Usual disclaimers... for the last time!
This was previously at the end of the first tale, but has been moved here to it's proper sequential place.
Louisa sat quietly by her bedside of the small woman that her grandmother Anamaria had asked her to care for. Kitty Sparrow, now in her late 60's, was very weak and seemed to have caught the same fever that had taken Jack's a few years ago. A thin, birdlike hand grasped hers. "Promise me," she whispered, "promise me that you will bury me next to Jack."
Louisa looked into the still bright eyes. "I promise Mistress Kitty, now rest – you must not exert yerself." She looked up as her father's shadow filled the doorway.
"We've got to go Lou, will you be alright?" She nodded. "Pearl will return in a month or so to check up on you, but it is still too dangerous for us to stay here."
"That's okay Pa, I can take the dory into Nassau port if I need anythin' like." He nodded and hugged her, turning and leaving as quietly as he had come. Sighing, she looked down at Mistress Kitty but she was already asleep, her brow beaded with sweat from the fever.
Gideon Schott, only son of James Schott, sailed his small boat around the headland into the secluded bay. His father had been unable to come, tied to managing the large Roseridge Plantation for his mother Matilda, but he had wanted to. Mother would not approve if she knew where he was, but then mother never approved of anything to do with pirates. Pirates! Just the mere word sent shivers down his spine as he remembered illicit visits with his father here. He loved Jack and Mistress Kitty, especially the outrageous stories that she would tell him when he was younger. Of course, they were not true – full of undead pirates, treachery and cursed gold. But they were fun.
He was surprised to see a small fishing dory pulled up on the beach outside of the house. He approached cautiously, surprised to see a tall, slim girl with dark skin carrying water to the house from the river.
"Who..."
She dropped the water on hearing him, drawing a pistol before he could blink! He gulped.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "And what are yer doin' here?"
"I'm Gideon, Gideon Schott. I've come to visit Mistress Kitty and Jack." She didn't lower her pistol. "My father is James Schott..."
"You're Jimmy's boy?" She looked at the tall, gangly youth in disbelief. "Prove it!"
Gideon gulped again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that in the last few minutes. He was no coward, but decided it was definitely something to do with the loaded pistol still aimed at him. "Er... my father was brought to Jamaica by Mistress Kitty, he has a red macaw named Pearl after Jack's ship..."
She frowned. "Guess you're 'im then!" she smiled. "But you are nearly too late. Mistress Kitty is very sick at the moment with a fever. Same fever that took Jack few years ago..."
"Jack's dead!" Gideon gasped in disbelief.
"You'd better come in," she said. "If Kitty is awake then she'll want to see you."
But Kitty never woke again, the fever taking her in the night. They found her the following morning, a glimmer of a smile still on her lips.
"We will need shovels," Louisa told him. "I think Pa said they were in the shed out back..." She wandered off to find them.
Gideon followed her. "You never said who you were Lou, or how you came to be nursing Mistress Kitty..."
"My father is Edan Hallam, current Captain of the Black Pearl..." She smiled at his shocked expression. "Yes, my Pa is a pirate! Now will you help me dig or are you too much a town-boy to help?"
Grabbing one of the shovels he followed her to a quiet spot a short distance from the house. "This is it," Louisa said, digging her shovel into the sandy soil. "Next to Jack, just as she wished."
They'd only dug a few feet down when their shovels hit something solid. "What..." Gideon climbed down, brushing away the soil with his hands. It was a small leather trunk with metal banding, but it was not locked. Louisa jumped down beside him and helped him ease it from the soil. Cautiously they opened it.
A letter sat on top of some small wrapped items. Gingerly Gideon picked up the letter.
"If you are reading this I am dead and hopefully you are doing the decent Christian thing and burying me next to Jack as I requested. This trunk contains a few things as a thank you for this service. Kitty Sparrow.
PS – Don't touch the coins in the stone chest – they truly are cursed."
Curious, they dug further into the chest, finding a beautiful, but small sword, numerous bags of gold coins, some jewellery and an old battered compass. Gideon looked at it, opening it carefully. "Stupid thing doesn't bear true..."
Louisa gasped. "Do you realise what you just said! A compass that doesn't point north?"
Gideon looked at her, frowning. "But they were just stories – stories they used to tell me at bedtimes when my father and I visited..."
"Are you sure?"
They emptied the chest, checking all the bags and packages. "Gold, gold, rubies, gold..." Louisa placed the bags beside her on the ground. "Hello... what's this?" One of the bags did not contain gemstones or gold, but a large object carefully wrapped in some soft white cloth. Carefully she unwrapped it.
It was a ruby – the biggest ruby she had ever seen and cut like a heart. Beautifully cut, it sparkled in the sunlight.
"Her ruby..." Gideon gasped. "My father told me about their wedding... he was only six, but he always remembered the ruby. I thought he was exaggerating – another of those pirate stories..."
"We should bury it with her," Louisa sighed regretfully. "If it was her wedding gift then it would have been precious to her." She glanced at Gideon. "What! Just because my Pa's a pirate doesn't mean I have no decency!" she glowered.
They buried Kitty that evening, placing the ruby in her hand and wrapping her in an old sail that they had found in the shed. Gently, tenderly, they had placed her into the ground, quietly shovelling the soil back over her.
"Theirs was one of the greatest ever pirate love stories," Louisa smiled, tears sliding down her cheeks.
Gideon stood silently, for the first time in his life realising that perhaps, just perhaps, her stories might have been for real. He held the compass in his hand, opening it slowly. "If this doesn't point north..." he began.
Louisa smiled through her tears. "Shall we find out..."
Edan returned to find the small house deserted, a note pinned to the kitchen table. "Pa. Mistress Kitty died. Buried next to Jack. Sailing with Gideon and a compass that doesn't point north. Louisa."
He smiled. Perhaps his daughter would prove more infamous than his mother!
THE END! Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
Okay – that is it... no more... the END!
Reviews would be right welcome, you get my drift! ;)
The master plan for what happens next is this... the story is being re-edited and having new bits added. I am going to edit the whole story and then upload it all at once. As this now runs to roughly 900 pages in 10pitch, it may take a little time. I am going to upload about five chapters in each block to prevent the story being 260 chapters long (it is... believe it!) There are a few glitches that I want to amend... since writing this I have planned out my own Black Pearl and have decided what is where onboard... so some bits where cabins were shared, or given up for others, will have to change, but hopefully it will be a better story for it. Once this is done I will delete the five separate stories (but keep your lovely reviews!!!)
I will be starting the Bessie saga in the next few days, Mul's health permitting. She has had flu as well despite being on the other side of the world!
And for the nags that want to know what happened...
Oran married Sanchia – Starlight8 can give me some peace now! Jean Claude was indeed more intent on helping a certain French woman, and eventually married Claire – happy Mul? Edan married Charlotte and thereby the Hallam family eventually gained possession of the Black Pearl. They had one daughter, Louisa who is in this chapter and two sons. James Schott married Matilda Roseridge and took over the running of the Roseridge plantation. They had one son Gideon, who is in this chapter, and numerous daughters. Eilis became the pirate everybody feared and, having learned her trade on the Black Pearl, gained her own ship and created chaos wherever she went with her faithful Quartermaster Moses at her side. Richael returned to Port Royal and married a trader, eventually leaving with him to live in England. Rose continued to live at the bay until ill-health forced her to move to Port Royal where she stayed with Theodore until her death. Elizabeth and William stayed at the bay, as did Billy who gradually took over the forge with the occasional slip into piracy. The ex-slave women moved into Tortuga, taking over a large derelict house. Some worked as maids, some as barmaids, some even as whores, but they lived together in a commune and supported each other for the rest of their lives. Governor Spense remained at Port Royal until his death. His wife eventually returned from England but he was never reunited with his children and he never regained the power that he once held. Commodore James Norrington married the daughter of one of the plantation owners on the island who gave him seven children and drove him totally scatty. Theodore and Kasia had two children, both boys, and lived happily at Port Royal for the rest of their lives.
And of course... Jack and Kitty built a small home in a quiet bay close to Nassau and lived happily ever after!
If I've missed anyone you want to know about, then review and I'll add what happened to them here!
And absolutely finally I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed (up until I typed this!) – Alphabetical to avoid rows... I don't think I missed anyone!
Aelimir, Ani Sparrow (jenny), Asfet Mau, Blacklabel, BlueTrinity, BridgetLynn, Bules (bules99), C.Morgan, Cap'n of the Deep, Captain J.A., Captain Tish, Capt'n Raven, catiebug, cheekybrunette, CentellearSirene, ColdContagious, dark-princess-sf, DaydreamBeliever14, DELLY, DreamShadow13, Druidan54, E.J.Lupin, E.T., Elentari II, Elizabeth, Elle Knight, ElvenBaybieGurl, em thompson, freelancer477, Gale Storm, Hell's NightMare, imeghan!, Imlee, jack'n'fan, Jackie, JacksFoxyLass, Jaxindi, Jenni, JessieRose, Kinder, Lady Legolass88, Lauren, Leandra52, LilYellow Ducky20, Linthilde, Mab Queen of the Faerie, Maria, maskedcat, Mavan, Mija, Minuet1, Moulin Rouge Pirate, mulberryblueshimmer, Omala Moola, pendragginink, Rayanne Sunshine, redmond, Shib Shib, Skylark, Starlight8, Starrika, Susan, Untypical (Your Superhero), Vicki
And gentle kicks to those that have me on author alert or favourite author but have never reviewed... yes, I mean you!
almost-never, buffyx1, buttercup, Caribbeansunsets178, DAFTLIKESPARROW, fairydreamcatcher, GodsAngels37ers, kutikittykat, La Rienne de Potiron, Merrie, missjackiesparrow, ParisNRome, piratepixie27, Randomness rules 101, Rum flavour kisses, Vordaewen
(If you have reviewed and I have missed it, then sorry!)
This was previously at the end of the first tale, but has been moved here to it's proper sequential place.
Louisa sat quietly by her bedside of the small woman that her grandmother Anamaria had asked her to care for. Kitty Sparrow, now in her late 60's, was very weak and seemed to have caught the same fever that had taken Jack's a few years ago. A thin, birdlike hand grasped hers. "Promise me," she whispered, "promise me that you will bury me next to Jack."
Louisa looked into the still bright eyes. "I promise Mistress Kitty, now rest – you must not exert yerself." She looked up as her father's shadow filled the doorway.
"We've got to go Lou, will you be alright?" She nodded. "Pearl will return in a month or so to check up on you, but it is still too dangerous for us to stay here."
"That's okay Pa, I can take the dory into Nassau port if I need anythin' like." He nodded and hugged her, turning and leaving as quietly as he had come. Sighing, she looked down at Mistress Kitty but she was already asleep, her brow beaded with sweat from the fever.
Gideon Schott, only son of James Schott, sailed his small boat around the headland into the secluded bay. His father had been unable to come, tied to managing the large Roseridge Plantation for his mother Matilda, but he had wanted to. Mother would not approve if she knew where he was, but then mother never approved of anything to do with pirates. Pirates! Just the mere word sent shivers down his spine as he remembered illicit visits with his father here. He loved Jack and Mistress Kitty, especially the outrageous stories that she would tell him when he was younger. Of course, they were not true – full of undead pirates, treachery and cursed gold. But they were fun.
He was surprised to see a small fishing dory pulled up on the beach outside of the house. He approached cautiously, surprised to see a tall, slim girl with dark skin carrying water to the house from the river.
"Who..."
She dropped the water on hearing him, drawing a pistol before he could blink! He gulped.
"Who are you?" she demanded. "And what are yer doin' here?"
"I'm Gideon, Gideon Schott. I've come to visit Mistress Kitty and Jack." She didn't lower her pistol. "My father is James Schott..."
"You're Jimmy's boy?" She looked at the tall, gangly youth in disbelief. "Prove it!"
Gideon gulped again. He seemed to be doing a lot of that in the last few minutes. He was no coward, but decided it was definitely something to do with the loaded pistol still aimed at him. "Er... my father was brought to Jamaica by Mistress Kitty, he has a red macaw named Pearl after Jack's ship..."
She frowned. "Guess you're 'im then!" she smiled. "But you are nearly too late. Mistress Kitty is very sick at the moment with a fever. Same fever that took Jack few years ago..."
"Jack's dead!" Gideon gasped in disbelief.
"You'd better come in," she said. "If Kitty is awake then she'll want to see you."
But Kitty never woke again, the fever taking her in the night. They found her the following morning, a glimmer of a smile still on her lips.
"We will need shovels," Louisa told him. "I think Pa said they were in the shed out back..." She wandered off to find them.
Gideon followed her. "You never said who you were Lou, or how you came to be nursing Mistress Kitty..."
"My father is Edan Hallam, current Captain of the Black Pearl..." She smiled at his shocked expression. "Yes, my Pa is a pirate! Now will you help me dig or are you too much a town-boy to help?"
Grabbing one of the shovels he followed her to a quiet spot a short distance from the house. "This is it," Louisa said, digging her shovel into the sandy soil. "Next to Jack, just as she wished."
They'd only dug a few feet down when their shovels hit something solid. "What..." Gideon climbed down, brushing away the soil with his hands. It was a small leather trunk with metal banding, but it was not locked. Louisa jumped down beside him and helped him ease it from the soil. Cautiously they opened it.
A letter sat on top of some small wrapped items. Gingerly Gideon picked up the letter.
"If you are reading this I am dead and hopefully you are doing the decent Christian thing and burying me next to Jack as I requested. This trunk contains a few things as a thank you for this service. Kitty Sparrow.
PS – Don't touch the coins in the stone chest – they truly are cursed."
Curious, they dug further into the chest, finding a beautiful, but small sword, numerous bags of gold coins, some jewellery and an old battered compass. Gideon looked at it, opening it carefully. "Stupid thing doesn't bear true..."
Louisa gasped. "Do you realise what you just said! A compass that doesn't point north?"
Gideon looked at her, frowning. "But they were just stories – stories they used to tell me at bedtimes when my father and I visited..."
"Are you sure?"
They emptied the chest, checking all the bags and packages. "Gold, gold, rubies, gold..." Louisa placed the bags beside her on the ground. "Hello... what's this?" One of the bags did not contain gemstones or gold, but a large object carefully wrapped in some soft white cloth. Carefully she unwrapped it.
It was a ruby – the biggest ruby she had ever seen and cut like a heart. Beautifully cut, it sparkled in the sunlight.
"Her ruby..." Gideon gasped. "My father told me about their wedding... he was only six, but he always remembered the ruby. I thought he was exaggerating – another of those pirate stories..."
"We should bury it with her," Louisa sighed regretfully. "If it was her wedding gift then it would have been precious to her." She glanced at Gideon. "What! Just because my Pa's a pirate doesn't mean I have no decency!" she glowered.
They buried Kitty that evening, placing the ruby in her hand and wrapping her in an old sail that they had found in the shed. Gently, tenderly, they had placed her into the ground, quietly shovelling the soil back over her.
"Theirs was one of the greatest ever pirate love stories," Louisa smiled, tears sliding down her cheeks.
Gideon stood silently, for the first time in his life realising that perhaps, just perhaps, her stories might have been for real. He held the compass in his hand, opening it slowly. "If this doesn't point north..." he began.
Louisa smiled through her tears. "Shall we find out..."
Edan returned to find the small house deserted, a note pinned to the kitchen table. "Pa. Mistress Kitty died. Buried next to Jack. Sailing with Gideon and a compass that doesn't point north. Louisa."
He smiled. Perhaps his daughter would prove more infamous than his mother!
THE END! Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
Okay – that is it... no more... the END!
Reviews would be right welcome, you get my drift! ;)
The master plan for what happens next is this... the story is being re-edited and having new bits added. I am going to edit the whole story and then upload it all at once. As this now runs to roughly 900 pages in 10pitch, it may take a little time. I am going to upload about five chapters in each block to prevent the story being 260 chapters long (it is... believe it!) There are a few glitches that I want to amend... since writing this I have planned out my own Black Pearl and have decided what is where onboard... so some bits where cabins were shared, or given up for others, will have to change, but hopefully it will be a better story for it. Once this is done I will delete the five separate stories (but keep your lovely reviews!!!)
I will be starting the Bessie saga in the next few days, Mul's health permitting. She has had flu as well despite being on the other side of the world!
And for the nags that want to know what happened...
Oran married Sanchia – Starlight8 can give me some peace now! Jean Claude was indeed more intent on helping a certain French woman, and eventually married Claire – happy Mul? Edan married Charlotte and thereby the Hallam family eventually gained possession of the Black Pearl. They had one daughter, Louisa who is in this chapter and two sons. James Schott married Matilda Roseridge and took over the running of the Roseridge plantation. They had one son Gideon, who is in this chapter, and numerous daughters. Eilis became the pirate everybody feared and, having learned her trade on the Black Pearl, gained her own ship and created chaos wherever she went with her faithful Quartermaster Moses at her side. Richael returned to Port Royal and married a trader, eventually leaving with him to live in England. Rose continued to live at the bay until ill-health forced her to move to Port Royal where she stayed with Theodore until her death. Elizabeth and William stayed at the bay, as did Billy who gradually took over the forge with the occasional slip into piracy. The ex-slave women moved into Tortuga, taking over a large derelict house. Some worked as maids, some as barmaids, some even as whores, but they lived together in a commune and supported each other for the rest of their lives. Governor Spense remained at Port Royal until his death. His wife eventually returned from England but he was never reunited with his children and he never regained the power that he once held. Commodore James Norrington married the daughter of one of the plantation owners on the island who gave him seven children and drove him totally scatty. Theodore and Kasia had two children, both boys, and lived happily at Port Royal for the rest of their lives.
And of course... Jack and Kitty built a small home in a quiet bay close to Nassau and lived happily ever after!
If I've missed anyone you want to know about, then review and I'll add what happened to them here!
And absolutely finally I would like to thank everyone who has reviewed (up until I typed this!) – Alphabetical to avoid rows... I don't think I missed anyone!
Aelimir, Ani Sparrow (jenny), Asfet Mau, Blacklabel, BlueTrinity, BridgetLynn, Bules (bules99), C.Morgan, Cap'n of the Deep, Captain J.A., Captain Tish, Capt'n Raven, catiebug, cheekybrunette, CentellearSirene, ColdContagious, dark-princess-sf, DaydreamBeliever14, DELLY, DreamShadow13, Druidan54, E.J.Lupin, E.T., Elentari II, Elizabeth, Elle Knight, ElvenBaybieGurl, em thompson, freelancer477, Gale Storm, Hell's NightMare, imeghan!, Imlee, jack'n'fan, Jackie, JacksFoxyLass, Jaxindi, Jenni, JessieRose, Kinder, Lady Legolass88, Lauren, Leandra52, LilYellow Ducky20, Linthilde, Mab Queen of the Faerie, Maria, maskedcat, Mavan, Mija, Minuet1, Moulin Rouge Pirate, mulberryblueshimmer, Omala Moola, pendragginink, Rayanne Sunshine, redmond, Shib Shib, Skylark, Starlight8, Starrika, Susan, Untypical (Your Superhero), Vicki
And gentle kicks to those that have me on author alert or favourite author but have never reviewed... yes, I mean you!
almost-never, buffyx1, buttercup, Caribbeansunsets178, DAFTLIKESPARROW, fairydreamcatcher, GodsAngels37ers, kutikittykat, La Rienne de Potiron, Merrie, missjackiesparrow, ParisNRome, piratepixie27, Randomness rules 101, Rum flavour kisses, Vordaewen
(If you have reviewed and I have missed it, then sorry!)