Usual disclaimers... sob!
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December
Catherine sighed heavily as she scrubbed the floor. She had heard rumours in the household that Master Waltham was furious that a ship carrying something of importance to him had been sunk by pirates. Pirates... it made her think of Jack and her time aboard the Black Pearl, although they had rarely sunk a ship, preferring to take what they needed or could sell and leave the ship so that it could sail again. Sighing once more she turned her attention back to the floor – it would not do to be accused of slacking.
She had lost track of the time she had been at the plantation, working from dawn to dusk, scrubbing, cleaning, and all the menial jobs that the paid servants preferred to avoid. A few of the white male servants had tried it on, but a swift knee to the groin had persuaded them otherwise – the black males knew better than to touch a white woman, even if she was bonded.
At least she had not been beaten, her fear for Alice biding her tongue on more than one occasion. Thankfully her baby would be born soon, but experience told her that she would soon be pregnant again, forced to bear another child for the plantation. In all probability the father would be Benjamin or Joshua... both of whom she was growing to hate more and more each day. They placed themselves above their fellow slaves, a strict regime enforced by threats of violence... their behaviour seemingly approved of by their Master. She hated them, she hated the plantation, but most of all she hated Stephen Waike.
###
Jack scowled at the ship as it blew asunder, it's surviving crew packed tightly into the ship's boats. They had enough food and water to see them to shore, but little else. "Ten ships... ten bloody ships..." he muttered to himself, wondering how much chaos and destruction he would have to cause before Stephen would return her. He wanted his wife and he would not rest until he had found her!
###
Captain Verde stared in surprise at the red haired woman trudging across the yard, her clothes dirty as she struggled with a heavy bucket of water. He knew her... he knew her, but from where? He shook his head, reckoning it would come to him later. Mister Waltham had paid for the delivery of his cargo and now he and his men could have some shore leave in Charles Town before they next sailed. He glanced back as he mounted his horse, but the woman was gone... who was she?
###
Early January
It was not until two weeks later that he realised who she was. They had just delivered a cargo of cloth to Nassau when he stopped dead. Sparrow! The woman was Catherine Sparrow! But why was she working on a plantation in the Carolinas? "Oh my God!" he gasped.
"Captain?" his helmsman Peter Davids frowned.
"The ship... the ship that has been attacking shipping off the Americas... what did you hear in the taverns?" he demanded, wishing he had paid more attention to the rumours that had been flying.
"Big ship with black sails... didn't hear much else." He frowned. "Although there was the strangest thing I did hear..."
"What?" Captain Verde pressed.
"Seems every ship that he sank, the Captain kept demanding his wife back..." He shrugged. It did not make any sense to him.
"It's him! Captain Sparrow! The ship must be the Black Pearl!" he realised.
"But isn't he out of his home waters?" Peter frowned. "Why?"
"I know why!" The Captain smiled. "And I know how to stop these attacks!" He grinned at his helmsman. "Call a crew meeting!" he ordered. "I'll not have a single unwilling man on this voyage!"
"Voyage Captain?" Peter asked worriedly, unsure if he liked the implications of what the Captain said.
"Voyage!" Captain Verde smiled. "The Bojador will repay her debt to the Black Pearl – and that means we have to go to Tortuga!"
###
Captain Verde was not sure that his good idea had been such a good idea when he was led through the streets of Tortuga under the protective escort of a number of armed men. He had ensured that he was carrying no cargo and very little money and had anchored quietly with a truce flag flying. His men had been left onboard and he had been told that he would have to explain his presence to a Mister Hallam. Hallam! He quailed at the thought, being old enough to remember the days when Jeremiah himself had terrorised the seas around the Bahamas. He took a deep breath as they approached an impressive house, realising that by doing this would be the only way he could repay his debt to Catherine Sparrow.
He looked around cautiously as he was led into an opulent study. "Who are you?" a voice demanded from the shadows. "And what do you want at Tortuga – you are no pirate!"
"I am looking for Captain Sparrow and the Black Pearl," he said, realising there was little point hiding the truth.
"And why do you think he would be here?" A man emerged from the shadows who from his age could only be Jeremiah himself.
"I owe them a debt that I would see repaid," he replied carefully, not wanting to tell too much in case this man was an enemy of the Black Pearl.
"And that is?" Jeremiah pressed.
"I will only speak to Captain Sparrow or to one that I know is his crew," Captain Verde declared.
"But as you can see, the Black Pearl is not here..." Jeremiah reached for a decanter of brandy, but did not offer any to his guest.
"This is her home port though..." Captain Verde stated firmly. "Surely she will return here for supplies soon?"
Jeremiah looked at the man before him, wondering what had made a trader brave Tortuga despite it's reputation. It must be quite a debt. "Since you will not tell me your information, perhaps you will tell me why you owe the Sparrows?" he asked.
"It was August, three years ago," Captain Verde explained. "The Sparrows were travelling back from America with their helmsman and a native indian who was their companion," he explained. "We were attacked by The Willing Wench and it is only due to the kindness shown by Catherine Sparrow that I have a ship today..."
"You know where she is!" Jeremiah gasped. "Tell me!"
"I will only speak to Captain Sparrow or one of his crew that I know!" Captain Verde retorted, feeling less brave than his words sounded.
"Will you tell his closest friend?" Jeremiah asked. "I can take you to him..."
"How do I know you are telling the truth?" Captain Verde asked cautiously.
"My youngest son serves on the Black Pearl. I know why she is harassing the coast of America!" He wished he knew more, but Isaac had been very tight lipped. "You will believe what you will, but I am no enemy to that ship!" He smiled as the trader nodded, ringing a bell-pull. "Bring horses," he ordered. "The Captain here and I are to visit the Turners!"
###
###
December
Catherine sighed heavily as she scrubbed the floor. She had heard rumours in the household that Master Waltham was furious that a ship carrying something of importance to him had been sunk by pirates. Pirates... it made her think of Jack and her time aboard the Black Pearl, although they had rarely sunk a ship, preferring to take what they needed or could sell and leave the ship so that it could sail again. Sighing once more she turned her attention back to the floor – it would not do to be accused of slacking.
She had lost track of the time she had been at the plantation, working from dawn to dusk, scrubbing, cleaning, and all the menial jobs that the paid servants preferred to avoid. A few of the white male servants had tried it on, but a swift knee to the groin had persuaded them otherwise – the black males knew better than to touch a white woman, even if she was bonded.
At least she had not been beaten, her fear for Alice biding her tongue on more than one occasion. Thankfully her baby would be born soon, but experience told her that she would soon be pregnant again, forced to bear another child for the plantation. In all probability the father would be Benjamin or Joshua... both of whom she was growing to hate more and more each day. They placed themselves above their fellow slaves, a strict regime enforced by threats of violence... their behaviour seemingly approved of by their Master. She hated them, she hated the plantation, but most of all she hated Stephen Waike.
###
Jack scowled at the ship as it blew asunder, it's surviving crew packed tightly into the ship's boats. They had enough food and water to see them to shore, but little else. "Ten ships... ten bloody ships..." he muttered to himself, wondering how much chaos and destruction he would have to cause before Stephen would return her. He wanted his wife and he would not rest until he had found her!
###
Captain Verde stared in surprise at the red haired woman trudging across the yard, her clothes dirty as she struggled with a heavy bucket of water. He knew her... he knew her, but from where? He shook his head, reckoning it would come to him later. Mister Waltham had paid for the delivery of his cargo and now he and his men could have some shore leave in Charles Town before they next sailed. He glanced back as he mounted his horse, but the woman was gone... who was she?
###
Early January
It was not until two weeks later that he realised who she was. They had just delivered a cargo of cloth to Nassau when he stopped dead. Sparrow! The woman was Catherine Sparrow! But why was she working on a plantation in the Carolinas? "Oh my God!" he gasped.
"Captain?" his helmsman Peter Davids frowned.
"The ship... the ship that has been attacking shipping off the Americas... what did you hear in the taverns?" he demanded, wishing he had paid more attention to the rumours that had been flying.
"Big ship with black sails... didn't hear much else." He frowned. "Although there was the strangest thing I did hear..."
"What?" Captain Verde pressed.
"Seems every ship that he sank, the Captain kept demanding his wife back..." He shrugged. It did not make any sense to him.
"It's him! Captain Sparrow! The ship must be the Black Pearl!" he realised.
"But isn't he out of his home waters?" Peter frowned. "Why?"
"I know why!" The Captain smiled. "And I know how to stop these attacks!" He grinned at his helmsman. "Call a crew meeting!" he ordered. "I'll not have a single unwilling man on this voyage!"
"Voyage Captain?" Peter asked worriedly, unsure if he liked the implications of what the Captain said.
"Voyage!" Captain Verde smiled. "The Bojador will repay her debt to the Black Pearl – and that means we have to go to Tortuga!"
###
Captain Verde was not sure that his good idea had been such a good idea when he was led through the streets of Tortuga under the protective escort of a number of armed men. He had ensured that he was carrying no cargo and very little money and had anchored quietly with a truce flag flying. His men had been left onboard and he had been told that he would have to explain his presence to a Mister Hallam. Hallam! He quailed at the thought, being old enough to remember the days when Jeremiah himself had terrorised the seas around the Bahamas. He took a deep breath as they approached an impressive house, realising that by doing this would be the only way he could repay his debt to Catherine Sparrow.
He looked around cautiously as he was led into an opulent study. "Who are you?" a voice demanded from the shadows. "And what do you want at Tortuga – you are no pirate!"
"I am looking for Captain Sparrow and the Black Pearl," he said, realising there was little point hiding the truth.
"And why do you think he would be here?" A man emerged from the shadows who from his age could only be Jeremiah himself.
"I owe them a debt that I would see repaid," he replied carefully, not wanting to tell too much in case this man was an enemy of the Black Pearl.
"And that is?" Jeremiah pressed.
"I will only speak to Captain Sparrow or to one that I know is his crew," Captain Verde declared.
"But as you can see, the Black Pearl is not here..." Jeremiah reached for a decanter of brandy, but did not offer any to his guest.
"This is her home port though..." Captain Verde stated firmly. "Surely she will return here for supplies soon?"
Jeremiah looked at the man before him, wondering what had made a trader brave Tortuga despite it's reputation. It must be quite a debt. "Since you will not tell me your information, perhaps you will tell me why you owe the Sparrows?" he asked.
"It was August, three years ago," Captain Verde explained. "The Sparrows were travelling back from America with their helmsman and a native indian who was their companion," he explained. "We were attacked by The Willing Wench and it is only due to the kindness shown by Catherine Sparrow that I have a ship today..."
"You know where she is!" Jeremiah gasped. "Tell me!"
"I will only speak to Captain Sparrow or one of his crew that I know!" Captain Verde retorted, feeling less brave than his words sounded.
"Will you tell his closest friend?" Jeremiah asked. "I can take you to him..."
"How do I know you are telling the truth?" Captain Verde asked cautiously.
"My youngest son serves on the Black Pearl. I know why she is harassing the coast of America!" He wished he knew more, but Isaac had been very tight lipped. "You will believe what you will, but I am no enemy to that ship!" He smiled as the trader nodded, ringing a bell-pull. "Bring horses," he ordered. "The Captain here and I are to visit the Turners!"
###