by Lucy Langton
“You’ll have to thank Lord Crawford for that, my dear. You see, his uncle, Lord Cardinal, is very close friends with Admiral Reed. Fitz and I rode to London and spoke with his uncle, and eventually the admiral. After a bit of rearranging schedules, I set off aboard the admiral’s ship with his crew. We’ve been searching every port from England to here, hoping to catch word of you. When we stopped at the last Spanish port and heard that a ship fitting the description of the pirates was given, we set off in haste and eventually came upon that very ship. And well, you know the rest from there,” Gregory said, watching Maria carefully. He feared for her health, not knowing what she’d endured over these last weeks. Her skin was very tanned, and her hair appeared to have been unbrushed since he’d last seen her. She wore fitting men’s clothing which were rather dirty. But he couldn’t judge her, unable to imagine what she’d been forced to do.
“I’m so happy to see you,” Maria said, focusing her gaze on him, praying this wasn’t all a dream.
“And I you, Maria,” Gregory said with a large smile. “I’m going to let the admiral know that you are awake. I’m also going to see what I can do about arranging a bath for you. I did take the liberty of bringing some of your things with me and you’ll find them in the chest at the foot of the bed.” Maria let go of Gregory’s hand as he stood, missing the comfort it brought her already. But she stood with him also as she approached the chest and opened it, the smell of home reaching her nose as she carefully traced her finger over some of her favorite gowns. She dared not touch them because her fingers were so dirty.
“Maria,” Gregory spoke up, drawing her attention back to him. “The admiral will want to hear your story of what happened since you’ve been kidnapped. He reassured me that your words would be kept confidential and only used to press charges against the pirates.”
Maria stiffened a little at the thought of having to explain all that had happened to her. Though she felt justified in all of her actions, from wearing men’s clothing to being friendly with the pirates, the thought of sharing those details with a stranger didn’t settle well with her. Especially since the name Admiral Reed sounded familiar to her, and yet she couldn’t remember why at the moment.
“Of course, Gregory. I’m sure you too are curious,” Maria said with a small smile.
He nodded his head as he looked her over once more. He hoped that in time her tanned skin would fade, and perhaps by next Season she’d be ready to appear in society once more. He just hoped that her innocence was still intact and hadn’t been stolen from her.
“When you are ready, Maria,” Gregory assured her. “But for now, let me look into having a bath drawn for you and we can get you cleaned up.”
“Thank you, Gregory, for everything,” Maria said as the tears started to build up in her eyes again.
“Fear not, dear sister. You are safe now,” Gregory said as he opened the door and stepped out, closing it firmly behind him.
Maria took several deep breaths as she walked over to the window to watch the sea passing by. She was filled with so many emotions as she tried to convince herself that she was truly headed back to England. The idea filled her with joy as she thought of being reunited with her mother and father again. She promised to never say another harsh word to her father again and that she would kiss her mother on the cheek every chance she got. Maria also thought of convincing her family to move out to the country for a while so she could regain some peace of mind.
Then Maria’s thoughts turned back to James and she dearly wondered if he was even still alive. Maria hoped that he’d been one of the pirates that had been taken captive and not slain. But Maria knew in her heart that if James wasn’t already dead, he was going to be soon once they reached England. The pirates would be tried and hung for sure. As Maria watched the water continue to rush by the ship, she knew that she had to find a way to save James if he wasn’t already dead.
Chapter 22
Bathing in a tub of hot water with a fresh bar of soap felt like heaven to Maria. After Gregory had returned with a few officers, carrying a small brass tub and several buckets of hot water, she watched in awe as the bath was prepared for her. And once left alone, she’d quickly stripped off her clothes and stepped into the water, allowing her muscles to finally relax.
She’d stayed in the tub till the water began to cool, scrubbing every inch of her body, making sure there was no dirt left under or around her fingernails. She washed her hair three times without ever really feeling that it was completely clean, but not wanting to catch a cold by sitting in the water for too long after it had begun to chill she’d forced herself to get out.
After Maria had finished with her bath and dried herself in a plush towel that felt wonderful against her skin, she’d dressed in one of her favorite gowns. Maria finally felt like herself again as she felt the satin gown underneath her hands, the pale-yellow colour making her feel like a real lady again instead of a pirate’s captive. Sitting down in a chair, Maria spent a long time brushing out her golden hair as it dried. When she was finished, she pinned it up and sighed with relief. Now she was Miss Maria Livingston once again.
About this time, Gregory returned with a few officers who were quick to remove the tub. They waited till the officers were gone and they were alone once more.
“I dare say, sister. You appear to have been transformed in a matter of hours,” Gregory said as he took Maria’s hand and pulled her to her feet, having her twirl for him. She laughed as he looked at her appearance. “Despite your tanned skin, I wouldn’t say that you’ve changed at all.”
“That is very kind of you to say, Gregory,” Maria said as she withdrew her hand from his. She held her hands tightly together in front of her as tears pricked her eyes. “I hope others will be as kind as you.”
Gregory noticed her tears and quickly drew his sister into his arms. “Shh now, Maria. Do not fear so. I will not allow anyone to say an unkind thing to you. No one could fault you based on what you’ve had to endure,” Gregory said as he held his sister close, his own tears coming to his eyes. He had to admit that her tanned skin would set her apart from other debutantes, and as he held her close, he could tell that she’d become rather muscular. But he also knew that these characteristics would fade in time and she would be found beautiful once again by many eligible gentlemen.
“You must be famished,” Gregory said, leaning away from Maria as he took her hand and led her to the door. “The admiral has prepared a feast in celebration of your rescue. I’m sure things are in order and we can go down for dinner.”
Maria simply nodded her head and put on a smile for Gregory as she allowed him to lead her from the room. He tucked her arm in his as he led her down a lit hallway, so unlike the dark ones she’d been used to on the pirate’s ship, and up a small set of stairs to the main deck.
Maria looked around in wonder as she watched the navy officers hard at work. The ship seemed to be sailing at a fast pace as the winds filled the sails, pulling hard and propelling it forward over the smooth waters. Maria raised her hand against the sun, shielding her eyes as she looked around, allowing Gregory to lead her up another flight of stairs. Maria saw that the wheelhouse was close to the door Gregory brought them to. It all seemed so familiar to Maria, and she thought that perhaps all ships were designed in the same fashion.
But when Gregory opened the door and led her in, Maria could tell she was no longer on a pirate’s ship. The wooden floor was dark and polished, fitting for a ballroom floor. Chandeliers hung from the rafters, swinging idly to the sway of the ship, and casting a glowing light around the room. It appeared that this room had been designed for meeting and dining as a large dining table spread across the course of the room. Several officers milled about with glasses of brandy in hand, and when they spotted Gregory leading Maria into the room, they turned their attention to her and began to applaud.
Maria wasn’t expecting such a warm reception as she curtsied. A blush came to her cheeks as she met the gazes of
all the officers, wondering what they thought of her now. But she put on a strong face, as she had done many times before, and prepared to socialize politely for the first time in months.
“There is our lady of the house,” a man said coming towards them. He wore several medals on his officer’s coat, showing Maria that this man must be the admiral.
“Good evening, Admiral Reed,” Maria said with another curtsey.
The older man flashed her a pleased smile as he bowed. He then took her hand and kissed the air above it. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Maria. It fills me with great joy to see you rescued from the pirates, and to be able to capture many of them to return them to England. The people will want to punish those who killed so many in the Portsmouth attack. We’ll all be heroes, even you, Miss Maria,” he said as he led them to the table, taking the time to seat Maria properly. The officers in the room took the signal to be seated as well as the dinner commenced.
“You’ll have to forgive me, Admiral, but I don’t see myself very much as a hero. I’m simply grateful to you and your men. I’m grateful today to be alive and reunited with my brother,” Maria said, giving Gregory a smile as she focused on her food. The aromas made her mouth water, and had she been on the pirates’ ship, she would have devoured her food quickly with her fingers. But now that she was present amongst Englishmen again, she carefully picked up her fork and began taking dainty bites, much like her mother had taught her.
“You’ll be the talk of the town, Miss Maria, as everyone will want to know your story. How you survived living with pirates for two months, and your experience of being rescued,” Admiral Reed said with a chuckle as he ate. Maria thought of the man as rather odd, but as a memory slipped into her mind, she began to realise why this admiral would be after fame. She remembered his name from the time she’d dined with Captain Maidus, and how the Captain had told of the few gentlemen he’d blackmailed into doing his bidding.
Maria did her best to keep her composure during the dinner, knowing that this admiral had been the one to forge the papers needed for Captain Maidus to appear as a privateer. If it hadn’t been for Admiral Reed’s visits to the gaming halls, then she wouldn’t have been in this situation in the first place. But this was not the place or time to discuss such matters, and therefore she did her best to appear pleasant and grateful.
“Gregory, tell me more of England. I want to know about our family, the weather, perhaps what my dear friend Charlotte has been up to,” Maria said, focusing her attention on her brother instead of on the animated way in which the admiral spoke of the great reward they were bound to receive upon returning the pirates to England.
Gregory smiled as he took a long sip from his wine glass. Maria hadn’t touched her wine and had only focused on drinking as much water as possible. She wondered if she’d ever drink wine again and not feel her heart beat for James. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she focused on her brother.
“Once Charlotte learned of your plight, and after receiving your invitation to stay with the family for the summer, she was quick to come to our townhouse in Portsmouth. She arrived shortly after Lord Crawford and I arrived in London to speak with our connections. And she’s been there ever since, tending to Mother personally. I think it has helped Mother’s condition greatly to have another young woman in the house who is so familiar with you. I will speak honestly and say that Mother had not been faring well when I first left for London and I had even feared her passing,” Gregory explained as he rested his fork for a moment, his eyes seeming far off.
Maria reached out her hand and squeezed Gregory’s quickly before returning her hands to her lap. “I am very grateful to Charlotte then, and can’t wait to see her again,” Maria replied as she turned back to her meal. “And what of Lord Crawford? How was he when you last left England?”
Gregory sighed then as he shifted his gaze to Maria. “He was very worried about you, my dear sister. He did work hard to orchestrate this rescue mission. Our father was kind enough to fund the venture as Lord Crawford did his best to organize it. I dare say, his years of studying the navy and sailing charts really paid off. He and Admiral Reed created quite a rescue plan that worked beautifully,” Gregory said, though when he smiled at Maria, she could tell that it didn’t quite reach his eyes. She knew this to be one of his fake smiles, having watched him since she was very young, and therefore decided to speak to him concerning the matter when they could speak freely.
After the dinner came to an end and the officers bid Maria goodnight, she and Gregory remained behind to speak to Admiral Reed. Maria knew that sooner or later she’d have to tell her story, and she was at least grateful that she didn’t need to speak in front of so many. With it simply being her and Gregory with the admiral, she felt slightly more comfortable.
“It seems the day is done and all that is left is for idle talk before nightfall,” the admiral said, giving Maria a kind smile. “I will say, my dear, how terribly sorry I am that you had to endure living on a pirate ship for so many months. I promise that I will do my absolute best to ensure that these pirates are hung for their crimes.”
Maria tried not to grimace at the thought of seeing anyone hang, but she wondered if she’d enjoy watching Captain Maidus suffer. Maria pushed that thought out of her mind as she forced a small smile onto her face.
“I appreciate all that you’ve done for me, Admiral Reed. It was your ship and men that made my rescue possible, and for that my family will always been indebted to you,” Maria replied, truly grateful to be off the dreaded pirate ship, even when she feared the worst for James.
“It is simply my duty to England and her people, Miss Maria. I am pleased that we had great success, and will be able to return to England as quickly as the winds will take us,” Admiral Reed said as he raised his glass of port to his lips and took a long drink. Setting the glass down again, he said, “Now, Miss Maria, I will have to ask you what transpired since your kidnapping. Your testimony will be used when trying these criminals at the Admiralty Court.”
“Of course, Admiral,” Maria said as she took a deep breath before beginning her story. She described how she’d reacted during the attack on Portsmouth and how she’d been discovered and kidnapped by a pirate. She did not go into detail of what it was like to be bound and tied, left in the slave quarters, or how she’d tried to get free until her wrists had bled. She idly rubbed them as she told her tale in brief, thinking that the worst of her capture had been over weeks ago.
Maria then talked of the deal that was made between her and Captain Maidus, that if she worked like one of the pirates, then he’d treat her the same as long as she didn’t try to escape. Maria detailed the work she’d done on the ship, and even made a few jokes about how Mother would be proud of the dishes she’d created. Maria commented that she had needed to find joy wherever she could to keep the despair from ruling her.
Finally, Maria explained how the pirate ship had collided with a reef, how she’d fallen into the water and was rescued by a pirate. She explained that she’d been allowed to rest and heal, that she reasoned the Captain had plans to sell her when they reached Tripoli but had to stop at a nearby port to make repairs.
After she’d finished speaking, the admiral took a deep breath and let out a long sigh. “I dare say, Miss Maria, if it hadn’t been for the pirate’s ship hitting that reef and taking on damage, we’d never would have caught up with the ship and rescued you. There is a god in Heaven looking over you, I would say.”
Maria simply nodded her head in response to the admiral’s kind words. She didn’t like to think of what would have happened to her if the navy ship hadn’t attacked when it had. It was chaos on the ship before it was attacked. But at least she’d be with James right now, no matter what had happened. She was thankful to have been rescued but feared what had become of James.
“Admiral, what will happen to the pirates you captured once we return to England?” Maria asked, surprising the admiral with her que
stion. But as he saw fear in her eyes, he considered how fearful Maria might still be of the pirates who were now chained and stored deep within the ship.
“Fear not, Miss Maria. When the ship lands, the prisoners will be taken to the Execution Dock at the bank of the Thames. They’ll be jailed and subjected to the full weight of the magistrates. In time, they’ll be transferred to the Admiralty Court for trial, and no doubt hanged for their deceitful crimes,” Admiral Reed explained.