Usual disclaimers... blah!
Right, only three chapters today... but there are only few chapters after these. I would have put them up today but we ran out of editing time... so Sunday looks likely.
Thanks so much for all the reviews – you guys are the best!
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Mid January
Stephen threw his glass of whisky against the wall, watching with grim satisfaction as it smashed on the marble fireplace and the liquid dripped onto the hearth. He had just received a letter informing him of yet another ship sunk and only yesterday two of his captains had refused to sail to the Americas, fearful of the pirate that was targeting Waike ships. Each captain that had returned had told of a black sailed ship and a strange pirate that demanded the return of his wife... and he knew who the pirate was.
"Damn you John!" he cursed, realising that his brother intended to bankrupt him in order to regain his wife... and he was getting too close to the fact for his liking. His hand trailed across another letter, from his friend Patrick Waltham, that an important shipment he had been expecting on a Waike ship had not arrived – clearly it had been on one of the ten. Ten! If it was not more already!
"Curse you to the depths of hell," he muttered, stacking his letters and rising. He knew what he had to do and he would be on the next ship to the Americas.
February
Elizabeth grinned with delight when the Black Pearl eventually returned to the bay, eager to tell Jack the news. She ran down the beach, closely followed by Will and most of the children. Rose and Claire waited on the porch for the babies could not be left unattended.
Jack looked around at his welcome, puzzled for a moment. "Is she here?" he asked hopefully.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, but we know where she is... come into the house!"
Isaac, who had rowed Jack ashore grinned with delight and pushed the boat back into the water, rowing as fast as he could and shouting up to those onboard. The cheers could be heard clearly... at last they knew!
"Tell me!" Jack urged as they walked towards the house.
"Sit down first," Elizabeth insisted, pushing him towards the parlour. Rose followed, but Claire shooed the children from the room, realising that although the news was good it would not be well received.
"Well!" Jack pressed. "Where is Kitty?"
"Charles Town," Elizabeth smiled, unable to keep it from him whilst she told her tale. "Do you remember a Captain Verde?"
Jack sat and puzzled for a moment, then he remembered. "The Bojador?" he ventured.
Elizabeth nodded. "Well he was there gaining payment for a delivery from a Patrick Waltham who owns a plantation a few miles north of the city... he saw Kitty and braved Tortuga to come and find you..."
Jack whistled appreciatively, realising it was indeed brave for him to have done so. "But why?" he asked.
"Apparently Catherine gave him some gold when you left on Teves' ship – and that gold saved him from ruin." Elizabeth continued.
"I always wondered what she did with th' money," Jack smiled, turning to Will. "D' yer have supplies in?"
Will nodded. "But there is more Jack... you'd best listen to Elizabeth."
Jack frowned, unsure of Will's tone. Surely everything was alright – they knew where Catherine was. He looked towards Elizabeth.
"From what I have been able to understand, I believe she has been bonded," she explained. "Captain Verde said that her hair had been shorn..."
"What?" Jack exploded. He loved his wife's hair
"That is why I think she has been bonded," Elizabeth continued. "If she was shipped to America as a bondswoman she would have been shorn... it is standard procedure for convicts." Jack glared at his mother who had the grace to look embarrassed. "But I think it is worse than that..."
"What d' yer mean?" Jack asked, his voice tinged with dread.
"I think she believes you dead..." Elizabeth said quietly.
"How?" Jack puzzled. "She should know I'd come fer her!"
"Captain Verde described her as being empty... and the only time I've seen Kitty grieve like that is when she thought you dead before. That is why it took him so long to place her – the hair and the attitude were so totally different!"
Jack turned to his mother. "D' yer have nothing t' say Mother," he said coldly.
It was a while before Rose spoke, unable to meet Jack's eyes. "I do not know what to say," she admitted. "At least you know where Catherine is and can go and get her... can't you?"
"An' what of Stephen – d' yer still defend him after this?" Jack accused.
Rose looked at him, unsure of what to say. "He is still my son, as you are too," she said.
"Yer have no idea, do yer?" Jack sneered, standing over his mother. "Kitty an' I had a pact – she dies, I die!" Elizabeth gasped in shock. "If she thinks I'm dead..." He turned on his heels, whirling from the room. "Will, see those supplies are ready!" he ordered. "We're leavin'!"
Elizabeth cast a frightened look at Will before running after Jack. "Jack! Wait!" He slowed his pace, but did not stop until she put her hand on his arm. "Surely Kitty would not harm herself?" she demanded.
"I would have walked t' th' gallows t' be with her at Port Royal," Jack said darkly. "Do not think she would not do th' same!" He swallowed, glancing towards his ship and clearly anxious to be away. "If Kitty is still alive then it is only b'cause she has not been able t' do it... not had th' chance. But if she gets that chance b'fore I get to her..." The horror in his eyes was plain to see and he turned, striding down towards the beach, shouting towards the Black Pearl for a boat, his mind already calculating how fast they could reach Charles Town, realising with a lurch that even with good winds it would take more than a week. "Hang in there Kitty," he muttered to himself, "I'm coming fer yer!"
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Right, only three chapters today... but there are only few chapters after these. I would have put them up today but we ran out of editing time... so Sunday looks likely.
Thanks so much for all the reviews – you guys are the best!
###
Mid January
Stephen threw his glass of whisky against the wall, watching with grim satisfaction as it smashed on the marble fireplace and the liquid dripped onto the hearth. He had just received a letter informing him of yet another ship sunk and only yesterday two of his captains had refused to sail to the Americas, fearful of the pirate that was targeting Waike ships. Each captain that had returned had told of a black sailed ship and a strange pirate that demanded the return of his wife... and he knew who the pirate was.
"Damn you John!" he cursed, realising that his brother intended to bankrupt him in order to regain his wife... and he was getting too close to the fact for his liking. His hand trailed across another letter, from his friend Patrick Waltham, that an important shipment he had been expecting on a Waike ship had not arrived – clearly it had been on one of the ten. Ten! If it was not more already!
"Curse you to the depths of hell," he muttered, stacking his letters and rising. He knew what he had to do and he would be on the next ship to the Americas.
February
Elizabeth grinned with delight when the Black Pearl eventually returned to the bay, eager to tell Jack the news. She ran down the beach, closely followed by Will and most of the children. Rose and Claire waited on the porch for the babies could not be left unattended.
Jack looked around at his welcome, puzzled for a moment. "Is she here?" he asked hopefully.
Elizabeth shook her head. "No, but we know where she is... come into the house!"
Isaac, who had rowed Jack ashore grinned with delight and pushed the boat back into the water, rowing as fast as he could and shouting up to those onboard. The cheers could be heard clearly... at last they knew!
"Tell me!" Jack urged as they walked towards the house.
"Sit down first," Elizabeth insisted, pushing him towards the parlour. Rose followed, but Claire shooed the children from the room, realising that although the news was good it would not be well received.
"Well!" Jack pressed. "Where is Kitty?"
"Charles Town," Elizabeth smiled, unable to keep it from him whilst she told her tale. "Do you remember a Captain Verde?"
Jack sat and puzzled for a moment, then he remembered. "The Bojador?" he ventured.
Elizabeth nodded. "Well he was there gaining payment for a delivery from a Patrick Waltham who owns a plantation a few miles north of the city... he saw Kitty and braved Tortuga to come and find you..."
Jack whistled appreciatively, realising it was indeed brave for him to have done so. "But why?" he asked.
"Apparently Catherine gave him some gold when you left on Teves' ship – and that gold saved him from ruin." Elizabeth continued.
"I always wondered what she did with th' money," Jack smiled, turning to Will. "D' yer have supplies in?"
Will nodded. "But there is more Jack... you'd best listen to Elizabeth."
Jack frowned, unsure of Will's tone. Surely everything was alright – they knew where Catherine was. He looked towards Elizabeth.
"From what I have been able to understand, I believe she has been bonded," she explained. "Captain Verde said that her hair had been shorn..."
"What?" Jack exploded. He loved his wife's hair
"That is why I think she has been bonded," Elizabeth continued. "If she was shipped to America as a bondswoman she would have been shorn... it is standard procedure for convicts." Jack glared at his mother who had the grace to look embarrassed. "But I think it is worse than that..."
"What d' yer mean?" Jack asked, his voice tinged with dread.
"I think she believes you dead..." Elizabeth said quietly.
"How?" Jack puzzled. "She should know I'd come fer her!"
"Captain Verde described her as being empty... and the only time I've seen Kitty grieve like that is when she thought you dead before. That is why it took him so long to place her – the hair and the attitude were so totally different!"
Jack turned to his mother. "D' yer have nothing t' say Mother," he said coldly.
It was a while before Rose spoke, unable to meet Jack's eyes. "I do not know what to say," she admitted. "At least you know where Catherine is and can go and get her... can't you?"
"An' what of Stephen – d' yer still defend him after this?" Jack accused.
Rose looked at him, unsure of what to say. "He is still my son, as you are too," she said.
"Yer have no idea, do yer?" Jack sneered, standing over his mother. "Kitty an' I had a pact – she dies, I die!" Elizabeth gasped in shock. "If she thinks I'm dead..." He turned on his heels, whirling from the room. "Will, see those supplies are ready!" he ordered. "We're leavin'!"
Elizabeth cast a frightened look at Will before running after Jack. "Jack! Wait!" He slowed his pace, but did not stop until she put her hand on his arm. "Surely Kitty would not harm herself?" she demanded.
"I would have walked t' th' gallows t' be with her at Port Royal," Jack said darkly. "Do not think she would not do th' same!" He swallowed, glancing towards his ship and clearly anxious to be away. "If Kitty is still alive then it is only b'cause she has not been able t' do it... not had th' chance. But if she gets that chance b'fore I get to her..." The horror in his eyes was plain to see and he turned, striding down towards the beach, shouting towards the Black Pearl for a boat, his mind already calculating how fast they could reach Charles Town, realising with a lurch that even with good winds it would take more than a week. "Hang in there Kitty," he muttered to himself, "I'm coming fer yer!"
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