Chapter 26: Buying from the heart
Morgan moved Louisa into a room with another twenty or so girls. They were under strict instruction to 'pretty the little lady up' before the sale. It wouldn't have been so bad, thought Louisa, except that *all* of the others tried to add their own finishing touches. In the end, when Morgan returned, he requested three of the elder girls fix what the collective group had done.
The overall result wasn't too bad. Her hair was swept up into a complicated-looking French twist (Genevieve had told her afterwards what it was), her face was made up, hiding the darker complexion she'd gained from so many days in the sun. She'd been given an entirely new dress to wear - it was deep blue silk, cut to a simple, but very revealing, neckline, which was lined in fine French lace, and held up by the extra layer of whalebone corset. The skirt was full length, and fell in folds to the ground, held out only by the skirt of her underdress.
Genevieve showed Louisa to a full-length mirror to show her the final look. Louisa knew then why her mother hated corsets with a passion - she could hardly breathe, and was forced to walk in very small steps. Not good for someone wanting to make a fast-getaway. Perhaps, thought Louisa idly to herself, that was the whole point. "What happens to us tonight?" she asked the French girl, who was about to walk out of the room. Genevieve smiled sadly, "You get sold to the highest bidder, outfit included - though many men who buy the girls give the dress to their wives. They get a bargain that way, you see - a dress and a servant for the price of one."
Louisa nodded, "Oh," was all she managed to say. Genevieve brightened considerably, "But many men buy the girls as their mistresses - they're spoiled and practically set free. Some girls have even been known to marry their masters," she said, thinking she'd said the right thing. Louisa tried to smiled back, but found she could barely force it. Genevieve didn't seem to notice, though, and for that, Louisa was glad. She turned back to the mirror - where are you, Da? she thought to herself, any of you?
*****
Jamie took a swim back to the Pearl, returning with another longboat, plus a leather bag of gold pieces. Isabelle was feeling a lot better than what she had been, the pain in her side subsided to barely more than a light throbbing feeling every once in a while. Will was obviously a little spooked by the whole thing, and shot an occasional glance in Isabelle's direction. Isabelle insisted she was feeling well enough to go to the auction, and neither Will nor Jamie could change her mind.
And so, they were waiting at the right place, at the right time, with a large group of other's waiting to be taken to the auction site. It was a very strict place to be - people were watched carefully, inspected both physically and from a distance - before they were allowed to enter the room.
It was substantially larger than the site of the first auction, and was already almost filled when the three entered. There were three empty seats in the center of the room, and they took them before anyone else could. It had a good view of the platform, and they could see the auctioneer clearly, which meant they'd be able to see the people on display.
Isabelle sat center, finding once again that she was one of only three other women in the room. "What exactly did Da say, Jamie?" she asked in an undertone. Jamie glanced over his shoulder as he stretched, looking to make sure no one would overhear. Finally, he answered, "He said to buy Louisa back, no matter what the cost, and get you two back to the Pearl. I saw Bootstrap when I left the prison, an' he an' Will are goin' t' get Da out o' prison, aye?" Isabelle didn't look convinced. "Ye spent almost two hours away from us, Jamie, an' that was all ye were told? Ye ain't cut out t' be a liar, dear brother," she said, causing Jamie to look insulted.
"Isabelle, ye know ver' well I can't lie t' ye - an' I'm not lying, I swear," he retorted. Isabelle raised her eyebrows, "Aye? Will ye swear on Louisa's head?" she asked coyly. Jamie said nothing, only turned in his seat so he was facing the front of the room, his long hair hiding the pinkish tinge his ears had acquired. Isabelle said nothing more, just crossed her arms and sat with a smug look on her face. Will tried to keep himself from laughing at his two friends.
It wasn't long before the room was filled, and the auction began. The first few items were simple - a few treasure chests, a few more swords - similar to the one Isabelle had bought - and Jamie found himself beginning to get anxious. Finally, the auctioneer signaled to the man standing at the still-open door, and within seconds, the door was closed, and bolted. The auctioneer cleared his throat, and started.
"Now we have what most of you are here for - the sale of the young lads and lasses, complete with fancy outfits. Each young one to come out onto the platform has a number, and once a purchase has been made, the purchaser is to come to me. Once you have paid, in full, I will give you a card with that number on it. Once the auction has concluded, you may collect your purchases from the original auction room any time before tomorrow night. Any uncollected purchases will be re-auctioned, and no refunds will be given. Let the auction begin," he finished, nodding to a man at the edge of the platform.
He opened the door, and a young girl walked to the center of the platform. Isabelle felt her breath catch in her throat - the girl couldn't have been more than 10! Jamie felt his sister stiffen in her chair, but merely squeezed her hand. It wasn't until the bids started coming loud and fast that he spoke, "Ye canna do anything, Isabelle. We may only have enough to buy Louisa back - ye canna buy every young person they bring onto the market," he finished, noticing the tears beginning to build up. She nodded, "Aye, I know, Jamie. But it makes me feel so sad - they're children. They should be having fun with their families, not being sold as slaves!" Jamie nodded in agreement, "Aye, that they should. But ye canna save every person in the world, Isabelle. It will be enough for us to save Louisa an' Da in this town."
The slam of the auctioneers mallet finished the sale; the young girl had been sold for almost 100 gold pieces, to a man of about 50. Isabelle felt the leather pouch sewn to the underside of her dress - she still had between 200 and 300 gold pieces left. It wouldn't be asking too much if she saved one of the children, would it? Deciding to wait until after they'd safely bought back Louisa, Isabelle promised herself she would try and save one of the children, had she any money left - provided they were still bringing them out then.
There didn't appear to be any order with the auction. It seemed that different traders had all of their 'merchandise' appear at once, and another would start. There were people being sold of every race imaginable - Chinese, German, African, English, Irish (to name just a few) - and every class. It was clear how the prices marked. People who were buying slaves to work bought the lower-class people. The higher-class people were sold mainly to men who wanted a mistress, or a companion. The children were sold to almost anyone, but white children fetched a far-higher price.
Isabelle was almost beginning to give up hope that Louisa would actually be brought out, when the door opened yet again. Louisa was the third girl in her section, and it was easy to see that it was these girls who attracted the highest prices. Every man in the room was on edge, had been on edge since the first girl had walked out. Next to her, Isabelle felt Jamie stiffen slightly at Louisa's appearance. Louisa could have passed as a member of the English Royal Family quite easily, though it was clear she was as nervous as anything.
The bidding started at 100 gold, and rose incredibly higher. Isabelle hadn't thought to ask Jamie how many gold pieces, or equivalent, he had, and now she was genuinely worried. Finally the bidding slowed in pace, and Isabelle listened intently - to her surprise, it was close to 600 gold pieces! Jamie didn't appear to be doing anything but watching, but Isabelle knew every fibre of his attention was diverted to the platform, the auctioneer, and that every muscle in his body was tense.
The bidding lowered to two bidders, each vying for the top price. When several minutes passed, without a word being spoken, the auctioneer started his final countdown. It's now or never, thought Jamie to himself. "1000 gold pieces, or equivalent!" he called out, startling Isabelle almost off her chair. Will hadn't been paying much attention to Jamie, only listening to the auctioneer, and watching his sister, but now he, along with the rest of the room, looked towards Jamie. Jamie merely grinned.
The 'owner' of the girls was standing near the stage, and he poked the auctioneer in the leg to remind him that the auction wasn't over. Nodding, he started his countdown again. Jamie waited, nervously, as the auctioneer spoke, "Going once... going twice... one thousand gold pieces, or equivalent, ladies and gentlemen... going thrice... last call at one thousand... sold! To the young lad in the center. Come down and collect your card, please sir."
Jamie made his way to the front, releasing the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He carried the leather bag with him, knowing payment was expected at that moment. He'd bid everything, the whole thing, on the chance that the other man wouldn't rise above 1000 gold or equivalent. The truth was, the leather bag probably held more than 1000 once it had all been counted, and the gems sold on, but it wouldn't be any good bidding on chance.
He tipped the bag onto the Hessian counting rack, and waited while they proved his worth. In the end, after discussion with the 'owner' of the girls, they handed him back the two small diamonds and the small handful of rubies that had been in the bag. "You've paid too much, sir. I hope you will accept this repayment with our thanks," said the auctioneer quiet enough so the rest of the crowd wouldn't hear. He handed over a piece of card, which had the combination M3 scrawled onto it. "M3... how will I know the girl I collect will be the one I paid for?" Jamie asked, trying not to sound too suspicious. The auctioneer motioned to the 'owner', who led Louisa over, and held the soft side of her wrist out for him to see. Tattooed into the skin was the combination, M3.
Jamie nodded, trying not to look at Louisa's face, and smiled, "Thank you, sirs. I hate to pay a large amount of money for something, only to be given a fake in return." Both auctioneer and 'owner' laughed, before Louisa was led off the platform, and the auction continued. Jamie took his time going back to his seat, and was shocked to see Will pass him in the aisle. "What?" he asked, but Will only shrugged, "Ask your sister," he called back as they passed. Returning to his seat, he looked at Isabelle questioningly. She only nodded towards the stage where a young girl was standing. She looked to be about 12, or 13, and was almost as dark as Jamie and Isabelle, though she would reach that colour easily with a few days in the sun.
"Isabelle! What did ye do that for? We've enough problems as it is about getting out of this goddamn place safely!" he said, as much under his breath as possible. Isabelle only raised her eyebrows, "You leave me and my business alone, James Sparrow. I'm not completely daft - an' ye did say ye wished we had an extra pair o' hands t' help, aye?" Knowing it was impossible to argue with his sister when she had her mind set to something, Jamie sighed, took his seat, and waited in silence until the auction was over. The whole time, he was thinking, what the hell do we do now?
Morgan moved Louisa into a room with another twenty or so girls. They were under strict instruction to 'pretty the little lady up' before the sale. It wouldn't have been so bad, thought Louisa, except that *all* of the others tried to add their own finishing touches. In the end, when Morgan returned, he requested three of the elder girls fix what the collective group had done.
The overall result wasn't too bad. Her hair was swept up into a complicated-looking French twist (Genevieve had told her afterwards what it was), her face was made up, hiding the darker complexion she'd gained from so many days in the sun. She'd been given an entirely new dress to wear - it was deep blue silk, cut to a simple, but very revealing, neckline, which was lined in fine French lace, and held up by the extra layer of whalebone corset. The skirt was full length, and fell in folds to the ground, held out only by the skirt of her underdress.
Genevieve showed Louisa to a full-length mirror to show her the final look. Louisa knew then why her mother hated corsets with a passion - she could hardly breathe, and was forced to walk in very small steps. Not good for someone wanting to make a fast-getaway. Perhaps, thought Louisa idly to herself, that was the whole point. "What happens to us tonight?" she asked the French girl, who was about to walk out of the room. Genevieve smiled sadly, "You get sold to the highest bidder, outfit included - though many men who buy the girls give the dress to their wives. They get a bargain that way, you see - a dress and a servant for the price of one."
Louisa nodded, "Oh," was all she managed to say. Genevieve brightened considerably, "But many men buy the girls as their mistresses - they're spoiled and practically set free. Some girls have even been known to marry their masters," she said, thinking she'd said the right thing. Louisa tried to smiled back, but found she could barely force it. Genevieve didn't seem to notice, though, and for that, Louisa was glad. She turned back to the mirror - where are you, Da? she thought to herself, any of you?
*****
Jamie took a swim back to the Pearl, returning with another longboat, plus a leather bag of gold pieces. Isabelle was feeling a lot better than what she had been, the pain in her side subsided to barely more than a light throbbing feeling every once in a while. Will was obviously a little spooked by the whole thing, and shot an occasional glance in Isabelle's direction. Isabelle insisted she was feeling well enough to go to the auction, and neither Will nor Jamie could change her mind.
And so, they were waiting at the right place, at the right time, with a large group of other's waiting to be taken to the auction site. It was a very strict place to be - people were watched carefully, inspected both physically and from a distance - before they were allowed to enter the room.
It was substantially larger than the site of the first auction, and was already almost filled when the three entered. There were three empty seats in the center of the room, and they took them before anyone else could. It had a good view of the platform, and they could see the auctioneer clearly, which meant they'd be able to see the people on display.
Isabelle sat center, finding once again that she was one of only three other women in the room. "What exactly did Da say, Jamie?" she asked in an undertone. Jamie glanced over his shoulder as he stretched, looking to make sure no one would overhear. Finally, he answered, "He said to buy Louisa back, no matter what the cost, and get you two back to the Pearl. I saw Bootstrap when I left the prison, an' he an' Will are goin' t' get Da out o' prison, aye?" Isabelle didn't look convinced. "Ye spent almost two hours away from us, Jamie, an' that was all ye were told? Ye ain't cut out t' be a liar, dear brother," she said, causing Jamie to look insulted.
"Isabelle, ye know ver' well I can't lie t' ye - an' I'm not lying, I swear," he retorted. Isabelle raised her eyebrows, "Aye? Will ye swear on Louisa's head?" she asked coyly. Jamie said nothing, only turned in his seat so he was facing the front of the room, his long hair hiding the pinkish tinge his ears had acquired. Isabelle said nothing more, just crossed her arms and sat with a smug look on her face. Will tried to keep himself from laughing at his two friends.
It wasn't long before the room was filled, and the auction began. The first few items were simple - a few treasure chests, a few more swords - similar to the one Isabelle had bought - and Jamie found himself beginning to get anxious. Finally, the auctioneer signaled to the man standing at the still-open door, and within seconds, the door was closed, and bolted. The auctioneer cleared his throat, and started.
"Now we have what most of you are here for - the sale of the young lads and lasses, complete with fancy outfits. Each young one to come out onto the platform has a number, and once a purchase has been made, the purchaser is to come to me. Once you have paid, in full, I will give you a card with that number on it. Once the auction has concluded, you may collect your purchases from the original auction room any time before tomorrow night. Any uncollected purchases will be re-auctioned, and no refunds will be given. Let the auction begin," he finished, nodding to a man at the edge of the platform.
He opened the door, and a young girl walked to the center of the platform. Isabelle felt her breath catch in her throat - the girl couldn't have been more than 10! Jamie felt his sister stiffen in her chair, but merely squeezed her hand. It wasn't until the bids started coming loud and fast that he spoke, "Ye canna do anything, Isabelle. We may only have enough to buy Louisa back - ye canna buy every young person they bring onto the market," he finished, noticing the tears beginning to build up. She nodded, "Aye, I know, Jamie. But it makes me feel so sad - they're children. They should be having fun with their families, not being sold as slaves!" Jamie nodded in agreement, "Aye, that they should. But ye canna save every person in the world, Isabelle. It will be enough for us to save Louisa an' Da in this town."
The slam of the auctioneers mallet finished the sale; the young girl had been sold for almost 100 gold pieces, to a man of about 50. Isabelle felt the leather pouch sewn to the underside of her dress - she still had between 200 and 300 gold pieces left. It wouldn't be asking too much if she saved one of the children, would it? Deciding to wait until after they'd safely bought back Louisa, Isabelle promised herself she would try and save one of the children, had she any money left - provided they were still bringing them out then.
There didn't appear to be any order with the auction. It seemed that different traders had all of their 'merchandise' appear at once, and another would start. There were people being sold of every race imaginable - Chinese, German, African, English, Irish (to name just a few) - and every class. It was clear how the prices marked. People who were buying slaves to work bought the lower-class people. The higher-class people were sold mainly to men who wanted a mistress, or a companion. The children were sold to almost anyone, but white children fetched a far-higher price.
Isabelle was almost beginning to give up hope that Louisa would actually be brought out, when the door opened yet again. Louisa was the third girl in her section, and it was easy to see that it was these girls who attracted the highest prices. Every man in the room was on edge, had been on edge since the first girl had walked out. Next to her, Isabelle felt Jamie stiffen slightly at Louisa's appearance. Louisa could have passed as a member of the English Royal Family quite easily, though it was clear she was as nervous as anything.
The bidding started at 100 gold, and rose incredibly higher. Isabelle hadn't thought to ask Jamie how many gold pieces, or equivalent, he had, and now she was genuinely worried. Finally the bidding slowed in pace, and Isabelle listened intently - to her surprise, it was close to 600 gold pieces! Jamie didn't appear to be doing anything but watching, but Isabelle knew every fibre of his attention was diverted to the platform, the auctioneer, and that every muscle in his body was tense.
The bidding lowered to two bidders, each vying for the top price. When several minutes passed, without a word being spoken, the auctioneer started his final countdown. It's now or never, thought Jamie to himself. "1000 gold pieces, or equivalent!" he called out, startling Isabelle almost off her chair. Will hadn't been paying much attention to Jamie, only listening to the auctioneer, and watching his sister, but now he, along with the rest of the room, looked towards Jamie. Jamie merely grinned.
The 'owner' of the girls was standing near the stage, and he poked the auctioneer in the leg to remind him that the auction wasn't over. Nodding, he started his countdown again. Jamie waited, nervously, as the auctioneer spoke, "Going once... going twice... one thousand gold pieces, or equivalent, ladies and gentlemen... going thrice... last call at one thousand... sold! To the young lad in the center. Come down and collect your card, please sir."
Jamie made his way to the front, releasing the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He carried the leather bag with him, knowing payment was expected at that moment. He'd bid everything, the whole thing, on the chance that the other man wouldn't rise above 1000 gold or equivalent. The truth was, the leather bag probably held more than 1000 once it had all been counted, and the gems sold on, but it wouldn't be any good bidding on chance.
He tipped the bag onto the Hessian counting rack, and waited while they proved his worth. In the end, after discussion with the 'owner' of the girls, they handed him back the two small diamonds and the small handful of rubies that had been in the bag. "You've paid too much, sir. I hope you will accept this repayment with our thanks," said the auctioneer quiet enough so the rest of the crowd wouldn't hear. He handed over a piece of card, which had the combination M3 scrawled onto it. "M3... how will I know the girl I collect will be the one I paid for?" Jamie asked, trying not to sound too suspicious. The auctioneer motioned to the 'owner', who led Louisa over, and held the soft side of her wrist out for him to see. Tattooed into the skin was the combination, M3.
Jamie nodded, trying not to look at Louisa's face, and smiled, "Thank you, sirs. I hate to pay a large amount of money for something, only to be given a fake in return." Both auctioneer and 'owner' laughed, before Louisa was led off the platform, and the auction continued. Jamie took his time going back to his seat, and was shocked to see Will pass him in the aisle. "What?" he asked, but Will only shrugged, "Ask your sister," he called back as they passed. Returning to his seat, he looked at Isabelle questioningly. She only nodded towards the stage where a young girl was standing. She looked to be about 12, or 13, and was almost as dark as Jamie and Isabelle, though she would reach that colour easily with a few days in the sun.
"Isabelle! What did ye do that for? We've enough problems as it is about getting out of this goddamn place safely!" he said, as much under his breath as possible. Isabelle only raised her eyebrows, "You leave me and my business alone, James Sparrow. I'm not completely daft - an' ye did say ye wished we had an extra pair o' hands t' help, aye?" Knowing it was impossible to argue with his sister when she had her mind set to something, Jamie sighed, took his seat, and waited in silence until the auction was over. The whole time, he was thinking, what the hell do we do now?
