Usual disclaimers... bleedin' disclaimers!
***
Thierry led them through the darkness, glad that the snow had eased but hurrying all the same for he realised that Catherine was barefoot. Eventually they reached a wide open square - Place Gambetta Catherine thought the sign said beneath the snow - before entering a narrow building.
"I have a number of rooms on the top floor," he smiled as he climbed the rickety stairs. "They will soon warm up once I get the fire going..."
Catherine smiled. "Warmth will be most appreciated!"
He opened the door to reveal a small, but surprising cosy room with rich furnishings. A small kitchen and even smaller bathroom were to the left of the door, and a large four-poster bed could be seen through a partially open door opposite. "Please, come in..."
Thierry quickly lit the fire and Catherine sat on the floor, rubbing her feet back to life before it, whilst Rose perched uncomfortably on the deeply padded settee.
"I will sleep on the settee tonight if you ladies wish to share the bed," he offered.
"Thank you," Rose muttered in surprise.
"Just give me a blanket," Catherine shrugged. "I'm not leaving this fire until it dies!" She sat even closer, sighing in contentment. "I've not felt this warm for ages!"
Thierry looked around the kitchen. "Can either of you cook?" he asked. "I was not expecting company or I'd have bought more..."
Catherine reluctantly rose from beside the fire. "It'll make a change from cooking for sixty," she sighed. "What have you got?"
Rose watched as she disappeared into the kitchen and soon the sound of laugher mixed with the smells of cooking. She sat watching the fire, pondering all that had happened to her in the last few days. She shook her head in silent disbelief that she was sitting in the home of a French smuggler and that he was cooking for her.
Thierry came back into the main room, clearing the small table of clutter. From somewhere he had managed to find enough cutlery for the three of them and Catherine started to carry through steaming plates of food. "Come Rose, you must be starving!" she smiled. "I know I am!"
Rose was surprised to admit that she was. They had only eaten a cold breakfast that morning, dour hard food that could survive easily onboard. She was not used to such treatment and faced with such tempting fare set to eagerly. Thierry had also found some wine and she sipped it daintily.
"Your niece is a good cook!" Thierry smiled between mouthfuls. "Be grateful it was not my cooking!"
"And there Jean Claude would have me believe all Frenchmen could cook!" Catherine laughed. She looked at Thierry, biting her lip. "Do you think we will gain passage easily? I do not want to remain too long in one place..."
"You are pursued?" he asked cautiously.
"Let's just say that there are times to fight and times to run... and when I stop running I want my crew about me!" she reasoned.
Thierry nodded. "You should find passage easily enough. Like I said, I have contacts... although it will probably be to New Orleans. We do not have many ships from the Caribbean here, but you can always travel on from there."
"New Orleans is probably better," Catherine smiled. "I have a friend there who will give us shelter... and it is easy to get to Tortuga from there."
"What is at Tortuga?" Rose asked, frowning.
"Pirates!" Catherine grinned. "And - for me at least - safety! Even if the Pearl isn't there I have enough friends and family that will give me shelter!" She yawned. "Well, I'm just about done for the night. Perhaps we should do the dishes and turn in. You take the bed Rose - I'd rather sleep next to the fire..."
"Are you sure?" Rose asked, frowning. "It won't be very comfortable..."
"I've slept on worse... at least there is a rug and the fire will keep me warm," Catherine smiled. She rose and carried the dirty plates to the kitchen. When she returned, Rose had already retired for the night and the bedroom was in darkness.
Thierry handed her a blanket, keeping one for himself. "You are not like your Aunt," he observed.
"My Aunt is gently bred - this whole experience has been rather a shock to her," Catherine sighed. "Goodnight Captain."
"Goodnight Madame Kitty," Thierry smiled as he lay on the settee and closed his eyes.
***
In the morning Catherine's dress and undershift were dry enough for her to wear again. After a quick but warming breakfast, Thierry led them out into the town again. The snow had been washed away by rain and Catherine paddled through numerous puddles. Thierry tried several ships where he knew the Captains, eventually striking lucky on the third - L'étoile was sailing to New Orleans and was leaving that very afternoon.
"At last my luck changes," Catherine muttered.
"Madame Kitty," Thierry smiled. "This is Captain Grenoble, a friend of mine. He has assured me that he will see you safely to New Orleans."
"Madame Kitty," Captain Grenoble bowed, kissing her hand. Thierry had warned him that the woman was known to the pirate Jean Claude Lact and that he was to take especial care of her. He would see her safe for there was no way that he would ever cross that pirate. "Madame Rose." He bowed again, kissing the older woman's hand. It would also make a change for Thierry to owe him a favour and not the other way around.
"Captain Grenoble," Catherine nodded, acknowledging him. She turned to Thierry. "Thank you, Captain Muret," she smiled. "If you are ever in Tortuga I'll stand you a rum!"
He nodded, taking her hand and kissing it politely before turning to Rose.
"I was wrong about you Captain," she conceded. "Thank you for what you have done for us."
"My pleasure Madame Rose." He kissed her hand too and stood by the dockside as the two women boarded the ship. Only when they were out of sight did he turn and walk back through the rain to his small home, assured that they would reach the Americas safely.
***
***
Thierry led them through the darkness, glad that the snow had eased but hurrying all the same for he realised that Catherine was barefoot. Eventually they reached a wide open square - Place Gambetta Catherine thought the sign said beneath the snow - before entering a narrow building.
"I have a number of rooms on the top floor," he smiled as he climbed the rickety stairs. "They will soon warm up once I get the fire going..."
Catherine smiled. "Warmth will be most appreciated!"
He opened the door to reveal a small, but surprising cosy room with rich furnishings. A small kitchen and even smaller bathroom were to the left of the door, and a large four-poster bed could be seen through a partially open door opposite. "Please, come in..."
Thierry quickly lit the fire and Catherine sat on the floor, rubbing her feet back to life before it, whilst Rose perched uncomfortably on the deeply padded settee.
"I will sleep on the settee tonight if you ladies wish to share the bed," he offered.
"Thank you," Rose muttered in surprise.
"Just give me a blanket," Catherine shrugged. "I'm not leaving this fire until it dies!" She sat even closer, sighing in contentment. "I've not felt this warm for ages!"
Thierry looked around the kitchen. "Can either of you cook?" he asked. "I was not expecting company or I'd have bought more..."
Catherine reluctantly rose from beside the fire. "It'll make a change from cooking for sixty," she sighed. "What have you got?"
Rose watched as she disappeared into the kitchen and soon the sound of laugher mixed with the smells of cooking. She sat watching the fire, pondering all that had happened to her in the last few days. She shook her head in silent disbelief that she was sitting in the home of a French smuggler and that he was cooking for her.
Thierry came back into the main room, clearing the small table of clutter. From somewhere he had managed to find enough cutlery for the three of them and Catherine started to carry through steaming plates of food. "Come Rose, you must be starving!" she smiled. "I know I am!"
Rose was surprised to admit that she was. They had only eaten a cold breakfast that morning, dour hard food that could survive easily onboard. She was not used to such treatment and faced with such tempting fare set to eagerly. Thierry had also found some wine and she sipped it daintily.
"Your niece is a good cook!" Thierry smiled between mouthfuls. "Be grateful it was not my cooking!"
"And there Jean Claude would have me believe all Frenchmen could cook!" Catherine laughed. She looked at Thierry, biting her lip. "Do you think we will gain passage easily? I do not want to remain too long in one place..."
"You are pursued?" he asked cautiously.
"Let's just say that there are times to fight and times to run... and when I stop running I want my crew about me!" she reasoned.
Thierry nodded. "You should find passage easily enough. Like I said, I have contacts... although it will probably be to New Orleans. We do not have many ships from the Caribbean here, but you can always travel on from there."
"New Orleans is probably better," Catherine smiled. "I have a friend there who will give us shelter... and it is easy to get to Tortuga from there."
"What is at Tortuga?" Rose asked, frowning.
"Pirates!" Catherine grinned. "And - for me at least - safety! Even if the Pearl isn't there I have enough friends and family that will give me shelter!" She yawned. "Well, I'm just about done for the night. Perhaps we should do the dishes and turn in. You take the bed Rose - I'd rather sleep next to the fire..."
"Are you sure?" Rose asked, frowning. "It won't be very comfortable..."
"I've slept on worse... at least there is a rug and the fire will keep me warm," Catherine smiled. She rose and carried the dirty plates to the kitchen. When she returned, Rose had already retired for the night and the bedroom was in darkness.
Thierry handed her a blanket, keeping one for himself. "You are not like your Aunt," he observed.
"My Aunt is gently bred - this whole experience has been rather a shock to her," Catherine sighed. "Goodnight Captain."
"Goodnight Madame Kitty," Thierry smiled as he lay on the settee and closed his eyes.
***
In the morning Catherine's dress and undershift were dry enough for her to wear again. After a quick but warming breakfast, Thierry led them out into the town again. The snow had been washed away by rain and Catherine paddled through numerous puddles. Thierry tried several ships where he knew the Captains, eventually striking lucky on the third - L'étoile was sailing to New Orleans and was leaving that very afternoon.
"At last my luck changes," Catherine muttered.
"Madame Kitty," Thierry smiled. "This is Captain Grenoble, a friend of mine. He has assured me that he will see you safely to New Orleans."
"Madame Kitty," Captain Grenoble bowed, kissing her hand. Thierry had warned him that the woman was known to the pirate Jean Claude Lact and that he was to take especial care of her. He would see her safe for there was no way that he would ever cross that pirate. "Madame Rose." He bowed again, kissing the older woman's hand. It would also make a change for Thierry to owe him a favour and not the other way around.
"Captain Grenoble," Catherine nodded, acknowledging him. She turned to Thierry. "Thank you, Captain Muret," she smiled. "If you are ever in Tortuga I'll stand you a rum!"
He nodded, taking her hand and kissing it politely before turning to Rose.
"I was wrong about you Captain," she conceded. "Thank you for what you have done for us."
"My pleasure Madame Rose." He kissed her hand too and stood by the dockside as the two women boarded the ship. Only when they were out of sight did he turn and walk back through the rain to his small home, assured that they would reach the Americas safely.
***