While Jack was out talking with Will and sailing back to Flimwell, Elizabeth and Agatha were settling in at Captain Teague's house. Elizabeth was still easily tired, and Teague was delighted to have a new audience for his stories, so he and Agatha spent a great deal of time together. They very soon became friends, especially after Agatha broke the ice with him their first evening there.

Elizabeth had gone up to bed, with Jacob, shortly after supper. This left Teague and Agatha in the sitting room by themselves for much of the evening. Agatha asked him about the Pirata Codex, and how he became Keeper of it. It was a long story, but he alternated it with short riffs on his guitar, using the strings like punctuation. Agatha liked it, liked his wild looks that contrasted so much with his dry manners, his low, rough voice, and his obvious skill with the guitar.

He reached the end of the story and the song at the same time, and sat for a moment in silence while the echoes faded.

Agatha had been wondering something ever since Elizabeth had told them about her wedding earlier that day. "Captain Teague, do you mind if I ask you something about the Code?"

He moved his head in an invitation.

"Can you tell me what it says about pirate matrimony?"

Teague raised his eyebrows. He leaned back, stretching his legs out in front of him, and looked Agatha all over. He took his time, letting his gaze drop from her eyes slowly down the front of her body, lingering on her décolletage, then moving all the way down to her feet, and then slowly back up, giving her a lazy smile in response to the outrage on her face.

"I might not be adverse to the idea, darling, but let's get to know each other a little better first, eh?"

At her shocked squeak of dismay, he let out a low laugh. "Relax, ma'am, I'm only jesting with ye."

Agatha exhaled audibly in irritation. "I can see where your son gets it from," she told Teague.

"What's that, ma'am? Besides his dashing good looks?"

"He's an indefatigable flirt!"

"Just shows his good taste, ma'am. Which, between you and me, has been fairly abysmal up till now, so you can't expect me to scold him for charming a couple of ladies who are actually worth his time for a change."

Agatha blinked a couple of times. She was fairly sure Teague was hinting at something there, but she shook her head and let it go. "What about the pirate matrimony?"

"When pirates marry, it's pretty much the same as when anyone else does. There's nothing in the Code about it, if that's what you're asking."

"So... publish the banns, Book of Common Prayer, the usual sort of wedding ceremony?"

"Aye."

"Who can perform a wedding? A ship's captain, of course—but what if he's not on his own ship?"

"Nay, ma'am, no more than he could perform it on land. He'd have to be on the deck of his own ship for it to be valid."

"And what about the license?"

"Has to be signed by the captain, bride, and groom, and filed with the Registrar in the bride's home town. Just like any other."

Teague started to pick out a new song on his guitar while Agatha processed this information.

"Elizabeth said the captain didn't go through the whole ceremony and they ended up making their own vows to each other. No papers got signed or filed." Agatha recounted each thing aloud in disbelief.

Teague added, "Aye, and Barbossa is a dirty thief. He'd stolen my Jacky's ship from 'im. He wasn't captain of the Black Pearl when he wedded them."

After several minutes, Agatha cleared her throat and asked, "You—you mean to tell me my niece's marriage is not valid?"

Teague shrugged. "I'm sure it is to them, ma'am. Miss Elizabeth ain't a strumpet or a doxy. She's a respectable girl—she's just not concerned with details overmuch."

"Yes, but such details as filing a marriage license—!" Agatha was dismayed.

"We could send word to Port Royale, to make sure," Teague suggested.

"Yes, I think we ought!" Agatha agreed.

They did not talk for some time while Teague played quietly. Agatha finally shook her head. "I won't tell her. Not yet."

"Pity her husband's gone so long," Teague said innocently.

Agatha agreed. "Ten years is a long time to be alone." She paused and then carefully added, "Your son has been a good friend to her."

"Aye, and he respects her," Teague agreed. He played a few more bars. "An' he likes the little one, too," he added.

"She speaks quite highly of him. And often," Agatha said.

He played for several more beats, at the end of which he looked up and met Agatha's sharp-eyed gaze with perfect understanding.

They both smiled.