It was well past ten o'clock when Geraldine joined her mother and sister in the kitchen. The pots and kettles, plates and cutlery used for the late dinner had been washed and stowed away in their respective cupboards and drawers and the stove's coals were burning out, leaving just enough heat to prepare a last kettle of tea for the remaining servants.
After the Governor had eaten his dinner he had called for Geraldine. She had hurried upstairs to his study and had knocked timidly on the door, aware of the scolding she would most likely receive. Fortunately, Governor Swann had not been as severe as she had dreaded. He had, however, reminded her that while Mr. Travers' reaction had been somewhat strong he had been absolutely right to admonish her. He had also pointed out that his servants' conduct reflected upon his own and had therefore been quiet adamant that she promise him to never embarrass him in this manner again. Duly chastised, she had given her word and had apologized again before she had been allowed to leave.
The kitchen was barely lit by two oil lamps, which cast the light of their diminished flames upon either end of the long wooden table that took up most of the room. The right hand wall held the stoves as well as an open fireplace where a large kettle could be suspended. On the opposite wall, shelves and cupboards fashioned of dark, sturdy wood stretched from one corner to the other. Across from the door were two windows to either side of the servant entrance beyond which a short flight of stairs let to the gardens.
Except for her mother and Amelia, her younger sister, the kitchen was empty. The two women sat at the far end of the table, steaming cups of tea in their hands and secretive smiles on their faces. When Geraldine entered the kitchen she found both of the women turning towards her.
"So how did it go, my dear?" her mother asked.
"Did he throw you out on the street?" Amelia inquired excitedly. "Or threaten to hang you at the gallows?"
Geraldine smiled indulgently at her ten year old sister. "He did neither, you bloodthirsty brute." She approached her sister and bent down to tickle her mercilessly. Squirming, Amelia tried to fend off her sister's attack, her laughter echoing throughout the room. Eventually Geraldine pushed her sister gently to the side and sat down opposite her mother. She reached for the third teacup which was sitting on the table, but her mother shooed her hand away from the warm beverage.
"That's not for you dear. If you'd like some tea, please get your own cup."
Geraldine looked at her mother and sister askance. "Who else is still awake at this hour?"
Amelia started to giggle. When Geraldine turned towards her sister she caught Amelia throwing an amused glance into the left corner of the kitchen. Geraldine turned around sharply. The corner was thick with shadows and Geraldine could not see who was hiding in the darkness, but there was no need for her to see. She knew exactly who had come by to visit.
"You can come out, you know," she challenged good-naturedly. "There is no need to be afraid of me."
A low, velvet laugh escaped the shadows and drifted into the light. "When we heard footsteps coming down the stairs we could not be sure that it was you." The visitor walked quietly towards the table and sat down next to Geraldine's mother. "It would have been quiet the spectacle if anyone but you and your family would see me here."
Geraldine smiled. "I doubt anyone would recognize you. They think you are a monster. A think of nightmares and shadows."
The visitor shrugged. "Still, one must not draw more attention than necessary. Especially in this town."
"Scared of the Commodore?"
"Oh, he would never be able to catch you, would he?" Amelia chimed in. "You are far too smart for him."
"Quite so, my dear." Geraldine recognized a flicker of…was it doubt? or fear? in deep brown eyes, belying the confidence in the visitor's voice.
"I know why you're here." She blurted out and found those same eyes trained on her.
"Do you, really?" Amusement resounded in the visitor's voice. "Well then, by all means, enlighten me. Why am I hear?"
Geraldine caught the smile that past over her mother's lips as she stood and prepared another cup of tea for herself. "Don't you think you are being a bit rude, Geraldine. We were so enjoying a nice spot of harmless conversation." She rubbed a hand over her aching back and returned to the table. "If you start now on one of your mysteries and adventures again, Amelia will not sleep all night."
Amelia pouted. "Who wants to sleep anyway? I want to see the ship. Can I see the ship?" She turned towards the visitor with a pleading expression on her face and was crestfallen when she received a gentle, but firm denial.
"Not this time. If all goes well I won't be here long. There is something I must find. Something important. And as soon as I found it I shall leave again."
"It won't be easy for you to get your hands on that map." Geraldine said offhandedly.
There was a moment's silence, when Geraldine found herself growing slightly uncomfortable under the suddenly intense gaze of the person opposite her. "You have seen the map?!"
"Yes. A friend of Governor Swann brought it with him."
"Travers." The name was spoken in a soft hiss.
Amelia looked utterly fascinated and hung onto every word of the conversation but Geraldine's mother looked concerned. "I think it's best if we leave you two alone." She raised herself to her feet and ushered a protesting Amelia out the door. "It was a pleasure to see you again," she nodded kindly into the visitor's direction. "You should come by more often. We have missed you," she added more quietly before leaving the kitchen.
"I did not mean to scare anyone away."
Geraldine snickered. "You know how excitable Amelia is. She really won't get a wink of sleep tonight. She'll babble on till morning, telling her dolls that she will be a pirate one day and what wondrous adventures she will have."
There was an odd balance between sadness and pride in the visitor's voice. "Leave her these dreams Geraldine, but I truly hope she will choose a different life when she grows up."
"I haven't heard you talk like that before. Did something happen?"
There was a coldness in the air that made Geraldine shiver and even the quick, easy smile throw her way, could not completely erase the lingering sense of foreboding that crept up on her.
"Not yet," she heard the quiet whisper. Then the visitor straightened. "Now, tell me about this map."
"I saw it in the Governor's study. Got told off for sneaking a look at it, but I saw the star and moon with my own eyes."
"And is it still in the study or did Travers take the map with him?"
Geraldine considered this. "I don't know. But if the map is what I think it is, and Travers knows about it, than I'm sure he won't give it out of his hands."
"Travers knows what the map is. What he does not know is how to use it, yet."
Geraldine gasped. "Are you sure?"
"Yes. He paid a guard to make sure that all of Gareth's possessions disappeared, and then took the map for himself."
"That means that Captain Gareth is…"
"Dead. He was hanged the day before I left London."
"London? Are you mad?" Geraldine shrieked. "What the devil were you doing in England? You could have been seen. You could have been caught!"
The visitor laughed, though the sound was lacking any humour. "It's the hangman's noose for me, whether they catch me in England, the coast of Africa or here in the Caribbean."
Still agitated, Geraldine rose to her feat and finally prepared her own tea, hoping that such a mundane task would calm her nerves. "To think that only a few moments ago you spoke of drawing as little attention to yourself as possible." She sat the cup on the table rather more forcefully than she had intended to, causing half the liquid to spill over the delicate porcelain rim. "Can't you just leave the map where it is? It's far too dangerous. And as you just said the map is of no use to Mr. Travers."
"But Travers is not the only one who wants the map for himself. The Bulldog is after him. That's why he is hiding here."
Geraldine sat down, her nerves in a jitter. "The Bulldog." She swallowed heavily raising a hand to her chest. "He's not coming here, is he? Oh, please tell me that he is not coming here."
"From what I hear he cannot be far behind me. He chased Gareth all the way from the Indies to England and into the arms of the hangman. I doubt that he will consider Travers to be a serious obstacle."
"No he won't" Geraldine put her hands flat on the table to keep them from shaking.
"So you see why I must have the map. And I must take it into my possession quickly. When the Bulldog finds what he is after no one will be safe, Geraldine. I need that map and take it far away from here."
A strange and unexpected resolve manifested itself inside Geraldine. "How will you take the map from Mr. Travers?"
"I cannot simply take it from him. Nobody must know that I have it. You must find it Geraldine. He won't be able to keep it on his person all the time. There must be a safe place where he can hide it if need be. Do you think you could find this place?"
"The safest place would be in the Governor's personal library upstairs. Only he and Edward, his valet, have the key to it, and rumour has it that there is a safe behind one of the shelves. Miranda usually cleans the room once a week under Edward's supervision."
"Could you convince Miranda to yield her place to you this week?"
"Yes, with little difficulty, but what about Edward?"
"I'll take care of that. I will merely need you to tell me when you'll be in the library."
"You want hurt him, won't you?"
The visitor laughed. A full, rich sound borne of genuine amusement. "Of course, I won't. I think you've been hearing too many stories about me lately."
Geraldine smiled sheepishly. "They are getting worse every year. If I had not know you for as long as I did I would have died of fright the second you stepped out of that corner."
"It's settled then. I will be awaiting your word. You can find me aboard the Pinaforte."
The visitor stood and leaned across the table to press a quick kiss to Geraldine's forehead.
"The Pinaforte? But what happened to the Emerald Queen?"
Grinning, the visitor turned around, one hand poised over the doorknob of the servant entrance. "Do you honestly think I would sail the Emerald Queen into Port Royal, right under the nose of your ever vigilant Commodore?"
Geraldine flushed lightly with embarrassment, her gaze on the teacup. "No, that would not be very smart, I suppose."
She looked up to wish her visitor farewell, but the room was already empty.
