Usual disclaimers... blah!
A huge clump of chapters today... just to keep you all happy and to apologise in advance that I have written no more.
***
Late December
Jack cursed the need for them to sail around the north of Scotland before they could find a safe harbour in Belgium. The winter storms had been horrendous and he had been relieved not to have any major damage occur. But it had been simply too risky for them to take the English Channel with both Plymouth and Portsmouth and their naval dockyards.
At last the Black Pearl was safely berthed at Ostend and Mister Thomas Wells stood on deck giving final instructions to the crew. "If I'm not back in a month then head home," he ordered Jean Claude who was taking command in his absence. "If yer think yer can find any crew here then tread careful - we are too close t' England t' recruit openly like... savvy?"
"Oui Captain," Jean Claude assured him. "Now will you just go or you will miss that ship!"
Jack glowered but picked up his small travelling bag and walked down the gangplank and along the dockside to where the small ship was readying to sail. With luck he would be in London in a day or so and reunited with Catherine. He realised that he did not trust Stephen though, and resolved to tread carefully when he arrived.
***
Jack climbed down from the coach, wondering why he never remembered his resolve to avoid horses and any form of transport involving them. He ached, but his pains were forgotten as he looked around, remembering. London. It had been too long, but not long enough in some ways, the skyline bringing back memories and feelings he had long since buried. He shook himself, forcing his feet into motion as he walked towards the docks. He was not John Waike, running from his father, but Captain Jack Sparrow and he ran from nobody... well, unless they were the law he shrugged mentally. He knew that his first priority would be to find Isaac without bumping into any of his family - and if they were expecting him then it might not be easy.
***
Five hours later Jack grinned as he spotted Isaac. He crept closer to him, drawing his pistol, causing Isaac to jump when he felt it against his back. "Evenin' Hallam... nice weather!" Jack slurred.
"Jesus Captain!" he gasped in shock, gaping at Jack's altered appearance. "You've got to get out of here!"
"But I've only just arrived..." Jack frowned.
Isaac looked around worriedly but nobody had noticed them. "I will explain on the way," Isaac said quietly, "but Kitty and your mother have left, but the others are laying a trap for you!"
"How?" Jack demanded, pressing his pistol harder against Isaac's side. "How do you know an' how much d' yer know about m' family?"
"Kitty didn't tell me!" Isaac assured him. "But I've met your mother. She and Kitty fled to Portsmouth and are going to take a ship home from there... Kitty ordered me to remain here to warn you."
Jack nodded. "Guess we'd better leave then," he replied. "Yer can tell me more as we walk!"
Isaac nodded, matching his pace to Jack. "We got here a couple of weeks ago," he explained. "Kitty was taken to the house but I guess she didn't get on too well with your father. Next day she's back at the docks with your mother saying she'd hit your father over the head with a poker and that they had to leave fast. I put them on the coach to Portsmouth and with any luck they are already on a ship and heading home."
"An' m' father?" Jack asked quietly.
"Nothing much apart from a headache and a furious temper..." Isaac said. "It appears that Kitty tied and gagged him before locking him in your mother's bedroom. He wasn't discovered for six hours and was livid - especially when he discovered they'd cleared out his office of gold!"
Jack laughed. "That's m' girl!" he grinned. "Ever th' pirate!" He breathed easier knowing that Catherine was free of his family and would probably be making her way back home at that very moment. She was bound to find a ship at Portsmouth that would give her and his mother passage to the Caribbean.
***
"Back so soon Mister Wells?" the coachman frowned in surprise.
"Yes, it appears my business was conducted more speedily than I could dared hope for," he smiled. "So I will be requiring passage for myself and my man here back to Dover on the next coach."
"Well, we've an hour turn around here Sir," the man advised. "Perhaps you'd like a brief sup in the Red Lion before we depart?"
Jack grinned. "A good idea," he smiled as he handed over the money for their journey, plus a little more. "Perhaps you'd be so kind as to call us before you leave? We'd hate to miss the coach."
The coachman doffed his hat, realising that Jack had overpaid him. "Yes Sir, I'll do that," he assured them as he continued to oversee the change over. "I'll not leave without you!"
***
Even several ales failed to make the return journey more attractive to Jack, but at least he knew that Catherine was free and heading home - with his mother. He would have to figure a story to explain his mother... perhaps Catherine's Aunt or something. He sat, staring at his ale, wondering what his mother would say, what she would think of him, if she would be disappointed. What did a man say to his mother when he had not seen her for over twenty years? Jack frowned, realising he simply did not know.
"Yer know if yer speak of this I'll kill yer," Jack warned quietly.
"I won't Captain," Isaac assured him. "And I've already had all the threats from Kitty. My answer to her holds true for you too - I am Black Pearl crew, not a Hallam. My father will not hear of this from me."
Jack blinked. "Thank you," he said quietly, before spotting the coachman waving at them from across the other side of the room. "I think that is our signal t' leave..."
They quickly downed their ales and rose and soon the dangers of London were far behind them.
***
Several days later Jack and Isaac walked eagerly along the dockside towards where they could see the Black Pearl still berthed. It was late and they both jumped as the church bells suddenly rang out.
Isaac reached for his sword, looking around wildly, but Jack just smiled. "Happy New Year Hallam!" he grinned. "May it be a better one than th' last!"
***
A huge clump of chapters today... just to keep you all happy and to apologise in advance that I have written no more.
***
Late December
Jack cursed the need for them to sail around the north of Scotland before they could find a safe harbour in Belgium. The winter storms had been horrendous and he had been relieved not to have any major damage occur. But it had been simply too risky for them to take the English Channel with both Plymouth and Portsmouth and their naval dockyards.
At last the Black Pearl was safely berthed at Ostend and Mister Thomas Wells stood on deck giving final instructions to the crew. "If I'm not back in a month then head home," he ordered Jean Claude who was taking command in his absence. "If yer think yer can find any crew here then tread careful - we are too close t' England t' recruit openly like... savvy?"
"Oui Captain," Jean Claude assured him. "Now will you just go or you will miss that ship!"
Jack glowered but picked up his small travelling bag and walked down the gangplank and along the dockside to where the small ship was readying to sail. With luck he would be in London in a day or so and reunited with Catherine. He realised that he did not trust Stephen though, and resolved to tread carefully when he arrived.
***
Jack climbed down from the coach, wondering why he never remembered his resolve to avoid horses and any form of transport involving them. He ached, but his pains were forgotten as he looked around, remembering. London. It had been too long, but not long enough in some ways, the skyline bringing back memories and feelings he had long since buried. He shook himself, forcing his feet into motion as he walked towards the docks. He was not John Waike, running from his father, but Captain Jack Sparrow and he ran from nobody... well, unless they were the law he shrugged mentally. He knew that his first priority would be to find Isaac without bumping into any of his family - and if they were expecting him then it might not be easy.
***
Five hours later Jack grinned as he spotted Isaac. He crept closer to him, drawing his pistol, causing Isaac to jump when he felt it against his back. "Evenin' Hallam... nice weather!" Jack slurred.
"Jesus Captain!" he gasped in shock, gaping at Jack's altered appearance. "You've got to get out of here!"
"But I've only just arrived..." Jack frowned.
Isaac looked around worriedly but nobody had noticed them. "I will explain on the way," Isaac said quietly, "but Kitty and your mother have left, but the others are laying a trap for you!"
"How?" Jack demanded, pressing his pistol harder against Isaac's side. "How do you know an' how much d' yer know about m' family?"
"Kitty didn't tell me!" Isaac assured him. "But I've met your mother. She and Kitty fled to Portsmouth and are going to take a ship home from there... Kitty ordered me to remain here to warn you."
Jack nodded. "Guess we'd better leave then," he replied. "Yer can tell me more as we walk!"
Isaac nodded, matching his pace to Jack. "We got here a couple of weeks ago," he explained. "Kitty was taken to the house but I guess she didn't get on too well with your father. Next day she's back at the docks with your mother saying she'd hit your father over the head with a poker and that they had to leave fast. I put them on the coach to Portsmouth and with any luck they are already on a ship and heading home."
"An' m' father?" Jack asked quietly.
"Nothing much apart from a headache and a furious temper..." Isaac said. "It appears that Kitty tied and gagged him before locking him in your mother's bedroom. He wasn't discovered for six hours and was livid - especially when he discovered they'd cleared out his office of gold!"
Jack laughed. "That's m' girl!" he grinned. "Ever th' pirate!" He breathed easier knowing that Catherine was free of his family and would probably be making her way back home at that very moment. She was bound to find a ship at Portsmouth that would give her and his mother passage to the Caribbean.
***
"Back so soon Mister Wells?" the coachman frowned in surprise.
"Yes, it appears my business was conducted more speedily than I could dared hope for," he smiled. "So I will be requiring passage for myself and my man here back to Dover on the next coach."
"Well, we've an hour turn around here Sir," the man advised. "Perhaps you'd like a brief sup in the Red Lion before we depart?"
Jack grinned. "A good idea," he smiled as he handed over the money for their journey, plus a little more. "Perhaps you'd be so kind as to call us before you leave? We'd hate to miss the coach."
The coachman doffed his hat, realising that Jack had overpaid him. "Yes Sir, I'll do that," he assured them as he continued to oversee the change over. "I'll not leave without you!"
***
Even several ales failed to make the return journey more attractive to Jack, but at least he knew that Catherine was free and heading home - with his mother. He would have to figure a story to explain his mother... perhaps Catherine's Aunt or something. He sat, staring at his ale, wondering what his mother would say, what she would think of him, if she would be disappointed. What did a man say to his mother when he had not seen her for over twenty years? Jack frowned, realising he simply did not know.
"Yer know if yer speak of this I'll kill yer," Jack warned quietly.
"I won't Captain," Isaac assured him. "And I've already had all the threats from Kitty. My answer to her holds true for you too - I am Black Pearl crew, not a Hallam. My father will not hear of this from me."
Jack blinked. "Thank you," he said quietly, before spotting the coachman waving at them from across the other side of the room. "I think that is our signal t' leave..."
They quickly downed their ales and rose and soon the dangers of London were far behind them.
***
Several days later Jack and Isaac walked eagerly along the dockside towards where they could see the Black Pearl still berthed. It was late and they both jumped as the church bells suddenly rang out.
Isaac reached for his sword, looking around wildly, but Jack just smiled. "Happy New Year Hallam!" he grinned. "May it be a better one than th' last!"
***