by Lucy Langton
“It sounds like a rather lengthy process for pirates to be tried and hanged,” Gregory commented as he took a long drink of his port. Maria sighed, feeling that she wouldn’t have very much time to rescue James if he was numbered in the ones taken aboard the ship. She felt overwhelmed then as she thought of seeing him hang by the neck with the other pirates.
“You’ll have to excuse me, Admiral Reed. I wish to rest now,” Maria said as she pressed her hand to her forehead.
“Of course, my dear,” the admiral exclaimed as he rose from the table, quick to pull out her chair. As she stood, she took Gregory’s arm once again, pretending to need the support.
“Rest well, Miss Maria. And fear not,” Admiral Reed said in parting as Gregory led her from the large room.
Night had completely fallen as they stepped out onto the main deck. The wind felt cold against her cheeks as Maria held tightly to Gregory. They walked quickly across the deck to the stairs that led down into private quarters. As soon as they stepped down into the narrow hallway, already they could feel the reprieve from the wind. They did not speak until they were once again in the room that Maria had woken in that afternoon.
“I would never imagine it being this cold out at sea,” Gregory said as he rubbed his hands together. Maria went to the chest at the foot of the bed and opened it once again, pulling out a shawl and wrapping it quickly around her shoulders.
“I suppose summer is almost over and the colder months will be upon England before too long,” Maria said as she sat heavily into a chair, trying to hide a yawn with the back of her hand. She hadn’t acted ladylike in so long that it had been quite exhausting to do so at dinner, as though she was pretending to be someone she wasn’t.
“Perhaps we’ll bring winter with our return to England. It will be some time yet before this ship makes it all the way home,” Gregory said as he sat across from Maria, not quite wanting to leave her just yet. Though he’d been assigned to a cabin just across the hallway, he didn’t like being away from her when he’d just received her back into his life. He didn’t dare think of the relief it caused him to see her alive or else he’d begin to cry again.
They sat in silence for a while, simply listening to the ocean crash around them. Once the sound of the ocean had brought Maria great comfort, and now she wished to be rid of it. Maria reckoned that she’d never set foot on a ship again after returning to England, that perhaps she’d never want to gaze at the ocean again.
“Maria, I want to ask you something,” Gregory said softly, pulling Maria’s sleepy gaze to him. His face looked worrisome and she was curious to know what Gregory would ask of her. She simply nodded her head, trying to encourage him.
“I’m sure you only included the most necessary facts when you told Admiral Reed your story. I have no doubt thinking correctly that there are many gruesome details you did leave out,” Gregory said, watching Maria carefully as she turned her gaze away from him and only simply nodded, affirming what Gregory was saying was true.
“And that, dear sister, is why I’m curious to know if these pirates did force themselves onto you… I want to know if they hurt you in that manner, Maria,” Gregory said softly, not wanting to embarrass Maria or cause her any more pain.
With tears in her eyes, Maria explained, “No, Gregory. They did not steal my virtue. I was kissed upon by the Captain once, but he did not take from me anything. He explained that I would be worth more at the slave market if I was still pure, and therefore he did well to protect me from those who would have hurt me in that way.”
Maria heard Gregory sigh in relief. She knew that he would think of her as still pure, still innocent, but she wasn’t about to share the details of how she’d given her virtue freely to James or try to explain to Gregory how she felt for the man. No, even Gregory wouldn’t understand how her heart came to beat fast for the very man who’d kidnapped her.
“I am thankful to hear so, Maria. I surely did fear the worst,” Gregory said as he rose. He bent down and kissed the top of Maria’s head then and she reached up and patted him on the shoulder. “Get some rest now. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Maria looked up to her brother as he straightened up, his tears very visible in the lantern light. She smiled at him and nodded her head, knowing that they didn’t need words any longer. They were both dreadfully tired and she knew she would need to rest in order to regain her strength.
When Gregory left the room, she stood and readied herself for bed, placing her gown gently in the chest when she had finished dressing for bed. It almost felt strange to be getting into a bed instead of lying on the wooden planks with nothing but a blanket and pillow.
As she laid her head down on the plush pillow, she thought of James and of having spent so many nights together in his bed. She closed her eyes and thought of him, of being together in his arms with no articles of clothing between them. In her chemise and nightgown, underneath the layers of blankets, Maria almost felt like she couldn’t breathe, having to push back some of the blankets in order to feel comfortable again. She’d gotten so used to wearing nothing when she would sleep with James that now the clothes felt burdensome to her. But she dared not undress and lay with nothing under the covers in case her brother would see her in the morning. Now that she was on an English ship, she had to be more careful.
As sleep came to claim her once again for a night of rest, Maria kept in her mind the image of James, of the way he laughed, and the way he stared into her eyes as they made love. She knew in her heart that James couldn’t be dead if she still felt this way and prayed that soon she’d find a way to sneak down to see the prisoners and confirm that he was still alive.
Chapter 23
The next morning at breakfast, Admiral Reed made the announcement to Maria and Gregory that he’d be interrogating the Captain of the pirate ship this afternoon and asked if Maria would want to join them in order to help determine if the Captain was lying or not. They were both surprised by the announcement as they fixed their eyes on the admiral.
“With all due respect, Admiral, I don’t think it would be appropriate for my sister to be anywhere around the pirates after all she has endured,” Gregory spoke up, resting his hand on top of Maria’s in support.
“I would agree, Mr. Livingston, but it’s crucial to our investigation that our reports are accurate,” the admiral replied, not willing to back down from the matter.
“I suggest a compromise, Admiral, as I don’t want to ever see Captain Maidus alive,” Maria spoke up, straightening her posture. “I’d be happy to discuss the matter privately after you’ve interrogated the pirate. We can discuss what you’ve learned, and I’d be willing to confirm or deny any allegations.”
“Maria, you shouldn’t have to do anything more than you’ve already done,” Gregory protested, but Maria tried to pacify him with her words.
“It will only be a light conversation with Admiral Reed. It’s not like I’ll be standing in front of a courtroom full of people,” Maria said, turning her gaze them back to the admiral.
“Very well then, my dear. I find that idea reasonable enough. I’ll have one of my officers collect you after the interrogation is through that we might find truth or error in the pirate’s words,” Admiral Reed agreed, dismissing everyone then as the meal came to an end.
Maria was happy enough to leave the room with Gregory and return to her quarters. She had no need to take a walk along the main deck for she didn’t want to have to socialize with any of the officers. There was a sense of safety in the small cabin and being able to look upon her own personal things brought her a small comfort. At least here in the room she could let down her guard and simply rest.
“You don’t have to do this, Maria,” Gregory said once they were alone in her room.
Maria sighed as she turned her eyes towards Gregory, her thoughts spinning as she thought about what she wanted to say to Admiral Reed in private. “I believe it will give me some peace of mind to be able to aid in securing the tri
al of these pirates. I never want to see them again, and yet I need to ensure that I never will,” Maria explained, pouring truth into her words even though she had an alternative reason to seek a private discussion with the admiral.
“Would you like me to at least accompany you?” Gregory offered, not liking this idea at all. He wanted to protect his sister from ever having to deal with another unpleasant situation again.
“No, Gregory. You’ve already done enough. It seems that we should both try to rest as much as we can,” Maria said, looking around the room in the hopes of finding something to fill her time instead of simply sleeping.
Noticing the way her eyes traveled around the room, Gregory went to a small dresser and opened the top drawer, pulling out a few books. He handed them to Maria then, knowing how much she loved to read. “I found these while I was idly looking through the ship while we sailed south in search of you. When I found them, they made me think of you and how you’d want something to read after you’d been rescued,” Gregory explained as he handed them to Maria.
She smiled brightly, having wished for books for so long. She held them to her chest then as she looked up at her brother. “Thank you, Gregory. You have no idea how much this means to me. I’ve been in want of literature for so long that I’ve felt a thirst I haven’t been able to quench,” Maria said, moving to a chair so she could read over the titles and see which one she’d want to read first.
“Of course, Maria. I’m happy to oblige. I’ll see you for the next meal,” Gregory said in parting, closing the door behind him.
Maria turned her attention to the novels in her hand, excited to fill her mind and time with something that would give her pleasure. How dearly she wanted to escape her reality and fall deeply into a book. As she began to read, she lost herself in the pages, happy to have a break from pirates and death.
~*~
Though Gregory had been heavily against Maria attending the interrogation of the pirate Captain, he ensured his own presence in the room when the pirate was brought forth before the admiral. The dining table had been pushed up against the wall, a single chair remaining in the middle of the room as the prisoner was brought forth and sat forcefully into the chair, the chains around his arms and legs clanking together in a high-pitched ting-ting. Gregory grimaced at the sight of the man, bloody and filthy, his hair matted to his face from sweating in the humid cells below. The stench alone made Gregory want to flee from the room and seek a breath of fresh air. He simply couldn’t imagine how Maria had endured being surrounded by such filthy men.
“Captain Maidus,” Admiral Reed said with a sneer.
“At your service,” the pirate Captain replied with a small smile on his face. Admiral Reed was quick to slap the proud smile off the pirate’s face, sending the man falling to the floor. Gregory was surprised by the outburst, but did his best to keep his composure as none of the other officers in the room shifted even an inch over their Captain’s actions. No one helped the pirate up as the man was forced to right himself back into the chair all on his own.
“You will not speak unless asked to,” Admiral Reed said as he spoke over the man.
“Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?” Captain Maidus responded, not afraid of this admiral. “I have papers detailing my contract with the English navy. There are those in England who possess copies of these papers and who will vouch for me in court.”
Admiral Reed slapped the man again, this time causing the pirate to simply slouch down into the chair, unable to defend himself. “Do you really think the navy will honor any deals when you’ve attacked an English port, killed dozens of people, stolen goods and kidnapped a daughter from a prestigious family? There is nothing you can do or say that is going to save you from your impending fate,” the admiral said once he had forced the pirate to look at him. But as Admiral Reed looked into the eyes of the pirate, something that looked like surprise crossed the admiral’s face. Gregory noticed the expression that moved over the admiral before he was able to cover it up again with a glare of anger.
“Do you remember me now, Admiral Reed? Do you remember the deal we made?” the pirate said with a low chuckle that rumbled deeply in his chest. “If you send me to trial, I’ll tell the Court of England everything.”
“Then it seems that you’ll never make it to trial, you treacherous snake. The good Lord only knows the number of men you’ve swindled and blackmailed into doing your bidding. I’ll be doing the whole of England a service by ensuring your timely death at sea, that the ocean might swallow up your secrets,” Admiral Reed said, his face turning red with his anger.
“But you can’t,” the pirate said with a sneer. “Unlike myself, you are bound to laws and a King. You have no power.”
“Here at sea, I hold all the power,” Admiral Reed replied, a sickly grin crossing his face as he motioned towards his officers. “Throw him overboard.”
Shock crossed the pirate’s face, his eyes growing wide and pleading even before he spoke. “Please, I’ll do anything. Just let me go!” the pirate begged as he started to kick and scream. Admiral Reed turned his back to him as the pirate was dragged away. The man’s screams could be heard all across the main deck till they echoed from far below. A splash was heard, and then nothing.
The remaining officers filed out of the room next, not speaking a word or appearing to be affected by their admiral’s orders. They too felt that they had done service to England by ensuring the death of the pirate Captain. With a man who claimed to have connections in London, it was better that man died now and be reported to have died during the capturing of the pirates. It was only Gregory who remained behind to address the admiral.
“Sir, I don’t care to know what the pirate was referring to, and I promise to never breathe a word of what I just saw to anyone. I feel you’ve done my family a great service by simply ensuring that man never breathes again,” Gregory said calmly to the admiral, hoping to reassure the man that he wouldn’t report the man’s crimes.
“I appreciate your discretion, Mr. Livingston. There were many dark secrets tied to that man, and I’m sure there will be many families in England who will be pleased to hear that Lord Andros is dead,” Admiral Reed said, moving to a side table to pour himself a finger of brandy, draining it quickly as he set the glass heavily on the table once more.
Gregory’s eyes widened at the pseudonym for the pirate. “I feel I have heard the blackened name of Lord Andros before,” Gregory admitted as he tried to remember where he’d heard the name before.
Admiral Reed shook his head as he thanked God that the man was now dead and would not live to tell the tale of what horrible deed he’d been pressured into doing. “I hope that soon every memory and person associated with the man will either be forgotten or lost,” the admiral said as he approached Gregory and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “We’ve done England a great service today.”
Gregory simply nodded his head, being lost in thought and wanting the solitude of his cabin to think about why he recognized that name. “I agree, Admiral. Now if you’ll excuse me, I care to rest for a bit before dinner.” And with that, Gregory left the admiral, intent on remembering why that name meant something to him.
Chapter 24
Maria’s mind had been pulled from her novel when she heard the sounds of a man screaming. At first, she wondered if the prisoners below were being tortured. Then she realised that the screams were coming from above. A man sounded to be pleading for his life as he screamed and cried, the sound trailing along the ship’s main deck before they faded away into an echo, as though drifting downwards. Maria barely heard the splash before all went silent. As Maria listened to the silence around her that rung like a bell, she wondered who had been thrown overboard and prayed that it hadn’t been James.
A knock to her cabin door startled her, but Maria was quick to regain her composure as she set her novel aside. She stood and smoothed down her muslin gown before pushing back the strands of her hair behind her ea
rs. She then opened the door, placing a small smile on her lips as she looked up into the eyes of an officer.
“Admiral Reed requests your presence, Miss Maria,” the officer explained with a bow of his head.
“Certainly,” Maria replied as she opened the door fully and allowed the officer to lead her along the ship. As they neared the admiral’s room, the officer simply bowed to her again before leaving back down the ship. Maria was left then to knock on the door and enter once she’d been beckoned in.