by Bev Stout
A vein pulsated in the captain's neck, looking like it would burst at any moment. "How could you have done this to Doc? You are like a daughter to him. He left you safe at Spencer Manor looking like a fine young lady. Now look at you. And the Spencer's, they have done so much for you. You showed total disregard for everyone who cares about you."
Annie looked down at her hands. "I did not want to hurt anyone. I just thought…"
"What did you think, Annie? Or did you think at all?"
Annie's lips quivered. "I thought you needed a cabin boy. I thought you needed me to read to you."
The captain bristled. "Let me make this perfectly clear. I never wanted a cabin boy. It is Mr. Montgomery who insists I have one—him and his blasted traditions. But never again, I tell you, will I ever have another cabin boy."
He pulled out a steel case from his pocket, opening it to reveal a pair of Edward Scarlet spectacles. "I bought these after we docked in London. Ugly things, I know, but I can now read again." He lowered his voice. "I don't need you anymore, Annie."
His words pierced her heart like a sword. "I will leave, Captain, if that is what you want."
"That is what I want. At this very moment, Mr. Montgomery is on his way to the Spencers to let them know that you are safe and to make arrangements for your return to Spencer Estate."
He was almost to the door when Annie asked, "What will become of Lawrence?"
With his back to her, he said, "Pirates hang."
"Captain, I don't want him to hang."
He whirled around. "He's a bloody pirate. He tried to kill you!"
"None of this would have happened if Lawrence had been your cabin boy instead of me."
His eyes narrowed. "If he had been my cabin boy, I probably would have shot him by now."
"Lawrence told Barrette he was only trying to frighten me. I believe him. See." Annie raised her chin.
"What am I supposed to be looking at?"
"The mark on my neck," Annie said.
"Confounded things," Captain Hawke said as he fumbled to put his spectacles on. "I still don't see a mark."
"You don't see a mark, because there isn't one. I believe Lawrence pressed the back of his knife against my throat instead of the blade."
"That makes no sense."
"If he only intended to scare me, it makes sense. He cut my forehead using little pressure, so I know how sharp his knife was."
She felt the captain's warm breath on her neck as he examined her throat one last time.
"If he hadn't pressed the sharp side to your neck, then that only convinces me that Lawrence is simply stupid. Besides, it would have taken Lawrence no time to have turned the blade to your throat.
"All I know for certain is that he is a pirate, and pirates hang!"
"You didn't."
"I didn't what…hang?" Captain Hawke glared at her. "I was a pirate not by choice."
"Neither did Lawrence choose to be a pirate. He was taken off the Margaret Louise."
"But he embraced it. I didn't"
"Please, Captain, I do not want Lawrence to hang."
"When he is turned in to the proper authorities, it will be out of my hands."
"Surely, Mr. Montgomery must know someone in high places who can get him a pardon," Annie said.
With his back to her, Captain Hawke hesitated in the doorway. Annie expected him to say something, but he was silent. As the door closed, Annie knew her life as a sailor had ended.
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Captain Hawke headed for the cargo hold where Lawrence was lashed to a barrel. Dried blood matted the young man's hair, a deep gash across his cheek. His right eye was swollen shut, his lips puffy and purple. Fresh blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The captain knew Symington had been keeping more than a watchful eye on the Realm's notorious guest.
"Untie him."
"Aye, Aye, Cap'n." Symington unfastened the ropes across the young pirate's chest.
"Stand up ye mad dog! Show the cap'n some respect!" Symington said. For added encouragement, he kicked Lawrence.
The young pirate's face contorted in pain, but he made no attempt to stand.
"You are dismissed, Symington," Captain Hawke said.
"After the cap'n gets through with ye, ye'll wish I'd put ye out of yer misery! No one 'urts the cap'n's cabin boy and gets away with it!" Symington said as he sauntered off.
Lawrence rubbed his hands together. "Get on with it!"
"I want to know what happened to Godenot," Captain Hawke said.
Lawrence didn't say a word.
The captain knelt down looking into Lawrence's cold blue eyes. "I want to know what happened to Godenot."
"I told your two men already and look what that old sailor did to me."
"If I had my way, I would do far worse, but Annie doesn't want you harmed."
"Annie? Who is Annie?"
A satisfied smirk spread across the captain's face. "Oh, I forgot. You know her by another name…Andrés."
"You lie!"
"My cabin boy is a girl and she wants your life spared." Captain Hawke sneered.
Lawrence smiled. "I always did have a way with the ladies."
The captain seized Lawrence's throat. "If it was up to me, I would rip you limb from limb with my bare hands!"
Reluctantly, he withdrew his hand.
Lawrence clutched his throat, gasping for air. "Drowned. Godenot drowned just like I told them."
Not convinced, the captain asked, "You saw him drown?"
Pain wrinkled Lawrence's brow. "I didn't see him drown, but you know what Godenot looked like. If he had made it to shore, I would have seen him."
Captain Hawke remembered Godenot all too well, a giant of a man with white hair down to his waist and merciless dark eyes. "Aye, he would be hard to miss."
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Annie felt uncomfortable wearing the powder-blue dress Mr. Montgomery had brought back from Spencer Estate. Captain Hawke made it clear that she would leave the ship as Annie Moore and not Andrés de la Cruz.
Looking over her shoulder, Annie gazed at the Realm's crew crowding the rail of the anchored ship. With his mop of tight red curls, Samuel Baggott was easy to pick out. Mr. Allan stood next to Mr. Waverly. It was the first time Annie had seen the cook out of the galley.
Annie looked at Ainsworth and Smitty rowing her and Doc to the wharf. They, too, were quiet. They didn't look at her. They looked through her.
Andrés no longer existed and neither did Annie. She was a stranger to them all. The sailors had lost one of their shipmates, but this one wouldn't be buried out at sea.
"What will become of Andrés?" Annie whispered to Doc.
"What do you mean, Annie?"
"Will they remember him…remember me. Will we become characters in one of Symington's tall tales or simply forgotten?"
Doc patted her knee. "I assure you, Annie, you will not be forgotten."
Once on the wharf, Mr. Montgomery carried Annie to her sea chest. After setting her down, he kneaded her right shoulder, the only spot that wasn't sore. He then walked off leaving Annie and Doc to await Lord Spencer's carriage.
When she heard the high-stepping horses prance onto the wharf, Annie thought her spirits couldn't sink any lower.
Robert swung open the carriage door for Lord Spencer and Abigail. Annie watched Captain Hawke greet them. He took Lord Spencer aside, engaging him in conversation.
Seeing Abigail giggle, Annie wondered how her friend's conversation with Mr. Montgomery could possibly be of a lighthearted nature after everything Annie had been through. When Abigail looked at Annie, her smile faded. She let go of Mr. Montgomery's hand and walked toward Annie.
She examined Annie's bandaged ankle and the large bruise that had blossomed on her cheek. "Are you in pain?"
Annie was grateful that Abigail's voice didn't sound condemning.
"I'm not in much pain," Annie said.
Doc added. "Her ankle is too swol
len to tell if it is broken or just a bad sprain. Either way, she must stay off it for at least six weeks."
Mr. Montgomery walked up to Annie. "It is time to go," he said. He then scooped Annie up into his arms and waited for Symington and Barrette to say their goodbyes.
"Stay out of trouble ye little…princess," Symington said while he flipped a gold coin into the air. "Me reward from the cap'n."
After he pocketed the coin, Annie said to him. "You earned it, Symington"
The old sea dog winked at her before ambling off to the boat.
Annie leaned her head on Mr. Montgomery's shoulder while Barrette brushed her bangs out of her eyes. "I always knew there was something special about you," he said. "Even with that bruise on your cheek, you are a pretty one."
Not prepared for Barrette's gentle touch or his soothing voice, Annie blushed. I could get lost in those dimples of his, she said to herself.
He kissed her on the cheek ever so gently, but Captain Hawke didn't let Annie savor the moment.
"To the boat, Barrette." He snarled.
The captain's raised eyebrow didn't shock her as much as his flared nostrils. Why was he so angry with Barrette, she wondered.
CHAPTER SIXTY
While Robert hauled the sea chest to the carriage, Mr. Montgomery sat Annie on the red upholstered seat. "Captain Hawke wanted you to know that everything has been arranged."
"I assume you mean Lawrence won't hang?"
"Unfortunately, that is a correct assumption." Mr. Montgomery slid his hand into his pocket and took out her cap. "I thought you might want this, a keepsake, perhaps. I found it caught on a branch near the stable."
"Why would I want that ugly thing?"
"If that is how you feel, I will dispose of it."
Mr. Montgomery was about to jettison the Monmouth cap off the wharf when Annie called out. "No, wait! Maybe, my cousin will want it."
"Erik will be most pleased," Mr. Montgomery said with a quick smile.
* * *
While the carriage bounced along the cobblestone road, Abigail told Annie of her plans. "Father has arranged to have your bedroom in the west wing. It overlooks the rose garden. I will have the one next to it. Won't that be splendid?"
Annie wasn't interested in bedrooms or rose gardens. She saw nothing splendid about anything.
As the fog rolled in, Annie drew the silk curtain over the window. Her other hand touched the cap lying next to her. The cap wasn't ugly, not really, she thought. It was like an old friend, one who would remind her each day of the Realm and her crew.
"Annie, have you gone deaf?" Lord Spencer said. "That is the second time I have called your name, child. Here."
He handed Annie a letter sealed with an embossed red hawk on it.
"What is this?" she asked.
"It is from the captain."
Annie took the letter and swallowed hard.
"Open it." Abigail urged, her eyes wide with anticipation.
"Hasn't he said enough cruel things to me? Must I now read them in a letter?"
"If you won't open it, I will." Abigail said.
Annie batted her hand away. "It is my letter and I shall do what I want with it."
She broke the waxed seal. The strokes of the letters were bold with nary a slant nor fancy embellishments, much like the captain himself, she thought.
"I must hear every word." Abigail said.
Annie began, "My dearest Annie…"
"Dearest," Abigail gushed. "The captain sounds quite taken with you."
"Abigail, 'dearest' is an appropriate salutation to a young woman. Please, Annie, continue. And you, daughter, quiet." Lord Spencer said.
"I shall never hire another cabin boy again…" Annie stopped. "See, all he wants to do is humiliate me."
Her first instinct was to crumple up the letter, and toss it out of the carriage. Instead, she folded it carefully and put it back in the envelope. She then handed it to Lord Spencer.
"If you don't want to read it, why can't I?" Abigail said as she unsuccessfully tried to intercept it. "It can't be all bad."
Lord Spencer took the letter. "Perhaps, you will want to read the letter another time, Annie."
"You can burn it as far as I'm concerned."
CHAPTER SIXTY-ONE
Five weeks after the Realm left her moorings, Annie languished at Spencer Manor. Each day, chambermaid Molly had the unenviable job of bringing Annie her meals. When the girl came to retrieve the dishes, Annie often hurled food or dishes at her, sometimes both. The final insult came when Annie, propped up on her fluffy pillows, watched Molly clean up the mess.
Since Molly never complained, and she knew when to duck, the daily spectacle was losing its appeal for Annie. Sitting in her canopy bed, Annie spotted the maid peering cautiously around the door jamb.
"You can come in," Annie said.
Her tray sat on the bed, the food barely touched.
"I promise not to throw anything at you."
Looking at the tray, Molly's smile turned into a frown. "You must eat milady. You are wastin' away."
"I do not care if I waste away, and I am no lady." Neither am I a sailor, Annie thought to herself.
"I want to be called Annie, not milady." Feeling generous, she added, "Please."
Molly's bright smile returned. "It is day time, Miss Annie. You should have sunlight, not candlelight in here. Let me open the curtains for you. And if you like, I can help you to the window."
Annie rolled a pear in her hand. "Touch those curtains, Molly, and I might have to throw this at you after all."
Standing in the doorway, Abigail broke up Annie's pity party. "Molly you can go now."
The chambermaid gathered up Annie's tray of dishes and hurried off.
"Today, you are going to the garden. The fresh air will do you good," Abigail said.
Annie slouched under the covers. "I didn't want to go to the garden yesterday or the day before that. So why do you think today will be any different?"
"I really don't care what you want anymore. I understand you miss your friends on the Realm, but I can't do anything about that."
"They are called shipmates, not friends."
"Friends, shipmates, what difference does it make? Apparently, you have forgotten that I was once your friend. All I am asking is for you to come to the garden with me."
"No offense, Abigail, but I can't walk. Remember? I broke my ankle."
"Erik will carry you."
"I do not want him carrying me anywhere."
"It has already been arranged. By the way, Matthew will be visiting today and you will be on your best behavior. Is that understood?"
Annie had not seen Mr. Montgomery since the Realm set sail. As angry as she was with Captain Hawke, she was even angrier with Mr. Montgomery for his transgression, abandoning the captain for Abigail. Annie would have gladly taken his place on the Realm if given the chance. Is there no honor, she wondered.
When her cousin came into the room, Annie glowered at Abigail. "I see you are serious about me not having any choice in the matter." She pulled out a pillow from behind her back and heaved it at Erik.
He caught it with one hand. "Missed," he said and heaved it back at her, nailing her in the face. She fired more pillows at him until she ran out of ammunition.
"It is indeed a lovely day. The birds are chirping, flowers blooming." He grinned broadly at the pillows scattered across the room.
His forced cheerfulness grated on Annie's nerves. "I do not want to ever see the light of day again." She dug her fingers into the comforter.
He continued to smile. "If I have to, I will throw you over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Or maybe you can act like a lady…"
"I am not a lady!" Annie screamed at him.
"As I was saying, maybe you can act like a lady and let me carry you to the garden. Which is it, Annie, sack of potatoes or lady? Your choice."
"Well, I'll be, I'm actually being given a choice about something?"
Coming along the side of the bed, Erik lost his cheerfulness. "Raise your arms—now."
Too weary to argue, Annie made a request. "I cannot go outside in my bedclothes. I would like to change first."
"Here, take this." Abigail grabbed a shawl hanging over a chair and handed it to Annie. "I do not want you changing your mind."
Annie wrapped the shawl around her shoulders and allowed Erik to carry her. She buried her nose in his shoulder. She smelled the scent of the horses from the stable.
Once in the garden, Erik placed Annie on one of two oak benches. She closed her eyes and welcomed the breeze brushing against her cheeks. It reminded her of climbing the ratlines with Christopher. A lifetime ago, she thought.
"I brought you a book, Annie, one of your favorites," Abigail said. "Shakespeare sonnets."
Annie opened her eyes. She took the book, skimmed its pages, and placed it next to her.
She looked off into the distance and saw Mr. Montgomery strolling toward them. He wore a narrow-sleeved pastel blue waistcoat, tan breeches and black riding boots. As hard as she tried, Annie could not help but be amused that Mr. Montgomery's coat was a perfect match to the color of Abigail's dress. She wondered if they were now consulting each other on what to wear. Annie wrapped the shawl tighter around her body.
Behind Mr. Montgomery followed Robert and another footman. Annie saw that they were carrying a large wooden box. She guessed it was about forty inches long by twenty inches wide. The closer they got, the straighter Annie sat up.
They placed the chest, with its brass handles and dovetailed corners, at Annie's feet. She bent down; tracing the letters of the name carved on the front, Christopher. She breathed in the familiar aroma of the Realm. Her lips twitched up at the corners of her mouth. The smile disappeared as quickly as it had appeared.
"Why did you bring this here, to torment me?" Annie protested.
"We thought it was time you…" Abigail struggled to find the right words.
Mr. Montgomery came to her rescue. "We thought it was time you moved on."
"What does this have to do with my moving on?" Annie said while she pointed to the chest.
