Usual disclaimers... humbug!
***
Mid July
Jack leaned over the ships rail watching from the quarter deck at the house poking through the trees, a thin tendril of smoke escaping through the foliage. The large oven had arrived yesterday and soon the house would be a home, lived in with hoards of screaming children running around - well, four anyway, but they made enough noise for a hoard. He glanced down to the main deck where Billy and Eilis were playing pirates, hitting each other with sticks and shouting loudly. Jack smiled, realising he would miss them once the Black Pearl sailed.
Yesterday they had removed the last of the items that Will had brought from Port Royal from the Black Pearl's hold - tools for the smithy as well as household goods. Whatever they had been unable to bring, Jack had ordered from Tortuga - including a goat and chickens. The crew had cleared a large vegetable garden, making a pen for the goat and fencing the garden off safely. The last items should arrive by cart today.
He turned, feeling somebody watching him. It was Oran. Jack nodded as he approached. He had sensed a change in the atmosphere on board, an eagerness to be away. Although it had been nice to help at the bay they were pirates and belonged at sea. "When do we sail?" Oran asked quietly, leaning on the rail next to him.
"As soon as the Old Man is ready," Jack said. "When we get th' nod we'll sail round t' Tortuga an' take on supplies..."
"Penang?" Oran mused. "Do we have charts that far?"
"Th' Old Man has - we'll borrow his," Jack laughed. "An' I'm sure I can copy them b'fore we give them back!"
"True," Oran nodded, smiling. Any charts that Jeremiah Hallam had would be quality charts and well worth copying.
"Month t' Cape Town fer fresh water, then another month t' Penang. A few days fer Hallam's man t' do what he has t' do an' we can come home..." It all sounded so simple, but Jack feared it would not be. Nothing that ever seemed simple to him worked out that way and he wondered what would go wrong.
"Do you reckon it will have calmed down in four months?" Oran worried, knowing that many ships blamed them for the two new frigates that were causing panic within the pirate community.
"Hopefully," Jack shrugged. "An' it will give time fer th' Old Man's order t' become known." Jack was grateful that following the death of Davit Lucon, Jeremiah Hallam had ordered that the crew of the Black Pearl were not to be held responsible for the frigates and were not to be attacked. Few ships would be stupid enough to cross him and those that might were way below the class of the Margarite and the Black Pearl.
He smiled, watching as Catherine emerged from the cabin and carefully climbed up to join them. She walked slowly, having been able to walk without the crutches for a few days now, but Cotton had asked Horton to make a stout walking stick for her. Her leg would not be fully healed for at least another few months and he hoped that the journey to Penang would not be too hazardous. "Morning luv," he smiled, leaning across to kiss her.
"Is this the secret meeting place for those with itchy feet?" she asked conspiratorially, winking at Oran. "When are we leaving?"
"Should be no more than a couple of days now - we're just waiting on word from th' Old Man," Jack replied, straightening as he saw a number of wagons arrive at the house. "An' that might be it!" he grinned. "Let's go an' see if we've a message!"
He bounded down the stairs, climbing down into one of the boats, Oran close behind. Catherine followed more slowly, carefully walking down the stairs and passing her stick down before climbing over the ships rail herself. She clung determinedly to the ship, for this was the first time she had tried to climb unaided, but reached the boat safely. "Wait for us!" Eilis cried, as she and Billy climbed down behind Catherine, eager to see what the wagons had brought. Although both only five, they climbed agilely, evidence of their time spent climbing and exploring the Black Pearl whilst she sat at anchor. Jack waited until they were safely seated before picking up the oars with Oran and rowing them all ashore.
Will had already reached the wagons when they arrived and was busily seeing to the unloading of the various items, directing most of it towards Elizabeth in the house. He was relieved to see that the livestock had arrived, a small brown goat, a number of plump speckled hens and a rather splendid cockerel that crowed noisily in another cage. He frowned, seeing a small covered cage, it's contents concealed.
"It's come!" Jack grinned as he noticed the cage.
"What's come?" Will asked warily, unsure of Jack's delight at the covered cage. Catherine frowned, obviously she did not know either and Oran was talking quietly with one of the wagon drivers, unaware of their conversation.
Jack picked up the small cage, peeking beneath the cover. "Where's Billy?" he asked, looking around and pretending not to see him.
"I'm here!" Billy shouted, jumping up and down and trying desperately to see what Jack had in the cage. A small whimper from the cage piqued his curiosity further. "I'm here!"
Jack looked down. "Ah, there yer are m' lad!" he grinned, sitting down in the sand next to the boy. "Well this must be for you then!" Jack pulled the cover from the cage to reveal a small brindle puppy, obviously only recently weaned, desperately trying to get out of the cage.
"A puppy!" Billy squealed in delight.
"A puppy!" Will gasped in horror. "What will Elizabeth say?"
"Well, th' girls have their kittens... cats... but a boy needs a puppy - especially with all this space t' roam!" Jack declared, squinting up at Will. He opened the cage, handing the wriggling, excited animal to Billy. "Shoo!" he declared. "Go play!"
Billy clasped the puppy to him, running proudly into the house. "Mummy! Mummy! Look what Jack gave me!"
"I'm letting you take the blame!" Will threatened as Elizabeth emerged from the house, walking towards them. "It's his fault!" Will pointed to Jack who was still sitting on the sand beside the empty cage.
"Jack Sparrow!" Elizabeth cried. "Are you trying to turn my home into a menagerie?"
"Well," he shrugged. "It was either that or a monkey..." he teased, laughing manically at the expression on her face.
"Jack!" Elizabeth protested. "If you ever buy a monkey I will personally shoot you myself!"
"I take it that's a no then?" he asked innocently, smiling up at her. Elizabeth ground her teeth in frustration. "So you don't want yer present then?"
"If it is an animal... no!" she shouted.
"Oh... okay..." Jack sat on the ground, unmoving and said no more, knowing this would frustrate Elizabeth. He smiled to himself as he saw her curiosity getting the better of her, knowing she was itching to ask but determined not to.
"Captain," Oran crouched down beside him, passing him an envelope. "Driver said it was from Hallam..."
Jack opened the letter, reading it quickly before handing it to Catherine. "Looks like we are leaving then," she sighed.
He jumped up, brushing the sand from his trousers. "We've gotta go Elizabeth! Guess we'd better find Theo an' th' kids!" He looked at her slyly. "You sure you don't want your present?"
"Alright," she sighed. "I give in! What is it?" Elizabeth looked around worriedly trying to spot what it could be and whether it might jump out at her.
"It's right here!" Jack patted a stout wooden box with strong iron banding that still sat in the wagon. "Yer'll have t' ask Will t' move it... it's heavy an' very fragile!"
Elizabeth looked at him in shock. "It's not an animal?" she gasped. Catherine started to chuckle when she realised the trick that Jack had played.
"Never said it was," Jack smiled in pleasure at her reaction. It was such fun baiting Elizabeth. "Yer can thank me when we come back... it doesn't do t' keep th' Old Man waitin'." He turned to Oran. "Round up anyone ashore Booth - we leave in ten minutes."
They said their goodbyes quickly, both Jack and Catherine hugging the girls tightly. "Safe journey," Theodore wished her as he too hugged her goodbye.
"Keep safe yourself," Catherine laughed. "We'll see you in four months time, winds willing!" She hugged him tightly before following Jack down to the waters edge where he was waiting in the last boat. Jack picked up the oars, rowing them out to the Black Pearl.
Oran leaned over the rail, offering Catherine a hand as she climbed up. "All are aboard Captain," he smiled as Jack quickly followed his wife.
"Well then get this boat stowed an' weigh anchor!" Jack ordered. "Move it you lazy dogs! It doesn't do to keep the Old Man waiting!"
The crew burst into life, some raising the anchor, others scrambling aloft to unfurls the sails. Oran stood at the helm, guiding her from the bay as the wind filled her sails. He grinned down to Catherine who stood on deck with Jack and she matched his grin. They had been idle too long and at last the Black Pearl would be heading to sea.
***
It was not until later that night that Elizabeth realised she had still not opened the large box that Jack had left for her. She looked at the box in the corner of the kitchen where Will had carefully placed it earlier that day. She could see small pieces of straw sticking out where the lid had been firmly shut, but it appeared there was no way the box could be opened without cutting the metal ties.
"I'll get my snips," Will offered, returning shortly with a stout pair of snips from the forge. He eased the snips around the bindings, using his strength to cut through them with relative ease. Elizabeth carefully lifted off the box lid, brushing the straw aside to reveal the contents.
"Will!" she gasped in shock, holding a delicate porcelain saucer daintily decorated around the edge with English spring flowers. She reached again into the box, and again bringing forth yet more porcelain. "There must be an entire service in here!" She held up a tea cup and then a plate, gradually placing the items on the kitchen table until she could see it was indeed an entire service with enough place settings for six. She looked at Will in disbelief. "Where did he get this? It is finer than they have at the Governor's Mansion!"
Will shrugged. "Stole it, bought it, who knows with Jack... but it has probably passed through pirate hands somewhere along it's route." He looked at his wife, smiling. "But we'd better pack it away before the children wake and keep it for best."
Elizabeth looked at him in horror at the thought of Billy or Eilis getting their hands on the delicate porcelain. "We must find somewhere safe to keep it," she agreed, starting to repack the plates within the box, layering them again with the straw. This was one set of crockery that the children would not be using.
***
***
Mid July
Jack leaned over the ships rail watching from the quarter deck at the house poking through the trees, a thin tendril of smoke escaping through the foliage. The large oven had arrived yesterday and soon the house would be a home, lived in with hoards of screaming children running around - well, four anyway, but they made enough noise for a hoard. He glanced down to the main deck where Billy and Eilis were playing pirates, hitting each other with sticks and shouting loudly. Jack smiled, realising he would miss them once the Black Pearl sailed.
Yesterday they had removed the last of the items that Will had brought from Port Royal from the Black Pearl's hold - tools for the smithy as well as household goods. Whatever they had been unable to bring, Jack had ordered from Tortuga - including a goat and chickens. The crew had cleared a large vegetable garden, making a pen for the goat and fencing the garden off safely. The last items should arrive by cart today.
He turned, feeling somebody watching him. It was Oran. Jack nodded as he approached. He had sensed a change in the atmosphere on board, an eagerness to be away. Although it had been nice to help at the bay they were pirates and belonged at sea. "When do we sail?" Oran asked quietly, leaning on the rail next to him.
"As soon as the Old Man is ready," Jack said. "When we get th' nod we'll sail round t' Tortuga an' take on supplies..."
"Penang?" Oran mused. "Do we have charts that far?"
"Th' Old Man has - we'll borrow his," Jack laughed. "An' I'm sure I can copy them b'fore we give them back!"
"True," Oran nodded, smiling. Any charts that Jeremiah Hallam had would be quality charts and well worth copying.
"Month t' Cape Town fer fresh water, then another month t' Penang. A few days fer Hallam's man t' do what he has t' do an' we can come home..." It all sounded so simple, but Jack feared it would not be. Nothing that ever seemed simple to him worked out that way and he wondered what would go wrong.
"Do you reckon it will have calmed down in four months?" Oran worried, knowing that many ships blamed them for the two new frigates that were causing panic within the pirate community.
"Hopefully," Jack shrugged. "An' it will give time fer th' Old Man's order t' become known." Jack was grateful that following the death of Davit Lucon, Jeremiah Hallam had ordered that the crew of the Black Pearl were not to be held responsible for the frigates and were not to be attacked. Few ships would be stupid enough to cross him and those that might were way below the class of the Margarite and the Black Pearl.
He smiled, watching as Catherine emerged from the cabin and carefully climbed up to join them. She walked slowly, having been able to walk without the crutches for a few days now, but Cotton had asked Horton to make a stout walking stick for her. Her leg would not be fully healed for at least another few months and he hoped that the journey to Penang would not be too hazardous. "Morning luv," he smiled, leaning across to kiss her.
"Is this the secret meeting place for those with itchy feet?" she asked conspiratorially, winking at Oran. "When are we leaving?"
"Should be no more than a couple of days now - we're just waiting on word from th' Old Man," Jack replied, straightening as he saw a number of wagons arrive at the house. "An' that might be it!" he grinned. "Let's go an' see if we've a message!"
He bounded down the stairs, climbing down into one of the boats, Oran close behind. Catherine followed more slowly, carefully walking down the stairs and passing her stick down before climbing over the ships rail herself. She clung determinedly to the ship, for this was the first time she had tried to climb unaided, but reached the boat safely. "Wait for us!" Eilis cried, as she and Billy climbed down behind Catherine, eager to see what the wagons had brought. Although both only five, they climbed agilely, evidence of their time spent climbing and exploring the Black Pearl whilst she sat at anchor. Jack waited until they were safely seated before picking up the oars with Oran and rowing them all ashore.
Will had already reached the wagons when they arrived and was busily seeing to the unloading of the various items, directing most of it towards Elizabeth in the house. He was relieved to see that the livestock had arrived, a small brown goat, a number of plump speckled hens and a rather splendid cockerel that crowed noisily in another cage. He frowned, seeing a small covered cage, it's contents concealed.
"It's come!" Jack grinned as he noticed the cage.
"What's come?" Will asked warily, unsure of Jack's delight at the covered cage. Catherine frowned, obviously she did not know either and Oran was talking quietly with one of the wagon drivers, unaware of their conversation.
Jack picked up the small cage, peeking beneath the cover. "Where's Billy?" he asked, looking around and pretending not to see him.
"I'm here!" Billy shouted, jumping up and down and trying desperately to see what Jack had in the cage. A small whimper from the cage piqued his curiosity further. "I'm here!"
Jack looked down. "Ah, there yer are m' lad!" he grinned, sitting down in the sand next to the boy. "Well this must be for you then!" Jack pulled the cover from the cage to reveal a small brindle puppy, obviously only recently weaned, desperately trying to get out of the cage.
"A puppy!" Billy squealed in delight.
"A puppy!" Will gasped in horror. "What will Elizabeth say?"
"Well, th' girls have their kittens... cats... but a boy needs a puppy - especially with all this space t' roam!" Jack declared, squinting up at Will. He opened the cage, handing the wriggling, excited animal to Billy. "Shoo!" he declared. "Go play!"
Billy clasped the puppy to him, running proudly into the house. "Mummy! Mummy! Look what Jack gave me!"
"I'm letting you take the blame!" Will threatened as Elizabeth emerged from the house, walking towards them. "It's his fault!" Will pointed to Jack who was still sitting on the sand beside the empty cage.
"Jack Sparrow!" Elizabeth cried. "Are you trying to turn my home into a menagerie?"
"Well," he shrugged. "It was either that or a monkey..." he teased, laughing manically at the expression on her face.
"Jack!" Elizabeth protested. "If you ever buy a monkey I will personally shoot you myself!"
"I take it that's a no then?" he asked innocently, smiling up at her. Elizabeth ground her teeth in frustration. "So you don't want yer present then?"
"If it is an animal... no!" she shouted.
"Oh... okay..." Jack sat on the ground, unmoving and said no more, knowing this would frustrate Elizabeth. He smiled to himself as he saw her curiosity getting the better of her, knowing she was itching to ask but determined not to.
"Captain," Oran crouched down beside him, passing him an envelope. "Driver said it was from Hallam..."
Jack opened the letter, reading it quickly before handing it to Catherine. "Looks like we are leaving then," she sighed.
He jumped up, brushing the sand from his trousers. "We've gotta go Elizabeth! Guess we'd better find Theo an' th' kids!" He looked at her slyly. "You sure you don't want your present?"
"Alright," she sighed. "I give in! What is it?" Elizabeth looked around worriedly trying to spot what it could be and whether it might jump out at her.
"It's right here!" Jack patted a stout wooden box with strong iron banding that still sat in the wagon. "Yer'll have t' ask Will t' move it... it's heavy an' very fragile!"
Elizabeth looked at him in shock. "It's not an animal?" she gasped. Catherine started to chuckle when she realised the trick that Jack had played.
"Never said it was," Jack smiled in pleasure at her reaction. It was such fun baiting Elizabeth. "Yer can thank me when we come back... it doesn't do t' keep th' Old Man waitin'." He turned to Oran. "Round up anyone ashore Booth - we leave in ten minutes."
They said their goodbyes quickly, both Jack and Catherine hugging the girls tightly. "Safe journey," Theodore wished her as he too hugged her goodbye.
"Keep safe yourself," Catherine laughed. "We'll see you in four months time, winds willing!" She hugged him tightly before following Jack down to the waters edge where he was waiting in the last boat. Jack picked up the oars, rowing them out to the Black Pearl.
Oran leaned over the rail, offering Catherine a hand as she climbed up. "All are aboard Captain," he smiled as Jack quickly followed his wife.
"Well then get this boat stowed an' weigh anchor!" Jack ordered. "Move it you lazy dogs! It doesn't do to keep the Old Man waiting!"
The crew burst into life, some raising the anchor, others scrambling aloft to unfurls the sails. Oran stood at the helm, guiding her from the bay as the wind filled her sails. He grinned down to Catherine who stood on deck with Jack and she matched his grin. They had been idle too long and at last the Black Pearl would be heading to sea.
***
It was not until later that night that Elizabeth realised she had still not opened the large box that Jack had left for her. She looked at the box in the corner of the kitchen where Will had carefully placed it earlier that day. She could see small pieces of straw sticking out where the lid had been firmly shut, but it appeared there was no way the box could be opened without cutting the metal ties.
"I'll get my snips," Will offered, returning shortly with a stout pair of snips from the forge. He eased the snips around the bindings, using his strength to cut through them with relative ease. Elizabeth carefully lifted off the box lid, brushing the straw aside to reveal the contents.
"Will!" she gasped in shock, holding a delicate porcelain saucer daintily decorated around the edge with English spring flowers. She reached again into the box, and again bringing forth yet more porcelain. "There must be an entire service in here!" She held up a tea cup and then a plate, gradually placing the items on the kitchen table until she could see it was indeed an entire service with enough place settings for six. She looked at Will in disbelief. "Where did he get this? It is finer than they have at the Governor's Mansion!"
Will shrugged. "Stole it, bought it, who knows with Jack... but it has probably passed through pirate hands somewhere along it's route." He looked at his wife, smiling. "But we'd better pack it away before the children wake and keep it for best."
Elizabeth looked at him in horror at the thought of Billy or Eilis getting their hands on the delicate porcelain. "We must find somewhere safe to keep it," she agreed, starting to repack the plates within the box, layering them again with the straw. This was one set of crockery that the children would not be using.
***