Chapter Forty-One

"How could you? Bloody damn!" Emma cried, her eyes welling up with tears of frustration. "I only just get you back and without so much as a concern for my welfare you arrange another duel with that horse's behind!"

"Emma I couldn't-" Horatio tried to explain while he held his palm against his stung jaw. But Emma had whirled away from him and was making her way off the ship onto the dock. Horatio hesitated waiting for permission from Pellew.

"Well goodness, boy. You've certainly got yourself in a pickle this time, didn't you" His father asked. "Really Horatio, a duel? I dare say marriage has addled your brain, my son."

"Go on, man. Believe me, there's nothing worse than a woman stewing in her fury." Captain Pellew added pressing a knuckle to his cap in salute.

Emma was well aware that Horatio was following her but she would not be swayed by his pleading.

"Emma, for God's sake would you stop for a moment? Surely you could see the logic in ridding ourselves of Simpson-"

"Logic? You speak to me of logic?" Emma demanded stopping before the carriage that would take her back to Doctor Hornblower's house. "Your father is right. Marriage has addled your brain. Was it not enough that the man killed Clayton? Archie? Whom you claim was your very best friend-"

Horatio stiffened. "Watch yourself, wife." He warned. "No one mourns Archie more then I and I will thank you not to forget that." He leaned in ahead of her and opened the carriage door. "We shall not argue out here for all prying eyes. Inside, if you please." He ordered.

It was on the tip of her tongue to give him what for but the look in his eyes warned her that Horatio would very well toss her into the carriage if she did not go willingly and that would just be too humiliating to bear at the moment. Emma glared at him, but climbed inside.

"Now, if you would just try-" Horatio began after telling the driver that they merely wished for a moment of privacy and would not be leaving just yet. He gave the man a few coins and sent him off.

"Do you insist on persisting with this madness?" Emma asked bluntly.

"That man will not hurt anyone else that I care for-"

"Then that is the end of the matter and I have nothing left to say to you." Emma shifted on the seat and turned her back to him.

"Oh no you don't." Horatio grabbed her arms and turned her around. "Now stop behaving like a petulant child!"

"A...a child?" Emma stammered, her cheeks flushing indignantly. I'm not the one who is putting my life in the hands of Jack Simpson, damn his eyes! He killed Clayton who was a better shot than you are. What hope do you possibly have of defeating him?" Her eyes were filling with hopeless tears and Horatio's eyes softened slightly. "He's killed Archie. He'll kill you, and then he'll come after me next. Forgive me if the first time I toss up my skirts I'd rather it not be for that evil creature." She spat not caring if Horatio thought her a vulgar woman. She was desperate. Etiquette seemed rather inconsequential at the moment. Emma distractedly watched the people walking by across the street. Her heart beating a pounding rhythm in her chest. "Do you really think that the fact that I'm no longer on the Indy is gonna stop him? Killing you won't be enough for him. He'll make sure to shame you so that you have no peace even in death. The man is pure evil, Horatio." She reminded him.

"Emma, look at me." Her husband's voice was soft but firm. He would not change his mind. He honestly believed there was no recourse for him but to draw pistols with Jack Simpson. Emma turned to him and lowered her head against his chest in defeat.

"I almost had one funeral for you. Don't make me have a real one, Horatio. Please." She begged, her tears dampening his coat.

"I wish there was some other way...truly." Horatio assured her, his hand stroking her hair.

"But there is. Pellew! Of course!" Emma remembered pulling back. "You can tell him all about Simpson now and the captain can have him arrested and we don't-"

"No." Horatio cut her off.

Emma smacked his arm. "Why on earth not? Archie's gone now, you need not protect him anymore."

"I said no and that is the end of it, Emma. I will not have Kennedy's name sullied in such a way."

Emma stared at Horatio for a very long time. Her thoughts going back to the notes the previous doctor had made on the dearly departed Archie. She felt as if something was there. Hidden and unsaid, dangling teasingly at the back of her mind if only she could pull it forward for examination. But the trail of her thoughts unnerved her. As if she was afraid to know what lay behind her friend's torment.

"What exactly did Simpson do to-" Emma dared, her voice low, the question posed reluctantly.

"Simpson hurt him. He hurt us all." Horatio explained, guarded. "That's all that matters."

Emma sat back against the wide ivory satin seat. It was slightly harder to breathe now and she knew it wasn't because of the chilly air.

"But not in the same way?" Emma asked, a chill shooting down her back to curl uncomfortably in her stomach. There had been something different in Archie's fear of Jack Simpson. All Emma could think of was that Simpson's abuse of Archie was more severe than the other ship mates for some reason. Maybe Archie's fits made him an easier target for Simpson than the rest.

"No, not in the same way." Horatio replied, his eyes cold with some unsettling memory.

A.N:

Camreyn: Poor Archie indeed. (laughs) I could answer your question but do you really wanna know?(winks) I will say that these stories will follow the films pretty much. (smiles)

I'd say it's only about a day or two that Horatio's been believed dead.

Sweet A.K: Horatio definitely deserved that whack. (laughs) Dr Hornblower's good people. He's just a product of his time. He's more open minded than most and admires that Emma wants to educate herself but doesn't approve of her putting that education into practice in what he sees as a male dominated field.

You can have angsty Archie for a while, but I'm gonna need him later. (winks) Pellew is sort of a father figure for Emma. As for Simpson killing...(winks)

Kasora: Hey, I'm always glad when new people find my story so don't worry about leaving feedback late. I'm tickled you're enjoying this and hope you like this chapter too!