Usual disclaimers... sob!

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Chapter 27 - Salacious Gossip

"I tell you, she is his woman!" Laura Bristow declared as the seven women perched precariously on the three bunks of the cramped sick bay.

"But the other pirate wanted a map..." Mary Walters argued. "Hughes, or whatever his name was... why wouldn't this pirate be after the same?"

"Think about it Mary," Laura reasoned. "How did he know her name? Why is she sleeping in his cabin? You all saw how he held her! And she was so sure that her man would kill Hughes!"

Bethany McCulloch frowned. "Didn't she lose a child recently?"

"Do you think it was his?" Maeve Franks gasped. "The midwife is your aunt, isn't she Charlotte?" Charlotte Dayton nodded. "And..." Maeve pressed. "Did she say anything?"

"Well," Charlotte said quietly. "I shouldn't be saying this, you understand, but Aunt Grace said that there was a shot embedded in the bottom step of the stairwell where this Bessie lives... and that none other than Elizabeth Turner attended her..."

Laura crowed with delight. "It has to be! There is the connection! Why would somebody of such a good family as Elizabeth Turner be caring for a disgraced maid who had been dismissed from her own father's service?" She looked around at the other women. "Surely you remember the gossip how she and her husband saved this Sparrow pirate from the noose a few years back?"

"We should tell the authorities," Matilda Dott suggested.

"But what are they going to do with us?" Victoria Chalk wailed. "Surely that is more important than a stupid maid?"

"I think we are alright," Laura ventured. "You heard him say to set course for Port Royal... I think he is taking us home!"

"Will he ransom us, do you think?" Matilda worried.

"We aren't all as lucky as you and Victoria," Bethany sighed. "My parent's aren't rich, and he'll get little money for me!"

"Ransomed or not, I think we are going home," Laura declared. "But we must all keep our ears open and discover what we can... it may be useful later."

"How when we are shut up in here?" Mary argued.

"But we are not locked in..." Laura reminded her. "And we were not told to stay here!"

"I'm not going anywhere!" Matilda vowed.

Laura smiled. "You will have to when you need the toilet!" She looked around the sparse cabin - there was no chamber pot or anything that could be used as such.

"I can't use their toilets!" Matilda gasped. "It's open air... over the sea!" She paled. "They could be... watching!"

"Given the choice between being seen or soiling my undergarments, I know which I'd prefer," Laura said practically. "But I'm going to see if I can talk with the Captain - to see what he intends with us..."

"Laura!" Victora gulped. "You can't!"

"Just watch me," Laura smiled, reaching for the latch and opening the door. She jumped in fright, seeing a pirate standing watch a short distance from the door. "I want to see the Captain!" she said, suddenly not so sure of herself when faced with an armed pirate.

"Captain's busy," Henry Holt said. "But he'll be down to see you when he is not..."

"Will he be long?" she pressed.

He shrugged. "Depends."

"Depends on what?" she asked cautiously.

"On how quickly you get your pretty little backside back in that cabin and stay there!" he grinned, laughing as she squeaked and shut the door with a bang. He realised that he would have to have a word with Jack before he spoke with the women - he had overheard every word and if they believed that Bessie was his woman then she would not be able to go back to Port Royal.