by otis duane
Lord Craven Stumpp – House of Lords
~*~
Looking up at Paul, Margie said, “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would King William and his Queen be hijacking gold shipments from their Spanish ally during wartime?”
“Oh, it gets better,” Paul said with a big smile. “There’s at least a dozen more letters from various lords and dukes. It’s a veritable who’s who of parliamentary power players, and each one of them implores the King to act. Captain Darcy and his men were putting a serious dent in the money Lord Craven was using to bribe them for votes.”
“So Craven was in cahoots with the Spanish King?” she asked curiously.
“Yes, the Lord was trying to put an end to the English monarchy once and for all, so he and his cronies could take over the kingdom and reap untold fortunes,” Paul replied and handed her another letter.
“That’s when King William made his move.”
~*~
Commodore Sir Edwin Stumpp,
Dearest brother, we find ourselves living in the gravest of times. King William is summoning a Parliamentary Convention. It is on the horizon and nothing can be left to chance. We must ensure the delicate scale of voting will weigh in our favor. Our family’s continued prosperity depends on it. We cannot cede any power to the Crown and must discredit them once and for all.
I can no longer stall the numerous teetering Tories and those dreadful Whigs. Their purchased votes are most vital. However, their many thirsty purses can only be quenched by a steady flow of gold coins, and our once-abundant well has nearly run dry.
I’ve arranged a robust shipment of freshly struck Spanish doubloons from our Yucatán partnership. It will be enough to swell the bellies of three Spanish treasure galleons and will keep our coffers filled well beyond the convention. I need you leading this convoy to ensure its most precious treasure is timely delivered to the Port of Amsterdam.
For your trouble I offer what thee most desire: to wet your beak in the sweet nectar of revenge. I have no doubt your most loathed foe, the pirate Captain William Darcy, will make an appearance. He and his scallywags have yet to miss an opportunity to chip away at our destiny.
Brother, this will be your finest hour. Good luck and Godspeed.
- Lord Craven Stumpp
~*~
“So Craven needed this last gold shipment to bribe parliament to vote against the Crown at the convention?” Margie asked.
“Yes.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense. The convention wasn’t exactly a victory for the Crown.”
“Oh but it was,” Paul responded. “King William and Mary got exactly what they wanted most.”
“What was that?”
“Parliament officially ratified their reign.”
Margie had a puzzled look on her face.
“What’s the big deal with that?”
“After they won the war, the rest of Europe recognized them as the seat of power, not Parliament.”
“So it set them up on the world stage then, huh?”
“Yep. From then on Parliament was simply a rubberstamp for them.”
“So the Crown got the treasure and their power back too?”
“Power yes, but not necessarily the treasure. It’s a bit of a mystery but I think I’ve-”
“Hey, hit me up again boss man,” Margie interrupted, handing him her empty rock glass. “Then you’re gonna tell me everything,” she added with a sly smile.
