Will You Teach Me…?
The previous chapter did upset you a lot, so I suggest we have a small break and read a nice and sweet chapter. Phaedre's loss – just like all the other dramas – only tightened the ties between Bree and Bonnet. Her surrender is now complete and Bree will dive head first into her new life to forget the suffering and the mourning. And Stephen is right there to welcome her with open arms…
Thanks Rath101 and SirenWolf28 for the reviews!
Rath101: lololol you'll bloody riot, huh? Well, I guess we'll see about that. ahahahah For now, just enjoy how sweet Stephen and Bree's relationship has become. You'll have plenty of time to riot later. Pffft. Enjoy!
SirenWolf28: I really think that, even in canon, if he had somehow managed to kidnap Bree AND Jeremiah, he would have grown so fond of them over time that it would have made him a better man. I truly do. I know he's the big bad guy and all, but having the family he never had as a kid would have changed him. Sigh… But instead, we got Roger. (eyeroll)
oOo
28. All We Need Is An Island
November 20th, 1774.
An awful din woke Brianna up with a start, and it took her a few seconds to come to her senses and let her head fall back on the pillow, groaning. God only knew what was going on downstairs, but it sounded like a herd of elephants had just walked across the living room. Beside her, Stephen's half of the bed was unfortunately empty and as she couldn't snuggle up against him, she pulled the covers over her own body to keep it warm for a few more minutes.
Since Phaedre's tragic death a few weeks earlier, the general mood had been quite gloomy in River Run, as if everything and everyone moved in slow motion. Jeremiah got up and dressed without any enthusiasm, took twice as long as usual to eat his meals, and even his favorite games had lost their appeal. The tea and scones that Brianna once shared with her maid in the afternoon did not taste the same without a pleasant and friendly conversation. Even Hennessy seemed to miss seeing her in the corridors with Jeremiah clinging to her skirts. And strangely enough, Fitzpatrick – the cook – seemed utterly devastated, to the point that Brianna wondered whether he had a crush on his colleague.
Meanwhile, Stephen had embarked on a vendetta against the Catawbas, asking Tryon to send reinforcements and requiring help from the governors of Virginia and South Carolina, in order to arrest the Indians if they tried to cross a border. But he had not left the plantation once, as if he was scared of leaving his wife and son behind for more than a minute. Brianna was not complaining. She had seen nothing but vice and violence outside the walls of River Run, and Stephen's arms had become the only place where she felt truly safe. No Indian rebels, no perverted men, no wife-beating Governor, no slaughtered Regulators… all of that ceased to exist the moment she curled up against him in their bed, or when they made love in a desperate attempt to forget grief, if only for a few minutes.
Ten days after the attack, Stephen had offered to find a new maid, but Jeremiah had burst into tears and Brianna had flat-out refused. The very idea of letting a stranger into their lives, seeing her move into Phaedre's room, take her place and her job, was unbearable to her. Phaedre was irreplaceable and this simple statement had marked the end of the recruitment process before it had even started.
The sound of a falling crate echoed in the entrance hall — soon followed by Blue's nervous barking — and Brianna sighed in exasperation. God knew what she would find in a few hours if she did not intervene now. She might as well get up if she wanted to prevent any disaster… After a quick wash, she put on a simple dress, tied her hair with a ribbon and strode out of the masters' bedroom. Downstairs, Lloyd, Hennessy and other men were busy moving huge crates and trunks towards the wide-open door, and she frowned – wondering what was happening – when Stephen saw her from the living room and smiled broadly.
"Good mornin', darlin'… I hope we did not wake you up…?"
"Yes, you did…", she said, reaching the last step and staring at him warily. "What is going on? Are we moving?"
Stephen chuckled and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Not exactly... We're goin' off on a journey!" Then in a more serious tone, he added, "I thought that some time away from the house and all… the memories that go with it would do us good. To us and Jeremiah."
Brianna nodded. It was not a bad idea. "Where are we going?"
"That is actually… a surprise. You will know soon enough."
"A surprise?", the young woman repeated, analyzing Stephen's smug face. "Could it have anything to do with that land you sold last month?"
"Nothin' gets past you, huh…", he chuckled, "but you can try to worm the information out of me as much as you want: I'll never tell."
Brianna was about to protest but her husband's smile was so sincere that she decided to let him surprise her. "All right… When will I know about this mysterious destination, then?"
"In three days. We will travel today to New Bern, where a ship is waitin' for us and then… we will get there."
She squinted, and the more she closed her eyelids, the wider Stephen smiled. "So… it's less than a day away from New Bern by ship…"
"Enough, Brianna, my lips are sealed."
Bree craned her neck in response, and placed a kiss on the Irishman's mouth. The latter immediately kissed her back greedily, but the young woman recoiled with a mocking smile.
"Not that sealed, apparently…", she scoffed and Stephen snorted.
"Sir, now that Mrs. Bonnet is up, may I go and pack her trunk?", Hennessy asked from the staircase.
Brianna shook her head frantically. "Oh no, don't bother, I'll take care of it!"
"On your own, Mistress?", Hennessy exclaimed with a hint of disapproval, as if packing up her own belongings was a serious offence under the rules of propriety.
"Don't listen to that commoner, Mr. Hennessy, she has no manners", Stephen joked, motioning for him to go pack the trunk and taking Brianna's hand in his. "Come to the dinin' room instead; Jeremiah and I were about to have breakfast."
A few hours later, everyone had left River Run but two men in charge of maintaining the house in their absence. It took them two days to reach New Bern, at a slow pace so as not to wear out the heavily loaded horses, but also to allow the guards – including the now single brother O'Donnell – to walk along with them. But at the end of the journey – as Brianna dreamed of skipping dinner, taking a bath and laying down in a cozy bed – she had the displeasure to find out that they would not sleep at the inn when their vehicle entered Lord and Lady Tryon's gardens. She did not protest, however. Visiting the Governor wasn't high on her list of favorite obligations, but checking in on Margaret before they left seemed like a good reason to sacrifice some of her own peace of mind. Especially after their last meeting…
Tryon's greetings to Bree were icy as usual and he immediately ushered Stephen into the living room, while Margaret swooped down on her and Jeremiah with a beaming smile.
"Good evening, young man, and welcome… Please make yourself at home, and if you need anything, please come to me and I will get it for you, all right?", Margaret promised, ruffling the child's blond hair.
"Can I have a sword?", Jemmy asked immediately while sucking on his wubby.
"He's still in his knights phase…", Brianna apologized, leaning over to him. "Nice try, Jem…"
Margaret giggled and motioned for them to follow her. "Follow me, I'll show you your room. We have had a light and quick dinner prepared, and when you go to bed, a hot bath will be waiting for you there."
"Hallelujah", Brianna replied, causing her host to laugh. But as the two women, the child and his dog made their way to the bedrooms, a figure appeared in a dark hallway and watched them walk by, and Brianna recognized the graceful but treacherous face of Tryon's prostitute. She could not imagine what Margaret's daily life was like, having to live with a so-called "niece" and an abusive husband. A shiver ran down her spine as Margaret's words came back to her. She was sipping her drink, paying no attention to me whatsoever. I was screaming, I was begging... and she was just there… drinking her wine, as if... I didn't even exist.
Brianna unconsciously clenched her fist; the sight of that despicable schemer revolted her, and she squeezed harder until a small "ow" echoed in the entrance hall. Looking down, she put on a sorry face and apologized to her son, whose fingers she had just accidentally but mercilessly crushed. "Oh my God, Jemmy, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to!"
"It's fine", the child simply said with a shrug.
Margaret led them down a hallway and entered one of the bedrooms, which also contained an area to wash and dress, and another door leading to a smaller room where Jemmy could sleep. Brianna raved for a moment over the rich decor, the master paintings on the walls, the beautiful furniture and the imposing four-poster bed, then allowed Jeremiah to discover his own room with Blue.
"I wanted to say… that I am sorry for your loss, Brianna…", Margaret whispered and the young woman stiffened for a moment, then thanked her with a nod. Talking about Phaedre was still too painful. "I often met Miss Phaedre when I visited Jocasta. She was a lovely girl."
"Yes, she was…" Brianna felt her chin quiver and after making sure Jeremiah was not paying attention to them, she continued in a low voice, "She died because of me…"
Margaret frowned. "What do you mean? William told me they were attacked by the Catawbas…"
"I sent her to the fabric fair… She was supposed to pass the ledger on to someone who knows my mother…" Brianna's voice broke and she ran an angry hand over her cheeks, while Margaret had simply stopped breathing. "And now she's gone..."
Lady Tryon rushed to hug her and Brianna clung to the Governor's wife like ivy around a tree, trying not to cry too loudly. "Do not worry, Brianna, we'll find something else to do…"
The young woman shook her head, sniffing. "That's the problem, you see...? I don't want to fight anymore. I have no reason to fight anymore. But I had to lose my friend to understand it… I feel bad… I feel so, so bad…"
"Shhh….", Margaret said, stroking her hair. "You are not to blame for her death. No one could have imagined that the Catawbas were going to attack this specific cart on that specific day."
"If I had not sent her to the fair, she would have stayed home..."
"And if the Catawbas had eaten some bad meat the day before, they would have been too sick to attack anyone...", Margaret retorted before wiping one of Brianna's cheeks with her thumb. "Some things are much bigger than you or me. Do not blame yourself for the things you cannot control…"
Brianna nodded, keeping her thoughts to herself. Blaming myself is all I've been doing... Since day one...
"Mama, Mama, look! There's a horse in my room!", Jeremiah said excitedly and Brianna wiped away her tears before turning back to her son with far too much enthusiasm.
"A horse? How is that even possible?"
"It is my daughter's old rocking horse... I found it in the attic and thought that Jeremiah would love to play with it..."
Indeed, an old threadbare rocking horse stood in the middle of the room and Jeremiah climbed astride its back before rocking back and forth with a delighted smile. Brianna watched him for a moment, then turned back to their host.
"Thank you, Margaret…", she said, hoping Lady Tryon would understand that she was not just thanking her for the toy, and Margaret simply nodded in return. "I'm sorry I lost our evidence."
"Don't be. Giving you the ledger was an informed decision: I wanted you to make that choice. I have been living all my life with other people making decisions for me. I am forty-two years old now and even if I wanted to, I couldn't live otherwise... So please, do not worry about me." Brianna nodded sadly, and Margaret cracked a mischievous smile. "And also… Josiah is back from his journey, now."
Bree smiled back; she was glad to see that Margaret had found some comfort in another man's arms while her husband frolicked with a loose woman. "Are you not afraid that William will find out? Or anyone else for that matter?"
Margaret waved her hand dismissively. "I do not care about William. And if you fear that it might cause a scandal, well… I know enough about every great family in this Colony to dissuade them from gossiping about me. And especially the editor of our local newspaper: that man will never publish anything bad about me, you can be sure of that…"
Brianna laughed and stared at her with a hint of admiration. "Who knew you were such a fearsome foe…"
"Still waters run deep, Brianna…" Both women shared a knowing smile and Lady Tryon motioned for her to leave the room. "Come on, you must be starving."
On the ground floor, a magnificent table was waiting for them. Two massive chandeliers had been placed in the middle, surrounded by crockery emblazed with the Tryons' crest, plates with gold edges, and crystal glasses sparkling in the candlelight, so much so that Brianna was almost dazzled.
"We kept it simple, since you're probably exhausted by the journey...", Lady Tryon said, offering her a seat and Brianna stifled a laugh. They clearly did not have the same definition of simplicity.
As Brianna settled Jeremiah into his chair at the end of the table, their husbands and Miss Scott appeared. She's eating with us?, Brianna groaned internally as Miss Scott sat down to Jeremiah's right and Brianna to his left. With ice cold eyes, the young prostitute glared contemptuously at Jeremiah. The child frowned – unused to people showing him no affection at all – but remained silent. No sooner were they all seated than the footmen appeared with the first course and some wine, that they generously poured in every glass. Brianna motioned for Jeremiah to put his towel on his lap and Margaret swooned as he obeyed immediately. While the conversation was going well between both men, the atmosphere at the end of the table was quite different with Jane's presence literally electrifying the air.
Jeremiah – who wasn't a fan of pumpkin soup – kept glancing sideways at Miss Scott and when the woman finally noticed him, the child discreetly stuck his tongue out at her. Outraged by his insolence, Jane looked up at Brianna, who immediately turned her face toward Tryon, pretending to be fascinated by the shipping problems in North Atlantic and also congratulating herself for bringing into this world a child with such a sharp sixth sense.
But Jeremiah wasn't exactly done with the unwanted guest and after wolfing down most of the main course (rabbit fillets and vegetables), he decided to discreetly get rid of his peas by flicking them at her. The first pea landed in her plate, the second rolled over to her glass, and Brianna only needed a quick glance at Jane's cheeks to realize they were slowly but surely turning crimson. The third pea was the straw that broke the camel's back, and raising her chin high, Miss Scott turned to Bree.
"Could you ask him to stop?", she whispered, emphasizing the last word.
Brianna raised her eyebrows. "Stop what ?"
Jane took a slow, deep breath. Despite her status as Lord Tryon's "favorite", she had no more power than a morning mist and she knew it. And it just made her… mad with rage. She still managed to restrain herself and with a fake smile, she pointed her index finger at the peas on the table.
"Oh, that… Wait, let me think…" Brianna grabbed her glass of wine, squinted as if she was thinking intently, took a long sip and gulped it down, reveling in the whore's anger. "Hmmm…. Nope", she blurted out, raising her glass as if to give a toast and winking outrageously at Jemmy.
"She did not say please…", Jeremiah whispered to his mother, who nodded in approval. A few seats away, Margaret was pretending to listen to the men's conversation, but Brianna knew she had not missed one bit of the scene: the corners of her mouth were struggling to go back to a normal angle and she soon hid them behind her glass of wine.
"…can't go on like this anymore. The Catawbas have been killin', lootin' and maimin' with complete impunity for far too long. And the damage to the trade business goes well beyond a few attacked convoys: messengers, carriers, some of them now categorically refuse to venture to Cross Creek by the central roads and are forced to take paths on the outskirts of the Colony. Or they don't even deliver at all… The resultin' delays and shortfalls are colossal", Stephen mumbled on Brianna's left, waving his fork threateningly.
Tryon nodded slowly, but instead of answering his partner, his eyes went to Brianna, who was smiling and talking quietly with Jeremiah.
"I bet you are not so quick to defend the savages now that they attacked your house staff, Mrs. Bonnet…"
Bree stiffened, taken aback by his question, but Stephen's hand immediately came to rest on her thigh. Not to dissuade her from losing her temper like she used to, but in a gentler way, as if he knew how sensitive the subject still was to her.
"I do not blame the Catawbas for the death of Phaedre and James O'Donnell, Lord Tryon." I know very well how to take all the credit for that..., she added bitterly in her mind. "They are just doing what every human being does in this world: they try to survive."
Tryon chuckled sarcastically. "I'm also trying to survive, but I'm not killing anyone in the process."
"Anyone? Is that how you call the Regulators?", she scoffed, and this time Stephen's hand squeezed a tad harder.
"In case you forgot, we were at war with those people…" Tryon was losing patience. It was incredible how much they got on each other's nerves, to the point that the slightest exchange of words got out of hand in less than two minutes… "But the difference is probably too complicated for your feminine intellect."
"Or maybe your masculine intellect does not allow you to solve conflicts other than through violence..."
"Oh, dessert's here!", Margaret exclaimed with a hint of relief, while Brianna and William glared at each other the whole time it took the footmen to serve them some apple meringue.
At the end of the meal, Stephen thanked their hosts, announcing that they were going to bed and get some rest. Brianna tucked Jeremiah in, and when she returned to their bedroom, Stephen was already taking off his clothes to take a bath and gave her a wry look that spoke volumes.
"Yeah, I know…", Brianna muttered dryly.
"I didn't say anythin', darlin'…"
"I can't help it. He gets on my nerves. No… he's downright insufferable. I hate his opinions, I hate his face, I hate his whore-"
Stephen's hands grabbed her waist and he smirked, pulling her against his body. "At the risk of repetition, Brianna…I didn't say anythin'."
The young woman frowned amusedly as he stripped her naked. "You're not mad that I disrespect the Governor? Your partner…? Your best friend in the whole world?"
Stephen snorted and let out a theatrical sigh as Brianna's skirt fell to the floor around her feet. "I should be mad... but I've always loved the fact that Lord Tryon annoys you more than I do..."
"You were not too far behind, don't worry…"
"Were?", he asked, surprised to hear her use the past tense. "Now that's encouragin'..."
Slowly, he took possession of her lips and Brianna immediately wrapped her arms around his neck. Before letting out a shrill cry when Stephen lifted her up to carry her to the tub. Stephen entered the warm water first, and Brianna joined him, snuggling up comfortably against her husband's chest and her head resting on his shoulder. They remained like that for a few minutes – simply enjoying the soothing effect of the hot water on their stiff muscles after two days spent in a cart – until Brianna spoke again.
"You really don't want to tell me where we're going tomorrow?"
Stephen, who was absentmindedly playing with Bree's breasts at water level, chuckled and turned his head to kiss her temple. "I was considerin' tellin' you tonight, but you've been a very naughty girl with our Governor, so..."
And under the Irishman's mocking gaze, Brianna sagged into the water up to her neck with a disappointed grunt.
~o~
The morning of November 23rd was extremely cold for the season, and Brianna had to wrap Jeremiah up in several layers of wool before boarding a small schooner that was waiting for them in the harbor. Once all their belongings were in the holds, the ship left the docks at a slow pace before setting all her sails to pick up speed, leave the Neuse River and enter Pamlico Bay. Leaning against the railing – snugly bundled up in her coat, with fur around the hood and wrists – Brianna couldn't help but think back to the last time she had traveled by ship to Wilmington in order to find her parents.
She had left her era a single woman, at barely twenty-one years old, dreaming about all the adventures ahead and her encounter with Jamie. And today, she was celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday, married to an Irish pirate and mother of a little boy. A little boy who was currently in his father's arms, while the latter explained to him in detail what each part of the ship was and what it was used for. Jeremiah was hanging on to his every word and Brianna couldn't help but smile at them, which did not go unnoticed. But Stephen had (recently) learned to be humbler in triumph, and he just smiled back as he proceeded with this improvised sailing lesson.
About five hours went by until a distant strip of land – studded with large houses – appeared several miles away and Brianna searched her memory for what it might be. But her knowledge of the geography of North Carolina and the many islands that dotted its territorial waters was limited. Fortunately, Stephen snuggled up against her back at that very moment and she decided to ask for his insights.
"What is that island over there?"
The pirate rested his head on her shoulder. "That one? That's um… Ocracoke."
"Oh…"
Silence fell over the pair, but a brief glance at Stephen's smug face was enough for Brianna to understand.
"Is it where we are going?" Stephen's smile widened and Brianna spun around. "It is, isn't it?!"
But Stephen just grabbed her by the shoulders, swung her around again toward the approaching island, and pointed at the farthest house at the end.
"And more precisely there. Happy birthday, mo fíorghrá", he whispered in her ear.
Bree's mouth dropped open. First because she was convinced that he had not memorized the date, second because they had agreed to celebrate Jemmy's birthday only. And third...
"You bought me a house?"
"Let's say it makes up for all the birthdays that I missed. Don't get your hopes up for next year, though. You'll just get a bag of potatoes", he joked as she hugged him.
"But when I asked you if we were moving, you said no…"
"It's not permanent... Think of it as a second home; a nice place by the sea, where we can go whenever we want and stay as long as we want to..."
Brianna turned around again to cling to the railing and better admire the large building, by the sand and the crashing waves. It was a white three-story house, with high lattice windows overlooking the bay and the mouth of the Neuse River. "Jeremiah will love it…"
"And he won't be the only one..." Stephen's slightly gloomy tone made her turn around again and she gave him a questioning look. "Living as a noble man in River Run... isn't as excitin' as I thought it would be before I married you. I'm not talkin' about our family, of course. I love our life together and it fills me with joy every single day…", he hastened to add in case Brianna took it as criticism. "But these last few months, I felt the need to return to sea, to be free again… Escape Tryon and my duties… But the ocean is not safe for you and Jeremiah, so I started lookin' for somethin' in-between."
"A house… in the ocean", Bree whispered.
He nodded against her cheek. "When I visited this one at the end of my escort mission in October, I felt free. Much freer than I had been in a long time."
"What happened to the owners?"
"I slit their throats and buried 'em in the sand, right there…", he replied, tongue-in-cheek.
"You're hilarious."
"It belonged to an elderly couple. The old man died and his wife wanted to sell and go back to London."
"That's better", Brianna sighed and Stephen chuckled into the crook of her neck.
"There was a time when you would have believed me…", he said, faking disappointment.
"There was a time when you would have murdered them for real."
Stephen raised his eyebrows and nodded, getting caught up in her little game. "There was a time when I wasn't your husband yet."
Brianna lifted her chin, proud to be given all the credit for the drastic change in Stephen's personality. "Good answer."
And to reward him for this compliment, she kissed him passionately.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
As you guessed it and for the next few chapters, the action will now take place in Ocracoke but also in other places... and we'll get to know some new characters!
What did you think of this chapter? The dynamic between Brianna and Stephen has completely changed. There is peace and a real need to discover each other as a couple. Will it last? Only time will tell, haha.
I know I said I would publish one chapter per week but I forgot that I will be on vacation next Sunday, so exceptionally chapter 29 will be published on May 14th!
Until then, I look forward to reading your comments and I wish you a great couple of weeks!
Xérès