by Bev Stout
Gerard escorted the guest into the dining room. "Captain Jonathan Hawke," he announced.
As the captain strutted into the dining room, more than one eyebrow peaked, and all were female.
Lord Spencer rose from his chair. "I am delighted you could join us, Captain Hawke."
The captain appeared elegant in a well-tailored blue waistcoat as he greeted each dinner guest he was introduced him to. His swarthy complexion and tangled black hair were in sharp contrast to his shirt's delicate ruffled collar and cuffs. Certain he had raided Mr. Montgomery's wardrobe, Annie could not help but smile.
Hannah and Catherine showed their approval of the captain with eyes glazed over.
Abigail whispered to Annie, "He certainly is not dressed like a drunken toad, and I was expecting someone much older. That is one wickedly handsome man."
Annie whispered back, "I thought it was amusing when you said what you thought he would look like. You know he's not much older than Mr. Montgomery."
Abigail playfully nudged Annie's arm as they giggled together.
"And, of course, you know Annie," Lord Spencer said. "I can't imagine what she and my daughter have found so amusing."
The captain's rigid jaw and stern eyes softened. "Annie and I have met a time or two."
In her white dress, and silk stocking feet, Annie got up from her chair. She twisted a short strand of dark hair between her fingertips. "This is the dress you bought me, Captain. Do you like it?" she shyly asked.
He gestured for Annie to turn in a circle. The dress revealed a young lady who was no longer a child, but not quite a woman. Mr. Montgomery broke the awkward silence. "I believe she looks like an Arabian princess. What are your thoughts, Jonathan?"
No one said a word as the captain studied Annie as if she were storm clouds brewing off a ship's bow. Breathless, Annie awaited the verdict.
"I do not agree with Mr. Montgomery," he finally said. "Annie most certainly does not look like an Arabian princess."
While Hannah and Catherine tittered, Annie put on a brave face, but she knew her red cheeks had given away her humiliation.
Captain Hawke stepped around to the other side of the table. As he cupped Annie's chin in his hand, he gazed down on her with brooding eyes. "When you are an angel, how could you possibly look like an earthly princess?"
The Cudney sisters stopped their snickering and uttered a collective sigh.
After the captain took his seat between Doc and Mr. Montgomery, Abigail asked him, "I am curious, Captain. Will you be returning to the Hollingsworth Estate or going back to the ship?"
"To the ship. Why do you ask?"
"I thought perhaps you fancy Charlotte Hollingsworth. I have not seen her in a while, but I remember her as being rather attractive. Although, I wish she would do something with that dreadful hair of hers. Is there any possibility she will become Mrs. Hawke?"
Abigail's question sent Annie plummeting back to earth.
Lord Spencer looked shocked. "What in the world has gotten into you, Abigail? Show the captain some respect."
"It is quite alright. I find curious women intriguing," the captain said.
With a smile and one slightly raised eyebrow, he looked back at Abigail. "Charlotte is a lovely young woman, but I believe her fiancée, Percy Brighton, would object to her becoming my wife. I am surprised you were not aware of Charlotte's engagement."
Hannah's head bobbed up and down. "I knew that," she said.
"Me, too," her sister concurred.
"I have not seen Charlotte or her family for some time," Abigail said. "How do you know The Hollingsworth's, Captain Hawke? You obviously have more than a business relationship with their family."
"I became acquainted with them about three years ago when they were on the Godspeed. They had been guests of Captain Everett," Captain Hawke said.
"I remember Charlotte telling me of her family's plight on that ill-fated ship. An interesting tale, but I believed little of it, especially the part about a gallant pirate."
"I remember you telling me the story," Annie said. "But I thought you believed it."
"I believed it up to a point, but it never could have been Godenot's ship that overtook the Godspeed. Even at age fourteen, I knew his reputation. There would have been no survivors and a gallant pirate is a contradiction in terms," Abigail replied.
"So you dismissed the story as nothing more than a fairy tale?" Captain Hawke said.
Abigail brought her gold fork to her mouth and paused. "I most certainly did. And what were you on The Godspeed, Captain Hawke, a guest or a deckhand?"
The captain twisted the end of his thin mustache. "Neither—I was the gallant pirate."
CHAPTER FIFTY
Captain Hawke's admission and Abigail's clanging fork brought all eating to a standstill. A manservant dashed to catch her utensil in mid-bounce as it ricocheted off the edge of her plate.
Mr. Montgomery surveyed the faces of the stunned dinner guests. "Well, Jonathan, you certainly know how to liven up an evening."
Captain Hawke pulled out his Spanish dagger, speared a duck breast and plopped it onto his plate. "They must have missed the part about my being a gallant pirate."
Annie could not hide her disgust. "If you were one of Godenot's men, there would have been nothing gallant about you."
As Annie and Captain Hawke faced off, the mood at the table became tense.
"You don't understand," Captain Hawke said.
"What is there to understand? Have you forgotten I boarded the Margaret Louise? I know firsthand what Godenot's men are capable of doing. It was a ghost ship. Palmer lost his father because of those pirates, because of men like you."
Ready to flee, Annie rose from her chair. Mr. Montgomery jumped up at the same time.
"Annie, the captain is right. You don't understand," he said.
"We are not talking about just any pirate, Mr. Montgomery. He was one of Godenot's men. How can you defend him? You were on the Margaret Louise with me."
"Yes, but I also was on the Godspeed," Mr. Montgomery said.
"You were on the Godspeed?" Annie turned from Mr. Montgomery to Captain Hawke. "Is that when you saved Mr. Montgomery's life for the second time?"
"Aye, and truth be told, I saved the whole bloody ship."
Annie sat back down. "The whole bloody ship, you say."
Lady Spencer wagged her finger at Annie. "Young lady, watch your tongue."
"Watch your tongue?" Lord Spencer said. "Good grief, woman, is that all you can say after witnessing what has to be the most interesting conversation we have ever had in this dining room?"
If Lord Spencer had sat any closer to the edge of his chair, he would have fallen off. "How could one man, a pirate at that, rescue an entire ship?" He asked the captain.
Captain Hawke held up his hand with his thumb and index finger almost touching. "I may have exaggerated just a bit, sir."
"You are too modest, Jonathan," Mr. Montgomery said as he stabbed at an unseen adversary with his fork. "One moment I am at the helm and the next moment, I am crossing swords with pirates. If Jonathan had not been on our side, those of us on the Godspeed would be nothing more than a memory today."
"Please, I wish to hear more," Lord Spencer said. "If you ladies want to leave, please feel free to do so."
"I would not miss this for the world," Abigail replied.
The two Cudney sisters continued fanning their mother. No one exited the dining room.
Captain Hawke looked at Annie across the table. "Yes, I was a pirate on the Crimson Revenge, but not by choice. Mr. Allan and I…"
Annie looked dumbfounded. "Mr. Allan was a pirate? But he is such a gentle soul."
"Annie, I will try to answer all your questions, but for now, please just listen," the captain said. "As I was saying, Mr. Allan and I were shipmates on the Eden Castle when we were attacked by the Crimson Revenge. After our shipmates, for lack of a better way of putting it, were disposed of; Godenot took us and four other bosu
ns captive. Mr. Allan and I are the only ones who survived. I will spare you the unpleasant details. Mr. Allan and I promised each other that we would do whatever it took to stay alive…and escape.
"After two months, Mr. Allan and I won Godenot's confidence to board a captured ship. What he didn't know, is that five of his pirates agreed to mutiny with us. Their hatred for Godenot far outweighed their fear of him. After the Crimson Revenge fired cannons across the Godspeed's bow, I knew I had to implement my plan or all would be lost." Captain Hawke took a sip of his brandy.
Mr. Montgomery took over. "Even though it had been some ten years since I had last seen Jonathan," Mr. Montgomery said. "I would have recognized him anywhere. His swagger alone would have been hard to forget. When I realized he was on our side, it gave me hope. He had placed his mutineers strategically on the Godspeed, including himself at the bow and Mr. Allan aft."
The captain jumped back into the story. "But if the Godspeed crew hadn't joined in the fight, my plan never would have succeeded. They fought valiantly. Young and old spilt their blood that day. They had nothing to lose.
"Godenot expected little opposition and none from his own crew. Once the fighting began, four more pirates took our side." He looked at Abigail. "Matthew is a fine swordsman, a brave man. He can have my back any day."
"Captain, I should never have doubted you,"Annie said.
"What else were you to think?"
"I suppose, but Captain, I am curious."
Captain Hawke smiled. "Why does that not surprise me?"
"Are there any other pirates now on the Realm besides Mr. Allan?"
"Former pirates," he said.
"I stand corrected," Annie said.
"Would you care to guess?"
"Symington." Who else, Annie thought.
The captain laughed. "Ah, the obvious choice, but no, not Symington. He was the Godspeed's carpenter and Mr. Waverly, their cook. However, Ainsworth was one of Godenot's pirates, as were three of my gunners."
"What became of the Godspeed's captain?" Annie asked.
"Godenot is a cunning fiend. With the sun blinding Everette's eyes, the poor man didn't stand a chance. Before the pirates retreated, Godenot ran Captain Everette through with his sword," Captain Hawke said.
The grisly detail made Lady Cudney's eyes roll back in her head. The Cudney sisters fanned her even faster.
"I knew the Godspeed couldn't outmaneuver the Crimson Revenge and they had no cannons, but we had to try," Captain Hawke said. "But to our relief, Godenot's ship changed course and sailed away."
"Surely, they were more than capable of blowing The Godspeed out of the water," Annie said. "Why didn't they?"
"That is a question I have often asked myself. I will never forget Godenot looking at me from the deck of the Crimson Revenge. God be my witness, he smiled a dead man's smile at me. He will seek his revenge when I least expect it."
As if he had been crossing swords with the pirates himself, Lord Spencer caught his breath. "Quite a tale, gentlemen. Would you care for some more brandy? I know I could use a glass or two."
As the discussion turned to lighter matters of business and politics, the ladies stood to retire to the drawing room with Lady Spencer leading the way.
"Sir, do you mind if Annie joins me in the parlor? I have some business I wish to discuss with her," Captain Hawke said.
"Certainly, Captain, take all the time you need."
In the parlor, Captain Hawke pulled up an Italian walnut armchair across from Annie. "The Realm will be sailing soon," he said.
"I know and I have made up my mind."
He cut her off, "Arrangements have been made for you to stay here."
Annie's mouth dropped open. "What do you mean arrangements have been made? I thought this was my decision to make."
"After spending three weeks with the Spencer's, I thought this would be your decision. Look at you, Annie. You are a young lady, not a sailor." He reached for her hands, but she would have none of it. "The Spencer's can give you much more than you can possibly have on the Realm. In fact, Mr. Montgomery believes they wish to adopt you," he said
Annie felt her lungs constrict. "Adopt me?"
"Would that be so terrible? They consider you one of their own. Annie, think of it, everything you ever dreamed of is yours for the asking: beautiful clothes, tutored in every subject, courted by the finest gentlemen."
"Do you not know me? Those are not my dreams. I am Annie Moore, a fisherman's daughter, not a Spencer, nor do I want to be."
"Aha, you said you are Annie Moore, not Andrés de la Cruz. Whether you realize it or not, you know exactly who you are. It is settled. When the Realm sets sail, you will not be on her."
"I do know who I am, and it will be Annie Moore who returns to the Realm, not Andrés de la Cruz. I earned the respect of my shipmates, and I can do it again."
"You will not return to the Realm and that is final."
Annie felt the walls closing in on her. Lost in her anger, she didn't hear Abigail and Mr. Montgomery enter the parlor.
"May we join you?" Abigail asked.
Annie dug her nails into the floral-print upholstery and glared at her.
Captain Hawke stood up. "Matthew, Abigail, take good care of Annie."
Without another word, Captain Hawke retreated to the hall. He didn't look back.
Abigail placed her hand on Annie's shoulder, but Annie shrugged it off.
She got up from the chair, and screamed at them, "Neither of you ever asked me what I had decided about returning to the Realm. Now, I know why. The decision had been made for me. You all conspired against me."
Darting into the hall, she called to Captain Hawke, "I'm a Jack-tar and don't you ever forget it."
Mr. Montgomery ran after her and pulled Annie back into the parlor. She lashed out at him with her free hand. He in turn grabbed both wrists, but not before Annie drew blood. She whipped about in his arms until there was no fight left in her.
Abigail rushed to Mr. Montgomery's side. "Matthew, your cheek!"
"It is only a scratch," he assured her.
While Abigail dabbed at the scratch with a handkerchief, she turned to Annie, "We only have your best interests in mind."
Annie sank into the armchair, drawing her knees to her chest. "Why does everyone think they know what is best for me?"
Huffing and puffing, Doc appeared in the doorway. "Jonathan left without so much as a goodbye and Lord Spencer dismissed all the commotion we heard as nothing to worry about."
He looked at Mr. Montgomery's face. "What happened to you? Let me take a look."
Mr. Montgomery waved him off. "It's just a scratch," Mr. Montgomery said.
"Oh, Annie, your beautiful dress is ripped." Doc said. "What is going on in here?
"We are all fine, Doc, just clumsy," she said.
Doc muttered. "Too much excitement, I should never have left the ship."
Annie rushed to guide Doc to a chair. She forced a smile. "You needn't fret, Doc. Once you are back on the Realm, you can get a good night's sleep."
"Yes," Abigail said, patting Doc's slumped shoulder. "I will have Robert summon a carriage for you."
Annie led Doc into the hall and looked over her shoulder. "Abigail, I'll get Robert and then I'll be off to my room. Will you be joining me?"
Abigail whispered to Mr. Montgomery, but not soft enough for Annie not to hear. "She seems to be coming around faster than I thought she would."
"Too quick, if you ask me," Mr. Montgomery replied.
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
Annie sat on the edge of the bed. "You were right, Abigail. This is where I belong. I will miss the Realm…"
She turned away, and wiped her eyes.
Abigail placed her hands on her hips. "I always knew you would come to your senses, but I did not expect it to happen this soon. I am not sure I believe you."
Annie continued to dab at her eyes with a handkerchief. "I will miss my shipmates terribly, but you have always know
n me to be a practical person. What would be more practical than living here? Look around, Abigail. Anyone would be foolish to give up all of this. Could you?"
"Certainly not," Abigail said.
"I think I have always known I belonged here, but I had been too stubborn to admit it." Annie sniffed and blew her nose. "I'm sorry, Abigail, but I won't be much company this evening. Why don't you sit in the parlor with Mr. Montgomery. When the fire burns out, you can snuggle real close to him. I am certain he will want to keep you warm."
Abigail sighed. "How romantic, I will be certain to have Mother and Father retire early."
Annie followed Abigail to the door and waved to her as she descended the staircase. Annie called after her, "Good night, Abigail."
"Good night, Annie."
Once Abigail was out of sight, Annie rushed to the wardrobe. She searched for her clothes from the ship.
After changing into her sailor's attire, Annie began composing a letter.
My dearest Abigail,
With pen in hand, I write with heavy heart. Had I known your parents would have taken me in, I might never have left. But I did leave and I found another world. I do not expect you to understand. The Realm is where I truly belong. Once I have returned, the captain will realize he was wrong. You will always be my dearest friend. Never forget that. Give my love to your kind parents and Erik. I will see you all again. I promise.
After signing it, Annie stood in the darkened doorway. Assured she neither saw nor heard anyone coming down the hall, she tiptoed out of the bedroom and down the stairs. She heard laughter and talking coming from the parlor. Annie couldn't make out what they were saying, but hoped she was the last thing on Abigail and Mr. Montgomery's minds.
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO
With the reins looped over her arm, Annie stroked the high-spirited stallion's forelock. "Good boy," she said while she awkwardly fastened the bridle. "Anthony can't stop me from riding you this time."
Having watched Chelsea saddled dozens of times, Annie believed saddling Phantom should be easy. Standing on a stool, Annie threw a blanket slightly past the blood bay's withers. She spoke softly trying not to spook him.