Chapter Twenty

Emma let herself sag onto one of the beds when everyone had left. Lethargy was creeping in now that the adrenaline was no longer pumping. She reveled in the warmth of the Captain's words before turning her mind back to Archie and just where the devil Horatio had disappeared to. Emma hadn't seen him on deck when Oldroyd had fallen. A nervous knot tightened in her stomach when it occurred to her that she hadn't seen Jack Simpson either.

Rigid with tension, Emma rose and left the room, heading for their sleeping quarters. Archie was no longer standing in front of the door. Emma couldn't decide if this was a good or bad sign. She lifted her hand to knock but decided against it and turned the doorknob instead. For whatever reason, Archie had wanted to keep her out of this room. If she announced herself first they may hide whatever it was she wasn't supposed to see. Emma bit back a cry of alarm. Horatio was laying in his cot groaning in pain while Archie stood next to him with a bowl of water, pinked with what Emma surmised was her husband's blood and a damp cloth in his hand.

"Good Lord." She gasped when saw her husband's bruised and battered face. Both men turned to her, brown and blue eyes wide with guilt. Horatio winced at the movement.

"Emma." He croaked through a split bottom lip.

"What the devil happened to you?" She asked rushing to his side. There was a quickly swelling lump on his forehead, bruises that would darken, dotting his cheeks and jaw. A cut oozed blood down his right cheek.

"I fell." Horatio replied, his eyes meeting Archie's with a look of some sort of secret understanding that infuriated Emma.

"You what?" She asked, shocked at the blatant lie.

"I fell." He repeated; one eyelid beginning to swell shut. Emma crossed her arms and stared from one man to the other. Neither met her gaze.

"Really? You fell? You fell onto both sides of your face at once?" Emma snapped. "Do you take me for a simpleton, husband? Simpson did this didn't he?" Her concern was quickly turning to fury.

"I already-"

"It's a little early in our marriage for lies isn't it?" Emma hissed. "Fine, to the devil with the both of you." Emma picked up the water bowl and dumped it onto Horatio's chest in a burst of frustration. "I'm going to Captain Pellew and putting an end to this right now." She stomped back out into the corridor.

"Emma, no!" Horatio called out but fell back against the hammock in pain. "Dammit, Archie, stop her!" He ordered.

Emma had made it halfway down the corridor when long fingers circled her wrist and turned her back around.

"Emma-" Archie said tugging at her.

"Mr. Kennedy, if you insist on going along with this ridiculous code of silence then I cannot do anything to stop you. But do not expect me to be party to it because I refuse." Emma insisted. "All you are doing is protecting Simpson and encouraging his abusive behavior." Emma watched his cheeks go bright pink and she watched him swallow before speaking.

"I cannot let you go to the Captain." He told her.

"Let me? I daresay Mr. Kennedy you have no say in the matter. And may I add that your definition of what constitutes friendship is sorely incorrect." She said. Archie took a step back, stung and released her wrist.

"I beg your pardon?" He asked, blue eyes shining with indignation.

"First, you stand guard duty while that miserable creature beats the stuffing out of my husband and then you have the audacity to lie to my face when I questioned you about Horatio's whereabouts. If I hadn't seen Clayton with my own eyes above deck, I'm sure your deception would have worked." Emma informed him. Archie closed his eyes and bit back a curse. "Quite right." Emma affirmed. She spun on her heel to continue walking but Archie quickly stepped in front of her. "Stand aside, Mr. Kennedy." Emma demanded resisting the urge to kick the man where it would do most harm.

"No, Mrs. Hornblower, I will not." He said crossing his arms in front of his chest and standing stock-still.

"No?" Emma asked, caught off guard by his rude refusal.

"No." he repeated. Blue eyes challenged blue. Even though he was a few inches shorter than Horatio, Emma still found herself to look up at Archie to match his determined glare. "Damn woman, do you care nothing for your husband's pride?" Archie burst.

"His pride? What the-" Emma asked shaking her head.

"It was Horatio himself that asked me to stand guard at the door. He did not wish to be shamed further by having you walk in." Archie explained. Emma took a step back in surprise and the stared back in the direction of their cabin.

"Why doesn't anyone stop him?" Emma asked softly. "Surely if Captain Pellew knew-"

"Simpson knows too much." Archie's voice was softer now. "And there are things he can reveal, twist around that could..." Archie visibly shuddered and Emma was unnerved by the panic she saw in his eyes. She placed a hand on his arm in a gesture of acceptance, if not understanding. "No one will speak a word against him for fear that he will expose the things we keep hidden. The darkest parts of ourselves we show to no one. If you expose him, Emma, you expose us all. You shame us all." He cleared his throat and Emma wanted to offer reassurances but found she couldn't. How could she, when she had no desire to know the dark parts these men were keeping hidden. If the secrets were dark enough to endure Simpson. Emma feared probing them. She shivered at the sudden unease that gathered in her stomach. Archie cleared his throat and his mouth quirked in a small attempt at a smile. "Wouldn't do much for your case to stay on with us, would it?" The sardonic smile was there but it was the desperation in his eyes that moved her. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that she had seen Simpson by his hammock last night but something held her back. A sick sort of throb that settled in her stomach whenever she thought about it.

"What would you have me do?" Emma asked lowering her head.

"Nothing. Leave it alone." Archie insisted.

"But-"

"It's for the best, Emma. We just need to be more careful not to instigate him."

"You are not responsible for that mule does." Emma insisted. He smiled sadly at her.

"Aye but that's not the point is it?"

"Fine. I won't say anything. For now." Emma relented. "But that's all I'm promising, Archie. One more abusive act from Jack Simpson and so help me, I'll take my scalpel to him!"

"An interesting solution, to be sure." Archie said with a burst of laughter that thankfully did reach his eyes this time.

"Alright, help me get Horatio into the sick room." Emma said following Archie back to their cabin.

gryffindors-seeker: Thanks so much for your feedback. I am continuing this story, no worries. I've just had to take a few months off here and there but I will be adding chapters. I will try for more regularity.

Sweet A.K: Thank you for your kind words! I'm glad you can relate to Emma and indeed she is a product of her surroundings so she's a bit prim. Now being on the ship will loosen her up a bit but at her core she'll still be a lady, just in the best sense. Not rigid but proper. Yet still be able to be sensual and funny and tempermental when the situation dictates. Emma and the crew have certainly got off to a rough start haven't they?

Camreyn: I can always count on you to warm the cockles of my heart with your feedback. (laughs) It's very much appreciated. You'll find out in this chapter what was going on in the room. The captain isn't a big fan of Simpson's but it's more an instinctual dislike as opposed to anything the man has done as nobody's talking. The nose twitching made me laugh when I wrote it. It's a purely reflexive response to Emma now as she was the one who caused it's injury. Yep, Oldroyd will be pulling some helping out duty as he's not much good for much else right now. Hopefully I'll be more dilgent about updating. I have dozens of chapters still to type up so there's alot to look forward to. One would think that now that the exam room is set up Horatio and Emma could...um, begin their marriage. (laughs) One would think. I think given Style's initial dislike of Emma, he wouldn't have the highest respect for her so it wouldn't be hard for him to imagine she's 'entertaining' Simpson. Remember, four cases of the clap, Styles is not known for hanging around respectable females. But as bad as he tries to make her feel, Emma gives as good as she gets and we can hope that earns Styles' respect eventually. I do try to insert humorous moments to balance out all the drama and action (and we can't forget poor angsting Archie) I'm glad it's working. I imagine she will be exmaining Horatio and Archie, if he'll ever let her! I imagine Horatio will enjoy himself. (smiles)