Usual disclaimers... sob!

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Chapter 21 - Partings

Jack kept the Black Pearl ahead of the HMS Dauntless for the remainder of the day, heading ever westwards as he waited for night. As soon as he considered the dusk dark enough he ordered all lanterns shuttered, swinging the wheel to turn in a wide arc, taking themselves back the way the had sailed. The HMS Dauntless passed them, sailing ever eastwards

"Fool," he snorted, realising that the Commodore could not have been onboard, for he would never have fallen for such a simple trick. He sailed back eastwards for a number of hours before passing the helm to Paul Barker. "'Ere," he ordered. "Take th' wheel. Hand over t' Gibbs at morning watch."

"Aye Captain," Paul Barker nodded, taking the wheel as Jack headed eagerly towards his cabin.

Jack doubted that Bessie would be asleep, and he was not surprised to find her still awake and sitting quietly by the stern windows in the darkness, no candles lit following his order for darkness. "Yer comin' t' bed Bessie?" Jack asked, smiling when she jumped. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she had not heard him enter. "Yer gonna have t' stop jumpin' one of these days," he laughed as he lit one of the many candles.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. "I guess I've been running so long..."

"Well why don't we run along t' bed?" Jack suggested, resting his hand on her shoulder, his fingers teasing as he slid her dress from her shoulders.

She rose slowly. "You know I cannot do anything at the moment Jack?" He frowned, not sure of her refusal. "After childbirth it is a bit like a woman's menses... at least until..." Jack's eyes sank with disappointment. "I give you my word, when my body is able I will come to you..." Bessie said quietly, a blush colouring her cheeks.

Jack blinked, not believing that she was willing to offer herself to him, before remembering her words – cook, laundress, whore. "We have an accord?" Jack grinned.

"You have my word," Bessie repeated, "I will not break it."

Jack smiled, slipping her dress from her body. "Well we can still go t' bed," he offered, taking her hand and leading her towards the side cabin. "After all I did promise Elizabeth I'd look after yer!"

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When Jack and Bessie rose for breakfast, Jack was surprised to see the HMS Dauntless on the horizon, still tailing them. "Guess he isn't as thick as I hoped he was," he shrugged, judging the distance between the ships and calculating the time the Black Pearl would have to slow. He turned to Jacob Bone who was sitting opposite them. "We'll have t' slow down as best we can. Yer can take Bessie ashore fer me," Jack ordered. "I want yer t' stay with her until I can return..."

"Aye Captain," Jacob nodded as he scraped the last of his breakfast from the bowl. "Will I be ashore long?"

"Depends on how quickly we can shake th' Dauntless," Jack admitted. "But I don't want Bessie left alone while Hughes is alive!"

"Surely he..." Bessie began to protest, but was cut short by Jack's stare.

"He dared t' try t' abduct yer in broad daylight," Jack cautioned. "Don't think he won't try again!" He smiled reassuringly, seeing he had frightened her. "We'll find him an' kill him - then yer'll be safe again... savvy?"

Bessie nodded. "When am I leaving?" she asked quietly.

"We should be close enough in about an' hour," Jack replied. "Th' Dauntless will close when we slow, but we can still give her th' slip." He turned to Jacob. "Rig one of the boats with a sail an' we'll slow as much as we can. When yer reach shore, hide th' boat an' we can pick it up later!"

"I'll gather my kit and get it sorted Captain," Jacob said, taking his bowl back to the galley.

Jack waited until Bessie had finished her breakfast before leading her to his cabin. "I want yer t' cover yer hair," he warned. "Yer could be recognised when th' Dauntless closes..." He turned, rummaging through a chest until he found a square of cloth and some ribbon. "'Ere!" Quickly he bound her hair in a long plait and curled it around her head, concealing it beneath the blue bandana.

"I..." Bessie protested.

"Yer don't want t' be explainin' t' th' Commodore what yer were doin' on m' ship, do yer?" Jack cautioned.

"I look like a pirate!" she cried in horror, catching sight of herself in a mirror.

Jack grinned. "Exactly! They will see what they expect to see an' not a woman!"

"But won't they know by my dress?" Bessie puzzled.

Jack frowned, turning to rummage in another chest before finally pulling out a pair of trousers and a shirt. "Put these on," he ordered.

"They're men's clothes!" she gasped in horror.

"Well you're th' one who mentioned yer dress," Jack frowned. "Come on, slip out of that an' I'll give yer a hand..."

"Jack... I..." she stuttered.

Jack smiled, sliding her dress from her shoulders and then her undershift. He paused, turning to lock the door before easing her clothes further from her body, leaving her standing there in her under garments. "Slip these on an' yer'll be fine!" He handed her the trousers, but smiled as she had to fasten them below her slightly distended stomach. He placed his hand gently on her bare flesh. "Th' next time'll be better Bessie... I'll keep yer safe."

"The next time?" she whispered.

"Well, yer are m' woman an' babes often follow th' lovin'..." He wrapped his arms about her. "An' yer have promised t' come t' me..."

"I will not break my word," she said, blushing as she looked at him.

"I know yer won't," Jack grinned. "But how about comin' an' standing next t' me at th' wheel until we drop yer off... feel th' wind in yer face again?"

Bessie nodded. "I'd like that," she agreed.

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Lieutenant Theodore Groves looked in confusion as the Black Pearl slowed, her crew furling all but a few of her sails. He peered through his spy glass, frowning as a small ships boat was lowered and two people climbed down. A sail was raised and the small boat headed towards the shore as the Black Pearl swung to face them, her sails unfurling and her gun ports open.

"Lieutenant!" his lookout shouted in alarm. "Lieutenant! She's sailing straight at us!"

Lieutenant Groves cast one last look at the small boat, wondering what made it so important that the Black Pearl was prepared to face them to enable it to make the shore. He realised that they could not cut off the small boat before the pirate ship closed and that he would have to order his own cannons readied. "Ready the guns!" he ordered. "If the Black Pearl wants to face us then we won't disappoint her, will we men?" A chorus of "Aye" echoed around the deck as the crew sprang into action, opening their gun ports and readying their own cannons in response to the threat from the Black Pearl.

He watched from the quarterdeck as the ship closed. "What the..." he gasped in shock as the ship veered sharply away from them, a single cannon firing at them yet falling out of range. Small ports opened beneath the gun ports on the pirate ship as she deployed her famous sweeps, fleeing towards the open sea.

"Follow them!" he ordered his helm.

"Which one Sir?" the man questioned, unsure if he meant the Black Pearl or the rapidly fleeing ships boat.

"The Black Pearl of course!" Lieutenant Groves ordered, although he could see that it was already hopeless as the sweeps began to bite and she pulled away from them. Slowly the HMS Dauntless turned to follow the faster ship - even if he could not catch them, he could still keep them running.

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