Twenty Six Part Two

Elizabeth continued to read about her parents in Bernard's journal. Bernard revealing how Alex and Mary had both felt drawn to attempt missionary work.

Alexander was not interested in merely having a church to preach in every Sunday. He had been fascinated by stories of the Native Americans. Alex had shared the stories he had been told with his wife Mary, and she shared his enthusiasm to see these people for themselves.

Bernard had been saddened when their decision meant they would be leaving to live across the ocean. Yet, Bernard was so relieved that Alex was alive after being shot, that Alexander had left the King's service, thus taking himself out of the line of fire, that Bernard could only bless their venture.

Bernard of course had no idea his son would sail to the new country only to succumb to death a couple of years later.

Elizabeth learned a great deal about her father from her Papa's words.

That he had been intelligent, loyal, and kind, with a dry sense of humor. That Alex had longed for travel, and adventure, to see more of this earth that God created.

Tucked into the pages of the journal, were letters from America that Alexander had written to Bernard.

These letters were written in her father's own hand and they contained a measure of her father's personality.

She felt, after reading them, that she had a better idea of who her father had been.

Alexander had written of her, of the joy and pleasure as a babe, she had brought to their lives. Her first smiles, steps and words were recorded, her father's love for her very evident in his writings.

Betsy was saddened for their loss as she read of her father's hopes for their futures. He had dreamed of moving west and seeing more of the country. He had joked with Bernard about how he had been blessed to find an adventurous wife, who would not only endure his need to wander, but she became as excited as he and encouraged him.

Betsy thought of what her life would be, had they moved west as her father had wanted. He had described fertile lands with one church and one schoolroom, where farmers tried to make a living from the land.

What Betsy read, told her that her father was a good, kind man who had loved her and her mother very much. But if his dreams had come to pass, she would not be where she was now. And while present circumstances may not be ideal, her marriage to Violet was.

After finishing her father's letters, she placed them back into the journal and turned in Violet's arms. She lay upon his chest, the book in front of her, as he played with the silky hair that lay across her back.

She had read the letters aloud to Violet, and he felt thankful, as she did. While he would never wish her parents demise, he was incredibly grateful that the rest of her life had led her to him.

Betsy decided to leave the journal for later and set it aside upon the floor. She crawled the few inches up her husband needed to kiss his lips, then she wrapped her arms around his neck, her head next to his simply holding him.

He rubbed her back, sitting there contentedly, for as long as she wished.

After a few moments she drew back. "Do you think the fact that my father saved the King's life may help me?" Betsy asked.

Violet had been wanting to ask since the moment it happened. "What made you shoot at him, Kitten? It was not as if he were threatening to shoot me."

"Yes, he was. He pointed a gun at you, Violet, and there was no reason for that. Even if he did not intend to shoot you, things can happen, and you should never point a gun at someone unless you are willing to see them dead."

Violet saw a trace of tears enter her eyes.

"I am not willing to see you dead." She said firmly, but with a tremble in her voice.

"Neither was I, but do you not think we have been in positions such as that before?" Violet raised his brow at her, "We been pirates fer many years, ye know." He wiggled his brows at her, as she furrowed her brows back at him.

"Do not remind me, Violet, that is the old you, not the new." Betsy scooted down and lay her head upon his chest.

"Do you know what I was doing but a couple of hours ago?" Vi asked her.

"What?" Betsy spoke from his chest.

"I was planning to kidnap you." Violet grinned when she huffed and shook her head.

He then felt her shake slightly, "I almost jumped into the sea." She giggled.

"Kitten, that would have made my kidnapping so much easier! Next time that is exactly what we should do."

Betsy looked up to him and grinned, "Then we had better sail back to the islands, my love, it was only the temperature of the water that kept me aboard."

"Good Lord, woman! I was joking!" Violet chided her. "Never jump from a perfectly good ship unless your life depends on it."

"For a moment there.....it felt as though it did." She smiled bittersweetly at him, before laying her head back upon his chest, holding his sides tightly.

Violet squeezed his eyes shut, one hand going to her back, the other to hold the back of her head. The thought of her out there in the sea, trying to stay afloat in the frigid water, while he attempted to get his ship moving was not something he even cared to dwell upon.

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Eleanor and Katherine joined the boys and Paulie in the galley. Paulie and Jonah were playing with blocks, while the older boys played cards.

Eleanor touched Katherine upon the arm and nodded towards the two building a castle, while Katy smiled and winked, making her way to the older boys.

Katherine sat and watched their play for a little while, joining into their conversation, biding her time. When the current game ended, Katy asked Timothy if he would help her with something.

Tim nodded and pushed his way up from the table to follow Katy to the captain's cabin.

The flowers from the wedding were dying off a bit. Katy went to Violet's desk and gave Timothy a pair of shears.

She pointed out the dead blooms and had Timothy snip them as she gathered them behind him.

They worked companionably together a few moments before Katherine spoke.

She began with the real reason she had brought him here, "Violet told me you lost your father upon the sea, I am very sorry you had to go through that, Timothy."

Timothy glanced up, seeing care and love in Katy's kind eyes, "I was too, but I am glad that Jonah did not have to see it, and that the Captain saved us, all of us." Timothy said this last, a bit more forcefully.

"That must have been hard for you, being the eldest, hoping you could somehow help the others." Katy commiserated.

"It was all I thought on, to try to keep the pirates from remembering the others were aboard, I tried to do all they asked of me, as quickly as I could." Timothy remembered how frightened he had been for Jonah and the two little girls. He had also been scared for Johnny, but because he was sick belowdeck the entire time, and he had begun to become too thin. Johnny had started looking a little skeletal and that had scared Timothy a lot.

"Pete came and saved you all?" Katy asked.

Ah, there it was, the light in his eyes from that remembered moment, when he had received his salvation and blessed mercy. The moment he had not had to worry for any of them any longer, when he had been able to hand his burden over, to a higher power than himself.

"I prayed, and prayed, and God sent us Pete, and the Captain and Miss Elizabeth, Paulie, Sam.....and the boys. He sent Luke to help Johnny and Michaels to fix the ship. God sent us what we needed, when we needed it most."

They had moved to the window seat, the dead blooms on the table, the shears forgotten on the desk, as Katy encouraged him to talk about his belief in God, which he had received from his father. Then they talked about his father, who had died at the hands of pirates, and how Tim could still feel his presence on occasion.

Katherine was heeding her call, lancing the wound and draining the poison, giving this sweet boy someone safe to talk to, someone who would help ease his hurts and help give him peace.

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"Is this what you do all day, Paul? You spend your entire day with the most wonderful boy in the whole wide world?" Eleanor smiled at Paulie and Jonah.

Jonah smiled back while Paulie ducked his head.

"Oh, come now Paul, do not tell me you are shy around old women. Even Jonah knows better than to fear little old me." Ellie winked at Jonah and he blinked back, which gained him a twinkling laugh from her.

At the sound of her musical laughter, Paulie raised his head, and smiled a little smile.

Ellie's twinkling eyes were there to meet his when he did. For an older woman she was quite pretty, her twinkling blue eyes gave her a youth that belied the finely lined skin, her friendly smile drew his own in return, as he shyly grew more comfortable in her presence.

"I wanted to speak to you about your plans for the future, Paul." Ellie's eyes still twinkled, her smile stayed in place, as she told him exactly what his future would be.

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After dinner with the commander, Violet and Betsy returned to their cabin.

"You were most ungracious to the commander this eve." Violet closed the door behind them as Betsy turned to face him.

"Why in heaven's name should I be gracious to that man?" Her hands found her hips and her nose wrinkled becomingly.

"Because," Violet kissed her wrinkly nose, "You have me."

"I had you before, he is the only reason I did not have you." Betsy argued. "I want my bed, I want my ship, I want my bath and I want.."

Violet grabbed her head and kissed her, effectively shutting her up.

Also effectively distracting them both from everything else.

Violet slid his hands down to her bum and lifted her, holding her tightly against him, as her arms wound around his neck.

Violet broke the kiss, his breath rasping, "Can you make do with just me?"

As she gazed into the violet depths, she nodded, it was the most she was capable of at the moment.

Other than to tighten her hold on him and draw him back to her.

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Gwendolyn heard the door closing downstairs. Finally, Jude had returned.

She was extremely irritated. She had eaten dinner alone, spent the evening alone, and for the last few hours, she had lain in Jude's bed, naked and alone.

Gwendolyn snatched the bedcovers back and took up a night rail, pulling it around herself, tying the wisp of a belt as she reached the door.

She opened it and traversed the hallway, gaining the top of the staircase at the same time Jude did. She saw his profile quickly before he prepared to turn the other way.

She lifted her hand to touch his shoulder, "Jude." She knew in that second she had succeeded in surprising him.

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Jude left Madame Lerouxe's establishment a satisfied man. He had found a buxom blonde to romp in the sheets with for a few hours, successfully erasing Gwen's face and form from his most recent memories.

It was late, well past midnight, as Jude made his way home to gain a night's sleep. He would need it if he and Alfred were going to see the Marquess.

Jude wanted all his wits about him for this meeting upon the morrow.

He left his horse with the stable master, walking the short distance to his townhome.

Still energised from his evening with the writhing Rose, Jude stepped lively on the staircase, stripping off his jacket as he went.

When he reached the landing at the top, he was frightened nearly to death.

Gwendolyn was there to confront him.

He had been heading right, to the privy, he had taken one step that direction, when a hand upon his shoulder brought his head swiftly upright, he swung his arm around in reflex, to defend himself against his attacker.

"Jude." It was Gwen.

He had not known it was Gwen, he had no idea how she became to be there, he also did not realize his arm would sweep her off the landing.

Gwendolyn's face pleaded. Terrified, she grasped for Jude, she grasped for the railing, anything to keep herself from falling back further, her eyes beseeching Jude for his help in that split second, before she tumbled back, down the staircase.

Jude stood transfixed as he watched Gwen flail, her body landing, twisting, crunching then rolling until she finally came to rest in a horrifically unnatural pose in the foyer.

Jude felt as if his feet had grown roots. He stood as if paralysed, waiting to see if any sign of life came from her crippled form.

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