Usual disclaimers... pfft!
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Theodore smiled as he turned the corner in the trail from Tortuga, Will's bay at last before his eyes. He walked forward eagerly, anticipating a long drink and the chance to put down the heavy books that he carried. He had already seen Kasia and she had assured him that she would be ready to leave for Port Royal as soon as he returned. He smiled, remembering her face as he had asked her to marry him, so lost in his thoughts that he only just stopped in time to sidestep an Eilis attack. He dived to one side, laughing as her momentum of attack caused her to carry on into the bushes.
"Ow!" she cursed, struggling from their thorny grasp.
"Too slow little pirate!" he smiled, offering her his free hand as she emerged.
"I'll get you one day," she scowled, seeming older than her six years. She looked up at him. "What are you doing back?"
"Nosey!" he teased.
"Am not!" she protested. "So what are you doing?"
"You will have to wait and see," he teased, walking across the beach towards the house. "Now if you go and fetch Will from the smithy you might find out sooner..."
Eilis pouted disappointedly, but ran off towards the smithy. "Will! Will! Theo's here!"
He saw Elizabeth emerge from the house in response to the noise. "Theo!" she smiled. "What a pleasant surprise... is everything alright?"
"Perfectly," he smiled. "Wait for Will and I'll tell you!" He walked in the kitchen, looking around hopefully. "Any chance of a bite to eat and a drink?"
"Go sit in the parlour, I'll bring something through," Elizabeth smiled.
Theodore gratefully walked through to the parlour, only just beating Elizabeth there for he popped into his daughter's room on the way. He was disappointed to see that she was asleep so he crept quietly from her room – he would have plenty of time to spend with her once they got safely back to Port Royal. He nodded to Claire who was sitting quietly with the two babies, and to Rose who was working on a piece of embroidery. She looked awkwardly at him and he presumed she felt guilty over her reluctance to help search for Catherine. He smiled – at least Jack was now searching for Catherine, and that was all that mattered to him.
Will dashed in, smiling at Theodore. He stood against the doorpost, knowing better than to sit down on the settees when he was dirty from the forge.
"Well," Elizabeth pressed, frowning as he unwrapped the two books, putting them on the table.
"These ledgers," he smiled, "contain the proof of Thomas Spense's involvement in the building of the false Black Pearl... Jimmy found the first one at the Roseridge plantation and the Governor's ledger confirms it." He opened the two ledgers to the appropriate pages, his fingers marking each entry. Will and Elizabeth looked on in amazement on seeing the entries for themselves.
"What?" Will gasped. "Will he hang?"
Theodore shook his head. "James and Jack agreed that a pliant Governor was more use to them than a dead Governor..." He grinned. "And once the Black Pearl finds Catherine there will be a pardon and letter confirming them as privateers again when they wish it..." He patted the ledgers. "We want you to keep these here safely while we keep Spense's confession at Port Royal. If he tries to snatch one then the other evidence is sent to the King... and he knows he will hang if that happens!" He looked at the two of them, grinning. "Once Catherine is found, I want the two of you to come back to Port Royal... if only for a visit..."
"Why?" Will puzzled. Theodore grinned.
"You haven't?" Elizabeth gasped, instantly understanding what he meant. He nodded and she squealed with delight, sitting next to him and hugging him. "Congratulations!" she smiled.
"But won't we still be classed as pirates?" Will frowned, slowly understanding that a wedding was imminent.
Theodore shook his head. "Not if you are classed as Black Pearl crew... and since you sailed with the Black Pearl when you broke Cat from the fort..."
He clasped Theodore's hand. "Congratulations then! We will be delighted to attend!"
"And the tribe?" Theodore teased, looking at Eilis who was dancing up and down excitedly. "I am sure Kasia will want lots of bridesmaids!"
"Will you be taking Charlotte then?" Elizabeth asked. "Now that Spense is contained?"
"I'll take her with me in the morning," Theodore smiled. "That is if I can borrow the settee for tonight?"
Elizabeth laughed. "You know you don't have to ask," she smiled. "Although we will miss having Charlotte with us."
"Well, once the pardon is granted you can visit any time," he smiled. "And you will be very welcome indeed!"
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Theodore left early in the morning, Charlotte in his arms and a pot of food for her with some milk in a bag on his back. He embraced Elizabeth warmly, enduring another attack from Eilis before the shady track swallowed him from view.
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Thomas Spense looked in shock as Theodore Groves escorted Kasia from the docks, his daughter in his arms. He took a faltering step forwards before recognising the woman with him. "You!" he gasped.
Theodore turned to look at the Governor, automatically turning his daughter from his sight. "You are not welcomed near my family," he said quietly, his threat carrying clearly to his former father-in-law. "And that includes my wife to be!"
"Your wife to be?" Thomas Spense spluttered.
"Yes," Theodore retorted. "And if she had not had been framed by your daughter then she would have been my wife long before this!" He offered Kasia his arm, smiling when she took it. "Good day Sir!"
Thomas Spense watched in disbelief as they walked away from him towards the newly rebuilt house, feeling more and more of his power slipping away and realising there was nothing he could do about it.
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Theodore smiled as he turned the corner in the trail from Tortuga, Will's bay at last before his eyes. He walked forward eagerly, anticipating a long drink and the chance to put down the heavy books that he carried. He had already seen Kasia and she had assured him that she would be ready to leave for Port Royal as soon as he returned. He smiled, remembering her face as he had asked her to marry him, so lost in his thoughts that he only just stopped in time to sidestep an Eilis attack. He dived to one side, laughing as her momentum of attack caused her to carry on into the bushes.
"Ow!" she cursed, struggling from their thorny grasp.
"Too slow little pirate!" he smiled, offering her his free hand as she emerged.
"I'll get you one day," she scowled, seeming older than her six years. She looked up at him. "What are you doing back?"
"Nosey!" he teased.
"Am not!" she protested. "So what are you doing?"
"You will have to wait and see," he teased, walking across the beach towards the house. "Now if you go and fetch Will from the smithy you might find out sooner..."
Eilis pouted disappointedly, but ran off towards the smithy. "Will! Will! Theo's here!"
He saw Elizabeth emerge from the house in response to the noise. "Theo!" she smiled. "What a pleasant surprise... is everything alright?"
"Perfectly," he smiled. "Wait for Will and I'll tell you!" He walked in the kitchen, looking around hopefully. "Any chance of a bite to eat and a drink?"
"Go sit in the parlour, I'll bring something through," Elizabeth smiled.
Theodore gratefully walked through to the parlour, only just beating Elizabeth there for he popped into his daughter's room on the way. He was disappointed to see that she was asleep so he crept quietly from her room – he would have plenty of time to spend with her once they got safely back to Port Royal. He nodded to Claire who was sitting quietly with the two babies, and to Rose who was working on a piece of embroidery. She looked awkwardly at him and he presumed she felt guilty over her reluctance to help search for Catherine. He smiled – at least Jack was now searching for Catherine, and that was all that mattered to him.
Will dashed in, smiling at Theodore. He stood against the doorpost, knowing better than to sit down on the settees when he was dirty from the forge.
"Well," Elizabeth pressed, frowning as he unwrapped the two books, putting them on the table.
"These ledgers," he smiled, "contain the proof of Thomas Spense's involvement in the building of the false Black Pearl... Jimmy found the first one at the Roseridge plantation and the Governor's ledger confirms it." He opened the two ledgers to the appropriate pages, his fingers marking each entry. Will and Elizabeth looked on in amazement on seeing the entries for themselves.
"What?" Will gasped. "Will he hang?"
Theodore shook his head. "James and Jack agreed that a pliant Governor was more use to them than a dead Governor..." He grinned. "And once the Black Pearl finds Catherine there will be a pardon and letter confirming them as privateers again when they wish it..." He patted the ledgers. "We want you to keep these here safely while we keep Spense's confession at Port Royal. If he tries to snatch one then the other evidence is sent to the King... and he knows he will hang if that happens!" He looked at the two of them, grinning. "Once Catherine is found, I want the two of you to come back to Port Royal... if only for a visit..."
"Why?" Will puzzled. Theodore grinned.
"You haven't?" Elizabeth gasped, instantly understanding what he meant. He nodded and she squealed with delight, sitting next to him and hugging him. "Congratulations!" she smiled.
"But won't we still be classed as pirates?" Will frowned, slowly understanding that a wedding was imminent.
Theodore shook his head. "Not if you are classed as Black Pearl crew... and since you sailed with the Black Pearl when you broke Cat from the fort..."
He clasped Theodore's hand. "Congratulations then! We will be delighted to attend!"
"And the tribe?" Theodore teased, looking at Eilis who was dancing up and down excitedly. "I am sure Kasia will want lots of bridesmaids!"
"Will you be taking Charlotte then?" Elizabeth asked. "Now that Spense is contained?"
"I'll take her with me in the morning," Theodore smiled. "That is if I can borrow the settee for tonight?"
Elizabeth laughed. "You know you don't have to ask," she smiled. "Although we will miss having Charlotte with us."
"Well, once the pardon is granted you can visit any time," he smiled. "And you will be very welcome indeed!"
###
Theodore left early in the morning, Charlotte in his arms and a pot of food for her with some milk in a bag on his back. He embraced Elizabeth warmly, enduring another attack from Eilis before the shady track swallowed him from view.
###
Thomas Spense looked in shock as Theodore Groves escorted Kasia from the docks, his daughter in his arms. He took a faltering step forwards before recognising the woman with him. "You!" he gasped.
Theodore turned to look at the Governor, automatically turning his daughter from his sight. "You are not welcomed near my family," he said quietly, his threat carrying clearly to his former father-in-law. "And that includes my wife to be!"
"Your wife to be?" Thomas Spense spluttered.
"Yes," Theodore retorted. "And if she had not had been framed by your daughter then she would have been my wife long before this!" He offered Kasia his arm, smiling when she took it. "Good day Sir!"
Thomas Spense watched in disbelief as they walked away from him towards the newly rebuilt house, feeling more and more of his power slipping away and realising there was nothing he could do about it.
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