Black Dawn

by Christopher Nicole

  'What about the watch? What about when the captain also wakes up and needs air?'

  'I have thought of that. We must act together. That way we can share the profits, and also the watch-keeping requirements. A very military matter.'

  'You must be mad.'

  'I am going mad, if that is what you mean, with sheer desire. To know all of that is just a few feet away from me, has been there for a fortnight, and will be there at least a fortnight more, my God. Listen, she really is a delicious little thing, under all that cloth. If you like, I'll arrange with her for you to stand at the rail tomorrow. Then you can discover for yourself.'

  'I have no intention of discovering for myself. You gave me your word . . .'

  'To act like a Hilton, now and always. You are the one behaving like a changeling.'

  'I happen to be engaged.'

  'And do you think Ellen would thank you for letting your weapon rust away from lack of use?'

  'For God's sake, Ellen is well aware that it has never been used, in that sense.'

  Tony stared at his brother with his mouth open. 'You're not serious?'

  Dick flushed.

  'Good Lord.' Tony seemed genuinely amazed. 'And you'd wed, without discovering what it is all about? You really are the most disorganized chap. I'll have no argument, young fellow. You'll pitch in.'

  'I will not.'

  'Well, then, you'll help me, or I'll have her right there in the cabin. Think of the foul-up that will cause.'

  'Psst.'

  Dick opened his eyes. He seemed to have been asleep only five minutes. The last thing he remembered was Captain Lanken snoring, and now again he listened to Captain Lanken's snores, rumbling through the cabin, keeping time to the sway of the lantern, just visible above his head, and thus to the creak of the ship's timbers.

  Tony shook him again. 'Wake up,' he whispered. 'It's far too hot to sleep, wouldn't you say?'

  Dick blinked, and began to focus. And watched a figure on the far side of the cabin wrapping her blanket around herself before tiptoeing to the door, stepping carefully across her husband and Master Rowland.

  'You must be out of your mind,' he whispered. But Tony had already followed the woman to the companion, there to pause as Lanken gave another series of trumpets, and rolled over, his arm flying out to strike the mattress where his wife had been lying but a moment previously.

  Joan Lanken's hand was already on the ladder; she froze, and looked over her shoulder. But Lanken merely snuffled and went back to sleep.

  Joan climbed the ladder, silently; her feet were bare. Tony followed, and paused once again at the top, to give Dick a jerk of the head.

  Dick sat up, folding back his blanket. Of all the crazy adventures. And yet, the blood was suddenly pumping in his own veins, and his own weapon was hard enough. The excitement had been building over the previous two days, as Tony had spoken to Joan again, and about them both, and she had taken to giving each of them a long and appraising stare, no doubt anticipating. As they had, equally, anticipated.

  Slowly, carefully, he got to his feet, holding on to the bulkhead as the ship lurched. But it was a very gentle lurch. Captain Morrison had been right about the trade wind; they had picked it up the previous morning, quite without warning. The endless plunging and beating had ceased, the wind had shifted to the stern quarter, and in doing so seemed to lose all of its bite, and the ship had commenced a slow and regular roll as she careered on her way, downhill as the sailors called it.

  The couple were gone from the top of the ladder. Dick buttoned his shirt and climbed behind them, squeezed into the narrow space at the top, where the door led to the deck, and found himself in the midst of human bodies.

  'Good lad,' Tony whispered. 'Oh, give him a cuddle, Joan. He's as cold as ice.'

  The woman's arm went round Dick's waist, and he felt her softness against his body; she wore only her shift. 'You're a right pair, you are,' she whispered. 'What's this?' Her hand stroked the front of his breeches.

  'For God's sake,' he protested, and she giggled, and kissed him on the chin. 'You'll wake everyone else.'

  'Aye,' Tony agreed. 'Don't get him overexcited, sweetheart. 'Tis the longboat. I unfastened the canvas this evening. Follow me.'

  He wriggled past the woman, cautiously opened the door. Instantly the breeze plucked at them, sent a strand of Joan's hair across Dick's face.

  'I'm all a goosebump,' she whispered. 'Feel these, Dickie lad.'

  His hand was seized and inserted under the blanket; he caressed the linen of her nightdress, and the point of the nipple, scraping across the palm like a finger, sent a tingle of anticipation all the way from his hand up his arm and into his chest.

  She sighed. 'Christ, how I have waited, these weeks, looking, at you two strong lads . . .'

  'Come on,' Tony whispered, having checked the deck. The door swung open, and they emerged into the waist of the ship.

  With the breeze astern, here it was sheltered; immediately above them was the quarterdeck and the helm; they could hear the slow tread of the mate, the murmur of the pulleys as the helmsman twisted the wheel to and fro. The remainder of the watch were forward, sitting round the foremast, smoking and gossiping.

  'Evening to you, Mr Ratchet,' Tony called. 'Ain't it a splendid one.'

  'Better than before,' the mate grunted. He paused at the rail for a moment, squinting into the darkness. He would be able to make out three figures, and perhaps even to decide one was a woman, and from that, make his own deductions. But he could not be sure.

  'This way,' Tony whispered, and led them across the deck, beyond the shelter of the mainmast, and round the far side of the longboat, resting on its chocks amidships. 'Here.'

  Joan placed her elbows on the gunwale, to look at the phosphorescence streaming away from the ship's side. 'It's chill,' she said. 'Will no kind gentleman put his arm round my waist?'

  Tony obeyed.

  'I can stand the pair,' she said.

  Dick hesitated. Now he was fully awake, where in the companionway he had not been sure he was not dreaming. He had promised Ellen. But oh how he wanted, this moment. But this was madness, had to be madness. And yet, why? If the mate, and the crew, would have little doubt about their purpose, it was none of their business to become involved in the passenger's affairs.

  And besides, to have a woman, suddenly available, suddenly willing, suddenly, indeed, anxious ... he realized with a sense of shock how many years he had waited for this, dreamed of this, how many things he wished to do.

  And could do, now. His arm moved, slowly, but not round her waist. His fingers slid the blanket aside to caress her buttocks, and she gave a little murmur of pleasure, and squirmed beneath his hand.

  'Long enough,' Tony decided. 'Now then, Dick boy, do you remain here, looking out. And should anyone come too close to that boat, you give a loud cough, eh?'

  'Is that all he's for?' Joan demanded. 'To keep watch?'

  'Keep your voice down, for God's sake,' Tony begged. 'You'll have him after.'

  'I can manage you both together,' she said.

  'After,' Tony insisted. 'It was my idea. I have first. Then I'll keep watch.'

  'Your idea,' she remarked. 'May God save me from arrogant men.' She turned, under Dick's hand, kissed him on the chin, then seemed to change her mind, held his face between her hands, and kissed him on the mouth. The quest of her tongue took him by surprise; he had grown to expect it from Ellen, but from a comparative stranger . . .

  'You stay hard,' she whispered. 'He'll not be long.'

  Tony had already rolled back the canvas of the boat cover, and waited to give her a leg up. Dick watched her nightdress fly in the breeze, the white of her leg shine even in the darkness, and then she was gone, and Tony was gone behind her, pulling the flap across the boat to conceal them. Dick glanced aft. The mate continued his slow perambulation, up and down the quarterdeck. There was a snatch of laughter from forward. The timbers creaked, and the waves hissed, and the rigging thrummed
, as the ship proceeded on her way. They were better than two thousand miles from land, Captain Morrison had estimated yesterday. A little world, all of their own. In the midst of which this microcosm was committing adultery. What madness. But what a delicious sport, too. Desire, and excitement, rippled through his system, and he found himself straining his ears to discover what was happening inside the boat, and hearing a faint gurgle of laughter.

  He thought he would burst, turned back to the gunwale, gazed at the sea, tried to remember some of the things he had read in his book. And found himself, instead, thinking of Jamaica. Thinking about Uncle Robert, Mama had a likeness of him in her bedroom, a somewhat short, heavily built man, although with undoubtedly Hilton features, leaning on a stick and looking as if he were about to start bellowing commands. Well, no doubt that summed him up, at least by reputation. But the man himself. Father thought him a total brute. Mama remembered, or affected to remember, how he could be amazingly generous, when the mood took him. But his moods were utterly capricious. As their presence on this ship at all testified. 'Psst.'

  He turned, heart pounding, supposing them discovered, and saw Tony, climbing out of the boat. Which but set his heart pounding the more.

  'Everything all right?'

  'Oh, aye. Quiet as a grave. And with you?'

  Tony dropped to the deck beside him. 'Christ, how we managed to wait this long. Up you go, boy. She'll make a man of you.'

  Dick hesitated. 'No doubt she is sated, for one evening. Perhaps I should wait for another.'

  'She is waiting for you, now,' Tony pointed out. 'You'd best not disappoint her, or there will not be another evening.'

  Dick peered over the gunwale of the boat. He could not see in the darkness, but he could smell woman, combined with the faint scent she normally exuded.

  'Would you run away?' she whispered. 'You are a fainthearted fellow, Master Dick.'

  He got his leg over, slid into the bottom of the boat, encountered a thwart, inserted himself beneath it, or had himself inserted, he could not be sure which. Her hands were on his thighs, seeking his belt.

  'You are gorgeous,' she whispered. 'You are both gorgeous. But Tony, now, why he did no more than whet my appetite.'

  He lay on the boards, and she was in his arms. He put his hand down to assist her fingers and discovered that her nightdress was pulled to her waist. His hand withdrew as if burned, and she gave the chuckle of amusement he had heard from the deck.

  'You are a treasure,' she whispered, and once again seized his head to smother his mouth with her kiss, before suddenly appearing to freeze, fingers, mouth, tongue, and even toes, which had just previously been scraping his shin.

  Now he also heard the slow, dragging movement on the deck, coming closer every moment. But not a sound from Tony.

  'A nice night, Captain Lanken,' remarked the mate.

  Lanken grunted. Dick felt Joan's fingers slowly leave his face; her breath rushed against him.

  'Seems it's hot in the cabin,' the mate said.

  'Oh, aye.' Lanken's voice was very close. 'Where are they, then?'

  'Gone below, I reckon,' the mate said. 'Oh, aye.'

  Joan's fingers were locked in Dick's; her head rested on his chin. 'Oh, God,' she breathed. 'Oh, God.'

  'We'll wait,' he said. 'Just lie there. We'll wait.'

  After some seconds she seemed more reassured, even released his fingers. But her passion, like his, was fled, drained away in fear sweat.

  'Do you think he's gone?' she whispered at last. 'Aye,' he said. 'Now listen. He'll know you came on deck. You'll have to tell him you had a privy urge.' 'Yes,' she said. 'Yes, I'll tell him.'

  'So I'll just be sure he's away,' Dick said, 'and then I'll go forward, and stay there until you're back in bed, eh?'

  'Yes,' she said, and gave a little giggle of laughter. 'We'll all have had belly ache. It was that cheese, I'll wager.'

  Slowly Dick pushed himself up, and found her hand once again on his arm.

  'I'll not cheat you,' she said. 'We'll have to be careful for a while, but I'll get to you, before Kingston. I promise.'

  He kissed her on the forehead. 'Don't,' he said. 'It was a mad

  idea, anyway. But thanks, all the same.' He lifted the edge of the canvas cover, stared at Captain Lanken.

  Dick's immediate reaction was to duck back into the relative safety of the boat. But Lanken was already seizing the cover to jerk it off.

  'Gad, sir,' he bellowed. 'Gad.' Further speech seemed beyond him, for the moment.

  'Oh, God,' Joan muttered. She realized her skirt was still around her waist, and endeavoured to straighten it.

  Dick found his mouth opening, and then shutting again. There really was nothing to say. Where the devil was Tony?

  'Gad, sir,' shouted Lanken, regaining his breath. 'I'll cut your balls, sir, indeed I will. Just let me fetch my sword, sir. Just let me . . .' He was shaking the entire boat, hanging on to the gunwale and rocking back and forth.

  'I do assure you, Captain . . .' Joan began.

  'As for you,' roared the Captain. 'I'll have your arse raw, by Gad. I'll have your arse raw.'

  'Captain, Captain,' remonstrated the mate, holding his shoulder. 'You'll have a seizure.' He peered into the boat. 'Mr Hilton? Oh, my God. Fetch the captain,' he shouted. 'Fetch the captain.'

  Dick sat up. He wondered the sky did not fall and send the entire ship, and her company, to the bottom.

  'My sword,' bawled Lanken. 'Hold him there, bo'sun. Hold him there. By God, I'll have at him.'

  'Now really, sir,' said the boatswain, grinning at Dick and winking. 'It's a matter for the captain. He'll not have violence on board his ship.'

  'Violence,' bellowed Lanken. 'Violence. I'll show you violence.'

  'Dick?' Tony peered over Lanken's shoulder. 'Whatever are you at?' He waggled his eyebrows and pulled a face, and Dick decided that he was suggesting only one should shoulder the blame.

  'Now, then, what's all this?' demanded Captain Morrison. 'Mr Hilton? My God. What have you to say for yourself?' 'Why, I . . .'

  'We were on deck,' Joan Lanken explained. 'Answering a call of nature . . .'

  'Together?' inquired the mate, and raised a roar of laughter from the crew, who by now had accumulated to see the fun.

  'Well,' she said, 'it was cold . .

  'Cold, madam?' bawled her husband. 'Cold? And you in your shift?'

  'You come out of there, Mr Hilton,' Morrison decided. 'Captain Lanken, you'd best see to your wife.'

  'See to her? Why, I'll see to her. After I've settled this young fellow.'

  He made a grab at Dick, as Dick attempted to get out of the boat.

  'Aaaagh,' screamed Mistress Marjoribanks, having joined the throng. 'Murder.'

  'Murder,' yelled Tony. 'Stop him.'

  Dick had already pushed his assailant in the chest, and sent him reeling across the deck, where he came to rest against Dr Collie.

  'You'd best to my cabin, Mr Hilton,' Captain Morrison decided. 'He'll not follow you there. But really, young fellow, this is bad. Very bad.'

  'You'll not shelter him,' bawled Lanken. 'I'm entitled to an accounting. Yes, sir.'

  Morrison hesitated, biting his Up.

  'The man's right,' muttered one of the crew. 'To be cuckolded, in public'

  'I do assure you,' Dick began.

  'Murder,' screamed Mistress Marjoribanks.

  'It will be murder,' Joan cried. 'The young man can have no such knowledge of weapons as my husband.'

  ‘Never handled a sword in his life,' Tony declared.

  'Weapons?' Captain Morrison asked at large. 'My God.'

  'A duel,' Lanken shouted. 'Aye, there's the answer. Let him stand up like a man, as he is so anxious to prove himself one.'

  'Aye,' chorused the crew, seeking entertainment. 'A duel. 'Tis fitting, Captain.'

  Morrison glanced from one to the other of the passengers.

  ' Tis illegal,' he said.

  'By England's laws, Captain,' remarked
Master Rowland. 'At sea, there's a different matter.'

  'Bloodshed,' muttered Captain Morrison. 'On board my ship?'

  'There'll be little blood,' Lanken promised. 'I'll just tickle him a little.'

  'Oh, God,' Joan whispered, kneeling in the bottom of the boat, her shoulder pressed against Dick's. 'He'll slit your nose. That's what he'll do.'

  Dick felt his stomach rolling over and rising into his throat. I didn't do anything, he wanted to wail. We had no more than a cuddle. But they wouldn't believe him, and he could not bring himself to beg.

  'Well, Captain, well?' demanded Lanken.

  'Give the man his right,' called the crew. 'He has his right.'

  'Mr Hilton?'

  Dick licked his lips. 'If the captain insists.'

  'Insists?' Lanken bellowed. 'Insists? Let me at him, Captain. Let me at him.'

  'Swords,' decided the mate. 'There's less risk of a fatality. And he will have his blood. He deserves his blood.'

  'Swords?' Tony cried. 'We have no swords.'

  'We have,' said the mate.

  Captain Morrison sighed. 'Sorry, I am, Mr Hilton. But it'll be the only way to have peace, and we've another fortnight at sea, at best. You've brought it on yourself.'

  'Swords?' Dick muttered. Sweat broke out on his neck. He had never even touched a sword, much less handled one.

  'But it'll be done proper,' the captain decided. 'Daybreak. Aye, there's an hour or two, for tempers to cool. Daybreak. Back to your bunks. Everyone settle. Daybreak. Captain Lanken, you'll practise no violence, upon either this young man or your wife. You'll have your satisfaction at dawn. Understood?'

  Lanken glared at Dick. 'Oh, aye. I can wait. But you'll accompany me, madam.'

  Joan hesitated, then crawled out of the boat. 'You heard the captain.'