Chapter 34: Before the "t' do"

A sharp knock sounded on the door, causing Jamie's eyes to snap guiltily open. He hadn't even realized he'd been asleep. The knock sounded again, and it finally clicked that the door was still locked; Jack's voice drifted through. "Ye plannin' on stayin' 'ere for long?" Jamie called back, "What's happening?" A muffled laugh sounded, and Jack answered, "Will an' Bella have decided t' crash a noble party, an' were wonderin' if ye would care t' join 'em." Jamie glanced at Louisa, who was starting to wake up; "We might," he asnswered.

Once he heard his father's footsteps leave the front of the door, he woke Louisa completely. "Ye can let me go for a while, ye know, 'less of course you want *your* father t' wake us up?" Louisa sat up, and looked around. She didn't see anything amiss, but glanced at Jamie suspiciously, "What's going on? Who's waking us up?" Jamie laughed, earning a glare from Louisa in the process. "Nothin' like that," he assured her, "We've been invited t' a royal do by Isabelle an' Nine-cat - interested?" Louisa couldn't help a smile at the expression on Jamie's face, "Aye; it'll probably be the last chance t' have a little fun afore we leave anyway."

Isabelle and Will weren't actually back on the ship, and how Jack knew about the party was anyone's guess. The three explorers arrived back on the ship just as Louisa and Jamie emerged on the deck. The plan they concocted suited all of them, and it kept Isabelle and Will from asking what Jamie and Louisa had done on board. Only for a while, though.

Will helped Louisa with her corset, giving him time to question his sister when she didn't have the breath to argue. "Why was it so important t' stay 'ere with *him*?" he asked, not needing to mention any names. The two 'boys' may have become friends, but they were still both protective of their sisters. "It wasn't important, Will; it just gave me a chance to get some sleep." Will responded by jerking the strings tighter, "That doesn't make it sound any better, Cannonfire. Ye can't sleep when Isabelle's around, ye can't sleep when me, or Da is around, and ye can only sleep when Jamie's wi' ye... ye've got me fair confused, dear sister."

Louisa braced herself as the strings tightened, then answered, "Ye think *you're* confused! I can't figure out what's wrong wi' me!" Will grinned, "Ye're getting' ye temper back - is this corset to loose for ye?" Louisa turned and glared at her brother, "Don't you dare, William Turner! It is tight enough, I'll thank ye, an' if ye touch it again, ye'll be leavin' wi' a chair around ye neck!" Will laughed, "I ain't that cruel, Louisa." Louisa watched him leave the room, before muttering darkly, "Beg to differ, dear brother."

Jamie wasn't as tough on Isabelle as Will was on Louisa, but he knew how to get her riled up. "You an' Nine-cat, eh? When's the weddin'? he grinned, and Isabelle resisted the urge to kick him. Hard. "Well, it don't really matter to ye, 'cause ye won't be receivin' an invitation," she answered with a sickly sweet tone. Jamie laughed, "Don't fret, I was only askin'! Anyhow, how'd ye manage t' find out abou' this t' do wi' the high an' mighties?"

Isabelle briefly entertained the idea of stringing him along, but knew that she didn't have the patience for it, and that she'd end up frustrated, while he was as calm as ever. "I ran into one of the men who was at the auction, an' he remembered me. He asked if I still had my purchase, meanin' Maria, and if you still had yours, meanin' Louisa. I said yes to both, an' he asked me t' come t' the party tonight if I had the time, an' t' bring my purchases along. I told him Maria would be stayin' in the hold of the ship, as she was prone t' attmeptin' to escape, but that I would gladly bring along Louisa. I canna refuse an invitation so grand as that, Jamie - it's just not done!" she laughed, seeing Jamie's face expression.

Later, Jamie and Will saw the two girls ready to go. How Isabelle had managed to tame her hair was beyond Jamie, but she had, and it didn't look to bad. All in all, it was a tidy version of Jack's - her hair was out, and it was braided with beads in several different places. Her usual bandana had been replaced with a white silk scarf.

Louisa, on the other hand, had gone a step further. Her had was much the same as Isabelle's, but she'd been careful where to braid her hair, making it look as though bits and pieces were braided, where they weren't. Her hair being out, though, seemed a little wrong to Jamie, and before they left the ship, he made a momentary stop at the crew's quarters.

As the longboat they were in landed, Jamie pressed a small hair-piece into Louisa's hand. It was silver, and in the shape of a butterfly, with blue and green gems embedded into the wings. Grinning, Jamie spoke before Louisa could say anything, "Ye needed something else - the gloves take away too much from yer dress."

"It's beautiful - thank-you, Jamie," she managed after a pause. He shrugged, "It was the least I could do for ye." Noticing that Will and Isabelle had their heads together talking, and were seemingly oblivious to anything else, Jamie stole a quick kiss from Louisa, took the clip, and deftly swept half of her hair up, using the clip to hold it in place. "How'd... how'd you do that?" she asked, and Jamie smiled, "I've had to do my mother's hair a lot, when Da didn't have the time."

Isabelle and Louisa departed from the two guys company, and made their way towards the town hall, where the festivities were going to take place. Jamie and Will knew the plan, and they also knew they had enough time to have a bit of their own fun. They headed towards the tavern Will'd seen earlier, and suddenly found they weren't the only people who'd come to shore. Jack, Ranger, Gibbs, and Maria, were sitting at a table with another two men. Though he hadn't made any indication of knowing the two had entered the room, both Will and Jamie were sure Jack knew they were there. After ordering their drinks, they chose a table close by, and listened.

"*Two* people, under the same agreement we made earlier, for the same price - agreed?" Jack's voice was low, but Jamie and Will had been taught how to eavesdrop. "Hang on a minute - we never said we'd take *two* - we're bein' cheated as it is!" The unfamiliar voice wasn't used to speaking low, and was easier to hear than Jack's. "Shall I remind ye, sir, that I've information that ye could find very interestin'?" The other replied indignantly, "Look, ye know how much I need that info, but I've got to earn a livin' too! 'Tis no good carryin' people, unless ye work in the navy."

There was silence until Ranger spoke, "I'll throw in a bag extra, if only to shut you up. But if she doesn't get there safely, I'll have your head, savvy?" There was a sudden shuffling, and the two glanced up to see Ranger had grabbed one of the men by the neck. The man had said something, but the two hadn't caught it - whatever it was, it had to have been against Maria for Ranger to act so rashly. "Enough, Ranger. She'll get their safely, less they won't be paid. Ye're t' give this letter to the dark woman at the big house when ye get there, and it'll all follow on from there. An' there's no use tryin' t' read the letter, boys, 'cause ye won't understand it!"

Maria spoke for the first time, timidly. "Do I go with these men now?" Ranger had calmed down a lot, because when he spoke, his voice held none of the anger it had moments before, "Yes, Ria. You an' mister Gibbs go with these men, an' then stay with Anamaria an' Elizabeth, ok?" Her reply was simple, "Ok. Then you'll come get me, an' we'll go to Ireland, an' live there forever." It sounded as though it were a promise years old, especially when Ranger answered, "Yes, Ria. That's what we'll do."

Gibbs was the first to stand, and he shook Jack's hand with a grin, "It were nice sailin' wi' ye again, Cap'n. But this trip 'ome is the last adventure I'll be takin'. Give my regards t' the four, won't ye?" he asked meaning Jamie, Will, Louisa, and Isabelle, and Jack nodded. "That I will, Gibbs. Now, make sure ye tell Ana what I told ye, and tell Elizabeth the stowaways are perfectly fine and healthy."

Gibbs and Jack said nothing, before the two strangers started to walk away. Gibbs and Maria followed, as soon as Maria had given Ranger a kiss goodbye. Ranger didn't say anything, and headed to the bar as soon as Maria had gone through the door. Jack walked to where Jamie and Will were sitting, and took a seat opposite. "Ye know, if ye eavesdrop like that again, ye'd be lucky not t' get yer heads punched in. Ye're too blatantly obvious!" Jamie glanced at Will, who shrugged, and looked back at his father. "Really? Or perhaps it was only because ye knew we'd be listenin'? Ye've got a guilty conscience, Da, whether ye like t' admit it or no."

Jack grinned, and sat back in his seat. "The girls are at this t' do, so how's about we go an' have some fun afore we leave Georgia? I'm pretty sure there'll be a lot o' pretty ladies wi' a lot o' pretty purses...."

Jack didn't have to say any more, as both Will and Jamie were on their feet, and Ranger was already heading out the door. Jack was up to something, and this time, Jamie was willing to see what fun would come out of it.