Usual disclaimers – and I'm an hour out too!

Thank you all for your kind words and encouragement – it really does help.

Hilary, thank you for thinking up 'port officers'  I had a total blank out when typing this.

Lady Skywalker, your review made me laugh at a point when I really needed one – thank you  XX

Elven-fae & Sakhara, you will find out what Brown is up to in this chapter…….

Rochdur, I'm mostly sympathetic to Will to get up Hils nose! ;)  Plus the fact I like the whelp.

Trella, KK & Mrs. Depp (you wish), I'm glad you are all still enjoying the story.

Linnie, thanks for your reviewing and ideas.

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Chapter 46

It was mid-morning the following day before either crew were sober enough to sail and Maddy found herself treading on tiptoe around Jack as he grumped and growled about the slightest noise.

'You must be getting old love,' Maddy teased, ducking as a rolled up map came hurling her way.

'I ain't getting' old, that rum was too young, hadn't matured enough.'  Jack pouted at Maddy, then bent over to pick his boots off the floor, groaning as he got up again.  'Here luv, help me put these on.  Oh bugger, ya can't can ya?'  Jack sat wearily in his chair and carefully pulled his boots on, trying not to move his head too much.  'I reckon we should be all right ter go into Nassau port, I don't fancy havin' ter row in again.'

'Hmmm, I don't know Jack, it's best to be safe than sorry.'  Maddy ruffled Jack's hair, then bent to kiss him, tasting stale rum in his mouth.  'Oh yuk, Jack,' Maddy grimaced, then ran as Jack sprang up and chased her out of the cabin, hangover forgotten about.  Maddy almost collided with Will, who had come over to see if The Pearl was ready to make sail.

'Ah William, my dear boy, y'all set?'  Jack threw an arm around Will's shoulder and led him to the helm.

'Aye Jack, all set, are you sure about coming to Nassau?'

'Bloody hell whelp, don't you start.'  Jack shook his head, then propelled Will back towards him own ship.  'Go on then mate, we ain't got all day.'

Will glanced at Maddy, then swung over to The Thistle, issuing orders to raise the anchor.

The two ships arrived at Nassau port by late afternoon, thanks largely to a strong following wind.  Jack decided to dock in the port, and weighed anchor on the opposite site to Will's mooring berth, not wanting to make things bad for his friend if there should happen to be any trouble. 

'Eb, ya know t'code, first sign o'trouble, leg it.  Me an' Madalene'll look after ourselves, savvy?  'An don't stand any nonsense from her,' Jack nodded towards Rebecca, who scowled at him.  'If necessary, throw her in t'brig.'  Jack grinned broadly and winked at his passenger, laughing as she stomped off below, indignantly.

'Aye Cap'n,' sighed Eb, heavily, he hoped he'd never have to abandon Jack and Maddy, but knew Jack would give him hell if ever The Black Pearl were captured, and he really didn't want to baby-sit the impossible young woman, who infuriated him beyond measure.

Jack swung over the ships side and joined Maddy in the boat, taking up the oars.  'Can't wait ter see t'old lady again,' he grinned.

'Hmmm, it seems I have a rival don't I?  Maddy smiled at Jack, who nodded vigorously.  She turned and looked towards the docks, spotting Will waiting for them. 'I hope we don't run into the harbourmaster.'  Maddy had put on a wide brimmed hat, that covered her face if she pulled if down far enough.

'Stop frettin' luv, ya look slightly different than ya did that night, so he won't recognise ya, savvy?'  Jack shook his head at his wifes' worrying.

'No, but he might recognise you Jack.'  Maddy stood carefully in the boat, as Will tied them to the dock, then yelped in surprise as Will scooped her out of the boat and placed her down on firm ground.  'Thank you Will,' she smiled, glancing sideways at Jack, who looked like thunder.

'Yes thank you Will,' Jack snarled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.  He pointedly took Maddy's arm in his, and started up the lane, towards Esme Davies' house.  The comment was either ignored by Will, or went over his head, for he walked easily alongside Maddy, chattering as they went, greeting people he had come to know in his short time in the area.

Maddy felt uncomfortable with both the atmosphere between the two men, and the looks they were all getting from the townsfolk, so was extremely relived to see Esme's house appear in view, with the woman herself waiting at the gate, waving to them.

'Esme, luv!'  Jack let go of Maddy's arm and strode quickly to the gate, swinging it open, and picking Esme up and swinging her around, eliciting squeals of shock and delight from the old woman.

'Put me down, you rogue,' She laughed, clutching onto Jack's arm as he put her back down gently.  'How are you Jack, I couldn't believe it when Will told me what had happened to you.'

'I'm fine luv, all the better fer seeing your lovely face.'  Jack cupped Esme's face in his hands and kissed her cheek gently.

'Hello Will, Maddy.  Oh dear.'  Esme's face fell as she saw Maddy's arm in a sling, 'You two have been in the wars, haven't you?  Come on in, and tell me all about it.'  She led the way to the house, nodding at Fellowes, the butler, who was holding the door open for them.

********

'I still don't agree with it David,' Matthew Brown snarled, casting evil glances towards The Black Pearl across the harbour.

'Does Will tell you who you can and cannot be friends with?'  David Masterton was growing weary of his friend's harping about Jack Sparrow.  Will had promoted David to quartermaster of The Rose, trusting him enough to keep an eye on the new captain Will had appointed, and David had been enjoying a nice relaxing shore leave, waiting for The Thistle to return, but now his peace was ended and his patience growing increasingly thin.

'He'll have us pirating ships before you know it David, you mark my words.  Then there's what he did to my Jeremy, throwing off the ship like that, literally.'

'Haven't you ever asked yourself what Jeremy was doing on The Black Pearl in the first place Matt?'  David Masterton folded his arms, waiting for the excuses, which to his surprise never came.

'Yes well, that's neither here nor there,' Brown shifted on his feet, remembering the huge row he'd had with his son, when he found out that Jeremy had joined the crew of the pirate ship, albeit temporarily.  'Sparrow's a villain of the worst kind, an' he has no place to be docking here in Nassau, especially after he sacked it, twice.  He turned on his heels and strode towards the harbourmasters house purposefully.  'No place at all,' he muttered out loud, to no-one in particular.

'Wait, where are you going?'  David ran to catch Matthew up, suddenly feeling very uneasy.

'Where d'you think?  I'm going to find out what the port authorities tend to do about Sparrow and that bloody ship.'  Brown shrugged David's restraining hand off his arm, and rapped on the door, not noticing David turning on his heels and running up the street.

The harbourmaster opened the door a little way, then wider when he saw Matthew Brown standing there.  'Matt, come in, come in. I was just having a tot of rum, care to join me?'

'Aye don't mind if I do.'  Matthew went and sat in one of the easy chairs, downing the rum in one when it had been handed to him.  'What are you going to do about that pirate ship?'

'Well, he's flying a flag of truce, and he's caused no trouble here lately, so I don't see what I can do.  I don't like it any more than you Matt,' the harbourmaster shrugged, looking exasperated.

'What if I tell you he has a hold full of booty?  They had a party on board last night, with some o'my crew, and let's just say tongues were loosened by a lot of drinking.'

'Has he now?'  The harbourmaster looked through the window at the dark ship, anchored in his port.  'Well, I'd say that changes a lot Matt.  I'll organise my men, and go and search the ship right now.'  He downed his drink, and set off to organise his men to go and arrest Jack and Maddy, excited at the thought of another pirate's name to his list.

************

Jack covered his pistol at the sound of a commotion in the hallway of Esme Davies' house and frowned when one of Will's men came bursting through the door, followed by a very agitated Fellowes.

'Captain Sparrow, you have to leave now, Matt Brown is going to turn you in,' David Masterton panted, out of breath from running up the lane.

'WHAT?  Bloody hell, c'mon Madalene, time ter go.'  Jack helped Maddy to her feet and shrugged at Esme, 'Sorry luv.'  Jack's head spun around on hearing a heavy pounding on the front door, his beads and braids hitting him in the face.

'Quickly, out the back, there's an alleyway that leads up the hill, then to the clifftop.  You'll have to swim to The Pearl though,' Esme pushed Jack and Maddy towards the French windows leading to her garden.

'I can't swim.'  Maddy looked at Jack, panic stricken.

Esme stopped and thought quickly for a moment.  'Go Jack, I'll pretend Maddy is my niece and that Will has brought her from Cuba, where she is a teacher.'  Esme gave Jack a shove towards the doors, worried that he was taking too long to leave.

Jack locked eyes with Maddy, then turned and ran down the garden, climbed a tree with ease and dropped out of sight, looking in both directions and sighing with relief when he spied no-one, then Jack ran up the alley praying Maddy wouldn't be found out as he went.

Maddy fought to calm herself before the house became full of port officers.  She clenched her fist anxiously, as the harbourmaster approached them, looking suspiciously at her.

'Mrs Davies, you might well be advised to choose your company more carefully in future.  Might I enquire as to who this is?'

'This is my niece, Jane Smith, she is staying with me for a while, Jane, this is Adam Wood, harbourmaster of Nassau port.'  Esme hoped she sounded more composed than she felt.

'H-hello, Mr Wood, pleased to make your acquaintance.'  Maddy shook his outstretched hand, noting that he tried to look if she had a brand on her wrist.

'A pleasure Mrs Smith, what did you do to your arm?'

'I fell and broke it a few weeks ago, it's taking some time to mend unfortunately.'  Maddy wondered where Jack had got to by now.

'Mr Wood, I cannot understand why you are doing this, Jack Sparrow means no trouble.'  Will looked Wood in the eyes, wondering why there was suddenly a problem.

'Well Captain Turner, I've had word that The Black Pearl has a hold full of booty.'  Adam Wood held Will's gaze, trying to read the younger man's thoughts.

'Do you really think he'd be stupid enough to come into a port such as Nassau, if he had?'

'We'll see, we'll see.'  The harbourmaster looked at Maddy again, trying to think where he'd seen her before.  'All right men, move out, search everywhere, I don't want Sparrow to escape.'  He vacated Esme Davies' house, with an apology to the old woman, then sent his men in various directions, including, Maddy noted with dismay, towards the clifftop.

'Right, come on Maddy, we'll have to go now.'  Will led her out of the door, smiling apologetically to Esme.  'I'm sorry this has happened.'

'Pish, you just make sure she gets back to Jack.'  Esme kissed Maddy on the cheek, then waved them off as they sped down the lane, trying not to look as if they were in a hurry, unaware that they were being watched.

'Who would have reported Jack?'  Maddy felt giddy with worry and her shoulder was throbbing.

'I've a pretty good idea Maddy, and I'll kill him when I find out for sure.'  Will's voice was hard and cold, sounding nothing like Will at all and Maddy looked at him in shock.

'Who?'  She smiled at some port men, who were watching them suspiciously.

'Matthew Brown, you might know his son, Jeremy as well, he was thrown off The Pearl.'

'Oh yes, that little charmer, he mistook me for the ships whore.  You can imagine Jack's reaction to that.'  Maddy stopped dead as she saw that the docks were full of marines and harbour officials.  'What are we going to do Will?'

'We'll go over to The Thistle on the premise that you have some luggage you want bringing ashore, after that, I haven't worked it out yet.  Are you sure you can't swim with your arm?'  Will cast a worried glance around the harbour.

Maddy shook her head, despondently.

'All right, you'll just have to pretend you're Esme's niece for now.

'But your crew all know me, and that includes Brown.'

Will swore, his mind in a whir trying to think what to do next.  He groaned as he saw The Pearl's sails unfurl and the starboard gun ports open.  'Well, that's one less thing to worry about, at least we know Jack got on board safely.  Come on.'  Will jumped into a boat, holding it steady with his spread-eagled legs, while he helped Maddy in.

'Hold on Captain Turner, where are you going?'  Will glared at the port officer standing over them on the dock.

'Mrs Smith needs some luggage bringing ashore, we're just going to The Thistle to pick it up.'  Will smiled his most charming smile, knowing he had an open enough expression to fool most people.

'I'm sorry Captain Turner, but there might be a little trouble with that ship over there,' he nodded towards The Pearl.  'I'm afraid you're going to have to go over later.'

Maddy bit back the tears as she accepted the man's helping hand and climbed out of the boat.