P&P FF

"Captain's Concession: A Bennet's Destiny"

Previously:

"Well, I can say one thing for certain… McBean would never suspect that place." His smile then faded. "I just hope it doesn't come to that. The journey there would be perilous. And I'm not sure ye could persuade Margaret to cooperate."

Christmas

CH. 25

Emil had been a man of the sea for so long he could not fault his sister for what she had said upon first seeing him walk through her door. 'I'll give you a month.' Her brother now stood by one of the parlor windows overlooking one of their pastures. It had been more than a month, but he certainly had not come home every night as had already bene proven. Also, with the highlands not working out, and Mary urging Emil to ignore any of the neighbor's sheep, he had instead been busy with Roger, the docks, and fishing closer to the shorelines. However, it felt good to be home now since there was a beam pulling him home after a spell on any water route.

His gaze now swept over a delicate dusting of snow, which seemed to capture the gentle movement of the ocean's waves. Indeed, everything called to hm as would a Siren admist the sea, striving to lure him away from the safety of his inland hearth. This bothered him, yet not out of any concern for his own well-being. What perils lay beyond for him, or even more distressing, for Mary? And why was he beginning to sense that perhaps it was not only Mary who possessed the gift of foresight?

"Everyone's allowed ta get their own warnin's."

"What…" Emil turned to see Mary standing next to him.

"Ye don't have ta have my gift ta get warnin's."

"I didn't realize I had spoken out loud."

"Ye didn't, I saw it in yer eyes. I felt it too." Mary interlocked her fingers with his. "Yer face and eyes are as deep as de ocean; ye aren't accustomed ta all this stillness. And it must appear ta ye as death in winter compared ta yer temperamental, treacherous, sea mistress."

"Maybe, that is why de good Lord made it, so I was de one ta find out about yer father's debt before Roger did; He knew I needed someone whose lantern shone bright enough ta pull me off de sea and keep me from hittin' any shoreline rocks." His eyes twinkled and made Mary blush.

"How about ye two lovebirds come join us at de table." Widow Pedersen's voice was full of amusement as she watched her son dance with Mary to the tune a silver music box was playing.

"Mother managed to get out of bed and cooked a roast goose, plum puddin' and all the trimmings to go with it." Paul piped up from where he sat.

"Please, don't think I'm lazy, because there are many things I am willin' to do." Whispered Mary. "But we've got to get some servants, at least a cook, My cookin' is barel' tolerable at best. And I reall' am shocked your mother managed ta get out of bed, for de most part it is not somethin she can do an'more."

"If I was not so blessed in my situation, I might have to tell you to keep at it. However, since we can well afford a cook, I will look into it." The captain tried not to laugh; he did not fail to notice what Mary had politely not said; Margaret's cooking was right down horrible. How her late husband could stand to eat it was beyond the captain.

After the meal, Emil, with a twinkle in his eye, retrieved a small, carefully wrapped package from his coat. Inside, a delicate wooden carving of a ship, crafted by his own hand during a long night with no fish biting. Paul loved it.

His mother and sister were delighted with their shawls from town. Knitted in such a fashion Mary could easily picture them as fishing nets. However, she kept that opinion to herself.

"Mary." The captain held out a thin, wide box. "I bought this from one of the shops in Bristol when I was done fishin' the shorelines."

Mary took the present from her husband's hand and giggled as he pulled her down on his lap. "I could set down in another chair." She laughed, as did others, when he 'growled' an order for her not to even consider it.

There were multiple things about the present his wife noticed tailored to her. And they all had a silent 'signal' that shouted loud to Mary, what Emil's was telling her... something loud no one -not even their relations were catching.

"What a beautiful porcelain figurine!" Exclaimed his mother.

"Go figure you buy your wife one holding one with a movable compass." Margaret rolled her eyes. "At least it has flowers on it."

Emil only chuckled but later, after the others had turned in for the evening, he spoke low to Mary. "You have been having strange dreams again. I thought it best if we had a way for you to set a signal in this house should I be away at sea and you had to flee before any of the family arriving home. Point that figurine's arm in the direction you went, if it is towards England both you and I already know where your feet will be taking you."

"It will still be dangerous though not for the reasons Mother, or Margaret, would think."

The captain held her close. "I think your dreams are being to intermingle with my own. I am beginnin' to see his face in the ocean's mist which climb up into the hills. Though, I cannot figure it out. McBean does not come down and yet he does. It makes no sense to me. Why would that be? He wanted the land and sheep. and yet it does not seem to me they are items he ever keeps."

"I jest have the dreams. Does not mean I always understand them." Mary sighed. "I just know I'll be runnin' sooner or later. I do not know if you'll be runnin' wth me or not."

"If I am here, I'll not be runnin' off my own place." The captain set his jaw hard. "Besides, he never struck with me around, at heart the man's a coward." Emil then told her he would hire a few guards. "But they will appear to workin' for the neighborin' estate. My mother has never needed guards, always stood her ground. However, You are are correct, her gettin' out to cook that once was a rarety. I doubt she'll be fleein'. As to Margaret, a neighbor is showin' interest in her. I know not want ta thnk. She does not mention McBean much, good or ill."

"You do not think she may be workin' for McBean do you?"

"Not knowin'l'." A light-turned on for the captain. "But she's too trustin' of all Scots 'cause of her husband's murder, plus a few other family members. Yer one of de few English she trusts. So, aye, my sister may have- unwittingl'- given McBean information which would have helped him kill me had it not been for that dream of yers."

"Let's enjo' our time before yeu have ta go ta Batg and let us just hope Michael's family havin' more luck than we did with that land."