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Chapter 54
'Give me one good reason why I shouldn't throw ya in t'brig?' Jack glared at his wife as Maddy entered the cabin once more.
'He wouldn't have made it off the ship in one piece Jack. Whatever you may have owed him, you owed him his safety off your ship.' Maddy stood and faced Jack across the table, arms folded and a steely glint in her eyes.
'I owed that bastard nothin' Madalene, nothin' whatsoever.'
'Bastard? If you had bumped into him at Bownes and he greeted you as a long lost friend, would you be calling him a bastard then?' Maddy's voice grew higher with each word, as her anger took hold.
'You know damn well I wouldn't, but he held a knife at yer throat, drew blood an' all.
'Jack! You heard the man, you heard what he's been through. Or is it that you feel guilty because you got off, more or less scot free?' Jack winced as Maddy's words hit their target and turned away, reaching for a bottle of rum. 'That's right, that's your answer to everything, isn't it Jack?'
'Don't bloody shout at me, Madalene Sparrow,' Jack growled, his own voice getting louder. 'Me an' Bill were closer than most kin, d'ya really think I'd have not tried ter find him if I knew he was alive?' Jack took a large swig from the bottle, scowling at Maddy over the rim.
'But now you know he is alive…..'
'He threatened ya Madalene,' Jack cut in. 'No-one holds me wife ter ransom, no-one.'
'So what now? Are you going to tell Will his father's still alive, or just get blind drunk and pretend nothing happened?' Maddy fought down the urge to snatch the bottle from Jack's hand and smash it against the cabin wall.
'Aye, I'll tell William how his father held ya captive, just ter get at me. I'm sure he'll really want to meet him then.'
'You're no better than Bill is, Jack.' Maddy jutted her jaw out defiantly.
'Eh? What ya on about luv?'
'You held Elizabeth captive, the day you first met her and Will.' Maddy smirked to herself as she watched Jack flounder, trying to come up with a counter-argument.
'I didn't hold a knife to her throat, an' I'd no intention of harmin' her,' Jack pulled a face, then fetched another bottle from his store.
'She didn't know that, neither did her father, nor James. To them, you were just some despicable pirate, threatening a young woman.' Maddy glared at the rum bottle, then at Jack, who smiled sardonically at her before upending the bottle and taking a swig from it. 'If Bill is at Bownes tomorrow, will you make your peace?'
'Nah.'
'Fine, have it your way Jack Sparrow, just don't expect me to put you to bed tonight.' Maddy stormed from the cabin, her face burning with fury as she heard Jack's laughter following her down the corridor.
************
Maddy leaned out of the window, staring at the sea. She and Jack never argued, and even if they had a slight tiff, they always made up soon afterwards. But Jack had stayed in the cabin and got roaring drunk, the evidence being the empty bottles strewn across the floor and the fact that he was still sleeping it off and snoring loudly, some two hours after sunrise. Maddy sighed, deciding it was time the captain of the ship woke and started doing his duty.
'Jack. Jack, wake up.' Maddy shoved him, gently to start with, then harder as he refused to open his eyes. 'Wake up you lazy sod.'
'Eh? There's no need fer name callin' luv.' Jack prised one eye open, then the other, blinking rapidly, before focusing on Maddy's face. 'Bloody 'ell, me head hurts.'
'Serves you right Jack Sparrow, it's nearly time for the forenoon watch and you're still in bed.'
'Eh? Bleedin' hell luv, why didn't ya wake me earlier?' Jack scrambled out of the bunk, holding his head, as if to stop it falling off
'I doubt a bloody hurricane would have woken you Captain.'
'There's no need fer sarcasm Madalene Sparrow.' Jack sighed, he had been sure Maddy would return to him the previous night, and had gone in search of her, finding her bunked down on the floor in Eb's cabin. So he had stormed back to his own cabin and got drunker than he could remember getting for many a long year. 'All right, all right, I'll make me peace wi'William later, savvy?' 'Anything ter keep t'peace, an' get me wife back in bed,' Jack thought to himself.
'Aye, savvy. About bloody time too. It was me who was threatened after all, and if I can forgive him, so should you.'
'Yes, yes, I said I'd make me peace, now leave me alone wifey.' Jack struggled with his clothes, before throwing them on the floor in temper, shooting Maddy a filthy look at her smirk.
'Would you like some help Captain?' Maddy picked Jack's trousers up and pushed him gently back onto the bunk, then hitched his trousers up, giving him a warning glance as he smiled beguilingly the further up his legs she got. Maddy then picked up Jack's shirt and draped it around his shoulders, squealing as Jack pulled her onto his lap, then fell backwards onto the bunk, laughing.
'This is better than arguing luv,' Jack whispered huskily, riding his hands up Maddy's legs, reaching the laces of her breeches just as a knock sounded on the door. 'Shit! Go away,' he shouted, looking daggers at the door.
'Sorry Cap'n, I need to speak with you,' came Eb's deep voice from the other side.
'It can wait Ebenezer, tell me later, after we set sail.'
'It can't wait that long sir, I need to talk to you now.'
Jack looked at Maddy, rolling his eyes. 'All right, c'mon in.'
Eb entered the cabin just as Maddy was climbing off Jack and looked away quickly, shuffling his feet. 'Ah, um sorry Cap'n, Maddy.' Eb stood there staring at his feet, not saying a word for what felt like an age, before Jack's patience ran out.
'Well….?'
'I'm sorry Cap'n, but I'm leavin.'
'Leaving?' Jack and Maddy chorused, looking at each other in disbelief.
'Ya can't leave Eb. Why d'ya want to?' Jack had a feeling he already knew the answer.
'I'm staying wi'Rebecca.' Eb pushed his hands deep into the pockets of his coat, stealing glances up at Jack and Maddy every now and then.
'Bloody hell Eb. D'ya luv her? Does she luv you?'
'Aye I love her, and she says she loves me as well, so I'm staying here. There's plenty o'work to be had.'
'She's young and flighty Eb,' Jack said, gently. 'She could change her mind in a few months, an' not only that, they don't like black men in these parts very much. Ya'd have a hard time being accepted here, especially wi'a white woman.'
'I know that Cap'n, I've been goin' through it in me mind for days now. But I can't leave her.'
Jack sighed, wanting to order Eb to stay onboard, but knowing he couldn't. 'If ya step out of line once, they'll be down on ya, an' ya could end up in t'slave trade. It's a helluva risk Eb, are ya sure about the girls' feelins' for ya?'
Aye Cap'n, very sure. We've been getting' close since she came onboard.'
'Can't she come with you, one more woman isn't going to bring any more bad luck.' Eb looked at Maddy, wincing as he saw the tears pouring down her face.
'Nah Mads, she won't leave her father again, an' I won't leave her. Mebbe, when th'old man dies, we'll come back t'the Caribbean, meet up in Tortuga.'
Jack paced the cabin, trying to think how he could keep Eb, before ending up in front of the big man, a resigned look on his face. 'Very well Eb, ya have me blessin' just take care, savvy?'
'Aye Cap'n, I will, thank you.' Eb enveloped Maddy in a bear hug, choking back the tears. 'I'll stay on watch while ya go to Bowne's, then leave when ya return.' Eb held out his hand to Jack, whilst still holding on to Maddy, then he let her go and walked from the cabin quickly, before he disgraced himself in front of them.
'Oh Jack,' Maddy sobbed as Jack wound his arms around her, holding her tightly, whilst blinking back the tears in his own eyes.
**********
Maddy and Jack walked quietly up the lane towards Geoffrey Bowne's house, both subdued by Eb's news and they didn't notice a gang of six men stalking them, until they suddenly found themselves surrounded by soldiers.
'What are you doing here, pirate?' The speaker grabbed Jack by the lapels and dragged him into a nearby alley.
'Wha…? Geroff me, an' get yer filthy hands off me wife.'
Maddy was struggling against two of the men, who were pulling her into the alley, none too gently. She managed to kick one of them in the shins, before she found herself falling to the ground, with the two men pulling at her clothes.
'No! Get off me wife.' Jack fought off one man, but found his arms pinned against his side by an unseen assailant behind him. 'Madalene!'
Maddy winced at the anguish in Jack's voice and craned her neck to look at him, crying out as three of the men started laying into him, punching and kicking him as he slumped forward. Maddy continued to struggle against her own aggressors, pulling one man's hair and punching the other one, earning a hard slap for her troubles. 'Jack! Jack!'
Suddenly one of the men went flying through the air, and the other jumped up in surprise, looking round to see where his mate had gone, only to find himself facing a fist as it cannoned into his nose and he slumped to the ground, unconscious. Maddy didn't bother looking to see who her rescuer was, but ran over to Jack and launched herself at the nearest man, yanking his hair hard and biting his neck, causing him to howl in pain and stop his attack.
'Get off my husband, you bastard.' Maddy dodged a knife as it swung towards her, then kicked the man's groin and grabbed his knife off him, thrusting it into his chest. She stepped over his body and made for the next man, swinging the knife in a wide arc, moving him away from Jack, who by now had been released and had drawn his sword, fighting off one of the soldiers.
Maddy laughed as the man she was threatening ran off down the alley, then she turned to watch in astonishment as Bill Turner took on two of the remaining soldiers, a sword in each hand and equally skilled with both. Jack had killed the soldier he had been fighting, and ran over to Bill's aid, standing side by side with his old friend, just as they had done many times in the past.
Maddy caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, and instinctively threw the knife towards it, nodding with satisfaction as the soldier fell backwards, the knife protruding from his forehead. Maddy turned her attention back to Jack and Bill, watching as Bill crossed his hands over, then she gasped in shock as he drew both swords across his adversary's midriff, almost cutting him in half. The man Jack had been fighting looked on in horror, then slumped forward as Jack took advantage of his fatal lapse in concentration and ran his sword through.
'Ya always did know t'opportune moment ter show up William.' Jack smiled, then held his wife. 'Ya all right luv?'
'I'm fine Jack, but we've got to get out of here.' Maddy straightened her dress as best she could, then took Jack's arm, noticing how he was holding himself stiffly. 'Are you all right is more to the point?'
'Aye luv, I'll live. C'mon let's get ter Bowne's.' The trio left the alleyway quickly, making sure they weren't spotted and headed for Geoffrey Bowne's house, relieved to see Rebecca standing on the porch waiting for them.
'What's happened?' The young woman looked at them with concern.
'We were ambushed, Bill came to our rescue.' Maddy helped Jack up the steps and into the house.
'Who ambushed you?' Bowne looked at his guests uneasily.
'Soldiers mate, seems they don't take too kindly ter pirates.' Jack winced as he sat down, his most recent scar hurting like hell from the beating.
'You'll have to go now, they'll soon be discovered. Did you kill them all?' Bowne wheeled his chair over to a chest in the corner of the room, waiting for Rebecca to open it for him.
'No, one escaped.' Maddy cussed herself for allowing the man to run.
'Here these clothes should fit you dear,' Bowne handed Maddy some small men's clothes, ushering her out of the room to change.
'Jack, I can't stay here, they'll arrest and hang me.' Bill ran his hands through his hair, agitatedly.
'I know mate, you'll have ter come wi'us. That all right wi'you Madalene?' Jack called to his wife in the other room.
'Fine by me Jack, you know that,' came the reply, before Maddy appeared back in the room, dressed in the clothes Bowne had provided.
'A fair swop, Eb for Bill,' Rebecca commented, smiling.
'Aye luv, yer'd better take care of Eb, ya hear?' Jack smiled ruefully, suddenly remembering that he was about to lose another first mate.
'I will Jack, I promise. Now go.'
Maddy, Jack and Bill said their goodbyes, and left the Bowne's house by the back way and worked their way to the dock, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. Jack groaned audibly as he saw the dockyard full of soldiers and marines, then looked out to The Pearl, trying to work out how they were going to get to her.
'Follow me, I know where we can go.' Bill lead the way through the back streets of the docks until they came to a run down area, that had evidently been the main hub of the dockyard once. 'We'll have to swim. You can swim, can't you dear?'
'Yes Bill, don't worry,' Maddy hoped that her arm would hold out.
They slipped into the water and slowly made their way towards The Pearl, hidden from view until they were nearly at the ship, at which point they were too far away for the officials to do anything about them. Maddy climbed the rope slower than the men, the swim making her arm ache and was grateful for Jack's helping hand when she reached the rail.
'Eb, we're going' ter have ter drop ya round t'coast, savvy?' Jack shook his head like a dog, then took the helm. 'Got yer things together?'
'Aye Cap'n, an' said my goodbyes too. What's happened?'
'Trouble, what else?' Jack grinned, then ordered the crew to weigh anchor, eager to get away from Charles Town. He addressed the crew, as he steered a course away from the harbour. Bill is comin' wi'us. I don't have a problem wi'him any more, an' Madalene certainly doesn't have a problem wi'him. Therefore, if I hear of anyone givin' him strife……' Jack left the threat unspoken, knowing the crew would obey him.
It didn't take long to reach a small inlet down the coast, and Jack steered the ship as close to the shore as he could, without endangering her. He watched as Maddy hugged Eb, a lump rising in his throat, then walked over to his first mate. 'Still sure ya want this?'
'Aye Jack, more than ever.' Eb shook his captain's hand one last time, then climbed over the side of the ship he'd served on for many years and shinned down the rope to the boat, which contained Tom, ready to row him ashore. He looked up, blinking away the tears as he saw his crewmates leaning over, watching him as he left for a new life.