Usual disclaimers. blah!
***
Jack smiled, holding her tightly in his arms as they lay quietly in bed together. "That went better than I'd hoped," he admitted. "Th' two of yer managed t' be polite all evenin'!"
"It won't last... you know that!" She sighed, looking up at him.
"P'raps... but at least we've managed one day without havin' t' separate th' two of yer!" Jack leaned down, kissing her nose.
"Well, there's always tomorrow..." she smiled.
Jack could sense her teasing smile in the darkness - not even having to see her face to know it was there. "Well, as yer are awake enough t' have a smart mouth yer can come an' show me what yer remember!" He climbed out of bed, pulling on his trousers.
"Jack!" she protested. "It's the middle of the night!"
"Nah, can't be more than middle watch luv... come on!" Sighing resignedly she reached for her undershift, pulling it on in the darkness before walking out onto the narrow balcony. She looked down at the shadowy garden. "Wrong way luv," he smiled, tilting her head upwards. "Name 'em! East t' west... starting there!" He pointed to a particularly bright star high in the sky.
Catherine looked up into the night sky, missing the movement of the ship from their previous night time lessons. She leaned back against him, smiling as he wrapped his bare arms about her waist. Slowly she began, pointing to each set of stars, naming them all correctly. "Well done luv - not a single one wrong," he smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Guess I'd better ask Theo if we can borrow some of his charts tomorrow an' yer can start learning t' reckon distances an' th' winds..." He turned her round to face him, kissing her deeply as he noticed her shivering in the chill air. "Come on, back t' bed - I think yer need warmin' up!" he grinned. "An' I know just th' thing..."
***
At the other end of the corridor Mary lay quietly in bed next to Theodore watching the shadows from the garden trees flicker across the ceiling. "Theodore, who was Greg?" she asked.
"Eh?" Theodore was half-asleep and not expecting questions.
"Greg - you spoke about your sister not playing since Greg?"
"Oh... um..." He rolled over to face her. "Greg was Cat's first husband - a Lieutenant. He died at sea..."
"I didn't know she had been married before..." Mary pressed, delighted to find her husband talkative.
"They were only married a few years before he was killed... but she's been married to Jack for nearly five years now."
"No children?" she puzzled.
"Cat cannot have children," he sighed sadly.
"Why?" Mary forced her voice to remain calm, not to show her excitement at the news.
"Oh, it was a long time ago... I think she was about twelve. We were living at Portsmouth and Father was showing her around the dockyard. There was an explosion and she was badly hurt - she nearly died." Theodore fidgeted, settling back down to sleep.
"So she will never have children?" For a moment Mary felt a pang of sympathy for her, but it was quickly quashed. This was the perfect way for her to get to Catherine... once she revealed her own pregnancy. She smiled in the darkness.
"No... never," Theodore replied sadly, wondering sleepily why Mary was asking questions about Catherine. "Why?"
"Oh, that's so sad," she smiled secretly as she settled down to sleep. "It must be horrible for her..." She would wait to tell him the news in the morning - she wanted to see Catherine's face when she revealed her pregnancy.
***
Mary waited until the servants had left the room before she spoke, biding her time by studying Catherine. She wore a different dress today, a pale creamy cotton with an embroidered bodice. It looked foreign, cut in a similar style to the green one of last night she noticed enviously, trying to eavesdrop as Jack spoke quietly to her - but she could not catch their conversation.
She smiled, turning to her husband. "Theodore... everyone... I'd like to make an announcement..." Mary paused, waiting until all eyes were on her.
He frowned. "Mary?"
"Theodore... you are going to be a father - I am with child!" She glanced across at Catherine, triumph in her eyes at the expression that met her announcement.
"Wha... are you sure?" he gasped in shocked delight.
"I saw the doctor yesterday and he confirmed it..." she smiled as she held Catherine's gaze triumphantly. Her barb had struck home, and struck deeply.
"Congratulations Mary," Catherine smiled even though her heart sank, barely feeling Jack's reassuring squeeze of her hand. "Papa will be delighted..."
"Yes... we must tell Father!" Theodore rose from the table, taking Mary's hand and leading her up the stairs towards his room.
Jack sighed heavily, waiting until he heard the door close. "You're m' wife Kitty... it doesn't matter t' me that yer can't have children! It never has!"
"She knew Jack... how the hell did she know?" Catherine looked up at him, eyes full of tears. "And she was so bloody smug about it!"
Jack frowned, he had not missed Mary's triumphant look at his wife. "P'raps Theo told her... or yer father... I don't know." He leaned close, kissing her on the lips. "But yer are still m' wife an' twice th' woman she is... savvy?" He tilted her face so she looked at him. "I said savvy?"
"Aye, savvy," she sighed, leaning into his hug.
He kissed her again. "How'd yer feel about getting out of 'ere this morning, eh? Let's go spend some money..." He smiled when she nodded, sniffing loudly. He would watch Mary closely, especially now that she knew the guaranteed way to upset his wife.
***
***
Jack smiled, holding her tightly in his arms as they lay quietly in bed together. "That went better than I'd hoped," he admitted. "Th' two of yer managed t' be polite all evenin'!"
"It won't last... you know that!" She sighed, looking up at him.
"P'raps... but at least we've managed one day without havin' t' separate th' two of yer!" Jack leaned down, kissing her nose.
"Well, there's always tomorrow..." she smiled.
Jack could sense her teasing smile in the darkness - not even having to see her face to know it was there. "Well, as yer are awake enough t' have a smart mouth yer can come an' show me what yer remember!" He climbed out of bed, pulling on his trousers.
"Jack!" she protested. "It's the middle of the night!"
"Nah, can't be more than middle watch luv... come on!" Sighing resignedly she reached for her undershift, pulling it on in the darkness before walking out onto the narrow balcony. She looked down at the shadowy garden. "Wrong way luv," he smiled, tilting her head upwards. "Name 'em! East t' west... starting there!" He pointed to a particularly bright star high in the sky.
Catherine looked up into the night sky, missing the movement of the ship from their previous night time lessons. She leaned back against him, smiling as he wrapped his bare arms about her waist. Slowly she began, pointing to each set of stars, naming them all correctly. "Well done luv - not a single one wrong," he smiled, kissing the top of her head. "Guess I'd better ask Theo if we can borrow some of his charts tomorrow an' yer can start learning t' reckon distances an' th' winds..." He turned her round to face him, kissing her deeply as he noticed her shivering in the chill air. "Come on, back t' bed - I think yer need warmin' up!" he grinned. "An' I know just th' thing..."
***
At the other end of the corridor Mary lay quietly in bed next to Theodore watching the shadows from the garden trees flicker across the ceiling. "Theodore, who was Greg?" she asked.
"Eh?" Theodore was half-asleep and not expecting questions.
"Greg - you spoke about your sister not playing since Greg?"
"Oh... um..." He rolled over to face her. "Greg was Cat's first husband - a Lieutenant. He died at sea..."
"I didn't know she had been married before..." Mary pressed, delighted to find her husband talkative.
"They were only married a few years before he was killed... but she's been married to Jack for nearly five years now."
"No children?" she puzzled.
"Cat cannot have children," he sighed sadly.
"Why?" Mary forced her voice to remain calm, not to show her excitement at the news.
"Oh, it was a long time ago... I think she was about twelve. We were living at Portsmouth and Father was showing her around the dockyard. There was an explosion and she was badly hurt - she nearly died." Theodore fidgeted, settling back down to sleep.
"So she will never have children?" For a moment Mary felt a pang of sympathy for her, but it was quickly quashed. This was the perfect way for her to get to Catherine... once she revealed her own pregnancy. She smiled in the darkness.
"No... never," Theodore replied sadly, wondering sleepily why Mary was asking questions about Catherine. "Why?"
"Oh, that's so sad," she smiled secretly as she settled down to sleep. "It must be horrible for her..." She would wait to tell him the news in the morning - she wanted to see Catherine's face when she revealed her pregnancy.
***
Mary waited until the servants had left the room before she spoke, biding her time by studying Catherine. She wore a different dress today, a pale creamy cotton with an embroidered bodice. It looked foreign, cut in a similar style to the green one of last night she noticed enviously, trying to eavesdrop as Jack spoke quietly to her - but she could not catch their conversation.
She smiled, turning to her husband. "Theodore... everyone... I'd like to make an announcement..." Mary paused, waiting until all eyes were on her.
He frowned. "Mary?"
"Theodore... you are going to be a father - I am with child!" She glanced across at Catherine, triumph in her eyes at the expression that met her announcement.
"Wha... are you sure?" he gasped in shocked delight.
"I saw the doctor yesterday and he confirmed it..." she smiled as she held Catherine's gaze triumphantly. Her barb had struck home, and struck deeply.
"Congratulations Mary," Catherine smiled even though her heart sank, barely feeling Jack's reassuring squeeze of her hand. "Papa will be delighted..."
"Yes... we must tell Father!" Theodore rose from the table, taking Mary's hand and leading her up the stairs towards his room.
Jack sighed heavily, waiting until he heard the door close. "You're m' wife Kitty... it doesn't matter t' me that yer can't have children! It never has!"
"She knew Jack... how the hell did she know?" Catherine looked up at him, eyes full of tears. "And she was so bloody smug about it!"
Jack frowned, he had not missed Mary's triumphant look at his wife. "P'raps Theo told her... or yer father... I don't know." He leaned close, kissing her on the lips. "But yer are still m' wife an' twice th' woman she is... savvy?" He tilted her face so she looked at him. "I said savvy?"
"Aye, savvy," she sighed, leaning into his hug.
He kissed her again. "How'd yer feel about getting out of 'ere this morning, eh? Let's go spend some money..." He smiled when she nodded, sniffing loudly. He would watch Mary closely, especially now that she knew the guaranteed way to upset his wife.
***
