Pirates and Prejudice (21 page)

The first mate’s
eyes widened. “Ye best not git anywhere near Lockerly wi’ that!” He leaned over
and peeked in. “I ’ave never seen anythin’ like that before!”

Darcy shook his
head. “I can honestly say, neither have I!”

*~*~*

The passengers
watched the naval ship as it drew close to the
Devil’s Seamaiden.
Their
excitement rose as she came alongside the port side of the ship, opposite from
the ship Lockerly now had. They threw over a grappling hook, and the ships were
pulled close together.

Men began to
make the easy swing from the naval ship to the
Devil’s Seamaiden.
As men
continued to board, they watched as a small boat was extended out over the bows
of both ships and lowered. It was carrying an officer and two other sailors.

“My!” exclaimed
Mrs. Keller, “that shall be so much easier than carrying us across on a rope!”

Elizabeth
smiled.
Yes, but not as much fun
, she said to herself.

The officer
walked over to Darcy and Bellows. They soon were engaged in a rather intense
conversation. Both men were pointing to Lockerly, but the officer shook his
head.

Darcy glanced
over at the passengers who were drawing near. He let out a huff and shook his
tousle of hair. “I most certainly will not!”

“I wonder what
they are talking about,” Elizabeth said. “I wonder what he does not wish to
do!”

“I am curious
about that, too!” David replied. “I am going to go over and see what I can
hear.”

Darcy, Bellows,
and the officer walked over to Lockerly, followed by David, who drew close to
listen. After a few minutes, David came back chuckling.

“What is it?”
everyone asked.

“It seems that
they have orders to verify that they actually have the right Lockerly as their
prisoner. Apparently he has a scar that runs from his shoulder to the centre of
his chest. Both men are being asked to open their shirts, but it seems our
captain does not see the need to do so, as everyone on the ship knows it is
Lockerly who is tied up.”

Elizabeth
checked her smile. The poor man most likely considered this to be humiliating,
baring his chest before everyone on the ship.

“If you would,
Captain,” the naval officer said.

Darcy turned to
see the passengers watching. All eyes were on him as he slowly unbuttoned his
shirt. When he pulled it opened, the officer nodded his head.

“My!” whispered
Mrs. Keller, who stood behind Elizabeth. “He certainly is a nice specimen of a
man!”

Elizabeth’s eyes
widened, and she brought her hand up to cover her mouth, but not in time to
hide the mischievous smile that appeared. Mr. Darcy glanced over at her and
scowled, quickly buttoning his shirt again.

The passengers
were told to pack up their belongings and then return to the dining hall. They
were to wait to be summoned, for the prisoners were to be taken over first and
securely locked up.

At length, the
passengers returned to the deck. Some of the crew helped carry their belongings
up. As Elizabeth stepped out into the warm sunshine, which now glistened across
the waters, she looked about for Mr. Darcy, but did not see him.

They were more
than ready to climb into the small boat that was swung across for them. Mrs.
Joyner actually laughed as they were swung over to the naval ship. Elizabeth
could only suppose that she had been through so much already, this was nothing
to fret about at all!

Once on board
the naval vessel, the passengers were hurried off to some cabins that had been
prepared for them. They were assured they would enjoy every comfort and to let
the crew know if there was anything they needed. From what the captain said,
they were just an hour from docking at St. Mary’s port.

Elizabeth took
time to freshen up, and then went up on deck with her father and cousin. She desperately
wanted one more opportunity to see Mr. Darcy. As they walked about and greeted
the crew, enjoying the warmth of the sun on their backs, Elizabeth grew
concerned that she did not see him.

She did not see
Bellows, either, and finally asked Webber about them. “Oh, they’ve been taken
in to be questioned by the naval captain. They prob’ly won’t be long.”

Elizabeth hoped
they wouldn’t be long. She did not wish to disembark the ship without first
expressing her appreciation to Mr. Darcy. In truth, she wished to express more,
but knew she could not.

Chapter 21

Darcy and Bellows were whisked away to the officers’
quarters by Captain Newton. He asked the two men question after question and took
detailed notes about what had transpired with Lockerly that would be used as
evidence against him. Lockerly had been a daunting nemesis to the navy and the
ships sailing in British waters, and Newton was pleased to finally have him in
custody.

As the men were
questioned, Darcy grew more impatient for the interrogation to end. When the
ship finally came into the harbour at St. Mary’s, the captain assured them that
they would not be much longer. The questions, however, continued unabated, and
Darcy grew more anxious to depart, knowing the passengers and his crew were
likely going ashore.

There was a
knock at the door, and at the captain’s acknowledgement, Foster burst in. He
nodded at the men in the cabin and sat down. Looking at the captain, he said,
“I hear we have Lockerly in custody.”

Newton nodded
and smiled. “The seas will be safer now. He shall hang, as he should have
before.”

Foster turned to
Bellows. “I have arranged for you and your crew to sail to London on the naval
ship in the next berth. It is set to sail at four o’clock. You and your crew
may go gather your things and report to the captain on board that ship.” Foster
then turned to Darcy. “Unfortunately, I need you to remain with me a little
longer.”

Darcy looked at
Bellows, who stood and was about to take his leave. “Tell the crew to gather on
deck once they have their belongings and wait for me before leaving. I shall
not be much longer.” He said the latter as much to Foster as to Bellows, his
voice and expression indicating he would brook no opposition. “I would like to
express my thanks to them before they return to London.”

“Aye, Cap’n.”
Bellows nodded at the men and walked out.

Foster turned to
Darcy, looking at him pointedly. “I know you are angry at me for what I did,
and I confess I had no idea all that would transpire as a result. I do
apologize for deceiving you and getting you out to sea through such trickery.
It was wrong of me.”

Darcy raised a
brow. “But you do not seem at all repentant. In fact, I believe you are quite
pleased!”

“How could I not
be? Lockerly was captured!” He leaned back in the chair and folded his arms
across his chest. He looked at Newton. “I trust that you will transport the
pirates to London and ensure they do not escape this time.”

“I will.”

He turned back to
Darcy. “I thought you should know that there is substantial prize money for
capturing Lockerly. It will be divided up amongst you and your crew as you see
fit.”

Darcy’s eyes
widened in surprise, and he felt his anger lessen... just a little. “I had no idea.
I am pleased to hear that, but I will decline any for myself. I would like to
have a say, however, in how it is distributed amongst the crew.”

“There is also
this!” Captain Newton interjected, placing a leather pouch on the table in
front of Foster. “It was found on the ship and is filled with jewels. I assume
there will be a reward for this?”

Foster’s eyes
widened as he looked at the immense treasure before him. “I would imagine there
will be a fairly good sized reward for this, as well!” He looked at Darcy.
“Where did you find this?”

“In the hold.”

“We will add the
reward to the prize money.”

“Foster, it was
the passengers who actually found this. If I can have a say in this matter, as
well, I should like the reward to be divided up amongst the passengers, with a
greater portion awarded to Mr. Bennet and Miss Elizabeth Bennet. It was she who
actually found the jewels and devised the plan that stopped Lockerly.”

Foster nodded,
cradling his chin. “We can do that. I am not certain what the reward might be,
but let us talk theoretically and decide how you want the reward and the prize
money divided up.”

Darcy spoke with
Foster on how to distribute the rather substantial sums of money. He hoped to
help out not only his crew, but the Bennet family, particularly Elizabeth, as
well.

When they
finished, Darcy requested a reprieve so he could express his thanks to the
passengers and his crew for their bravery in the midst of several dire
situations. He hoped to see them again before they went their separate ways.

Foster
reluctantly agreed, but added, “You may do so, but there is one more thing we
need to discuss. You may go now to say what you will.”

Darcy glared at
Foster before rushing up on deck. He looked about him and saw his crew standing
just off the ship on the dock with their belongings. When they noticed him,
they rushed towards him.

Darcy met them
half way. “I am glad you are still here. Where are the passengers?” he asked,
looking around him. “They have not left the ship yet, have they?”

One of the men nodded.
“Aye! Some are gittin’ right back on another ship to take ’em back to London,
an’ others are spendin’ the night an’ will leave at a later date.”

Darcy’s brows
lowered as he looked out at all the people walking about the harbour. “And what
of Mr. Bennet and his daughter and the young man? Do you know what has become
of them?”

One of his men
nodded. “That’s them in that carriage, there. They is settin’ off to spend a
couple days wi’ family before they return to London.”

Darcy watched as
the carriage disappeared around a bend. He let out a huff.

“Cap’n?” Another
of his crew looked at him with a worried expression. “What’s to become of us
when we git back to London?”

At this, Darcy was
able to smile. “You are all to receive prize money for capturing Lockerly. It
will be divided up amongst all of you, with each receiving a fair share.”

“That’s mighty
good to hear, Cap’n. Are ye goin’ to sail back to London wi’ us?”

Darcy shook his
head. “I regret that I am not. But I want you all to know how grateful I am
that you trusted me and were willing to do all we asked. You are, all of you,
good men!” He turned to Bellows. “Take care of them, Bellows!”

“I will, Cap’n.”

Bellows held out
his hand, and Darcy took it in a firm grip. “And you take care, my good friend.
I owe you a lot!”

Bellows shook
his head. “No, ye were the hero – to me, the crew, an’ to the passengers.”

“Well, we shall
just have to agree that we disagree on that point. God speed, Bellows!”

“Thank ye! An’
God bless ye!”

As Darcy turned
to leave, another man called out to him.

“Cap’n? Do ye
mind if I asks ye a question?””

“No, go right
ahead.”

“Why is it that
ye suddenly started talkin’ all good an’ proper like?’

Darcy took in a
deep breath and gave them a half-hearted smile. “’Tis a rather long,
complicated story, me mate. I’ll let me good friend Bellows tell ye what ’e
knows. Me thinks ye’ll be together for some time.”

The men parted,
and Darcy returned to the officers’ quarters, disappointed that he had not been
able to see Elizabeth before she left, but grateful to have shared with the men
what would be theirs as a result of their service. He sat down and met Foster’s
stare.

“In addition to the
prize money, I also want me men… my men to receive a high commendation. I am
resolute on this matter.”

Foster nodded.
“I can do that.”

“They deserve
it. They deserve an exceptionally
high
commendation.”

Foster was
silent for a moment, chewing his bottom lip.

It gave Darcy
the opportunity to ask Captain Newton a question. “Would it be possible for me
to reclaim the bonnet that held the jewels when we turned them over to you? I
should like to return it to the young lady who owns it.”

“Certainly!” The
captain retrieved the bonnet and handed the neatly folded bundle to Darcy.

“Thank you.”
Darcy looked down at the pale green bonnet. He could not help but run his
fingers over it and down the length of the ribbons. He smiled as he considered
how Elizabeth’s bonnet, when holding the jewels, had contained a vast treasure.
His smile was bittersweet, however, as he considered how the bonnet belonged to
an even greater treasure, in the person of Miss Elizabeth Bennet.

Foster nervously
rubbed his hands together as he watched Darcy finger the bonnet. Finally, he
said, “Mr. Darcy, you may be wondering why you are not sailing back with the
men.”

Darcy looked up
and waited for Foster to continue, although he was not particularly sure he
wanted to hear what he had to say.

“We have
Lockerly, but we do not know who helped him escape the last time, and we think
they may try again.”

Darcy looked
from Foster to the captain and back to Foster with a questioning look. “He
should be secure in the hands of the British Navy. Captain Newton said so
himself.”

Foster clasped
his hands tightly together, bringing them down onto the table. “Oh, he will be,
but I should like to arrest those who were involved in the escape last time.”
He took in a deep breath and said, “There is just one more thing I would like
you to do.”

*~*~*

Elizabeth’s
heart sank as the carriage conveyed them away from the dock. She had searched
futilely for Mr. Darcy and could only conjecture he did not wish to be found by
her. She looked out the window, scanning the harbour one last time to see if
she could spot him. Her heart was heavy; she knew it was futile to think that
he might have feelings for her still. Yet she could not dismiss the way in
which he had treated her all the while she thought he was Captain Smith.

Both her father
and cousin had been anxious to return to the comfort and refuge of the Clowers’
home and did not wish to remain a moment longer than was necessary. They were
disappointed they could not personally thank Mr. Darcy, but he was nowhere to be
seen. As the arrangements were being made to secure a carriage to take them to
their relatives’ home, they had sent a message ahead informing them they were
returning and would explain all once they arrived.

They had also
sent letters home, one to the Gardiners and one to Longbourn. They chose merely
to tell them that a storm had thwarted their plans to sail back to London and
they would attempt to make the journey again in a day or two – by way of
Portsmouth. From there, they would take a carriage to Brighton, pick up Lydia,
and then travel by road the remainder of the way to London. It would take
longer, but Mr. Bennet had had his fill of sailing. A shorter journey at sea
was much preferable. A final letter was written to Lydia, in care of the Forsters,
informing her to be ready to travel home with them in about three or four days.

Once the harbour
was out of her sight, Elizabeth looked over at David, whose eyes were bright as
he talked with Mr. Bennet about how much Melanie would enjoy the stories of their
adventure. He laughed as he said, “I believe, at first, she probably will not
believe any of it, but then she will become so envious of our adventure, that
she will likely wish she could have been a part of it!”

Elizabeth tried
to smile, but felt a heavy weight upon her. Much like an anchor that holds the
ship in place against the battering waves in a storm, she felt as though it
would be difficult for her to move forward as her emotions continued to pound
against her.

When they
arrived back at the Clowers’ home and told them briefly what had happened, the
conversation rose steadily to an uproar as questions were asked, every detail
and sentiment related, and each different perspective shared.

David was
correct about Melanie’s response. She listened with rapt attention and
responded in disbelief. This was followed by heartfelt sighs, saying how much
she envied them for their adventure and wished she had been with them. She
teasingly expressed resentment that despite having lived all her life in a place
known for pirates, she had yet to see one.

Elizabeth
retired early that night, looking forward to her first good night’s sleep in
two days. She longed to be home, but it would still be nearly a week before she
would be able to enjoy the solitude and sanctuary of her own room at Longbourn.
It could not come soon enough.

*~*~*

At first light
the next morning, Darcy, still dressed as a pirate, set out with Foster on a
small ship to Portsmouth. Foster made sure word was spread that Lockerly was
being transported from the port, then on through Brighton, and finally to
London. The plan was to travel the exact route Lockerly had travelled when he
was boldly snatched out of their hands the last time. That time they had not
been ready. This time they would be, and it was Darcy who was going to be in
the carriage, not Lockerly.

They made the
crossing from St. Mary’s to England’s mainland without any difficulty, and
Darcy was hurried away to a waiting carriage. He was handcuffed, to ensure the
appearance of him actually being the captured pirate.

As the two men
began their journey towards Brighton, Foster removed the cuffs that bound
Darcy’s wrists. He stretched out his arms in front of him and opened and closed
his fists. He enjoyed this bit of freedom, as they would be replaced at the
first sign of something unusual. Seven men followed at a short distance on
horseback and in an additional carriage. If anything happened, they easily
would be able to capture those involved in the escape attempt.