Usual disclaimers... darned Mouse!
***
Early November
For the next three weeks the frigate tailed them. The Black Pearl would pull ahead when they used the sweeps, but then the other ship would regain most of its position when they resorted to just sails. Gradually though, mile by mile, the Black Pearl pulled clear and by the time that they rounded the Cape of Good Hope the frigate had not been seen for three days.
"Do you think we're clear Captain?" Isaac asked worriedly. "Will we have time to take on water?"
"We'll have t' make time," Jack replied, still scouring the seas behind them with his spyglass. "A day, or two at most an' we must leave... she'll be wantin' water too an' this is th' only nearby safe anchorage..." He paused as Jean Claude climbed to stand beside them on the quarterdeck.
"Are we French again?" he asked quietly, thinking ahead and their need for water.
"Aye," Jack nodded. "We'll run th' same ruse as b'fore..."
"And Kitty? How do we explain her presence if questioned?" his Quartermaster queried.
Jack thought for a moment, remembering the tale they had spun before. "Her husband has taken up with some native woman an' she is returnin' home t' her family..."
"Should work," Jean Claude agreed. "I'll ask Kitty to pull out the flag." He remembered the cursing that had followed Jack's earlier rummaging in the chest as she had had to pull everything out and refold it all just to get it to shut again.
"An' make certain Moses stays below decks at all times!" Jack cautioned. "I don't want anyone t' see him or any tale will be blown!"
"I'll see to Moses," Isaac offered for the boy had become his shadow whenever he was not at his chores, desperately eager to learn more sword fighting and ways to defend himself.
"Alright, then that's everythin' taken care of," Jack smiled. "An' as long as our friends don't turn up it should be plain sailin'!"
***
With Jean Claude's previous contacts they quickly gained a berth and Oran left to arrange for the much needed water. Jack decided that he would go ashore with Catherine alone to find the foodstuffs that they needed. He was also looking for a suitable present for her as it would be their sixth wedding anniversary in a few days. He led Catherine through the markets and stores, arranging for the goods to be delivered to the ship without them having to carry them.
"John?" a man called from across the street. "John? It is you, isn't it?"
Jack blinked and Catherine looked at him closely, his grip on her hand tightening as he turned to face the man approaching them. "Yer mistaken mate," he slurred, laying his accent on thickly. "M' name isn't John an' I don't know yer!"
"Damn it John! You'd deny your name to your own brother?" the man gasped in disbelief.
"M' wife is m' only family!" Jack drawled. "Yer are no family of mine!"
"Mother would be saddened to hear you say that," the man smiled, "but I doubt Father would care... you always were a disappointment to him and to the Waike name!"
"Look mate!" Jack let go of Catherine to stand toe to toe with the stranger. "I don't know who yer are an' I don't care. So get out of my face before I punch yer!"
"Sure John," the stranger smiled. "I'll be sure to tell Mother what kind of man her golden boy has become..."
Jack took Catherine's hand and led her away. She glanced over her shoulder at the stranger, surprised to realise that his chocolate brown eyes were staring back at her. "Jack..." she began.
"Not here!" he hissed, his grip tight on her hand. "An' never where we can be overheard - savvy?"
"Aye Jack, savvy... but..." she frowned, biting her lip as she looked at him.
"I said not here!" He turned to her, taking her other hand in his. "Did yer get everythin' yer need?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"There were a few herbs I could do with. They should be in within a day and I can try again just before we sail..." She looked up at him. "Jack..."
"Let it drop Kitty! Fer pity's sake - some things are best forgotten!" he pleaded.
"I have no secrets from you Jack - none and yet it seems you do not even trust me with your true name." Jack had the grace to look uncomfortable. Catherine took a deep breath and resolved to press on. "He was your brother, wasn't he?" she demanded.
"Please Kitty," he begged. "Let it go..."
"Do I not have a right to know?" Catherine argued in frustration.
"No dammit!" he cursed. "My past is of no interest t' anyone!"
"It is to me!" She pulled her hand from his, staring up at him angrily. "Will you tell me or do I walk back there and ask your brother!"
Jack snatched her hand back, holding it tightly. "Yer are going no where near that bastard, understand Kitty?"
"Then tell me!" she pleaded, her eyes filling with tears. "Please..."
Jack sighed regretfully, realising he would have to tell her some of his life for her to let this rest. He was not going to argue in the streets of Cape Town with her, already they were drawing curious stares. "Okay - but not here in th' open... when we get back to th' Pearl..."
Catherine nodded quietly. "Then let us head back."
***
"Well?" she asked as Jack shut the cabin doors, locking them before walking across to sit next to her at the stern windows. They were closed and he knew their voices would not carry if they spoke quietly.
"M' real name is John Waike," he admitted. "An' that man was m' brother Stephen."
"So that would make me..." Catherine reasoned.
"Kitty Waike," he snorted. "A creature of th' sea in more ways than one!"
Catherine did not recognise the name. "Will you tell me any more?" she asked quietly, resting her hand on his arm.
Jack sighed heavily. "I was twelve when I left home. M' father used t' beat m' mother until one day I told him t' stop. So he turned on me instead. Nobody had ever defied him b'fore, not th' mighty George Waike. He chased me from th' house an' I hid in one of th' family warehouses until he grew tired of looking. I must have fallen asleep b'cause th' next thing I know I'm at sea! They mistook me fer a stowaway an' I signed on as crew - never went back..."
"Family warehouses?" Catherine queried. "Your family were shippers?"
"Aye, one of th' biggest in London," he sighed. "We mainly traded in the Mediterranean, but things are obviously goin' well fer them to have expanded t' Africa!"
"So now you prey on what you once were," she smiled softly, aware of the irony in the reversal of his position. She held her hand to his face, stroking his cheek gently. "Regardless of what you were, you will always be Jack to me, and will always be my husband..."
He smiled at her, holding her to him tightly as he kissed the top of her head. "Aye, always that," he agreed. "Always that."
***
***
Early November
For the next three weeks the frigate tailed them. The Black Pearl would pull ahead when they used the sweeps, but then the other ship would regain most of its position when they resorted to just sails. Gradually though, mile by mile, the Black Pearl pulled clear and by the time that they rounded the Cape of Good Hope the frigate had not been seen for three days.
"Do you think we're clear Captain?" Isaac asked worriedly. "Will we have time to take on water?"
"We'll have t' make time," Jack replied, still scouring the seas behind them with his spyglass. "A day, or two at most an' we must leave... she'll be wantin' water too an' this is th' only nearby safe anchorage..." He paused as Jean Claude climbed to stand beside them on the quarterdeck.
"Are we French again?" he asked quietly, thinking ahead and their need for water.
"Aye," Jack nodded. "We'll run th' same ruse as b'fore..."
"And Kitty? How do we explain her presence if questioned?" his Quartermaster queried.
Jack thought for a moment, remembering the tale they had spun before. "Her husband has taken up with some native woman an' she is returnin' home t' her family..."
"Should work," Jean Claude agreed. "I'll ask Kitty to pull out the flag." He remembered the cursing that had followed Jack's earlier rummaging in the chest as she had had to pull everything out and refold it all just to get it to shut again.
"An' make certain Moses stays below decks at all times!" Jack cautioned. "I don't want anyone t' see him or any tale will be blown!"
"I'll see to Moses," Isaac offered for the boy had become his shadow whenever he was not at his chores, desperately eager to learn more sword fighting and ways to defend himself.
"Alright, then that's everythin' taken care of," Jack smiled. "An' as long as our friends don't turn up it should be plain sailin'!"
***
With Jean Claude's previous contacts they quickly gained a berth and Oran left to arrange for the much needed water. Jack decided that he would go ashore with Catherine alone to find the foodstuffs that they needed. He was also looking for a suitable present for her as it would be their sixth wedding anniversary in a few days. He led Catherine through the markets and stores, arranging for the goods to be delivered to the ship without them having to carry them.
"John?" a man called from across the street. "John? It is you, isn't it?"
Jack blinked and Catherine looked at him closely, his grip on her hand tightening as he turned to face the man approaching them. "Yer mistaken mate," he slurred, laying his accent on thickly. "M' name isn't John an' I don't know yer!"
"Damn it John! You'd deny your name to your own brother?" the man gasped in disbelief.
"M' wife is m' only family!" Jack drawled. "Yer are no family of mine!"
"Mother would be saddened to hear you say that," the man smiled, "but I doubt Father would care... you always were a disappointment to him and to the Waike name!"
"Look mate!" Jack let go of Catherine to stand toe to toe with the stranger. "I don't know who yer are an' I don't care. So get out of my face before I punch yer!"
"Sure John," the stranger smiled. "I'll be sure to tell Mother what kind of man her golden boy has become..."
Jack took Catherine's hand and led her away. She glanced over her shoulder at the stranger, surprised to realise that his chocolate brown eyes were staring back at her. "Jack..." she began.
"Not here!" he hissed, his grip tight on her hand. "An' never where we can be overheard - savvy?"
"Aye Jack, savvy... but..." she frowned, biting her lip as she looked at him.
"I said not here!" He turned to her, taking her other hand in his. "Did yer get everythin' yer need?" he asked, trying to change the subject.
"There were a few herbs I could do with. They should be in within a day and I can try again just before we sail..." She looked up at him. "Jack..."
"Let it drop Kitty! Fer pity's sake - some things are best forgotten!" he pleaded.
"I have no secrets from you Jack - none and yet it seems you do not even trust me with your true name." Jack had the grace to look uncomfortable. Catherine took a deep breath and resolved to press on. "He was your brother, wasn't he?" she demanded.
"Please Kitty," he begged. "Let it go..."
"Do I not have a right to know?" Catherine argued in frustration.
"No dammit!" he cursed. "My past is of no interest t' anyone!"
"It is to me!" She pulled her hand from his, staring up at him angrily. "Will you tell me or do I walk back there and ask your brother!"
Jack snatched her hand back, holding it tightly. "Yer are going no where near that bastard, understand Kitty?"
"Then tell me!" she pleaded, her eyes filling with tears. "Please..."
Jack sighed regretfully, realising he would have to tell her some of his life for her to let this rest. He was not going to argue in the streets of Cape Town with her, already they were drawing curious stares. "Okay - but not here in th' open... when we get back to th' Pearl..."
Catherine nodded quietly. "Then let us head back."
***
"Well?" she asked as Jack shut the cabin doors, locking them before walking across to sit next to her at the stern windows. They were closed and he knew their voices would not carry if they spoke quietly.
"M' real name is John Waike," he admitted. "An' that man was m' brother Stephen."
"So that would make me..." Catherine reasoned.
"Kitty Waike," he snorted. "A creature of th' sea in more ways than one!"
Catherine did not recognise the name. "Will you tell me any more?" she asked quietly, resting her hand on his arm.
Jack sighed heavily. "I was twelve when I left home. M' father used t' beat m' mother until one day I told him t' stop. So he turned on me instead. Nobody had ever defied him b'fore, not th' mighty George Waike. He chased me from th' house an' I hid in one of th' family warehouses until he grew tired of looking. I must have fallen asleep b'cause th' next thing I know I'm at sea! They mistook me fer a stowaway an' I signed on as crew - never went back..."
"Family warehouses?" Catherine queried. "Your family were shippers?"
"Aye, one of th' biggest in London," he sighed. "We mainly traded in the Mediterranean, but things are obviously goin' well fer them to have expanded t' Africa!"
"So now you prey on what you once were," she smiled softly, aware of the irony in the reversal of his position. She held her hand to his face, stroking his cheek gently. "Regardless of what you were, you will always be Jack to me, and will always be my husband..."
He smiled at her, holding her to him tightly as he kissed the top of her head. "Aye, always that," he agreed. "Always that."
***