Pirates and Prejudice (9 page)

He turned away
quickly, extending his arm to Elizabeth. “Shall we go?”

The three
boarded the ship, along with the other passengers, crew, and dock workers
loading materials being shipped to London. Elizabeth was anxious to meet the
three women with whom she would be sharing a cabin. Elizabeth, Mrs. Joyner,
Mrs. Keller, and Mrs. Dillard were the only women on board the ship. There were
five men travelling as passengers, and to accommodate them, the husbands of the
three ladies were put in one cabin, while Mr. Bennet and David were put in the
cabin across the hall.

This merchant
ship was larger than the one on which Elizabeth and her father had previously
sailed. Again, their accommodations were simple, yet comfortable.

It was smooth
sailing that first day as they made their way towards London. Towards evening,
however, it was obvious to Elizabeth that the crew was keeping an eye on a
storm out on the horizon. Dark, threatening clouds, pierced occasionally by
jagged streaks of lightning, seemed to be bearing down upon them.

As the last
traces of light disappeared on the horizon, and all the passengers settled into
their cabins for the night, the sea began to toss the ship ruthlessly.
Elizabeth, along with Mrs. Keller, who had sailed frequently, did their best to
calm the other two women in the cabin, but as the storm worsened and the sea
raged in fury, they felt a good deal of concern, as well. Mrs. Keller suggested
the ladies pull the blankets and pillows off the bed and lie on the floor to
prevent them from being tossed out of their beds when the ship rose and fell
and feverishly swayed from side to side.

A light tap of
the door startled the ladies, and Elizabeth warily stood up and wrapped a
blanket about her.

“Yes?” she
called out.

“Elizabeth, it
is David. Your father and I were worried about you. How are you ladies faring
in this storm?”

She opened the
door slightly. Although she could not see him, she sensed his caring presence.

“We are huddled together
on the floor. Tell me, David, have you ever sailed in anything like this?”

“I have been in
some strong storms, but this does appear to be severe. I went up on the deck,
and they have furled the sails to prevent them from being ripped apart or blown
away.”

“What does that
mean?” Elizabeth asked, a small tremor noticeable in her voice.

David reached
out to find her hand, which rested on the edge of the door. He placed his over
hers reassuringly. “We are likely going to be blown slightly off course, but
the crew know what they are doing. We shall be safe!”

“Thank you,
David. How is my father faring?”

David laughed.
“He is doing well. In fact, he is regaling me with stories about your family.”

Elizabeth was
glad David could not see her as she rolled her eyes at his words. She could
only imagine what her father might be saying about them.

“Remind me to
ask you later about one Mr. Collins and his offer of marriage!”

“Oh, that man!”
Elizabeth exclaimed.

“Is that
sentiment referring to your father or Mr. Collins?”

“Both!”
Elizabeth said with a laugh, gripping the door as the ship heaved suddenly.
“You had best get back to your room and hunker down!”

“I shall, and
you do the same!”

As she closed the
door, Mrs. Dillard laughed. “Will you enlighten us about this Mr. Collins?”

“Oh, I beg of
you not to ask me to speak of that laughable man now! Perhaps when we are out
of danger, I shall be more in the mood to tell you about him.”

When Elizabeth
and the other ladies found themselves feeling ill, Mrs. Keller advised them to
take in slow, deep breaths. While it did not remove the offensive feeling, it
did help.

The storm did
not let up at all during the night, but at some point the ladies fell asleep
from exhaustion. It was early in the morning when the ladies were awakened by a
thunderous jolt that seemed to shake the ship from bow to stern and all the way
down to its keel. All of the women screamed, and Mrs. Joyner cried out, “God,
help us! We are going to die!”

“What do you
suppose happened?” Elizabeth asked. “That sounded ominous!”

“I have never
heard anything like it,” Mrs. Keller said. “It sounded – and felt – as though
we hit something!”

Elizabeth was of
the opinion that Mrs. Keller was correct but did not think it could have been
another ship, for despite the pounding of the waves, the ship seemed anchored
in one spot, as if something had it in its grip.

The sounds of
shouts and pounding footsteps could be heard, and at length, a sharp rap at
their door.

Again Elizabeth
grabbed the nearest blanket and put it around her. When she opened the door,
the captain stood before her, holding a candle. Anxious blue eyes looked out
from his weathered, bearded face.

“We have hit
some sort of rocky outcroppin’, an’ my men are surveyin’ the damage. But we
must ask that ye ladies get dressed an’ come up on deck as quickly as
possible.” He handed Elizabeth the candle he was holding. “Take this an’ light
one of the candles in your cabin.”

“Thank you,
Captain.” Elizabeth took the candle, lit one of the wall candles in the cabin,
and then returned it to the captain.

As the ladies
scrambled to get dressed, Mrs. Joyner sat down on the bed and seemed unable to
do anything. She began to pant heavily and put her hand over her heart. “I know
we are going to die! I know we will sink, and no one will ever find us or know
what happened to us!”

Elizabeth walked
over and sat down beside her. “We shall be fine. The captain knows what he is
doing.” She gently helped the woman dress and then got dressed herself. The
ladies put on their warmest outerwear over their dresses, anticipating
inclement weather on deck.

As the ladies
walked out, several of the men, led by David, were coming to their room to
check on them.

“Good! You are
ready!” David said. “Shall we go up and see what the captain has to say?”

David took
Elizabeth’s arm as they quickly took the stairs up to the deck. They gathered
together and watched as the captain spoke solemnly to a few of his crew
members. It was no longer raining, but the wind sliced across the ship
fiercely. The spray from the still turbulent waves stung their faces.

The captain
walked slowly over to the small group of passengers that huddled together.
“Durin’ the storm the winds an’ waves pushed us far off course. In fact, as far
as we can determine, we were carried back towards the Isles of Scilly. The
sound you heard earlier was the ship hittin’ a rocky outcroppin’, most likely
north an’ east of the islands.”

“Are we going to
sink?” Mrs. Joyner asked, her voice shaking.

“While the ship
is takin’ on some water in its hull, we are not in deep enough water to be
swallowed up. My men are down in the bowels of the ship attemptin’ to make some
repairs an’ to keep the flooding at bay. At daylight, when I can survey our
position, I shall determine whether we can attempt to get you off the ship an’
onto nearby land. Then we shall hope that we ken make repairs to the ship or
that another ship might come by and assist.”

“Oh!” cried Mrs.
Joyner. “How are we to get off the ship and onto land when we are nowhere near
the docks? I cannot swim!”

The captain
scratched his bristly beard. “We have a small boat that’ll carry you. Have no
fear; we shall ensure your safety getting to land.” He paused and took in a
deep breath. “That is,
if
there is land reasonably close.”

The captain
ushered the passengers into the dining room where they would wait for dawn to
reveal their location and fate.

Chapter 9

When the first rays of sun lit the skies, the passengers aboard the
merchant ship came up on deck and positioned themselves at the rail, anxious
about what they might see. The storm had passed, and the sea had calmed, but a
fog engulfing the ship kept their surroundings hidden.

As the day grew lighter,
they gradually were able to see the large mass of rock that held the ship tight
in its grip. The fog, however, kept what was beyond secret, allowing only for
an occasional brief glimpse of more rock. They muttered their concerns amongst
themselves, but felt it was not the time to bother the captain or crew with
their questions and worries. Each time the ship shifted, fearful glances passed
amongst them.

The captain
stood on the foredeck with a spyglass pressed to his eye. He looked about him,
speaking with fervour to his first mate and several other crewmen. Occasionally
they would glance down at a map, pointing at it and either nodding or shaking
their heads. At length, he approached the passengers.

“My men are workin’
feverishly below deck to patch the gash in the ship, but it is still takin’ on
water. While there is little danger of the ship sinkin’ because of the rock
beneath us, there’s still the possibility of it capsizin’ if the hull fills
with water.”

Mrs. Joyner put
her hand over her heart and began to sway. Her husband was ready and caught her
when she collapsed.

“Take her to the
dinin’ room an’ give her some tea. Please try to reassure her that there is no
imminent danger. We have formulated a plan to assure your safety.”

When the couple
left, the captain continued, “We were just barely able to see a small
uninhabited island to our port side through the fog. When the fog recedes a bit
more, I think it would be prudent to remove the passengers to the island until
the ship is repaired or another ship comes by. The dinghy we keep stowed on the
ship should be able to get you there without any mishap. We will keep watch for
other ships while we make our attempts at repairin’ this one.”

Mrs. Dillard
slowly lifted her hand. “But how are we to get down into the dinghy from up
here?”

“We’ll board you
while it is still on deck. One of my men will be with you while we lower it
into the water with winches. We shall take the women and Mr. Joyner over first.
I am quite sure Mrs. Joyner will appreciate her husband’s reassurin’ presence.
Once you are in the water, two more of my men will climb down the ropes from
the ship to join you an’ help row. When you are safely on the island, they
shall return to get the remaining men passengers.”

The ladies were
excused to gather some items to take with them. Mrs. Joyner joined them, and
Elizabeth assisted in helping her decide what few things she would need, as
fear seemed to take away any ability to make a decision.

When they returned
to the deck, they saw that the fog had lifted towards shore, and the small
island could be seen. Looking out towards the sea, however, they could see
nothing.

Once it was
determined to be safe to make the short journey, Mr. Joyner and one of the
crewmen, who introduced himself as Timmons, climbed into the boat. They
assisted each of the ladies as they stepped in. Once settled, the boat was
slowly swung over the side of the ship and lowered into the water as the women
held each other’s hands tightly. Two more crewmen climbed down ropes that were
hung over the side of the ship. The men then proceeded to row to the island.

Mr. Joyner was
grateful that Elizabeth held his wife’s hand as the men manoeuvred carefully
around the protruding rocks, occasionally using their oars to push away. When
they crashed against one from the force of a strong wave, Elizabeth did her
best to reassure Mrs. Joyner that they all would be safe. She was grateful for
Mrs. Keller, who diverted them with stories of more perilous trips she had
experienced at sea and assured them this was nothing to be overly concerned
about.

It took almost
an hour for the small boat to reach the island. Two of the crewmen jumped out
when they came near the beach and pulled the boat up to shore. Once up on the
beach, the men assisted the ladies as they stepped out. Despite the fatigue of
the rowers, the two crewmen immediately began rowing back to the ship.

The group
watched as the small boat grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared
behind a rather large protruding rock. The fog had grown more dense and it now
completely hid the merchant ship from their sight. A light mist began to fall,
and Timmons gathered the group together.

“From what the
cap’n could see from the ship, an’ what ’e knows of the area, there should be a
good sized cave over ’ere.” Timmons pointed to the east. “If ye’d follow me,
we’ll be waitin’ in there fer them to return wi’ the others so we ken keep
dry.”

The ladies
gathered their few belongings and carefully picked their way across an uneven
beach that was strewn with rocks of all sizes and a variety of vegetation
washed up from the sea. Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from chuckling as the
women struggled to maintain their footing. They were doing everything they
could to walk like the graceful and fashionable ladies they were, but with
little success.

As they drew
near the cave, the rain began to fall more heavily. The ladies pulled their
pelisses tightly about them and walked hurriedly. When they reached the shelter
of the cave, they let out a sigh of relief. Several large rocks quickly took on
the role of hard chairs as Mrs. Joyner, Mrs. Dillard, and Mrs. Keller sat down,
huddling close together. Elizabeth sat down on a smooth sandy spot on the
ground, tucking her legs beneath her.

Timmons opened a
knapsack and pulled out some items.

“Mr. Joyner, if
ye please, stay wi’ the ladies an’ give ’em a biscuit an’ a piece of fruit.
I’ll be searchin’ fer some wood to build a fire to dry us off an’ keep us
warm.”

“Oh, thank you,
so much!” Mrs. Dillard exclaimed. “I do not know whether I am more
uncomfortable from being so hungry or soaked from the rain!”

The ladies
laughed as Timmons turned to leave, but he abruptly stopped.  Elizabeth
looked up when she heard a gasp and saw four men standing menacingly at the
entrance to the cave. She felt a great sense of foreboding as the men suddenly
drew swords, muskets, and pistols from their belts. She shuddered as she
noticed their glaring looks and threatening posture.

“Pirates!” Mrs.
Joyner screamed and crumpled into a heap on the ground.

*~*~*

The winds and
rain finally subsided, and Darcy rested his elbows on the port side of the ship
waiting eagerly for the first hint of dawn to give them some indication of
their location. The clouds prevented them from seeing the skies, and the only
light seen for the past few hours was the lightning displaying its fury off in
the distance. Darcy felt that same fury deep inside as he considered what
Bellows had done, the situation in which they now found themselves, and what he
should to do about it.

The sea was
calmer now, and the ship rose and dropped steadily, propelled slowly to the
west by the movement of the waves. Darcy watched with a keen eye for any sign
of land in the distance each time lightning bolted across the skies, but he
could see nothing. The sails would remain furled until they had a better idea
of where they might be. There was no sense setting out in a particular
direction when they did not have their bearings. The last thing they needed was
to crash into an unexpected outcropping or even worse, another ship. And
despite Darcy’s anger at Bellows for acting so recklessly, he refrained from
admonishing him further, as he was the only man on the ship fully capable of
being at the helm.

As the first
hint of light touched the skies, Darcy felt a great sense of disquiet. There
was a dense morning fog that prevented him from seeing anything farther than a
stone’s throw from the ship, and he could see nothing of the skies above.

Darcy marched up
to the foredeck and picked up the spyglass, pressing it to his eye. He searched
futilely through the fog for anything that might indicate where they were. As
he did, he spoke with Bellows.

“As soon as we
see land, I insist that we find a place to dock. I have not… I ’aven’t…” Darcy
paused. “Wait! I see something!”

Bellows looked
at him and then out to sea. “What is it, Cap’n?”

Darcy gathered
his composure, knowing he must remember to speak as Evans and Lindel had
instructed him. They were correct; he did revert to his refined manner of
speech when startled or surprised… or angered!

“I’m not sure; I
don’t see it now. It may ’ave been a ship. It keeps disappearin’ in the fog.”
Darcy’s heart thundered as he considered what they might encounter. If it was a
ship, the men might want to act out their pirating aspirations, despite any
protests he might have. Or worse, they may be encountering real pirates!

“I see it!”
Bellows said. “’Tis a large ship; may’ap a merchant ship. Don’t seem to be movin’.
I wonder if the vessel hit some rocks.”

“We need to take
care, then, so we don’t do the same.” Darcy was silent for a moment, but his
mind assaulted him with questions. What should he tell his men? And an even
greater concern was Bellows! What did Bellows expect Darcy to do as Lockerly,
and if he did not do what Bellows expected, would he turn the men against him
and lead the crew in a mutiny? He shuddered when he thought of what they might
want to do upon reaching that ship.

“I ken see it
better now. Me thinks they be in distress,” Bellows said softly. “The ship is
listin’ on its port side.”

Darcy blew out a
puff of air, and his hand patted his sheathed sword as his mind whirled with
thoughts.

“Are ye thinkin’
of assistin’ ’em… Darcy?”

Darcy turned sharply
to Bellows, his jaw dropping. “You know who I am?”

Bellows slowly
nodded. “I ’ave known all along. Foster hired me to be part of this whole
scheme to get you an’ the ship out to sea an’ to the Isles of Scilly.”

Darcy closed his
eyes as his anger now burned for another reason. “That man and his schemes! I
have been so angry at you, and now I find out
he
is behind this! And
Evans and Lindel?”

“Yep! They was,
too.”

Darcy balled his
hands into tight fists, and his jaw tightened so fiercely he felt his face
shake.

 “You have
me apologies, Darcy.”

“But why did
they have to resort to such a thing? They had Lockerly’s ship;
I
did not
need to continue on with this charade!”

“Aye, but therein
lies the problem. Ye ’ad such a good rapport wi’ the crew; they seemed to
respect ye. Neither Evans nor Lindel felt they could secure the trust of the
men like ye ’ave.” He waved his hand over the ship. “The men’ll do whatever ye
say, even if it’s
not
piratin’.”

Darcy turned
back to the ship. “We cannot be certain of that, but we shall have to see. Can
we get very close to the ship? They hit rocks; might we not also?”

Bellows
shrugged. “’Tis always possible, but that ship is larger and her keel extends
deeper. We should ’ave no problem as long as we ken see where we’re going. If
only the fog…”

Bellows stopped
and his eyes widened as the fog lifted briefly. “I don’t believe it! ’Tis the
merchant ship I used to sail on!”

“The ship whose
captain you disliked?”

Bellows winced.
“Not exactly. That were jest me enhancin’ the story. We actually got along
decent.”

Darcy closed his
eyes and shook his head. “Did you men ever consider that what you were doing
could put us in grave danger?”

“I regret we
didn’t.”

“I thought not.”

“Me thinks ye
need to decide what we’re goin’ to do an’ what ye is goin’ to tell
them
.”
Bellows nodded his head towards the crew.

“I know exactly
what we are going to do, and what I am going to tell them!” He turned to walk
away, but stopped. “I am going to tell them I am
not
Lockerly, I am
not
a pirate, and that we are going to see how we can be of assistance to this
ship!” Darcy let out a huff and yanked off his tri-corn hat. He raked his
fingers through his hair. “An’ I am goin’ to tell ’em that my name is…
Smith
!”

“Smith?”

Darcy turned to
look at Bellows. “Yes…
Smith
! I do not want anyone to know my real
identity, so pray, do not call me Darcy.”

“An’ does Cap’n
Smith speak the way of a gentleman or a commoner?”

Darcy groaned as
he considered this. “No, I’ll still be speakin’ the way of the common man. As
much as disguise of any sort is my abhorrence, I ken think of no good purpose
lettin’ them know I am of the finest circles of society!”

Bellows grinned.
“Go to it, Cap’n Smith! After ye ’ave talked to the men, we’ll unfurl some of
the sails so we ken catch the wind an’ sail towards ’em.”

Darcy gathered
his crew together. Those who had been up on the masts climbed down, and those
who were below deck were brought up. The men gathered, their faces filled with
a mixture of excitement and fear, having seen the ship wafting in and out of
the fog.