Usual disclaimers... but I want him!
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August
Captain Matthew Ferneham looked across the table at his prisoner for possibly the last meal they would share together. Despite being in his cabin for nearly a month he still knew next to nothing about her for she rarely spoke. Her hair had grown half an inch or so and did not look nearly so rough as it did when she had first come onboard. The bruising on her face had healed and his initial thought that she was pretty had been confirmed... or she would be if there were life in her eyes. He had seen her withdraw into herself over the weeks, building a façade that he could not breach, however hard he tried. He wondered what had happened to cause her to be this way.
They had anchored in Charles Town that morning and once they had eaten he was to escort her to her new home. The Waltham family had a plantation a few miles north of the city and they were major slave owners in the area. Although he had eventually permitted her to be unchained on their journey, she was now firmly shackled to the table – this close to shore he was taking no chances.
"I have some business in town this morning," he apologised, "but I will see about transport to the plantation as soon as I can." As at most of their meals, she did not answer. "Believe it or not Anne," he sighed, "I wish you well of your life here."
She snorted. "I will never be released..."
"The terms of your bondage are seven years..." he began.
"Bondage?" she sneered. "I have not even been tried! You are nothing but a rich man's catspaw!"
"You could tell me..." he offered.
"If he thought you knew the truth, he'd kill you," she said darkly, her tone sending a shiver down his spine. He was not a coward, but he had no doubt that she believed what she said.
"Well," he coughed, changing the subject as he pushed his plate away from him. "I will be back later." He looked backwards as he left the cabin, but it appeared she had clamed up again. He walked briskly down the gangplank, wondering why her words so unnerved him.
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Catherine found herself manacled to the Captain as she sat behind him on the sturdy chestnut horse he had hired, a cloak wrapped around her so that she would be more respectable on her ride through the town. He had got used to her being in just her undershift but he hoped that the Waltham's would see her more properly clothed. She sat in silence behind him, not speaking throughout the entire ride.
"It will not be so bad," he said, helping her dismount.
"You cannot see the sea," she sighed, looking despondently at the luxurious foliage.
"Perhaps it is for the best," he smiled in response, turning as a smartly liveried slave opened the door.
"You have business with the house Sir?" he asked politely.
"I am Captain Matthew Ferneham," he announced. "I bring a letter and a bondswoman from Mister Stephen Waike to the master of the house – if he will see me?"
"Wait here and I will see," the slave intoned, taking the letter and papers but leaving the two of them outside of the house. He returned a few moments later. "Master Waltham will see you in the library," he said, permitting them to enter and indicating that they should follow him through the house. He led them to a large room which was opulently furnished. For a moment it made Catherine think of Jeremiah's study back on Tortuga, but there were far less books here. She snorted to herself when she realised that the books would barely half-fill the trunk that on the Black Pearl that overflowed with books. She shuddered at the memories, taking a deep breath and ensuring the wall between her feelings and the world were strongly in place. That world was lost to her, there was no going back.
Patrick Waltham, master of the house sat, staring at her and glancing down at the paperwork before him. "You have my thanks Captain for seeing your prisoner safely here," he smiled graciously. He moped his brow with a lacey handkerchief – wafting the scent of strong cologne about the room. "If you would be so kind as to release the woman, Joshua will take charge of her. Catherine eyed the black servant as her manacles were removed, knowing he was more than a match for her. "I am sure you will give my man no trouble, will you?"
Catherine did not answer, merely glowered at him. She did not even see the blow that knocked her to the ground. "The correct response is 'Yes Master Waltham!'" The servant Joshua towered over her, hauling her to her feet, his hand around her neck. Catherine gasped for air, her fingers desperately trying to prise his fingers off as she dangled. At a nod from Patrick Waltham she was released, and dropped to the floor gulping air as she shook.
Matthew Ferneham stood speechless, wondering what he had delivered her to. "I feel I should warn you Sir that she has attempted her life several times onboard my ship..." Whatever happened, he knew he could not let herself try to kill herself again. He nodded apologetically towards her. "There is always hope," he said quietly.
"Thank you for the warning Captain, but you may be assured that we know well how to cope with such things here..." Patrick smiled as if nothing untoward had just happened. "You may leave us now." He rang a velvet pull, a bell clanging nearby.
Matthew bowed politely, following another servant that had arrived to show him the way out. He glanced backwards as he left, but the door was shut firmly behind him. Doing business with Mister Waike had sounded like a good idea, a way to get into the more profitable routes that he operated, but now he was not so sure. Climbing back onto his horse he trotted slowly down the long driveway past the manicured lawns and ornamental trees, resolving to investigate his strange prisoner at the first opportunity.
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Patrick Waltham smiled at the woman before him as Joshua hauled her to her feet, more kindly than before. "Take her to Benjamin," he ordered, his eyes hard.
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August
Captain Matthew Ferneham looked across the table at his prisoner for possibly the last meal they would share together. Despite being in his cabin for nearly a month he still knew next to nothing about her for she rarely spoke. Her hair had grown half an inch or so and did not look nearly so rough as it did when she had first come onboard. The bruising on her face had healed and his initial thought that she was pretty had been confirmed... or she would be if there were life in her eyes. He had seen her withdraw into herself over the weeks, building a façade that he could not breach, however hard he tried. He wondered what had happened to cause her to be this way.
They had anchored in Charles Town that morning and once they had eaten he was to escort her to her new home. The Waltham family had a plantation a few miles north of the city and they were major slave owners in the area. Although he had eventually permitted her to be unchained on their journey, she was now firmly shackled to the table – this close to shore he was taking no chances.
"I have some business in town this morning," he apologised, "but I will see about transport to the plantation as soon as I can." As at most of their meals, she did not answer. "Believe it or not Anne," he sighed, "I wish you well of your life here."
She snorted. "I will never be released..."
"The terms of your bondage are seven years..." he began.
"Bondage?" she sneered. "I have not even been tried! You are nothing but a rich man's catspaw!"
"You could tell me..." he offered.
"If he thought you knew the truth, he'd kill you," she said darkly, her tone sending a shiver down his spine. He was not a coward, but he had no doubt that she believed what she said.
"Well," he coughed, changing the subject as he pushed his plate away from him. "I will be back later." He looked backwards as he left the cabin, but it appeared she had clamed up again. He walked briskly down the gangplank, wondering why her words so unnerved him.
###
Catherine found herself manacled to the Captain as she sat behind him on the sturdy chestnut horse he had hired, a cloak wrapped around her so that she would be more respectable on her ride through the town. He had got used to her being in just her undershift but he hoped that the Waltham's would see her more properly clothed. She sat in silence behind him, not speaking throughout the entire ride.
"It will not be so bad," he said, helping her dismount.
"You cannot see the sea," she sighed, looking despondently at the luxurious foliage.
"Perhaps it is for the best," he smiled in response, turning as a smartly liveried slave opened the door.
"You have business with the house Sir?" he asked politely.
"I am Captain Matthew Ferneham," he announced. "I bring a letter and a bondswoman from Mister Stephen Waike to the master of the house – if he will see me?"
"Wait here and I will see," the slave intoned, taking the letter and papers but leaving the two of them outside of the house. He returned a few moments later. "Master Waltham will see you in the library," he said, permitting them to enter and indicating that they should follow him through the house. He led them to a large room which was opulently furnished. For a moment it made Catherine think of Jeremiah's study back on Tortuga, but there were far less books here. She snorted to herself when she realised that the books would barely half-fill the trunk that on the Black Pearl that overflowed with books. She shuddered at the memories, taking a deep breath and ensuring the wall between her feelings and the world were strongly in place. That world was lost to her, there was no going back.
Patrick Waltham, master of the house sat, staring at her and glancing down at the paperwork before him. "You have my thanks Captain for seeing your prisoner safely here," he smiled graciously. He moped his brow with a lacey handkerchief – wafting the scent of strong cologne about the room. "If you would be so kind as to release the woman, Joshua will take charge of her. Catherine eyed the black servant as her manacles were removed, knowing he was more than a match for her. "I am sure you will give my man no trouble, will you?"
Catherine did not answer, merely glowered at him. She did not even see the blow that knocked her to the ground. "The correct response is 'Yes Master Waltham!'" The servant Joshua towered over her, hauling her to her feet, his hand around her neck. Catherine gasped for air, her fingers desperately trying to prise his fingers off as she dangled. At a nod from Patrick Waltham she was released, and dropped to the floor gulping air as she shook.
Matthew Ferneham stood speechless, wondering what he had delivered her to. "I feel I should warn you Sir that she has attempted her life several times onboard my ship..." Whatever happened, he knew he could not let herself try to kill herself again. He nodded apologetically towards her. "There is always hope," he said quietly.
"Thank you for the warning Captain, but you may be assured that we know well how to cope with such things here..." Patrick smiled as if nothing untoward had just happened. "You may leave us now." He rang a velvet pull, a bell clanging nearby.
Matthew bowed politely, following another servant that had arrived to show him the way out. He glanced backwards as he left, but the door was shut firmly behind him. Doing business with Mister Waike had sounded like a good idea, a way to get into the more profitable routes that he operated, but now he was not so sure. Climbing back onto his horse he trotted slowly down the long driveway past the manicured lawns and ornamental trees, resolving to investigate his strange prisoner at the first opportunity.
###
Patrick Waltham smiled at the woman before him as Joshua hauled her to her feet, more kindly than before. "Take her to Benjamin," he ordered, his eyes hard.
###