Pirates and Prejudice (19 page)

Elizabeth looked
back towards the ship, which was now disappearing into the fog again. “I am not
certain, but I think it has to do with that ship,” she said softly.

Mr. Keller
nodded his head. “Captain Smith probably wants to put some distance between us
and them to prevent any unforeseen collision.” He pointed off into the
nothingness. “Did you see how that ship appeared and disappeared in the fog? If
that ship has not seen us, there might still be the possibility of it coming
upon us without any time to swerve out of the way.” He let out a laugh. “A ship
cannot turn as quickly as a horse-drawn carriage, you know.”

“No, it cannot.”
Darcy approached to the passengers. “I do not wish to alarm any of you, but I
would ask that you all get below deck. If you would be so kind as to follow me,
please.”

“What is it?”
Mr. Dillard asked. “Why do you want us to do that?”

An explosive
boom came from within the depths of the fog, and a fiery light was all the
answer that was needed.

Darcy peered
through the mist. “There!” he hollered, pointing out to sea towards the bow of
the ship. A cannonball fell from the sky just short of the ship, sending water
over the railing.

“Come quickly!”
Darcy ordered. “You must get below deck now!” His eyes met Elizabeth’s, and she
could readily see the alarm on his face. She knew not what was going on, but
her heart pounded with the fierceness of that same apprehension.

Elizabeth heard
Mrs. Joyner mumble something, and she immediately went to her side, taking her
arm. “Come, Mrs. Joyner. We must go below!”

“Oh! Where is my
husband?” Mrs. Joyner said, her face drained of all colour.

Elizabeth
pointed. “He is just over here. Mr. Joyner, your wife needs you!”

The group
quickly began to move to the stairs. Elizabeth found herself next to Mr. Darcy,
being propelled along by his hand at her back.

“What is it?”
she turned to him and whispered. “Are we under attack?”

Darcy nodded.
“Possibly.” As he led the group down below, he gave explicit orders.

“I am taking you
down to the hold where you will remain until I come for you. Everyone is to
stay there with the door locked.” As they reached the companionway, he stopped.
“Continue down these steps. I need to get something from my quarters and will
join you there!”

Darcy rushed
down the hall towards his cabin as the group hurried down the next set of
stairs. The passengers mumbled and fretted amongst themselves about what might
be happening. Elizabeth stood at the rear, behind Mrs. Joyner, nudging her
along while Mr. Joyner was practically holding her up with his arm.

Mr. Darcy soon
returned and came up alongside Elizabeth, holding a rifle and a pistol.

“Oh!” she
exclaimed. “Is it that bad?”

“It never hurts
to be prepared.”

Elizabeth
nodded. “But who is it?” she whispered. “Why did they shoot at us?”

Darcy took a
deep breath. “The ship is the same one we saw Lockerly and his men sail away on.
I fear it is Lockerly, and I know he must be intent upon reclaiming his ship!”

Alarm swept over
Elizabeth’s face. “Will you be able to keep him at bay?”

Darcy nodded.
“We should have more men,” he said, as they took the stairs down. “We should be
able to hold him off.”

“Does this ship
have cannons?” she asked.

“Stop right
there!” Darcy called out to the group ahead. Turning back to Elizabeth, he
whispered, “It does have two, but unfortunately, there is no one who has the
expertise to shoot them.”

Darcy moved to
the front of the group of passengers and opened the door to the hold. He then
issued some orders. “I want each one of you to remain inside. I have a key and
am going to lock the door, but you will have a key, as well.” He handed the
extra key to Mr. Bennet. “I beg you to please keep the door locked until I – or
one of my crew – returns and tells you it is safe to come out.”

“Can we not stay
up on deck and help – the men, that is?” It was David asking.

Darcy looked
down at his arm. “With your injury, I think it would be best if you remained
down here.” He looked up at the others. “I do not suppose that any of you men
are proficient at fencing.”

The group
sheepishly shook their heads.

“Then I would
ask you to remain here. You can at least give some protection to the ladies.
For that, I will be grateful.”

As the
passengers stepped into the hold, he handed the guns to two of the men. “Use
these if you have to.” Darcy glanced down at Elizabeth as she came through the
door.

“Be safe,” she
said softly, pleading with her eyes.

He nodded and
offered her a reassuring smile. He turned to the others and said, “Again, no
matter what you hear or how long you have to wait, do not unlock the door
unless I or one of my crew comes and tells you it is safe.”

“And if no one
comes for us?” Mr. Dillard asked.

Darcy narrowed
his brows. “Say a prayer and use your key.”

The door
slammed, and the click of the lock was heard. Mrs. Joyner cried out and
collapsed onto the floor with a thud.

Chapter 19

Darcy rushed back up onto the deck. His heart pounded
so thunderously he thought it would burst out of his chest. He looked out into
the heavy mist searching for any further sign of the ship. Not seeing anything,
he took the stairs up to the helm and joined Bellows.

“Have you spied it
again?” he asked.

Bellows shook
his head, a dire expression on his face. “No, but I’m sure it were the same
ship we saw yesterday.”

“I am, as well,”
Darcy said, rubbing his jaw. “Perhaps we have lost them.”

“Perhaps.”
Bellows gripped the wheel tightly. “Ye must think Lockerly ain’t goin’ away,
puttin’ the passengers down below like ye did. Ye don’t think ’e sent off a
warnin’ shot ’oping to scare us, an’ they ’ave set sail in the opposite
direction?”

Darcy narrowed
his brows and his jaw tightened. “I would hope so, but until we know for a
certainty what he is up to, I want the passengers safely below.”

“Ye don’t think
’e ’as left, do ye? Ye thinks ’e is still out there.”

Nodding his head,
Darcy said, “I am of the opinion he is staying just out of sight.” He let out a
huff of air. “We have his ship. We took his prisoners. I believe he is going to
try to take them from us.”

Darcy picked up
the spyglass and gazed around him into the mist. All hands were on deck
silently at the ready, anxiously awaiting orders – or for something to happen.
Several tense, quiet moments passed, the only noise being the soft rustle of
the sails as the wind alternately caught and then released them and the lapping
of the waves against the ship.

Suddenly another
explosion came from the starboard side, a cannonball falling just short of its
target. As it plummeted into the sea, the seawater crashed over the stern.

“There she is! She
is on our starboard side!” Darcy yelled.

“Come about!”
Bellows yelled as he turned the wheel sharply. “We’ll give them a narrow
target!” His eyes darkened under furrowed brows. “We ken’t outrun ’em, they is
smaller and ken sail faster.” He then began to slowly nod his head. “But we ken
certainly try to disappear into the fog before they ken turn to follow.”

Darcy kept the
spyglass fixed on the stern of the ship. “They are turning!”

“We should be
safe for a short while. Their cannons won’t be aimed at us. I doubt that ship
has a bow-chaser.”

“Bow-chaser?”
Darcy asked tersely.

“A smaller,
single cannon at the bow of the ship used to shoot an enemy in front of ’em.”
Bellows’ eyes remained fixed ahead. “From the size of that ship, they likely
only ’ave a single cannon on each side.”

Darcy watched
the ship intently as the distance between them widened. It was soon swallowed
up in the fog. “Good!” Darcy exclaimed. “We are out of sight of them.” He
called out an order, “Thirty degrees more to port!”

The crew scrambled
to adjust the sails. Bellows looked at Darcy and nodded as he turned the wheel.
“Ye are thinkin’ like a true cap’n. We’ll change our direction while we are
outta their sight, an’ hopefully they’ll keep sailin’ towards where they last
seen us.”

Darcy nodded.
“As long as we remain veiled by the fog, there is hope we can escape.” Darcy
continued to look about him, ready to give warning at the first sign of them.
“I wonder if he purposely missed hitting us with his cannons. I believe he will
want to take his ship back in one piece.”

“I ’ope yer
right, Cap’n.”

The ship moved
briskly along. Darcy kept watch aft of the ship and both sides, while Bellows
peered into the mist ahead of them. The last thing they needed was to encounter
another unsuspecting ship; they would have little time to respond.

As they made
their way steadily along, they veered occasionally more to port, hoping to
completely lose their enemy. Turning slowed them down, so at length, Bellows
issued the command, “Lay forward!” and the
Devil’s Seamaiden
set off
speedily in the direction of St. Mary’s port.

Darcy and the
crew remained alert and kept a watchful eye out for any signs of the ship. It
had been several minutes since they had made their last turn, and everyone
looked around, wondering whether they had successfully evaded Lockerly’s ship.

An uneasiness
pervaded the crew. They were sailing into an unnerving nothingness, and knew
not if or when Lockerly’s boat might reappear. As much as they had earlier
hoped the fog would soon dissipate, now they all hoped it would cloak them
until they were safely out of harm’s way.

Everyone looked
about for signs of the ship, but their fearful expressions displayed a hope
that they wouldn’t encounter it again. There was an eerie silence, broken only by
an occasional wave that crashed against the ship or the sails that rustled in
the light breeze.

Darcy swung the
spyglass around just as another explosion shattered the silence. The fire from
the blast painted the grey mist with fiery shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Webber, who was
up in the top crow’s nest suddenly called out in his loud, booming voice,
“Incoming!” He pointed to the bow of the ship.

Everyone
instinctively ducked as a cannon came over the ship, entangling the sails and
masts. Two of the crew jumped out and away just as the rigging they were on
came crashing down.

The tangled mass
of wooden beams and shredded canvas fell across the ship.

“Is any man
hurt?” Darcy called out.

Several men
called out that they were not, and the ones who had leapt from the rigging
stood up and brushed themselves off.

“Chain shot!”
Bellows hollered.

Darcy looked at
him with a raised questioning brow.

“’Tis cannons
with chains attached to do as much damage as possible to the rigging.” Bellows
struggled to turn the wheel as he hollered out to the men on the main sail to
come about.

“So they do not
care that they damage the ship. I was wrong,” Darcy said.

“No, you was
right. Their intent is to cripple us. Masts an’ spars an’ yards an’ sails are
easy enough to replace.”

“Can we
manoeuvre away from them?”

Bellows’
countenance was grim. “No. We must now arm our men an’ prepare ’em fer battle.”

“Any chance we
can use our cannons to ward them off?” Darcy asked.

Bellows tossed his
head in the direction of the ship. “No. They’re now coming at us headlong. They
know exactly how to approach us so even if we knew how to fire those things,
they wouldn’t be in our line of fire.”

Darcy let out a
huff. “Foster did not think through this scheme as thoroughly as he should
have. He has put us all in danger!” He turned to Bellows. “Let’s arm the men,
then!”

*~*~*

The passengers
heard the first explosion. From the hold, the muffled sound seemed far enough
away that they were not too concerned, especially when it did not seem to hit
the ship.

Mrs. Joyner was
sitting on the floor leaning against a wall despairing. Mrs. Keller tried to
reassure her they would be all right. “Captain Smith will know what to do.
After all, remember it was he who came to our rescue on the island!”

Elizabeth, her
father, and her cousin exchanged worried glances. Knowing Captain Smith was not
a real sea captain was something they did not want anyone to know. It would
only add to their concern. She walked over to Mrs. Joyner and sat down on the
floor next to her.

“We are all
worried, Mrs. Joyner, but have faith. All shall work out for the best.”
Elizabeth was not sure even she had the faith now to believe that. She
nervously ran her fingers along the smooth wooden planks of the floor as
everyone conversed and conjectured what might be happening on deck. As she did,
she felt one of the planks move.

“What is this?”
she said, leaning forward and giving it a pull. The plank cleanly came out
after a few tugs. She pulled out two more on either side, revealing a deep
cavity. She leaned over and peered in.

“I think there
is something down there!”

Mrs. Joyner let
out a joyful cry, suddenly diverted by such a discovery. Everyone stood around
them watching as Elizabeth reached in and felt around. Her fingers brushed
against some sort of fabric, and as she stretched in as far as she could, she
was able to grasp it and slowly began to pull it up.

A few more
planks had to be removed to lift it completely out, but at length she placed it
on the floor. They all simply stared at the white fabric bag, probably made
from sail canvas, which was tied together at the top with rope.

“It is a
treasure, I am certain of it!” Mrs. Joyner said. “Hurry! Open it!”

Elizabeth smiled
at the sudden change in Mrs. Joyner’s demeanour. Her hands shook as she tugged
at the knot, trying to pull apart the strands of rope. When it finally gave
way, there was not a sound in the cabin as she slowly opened the bag.

The onlookers
gasped as they beheld the treasure before them. There were glittering diamonds
and a vast array of jewels in a variety of colours and sizes.

“Heavens above!”
cried out Mr. Dillard. “It is likely worth a fortune!”

“Do you suppose
anyone knows about this?”

“Since we found
it, does it belong to us?”

“I cannot
imagine what this might be worth?”

“Do you think
they are real?”

Questions
abounded amongst the passengers. Elizabeth stood up and quietly went to her
father and cousin, who were enjoying the merriment.

Her brows
pinched together in concern.

“Well, Lizzy,
our pirating adventure now has the final element!” Mr. Bennet said jubilantly.
“A hidden treasure!”

In a hushed
voice, she said, “Yes, but do you not realize that this belongs to Lockerly,
and he will most likely do whatever he can to get it back?”

The smiles
evaporated from both men’s faces. “You are right,” David said. “But do not say
anything to anyone. Their elation at finding a treasure will be short lived and
replaced by even graver concern if they hear that.”

“No, I shall
not. But I think somehow we must warn Mr. Darcy that Lockerly has more than
just his ship that he will attempt to reclaim for himself!”

At that moment,
a second explosion was heard. This time, however, they felt the ship shudder at
the impact.

Everyone’s
merriment quickly dissolved back into fright.

*~*~*

Lockerly’s ship
swept down upon the
Devil’s Seamaiden
, and the men watched with wide
eyes as it veered starboard at the last minute to avoid crashing into them headlong.
Within minutes they had come alongside, and the two vessels collided into each
other’s sides with a jolt. Lockerly’s crew threw a grappling hook over, and as
the hooks dug into wood, the two ships were anchored together firmly.

Confusion
reigned as men scrambled from Lockerly’s ship to the
Devil’s Seamaiden
,
either by jumping as the two ships jostled together or by swinging over on a
rope. Shots were fired, but went wild, due either to a lack of expertise or the
inability to take aim because of the tossing of the ship. Pistols were soon
discarded and knives, cutlasses, and swords were drawn as the adversaries came
together.

Darcy and
Bellows pulled out their swords. Bellows was the only crew member Darcy felt
was proficient to fight these men. However, as he assessed Lockerly’s crew, he
felt the pirate was in the same quandary as himself. His crew, although now
greater in number than had been on the island, appeared to be just as inept.

From his vantage
point at the helm, Darcy searched the motley group of men for Lockerly, who
most likely was also looking for him. From what little he knew of the pirate,
he was probably already on the ship, plotting its takeover. But as unrelenting
as his thoughts were about what Lockerly might do and where he was, just as
pressing was the thought of Elizabeth and how to ensure her safety.

Darcy looked at
Bellows and nodded. There was nothing left to be done at the helm; the ship was
sitting helpless in the water. They both took to the deck and entered the fray.

As Darcy made
his way through the fighting men, he kept a lookout for any of his crew that
seemed most in need of assistance. It was overwhelming, at first, not knowing
where to turn. He was grateful for the lack of proficiency exhibited by all
men. The last thing he wanted was a massacre, especially when these men – both
his and Lockerly’s – were young, and likely did not have the same evil
propensity that drove the merciless pirate.

He fought off a
couple men as he made his way around the ship. He saw a movement out of the
corner of his eye and realized someone was headed towards the ship’s stern. He
quickly followed, and when he cautiously came around the corner, he found
himself face to face with Edward Webber. The young man’s eyes were wide, his
face ashen, and his hand gripped his shoulder.

“Are you hurt,
Webber?” Darcy asked.