Pirates and Prejudice (15 page)

Captain Smith
took her arm as they made their way up the steep wooden plank. The strength of
his grip reassured her, and she found herself inexplicably looking forward to being
held tightly in his embrace.

Two crewmen
stood on the yardarm waiting for them. One held the long rope that Bellows had
come across on, and the other held a smaller rope.

As they stepped
onto the narrow yardarm, Elizabeth suddenly realized just how precarious their
footing was. She looked down at her father and cousin, and then over to the
ladies who were watching intently. Not wishing to give them any sense of alarm,
she smiled and waved.

The captain helped
her over to the edge of the yardarm closest to the
Devil’s Seamaiden,
steadying
her with his hands. She was struck again with how soft and smooth… and strong
they were! Someone who regularly swings on a rope from one ship to another
certainly would not have such smooth hands!

Her thoughts
were interrupted when the captain looked down at her and whispered, “Miss
Bennet, we are goin’ to be tied together with this short rope. I’ll hold ye
with one arm an’ onto the long rope above this knot up here wi’ me other hand.
When we’re in the air, I’ll secure my feet against the rope above the knot down
below.” He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ye’ll be safe, Miss
Bennet. I’ll make sure o’ it.”

Elizabeth tilted
her head up at him and silently mouthed, “Thank you.”

The crewman with
the short rope wrapped it around them snugly. As he cinched it tight and
knotted it, the two stood as close as any two people could be. Elizabeth felt
her heart pound as she considered she had never been so close to a man before.
She felt weak and precariously close to collapsing in a heap at his feet,
despite being tied together at their waists. To prevent herself from falling,
she quickly reached up and wrapped her arms about his neck, holding on tightly.

The captain responded
with a deep moan and quickly brought his one arm around her. She felt him draw
her in even closer than she had believed possible. A sensation of euphoria
swept over her, and she found herself readily resting her head against his
chest. She could hear his thundering heartbeat and wondered if it was beating
more vigorously than hers.

“Now hold on
tight, Miss Bennet.” His lips brushed the hair by her ear as he huskily
whispered these words. She felt her legs begin to tremble and suspected he felt
it as well, as he gripped her even more firmly.

“Are ye ready?”
he whispered softly; his breath seemed to warm her to her innermost being.

“Yes,” she said,
as she lifted her head to look up at him. She saw his dark eyes looking down at
her, a single brow raised.

“Ye are not
afraid?”

“On the
contrary, I believe I shall enjoy this immeasurably!”

He inhaled
deeply and whispered, “As will I.”

As he was about
to step off, she asked with a nervous laugh, “You have done this before, have
you not?”

“Never!” he
said, and the next thing she knew, she was lifted off the ground, and they were
swinging through the air. She held on tightly, wanting desperately to keep her
head snuggled up against his chest, while at the same time wishing to look up,
down, and out to see what was happening.

She finally
turned her head and opened her eyes, just as they came over the
Devil’s
Seamaiden’s
bow. She felt the rope lower, and the next thing she knew, they
had come to a stop. The captain landed squarely on his feet, but he continued to
hold her up in his arms. He finally relaxed his grip around her waist slightly,
allowing her feet to touch the deck.

Despite standing
solidly on the deck, she felt as though she were still flying through the air.
Countless other feelings assaulted her, none of which made any sense to her.

The crew rushed
over and began untying the rope that bound them together. Elizabeth knew not
where to look, as she felt that if she looked up at the captain, he would see
the storm of emotions she felt.

Once untied, she
released her hands and quickly stepped away. She turned her head back towards
the merchant ship to give an encouraging smile and a wave, but more to turn
away from the captain.

She walked to
the railing of the ship and looked out. Her hands braced the ship’s railing,
and she felt unsteady and confused. But more surprising than that, she
inexplicably felt bereft of the captain’s arms about her.

She smiled and
waved again at the other passengers, a wave of melancholy overwhelming her that
soon she and the captain would go their separate ways. It made no sense to her
that she would find herself attracted to a man such as Captain Smith. She could
not even say that he was handsome, as his beard covered the lower part of his
face and the bruise she inflicted upon him distorted one side of it.

“Are you feeling
all right, Miss Bennet?” The captain was standing at her side.

“Yes!” she
answered abruptly. “I am quite well.” Looking down at her hands, she noticed
they were shaking. She clasped them tightly together. To herself she had
sounded breathless, and so she took in a deep breath and let it out in a light
laugh. “Rest assured, Captain Smith, I was not alarmed in the least.”

The captain
nodded. “I’m glad to hear that.” He rocked back and forth on his heels, as if
waiting for something. He finally said, “You did quite admirably. Hopefully you
have assured the other ladies that they will be safe.”

Elizabeth nodded
and murmured to the affirmative. She could not bring herself to look at him. She
had enjoyed her time on the island with him a little too much and enjoyed their
rendezvous through the air a great deal too much.

After a few
moments of silence, he returned to assist those coming over.

The next to come
across was Mrs. Keller, followed by Mrs. Dillard, who each were held by their
husbands. The captain and several other crewmen assisted in making their
landings smooth and safe.

When Mrs. Joyner
nervously walked up the wooden ramp to the yardarm, it was not her husband that
accompanied her, but Bellows. Elizabeth surmised that Mr. Joyner must not have
felt strong enough to carry his wife with him. Mrs. Joyner let out a
high-pitched scream as she flew through the air, landing with a rather white
face. She was shaking from head to toe. Elizabeth stepped up to her and
congratulated her for being so brave.

Elizabeth
quickly returned to the rail and watched nervously as her father stepped up
onto the yardarm. Her heart thundered as she wondered whether he would be able
to hang on. She bit her lip and clasped her hands in front of her, offering up
a silent prayer for his safety.

When her father
flew over the deck of the
Devil’s Seamaiden
and safely landed on his
feet, Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief. As they untied the rope from around
his waist, he looked over at Elizabeth.

“That was
certainly a memorable feat! What say you, Lizzy? Was it not thrilling? Would
you not wish to do it again?”

She could not
prevent her cheeks from overspreading in a blush, and her gaze turned unwittingly
to Captain Smith, who looked upon her with a laugh in his eyes.

“Come!” her
father said. “David is to come across next! Let us watch!”

David was
secured with the small rope, and he grabbed the hanging rope tightly above the
knot with his good hand. He nodded his head and stepped off the yardarm, his
feet struggling to find the knot below to anchor him.

Elizabeth’s eyes
widened, and she placed her hand over her mouth as she watched him flounder as
he sailed across. Just as he was about to lose his grip, he came across the bow
and was caught by the crewmen.

She rushed over
to him. “I was so worried about you!”

David waved his
hand through the air and said breathily, “Oh, it was nothing. Quite easy, in
fact.”

Elizabeth
noticed that David’s face had lost all colour, and he rubbed his arm above the
elbow.

“Come, David,”
Elizabeth said. “Let us sit down and wait for our belongings to be brought
over.”

He
wholeheartedly agreed, and they walked over to a bench by the ship’s railing.

Once everyone
had made it to the
Devil’s Seamaiden
safely, their belongings were
secured to the rope and sent across. The crew from both ships did a proficient
job.

When everything
was on board, the anchor was brought up and sails were unfurled. The passengers
waved to the crew of the merchant ship as they began to sail away. They then
turned to Captain Smith to await his direction.

Chapter 15

Darcy gathered the passengers together. He welcomed
them aboard the
Devil’s Seamaiden
, but then added, “This ’ere is
actually a pirate ship, previously belongin’ to Lockerly, the pirate who took
the ladies, Mr. Joyner, and Timmons captive.”

Everyone’s eyes
were upon him and they listened intently. Darcy continued, “Because of that,
’tis not in yer best interest of safety to take ye all the way back to London,
so we shall make the shorter journey back to St. Mary’s.”

Several people
let out frustrated sighs.

“’Tis not ideal,
I know, and the accommodations on this ship are likely not what yer accustomed,
but we think it is best.”

David turned to
Elizabeth and laughed. “Imagine us sailing on a real pirate ship! I wish I
could see Melanie’s face when she finds out!”

Darcy glanced at
him, but did not feel that same sense of excitement. He took a deep breath and
continued, “Fortunately there is a cabin especially fer the ladies. ’Tis
ideally suited for jest one or two ladies at the most, but me thinks you will
be pleased for the night.” He looked to Bellows and called him over, asking him
to give an account to the group of where they were now and when they would
reach their destination.

Bellows gave a
quick, nervous bow. He was not used to speaking in front of such fine people.
“Because o’ the storm, we didn’t know where we was, not bein’ able to see the
stars an’ such. We was blown off course, jest as ye were in the merchant ship.
What we ’ave now determined is that we were blown to the north o’ the Isles of
Scilly an’ a quick jaunt south will take us to St. Mary’s. We’ll travel as long
as we ’ave any bit o’ light tonight, an’ then lay anchor ’til morn. We’ll
travel the rest o’ the way at first light. Should pull into the port at St.
Mary’s a’fore ye know it.”

“Oh, dear!”
exclaimed Mrs. Joyner. “I just know we will get caught in another storm!”

Darcy looked
about him. “’Tis clear skies now, Mrs. Joyner. Me thinks it’ll be smooth
sailin’ the rest o’ the way.” Darcy clasped his hands together. “Now, if ye’ll
follow me. I’ll shew ye to yer cabins.”

They took one
short flight of stairs down and walked down a hall. Darcy pointed out the
dining area. “I shall have tea and some refreshments ready for you. You may
come in at any time this afternoon to eat.” He began walking towards the back
of the ship and then stopped in front of a door.

“Gentlemen, I
hope ye’ll be reassured as ye see how nice the cabin for the ladies is.” He
opened the door and stepped aside.

The ladies
rushed in and gasped.

“Oh my!”

“I cannot
believe this!”

“I have never
seen anything like this!”

Mr. Bennet
stepped in and let out a hearty chuckle. “My, my! Who would have guessed? On a pirate
ship, no less!”

“I’ll ’ave some
extra blankets brought to ye. ’Tis not meant to sleep four, but me thinks ye’ll
be comfortable ’ere and ’ave the utmost privacy.”

The ladies looked
about, fingering the silk counterpane, the polished wood and brass, and
inspecting every nook and cranny. Elizabeth walked over to a door on a side
wall and tried to open it. It was locked.

“What does this
lead to?” she asked.

Darcy felt his
heart begin to race, and his mouth went dry. “That door… will remain locked.”
He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. “It connects to my cabin.”

Elizabeth
quickly pulled her hand away. “Oh!” she said as a delightful blush tinted her
cheeks. “I see we have a lock on our side.” She cast a sideways glance at Darcy
and in a teasing voice said, “I know we can trust that you do not have a key
that would open it.”

“Indeed, I
don’t. And the ladies can lock the door that goes out to the hallway from the
inside, as well.”

Darcy waved for
the men to step out. “Now, gentlemen, if ye’ll follow me, I’ll take ye to the
berth below where ye’ll find yer beds. We’ll leave the ladies to themselves fer
a bit.”

*~*~*

When the men
left, the ladies began to giggle and then laugh.

“Oh, this is
exquisite!” exclaimed Mrs. Joyner. “So much lovelier than our accommodations on
the merchant ship!”

“Yes, but I fear
the men will have poorer accommodations down in the berth!” Mrs. Keller
announced. “At least it is only for the night.”

Elizabeth braced
her hands on her hips. “I suppose we ought to discuss our sleeping
arrangements. The bed can readily hold two ladies, and the chair in the corner
looks to be quite comfortable. But if you ladies do not mind, I shall sleep on
the floor on the rug. I shall leave it to you to decide who will sleep on the
chair and in the bed.”

“I shall sleep
in the chair!” announced Mrs. Keller. “It looks perfectly inviting to me. Mrs.
Joyner and Mrs. Dillard, the two of you can sleep in the bed.”

Relief spread across
Mrs. Joyner’s face. “Oh, thank you, so much!”

Mrs. Dillard sat
down on the bed. “Oh, I believe I shall sleep like a baby!”

“Unless we have
another storm!” Mrs. Joyner’s earlier elation about the room gave way to a look
of worry lining her forehead.

Elizabeth put
her arm about her. “There is no sign whatsoever of a storm, so let us not worry
about something now that might not even happen.” Elizabeth wondered whether
this lady ever went a complete hour without fretting about something.

Much like Mama
, she thought. Then she wondered whether her family at
home worried that they had not yet arrived in London. They would have no way to
know where they were or if they were even still alive!

A decision by
one of the ladies to take a short rest before going out was settled upon by
all. They felt it was a greater necessity than eating. Soon the ladies, in
their respective sleeping arrangements, closed their eyes for some much needed
sleep.

Elizabeth awoke
first at the sound of footsteps coming from inside the captain’s quarters. She
could see just enough under the door to observe the bottom of Captain Smith’s
boots as he walked across the floor. He seemed unsettled, pacing and stopping,
and then pacing again. Elizabeth chewed her lip as she surmised that it was likely
due to the fact that he was responsible for the safety of the four women in the
room next to his.

She slowly sat
up and looked around her, admiring the cabin, although she could never admire
the pirate who had so painstakingly designed it for obviously dissolute
purposes. The captain began moving about again, and she crinkled her brow. How
had she come to find herself so enamoured of him?

She let out a
soft sigh and heard from the next room a rather deep exasperated sigh.

She brought her
legs up and wrapped her arms about them. Tomorrow morning they would each go
their separate ways. She imagined her father would want to remain on St. Mary’s
before setting off again for London, and then Hertfordshire.  The captain
would likely go back to his ship – if he even had one – and return to a normal
life again. She bit her lip as something inside of her ached at the thought of
not seeing him again.

As Elizabeth
stirred, so did the other ladies in the cabin. The last to waken was Mrs.
Joyner.

They freshened
up and then went up on deck, where they found the men anxiously waiting for
them.

“We thought you
would never come out of your cabin!” David said, rushing over to Elizabeth.
“You slept for hours!”

“I think we all
needed the rest,” Elizabeth said. “You forget that we slept in a cave last
night during a storm. We were quite without the normal comforts!”

“As
the men
are now!” laughed Mr. Bennet. “Oh, Lizzy, if you could see what we must endure
for the night, but I will spare you after what you had to endure! I am grateful
the ladies have such pleasant accommodations for the night!”

“Are you hungry,
ladies?” Mr. Keller asked. “You can probably still get some of the refreshments
we had earlier.”

The ladies all declined.
It was such a beautiful afternoon, they preferred to enjoy it on deck and would
wait for dinner to eat.

Elizabeth looked
up at the sails on the ship. Despite every sail being unfurled, the ship moved
slowly through the water. “There is not much wind, is there?” asked Elizabeth
of no one in particular.

“Unfortunately,
no.” The captain came up behind her. “The sails are spread to every inch of
their canvas to catch every bit o’ wind. We don’t seem to be havin’ any luck
wi’ the forces of nature, but at least ’tis not a storm sendin’ us off in the
wrong direction again!”

“It makes me
wonder,” said Elizabeth, “that anyone can sail when so many forces can affect
it – strong winds, no wind, stormy seas, fog… and pirates.”

“We jest seem to
be encounterin’ ’em all, don’t we?” The captain looked at her with a melancholy
smile and then turned to the others. “Let me know if there’s anythin’ I ken do
fer ye.” He turned and walked away.

*~*~*

At six o’clock
Elizabeth walked into the dining room with her father and cousin. She sat
across from her father, and David sat down next to her. The other passengers
joined them, leaving the chair at the head of the table and the place on the
bench next to Elizabeth vacant. Bellows entered and took the place next to
Elizabeth. When the captain came in, he took the seat at the head of the table.

They were served
a simple meal of
roasted beef and vegetable ragout,
bread, and some assorted fruit. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, especially the
women, who had not enjoyed a good, hot meal in over a day.

As
the dinner plates were taken away, the guests were pleasantly surprised when
lemon custard was brought out.

Elizabeth
turned to Bellows, who had just finished what seemed to be a lively
conversation with her father and cousin.

“Tell
me, Mr. Bellows,” Elizabeth began, “Captain Smith informed me that he was
impersonating this Lockerly in order to capture him. That it was all a scheme
of a River Thames Police official. This seemed quite odd to me.”

“Indeed,
an’ the captain was not ’appy about my part in the whole thing.”

“I
can imagine,” Elizabeth said.

Bellows
took a sip from his cup of coffee and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. “Oh,
pardon me manners, Miss Bennet.”

“It
is quite all right, Mr. Bellows. Does the captain have a ship of his own?”

“No,
in fact,” he leaned in to whisper, “he ain’t even a real sea captain!”

Elizabeth
looked at him in surprise. “If he is not a sea captain, what is he? What does
he do?” She picked up her tea and took a sip.

“That’s
the thing, miss. He don’t do anything. He’s one of those fancy estate gentlemen
who spends ’is whole life bein’ all social and bein’ seen in all the right
places wi’ all the right people. No, he didn’t even want
to
do this, not really.”

“But
his speech, certainly…”

“All
part of ’is disguise.” Bellows let out a laugh. “An’ I know he’s been sufferin’
in all this as he told me once that disguise is an abhorrence to ’im.”

Elizabeth’s
breath caught and her hand began to shake. She put down her cup of tea and
slowly looked back up at Bellows. “What did you say?”

“He
tol’ me disguise o’ every sort is ’is abhorrence.”

Elizabeth’s
heart pounded, and she felt almost light-headed. She picked up her napkin and
dabbed her mouth, turning her eyes first to her father, and then casting a sly
glance at the end of the table. When she saw the eyes of the captain upon her,
she wondered why she had not noticed before!

She
quickly looked back to Bellows. “Tell me, Bellows, is Captain Smith… is that
his real name?”

“Oh,
no, miss. But ’e made me promise not
to
tell a single soul what ’is real name is.”

Elizabeth
slowly nodded. “Thank you, Mr. Bellows. I have enjoyed our conversation
immensely.”

*~*~*

Darcy
made an attempt to attend to the conversation between the Kellers and the
Dillards at his end of the table, but it became almost impossible.

He
found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes from Elizabeth and wished he
was seated by her, enjoying her liveliness and wit. She seemed very intent on
what Bellows was telling her. He hoped his first mate would not divulge
anything about his true identity to her.

He
drained his cup of coffee of its last drops. Tomorrow morning this whole
charade would finally be over! His heart sank as he realized his time with
Elizabeth would be, as well.

Elizabeth
excused herself from the table and walked out. Darcy had to force himself to
remain seated and not go after her and confess everything. When he watched
David get up and follow her, it helped his resolve to remain where he was.

After
the passengers finished their meal, the rest of the crew came in to eat. It was
a much more raucous atmosphere, and Darcy was grateful he had his guests eat
with just him and Bellows.