Usual disclaimers... blah!
###
Theodore was grateful to be back in Port Royal for he had missed the bustle of the town. Although the beach was lovely , and had offered sanctuary when he needed it with Charlotte, it was too quiet for him. He had managed to find a spare bunk in the barracks where he would stay until he managed to find lodgings within the town. He realised he would have to see about getting the house rebuilt, but at least he could afford it. The sooner he had his own home then the sooner Kasia could return with Charlotte... and he missed his daughter terribly.
The Commodore had already quietly arranged the paperwork to have him reinstated as Captain, and he was glad that this did not have to be passed to the Governor for approval, pondering a while what the result might have been if that had been the case. A voice startled him from his reverie. "Theodore! Or should I say Captain!"
Theodore turned to see Lieutenant Eccleston striding towards him, a broad grin on his face. "Alex!" he replied warmly. "I did not realise the Gauntlet was back."
"Captain Porlock is with the Commodore now..." Lieutenant Eccleston explained.
Theodore shrugged. "You should have had the command," he sighed.
"Well, Porlock is the Governor's man... as are the other Captains. The Phoebe should be back soon." He looked cautiously over his shoulder, before speaking cautiously. "Walk carefully..." he warned.
"I intend to - but I am the Commodore's man so perhaps it is they who should be walking carefully instead," Theodore smiled.
Alex frowned at the papers Theodore was holding. "What's that?" he asked, nodding towards them.
"Oh, just my formal petition to divorce Mary," Theodore said wryly. "Nothing that cannot wait... are you off duty? I'll buy you an ale..."
"As it happens I am," Alex grinned, the natural camaraderie that they had shared before Theodore's departure returning as if nothing had happened.
###
Thomas Spense was furious when he learned that the Commodore had detained Mary and stormed to the fort, determined that she would be released. He soon realised though that the Commodore had acted properly within the law and had not exceeded the limits of his power.
"I am sorry Governor," the Commodore apologised, maintaining the pretence of knowing nothing of his involvement. "Your daughter knows more than she is telling and I fear it would be too dangerous for her to remain in Port Royal..."
"And her child..." the Governor pressed.
"Which one?" James Norrington frowned. "Her daughter or her new son - both of which she has abandoned..."
"Has Groves brought Charlotte back with him?" he asked. "And the other child... the bastard?" He spoke the word with distaste.
"Your granddaughter has been left with friends of Captain Groves I believe," he explained, delighting in the angry tic that flashed across the Governor's face. "Her new born son has been taken in by his paternal kin..." He watched whilst Thomas Spense figured out the meaning of his words.
"Lact?" he swore. "You have given the child to a pirate?"
"I understand that the child's uncle has offered to raise him..." he began.
"I refuse to have any grandchild of mine raised by a pirate!" Thomas Spense interrupted. "You will bring the child back!"
James Norrington shook his head sadly. "I am afraid that is not possible," he sighed. "The French wet-nurse has already left."
For a moment he thought that the Governor would explode but he gradually regained his composure. "I would like to see my daughter," he demanded.
"I will arrange for a man to escort you," James Norrington nodded. "Morven!" His clerk entered promptly on hearing his name. "I want you to escort the Governor to visit his daughter," he explained. "She is not to leave the cell..."
"I hardly think that is necessary Commodore!" Thomas Spense complained.
James Norrington smiled apologetically. "It is procedure, I am afraid," he replied.
The Governor grunted and followed Angus Morven from the room. The sooner he saw Mary the better.
###
Mary looked up hopefully on seeing her father approach, but the small, warning shake of his head bade her remain silent. He turned to Angus. "I would have privacy!" he ordered.
"My apologies Governor," Angus replied. "I am to stay in view at all time... regulations." For a moment he thought the man would argue, but he merely nodded and walked along to the cell in which Mary was held. He hugged her awkwardly through the bars.
"I told them nothing," she whispered. "About the ship... they were asking about the ship!"
Thomas Spense sighed. He knew he was vulnerable if it was linked to him, and he would have to make sure that it never was. "You are well?" he asked, frowning as he saw the bruises on her face.
"As well as can be expected," she sighed bitterly.
"Your face?" he asked. "They have not ill-treated you?"
"No... that was that bitch Catherine!" she hissed, an angry spark in her eyes. "The Black Pearl brought me back!" He nodded, that was news indeed.
"And Theodore?" he enquired.
"He is as bad as the rest of them!" she retorted. "He sailed willingly onboard... and Lact serves there too!"
"Sparrow has a known pirate on his ship?" Momentarily he forgot that he had seen them reclassed as pirates themselves.
Mary nodded. "I listened as much as I could," she whispered, remembering the names. "Booth, Hallam, Kree..."
"Hallam!" His voice rose, carrying across to Angus. He coughed, regaining his composure. "Are you sure of that name?"
"I am," she said, taking delight in her father's exultant expression.
"We'll have Sparrow yet!" he assured her. "Him and his wife!" He looked at her through the bars, his expression regretful. "Although I fear you will be in England by then..."
"Is there nothing you can do Father?" Mary asked hopefully, sighing disappointedly as he shook his head. "When?" she asked. "When do I sail?"
"The Commodore said on the first available ship... but I shall see if I can arrange for the Phoebe or Wyndham to take you home." He looked at her affectionately. "It will be safer than a trader..." She nodded. "But I must go and arrange it," he apologised. He hugged her once more through the bars before turning to Angus Morven. "I would see the Commodore again," he ordered, waiting whilst the man escorted him back.
###
A few days later Mary embraced her father one last time on the quayside. True to his word, he had arranged for the HMS Phoebe to take her home and had also paid one of the black maids to travel with her and to remain as her servant once she reached England.
"Miss Spense..." Captain Francis Snow coughed awkwardly. "We should leave or we will miss the tide..."
"Thank you Captain," she acknowledged, still getting used to the change of her title. With the evidence of the child and her admission of the affair before the Commodore, Theodore had gained his divorce easily. No more Mistress Groves, but maybe there was a chance of a new life in England where the stain on her reputation could be more easily concealed.
"Take care Mary," Thomas Spence sighed, watching as she climbed awkwardly into the ship's boat. The red-coated marines picked up their oars, quickly rowing across to the HMS Phoebe. Her maid was already onboard and they were eager to be away.
Mary accepted Captain Snow's assistance into the bosun's chair, swinging up onboard. She staggered to the deck, relieved to feel the deck beneath her feet. She cast one last regretful glance back at Port Royal, where her father still waited, before turning and following a marine to the cabin that had been allocated to her. She did not look back.
###
Apologies that I did not kill her - but as Mary Read and Anne Bonny did not hang in real life for far worse crimes I couldn't kill her however much I may have wanted to. Disgrace and lack of status will hurt Mary far longer... and just as effectively.
Mab! Mab! Calm down girl! It is just a story! {rolls eyes}
Okay girls - if you want the start of the end-game, so to speak, you know the routine... review and I'll keep typing!
###
Theodore was grateful to be back in Port Royal for he had missed the bustle of the town. Although the beach was lovely , and had offered sanctuary when he needed it with Charlotte, it was too quiet for him. He had managed to find a spare bunk in the barracks where he would stay until he managed to find lodgings within the town. He realised he would have to see about getting the house rebuilt, but at least he could afford it. The sooner he had his own home then the sooner Kasia could return with Charlotte... and he missed his daughter terribly.
The Commodore had already quietly arranged the paperwork to have him reinstated as Captain, and he was glad that this did not have to be passed to the Governor for approval, pondering a while what the result might have been if that had been the case. A voice startled him from his reverie. "Theodore! Or should I say Captain!"
Theodore turned to see Lieutenant Eccleston striding towards him, a broad grin on his face. "Alex!" he replied warmly. "I did not realise the Gauntlet was back."
"Captain Porlock is with the Commodore now..." Lieutenant Eccleston explained.
Theodore shrugged. "You should have had the command," he sighed.
"Well, Porlock is the Governor's man... as are the other Captains. The Phoebe should be back soon." He looked cautiously over his shoulder, before speaking cautiously. "Walk carefully..." he warned.
"I intend to - but I am the Commodore's man so perhaps it is they who should be walking carefully instead," Theodore smiled.
Alex frowned at the papers Theodore was holding. "What's that?" he asked, nodding towards them.
"Oh, just my formal petition to divorce Mary," Theodore said wryly. "Nothing that cannot wait... are you off duty? I'll buy you an ale..."
"As it happens I am," Alex grinned, the natural camaraderie that they had shared before Theodore's departure returning as if nothing had happened.
###
Thomas Spense was furious when he learned that the Commodore had detained Mary and stormed to the fort, determined that she would be released. He soon realised though that the Commodore had acted properly within the law and had not exceeded the limits of his power.
"I am sorry Governor," the Commodore apologised, maintaining the pretence of knowing nothing of his involvement. "Your daughter knows more than she is telling and I fear it would be too dangerous for her to remain in Port Royal..."
"And her child..." the Governor pressed.
"Which one?" James Norrington frowned. "Her daughter or her new son - both of which she has abandoned..."
"Has Groves brought Charlotte back with him?" he asked. "And the other child... the bastard?" He spoke the word with distaste.
"Your granddaughter has been left with friends of Captain Groves I believe," he explained, delighting in the angry tic that flashed across the Governor's face. "Her new born son has been taken in by his paternal kin..." He watched whilst Thomas Spense figured out the meaning of his words.
"Lact?" he swore. "You have given the child to a pirate?"
"I understand that the child's uncle has offered to raise him..." he began.
"I refuse to have any grandchild of mine raised by a pirate!" Thomas Spense interrupted. "You will bring the child back!"
James Norrington shook his head sadly. "I am afraid that is not possible," he sighed. "The French wet-nurse has already left."
For a moment he thought that the Governor would explode but he gradually regained his composure. "I would like to see my daughter," he demanded.
"I will arrange for a man to escort you," James Norrington nodded. "Morven!" His clerk entered promptly on hearing his name. "I want you to escort the Governor to visit his daughter," he explained. "She is not to leave the cell..."
"I hardly think that is necessary Commodore!" Thomas Spense complained.
James Norrington smiled apologetically. "It is procedure, I am afraid," he replied.
The Governor grunted and followed Angus Morven from the room. The sooner he saw Mary the better.
###
Mary looked up hopefully on seeing her father approach, but the small, warning shake of his head bade her remain silent. He turned to Angus. "I would have privacy!" he ordered.
"My apologies Governor," Angus replied. "I am to stay in view at all time... regulations." For a moment he thought the man would argue, but he merely nodded and walked along to the cell in which Mary was held. He hugged her awkwardly through the bars.
"I told them nothing," she whispered. "About the ship... they were asking about the ship!"
Thomas Spense sighed. He knew he was vulnerable if it was linked to him, and he would have to make sure that it never was. "You are well?" he asked, frowning as he saw the bruises on her face.
"As well as can be expected," she sighed bitterly.
"Your face?" he asked. "They have not ill-treated you?"
"No... that was that bitch Catherine!" she hissed, an angry spark in her eyes. "The Black Pearl brought me back!" He nodded, that was news indeed.
"And Theodore?" he enquired.
"He is as bad as the rest of them!" she retorted. "He sailed willingly onboard... and Lact serves there too!"
"Sparrow has a known pirate on his ship?" Momentarily he forgot that he had seen them reclassed as pirates themselves.
Mary nodded. "I listened as much as I could," she whispered, remembering the names. "Booth, Hallam, Kree..."
"Hallam!" His voice rose, carrying across to Angus. He coughed, regaining his composure. "Are you sure of that name?"
"I am," she said, taking delight in her father's exultant expression.
"We'll have Sparrow yet!" he assured her. "Him and his wife!" He looked at her through the bars, his expression regretful. "Although I fear you will be in England by then..."
"Is there nothing you can do Father?" Mary asked hopefully, sighing disappointedly as he shook his head. "When?" she asked. "When do I sail?"
"The Commodore said on the first available ship... but I shall see if I can arrange for the Phoebe or Wyndham to take you home." He looked at her affectionately. "It will be safer than a trader..." She nodded. "But I must go and arrange it," he apologised. He hugged her once more through the bars before turning to Angus Morven. "I would see the Commodore again," he ordered, waiting whilst the man escorted him back.
###
A few days later Mary embraced her father one last time on the quayside. True to his word, he had arranged for the HMS Phoebe to take her home and had also paid one of the black maids to travel with her and to remain as her servant once she reached England.
"Miss Spense..." Captain Francis Snow coughed awkwardly. "We should leave or we will miss the tide..."
"Thank you Captain," she acknowledged, still getting used to the change of her title. With the evidence of the child and her admission of the affair before the Commodore, Theodore had gained his divorce easily. No more Mistress Groves, but maybe there was a chance of a new life in England where the stain on her reputation could be more easily concealed.
"Take care Mary," Thomas Spence sighed, watching as she climbed awkwardly into the ship's boat. The red-coated marines picked up their oars, quickly rowing across to the HMS Phoebe. Her maid was already onboard and they were eager to be away.
Mary accepted Captain Snow's assistance into the bosun's chair, swinging up onboard. She staggered to the deck, relieved to feel the deck beneath her feet. She cast one last regretful glance back at Port Royal, where her father still waited, before turning and following a marine to the cabin that had been allocated to her. She did not look back.
###
Apologies that I did not kill her - but as Mary Read and Anne Bonny did not hang in real life for far worse crimes I couldn't kill her however much I may have wanted to. Disgrace and lack of status will hurt Mary far longer... and just as effectively.
Mab! Mab! Calm down girl! It is just a story! {rolls eyes}
Okay girls - if you want the start of the end-game, so to speak, you know the routine... review and I'll keep typing!