Usual disclaimers... ho-hum!
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As James Schott rode to the Roseridge plantation, he smiled in memory as he passed the spot where he and his uncle had been snatched by the pirates. So much had changed since then. A servant came out to take his horse and he wandered into the house with a familiarity of long association. He stopped a passing maid. "Where might I find Miss Matilda?" he asked.
"Probably in the library Sir," she replied, bobbing a curtsey as she hurried on with her chores. Mistress Nanette did not like her servants to dawdle and since her only remaining son had been killed in a riding accident a month before, her temper had not improved.
"Thank you," James said to her departing back. He had heard that Edward had been killed but was surprised at the change in the atmosphere of the house. He walked through to the library, smiling as he saw Matilda hunched over a stout book.
"Oh James!" she cried in delight as she saw him, rushing from her seat to embrace him before belatedly remembering her decorum. "I am glad to see you safely returned to us," she smiled.
"I am sorry I was not here to be with you earlier," he apologised. "I heard about Edward..."
Matilda sniffed back tears that welled in her eyes. "It was horrible," she whispered. "Mother won't leave her room and I have to do everything! I don't know where to begin? Can you stay? Will you help me?" She looked at him beseechingly.
"I have to return to my Uncle's house this evening," he apologised, "but perhaps I can stay longer tomorrow?" He looked across to where she had been sitting. "What are you struggling with – perhaps I can help?"
"It is the ledger!" she exclaimed. "Mother said I should get used to the figures as the plantation will be mine when I marry..." She looked at him in despair. "But it all makes no sense to me..."
"Here, let me help you then," he offered, pulling another chair to sit beside her. "This is the money you have coming in," he explained as he pointed to a column on the page. "And this is the money that has gone out..." He frowned, the outgoings were exceedingly high. He flicked back through the pages until he found a figure almost a year back that made him gasp. Thousands of pounds had been paid to a Mister F de Neuilly of New Orleans. He read further, eyes widening when he realised what the figure related to. English gold Jack had said... and now he knew from where! He squinted, turning his head sideways to read the scrawled note in the margin... care of T Spense! The Governor! This was it! The proof that his Uncle needed. He shut the ledger, placing it beneath his arm.
Matilda looked at him in surprise. "James?" she puzzled.
"Matilda, how do you fancy a ride into Port Royal?" he smiled.
"I shouldn't..." she worried. "Mother will be cross!"
"I doubt that she will even miss you," he evaded. "You said she never leaves her room... and Uncle James is good with figures. I am sure he could explain this far better than I could."
"Are you sure?" she said doubtfully.
"I am sure," he smiled, desperate to get the ledger from the house. "Come, let's get you a horse saddled..." Continuing to smile, hoping she would not protest, he urged her through the door, arranging a mount before she could think further to argue.
It was not until they were half-way to Port Royal that she drew her mount to a halt, turning to face him. "James," she said quietly. "What was in that ledger? Please do not lie to me!"
James looked at her cautiously, wondering if she would ride further if he told her the truth. "Matilda," he began, struggling for what to say. "What did you think when you heard about the atrocity committed by pirates at Port au Prince..."
"That was terrible," she replied. "It was those pirates that took you, wasn't it – that is why I was so worried!"
James shook his head. "That was not the Black Pearl," he said. "Would you believe me if I said that a ship had been built to look like the Black Pearl, to deliberately blacken their name..."
"What do you mean?" she frowned, dismounting and leading her horse along the trail.
"I know that a ship was built," he sighed, dismounting as well and walking beside her. 'I know that the ship was built in New Orleans and that it was ordered by people with a strong and personal hatred of the Sparrows..."
"I don't understand..." Matilda paused, looking at him questioningly.
"Neither did I to begin with," James smiled reassuringly. "But I have seen both ships – the Black Pearl at close hand in the bay where I was held and the other ship on the horizon. I know there were two ships!"
"But what does that have to do with the ledger?" she puzzled.
"Your ledger shows a large amount of money, thousands of pounds, being paid to a gentleman in New Orleans... money that was passed via the Governor..." he said, cautiously watching her face.
Matilda paled. "Are you saying my mother... and the Governor..." she stuttered.
"Matilda, your mother blames them for the death of your father and Damian... the Governor blames them for just about everything short of the sun rising! Think about it!" he urged. "The ship was built in New Orleans, with English gold and was captained by Louis Lact who was the lover of Mary Groves – the Governor's daughter!"
"But you can't take it!" she cried, reaching for where the ledger was securely fastened to his horse. "He will hang mother!"
"Matilda!" James shouted, causing the horses to throw their heads in alarm at the noise. "I am sure my Uncle will not harm her! Trust me!"
"Then why do you need the ledger?" she wailed, not understanding.
"The Governor," he said softly. "It is the Governor he wants, not your mother... but this could help him. Please, please trust me?"
He smiled as she slowly nodded. "I will trust you James," she said quietly. "You are all I have left."
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As James Schott rode to the Roseridge plantation, he smiled in memory as he passed the spot where he and his uncle had been snatched by the pirates. So much had changed since then. A servant came out to take his horse and he wandered into the house with a familiarity of long association. He stopped a passing maid. "Where might I find Miss Matilda?" he asked.
"Probably in the library Sir," she replied, bobbing a curtsey as she hurried on with her chores. Mistress Nanette did not like her servants to dawdle and since her only remaining son had been killed in a riding accident a month before, her temper had not improved.
"Thank you," James said to her departing back. He had heard that Edward had been killed but was surprised at the change in the atmosphere of the house. He walked through to the library, smiling as he saw Matilda hunched over a stout book.
"Oh James!" she cried in delight as she saw him, rushing from her seat to embrace him before belatedly remembering her decorum. "I am glad to see you safely returned to us," she smiled.
"I am sorry I was not here to be with you earlier," he apologised. "I heard about Edward..."
Matilda sniffed back tears that welled in her eyes. "It was horrible," she whispered. "Mother won't leave her room and I have to do everything! I don't know where to begin? Can you stay? Will you help me?" She looked at him beseechingly.
"I have to return to my Uncle's house this evening," he apologised, "but perhaps I can stay longer tomorrow?" He looked across to where she had been sitting. "What are you struggling with – perhaps I can help?"
"It is the ledger!" she exclaimed. "Mother said I should get used to the figures as the plantation will be mine when I marry..." She looked at him in despair. "But it all makes no sense to me..."
"Here, let me help you then," he offered, pulling another chair to sit beside her. "This is the money you have coming in," he explained as he pointed to a column on the page. "And this is the money that has gone out..." He frowned, the outgoings were exceedingly high. He flicked back through the pages until he found a figure almost a year back that made him gasp. Thousands of pounds had been paid to a Mister F de Neuilly of New Orleans. He read further, eyes widening when he realised what the figure related to. English gold Jack had said... and now he knew from where! He squinted, turning his head sideways to read the scrawled note in the margin... care of T Spense! The Governor! This was it! The proof that his Uncle needed. He shut the ledger, placing it beneath his arm.
Matilda looked at him in surprise. "James?" she puzzled.
"Matilda, how do you fancy a ride into Port Royal?" he smiled.
"I shouldn't..." she worried. "Mother will be cross!"
"I doubt that she will even miss you," he evaded. "You said she never leaves her room... and Uncle James is good with figures. I am sure he could explain this far better than I could."
"Are you sure?" she said doubtfully.
"I am sure," he smiled, desperate to get the ledger from the house. "Come, let's get you a horse saddled..." Continuing to smile, hoping she would not protest, he urged her through the door, arranging a mount before she could think further to argue.
It was not until they were half-way to Port Royal that she drew her mount to a halt, turning to face him. "James," she said quietly. "What was in that ledger? Please do not lie to me!"
James looked at her cautiously, wondering if she would ride further if he told her the truth. "Matilda," he began, struggling for what to say. "What did you think when you heard about the atrocity committed by pirates at Port au Prince..."
"That was terrible," she replied. "It was those pirates that took you, wasn't it – that is why I was so worried!"
James shook his head. "That was not the Black Pearl," he said. "Would you believe me if I said that a ship had been built to look like the Black Pearl, to deliberately blacken their name..."
"What do you mean?" she frowned, dismounting and leading her horse along the trail.
"I know that a ship was built," he sighed, dismounting as well and walking beside her. 'I know that the ship was built in New Orleans and that it was ordered by people with a strong and personal hatred of the Sparrows..."
"I don't understand..." Matilda paused, looking at him questioningly.
"Neither did I to begin with," James smiled reassuringly. "But I have seen both ships – the Black Pearl at close hand in the bay where I was held and the other ship on the horizon. I know there were two ships!"
"But what does that have to do with the ledger?" she puzzled.
"Your ledger shows a large amount of money, thousands of pounds, being paid to a gentleman in New Orleans... money that was passed via the Governor..." he said, cautiously watching her face.
Matilda paled. "Are you saying my mother... and the Governor..." she stuttered.
"Matilda, your mother blames them for the death of your father and Damian... the Governor blames them for just about everything short of the sun rising! Think about it!" he urged. "The ship was built in New Orleans, with English gold and was captained by Louis Lact who was the lover of Mary Groves – the Governor's daughter!"
"But you can't take it!" she cried, reaching for where the ledger was securely fastened to his horse. "He will hang mother!"
"Matilda!" James shouted, causing the horses to throw their heads in alarm at the noise. "I am sure my Uncle will not harm her! Trust me!"
"Then why do you need the ledger?" she wailed, not understanding.
"The Governor," he said softly. "It is the Governor he wants, not your mother... but this could help him. Please, please trust me?"
He smiled as she slowly nodded. "I will trust you James," she said quietly. "You are all I have left."
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