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An Answer of Doubt- Part 8

Norrington awoke in Jack's arm's, with Jack watching him. Jack stroked James' braids back from his face, and kissed his lips gently.

"How do you feel, love?" Jack whispered in his ear, then kissed it.

"Better, thank you."

"Can you eat?"

"In a bit. Did you not sleep?"

"I did nod off, but not for long."

"Jack, when we next make port, I need you to do something for me."

"I can manage a thing or two. What do you need, James?"

"My two lieutenants, the ones who helped me to escape, I want to get them word that I am not dead."

"We are headed for New Providence. I know a good man there. He'll take a letter to Port Royal for me. Does Lizzie know your handwriting?"

"Possibly. I am not sure."

"Someone else might, at any rate. Lizzie certainly knows mine. We can compose the letter together. I'll write it out. The last thing you want, is to get those two lads in trouble. If they are suspected in your escape, anything you send them might turn up as evidence against them. Lizzie's safer, Governor's daughter and all. Brilliant, too. No matter how ridiculous the letter, she'll figure out. She always has. She and Will could deliver a message to your lieutenants. Can ask her to do that in the letter."

"Quite staunch allies you made in those two."

"Your allies too, James."

"Yes, I know. For the longest time, I thought they just felt badly for me, because of the broken engagement."

The fingers of Jack's left hand began drawing patterns on James forearm.

"Do you still feel badly about it?"

"Certainly not."

"It would have saved you from a life of piracy."

James grinned.

"What, if I had married a pirate, you mean?"

"You're right, she is that, through and through. If Will had half the pirate she's got in her!"

"Did you love him?"

"No. Unrequited lust was all that was. I do know the difference, James."

"Do you?"

"I do."

"Jack, New Providence isn't exactly on our way to Singapore."

"Yes, well, I've put that off for a bit."

"I see. That wouldn't have anything to do with me, would it?"

Jack stopped drawing patterns and took James hand gently in his.

"Rather a lot to do with you, as a matter of fact."

"What, my injury?"

"I want to find out who was responsible for setting you up, James."

"We have been through that."

"I respect your feelings on the matter, James. I just can't ignore what I see as a possible threat. Look, you were Commodore of the entire Caribbean Fleet. If someone got you out of their way, I need to know who and why. Safer that way, for all of us. I am afraid it might be bigger than just what happened to you, love. I hope it's not. Can't take the chance. James, please, will you help me?"

"You know I will."

"Tell me what you know. If you don't want to discuss the personal details, leave out those bits. At least give me names, somewhere to start."

"The man- the bait, I don't know what his real name is. He was posing as Timothy Morley, and said he was in shipping. There was a real Timothy Morley, with shipping interests who was murdered, recently, in London. The bait was not there to murder him. He was already on his way to the Caribbean from London, when the murder took place. I am sure about that. I don't know how or if at all that murder relates to any of this. I assume they had met, or knew each other, somehow. The man who introduced us, is named Samuel Wallis, that's W-a-l-l-i-s. He said that he and Morley had been at school together, so obviously he was lying about something for some reason. Wallis has been buying up sugar plantations all over the Caribbean. At least the deeds are in his name. The man has no legitimate sources for that kind of wealth, and no known illegal ones. I believe someone is using him as an agent. No idea who, or why. A man named Eli Claxton witnessed -the incident- and testified to that fact. He is a servant of some sort in Wallis' employ."

"You never confronted Wallis?"

"Most of what I know I found out through my lieutenants, after I was arrested. Wallis left for Barbados before either Groves or Gillette had the chance to question him. They both tried desperately to gather enough evidence to clear me of the charges. It was pointless, of course. Elizabeth came up with the most effective plan to secure my release. However, I told her that I would plead guilty, before letting her testify under oath to having an affair with me behind William's back. Can you even imagine?"

"There's Lizzie for you. Clever girl. She'll always choose with her heart, James."

"How could I possibly let Elizabeth give false testimony and ruin her reputation?"

"So you would have hanged rather than sully Elizabeth's reputation."

"I preferred to do neither, Jack, which is how I have come to be here."

"Timothy Morley, Samuel Wallis, and Eli Claxton, that's all you have?"

"I do realize it is not much."

"All I asked was for a start, love." Jack smiled and kissed him on the nose, then rolled off the bed, dressed, and left the cabin. He returned with stew. They ate sitting next to each other on the bed, with their knees touching, in companionable silence. When they were done, Jack set the bowls on the table and washed his hands.

"Let's have a look at your back first. Then we can write Lizzie that letter."

Jack was pleased to find healthy looking scabs the length of the cut. Jack dabbed rum on the stitches anyway and bandaged James, lightly this time.

"How does it look?"

"Perfect, James. Those stitches can come out soon."

"All that practice you've had stitching yourself up seems to have paid off for me."

"You can probably just as well credit your clean living for the fact that you are healing so quickly."

Jack took the old bandages and dishes out with him. When he came back, he dragged another chair over to the desk and sat in it. James took a seat beside him, resting his elbow on the back of Jack's chair, fingertips toying with Jack's braids.

"Do you have a code?"

"With Elizabeth? Never worked out anything that complicated, though I probably should at some point. We do have a formula. I put everything that means something into the first paragraph. Then I add a lot of nonsense at the bottom, and sign one of her relatives names to it. Try to rotate those. This time, we are her cousin, Caroline."

"She actually has a cousin Caroline?"

"Oh aye, but what the lass is doing flitting all over the Caribbean, is anybody's guess."

After three revisions, Jack and James settled on:

Dearest Cousin Elizabeth,

I do hope this letter finds you well. Do you remember me telling you about the charming young officer I met at the black and white ball? We are spending time together. I do hope my brothers A and T will approve. Since you are closer to them, than I have ever been, I hope you will have a word with them in our favor.

The weather here is lovely. The whole garden is in bloom. Miss Sylvia, the cat you met on your last visit, has three kittens now. All of them look like the father, a wild tabby tom that we could not keep out of the garden. We have decided that he is welcome there, since he is part of the family now.

Father has taken up oil painting. He feels he has mastered landscapes, and is working on improving his portraits. The portrait he painted of me, has a rather oddly shaped head, at the moment. However, we all think he has gotten my nose right.

I miss the times we've spent together. Give William and dear Uncle Weatherby my fond regards.

Your truest cousin,

Caroline

"Your truest cousin?"

"Bloody hell, James, I'm not writing it again, just to change that."

...to be continued...