by Amber Flame
Franklin’s brain barely perceived the sound of a baby crying. He had passed out after drinking himself into a drunken stupor. Now sound was registering in his head, and he opened his eyes.
The first thing that met his eyes was a rent in the clouds, through which poured a brilliant ray of sunlight. The beam shone magnificently down through the clouds, down directly onto the deck of the ship, and he followed it with his eyes to where it shone on the head of a baby. He could almost hear angels singing.
The baby began to cry.
“Elizabeth!” he said excitedly (Franklin, not the baby). “Elizabeth!” Frantically he pulled at the sail tied around him, but he had tied a double half hitch and the knot was soaked so he had a hell of a time. Meanwhile Elizabeth had regained her strength enough to sit up and pick up her baby. She held the tiny thing (tiny--9 lb. 7 ounces) to her breast and pushed the gook away from its face.
“Elizabeth!” Franklin said. He finally got pissed off and ripped what was left of the sail, then promptly fell on the floor. Overcome with emotion, he crawled to Elizabeth.
“My--my,” he stammered. “My--son?”
“It’s a boy,” she affirmed. The baby’s black hair shone in the celestial ray of sunlight as if crowned with a halo. With sturdy little hands, he reached up and grabbed his mother’s hair and pulled. Elizabeth turned her head away and tried to release her hair, but her eyes were caught by a different sight.
“Franklin!” she said. “Look!”
Franklin looked. To the west the clouds were ripping apart like strands of cotton and beneath them now showed the vestiges of land, and on the land--civilization.
“Is that America?” she asked excitedly.
“Yes,” shouted Franklin. “Yes! We made it! We made it through the storm and that’s Charleston!”
Franklin’s yelling made the baby cry, and Elizabeth tried to hush him.
“Franklin,” she said, “I think I should go back below deck and get some warm blankets around him. It’s too cold up here for him.”
“Nonsense, “ Franklin said. “He’s a sailor’s son. He can take it.”
She glared at him.
“Oh, all right. Come on. I’ll help you.”
Once Franklin had settled her and the baby comfortably in the cabin and brought fresh sheets and towels, he went back up on deck to steer the ship into port. Elizabeth busied herself with cleaning and wrapping the baby, singing and crooning to the little thing all the while. As tired and sore as she was, she was also blissfully happy.
She had already named her son Rathbone Basil Elliott, or Rath for short. That would be easy for old Ely to say, she thought. “What do you think your father would think of you, Rath?” she asked him. “But you know your father may never see you. We shall just have to keep our fingers crossed.”
She kept her finger, crossed, but it was hard to pin a diaper that way. Franklin came down once more to say they were nearing port and to be ready to disembark. They were both relieved to be done with the exhausting journey.
Franklin brought the Black Beauty expertly into port and threw down the gangplank himself. Once he was sure the boat had been securely tied, he went below for Elizabeth and Rath.
“Are you ready, my dear?” he said. Elizabeth nodded, her son wrapped warmly at her breast, and Franklin took her elbow. Together the handsome trio stepped off the ship onto American soil.
Some years before, Franklin had bought a place outside of Charleston, and he hired a buggy to drive them there. He had bought it against the time when he would no longer be a free man in England due to his outlaw ways. Now he was happy he had some place to take his family.
The place was a little dusty and musty from standing empty, but he quickly threw it open and helped Elizabeth clean up the master bedroom. With the money from the slaves he had sold to the Count, he promised her he would furnish the house with grand furniture, whatever was her desire. But he insisted the bed would have mirrors on the top.
In two days the house was clean and outfitted on a comfortable level with black slaves to care for it and Elizabeth. She had a nursemaid, a maid, a hairdresser and a seamstress. Franklin had seen to her every comfort and Rath was thriving. Franklin was even talking about selling his ship and settling down, buying more and more of the unimproved land bordering his own. On the outskirts of Charleston it was still wild and untamed, yet Franklin envisioned that it would not be long before the Indians were driven back and the land turned to gold.
One evening Franklin and Elizabeth sat contentedly eating dinner. The serving girl had placed the main dish before them and retreated back to the kitchen. Elizabeth sipped her wine and planned her day for tomorrow until Franklin interrupted her thoughts.
“Are you feeling back to normal, love?” he asked.
She turned considerate eyes to her husband’s brother.
“Yes,” she said. “I feel much improved.”
“Good.” He snaked one hand across the lace tablecloth and covered hers. “How about a roll in the hay?”
“Oh, Franklin,” she said. “Do you think we should? After all, it’s only been a week since Rath was born.”
“That’s plenty of time.” He touched his hand gently to her cheek, then to her breast. She blushed. “You know you were made for love, don’t you? This past week has been hell for me knowing that your body is vacant and waiting. Actually, I’ve got a terrible case of blue balls.”
“I don’t know....” she began.
Just then the doorbell rang. The black butler (he was actually dark brown) answered the door, then came into the dining room.
“A gentleman to see you, Masa,” he said. He had a funny look on his face.
Franklin got up, cursing under his breath and threw his napkin down. “Are you really trying to say, ‘Master,’ or are you calling me a tamale?”
“Say what?” the butler asked.
“Never mind. Damnation!” Franklin said. “Who the hell comes at this hour?” Franklin went into the foyer and Elizabeth resumed eating. She was just as glad for the interruption. Perhaps she would have more time to recover.
As she went to sip her tea, she heard a startled, “Egad!” from Franklin. She pushed her chair back and went into the foyer to see what had so surprised him.
Funny, she thought, I don’t remember hanging a mirror in the foyer. Then she realized she wasn’t seeing an image of Franklin.
“Benjamin!” she said happily. She rushed to him and threw her arms around him.
“I’m Benjamin,” said the man she had not hugged.
“Oh,” she said. She looked from one to the other. “Are you sure?”
“Of course, I’m sure. Can’t you see how worn and weary I am from traveling halfway around the world to find you?”
“Oh, Benjamin,” she said. “I’m so glad you finally found me. You don’t know what I’ve been through.”
“Yes,” said Benjamin, looking about at the splendor of the house. “I can see you’ve been roughing it.”
“It’s been awful! I was kidnapped by highwaymen in France and recaptured by Franklin and abducted by savages in Africa and rescued by Franklin and stolen away by voodoo natives and saved by Franklin....”
“Where is my son?” he interrupted. “I heard you bore a son.”
“Oh, yes. Do you to want to see him? His name is Rathbone Basil Elliott, but Rath for short.”
She took a step toward the stairs but then a great thunder of hoof beats was heard up the front drive. The black servant opened the door to admit Farnbuck, Franklin’s man.
“Farnbuck!” said Franklin.
“Sir!” said Farnbuck.
“Aren’t you Pramburg?” Benjamin asked.
“No, this is Farnbuck,” Elizabeth said. “I already mistook him for Pramburg earlier.”
“What is it, Farnbuck?” Franklin asked.
“Well, sir,” said Farnbuck, casting an icy glance to Benjamin, “I came to tell you this man was here, just came into port, and was headed this
way. But I see I’m too late.”
“That’s all right,” Franklin said. “I appreciate the effort.” Just then they heard more clattering of horses’ hooves and the black servant opened the door again. Trevor hurried in.
“Sir!” said Trevor to Franklin.
“No, you want him,” said Franklin, pointing to Benjamin.
“Trevor!” Elizabeth cried excitedly.
“Sir!” said Trevor again.
“Yes, Trevor, what is it?” Benjamin asked.
“Remember I told you I wished to leave your employ to get married, sir?” the trusty servant asked.
“Yes,” said Benjamin.
“Well, we’d like to get married as soon as possible, sir. Would tonight be too soon?”
“No, no, that’s fine. Where is the bride?”
“Outside, sir. May I...?”
“Yes, yes. Let’s have a look.”
Trevor opened the door and signaled to his waiting bride. Elizabeth thought surely Trevor would not have asked Christine to marry him? He had hardly seemed interested in her.
When Trevor turned back to face them, Pramburg stood proudly at his side.
“Pramburg!” said Elizabeth.
“Farnbuck!” said Franklin.
“It’s my long lost brother!” said Farnbuck.
“My long lost brother!” said Pramburg.
The two newly met brothers fell into each other’s embrace happily. Tears of joy ran down their faces, and Trevor beamed.
“It’s a very happy occasion, isn’t it?” he asked no one in particular.
Then the Magistrate arrived.
“I’m here to perform a wedding. Where is the happy couple?”
“Here,” said Trevor, and the bride took his place beside the groom.
“There are enough witnesses here,” said Benjamin, “now I want to see my son.”
“Of course,” said Elizabeth happily. She left the wedding party and Franklin, him scowling terribly over his brother’s arrival. Benjamin followed her up the richly carpeted stairs to the nursery. Going to the ornate crib, she lifted out her son and handed him to Benjamin.
Rath reached out and touched his tiny baby hands to Benjamin’s face, then farted. At the release of his gas he felt better and he smiled up at Benjamin.
“He is my son, isn’t he?” Benjamin asked.
“He’s mine!” said Franklin suddenly from the doorway. “Not only was he conceived by me on my ship, but he was birthed on my ship, and he’s my son!”
“No, mine!” said Benjamin.
“Mine!” insisted Franklin.
“Wait a minute,” Elizabeth screamed. “You’re acting like children.”
“Can you settle this?” Benjamin asked. “Do you know who is his father?”
“Well,” she said, “I’m not entirely sure, but I do have a feeling about it. Let me show you.”
Taking Rath, she pulled his blanket from around him, pulled off his diaper and held him up.
“Now that kid is really hung,” Benjamin said proudly. “That proves he’s mine!” He took Rath back and bounced him happily in his arms.
“All right,” said Franklin. “Maybe the brat is yours, so you can take him and go. But Elizabeth stays here.”
“Ha!” laughed Benjamin. “She’s my wife, by God and by law and you’ll not lay a finger on her again.”
“It’s not my finger I want to lay on her.”
“Or that, either,” said Benjamin. He put Rath down in his crib and discovered the baby had peed on his shirt. He turned to Elizabeth.
“Now that I’ve found you, I don’t intend to ever lose you again.” He reached out and pulled her close, his fingers burning her flesh on her bare shoulders, his eyes piercing the depth of hers. He pulled her to him and kissed her hungrily, searchingly. His breath was hot on her cheek and his hands were warm as they slid around her body. One hand strayed to her bosom where it gently caressed the swelling roundness of her breast, causing shivers to go down her spine.
“Oh, Benjamin, “ she breathed weakly. “It’s been so long.”
“I know, love,” he said. “Too long.” With expert precision he unbuttoned her gown from the back and it fell into a pile at her feet. She stood clad only in a tiny lace chemise, which barely veiled her generous charms.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Franklin asked snidely. The startled couple looked over, remembering him.
“What?” Benjamin scowled.
“Aren’t you forgetting,” said Franklin to Elizabeth, “that it was I who rescued you from the Africans, and I who cared for you during your pregnancy and I who saved you from the Santa Dominican natives and I who brought you safely through the storm? Not Benjamin, but me!”
“That’s true,” said Elizabeth thoughtfully.
“But it was I who married you after you were ravished by that bounder,” said Benjamin.
“That’s true, too,” she said.
“But it was my man who saved you from those French highwaymen when Benjamin sent you away,” Franklin said.
“But it was my man who loaned you a dress when you had nothing,” said Benjamin. “And,” he added slyly, “I was the one who inherited the family jewels, as you well know.”
“Yes, I know,” said Elizabeth.
“But,” said Franklin, “It’s I who have the French Tickler!”
“That tears it,” said Elizabeth. “Benjamin, I’m sorry, but I can’t go with you. I’m staying with Franklin.”
“What?” said Benjamin.
“Ha!” said Franklin.
“How can you do that?” Benjamin asked. “How can you leave your own lawfully wedded husband for a pirate and a rogue?”
“Well, actually,” said Elizabeth, “he has this really cute German Shepard....”
Little did they know as they discussed Elizabeth’s future that her fate hung in the balance. Gathering outside in the cover of the plantation bushes were Indians, savage red men who would not be pushed west by the white civilization, and who had seen the beauty of the golden-haired white woman.
“Ug,” said the Chief, Stands in the Rain. “You guys go around front of white man house and make disturbance. Spotted Bear and Farts Under Blanket come with me to the back and when the white men run outside, I will get the white woman. I will have the sun-haired one for my wife. Everybody understand his maneuver?”
“Ug,” said one.
“Ug.”
“Ug.”
“Good. Synchronize watches and go.”
* * *