Bring It Close

by Helen Hollick

  Tiola was relieved to see the Sea Witch waiting there, as beautiful as ever she was. They took the Jane alongside and transferred the wounded of Jesamiah’s crew to their rightful ship, and with subdued farewells and promises to return the boats to la Sorenta, Maynard sailed on to Bath Town where Captain Brand and his men were waiting, not needed. The fight was over.

  Under Rue’s solemn, guiding hand, the Sea Witch weighed anchor and set sail, bound for England as had been Jesamiah’s order.

  Jesamiah himself was an exasperating patient. He grumbled about the stitched wound that throbbed and ached at the back of his head, he mithered about the bruising to his chest and the pain of the broken collarbone in his right shoulder. But of his father he said nothing, not even after Tiola had tried to explain the why of it all, in an effort to help him understand.

  The thoughts were there, though. As Sea Witch ploughed her way through the rough Atlantic rollers he remembered those days when, as a child, he had been alone with his father. He realised now, that they had been good days; days when the both of them had set aside grief and torments and had taken pleasure in each other’s company. Realised too, as he lay there in his bed those first few days, watching the glittered reflection of the sea or the night shadows shape-shift on the low beams overhead, why the things of his childhood had happened in the way they had.

  It had begun with the passing lust for and abandonment of a serving woman, and as with the neglect of all mistakes, the one had led to another and the injustices of retribution had marched too close. Out of guilt, Charles Mereno had taken on a lad as midshipman; a lad whom he had realised from the first was his bastard son. Because of guilt over his drunken and cowardly inability to prevent the death of a friend and the rape of a woman by that son, he had brought up the resulting child, Phillipe, as his own. And Jesamiah had paid the price of it all.

  The ghost of the man who was Jesamiah’s father had made those mistakes in life, but in death had tried to ensure that his son, Jesamiah, stayed alive. Deliberately, he had taken aim at the bronze buckle of the baldric belt strapped across Jesamiah’s shoulder; enough to wound, but not enough to kill. Enough to put him out of the fight against Teach; a fight he could never have won.

  Only once did Jesamiah speak of his father to Tiola. They had made love – gently, for the sake of his shoulder – and after, in the brightening dawn that was peeping through the salt-grimed stern windows, he had said, “The fathers in my family have not done so well, have they? I would, were I to be a father, learn from their mistakes and be there, always, for my son. Were I to have one.”

  Tiola had smiled, had kissed him in the way that only a wife who loved her husband could. And had said nothing.

  Charles Mereno turned away from the River and walked towards where the sea lay flat and calm and blue beneath a sun-warmed sky. He thrust his hands deeper into his pockets and whistled a jaunty tune. He wondered if he would meet his friends again, the crewmen he had called brothers – his closest friend, Carlos. Surely they were here, gone ahead?

  Peace, he realised, was contentment and happiness. There was only one thing that slightly bothered him. Something the Witch Woman had said when she had accompanied him back to the River.

  “It is unwise to bring the Dark too close,” she had said, “for the Dark does not always reveal the truth. We hear what we think we should, or want to hear, but guilt can whisper falsehoods. Unlike the Dark, the Light would never command. The human will is free to make its own choices.”

  Walking across the heather-clad moor, the sound of the bees busy and a lark trilling high in the sky, he wondered what she had meant. And then it occurred to him.

  Had his actions, from that very first day when a black-haired boy called Edward had asked to serve aboard his ship, been nothing more than a guilt-burdened assumption? Had resemblance to a woman he had once tumbled, and then forgotten, been naught but an illusion? He would never know the truth, not now. It no longer mattered; he had put right a wrong. And with that knowledge the burden that had followed him beyond the grave lifted from his shoulders.

  He walked on, whistling, content, knowing he had done his best for the one truth that was, without any doubt, certain. He was proud of, and loved, his son. Jesamiah.

  Author’s note

  I like to think of my Sea Witch series as stories that are akin to a typical sailor’s yarn – some bits are accurate, others are blatant fantasy, but most of it is not quite one or the other. The trick of a good yarn is to blend the reality with the imaginary so it all becomes plausible, and belief is suspended in deference to enjoyment. I hope I have achieved that.

  Had I intended to write these books as serious fiction, as with my other historical novels, I would have been scrupulous with the facts of history, but these sea adventures are a blend of reality and fantasy so, with my apologies, I have gone for the character of the story rather than attention to fine detail. That is not to say the historical parts are entirely inaccurate though!

  With editing assistance from my good friend and maritime author par excellence James L. Nelson, my nautical scenes are as correct as I can make them; any errors are my fault not his. I do confess that I have taken liberties with Sea Witch herself, however, for a couple of things about her are not quite right. Her rigging and copper-clad bottom are a few years in advance of her time. This was a deliberate decision on my part as I wanted to model her on the tall ship the Rose, a replica of which was built by another friend of mine, John F. Millar of Virginia. Fans of sea-stories may know the Rose in her alter ego part of HMS Surprise in the movie Master & Commander. I feel justified with this ‘poetic licence’ as the Sea Witch is, after all, a major character in a fantasy adventure novel, and I do state in the first book of the series, Sea Witch, that she is a new-built ship – so who is to say when the new designs first took place as innovative, unrecorded, experiments?

  In Bring It Close many of Blackbeard’s scenes happened – but without Jesamiah and Tiola of course. Blackbeard did take sixteen-year-old Mary Ormond as his 14th wife, and she did suffer the abuse I described on their wedding night – although her ultimate fate is my invention as we do not know what became of her. So too, did the fate of Jonathan Gabriel occur, although the name and character detail is made up, as is Perdita’s; all we know is that Blackbeard took his revenge on a girl who spurned him. Her reaction to the horror has various unsubstantiated accounts, I have merely chosen to use one of them.

  Governors Eden and Alexander Spotswood existed, as did Lt Robert Maynard and Tobias Knight; their parts concerning Blackbeard’s demise are also accurate as are the dates for that final battle in the shallows of the Ocracoke. Eden was implicated in a subsequent investigation, as was Knight, but both were clever enough to be acquitted. Some reports mention that Maynard disappeared a few months later – others say it was a year or so. It was said he had died, but given that very little of value was officially retrieved from Blackbeard’s ship, the Adventure, I think this is unlikely. Maynard would have been able to search at leisure, and the Royal Navy was known for its extreme slowness – and gross unfairness – in paying out prize money. It therefore does not take much of a leap of imagination to work out what happened to Maynard – or where the bulk of Blackbeard’s treasure hoard went!

  Blackbeard himself had a variety of names, he may have changed identity, or it was common in the Eighteenth Century to have alternative spellings for the same name. He was known as Edward Teach or Thatch, but it seems he came from Bristol, England, so I believe the difference in his names is accountable because of his West Country accent. ‘Teach’ could have been pronounced as something like “T’ach” – Thatch.

  But ‘Blackbeard’ is his more infamous name.

  He did indeed live at Bath Town, North Carolina for a few months as a ‘respectable’ citizen and had Governor Eden eating out of his hand. North Carolina was not as wealthy as the prospering Virginia and corruption was rife throughout all the Colonies. The initial plan hatched between governo
r and pirate could have worked beautifully, if only Edward Teach had stuck to it.

  The crew members I have named (Garrett Gibbens for instance) were his real crew – we know their names because they were captured and hanged at Williamsburg. Israel Hands was arrested in Bath Town, seriously wounded from being shot in the knee by Teach. He gave evidence against those men captured and was pardoned. Legend says he ended his days begging in the streets of London. The only crew member of note whom I made up is Red Rufus. Sam Odell was indeed at the Ocracoke – he had to prove he was an innocent bystander, even though he had spent the night drinking with Teach.

  I used several textbooks for my research – and found it most frustrating when they differed in detail. The Midshipman who commanded the Ranger in the attack against Blackbeard, for instance. In one book his name was Baker, in another, Hyde, so for the final word I stayed with UK maritime expert David Cordingly.

  Anyone visiting Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia can see the gaol (jail), the courtroom in the Capitol Building, John Brush’s house, and the palace for themselves. I have researched the detail as well as I could (with the kind help of my friend Judy) but inevitably there will be a few discrepancies. You will not find the ‘Acorn’ tavern that Alicia will be investing in, for instance, but the Raleigh and the King’s Arms are certainly there (though the Raleigh is of a much better standard now!) I hope to return Jesamiah to Williamsburg one day – he will have to see how Alicia is getting on, after all, and I need an excuse to go back to do more research!

  La Sorenta, a few miles north of Urbanna along the Rappahannock River is entirely fictitious, as are most of the ‘incidental’ characters. My apologies to the ancestors of any ‘real’ people if I have not portrayed them in a favourable light – the necessity of drama in story telling, I’m afraid.

  For those who are interested, when he is talking to Governor Spotswood, Jesamiah mentions various territories and towns named after monarchs, and that the king at the time, George of Hanover, (George I) had no such honour. As far as I am aware he never did. The Colony of Georgia was named after his successor, George II. And George III, of course, lost it all towards the end of the century when the American Colonies rebelled and fought the War of Independence. Which, contrary to general belief in the UK, did not start with the famous Boston Tea Party where a cargo of tea was thrown into the harbour. Tea was involved, but the animosity between America and England was because of smuggling tea as contraband. As a minor historical note of interest, in revolt against the British Government’s heavy import duty of tea the American settlers resolved to drink coffee instead. It remains the favoured US beverage to this day. The original Rose, mentioned above, played an important part at the outset of the War. She was very effective against the Colony Smugglers in and around the Chesapeake – too effective, for rebellion against her constant prowling soon occurred.

  One pedantic little note to those readers who tut over the minutiae of historical detail – it is perfectly correct for Jesamiah to have called Blackbeard ‘Sleeping Beauty’. The original story (Sleeping Beauty – La Belle au Bois dormant – The Beauty Asleep in the Wood) was written by Charles Perrault and published in 1697.

  My apologies for my attempt at portraying Teach’s Bristol accent. I took advice from a noted English Dialect book – so any laughable nonsense is not entirely my fault. Charles St Croix Mereno may appear again in Voyage Four – Ripples in the Sand, but should you wish to discover more about Jesamiah’s grandfather, Alexander, you will find him in my editor Joe Field’s own excellent novel of the English Civil War – Rogues & Rebels. I heartily recommend the read. Thank you Jo for allowing me to steal Arabella and Alexander’s son. The book is out of print at the moment, but I am hoping Jo will consider putting it on Kindle.

  Had I realised when I set out to write this series how popular Jesamiah was to become, maybe I would have considered writing these books as straight historical adventure – but then maybe fact and fantasy has a tighter blend of authenticity than we realise? Or perhaps there is a Parallel Universe where things happen similar to our existence, but not quite the same?

  In my imagination things once happened as I have written them. To me, Jesamiah Acorne, Tiola Oldstagh, Sea Witch and her crew are very real, they exist – but not in this world.

  No one knows for certain the full detail of any event that happened in the past – for instance, a charming rogue of an ex-pirate could indeed have insisted on having his name left out of the official records concerning the demise of the man known as Blackbeard.

  And please let me know if you find a blue ribbon hanging mysteriously on a bush, branch or gatepost. It seems Jesamiah has taken to leaving them in unexpected places for his growing crew of loyal fans to find…

  Helen Hollick

  2011

  Glossary

  Aback – a sail when its forward surface is pressed upon by the wind. Used to ‘stop’ a ship.

  Account – see On the Account.

  Aloft – up in the tops, at the masthead or any where about the yards or the rigging.

  Articles – Each man when coming aboard ‘agreed the Articles’. Some pirate ships were run on very democratic lines, the crew elected their captain, agreed where to sail, divided the ‘spoils’ fairly etc. Most rules were sensible things like no naked flame below deck; each man to keep his weapon clean and ready for use; and no fighting aboard ship.

  Bar – a shoal running across the mouth of a harbour or a river.

  Bare poles – having no sail up – the bare mast.

  Belay – to make fast or secure. Also: ‘Stop that’. ‘Belay that talk!’ would mean ‘Shut up!’

  Belaying pin – a short wooden rod to which a ship’s rigging is secured. A common improvised weapon aboard a sailing ship because they are everywhere, are easily picked up, and are the right size and weight to be used as a club.

  Bell (Ship’s bell) – used as a clock, essential for navigation as the

  measurement of the angle of the sun had to be made at noon. The bell was struck each time the half-hour glass was turned.

  Bilge – the lowest part of the ship inside the hull along the keel. They fill with stinking bilge water or ‘bilge’. Can also mean nonsense or foolish talk.

  Binnacle – the frame or box that houses the compass.

  Bo’sun – short for boatswain, usually a competent sailor who is in charge of all deck duties.

  Bow – the front or ‘pointed’ end of the ship.

  Bowsprit – the heavy slanted spar pointing forward from the ship’s bow.

  Brace – rope used to control the horizontal movement of a square-rigged yard.

  Brig – a two masted vessel square-rigged on both masts.

  Brimstone – formerly the common name for sulphur.

  Broadside – the simultaneous firing of all guns on one side of a ship.

  Bulkheads – vertical partitions in a ship.

  Bulwark – interior wall of ship.

  Cable – a long, thick and heavy rope by which a ship is secured to the anchor.

  Cable’s length – a measure of 120 fathoms or 240 yards.

  Capstan – drum-like winch turned by the crew to raise or lower the anchors.

  Careen – the process of beaching a ship, heeling her over to her side and cleaning the underside of weed, barnacles and worm; making essential repairs to the part of a ship which is usually below the water line. A careened ship will go faster and last longer than one that is not.

  Cathead – vertical beam of timber protruding near the bow, used for hoisting the anchor.

  Cat o’nine tails, or ‘cat’ – a whip with many lashes, used for flogging.

  Caulk – to seal the gaps between planks of wood with caulking – see oakum.

  Chain shot – two balls of iron joined together by a length of chain, chiefly used to destroy, masts, rigging and sails.

  Chandler – a merchant selling the various things a ship needs for supplies and repairs.

  Chanty/sha
nty – a sailor’s work song. Often lewd and derogatory about the officers.

  Chase – or Prize. The ship being pursued.

  Cleat – wooden or metal fastening to which ropes can be secured. Can also be used as a ladder.

  Clew – the lower corners of a sail, therefore Clew up – to haul a square sail up to a yard.

  Close-hauled – sailing as close to the direction of the wind as possible with the sails turned almost 90°.

  Cordage – rope is called cordage on board a ship.

  Colours – the vessel’s identification flag, also called an ensign. For a pirate, the Jolly Roger!

  Courses – lowest sails on the mast.

  Crosstrees – wooden platform partway up a mast to keep the shrouds spread apart.

  Dolphin Striker – a short perpendicular gaff spar under the cap of the bowsprit for guying down the jib-boom. Also called a martingale.

  Doubloon – a Spanish gold coin.

  Fathom – a measure of six feet of water.

  Fore or for’ard – toward the front end of the ship, the bow.

  Forecastle – pronounced fo’c’sle; raised deck at the front of ship.

  Fore-and-aft rig – sails set length wise not at right angles (square-rigged) to the hull.

  Flukes – the broad parts or palms of the anchor.

  For-and-aft – the length of a ship.

  Forestay – the rope leading from the mast to the bow.

  Fother – to seal a leak by lowering a sail over the side of the ship and positioning it so that it seals the hole by the weight of the sea. The canvas can be.

  Futtock – ‘foot hooks’.

  Futtock shroud – short pieces of rope which secure lower dad-eyes and futtock plates to the top mast rigging.

  Galleon – a large three-masted square-rigged ship used chiefly by the Spanish.

  Galley – ship’s kitchen.