by R. V. Bowman
Hook blew out a breath. “I can’t. We’ll rescue your Alice, but...I can’t leave here, not until Pan is gone.”
“Then at least tell me why. I think I deserve to know what’s so important that it’s taken you away most of my life, and why you risked Alice today.” Rommy pressed her lips together to stop their trembling and looked back up. “If something happens to her, Papa, I...I...I don’t know if I can forgive you.”
Hook let go of her hand and rubbed his face. “It’s a long story and difficult to tell.”
Rommy crossed her arms. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Hook frowned, and after a long moment, nodded once. “Maybe it’s time then.”
He rose from his chair and moved toward the back of the cabin behind the screen where his bed was. She could hear him rummaging around in the small chest of drawers with the cubbies on top.
“Blast, where is it?” she heard him say and then the sounds of furniture scraping. A few moments later, he reemerged, a photograph in his hand.
“I don’t know how this got underneath the bed,” he said and placed the picture on the table. Rommy pulled the photograph toward her, already knowing what she would see. It was the photo she had found just before Pan had attacked the ship last night. In it, her father stood behind a woman who looked like an older version of Rommy herself. On her lap sat a chubby infant with a head of dark curls.
Rommy raised her eyes from the photo and met her father’s gaze. The anguish twisting his features shocked her. For a moment, guilt washed over Rommy for pushing him into talking about this. Whatever had happened, it was still painful for her father, that was plain to see.
“You’ve always told me Mama died when I was born,” she said slowly.
Hook nodded his head. “She did.”
“Then, who is this?” Rommy asked, pointing to the baby.
“That was your brother, Sebastian.”
“My brother? I have a brother? Where is he? Why have I never met him? Is he a Lost Boy?” Rommy’s questions tumbled over each other in her excitement. She’d always been envious of all Francie’s siblings.
“You did have a brother, Rommy, but he died.” Hook turned the chair around and sat down heavily. “Right here on this island.”
“What happened, Papa?” Rommy leaned toward him.
Hook’s eyes were haunted as he stared into the past, and his voice was expressionless as he began his story. “Your mother and I were picnicking in Covington Gardens. Camilla loved the flowers there. Sebastian was about five, and we were expecting you. Your brother was playing, and then he was just gone. We searched and searched, but he had disappeared.”
Hook paused and swallowed. “The only thing we found was his slingshot. He carried it with him everywhere. Next to it was a pile of sparkling dust.” Hook shook his head, his face gray and drawn. “We called a constable, and there was a great search. The authorities helped us comb the gardens from one end to the other, but Sebastian was just gone. The only clue we had was another child, who claimed a boy dressed in a brown tunic and green leggings flew up to Sebastian and pulled him into the bushes.”
“It was Pan, wasn’t it?” breathed Rommy, her eyes wide.
“At the time, nobody took this child seriously, including me. A flying boy? It seemed impossible. We finally went back home, not knowing what else to do.”
Hook’s voice caught, and he cleared it before continuing. “I had to almost carry your mother away. She didn’t want to leave in case our boy turned up or someone came forward. When she did finally consent to go home, she kept pacing to the window, looking out to see if anyone was coming with news. I eventually convinced her to lie down, but it was too late. The upset brought on her labor pains too early. You were born five weeks before the doctor had predicted. It didn’t matter. You shouted your arrival to the world for everyone to hear.” A slight smile curved Hook’s mouth, and he gently touched Rommy’s cheek. “Your mother got to see you, but she died soon afterwards. The doctor said it was her weak heart, but I will always believe that losing Sebastian was too much for her fragile health, and it killed her.”
“But how did you find out about Neverland? How did you even get here?” Rommy asked, leaning toward her father.
Hook straightened and dashed a hand across his eyes. “It wasn’t easy, but I had to know what happened. It felt like a clock was ticking inside of me, and Sebastian’s time was running out. The only clues I had were the child’s story about the flying boy and the pile of sparkling dust. It took a lot of searching, and keep in mind I had you at home. You had a nanny, but I didn’t want to let you too far out of my sight. You were the only thing I had left in this world.” Hook’s voice became rough, but he continued. “I hunted down any rumor or story about a flying boy or the sparkling dust. The answers finally led me to an old man who owned a bookshop just off Piccadilly Square. It’s a small place, and I’m not sure if it still exists. The man was quite elderly when I first talked to him, and that was at least 10 years ago. He told me about Neverland and a lad named Peter Pan. I didn’t believe him at first, but I was out of options.”
“However did you get to Neverland, though? I thought grown-ups couldn’t fly.”
“You have to understand, Rommy, I was desperate,” said Hook. “I trapped several of the fairies that inhabit a few of the gardens around London. I took their pixie dust and forced them to show me how to get here.”
From her father’s expression, Rommy realized she didn’t want to know how he had done that. “Did you see Sebastian? Did you find him?” Rommy was perched on the edge of her seat now, intent on her father’s answers.
Hook deflated into his chair as if someone had leaked the life out of him. “No, no, I didn’t. I was too late. He was already dead. There was another pirate captain before I came here. Sebastian died in a battle Pan had with that man and his crew.”
“No,” Rommy cried. Even though she knew her brother was dead, part of her had been expecting a different ending.
“Unfortunately, he had died only a short time before I found Neverland.” Hook’s good hand curled into a fist, and his voice was rough. “I’ll never forgive myself for not getting here more quickly, for not believing that child’s story sooner. As it was, it took over a year before I discovered this place existed or how to get here.”
Rommy jumped from her chair and threw her arms around her father. “Oh Papa, it wasn’t your fault! How could you have guessed all this even existed?”
Her father’s arms squeezed her back. “He was my son. I should have found a way, but I didn’t. Now, do you understand why I can’t rest until Pan pays for his deeds?”
Rommy squeezed her father tighter and nodded. Silently, she promised herself that somehow, someway, she would help Papa make this right.
Chapter 7:
Musings in the Riggings
Rommy sat among the rigging, staring at the photograph of her father, mother, and the brother she hadn’t known existed until just a few hours ago.
Far below her on the deck, she could see her father’s men moving around the deck like so many mice. Snatches of songs and voices filtered up to her perch, but the whistling wind muffled the sounds.
Her father had made it clear he didn’t want her around the crew, and after her run-in with Corelli, she almost saw his point. Besides, after his revelations, Rommy didn’t feel much like talking to anyone.
With a finger, she traced the face of the chubby infant in the picture. While her father and mother looked serious in the picture, the baby’s face was wreathed in smiles. It was no wonder her father was so bent on revenge. Rommy understood now why her father was so driven to get rid of Pan.
She sighed. Once they had retrieved Alice, the chances of talking her father into returning to London and of giving up this quest seemed remote now. A thought had wormed its way to the front of her mind and wouldn’t leave her alone. Why was his revenge for her brother’s death more important than she was? He had said she was the most important
person in the world to him, but it didn’t feel that way.
Rommy immediately felt guilty. She remembered the anguish on Papa’s face when he spoke of his son and wife. Until a short while ago, she didn’t even know Sebastian had existed, so in all honesty, it was difficult to mourn him. She had always wanted a sibling, but she couldn’t pretend sorrow for someone she had never met. And even with Mama, it was more the idea of having a mother she missed. After all, Camilla Cavendish had died only hours after Rommy’s birth. It was hard to miss someone you didn’t know.
Rommy stood up on the wooden beam, put the picture into her trouser pocket, and looked toward the bow of the boat. Her father was talking to Smee, his hook flashing as he gestured.
A sadness weighed her down, and she realized the person she missed the most, the one she mourned for, was the one still alive—her father. The sadness pressed down on her harder. Rommy, after years of relying on herself, had a practical streak. She realized with a certainty she couldn’t shake that her father would never really be a true part of her life until Papa defeated Pan or let the idea of revenge go. She doubted that would ever happen. She blinked back tears as the hopelessness of it all washed over her.
She reached up a hand to wipe the tears away when suddenly a glowing ball of light appeared in front of her face. Rommy recognized the creature as a fairy, but it wasn’t Nissa, the fairy that always seemed to be flittering around Finn. This one wore a tiny iridescent dress that shimmered between green and blue. Her black hair floated around her small pointed face, and big green eyes blinked at Rommy. The tiny creature hovered in front of her face and pulled something dark out of a minuscule bag it carried. She thrust it into Rommy’s face, and when Rommy closed her hand around the object, she felt something crackle. When she opened her hand, a single dark curl lay in her hand along with a small piece of parchment. Cold dread bloomed in her stomach, and her hands trembled as she smoothed out the paper.
Come to the caves alone, and Alice can go free. If you don’t come, the next thing I send won’t be a curl. You have until sunrise. Peter
“What caves?” Rommy asked, but the fairy had disappeared while she was reading. Her knees turned wobbly, and she sank back down on the wooden beam. What was she going to do? What would she tell Papa? He’d never let her go alone, but if he didn’t...
Suddenly a face appeared in front of her. The face was upside down. Rommy blinked at it in confusion and quickly closed her hand to hide the curl and paper.
“Hi!” The face disappeared and then Max was standing next to her, grinning. He balanced on the end of the beam with only blue sky around him, but he looked relaxed.
His smile slid away when he saw her reddened eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong?” he asked.
Rommy felt her cheeks burn. She hated crying, and it was so embarrassing that this young man would catch her at it. After her breakdown on the deck earlier, he must think her some kind of watering pot.
She forced a smile. “Nothing at all. The wind is just making my eyes water is all. It’s Max, right?”
“That’s my name, alright,” he said cheerfully. “I was to let you know the Cap’n, he’s wanting you in his cabin for dinner soon. Nobody saw where’d ya gone, but I thought to myself, if I wanted to have spell to myself, I’d come on up here.”
Max took a deep breath and looked out at the Cove’s blue waters. “Something about being up here, it clears the head, it does.” He smiled down at her and then clapped her on the shoulder, almost sending her spinning off her perch. “Best get moving, though. The Cap’n, he ain’t much fer waiting.” He paused and gazed into her face. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
Rommy forced a smile. “Yes, I’m good. Thank you. I’ll be down soon, I promise.”
Max smiled and with a wink, he dropped off the beam and out of sight. Rommy stared at the space where he had been and peered down. He had already scrambled halfway down the mast.
Despite his words, Rommy didn’t leave just yet. She looked out across the Cove. The sun was getting low in the sky, and a glow was spreading over the waters. It was beautiful, but beneath all that beauty, there lurked something deadly on this island, magic or not. And now she needed to walk into that danger with or without her father’s permission.
Chapter 8:
Dinner with Papa
Rommy sat across from her father. He had taken off his coat, and the lace cuffs of his shirt threatened to drag in his plate. As she watched Papa wincing as he lifted his fork to his mouth, she realized that his missing hand was a bigger issue than she had thought. When he showed up at school that first time sporting a silver hook instead of a hand, she had been horrified. Hook had been quick to assure her he was just fine, and she had accepted it. Now she understood that wasn’t the only struggle he had hidden from her. She shifted in her chair and the paper in her pocket crinkled. Papa wasn’t the only one hiding things anymore.
Her father looked up from his food and smiled. “What is it, my dear?” he asked.
She shrugged and forced a smile onto her face. “I was just remembering yesterday at this time there was a mad battle going on.” She gestured at her plate with sliced beef, fried potatoes and creamed peas. “I think I prefer this.”
Hook chuckled. “It’s much better than battling Pan and those Lost Boys of his.” A look of distaste crossed his face, but he smoothed it away. He lifted another forkful of beef to his mouth.
Rommy looked around the cabin. Smee had put a cloth over the worn table and a merry fire crackled in the potbelly stove. The lanterns had been lit, so a warm glow fell over the space.
Hook had cleared most of his plate, but Rommy had only taken a few bites. “Is the food not to your liking, my dear?” he asked.
“Oh no, Papa,” said Rommy, focusing back on her plate with a guilty flush, very aware of the note and the lock of hair in her pocket. “I was just thinking, so much has happened. It’s hard to take it all in now that things are quiet.”
Hook put down his fork and patted his mouth with a napkin. “You have had quite a few shocks over the past few days, haven’t you? How are you...that is to say...I’m sure Alice must be on your mind and...and all the other things we talked about.” Hook cleared his throat and rolled his big shoulders.
Rommy hesitated and looked down at her plate, away from her father’s piercing gaze. Now would be the time to tell him about Pan’s note, to ask for his help. How could she possibly outsmart Pan when he was expecting her and she was walking onto his territory? It seemed impossible all by herself, but Papa had the whole crew at his disposal. She looked up at her father’s expectant face, and the failed rescue attempt that morning flashed through her mind. Could she trust him? Would he even let her go this time?
She put down the fork she had been using to push her food back and forth. “I’m glad your real life isn’t a secret anymore, and that you told me about my brother and what really happened to Mama,” she said. She shrugged. “But it’s just...I guess I need to get used to it, is all.” She paused. “And I’m worried about Alice.”
Her father cleared his throat again and rearranged his fork on his plate. “Yes, well, I was talking about that to Smee earlier.” He leaned forward. “We need to find where Pan is holed up before we can come up with any kind of plan.”
“When he had Alice and me, he was in those caves, the ones at the base of the cliff on the far side of the island.” Rommy gestured with her hands. “The one where the waterfall is.”
Hook steepled his hand over his hook. “Hmm, maybe I should send one of my men to scout it out, to see if he’s still there. Once we learn where he has Alice, we can mount a surprise attack.” A smile spread across Hook’s face. “And who knows? Perhaps we can catch more than one fish in our net.”
Rommy’s hopes popped like a soap bubble at his words, and she shook her head. “No, Papa! We already lost Alice once.” She leaned forward and grabbed his arm. “Promise me that when we go after her you won’t be just using it as a way to get Pan, not this
time.”
Hook patted her hand but his eyes slid away from hers. “Of course, my dear. Little Alice will be our top priority. Don’t you worry. I’ll bring my best men, and we’ll have her back before you know it.” He straightened his cuffs. “If we happen to catch Pan, too, well, that will just be a happy bonus.”
Rommy’s stomach sank at his words. She was on her own tonight.
“Now,” said Hook, in a determinedly jovial tone, “eat your dinner because I have a surprise for you.”
“A surprise? I’m not sure if I want anymore of those,” Rommy said, meaning every word.
Hook gave a bark of laughter. “I can promise you, this is one you’ll like, my dear. So, hurry and eat up.”
It didn’t take long for Rommy to clean most of her plate. When she set down her fork, her father jumped up and held out his good hand to her.
“Now then,” he said, “you are a young lady, and you’ll soon have Alice with you. I talked with Smee, and we both agreed that it would be best for you to have your own cabin during your time on the ship.”
“But, I thought you had the only cabin, Papa,” said Rommy. “Don’t your men all sleep down below decks?”
Clasping her hand and pulling her toward the door, Hook said, “Yes, most of the men do sleep in the hold below decks, but Smee has his own cabin. It’s much smaller than mine, but he’s agreed to give it up for the duration of your visit.” Her father beamed at her. “I think you’ll find it comfortable.”
“But Papa, I can’t take Mr. Smee’s bed all summer. Wherever will he sleep?”