured her, speaking in English.
She nodded at his signal. "I know," she sighed. "But I am frightened."
"Come on, let us go and see New Orleans." He held his hand out to her, leading her out onto the deck.
***
That is all I have typed at the moment so I probably won't be able to update until at least the end of the week. unless I get a moment of madness and my fingers run away with me.
Thanks for all the new reviews!