XLVI.
Sailing for Home

They had a small crew, a skeleton crew, made up of only the men who wished to return to England and quit these waters for good. Mary oversaw the ship's preparation to leave port while Edward got Jenny something to eat and gave her a tour of the ship. Soon he was by the wheel and Mary climbed the steps to take her place as Quartermaster. Jenny's sharp blue eyes spotted her quickly though, flashing with interest.

"Father, who is this?" The young girl asked curiously.

"This is my Quartermaster, Mary Read"

"A woman sailor?" The girl's eyes brightened and she hurried to stand before Mary. "It's a pleasure to meet you! I'm Jennifer Scott Kenway!" Her voice was high and excited. Mary couldn't help herself and she smiled, letting out a gentle laugh.

"I know who you are. I'm good friends with you Pa" She placed her hands on her hips and glanced in Edward's direction. Edward smiled at her and then she directed her eyes back to young Jenny.

"Are you coming back to Bristol with us?" Jenny persisted.

"I suppose so." She wasn't sure what she was doing exactly though. Not yet at least.

"When did you learn to sail?" Her questions were quickly sad and Mary answered them just as quickly, sensing an intelligence in the girl. Caroline had probably been a smart woman and Edward was intelligent too. This young girl was probably as curious as kitten with parentage like that.

"When I was twelve or thirteen"

"Do you know how to fight too?"

"Every sailor needs to know how to fight"

"Could you beat Father in a fight?"

"Probably"

"Have you ever seen a shark?"

"A few."

"Has one ever bit you?"

"No, I wouldn't like it much if one did, I'm sure"

"Are you a better sailor than father?"

"Hey now, wouldn't you like to get underway, Jenny?" Edward called. Mary grinned at him and he narrowed his eyes in a playful way. She supposed it was that comment about her being a better fighter than him. She had more experience but that didn't mean that she was better than him.

"Oh yes! Let's go!" Jenny turned back to her father.

Mary finally stood at Edward's side and Jenny sat on some crates on the other and they pulled out of port. Jenny was clearly very excited. She watched the water and the sky with a look of adventure on her face. A look of innocence. Mary missed those times for herself and she prayed Edward was able to give this girl a good life. She knew he'd do everything in his power to make sure her life was perfect though. Edward was a good man and he would be a good father too.

They sailed some time, silent in their own minds until Jenny finally spoke up once more. "Father…did you always know how to sail a boat?"

"The Jackdaw is a ship, Jenny. Not a boat" Edward told her. She gave an annoyed sigh.

"But did you always know?"

"No." He replied and then he sighed. "No…I learned after leaving Bristol"

"After you left mother?"

Mary saw Edward wince and she grimaced. The girl's questions were innocent, she wasn't jabbing but that had hurt. She could see the pain on Edward's features, but he smoothed them out quickly, not wanting to alert his daughter.

"Well, I didn't leave your…" He started and then he glanced at Mary. She gave him a sympatric look. "I didn't leave without saying goodbye that is. It was an arrangement you see? Between your mother and me" Better than telling her that he had made some very powerful enemies she supposed. Much better than telling her that he had been threatened out of his own home.

"She said you left her" Jenny got up and began to pace. "She said you always talked about sailing a boat and making money in the New World"

"I did always want to sail a ship, that's true. But not for lark. To support us…to take care of her…and you"

"Not me. Mother said you didn't know about me. She said you only wrote once a year and that she never knew where to find you" Mary winced this time. She was a child and she was only parroting what she had heard and learned in her short life. Her honesty was cutting though and Mary saw the lines on Edward's face grow deeper.

"That's all true" He admitted and not without pain. "And…I'm sorry for that. If I had known earlier…I don't know. I might have come home, I hope that I would have."

"Well…you were busy. That's what I think" It would have been better, Mary thought, if Jenny had been mad. Anger was something Edward knew how to deal with but her voice was calm and accepting. That of a child who had missed the father she never knew but made excuses for him in her head, wishing to meet him someday.

"I was. But…that wouldn't have mattered"

Then Jenny fell silent again for a time but when she spoke again, she was speaking to Mary.

"Have you known Father long, Miss Read?"

"You can call me Mary." She told her first. "And yes. Eight or nine years now I've known him"

"How did you meet?"

"We met in a little a little…fishing village" She said gently. They met in Nassau of course. "We knew some of the same people" Hornigold and Thatch that was. Edward had been sailing with Thatch at the time and Mary had been going for a drink. Edward slammed into her, spilling his rum all over her. She had given him a good knock to the face but before a true fight could break out, Thatch pulled them apart and made introductions.

"It must be hard…I heard woman shouldn't sail. I heard some men don't even like women on boats" Jenny said, a picture of innocence.

"Oh, I never had trouble with any men." Mary chuckled.

"And why's that?"

"Because Mary is a better sailor than most men could ever hope to be." It was Edward's turn to chuckle. It was him who said that too and she could help but roll her eyes at him a little.

"So she is a better sailor than you!" Jenny teased. She was sitting on the deck behind the two of them now, enjoying the breeze. "Father, can I steer you boat?"

"Boat?" Edward questioned. "I see no boat here, do you?"

"Ugh. I mean ship, obviously. I don't see the difference anyway"

"Ah! It's a very simple one, Jenny" Mary saw Jenny rolling her eyes, but she was smiling. It was good to see her and Edward bonding already. "A ship can carry a boat but a boat cannot carry a ship"

Jenny rose again, walking along the deck behind him. "Well then everything is a ship, large and small, except for my toy boat. The one I take into the bath with me"

"That's a clever way of seeing it" Edward was smiling.

"Mary" It was Jenny's voice again, calling to her. She turned to face the young girl who was just behind her."Was my father a good man here?"

Mary glanced at Edward and then turned to look at Jenny again. "Not always. He was mostly a pain for the lot that I knew him… but he's grown." Jenny looked confused and then Mary leaned forward a little and gave her a loud whisper that Edward could clearly hear, "Men stay children longer than us women. Takes them longer to grow up!"

Jenny giggled at that, her face brightening. They all spoke of different things a little longer. Edward got to know his estranged daughter and sometimes Jenny asked Mary questions – about herself, about her relationship with Edward, about sailing. She tried to answer honestly, as she didn't want to lie to the girl, but she also didn't want to scare her with the truth. So she supposed she told a lot of half-truths that day.

The conversation moved onto talk about Caroline. Mary heard Edward's pain as he spoke of his late wife. Jenny almost seemed confused, conflicted, about speaking about her mother. She just seemed happy that Edward was there for her now. Edward sighed to himself and Mary had a feeling he was trying to set aside his pain before Jenny caught whiff of it.

"Tell you what, Jenny. As soon as these winds die a little bit, I'll let you steer the Jackdaw. One little trick at the helm before sundown" Edward offered and the young girl cheered. Just then Mary saw some whales breeching and she pointed it out to the young girl. She took her to the edge of the ship and held her up so she could watch them and get hit by some of the ocean spray.

Another whale breached and came so close to the ship it actually rocked it, making her face brighten once again. Mary held her steady though, letting her look out over the water. Jenny asked all sorts of questions then, about whales, some more about sharks. She pestered Edward and Mary up and down about sea life, living on a ship, the West Indies themselves. She asked her father if he had ever seen a wild cat. He had and he said he hunted them by hand as well. Mary knew he was still trying to up hand her for that fighting comment.

The winds died down a bit after about another hour and sunset was quickly approaching so he pulled Jenny over to the wheel and got her a box to stand on. He showed her where to place her hands and let her steer the ship in the open water. She looked out over the wheel in delight. She steered for about a quarter of an hour before Edward told her it was time for her to eat dinner and get ready for bed after that. Mary took the wheel from her.

"You really are a sailor!" She heard the young girl gasp.

"Aye. And yes, I really am a better one than your father"

"And then why are you the Quartermaster and I the Captain?" Edward scoffed.

"Haven't raised my munity yet" She winked at him to let him know she was kidding. He laughed heading down the stairs with his daughter. She saw them disappear below the hatch and she relaxed a little, her shoulders sagging. There wasn't much sailing to be done, considering they were in open water. Worst she had to be on the lookout for was shallows and reefs. As the waters got colder, reefs would be less and less of a problem.

The wind ruffled her hair and as she stood there, feeling comfortable in her boots and trousers, she realized that if she returned to England, that wouldn't be an option for her anymore. Society would demand she wore skirts, like a proper woman should. She could always dress as a man again and well…actually that seemed like a good idea. It seemed like a comfortable idea. She could work with the Assassins and…

Was that the life she wanted? She was in her thirtieth decade and she was still working with the Assassins. It was time she lay down her blade for a time, have children, have a family, get married. That didn't appeal to her though. She didn't want to live a boring life, a domesticated life. She was a pirate! …Was. She was just a sailor now, an Assassin sailor, but no longer a pirate. She hung up that mantle the moment she boarded this ship with Edward and Jenny.

She was so lost in thought she almost didn't see Edward walking up to the upper deck once more. He went to take the wheel from her but she didn't give it up.

"Where do you have her sleeping?" She asked.

"The Quartermaster's quarters. I didn't think you would mind." He stood off to the side, waiting for her to move. When she didn't yet, he gave her a look she ignored. "We should dock soon for the night."

"Out here in open water?"

"We're well out of pirate territory"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Give me the wheel, Mary." She let go and let him take hold of it. They didn't sail much further before he called for a full stop. "Let's go to bed"

"Is it really okay for me to be sleeping in the same bed as you with your daughter on the ship?" She asked. He paused, apparently thinking about it.

"I want you there though" He sounded rather childish saying that. She had to admit she rather not be anywhere else though. She knew she should tell him that she wanted her own room but…truth be told, she slept better when she was sleeping next to Edward. He brought her comfort and peace. He waited for her to give him an answer and she thought about it another moment.

"Fine. I guess, fine"

He grinned. "You just can't tell me no"

"Get your arse out of my way before I kick it!" She smacked his arm, playfully batting him out of her way. He purposefully stepped in her way and grabbed her about her waist. "Let me go, you old scratch!"

He smiled brightly at her but it softened a little, a pained look coming over his features. She placed her fingers on his cheek, gently comforting him. "I understand now." His words were soft as well.

"Understand?"

"How you can love James so, though he's been long gone from the world" He told her. He paused and she saw the pain in his blue eyes. "Does it…does it ever get any easier?"

"It does if you don't close your heart to everyone around you." She brushed his hair out of his face. "Just remember that there are people who love you and who will help you. There will always be an ache in your heart but…"

"But it helps you remember them?"

"It helps you remember that love can be painful. But it's worth it."

"Is it?" But she could tell he was kidding.

"I think so" she patted his cheek. "Now, let's get to bed. We're up at first light"

"Yes, mum" He rolled his eyes and she leaned up to kiss his cheek. Then she untangled herself from his arms and headed towards the hatch. Most of the men had already disappeared below deck. There were a few lookouts left but they would trade off throughout the night. She stopped and looked back at Edward where he stood, looking the way they had come.

"Edward?" He turned to her.

"We can't go back anymore"

"Aye." She agreed.

"There comes a point when all you can do is move forward." He put his hands on his hips and nodded. "But, I have one more score to settle before then" His voice grew dark and she looked at him a long moment. Even from where she stood, she saw the anger glinting in his eyes.

"One more score?"

"One last thing. I swear, Mary. There are people who have to pay" And he walked down the stairs and opened the hatch. He didn't look at her but she heard his words, dark and cold. "And they will pay in blood"