Many thanks to willabeth0906, Telcontar Rulz, and AKA Parfait for your awesome reviews!!
Chapter 9: Nassau
Mariel Woods' mind flew from one subject to another as she entered her family's small but well cared for barn. Cassy, their sturdy, mild tempered milk cow was waiting, as always, in a tiny stall in the rear of the shelter.
Her fingertips skimmed the wooden planks 'round the room while a light tune flew from her lips softly. A bucket dangled from her free hand.
The barn door clattered shut and she pulled open the gate to Cassy's stall open only to freeze at the dark red stains spilling over the clean straw.
Startled out of her song, she dropped her bucket, dark brown eyes darting across the clear space save for Cassy's bulk.
Her heart stopped beating when she saw… "Elaine! Celia!"
The door was pulled open and a slender, dark haired girl of eighteen entered. "Mariel! Shh! Mother isn't getting any better with your yelling."
"Elaine, I'm sorry but-"
The two sisters froze at the sight before them.
"Elaine, Mariel, where did you put the-oh." The newest girl had curly almost black hair and the same golden red highlights as her sisters. The freckles on her nose puckered as she frowned. "How did that get here?"
"Celia, that isn't a thing. It's a human being." Elaine knelt and timidly stared at the man lying crumpled in the hay, blood soaking the ground around him.
"It's a redcoat." Mariel joined her sister on the floor.
"He's hurt." Celia added, noticing the growing discoloration in the man's already pale face.
Elaine, being one of the more rational girls in the world, began handing out soft but firm instructions. Her mother's almost constant illness had given them all knowledge of healing herbs and other such things. "Mariel, get me some warm water and Mama's smelling salts. Celia, fetch the clean rolls of cotton under the cabinet in the parlor."
As the two younger sisters ran to complete their tasks, Elaine started to further inspect the man's wound. It was a round puncture injury far to the right on the redcoat's abdomen, likely from a bullet. There was an entrance and exit wound leaving no lead for her to fish out, an unpleasant task to say the least. The wound was not infected, miraculously, and it was not deep.
Celia and Mariel darted in the barn, faces flushed and breathless. "Here, Elaine. I brought some broth for when he wakes up as well." Celia handed her sister the rolls of fluffy white cotton and a small container of warm broth.
Mariel held a teapot of steaming water and a tiny vial. "Shall we wake him now or later?"
"Later." Elaine brushed back her long, dark brown hair. "No one should have to be awake while their wound is cleaned. It would be heartless to put them through such pain." With that she lifted a swab of cloth, dipped it in the warm water, and gently dabbed the injury.
The world was dark and strangely comforting. Stars twinkled brightly above him and the sweet scent of grass filled the air.
Will eased himself up on his elbows and watched, mesmerized, as a young girl of seven or eight mounted the crest of the hill.
She had waist length honey blond hair that glowed as the moon beams stroked it. Large sapphire eyes set in a round face and framed by dark eyelashes stared back him curiously. "What are you doing here, sir?" Her voice was quiet and trilled slightly, reminding him of a songbird back in England.
"I don't know," was the truthful reply.
"Don't you remember?"
"No," Will shook his head, "no, I don't."
The girl laughed. "Silly boy, you left your family. Your wife, Elizabeth, isn't it? And a child?" her voice was no longer caring but harsh and mocking. "What a husband you make! The Governor was foolish to believe that you could care for her!"
"No, that isn't true! I did all I could for her!"
She giggled again, "Oh, but you didn't. If you really did care for her you would have died back at the gallows with Captain Sparrow. If it wasn't for you she would never have known poverty, nor the heartache of a husband who has left her."
"No!" Will snapped emphatically. "You are a lying!"
"Poor William." She crowed. "Poor Elizabeth! Poor child! It's too late now."
"No!" The world shimmered horribly then vanished without a sound.
Elizabeth felt the gentle rocking of the ship slow considerably and slowly raised herself up from the bed. What on earth?
The door clicked open softly. "Mrs. Turner? We've arrived at Nassau."
"Oh. Thank you." She kept her voice calm but inside she was raging. Nassau! Now Will was even farther away!
"I was wondering…" Mrs. Blanchard entered, eyes reflecting curiosity. "I know we not landed in the port you wished as you had already passed Nassau…but I also know that a woman of your condition should not be traveling."
"Mrs. Blanchard-"
"Please call me Emma."
"Emma, I cannot stay here. Surely you must understand that as well."
"I do. But, my dear, you cannot be suggesting that you would risk another storm. Think of the child."
"I am. This child needs a father. And I intend to find that father."
Emma fidgeted slightly. "Elizabeth, I am away of how you feel. I, too, am expecting a child." She paused, obviously unsure of how to proceed. "Please, stay with my husband and I. My father-in-law resides with us but he would not mind in the least. I daresay we have the room and the funds to provide for you most adequately."
Elizabeth's hands stroked her belly, feeling the life stretch its tiny muscles and bat at her womb.
Will always loved the way this child moved, diving this way than that even in the early waking hours when all Elizabeth wanted to do was sleep. He said it showed a healthy amount of curiosity. Will… Her eyes burned at the mention of his name. "I-I can't."
The dark haired woman leaned back on a bureau, looking sadly resigned. "There is nothing I can say to change your mind?"
"I'm sorry, no."
"But you will stay with us until you can locate a ship to find your husband, won't you?" Emma smoothed out her skirts agitatedly. "I want to help you, Elizabeth, please."
Elizabeth thought for a lengthy moment. "Alright."
"Elizabeth, no, no, please, no."
Elaine forced down her worries and tried to comfort the redcoat thrashing before her. "Sir, it was just a dream. Please, lie still. You will re-open the wound."
"Elaine?" Mariel held one of the man's arms and was endeavoring to hold him still. "Are you sure we shouldn't try the smelling salts yet?"
Celia, who was on the man's other side, voiced her agreement. "I don't think we can hold him down much longer."
"Alright, alright." Elaine sighed and reached for the vial only to find it missing. "Mariel? Where did you put them?"
"Right there." The sixteen-year-old gestured with her head to a cleared patch on the floor.
"They aren't here now."
"What?" Mariel almost loosed her hold on the redcoat's shoulder but Celia's sudden cry of surprise at being the single thing holding him down brought her back to her senses.
"Don't panic, we'll find it. Now think to where you put it last."
"Right there! I promise!"
"No! Don't!" The man cried out and struggled even harder in the girls' grip. "Please!"
"Elaine, find that vial, now!" Celia hissed. "If he continues to yell like this mother will wake!"
"No! Get away from her!" The redcoat surged forward again, nearly prying free from Celia and Mariel.
"That's it!" Mariel let go, snatched the teapot of water, now cold, and dumped the remaining liquid over the soldier's face.
Blood-shot eyes snapped open and the soldier's dark irises darted across the barn, never resting on one thing for more than a millisecond. Chest heaving, he finally looked at the three girls gazing back at him. "Where am I?" he gasped.
"Four miles outside Boston." Elaine laid a hand on his shoulder and gingerly pressed him back into the straw. "You've been shot in the side. You must lay still for it to heal."
The soldier, however, continued to resist them. His eyes were glazed over in fever and a fresh sheen of sweat spread over his bruised forehead. "No! Stop! Let her go!"
Mariel huffed, being the most impatient of the sisters, and grabbed the man's hands, holding them only for a moment but long enough for her to win his attention. "Sir! We aren't trying to hurt you! We only want to help!"
Still panting, he collapsed against the hay and went motionless save for the rise and fall of his chest indicating deep breathing. "Who are you?" he croaked after a lengthy pause.
"I am Elaine, these are my sisters, Mariel and Celia. We found you in our barn this morning."
"T-thank you."
"Lucienne! Lucienne Woods!" A shrill voice reverberated across the barnyard outside.
Celia groaned at the sound. "Mrs. Hickens."
"Mariel, you go and see what she wants this time." Elaine felt suddenly very tired and stretched thin over too many duties. "Do not wake mother for any reason."
"Me? I talked with her last time."
"Celia?" Elaine looked to the youngest.
"But-"
"Celia…"
"Fine, but you owe me." Celia stood and vanished outside.
There was a syrupy greeting then a quiet conversation until a pair of heavy footsteps receded and Celia re-entered the barn.
"Oh, that hateful woman."
"What did she want?" Elaine asked.
Celia plopped down into the straw. "She wanted to wake mother simply to tell her that Mrs. Johnson had her baby."
"Well, that's good news."
"But to wake mother?! Everyone in town knows how ill she is!"
"I'm sure she meant well."
The trio gazed back at the young soldier to see that he lay sound asleep. Not unconscious as before but a deep dreamless sleep.
"Should we wake him?" Mariel inquired softly.
"No, let him rest." Elaine gathered up the supplies. "Celia, fetch a blanket from the left cabinet in the spare bedroom and bring it out here for our guest."
TBC...