Yet again, usual disclaimers apply throughout this tale. If you recognise it, it probably belongs to the Mouse – else it is mine!

Chapter 30 – Marra and DeWitt

"Do you think they will come?" Theodore lounged across the rail, staring at the other ships in the harbour, noting their names and mentally calculating the number of hanging offences accorded to each ship.

"They'll come – or at least two of them will. Think I can rely on Andrea Marra, as most women hate Bailie… Robert DeWitt will come just to be nosey like, but he might let something slip if we catch him off guard. He's usually full of piss an' wind, but he was too calm last night. He was hiding something," Jack worried.

True enough, Captain Marra was the first to arrive in a small row-boat. Two burly pirates from the Leochek manned the oars. Joshamee Gibbs helped her on deck, the two men clambering up behind her. "Captain Sparrow is waiting in the main cabin, Captain. If you'll follow me…" Joshamee was on best behaviour as he led the female captain through the open doors into the main cabin of the Black Pearl.

Captain Marra looked around her, noticing two women and a small boy sitting quietly in one corner. Captain Sparrow was leaning over various charts spread over the large table, talking intently with two men. One was tall and muscular, a slim shaped moustache adorned his face. The other, clean shaven, strong faced, stood with the ease of one used to giving commands.

"Captain Marra, nice of you to join us." She walked over to the table, eyeing covetously the detailed map. It looked naval. She looked at the two men again. "Theodore Groves, Will Turner," Jack introduced, "and in the corner is Will's wife Elizabeth and my wife Kitty." A smile twitched briefly on his lips as he said her name.

"So let me see if I have this right… and the gossips are true…" She eyed each person. "English Navy captain, Governor's daughter and her husband," she paused, "your wife and…" Her eyes rested on James.

"Oh, I'm the Commodore's nephew!" He smiled with the disarming honesty that only a six year old boy could manage. Jack winced.

"A very interesting cabin…". Her eyes gave her away and she smiled. "So I can take it your information is at least verging on the truth?"

Jack smiled broadly. "So… where did you see her?" He clapped his hands together, eager to discover what she knew.

"Captain Marra?" She turned to find Jack's wife standing before her. "I was just going to the galley. Would you like anything, or would Jack's noxious rum be more to your liking?"

"Tea?" She smiled as Catherine nodded. "Tea would be nice."

"Tea for five then…" She plonked a bottle of rum in front of Jack. "I'm not bothering even asking you!"

Captain Marra had to concede that the Black Pearl was a well-run ship, even if the captain had unusual friends. She leaned over the map, fingers tracing the outline of the coast of Hispaniola. Her hand stopped over the town of Jémérie. "We were here… heading back to Tortuga. We were running dark as the Dauntless was about," she glanced awkwardly at Theodore. "She passed within half-mile of us, heading roughly south-westwards."

Theodore's eyes widened in shock. "Port Royal?" he gasped. "Surely not!"

Jack shrugged. "He could have changed course once out of the Passage… " He paused as Catherine returned with the tea. "But whatever he's doing, we can't leave until tomorrow at the earliest…"

Captain Marra looked at him in amazement. "You aren't thinking of taking on Bailie?"

"Depends luv!" he smiled. "We've a few old scores to settle… personal ones like." He smiled quietly at Catherine. "Now, if you're not doing anything this mornin' you might like to stay an' hear something if DeWitt turns up, something to your advantage like… savvy?"

She grinned. "Was it my imagination, or did he know too much already last night?"

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Jack made sure that James was well away from the cabin when Captain DeWitt arrived for although Captain Marra was smart, and discrete, he was the total opposite. He made sure there was plenty of rum and that Will, Theodore and both women were below decks, for now. Captain Marra was hidden in one of the side cabins, sitting on one of his trunks, where she could listen in on the conversation. Catherine, despite her initial objections, had changed her clothes for a dress that Jack had found in the hold. He realised that he hated the dress on her, for it made her look like a whore, too low, to scant even to his greedy eyes, but it was ideal for the purpose he intended.

"Sparrow," Robert DeWitt deliberately did not say Captain, but Jack did not rise to the bait, "I've done some askin' around like, heard some interesting things.." Jack slid a bottle of rum across the table. "Bailie was in port two weeks ago. Some of his men were heard talking, something about settin' up a base, south, near Martinique like…" He took a large swig of rum, belching. "Dunno exactly where though… but they left in the night and nobody noticed their bearing."

"Liar!" Jack thought, for he had picked up several snippets of information from elsewhere earlier that day and knew the false words for what they were - lies. He already knew from sources he trusted that the Blessed Mae had not even stopped in Tortuga.

The cabin doors opened and Catherine walked in, wearing the dress that could only be described as 'barely' decent. "Oh, sorry Jack! I didn't realise you had company." She smiled innocently at DeWitt, who felt his temperature rising, his eyes following her every move, devouring her visually. She rummaged in a drawer before finding a shawl that she had placed there only a few minutes before. "Excuse me, gentlemen." Smiling, she left, her hips swaying as both men's eyes followed her exit.

"Your wife…" Robert DeWitt let the question hang. Jack just smiled. "Right, um, where were we?"

"Port Royal?" Jack ventured, keeping his voice neutral.

Robert DeWitt paled before he could bring his features under control. "How did…" he began, before realising what he had said.

Jack smiled lazily, an assured, satisfied smile designed to irritate Robert DeWitt even further. "You always were a weasel DeWitt, a slimy little weasel who'd sell all of us down the river if the price was right. But the price is higher than you could possibly realise. I promised safe conduct whilst on my ship, but if you're dealing with Bailie then you've just enough time to get to your boat – if you run!" Jack drew his pistol, aiming it at DeWitt. "Run!"

Robert DeWitt was not a coward, he never had been, but he was wise enough to know when it was time to retreat – such as now. Faced with a loaded pistol, he had no option but to depart at speed, cursing and swearing vengeance as he left.

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