by Louise, Kara
“She ’as a point,” Torch said with a laugh.
Lockerly glared at Torch and then turned back to the ladies. “Aye, then, but only two at a time.” He raised his sword and pointed it at Timmons and Mr. Joyner. “An’ if ye don’t return quickly, ye’ll regret it. We’ll come afta ya an’ kill one of the men!”
Mrs. Joyner began to sway, and Elizabeth turned to grab her. She told Mrs. Keller and Mrs. Dillard to go first, while she attempted to calm Mrs. Joyner. This might give her time to compose a plan.
When the two ladies returned, Elizabeth pulled Mrs. Joyner to her feet. “Come with me,” she whispered. “The air will help you.”
The ladies walked away from the cave. Mrs. Joyner held tightly to Elizabeth’s hand and leaned as close to her as she could as they walked past Lockerly. They set out for some dense shrubbery where they could discreetly take care of their needs. As they walked back, Elizabeth began to pick up large rocks and then slipped them into the pockets of her gown.
“What are you doing?” asked Mrs. Joyner in an alarmed whisper. Fear was etched in her features, and her voice shook.
“I am merely arming myself. Here, you take some.”
“Oh, I could do no such thing!’ exclaimed Mrs. Joyner.
A noise brought the conversation and walk to a halt. Elizabeth brought a finger to her lips in the hopes that Mrs. Joyner would remain calm and silent. She could hear the distinctive sound of someone walking hurriedly through the brush. Her heart thundered at the prospect that whoever was coming might be here to either rescue them or ravage them.
Elizabeth forcefully brought Mrs. Joyner down behind some rocks and bushes as the person drew near. If she could only see who it was! It might not help, but it could not hurt. She knew it could not be anyone from the cave, and she did not think it could be the men who were on the shore. The person was walking from the other direction.
Elizabeth peered through the dense foliage and watched with eyes like a hawk, waiting for the person to appear. She gripped one of the larger rocks in her pocket, fingering it tightly. Suddenly a man came out from around a bend. He was alone! But to her dismay, he looked much like Lockerly, with his long, unkempt hair and beard. He was wearing a tri-corn hat, billowy white shirt, and red sash. He walked stealthily, patting his sword, which was sheathed in a leather baldric. She quickly deduced that he, too, must be a pirate!
Just as he passed, Elizabeth took aim, bit her lip, and struck him in the head with all her strength!
*~*~*
The Devil’s Seamaiden had been able to pull fairly close to the small island around to the south. The fog shrouded them as they drew near. As the sea on that side was relatively free of rocky outcroppings, there was no fear of striking one. Darcy and Bellows hand-picked four men from the crew – those they deemed most reliable and loyal – to accompany them onto the small island. The remaining crew were left to man the ship.
The six men rowed across in the small dinghy, making it quickly it to shore. Darcy’s plan was to have two men search along the beach in the direction of the pirates who staved off the merchant’s ship boat with gunfire and have the other two walk along the shore in the opposite direction to see what they would find. He asked Bellows to give the men a course of action should they encounter any pirates and then to follow him.
As Bellows spoke with the men, Darcy quickly looked about him, alert to any sign that the pirates might be close by. When he was convinced they had not been seen, he hurriedly began walking inland in hopes of finding the prisoners, particularly, Elizabeth.
The rapid beating of his heart propelled his pace and lengthened his stride. A great fear gripped him that any delay could mean disaster for Elizabeth.
He lowered his head to pass through some shrubs. As he brushed aside some branches and came through, he saw a flash of movement to the side and instinctively raised his hand as something came towards him. He felt a searing pain above his right eye, which stunned him momentarily, taking him to the ground.
Darcy lay dazed for a moment, hearing voices.
Another voice – Bellows – sounded from a distance. “Cap’n Smith, are you hurt?”
“Oh, Lord!” a woman cried. “Here comes another pirate! We shall all die now, I am sure of it!”
“Ladies, fear not, we are here to rescue you!”
Suddenly Bellows was beside him, gently shaking him. “Captain Smith, do you hear me?”
Darcy groaned and brought his hand up to his forehead. “What happened?” He could feel the warm trickle of blood and tried to open his eyes as he heard Bellows again.
“Ladies, my name is Bellows. This is Cap’n Smith. I used to serve with Cap’n Meeker, of the merchant ship ye were sailing on. He told us about ye being held by pirates. Ye ’ave Timmons with ye, correct?”
He spoke so rapidly that Darcy could barely make sense of his words.
Suddenly another woman spoke. “You know Timmons? You are not pirates?”
That voice! It was Elizabeth!
“No, we aren’t, despite ’ow we may look,” Bellows reassured her.
“Oh, I am so sorry! Shall he be all right, do you think?”
“I doubt it is a mortal wound. He’ll recover.”
Darcy felt Elizabeth kneel down next to him. She dabbed his forehead with a soft cloth, perhaps a handkerchief. He revelled in her gentle touch. But he had to see her! Despite the pain, he slowly opened his eyes.
He was not quite ready for the shock of actually seeing Elizabeth Bennet so close after so long. Soft, caring eyes looked down upon him instead of the sharp, accusing ones he had last seen at Rosings. Something inside of him reacted with great force, and he found himself unwittingly reaching out and grasping her hand.
“Oh!” Elizabeth exclaimed, trying to pull her hand free. “I am so sorry, sir… Captain… I thought you were a pirate! If I had but known! Pray, forgive me! Truly, you must believe me. I did not mean to harm you!”
Darcy loosened his grip slightly, but he did not release her hand.
“No, no,” he said. “I am… I’m sorry. I… I didn’t mean to frighten ye.” He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness forced him back down. “I… am a trifle dizzy.”
“We must get back,” the other woman said, tugging at Elizabeth’s free hand. “They threatened to come after us and kill one of the men if we did not return directly!”
Elizabeth looked with an expression of worry at Darcy. He could not take his eyes off of her and was still in possession of her hand. He did not wish to release it, as he felt that as long as he held it, she would be safe.
Elizabeth touched the handkerchief to his forehead again. “I fear it is still bleeding, Captain. I am so sorry!”
“You had every reason in the world to think ill of me. You… ye thought I was another pirate. How many pirates are there?” he asked, gently giving her hand a squeeze.
Elizabeth furrowed her brow and bit her lip, a look of confusion passing over her features. “There are four in the cave, and I believe two are on the beach. They shot at the men who tried to come over after us! My father and cousin were on the boat!”
“They are all safe,” Darcy said. “We stopped to give assistance to the ship when we saw it had struck rock. The men had just returned. No one was hit.”
“Oh, I am so relieved! The women will be, as well. But please, you must be careful. One of the pirates is named Lockerly, and he seems…”
“Lockerly!” both men said at once, looking at each other.
“This Lockerly, has he harmed you… any of the ladies?” Darcy asked, his hand squeezing hers again in dread.
Elizabeth shook her head. “No, fortunately he has not.”
“We ’ave to send the ladies back to the cave,” Bellows said. He turned to Elizabeth. “If Lockerly ’as threatened the lives of the others, ye probably should go. We shall gather the rest of our men an’ devise a plan to git ye all away from ’em.”
“There are more of you? Oh, thank heavens! You may have a
fighting chance against them as they are a little unsteady from too much drink.”
“’Tis good to know,” Bellows replied. “Ken you point out exactly where the cave is?”
Elizabeth pointed in the direction of the cave and then said, “We truly must go. Thank you, and again, I am truly sorry.” She looked at the captain, and with a gentle smile said, “Excuse me, Captain Smith, but may I please have my hand back?”
Darcy released it immediately. “Sorry, so sorry! Please be careful!”
“We will. You, as well. And pray, keep my handkerchief. It is the least I can do after what I have done.” Elizabeth looked back to Bellows. “Lockerly stands guard at the entrance.”
Bellows fingered his jaw. “If ye ken think of any way to distract ’im, that might help.”
Elizabeth nodded. “I shall certainly try!”
Darcy watched the two ladies walk away. He felt a mixture of relief that she was safe but still had a great deal of concern for her welfare.
Bellows stooped down. “Are ye quite well, Cap’n? Ye seemed a bit odd jest now.”
Darcy looked up at him. “I did? In what way?”
“Well, in the first place, graspin’ the lady’s ’and like ye did an’ ’oldin’ it fer so long. I thought ye’d never let go!”
“Oh, that. I suppose it was a little reckless of me.”
“Ahh, but a perfect display of unrefined behaviour! Good move on yer part. But I regret to tell ye that yer speech were not always that of a commoner. No matter ’ow perty they may be, ye ken’t be speakin’ to the ladies one way an’ yer crew another.”
Darcy rubbed his head. “I was a bit taken aback.” He looked up at Bellows. “My head… me head, ye know. I need a moment.”
That was the truth. He needed to clear his thoughts and determine what they should do.
Darcy took in a deep breath. “Ken ye go find the others? See what they’ve found? Bring ’em back ’ere. We ken’t wait too long, though, to go in and take care o’ the pirates.”
“I’ll go see if I ken find them. Ye wait here an’ gather your wits. I’ll be right back!”
Darcy was left to his thoughts… and to gather his wits. He still felt dizzy, but he did not know if it was due to his head injury or to being in such close proximity to Elizabeth. He had not been able to formulate one thought with her so near, let alone speak to her in the unrefined manner he had practiced so extensively. He sat up slowly, leaned against a nearby rock, and examined the situation.
If the men were indeed as drunk as Elizabeth thought they were, the advantage would be in his and his crew’s favour. He and his men also had the benefit of surprise, but he and Lockerly were equally matched in the number of men each had. Unfortunately, Lockerly and his men might have their greatest advantage in possessing better fighting skills.
As he waited for Bellows to return, he thought about Elizabeth. Looking down at her blood-soaked handkerchief, he let out a sigh. He had to admit he enjoyed her close presence, the lavender scent that permeated the lace and linen fabric, the few loose strands of her hair that framed her face, and the look of care and concern with which she looked at him. If he told her who he really was, would she pull away, allowing all her resentment and anger towards him to resurface?
He looked down at his clothes and fingered his full beard. No, he would not tell her who he was. He would not want her to see him in such a state. Perhaps someday, but not now. He only hoped she would not recognize him… or had not already. And he would have to make every effort to speak as the common sea captain she thought he most likely was.
“No, Miss Elizabeth,” he said softly, wiping some sand and dirt off his sleeves. “I won’t be puttin’ ye in an awkward situation by announcin’ to ye that I’m the man ye despise most in all the world. But…” he added with a sigh, “I’ll do everythin’ I ken to keep ye safe. That, I will do!”
“Talkin’ to yerself?” Bellows said with a soft chuckle, suddenly appearing with Webber and Jenkins.
“No…no. Did ye find out anythin’?”
“We saw a small ship to the east,” offered Jenkins.” Prob’ly holds a crew of only ’bout eight to twelve men.”
“The ladies believed there were only six men on the island. There might be more still on the ship. And ’ave you seen any of our other men?” Darcy asked.
“No, they hadn’t returned,” Bellows said. “We thought we should git back an’ do what we ken to git the ladies away from these marauders first.”
“I agree.” Darcy looked from one man to another, noticing their willing, but somewhat troubled, faces.
As Darcy cautiously stood up, he said, “Jest keep yer ’ead, grip yer cutlass tightly, be aware of what’s goin’ on around ye, an’ watch out fer one another.” Darcy touched his brow with the handkerchief. The soft, silky fabric reminded him of the feel of Elizabeth’s skin and seemed to give him strength. The only pain he felt now was the one in his stomach that had been there ever since hearing Miss Elizabeth Bennet had been captured by pirates.
“Are ye ready, men? Let’s go an’ capture those ruthless pirates!”
Chapter 11
As the two ladies hurried back to the cave, Elizabeth cautioned Mrs. Joyner not to mention a word about the two men they had seen. The poor woman was so distraught Elizabeth was not certain what she might do.
“How do we know we can trust them?” Mrs. Joyner asked. Her eyes were wide, and her face had drained of all colour. “For all we know, those two men could be the two pirates at the beach, Bloody Clem and Scarface Jack!”
Elizabeth leaned towards Mrs. Joyner and spoke in a fervent whisper, hoping to reassure her. “I do not believe they were.” She took Mrs. Joyner’s hand and said with a light-hearted chuckle, “I am certain someone called Scarface Jack would have a scar on his face. I did not see a noticeable scar on either of their faces, although poor Captain Smith will likely have one after what I did to him!”
“But they may have been pirates who are just as ruthless and looking to fight Lockerly.” Mrs. Joyner patted her heart. “You saw how they looked at each other when you told them Lockerly was here.”
Elizabeth bit her lip and took in a deep breath. “I did notice it, but for some reason… I am not certain why… I believe we can trust these men.”
“Ye took a long time!” barked Lockerly as they approached. “We was about ready to go after ya!”
“We apologize. We took a wrong turn and had to find our way back.” Elizabeth was grateful when they seemed to accept her story.
Lockerly stood fixed at the opening to the cave, looking out. If he remained there, the men would not be able to take him by surprise. Elizabeth had to do something to distract him. But how would she know when the men were close by?
Torch was adding wood to the fire with a wide grin. He seemed to be rather enjoying his employment.
A few minutes later, Elizabeth heard the whistling of a bird. Lockerly seemed to notice it as well, turning his head curiously in its direction. It did not sound like any bird Elizabeth had ever heard before, although she knew a myriad of different birds inhabited these islands.
She heard it again, and her heart began to beat thunderously as she realized it was probably the men. Lockerly began to walk towards the sound, seemingly intent to find out what it was. She had to do something directly!
Elizabeth stood up and began to walk over towards the edge of the cave. “May I stand by the fire? I am quite chilled.”
Lockerly spun around. “What are you doin’? Where do ye think ye are goin’?”
“I merely wanted to warm myself by the fire.”
“Git back where ye were!” Lockerly ordered.
Elizabeth turned around to walk back to the ladies, but as she did, she fell to the ground. “Oh! My ankle! I think I may have twisted it!”
Lockerly stormed towards her, anger etched in his features. “Ye should’ve stayed where ye was!”
As he looked down at her in disgust, a commotion drew every eye
to the cave entrance, where four men stood with their swords drawn.
Lockerly deftly spun around, lifting his sword to the ready. His three fellow pirates, however, struggled to get up and arm themselves.
Captain Smith and his men stepped into the shelter of the cave, their eyes all fixed on Lockerly.
Lockerly appeared more amused by their appearance than troubled. He unexpectedly laughed. “Ha!” he said with an evil grin, pointing his sword at the captain. “I take it ye are the one who ’as been impersonatin’ me! What a poor excuse fer a pirate!”
“I order ye to give yerself up an’ release yer prisoners,” the captain said. “If ye do as we say, we may jest spare yer lives!”
“I ’ave never been known to give up, even when faced with a formidable foe!” he replied with a sneer. “By the looks of yer feeble crew, it won’t be much of an effort to ’ang ye all up by yer thumbs!” He sent a leering glance at the ladies, his eyes as black as his hair. “An’ then we’ll enjoy the ladies right ’ere in front of the lot of ya!”
Elizabeth noticed the captain glance in her direction, his face filled with rage. Their eyes met for a brief second before his turned back to Lockerly. “You had… ye ’ad best not lay a single ’and on any of these ladies!” he demanded.
Bellows intervened. “By the look of yer crew, I doubt they will be of much use to you! They’re all swimmin’ in the drink!”
“Bellows!” Timmons suddenly cried out when he recognized his friend’s voice. “Thank heavens you’re here!”
This drew Lockerly’s attention, and Elizabeth watched as Captain Smith took advantage of the opportunity to come at him with his sword drawn. Mrs. Joyner screamed as the clang of metal resounded in the cave. The two men danced around each other, the tips of their swords slicing through the air with precision.
Elizabeth shuddered as Lockerly threatened his opponent. “I so look forward to piercin’ you through wi’ my sword. No one…no one… impersonates me an’ gits away with it!” She wondered why the captain had been impersonating the pirate, but had to admit they had great similarities in their appearance.