Usual disclaimers... ho-hum!
Thanks for all the reviews already from my regulars... Starlight - here is more Oran for you! Druidan54 - try reading BEFORE reviewing... silly! Omala - how can I seriously hurt Jack or Kitty when I have already written the end chapter! Mab - glad you have caught up! Ani... :p
Okay - three chapters today...
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Jean Claude sighed nostalgically as the city finally came into view. Catherine smiled. "Does it feel good to be home Jean Claude?" She was grateful that he had insisted that they speak nothing but French once they had left the Black Pearl, helping them to slide into their roles more easily. A slip here would be embarrassing, a slip ashore could mean death.
"Oui," he smiled, "although my home now is like yours - the Black Pearl..." He turned the tiller slightly, aiming for an area of the docks near to Le Coq. "First stop is a drink! Remember, you are my crew - address me as Captain. Oran, Kitty - you are comfortable in your names so keep to Duras. Theo, remember what we spoke of at Will's house - you are an ex-Naval officer and anything else is private.
"Oui Captain," Theodore replied quietly, watching in silence as the lights of the docks neared, barely noticing his sister's hand resting on his arm in the darkness.
"It will be alright Theo," she assured him, squeezing gently.
"I should have listened to you before Cat... heeded your warnings." Theodore smiled wryly.
"But then you would not have a beautiful daughter, nor I a niece..." Catherine sighed. "Who can say what the future will bring - God never tells us."
"Look alert!" Jean Claude ordered. "We're nearly there..." Jean Claude lit a small lantern. "From here we must row," he urged, pointing starboard into the darkness. "I know a quiet spot we can leave the boat... we do not want the wrong people to know we are here - yet!"
Theodore and Oran picked up the oars from beneath their feet in the bottom of the boat whilst Catherine furled the sail before taking the tiller. Soon the steady splash propelled them shorewards, guided by Jean Claude in the prow, and they found themselves in a small creek. "Hard to port and beach us!" the Frenchman suddenly ordered, pleased to see them rapidly obey. He leapt the short distance, his boots sinking in the soft mud before Theodore and Oran stowed the oars and climbed to help him. Ever the gentleman, Jean Claude carried Catherine over the mud, concerned that she not dirty her dress.
"Merci," she said quietly as her feet touched solid ground, looking around for their route. But there were trees and bushes everywhere. "Captain?" she asked, aware that even here they might be overheard.
"This way," he smiled, dousing the lantern and leaving it with the boat as he confidently led them through the undergrowth towards the city. Before long they could see the lights of the city ahead of them. "Not a sound," Jean Claude cautioned. "We do not want to come to the attention of the guards..." He suddenly turned left off the road, leading them through what appeared to be a meadow before weaving through a number of narrow, fetid alleyways. Eventually they reached the docks and she spotted Paul's tavern ahead of them. "We will wait until he closes,"
They waited in the shadows, Oran wrapping his arms about Catherine to keep her warm. "I could get used to this again," he whispered in her ear, chuckling as he held her.
"Behave!" she hissed, watching as the evening drunks stumbled out of the door, listening for the last man and the sound of Paul Fécamp pushing the heavy bolts across.
"Move!" Jean Claude urged, walking quickly across the moonlight dock as the first bolt shot home. He knocked on the door. "Paul, open up!"
The bolt slid across again, a crack appearing as the door slowly opened. "Jean Claude!" Paul Fécamp stood at the door of his tavern, stunned disbelief in his eyes. "Jean Claude!" he gasped, embracing his friend, tears of joy in his eyes. "Come in, come in!" He looked around, assured that nobody had seen them, smiling as he spotted Oran with Catherine as well as a tall stranger that he did not recognise.
"I believe you already know Oran Duras and his wife Catherine," Jean Claude smiled as he breezed into the tavern.
Paul waited until the four of them were within before shutting the door firmly, sliding the three bolts across. He turned to Catherine, embracing her warmly and kissing her on the cheek in delight. "I take it from your return that your mission was successful?"
Catherine nodded. "The false ship is in splinters and by now Louis will be hanged in Port Royal..." She turned to Theodore. "Theo, may I introduce Paul Fécamp, owner of this delightful establishment. Paul, this is Theodore, my brother and husband of Mary."
"Ah!" Realisation dawned in his eyes. "You are here for her then?"
"We are," she confirmed. "Do you know if she has had the baby?"
"The last I heard it was due any day," he shrugged apologetically. "I am afraid I have not been keeping up with the gossip on it..."
"We will have to pay a house call..." Jean Claude suggested, "but we do not want her disappearance to be linked to us..."
"I can find out tomorrow anything you need to know," Paul offered. He looked at Catherine and Oran. "I take it you aren't staying..."
"I'm sorry Paul," Catherine smiled. "You know I cannot bear to be parted from Jack..."
"Ah, to have such love..." Paul sighed, his eyes teasing. "Well, you know the way to the kitchen and the room upstairs - plus where the blankets are stored. Jean Claude and I have some reminiscing to do..." He looked to his friend. "Brandy?" he offered. "I have a few special bottles hidden in the store..."
Jean Claude turned to the others. "I will see you... somewhen," he smiled, throwing his arm across Paul's shoulders. "Special bottles did you say?"
Catherine laughed, happy that the two friends had been reunited at last. Jean Claude had a large amount of catching up to do for he had not seen Paul since before he had been marooned by Louis and apart from the little that Catherine had told him, Paul knew nothing about his time aboard the Black Pearl. She knew that they would not see Jean Claude until the early hours of the morning, or possibly even breakfast. "Come," she urged. "I'll fix us some food and then we can bunk down for the night. The lumpy mattress is mine!"
###
After a brief supper, Theodore followed Catherine and Oran up the narrow staircase to the musty room, watching with amusement as his sister bashed the mattress free of wildlife. "It's better than the floor," she shrugged, taking the blankets that Oran had brought from the cupboard opposite. She threw one across the mattress, before turning to them. "Um... will somebody unlace me?"
Oran grinned, reaching for her laces as she turned, ignoring Theodore as he coughed. "My pleasure," he teased, watching appreciatively as she slipped it from her shoulders before climbing into the bed in just her undershift.
"You're impossible!" she sighed, poking her tongue out at him as she pulled a second blanket over her. "See you in the morning... goodnight Theo!"
"Goodnight Cat," Theodore smiled, laying out a couple of blankets for himself on the floor. Oran blew out the candle and for a while he lay there in the darkness, wondering what the next day would bring. He realised he had no idea what would he say to Mary nor how she would react to the news of her lover's death. Somewhat ashamed, he admitted to himself that he was going to enjoy telling her this. It would be sweet vengeance for her betrayal. He would have given her the world, but it seemed it had not been enough for Mary - nothing had ever been enough for her.
###
Thanks for all the reviews already from my regulars... Starlight - here is more Oran for you! Druidan54 - try reading BEFORE reviewing... silly! Omala - how can I seriously hurt Jack or Kitty when I have already written the end chapter! Mab - glad you have caught up! Ani... :p
Okay - three chapters today...
###
Jean Claude sighed nostalgically as the city finally came into view. Catherine smiled. "Does it feel good to be home Jean Claude?" She was grateful that he had insisted that they speak nothing but French once they had left the Black Pearl, helping them to slide into their roles more easily. A slip here would be embarrassing, a slip ashore could mean death.
"Oui," he smiled, "although my home now is like yours - the Black Pearl..." He turned the tiller slightly, aiming for an area of the docks near to Le Coq. "First stop is a drink! Remember, you are my crew - address me as Captain. Oran, Kitty - you are comfortable in your names so keep to Duras. Theo, remember what we spoke of at Will's house - you are an ex-Naval officer and anything else is private.
"Oui Captain," Theodore replied quietly, watching in silence as the lights of the docks neared, barely noticing his sister's hand resting on his arm in the darkness.
"It will be alright Theo," she assured him, squeezing gently.
"I should have listened to you before Cat... heeded your warnings." Theodore smiled wryly.
"But then you would not have a beautiful daughter, nor I a niece..." Catherine sighed. "Who can say what the future will bring - God never tells us."
"Look alert!" Jean Claude ordered. "We're nearly there..." Jean Claude lit a small lantern. "From here we must row," he urged, pointing starboard into the darkness. "I know a quiet spot we can leave the boat... we do not want the wrong people to know we are here - yet!"
Theodore and Oran picked up the oars from beneath their feet in the bottom of the boat whilst Catherine furled the sail before taking the tiller. Soon the steady splash propelled them shorewards, guided by Jean Claude in the prow, and they found themselves in a small creek. "Hard to port and beach us!" the Frenchman suddenly ordered, pleased to see them rapidly obey. He leapt the short distance, his boots sinking in the soft mud before Theodore and Oran stowed the oars and climbed to help him. Ever the gentleman, Jean Claude carried Catherine over the mud, concerned that she not dirty her dress.
"Merci," she said quietly as her feet touched solid ground, looking around for their route. But there were trees and bushes everywhere. "Captain?" she asked, aware that even here they might be overheard.
"This way," he smiled, dousing the lantern and leaving it with the boat as he confidently led them through the undergrowth towards the city. Before long they could see the lights of the city ahead of them. "Not a sound," Jean Claude cautioned. "We do not want to come to the attention of the guards..." He suddenly turned left off the road, leading them through what appeared to be a meadow before weaving through a number of narrow, fetid alleyways. Eventually they reached the docks and she spotted Paul's tavern ahead of them. "We will wait until he closes,"
They waited in the shadows, Oran wrapping his arms about Catherine to keep her warm. "I could get used to this again," he whispered in her ear, chuckling as he held her.
"Behave!" she hissed, watching as the evening drunks stumbled out of the door, listening for the last man and the sound of Paul Fécamp pushing the heavy bolts across.
"Move!" Jean Claude urged, walking quickly across the moonlight dock as the first bolt shot home. He knocked on the door. "Paul, open up!"
The bolt slid across again, a crack appearing as the door slowly opened. "Jean Claude!" Paul Fécamp stood at the door of his tavern, stunned disbelief in his eyes. "Jean Claude!" he gasped, embracing his friend, tears of joy in his eyes. "Come in, come in!" He looked around, assured that nobody had seen them, smiling as he spotted Oran with Catherine as well as a tall stranger that he did not recognise.
"I believe you already know Oran Duras and his wife Catherine," Jean Claude smiled as he breezed into the tavern.
Paul waited until the four of them were within before shutting the door firmly, sliding the three bolts across. He turned to Catherine, embracing her warmly and kissing her on the cheek in delight. "I take it from your return that your mission was successful?"
Catherine nodded. "The false ship is in splinters and by now Louis will be hanged in Port Royal..." She turned to Theodore. "Theo, may I introduce Paul Fécamp, owner of this delightful establishment. Paul, this is Theodore, my brother and husband of Mary."
"Ah!" Realisation dawned in his eyes. "You are here for her then?"
"We are," she confirmed. "Do you know if she has had the baby?"
"The last I heard it was due any day," he shrugged apologetically. "I am afraid I have not been keeping up with the gossip on it..."
"We will have to pay a house call..." Jean Claude suggested, "but we do not want her disappearance to be linked to us..."
"I can find out tomorrow anything you need to know," Paul offered. He looked at Catherine and Oran. "I take it you aren't staying..."
"I'm sorry Paul," Catherine smiled. "You know I cannot bear to be parted from Jack..."
"Ah, to have such love..." Paul sighed, his eyes teasing. "Well, you know the way to the kitchen and the room upstairs - plus where the blankets are stored. Jean Claude and I have some reminiscing to do..." He looked to his friend. "Brandy?" he offered. "I have a few special bottles hidden in the store..."
Jean Claude turned to the others. "I will see you... somewhen," he smiled, throwing his arm across Paul's shoulders. "Special bottles did you say?"
Catherine laughed, happy that the two friends had been reunited at last. Jean Claude had a large amount of catching up to do for he had not seen Paul since before he had been marooned by Louis and apart from the little that Catherine had told him, Paul knew nothing about his time aboard the Black Pearl. She knew that they would not see Jean Claude until the early hours of the morning, or possibly even breakfast. "Come," she urged. "I'll fix us some food and then we can bunk down for the night. The lumpy mattress is mine!"
###
After a brief supper, Theodore followed Catherine and Oran up the narrow staircase to the musty room, watching with amusement as his sister bashed the mattress free of wildlife. "It's better than the floor," she shrugged, taking the blankets that Oran had brought from the cupboard opposite. She threw one across the mattress, before turning to them. "Um... will somebody unlace me?"
Oran grinned, reaching for her laces as she turned, ignoring Theodore as he coughed. "My pleasure," he teased, watching appreciatively as she slipped it from her shoulders before climbing into the bed in just her undershift.
"You're impossible!" she sighed, poking her tongue out at him as she pulled a second blanket over her. "See you in the morning... goodnight Theo!"
"Goodnight Cat," Theodore smiled, laying out a couple of blankets for himself on the floor. Oran blew out the candle and for a while he lay there in the darkness, wondering what the next day would bring. He realised he had no idea what would he say to Mary nor how she would react to the news of her lover's death. Somewhat ashamed, he admitted to himself that he was going to enjoy telling her this. It would be sweet vengeance for her betrayal. He would have given her the world, but it seemed it had not been enough for Mary - nothing had ever been enough for her.
###