Usual disclaimers... humph!
###
Jack watched Will, Elizabeth and the children climb the stairs, the manservant leaving their room a few moments later. "Will that be all for the night Captain Groves," he asked politely.
"Yes Williams, thank you. I will see you in the morning," Theodore replied, watching as his servant turned and headed through the kitchen, letting himself out the back door.
Jack clapped his hands together loudly. "Right," he grinned. "Now we are alone, where's yer rum!"
Theodore laughed. "In the lounge where it always was," he smiled, leading the way through.
"I'll make some tea," Kasia offered, heading to the kitchen. She knew Jack would be drinking rum, but doubted that the others would join him.
Jack sat Catherine down on one of the large settees before rummaging in the cupboards. He whistled appreciatively. "Yer taste is improvin'!" he teased, for there were several bottles of rum all of good quality.
"Just because I know you'll drink the worst type of gut-rot, it doesn't mean I have to have it in my house," Theodore retorted, laughing as he slipped back into the easy banter that they had enjoyed on Tortuga. Kasia quickly returned, balancing a tray of cups together with a jug of milk and a full pot of tea. By the time she had poured, Will and Elizabeth joined them.
"Alright," Jack said, sighing as he took another mouthful of rum. "I know yer want t' know what happened, so I'll tell yer now and then th' matter is closed... I don't want t' have t' talk about this too often..."
"I understand," Theodore replied, nodding as Kasia handed him a cup of tea. "So, what did happen?"
Catherine started to talk, but Jack held his fingers to her lips. "Yer just drink yer tea luv," he smiled, hugging her closer to him as he began to tell what had happened in London and how Catherine had been caught and transported to America. He explained how it was not until Captain Verde had braved Tortuga that they had any idea where Catherine was. "So we went an' got her," he ended, waiting for her to put down her tea before hugging her again. He could see Catherine was tired. "But I think that is all fer t'night," he suggested. "Kitty's tired an' I'm hoping th' new beds are as comfortable as th' old ones were!"
"Of course they are!" Theodore replied, his exuberance at his sister's return dulled by knowing what had happened to her. He was appalled by what Stephen had done to her. "I'll see the two of you in the morning!"
"G'night all," Jack drawled, his words echoed by Catherine as he led her from the room, her hand still in his. He let go briefly to hoist their small trunk under one arm before taking her hand again. "Come on luv, let's get yer t' bed."
He smiled as he opened the door to their room. Theodore had indeed been expecting them and had filled the room with flowers. Two large vases dominated the room – one on the corner table and one of the dressing table and a beautiful bowl of fruit sat on top of the sea chest at the base of the bed. "I take it this is what he meant by 'prepared'," Jack said, moving to one side so that Catherine could see.
"Oh my!" she gasped, bursting into tears.
Jack hugged her. "Enough of that luv," he comforted. "Let's get yer into bed an' yer can see about peeling me some of those grapes!" Catherine smiled through her tears. "That's better luv," he grinned, reaching for the buttons of her shirt. Standing on tiptoe she leaned close, kissing him before returning the favour, struggling briefly with his sash.
Despite her tiredness she squealed as he picked her up and threw her onto the bed, laughing as he joined her. Theodore had been right, the bed was comfortable and she had a feeling it would be more than put to the test that night.
###
In the morning Catherine found herself hugged in greeting yet again, first by Eve who was still working as cook for her brother and then by Tabitha Myron, the seamstress.
"Yer will probably need t' get some help with this order," Jack warned Tabitha, smiling at her look of surprise. "There's a new dress fer Kitty, Elizabeth, Richael an' Eilis... as well as appropriate clothes fer m'self, Will an' Billy!"
"When do you need them by?" she asked warily.
"As soon as yer can... as long as they arrive b'fore th' wedding it is fine!"
"Oh yes, I forgot!" She blushed. "Captain Groves' wedding! I am sure I have some pretty brocades that will be perfect!" Humming to herself she went to her fabric store, returning shortly with two bolts of fabric – one creamy yellow, the other a delicate blue. Jack nodded. Tabitha had an eye for colour and her choices were beautiful. "I thought the blue for Mistress Turner and the yellow for your wife Captain Sparrow... perhaps another colour for the children? I have a nice green that would look nice..."
"I want a dress like Kitty!" Eilis protested.
"P'raps th' green for Richael an' th' yellow fer Eilis?" Jack suggested, trying to avoid the imminent argument. He turned to Catherine. "We'll have t' get yer a hat as well luv... so perhaps hats fer all?" He knew that she would not want to feel singled out because of her short hair. It still hung about her face, but soon she would be able to scrape it back to tie it with a ribbon.
"I think that would be lovely," Elizabeth agreed, understanding Jack's reasoning. "Perhaps we can get the ribbons to match the fabric?" she asked Tabitha.
"Of course," Tabitha smiled. "And for the three gentlemen?"
"Smart trousers, frock coats and new shirts," Elizabeth instructed, ignoring the startled looks of Jack and Will. "We cannot have them letting us down, can we Kitty?"
"Jack never has!" she defended, causing him to grin. "Although it would look smart..."
Jack frowned. "Thought yer were defendin' me luv!" he protested.
"I was Jack," she smiled. "But perhaps we should go for darker colours... there will be enough bright uniforms attending..."
Jack winced at the thought of so many marines and officers in one place. "Guess it serves me right fer marryin' into th' family," he teased, leaning across to kiss her.
"Perhaps I could have some measurements?" Tabitha interrupted, looking down to Eilis. "Guess I'll start with you..."
One by one everybody was measured, although Tabitha was shocked to see that Catherine was thinner than before. "I'll put a little extra fabric in," she offered, "so when you regain your normal weight it will still fit. The laces will tie it tightly now..."
"Thank you Tabitha," Catherine smiled, relieved that the seamstress did not press any further. Jack was already trying to feed her up to regain the weight she had lost during her enforced bondage – already her trousers were fitting better than they had when she was rescued.
"Well, you're the last so I need to be sewing!" Tabitha led her from the measuring room, smiling to herself as she saw Catherine automatically slip her hand into Jack's hand. "Tell the Captain that all this will take me no more than three weeks, including his lady's dress," she advised Jack.
"He can book th' church then," Jack acknowledged, "an' sort all th' other things that weddings seem t' need..."
"Well there are the flowers, the cake, the food, the guest-list..." Elizabeth laughed. "But I am sure we can help him..." She smiled at Catherine. "Let's get back – there is a lot of things to plan!"
###
###
Jack watched Will, Elizabeth and the children climb the stairs, the manservant leaving their room a few moments later. "Will that be all for the night Captain Groves," he asked politely.
"Yes Williams, thank you. I will see you in the morning," Theodore replied, watching as his servant turned and headed through the kitchen, letting himself out the back door.
Jack clapped his hands together loudly. "Right," he grinned. "Now we are alone, where's yer rum!"
Theodore laughed. "In the lounge where it always was," he smiled, leading the way through.
"I'll make some tea," Kasia offered, heading to the kitchen. She knew Jack would be drinking rum, but doubted that the others would join him.
Jack sat Catherine down on one of the large settees before rummaging in the cupboards. He whistled appreciatively. "Yer taste is improvin'!" he teased, for there were several bottles of rum all of good quality.
"Just because I know you'll drink the worst type of gut-rot, it doesn't mean I have to have it in my house," Theodore retorted, laughing as he slipped back into the easy banter that they had enjoyed on Tortuga. Kasia quickly returned, balancing a tray of cups together with a jug of milk and a full pot of tea. By the time she had poured, Will and Elizabeth joined them.
"Alright," Jack said, sighing as he took another mouthful of rum. "I know yer want t' know what happened, so I'll tell yer now and then th' matter is closed... I don't want t' have t' talk about this too often..."
"I understand," Theodore replied, nodding as Kasia handed him a cup of tea. "So, what did happen?"
Catherine started to talk, but Jack held his fingers to her lips. "Yer just drink yer tea luv," he smiled, hugging her closer to him as he began to tell what had happened in London and how Catherine had been caught and transported to America. He explained how it was not until Captain Verde had braved Tortuga that they had any idea where Catherine was. "So we went an' got her," he ended, waiting for her to put down her tea before hugging her again. He could see Catherine was tired. "But I think that is all fer t'night," he suggested. "Kitty's tired an' I'm hoping th' new beds are as comfortable as th' old ones were!"
"Of course they are!" Theodore replied, his exuberance at his sister's return dulled by knowing what had happened to her. He was appalled by what Stephen had done to her. "I'll see the two of you in the morning!"
"G'night all," Jack drawled, his words echoed by Catherine as he led her from the room, her hand still in his. He let go briefly to hoist their small trunk under one arm before taking her hand again. "Come on luv, let's get yer t' bed."
He smiled as he opened the door to their room. Theodore had indeed been expecting them and had filled the room with flowers. Two large vases dominated the room – one on the corner table and one of the dressing table and a beautiful bowl of fruit sat on top of the sea chest at the base of the bed. "I take it this is what he meant by 'prepared'," Jack said, moving to one side so that Catherine could see.
"Oh my!" she gasped, bursting into tears.
Jack hugged her. "Enough of that luv," he comforted. "Let's get yer into bed an' yer can see about peeling me some of those grapes!" Catherine smiled through her tears. "That's better luv," he grinned, reaching for the buttons of her shirt. Standing on tiptoe she leaned close, kissing him before returning the favour, struggling briefly with his sash.
Despite her tiredness she squealed as he picked her up and threw her onto the bed, laughing as he joined her. Theodore had been right, the bed was comfortable and she had a feeling it would be more than put to the test that night.
###
In the morning Catherine found herself hugged in greeting yet again, first by Eve who was still working as cook for her brother and then by Tabitha Myron, the seamstress.
"Yer will probably need t' get some help with this order," Jack warned Tabitha, smiling at her look of surprise. "There's a new dress fer Kitty, Elizabeth, Richael an' Eilis... as well as appropriate clothes fer m'self, Will an' Billy!"
"When do you need them by?" she asked warily.
"As soon as yer can... as long as they arrive b'fore th' wedding it is fine!"
"Oh yes, I forgot!" She blushed. "Captain Groves' wedding! I am sure I have some pretty brocades that will be perfect!" Humming to herself she went to her fabric store, returning shortly with two bolts of fabric – one creamy yellow, the other a delicate blue. Jack nodded. Tabitha had an eye for colour and her choices were beautiful. "I thought the blue for Mistress Turner and the yellow for your wife Captain Sparrow... perhaps another colour for the children? I have a nice green that would look nice..."
"I want a dress like Kitty!" Eilis protested.
"P'raps th' green for Richael an' th' yellow fer Eilis?" Jack suggested, trying to avoid the imminent argument. He turned to Catherine. "We'll have t' get yer a hat as well luv... so perhaps hats fer all?" He knew that she would not want to feel singled out because of her short hair. It still hung about her face, but soon she would be able to scrape it back to tie it with a ribbon.
"I think that would be lovely," Elizabeth agreed, understanding Jack's reasoning. "Perhaps we can get the ribbons to match the fabric?" she asked Tabitha.
"Of course," Tabitha smiled. "And for the three gentlemen?"
"Smart trousers, frock coats and new shirts," Elizabeth instructed, ignoring the startled looks of Jack and Will. "We cannot have them letting us down, can we Kitty?"
"Jack never has!" she defended, causing him to grin. "Although it would look smart..."
Jack frowned. "Thought yer were defendin' me luv!" he protested.
"I was Jack," she smiled. "But perhaps we should go for darker colours... there will be enough bright uniforms attending..."
Jack winced at the thought of so many marines and officers in one place. "Guess it serves me right fer marryin' into th' family," he teased, leaning across to kiss her.
"Perhaps I could have some measurements?" Tabitha interrupted, looking down to Eilis. "Guess I'll start with you..."
One by one everybody was measured, although Tabitha was shocked to see that Catherine was thinner than before. "I'll put a little extra fabric in," she offered, "so when you regain your normal weight it will still fit. The laces will tie it tightly now..."
"Thank you Tabitha," Catherine smiled, relieved that the seamstress did not press any further. Jack was already trying to feed her up to regain the weight she had lost during her enforced bondage – already her trousers were fitting better than they had when she was rescued.
"Well, you're the last so I need to be sewing!" Tabitha led her from the measuring room, smiling to herself as she saw Catherine automatically slip her hand into Jack's hand. "Tell the Captain that all this will take me no more than three weeks, including his lady's dress," she advised Jack.
"He can book th' church then," Jack acknowledged, "an' sort all th' other things that weddings seem t' need..."
"Well there are the flowers, the cake, the food, the guest-list..." Elizabeth laughed. "But I am sure we can help him..." She smiled at Catherine. "Let's get back – there is a lot of things to plan!"
###