Chapter 17
Florence's panicked breaths sounded deafening. The guards blocking the servant's exits had her paranoid, and she could feel herself getting lost in the expansive hallways of the estate. No party-goers were present this deep in the house. Her plan was quickly falling to pieces.
"Shit, shit, shit."
She had abandoned the shoes from Cordelia's closet. They were too big for her feet and began causing blisters as she ran so she quickly disposed of them in a large urn-like vase. She couldn't have anybody following her breadcrumb trail of shoes.
Should she find Joyce? She couldn't decide. Joyce was supposed to be her leverage- her hostage. At this point though, she needed to just escape before Jonas or Cordelia went searching for her.
Free to leave, my ass. Florence thought to herself. No way would any self-respecting pirate just let their slaves go. Florence wasn't stupid.
Paranoid maybe, but not stupid. She might've been able to live among them, under different circumstances, but she had a job to do. Florence's hand went to her lower back, where her father's tricorn hat was squished under her corset. It gave her a bulky appearance, but she was skin and bones anyway so nobody spared her a second look. It reminded her of the life she left behind and the life she knew she had to forge on her own.
She rounded another corner, only to be faced with another ridiculously long hallway. Frustration bubbled up in her stomach. She wanted to shout in irritation, but the stakes were growing higher. Behind her, she heard whoops of laugher from tipsy party guests who were beginning to explore the estate out of late-night boredom. "No, no, no, no…" she whispered under her breath and began sprinting down the hallway.
Running was awkward with the gown on. She missed her trousers and boots dearly at this moment. Her bare feet were raw and sore, but the problem was in the layers of petticoat that were weighed down with firearms and various other weapons. There was no way she was going to leave behind her best defenses and best disguise, but the weight was dragging her down.
A stray piece of gauzy petticoat found its way under her foot, and Florence sucked in a gasp of air as she tumbled to the ground. Her head smacked the tile with a deafening crack and her vision went spotty.
Get up.
Her body didn't listen.
Get UP.
All she could manage was to roll onto her back. She felt warmth on her hair. She reached up and her hand came back with sticky red blood coating it. Suddenly, she didn't feel upset or paranoid. She felt somewhat calm like she didn't need to run anymore. This felt peaceful. All the chaos crowding her thoughts faded away. She stared up at the scalloped ceilings. A shadow blocked her sightline, but she didn't care to focus on it. It was probably a concerned party guest.
That was fine. Strangely, Florence was no longer worried about being caught. If anything, now she wanted to be found.
Her thoughts were jumbled. Was that person still there? Did they leave her to pass out alone?
Did she want to be alone? Yes. Wait, no.
Black spots fluttered in her vision. Were her eyes closing? No, she couldn't close them, or could she not open them? It was hard to tell.
"Well, this is fortunate," a silky voice echoed in her head. "Lucky for me, you didn't go too far."
A garbled moan escaped from Florence's mouth that she couldn't recognize as coming from herself.
"Shh, shhh." A gentle hand ran through her blood-saturated hair. "One moment more, love."
Florence's eyes were still shut. She was certain they were closed now. A metaphorical veil lifted from her mind, and the first thing she could understand was that she was in pain. It was stabbing and felt like a lightning storm behind her eyes. It was so strong, she had to open them.
She sucked in a gasp of air, shooting straight up. She was sitting on the floor, her petticoat surrounding her. At first, she thought she'd been dreaming. Had she passed out? Had she imagined the man's voice?
"Careful now, love." No. She hadn't imagined it. She turned, expecting to see Jonas's smug face, but it wasn't him. There was a man she wasn't acquainted with. Her foggy mind had trouble placing him and she furrowed his brows.
"Oh," he feigned disappointment. "Don't tell me I didn't make a strong enough first impression!"
Images flashed in her mind. Stabbing a naval soldier, sword waving in their faces, unstable laughing and Cordelia and Jonas standing their ground on the deck of the ship.
The smell of incense filled her nose. It was sweet and reminded her of home- of her father's ship. She stared at the man, with his impossibly high cheekbones, full lips, and mischievous eyes.
"Daemon." The name escaped her lips as if put there by him.
"Pleased to make your formal acquaintance." He mimicked a little bow with a twirl of his wrist. "You took a little tumble. I patched you up." Florence's hand flew to her head, still sticky with blood, but not in any pain. Daemon's face faltered from the angelic visage, and Florence sensed the insidious nature behind those eyes. "Let's talk."
"Maia, go back to the ballroom. Tell the girls to be ready," Jonas ordered, his face twisted into an amused smirk.
She hesitated, "Ready for what?"
"You all will know when you see it. Just be on guard."
Maia ran back into the house, making sure to not be conspicuous.
"Jonas," Amberly's voice was low and fearful. "Jonas, remember what we've done for you."
A bark of a laugh erupted from him, "What you've done for me? Remember what I've done for you! The island of St. Martin has been under my protection for over a decade. I've always had a soft spot for you, Amberly, don't forget that."
Amberly looked at Jonas, her downturned eyes giving away her emotions. She was scared, but also did not believe that Jonas would ever harm her, even after all this time. This was her ace in the hole. "Jonas, I thought you abandoned me. I couldn't defend you to Clarkson anymore… he's become obsessed-"
"Then he is a fool!" Jonas cut her off, the pistol shaking in his hand. "Get up!" Her legs began to tremble, but she stood up slowly. "Take me to Clarkson," he ordered.
Amberly's hands were up in compliant surrender, and she slowly began leading him through the garden, toward a side door. Jonas approached her from behind, pressing the pistol against her lower back. Her arms fell, trying to assume a natural gait.
There was the sound of running footsteps from the main hall, and Jonas tensed beside Amberly. Robin and Maia both emerged from the entrance. Jonas relaxed slightly. "What are you two doing here?"
"I couldn't pass this up," Robin chirped with a mischievous grin.
Jonas didn't argue. There was no controlling every one of them. It was like a herd of cats. Plus, Robin was someone who could carry her own weight, Jonas thought.
The group of four navigated the hallways, led by Amberly. They didn't encounter any guards, who were mainly guarding the non-garden entrances and the main ballroom for drunken men who may be punch-happy. They climbed a servant's stairwell, which led into the bedroom hallways. There was a large door at the end of the room. Jonas said nothing but recognized it as the Governor's bedroom. He didn't need Robin and Maia asking questions regarding his history with Amberly. They stopped outside the door and heard muffled voices inside. Two, maybe three people. Few enough that Jonas felt comfortable interrupting with only the three of them armed.
He motioned with his gun to have Robin and Maia take out their weapons. They quickly, as practiced, pulled their firearms from their dresses many layers. Robin, in particular, looked ridiculous with her short boyish hair, white dress, and large pistol.
On the finger count of three, Robin burst through the door, followed by Amberly, Jonas, and then Maia. They immediately trained their pistols on anyone they saw, but then the action stopped. Jonas's initial confusion turned into uncontrollable laughter.
In the room, Clarkson was hiding behind two muscular young men. The three men were completely nude and had pulled the bedsheets to cover themselves.
Robin and Maia, clearly uncomfortable, watched as Jonas attempted to stop his laughter but failed. "Amberly!" He shouted mid-laugh. "No wonder you're a whore in queen's clothing!" Amberly's face was bright red, and she bore holes into the carpet with her eyes, refusing to look anywhere else. Her face was twisted in both complete embarrassment and irritation.
"What is the meaning of this! Get out at once!" Clarkson attempted to hide his face from view, but his voice was unmistakable. He pointed at the group and peeked over the edge of the sheet mid-sentence. "If you do not leave at once I will call th-," he stopped short. Both of the men, who Maia recognized as suitors presented earlier in the evening for Clarkson's daughter, looked at the governor for guidance.
The room stood still, with just the sound of Jonas's muffled giggles. "Hello Clarkson," Jonas teased.
"Darling, I had no choice-" Amberly started to defend herself to her husband, before Jonas's hand on her shoulder silenced her.
"My friend. I don't believe I could've interrupted you at any better time. Who've known that you liked younger men as much as your wife does?" Clarkson said nothing in response to Jonas's childlike teasing. Jonas turned his gun from Amberly to Clarkson and slowly approached, his amused smile quickly fading into a sneer. He stopped short at the end of the large canopy bed.
Clarkson finally cleared his throat. "Captain Jonas," he stated. "What has the port of Saint Martin done to deserve a diplomatic visit from the Jewel of Hades' most revered captain?"
"Enough ass-kissing, Clarkson. Save it for your studs."
Clarkson laid the bedsheet down over his chest, revealing his face entirely. He put his hands in the air in surrender and began sputtering out apologies, only to be cut off by Jonas firing a gunshot into the ceiling.
Amberly screamed and dove to the floor, and the two suitors dove out from either side of the bed, landing on the floor and protecting their vulnerable areas with their hands.
"I do believe it's time we rejoined the party," said Jonas.
"Get up you swine!" Robin shouted at the governor, a giant grin adorning her face. Maia followed suit, her shoulders back and her head high as she shouted orders for Amberly. Jonas stood menacingly in the middle of the two women, not moving a muscle. He let them make the orders, a small smile turning up the corner of his mouth. The three men hurriedly pulled their trousers over their bare bottoms, and Robin shouted at them for taking their sweet time.
The three pirates held the four of them, Amberly, Clarkson, and the two suitors at gunpoint as they marched down the hallways to the main ballroom. Their nightshirts were not even tucked into their trousers, and their bare feet slapped the tile as they stumbled forward.
"Excellent job, mates," Jonas said under his breath, only for Robin and Maia to hear, proud of his new crew members.
There was an emptiness in the hallways that Joyce felt comfortable in. Numbness had taken the place of her confusion. She didn't know why she saw him, why he was here, or why he had turned away from her gaze. Nothing made sense anymore, and in all honesty, it was giving her a headache.
Or maybe she had a headache from all the crying. She wiped her palm over her cheek to wipe the tears away that slowly and steadily flowed. She was in a servant's hallway, abandoned earlier in the night once the party had begun, she was sure. There were many such hallways at her grandmother's old estate in England. She would hide for hours there, avoiding the lectures and lessons.
A small bucket of dishwater sat still in the corner. She approached it, disturbed by the image of melted makeup and bloodshot eyes that was reflected back at her. Without thinking, she took a handful of the water and splashed her face, rubbing away the oily makeup. The soap in the water quickly cleaned her face, revealing a pale complexion that would've been pleasant despite the reddened eyes.
She sucked in a shaky sigh, her sobs beginning to subside for a moment. Wandering around to distract her mind seemed to be the only thing to do. She didn't want to think if she would take this opportunity to leave the crew of the Jewel, or if she actually preferred the pirate life to returning home to Jamaica without her future husband being there to greet her. There was nothing to look forward to anymore, she thought.
She reached for a random handle at the end of the servant's hall.
A large cloud of smoke emerged as she opened the door even wider to get a better look. The room was hazy, and hard to look into, but it was clear that it was a servant's entrance into a social parlor. There was a small buzz of men's voices. Once her eyes adjusted to the smokey air, she noted that there were probably 10 or 12 noblemen in the room. The voices slowly died down until everyone was looking at the disheveled woman who'd just walked in. "Oh!" She squeaked. "Pardon me! I must've gotten lost!" Hurriedly, she shut the door and began walking the other way down the servant's hall. She heard the door open behind her and she quickened her pace. She didn't want to be questioned or get mistaken for a servant and beaten. She'd seen enough of her grandmother's punishments for disobedient maids to know how that would turn out.
She heard footsteps behind her quicken and she broke out into a sprint, her eyes beginning to water in fear.
"Wait!" A man's voice shouted, but she could only hear her heart pounding.
"Wait, Joyce!"
Her feet felt like stone at the sound of her name, and her heart stopped for what felt like the thousandth time tonight. She turned around suddenly to see the man following her but lost her balance. She stepped back to catch herself but a devilish stray stool caught her ankle and she began to fall backward. Joyce prepared to land on her bottom, her heart leaping into her throat as her hand reached out to grab anything at all.
She felt a hand wrap around her wrist and swept her up before she met the ground.
Before she could catch a breath, she was caught up in Adrian's embrace. Tears began to flow freely, and a flood of emotions welled up in her chest.
"Joyce," he said softly, looking her up and down in disbelief.
Something took hold of her that felt foreign. Something that she'd never have done to Adrian before. She pushed with all her strength against his chest to break his embrace and slapped him firmly across his cheek.
"What in the hell are you doing here!?" She wailed.
Adrian stood there in disbelief, his hand hovering over his reddened cheek. His mouth was agape and his eyes wider than a dinner plate.
"What am I doing here? What are you doing here!" He shouted back at her, his chest now heaving as adrenaline pumped through his system. "You were dead!"
Joyce's lip quivered, and she flustered over her words.
"Well," she paused, trying to think of a response. "Well, I'm not!" A broken sob escaped her chest. She began to hyperventilate and she wrapped her arms around herself and fell to her knees, unable to stand the waves of emotions overcoming her.
As she cried a gentle hand touched her shoulder. When she didn't slap it away, Adrian knelt down with her and embraced her. His own slow tears fell into her perfumed hair.
Joyce didn't know how long they sat there, crying in each other's arms. Adrian finally spoke up, softer than a whisper, "What happened to you?"
Joyce was about to explain everything, from the day of the abduction to her weeks aboard the Jewel of Hades, but a clear voice interrupted them.
"Joyce," a woman said. It was soft but not timid. It held a tone of accusation in it, but also understanding.
Joyce looked up to see Cordelia whose eyes flew from Joyce to Adrian and back again. Her prim and proper look and a large powdered wig could not conceal the natural wild look in her eyes.
"Cordelia," Joyce stood like a child caught red-handed. "Cordelia I'm so sorry I didn't tell you before."
"Who is this man?" The protective side of Cordelia was rising, she slightly bared her teeth, staring Adrian down.
Joyce rushed to Cordelia. "It's okay. It's okay, this is Adrian. He's my…" she trailed off, not knowing if they were still engaged. Maybe when he signed up to be one of Maxine's suitors, he'd broken off his engagement with Joyce.
"Fiancé," he finished for her. He apprehensively approached Cordelia and offered her his hand to introduce himself, like the gentleman he was.
Cordelia did not take it. She stared at his hand, and then at him, he upper lip twitching. "I don't understand," she stated.
"Adrian and I met in England. We got engaged and planned on making a home in Jamaica. He crossed the Atlantic first, making sure everything was prepared before I made the journey," Joyce explained.
"But when the boat arrived in port," he started to trail off and took Joyce's hand. He looked at her like he was looking at a long lost love. "I thought she'd been killed by pirates- at least, that's what everyone on the boat said happened," Adrian turned his attention to Joyce, speaking to her instead of Cordelia. "Your father could not do anything for me, not without marrying you. It was his idea to have me marry another governor's daughter in order to provide for myself. He's been beside himself for weeks, but he treats me like the son he never had."
Seeing the looks shared between the two of them made Cordelia's stomach turn over. She'd seen that same shared look too many times, and though she was hardened by the sea, she still had a bit of a romantic left in her. Thank God, Jonas isn't here. He'd be a total sap with them, Cordelia thought, making herself smile imperceptibly.
"Joyce, go back to Jamaica."
Both Adrian and Joyce looked at Cordelia. "Not that you need my permission of course. We told you that you were free to go if it was your wish. I'd be disappointed, but I realize that this is what you were meant to find. I will miss you."
Joyce smiled, and before Cordelia could protest, she wrapped her arms around her in a large bear hug. A tense Cordelia succumbed and hugged her back.
"Oh!" Joyce stepped back. "Before I forget," she began rifling through the seams in her petticoat and pulled out one weapon after another, "I should give these back. As fun as they were, I don't think I'll need them anymore."
Cordelia, her arms now full of guns and shoving them into her already heavy skirt, chuckled to herself at Adrian's bewilderment. "Alright Adrian, you take care of our girl. I'd hate to have to shoot you."
Joyce laughed and took her paperwhite fiancé by the hand. One last hug and Cordelia turned and left, back to the ballroom.
The two of them were alone, finally together after so many months apart. It felt like a lifetime, but in reality, they had a lifetime to share together.
They made their way down numerous hallways, led by Adrian who had learned the layout during his stay. As they turned down the main foyer corridor, they heard the sound of bare feet running on the floor, walking behind them. Adrian didn't stop until Joyce came to a halt, looking behind her towards the noise.
"I have some business to finish with you!" Florence growled, echoing down the corridor.
"Florence, it's okay! Cordelia-"
Florence drew a gun from her side and pulled the hammer back, "Be quiet!" As she approached them, they noticed the matted hair and blood that had fallen down the side of her face. It was dried but still disconcerting.
"Your face, Florence, you need-"
"I said be quiet!" she snapped. She looked unhinged, unstable. Adrian, fearing that Joyce may try to reason again with this deranged woman, stepped between them blocking Joyce from her. "Get. Out. Of my way!" The sound of a gunshot rang out, echoing down the corridor for nobody, absolutely no one at all, to hear.
So this chapter was decently long compared to my other chapters! Hopefully, that makes up for my update times, and the fact that I couldn't squeeze in too many characters at one this chapter, due to needing to get some major bits of plot in!
There will be far more of everybody's characters in the next chapter, along with Jonas and the naughty naughty Governor Clarkson. Spoiler alert, this is gonna suck for Clarkson.
I hoped everyone liked this chapter!
Please review, it makes me feel warm and fuzzy when I write.