The Duke's Daughter -Wattys2014 Collector's Dream Award Winner-

Chapter Sixty Seven

Leaving Derek's tent, Alejandro, holding fast to Carmelita's hand, all but dragged her behind him as they used Cook's lean to for cover. Crouching down, as they passed behind Cook's table, Carmelita's hand snaked up to dislodge the cleaver embedded in it's surface.

Alejandro felt the short tug upon his arm as she did so. Turning back, upon spying the large blade clutched in her hand, a feral grin sprang to Alejandro's lips as he nodded his approval, seeing in her eyes a reflection of the fierce determination he knew she must see in his own. Both knew, then and there, that they would not be losing one another again if either one of them had any say in the matter.

Reaching the tent where the women and children slept, Alejandro slit the back corner where he knew Betsy and Roman slept. Alejandro awakened Betsy first, his hand over her mouth awakening her, he squatted down until his mouth was close to her ear.

"Easy, niña. We have unwelcome company coming this way. Stay calm and we will get you all out before they get here." He whispered. Her eyes wide at the rude awakening, Betsy nodded fervently as Alejandro slipped his hand from over her mouth. Alejandro strode to the flap of the tent, to check their visitor's progress, as Carmelita woke and warned the other women.

Betsy sat up immediately, grabbing her dress she threw it on over her shift and made to follow Alejandro. Suddenly, remembering the pistol she still had in her possession, Betsy turned back and slipped it out from under her pillow, tucking the firearm into her dress pocket. Carmelita woke Roman, stressing the need for caution. Roman understood, as did the other children, for there had been many times on Bailey's estate when Roman had been made to run and hide himself from Bailey's wrath at his mother's discretion.

Alejandro assured himself if they moved quickly, there would be enough time to get all of them away to safety. He came back down the center aisle, speaking softly, stressing the need to keep low and move quickly. Alejandro led them out, going back around the lean to, Cook stepped out and was quickly convinced to help with the children. Alejandro stopped behind Derek's tent where Carmelita took over, leading the group down the now well worn path towards the pool.

Alejandro spun and headed for the men's tent, hoping Derek, in the mean time, had come up with a suitable plan of action.

*****

Chauncey Straun felt the adrenaline pumping through his veins, knowing deep down in his bones, that these just had to be the men he had hunted for the last twenty odd years. He could see no other reason the sea would have served them up to him, were they not the evil men he sought. Having never given up looking for the murderers who had viciously killed his lady love over a score ago, Chauncey felt the familiar taste of revenge as it rose like bile in his throat. Knowing the time was now at hand, Chauncey sidestepped of a sudden, cursing his failing eyesight, as the darker shadows he came across resembled deep pits in the sand.

Chauncey scratched at his crusty, scraggly beard as he picked his way along the moonlit beach. Despite his age, Chauncey deftly dropped to his stomach with a dull thud upon sighting the small fire that appeared out ahead of him. Casting eeriely dancing shadows on the thin trees reaching up towards the pre dawn sky, Chauncey's mind recalled tales of demons and spooks as a visible shudder shook his thin frame. His widened eyes darted about until he located his quartermaster, Vi. A virile, yet misguided, young man, who, for some reason or other, fancied himself the ship's captain. Chauncey began crawling up the sands, towards the firelight, as that was where Vi seemed to be headed.

Chauncey located his first mate, Brutus Marks. Brutus followed on Vi's heels, giving Chauncey pause, as he realized that Brutus was really the crux of the problem, for Brutus fancied Vi was the ship's captain as well.

Vi turned towards the sound, upon hearing the dull thud and the muted oomph, as Chauncey dropped flat to the ground. Vi shook his head from his crouch closer to the tree line, thinking it was a miracle Ol' Daft Chauncey hadn't gone and gotten himself shot yet. The senile, old man thought he was still the ship's captain, though that title had been stripped from him some years ago. 

Chauncey had become a different man when he'd been told of the death of his tavern slut. Having lost his mind due to grief, every ship he had come across since, he believed to be the bastards who had done the evil deed. The men who sailed with him back then had quit one by one, recognizing that a senile captain, bent on revenge, would eventually get them killed. As years went by, acquiring fresh blood to man his ship, Chauncey had aged, sleeping more often than not, allowing the new crew to make choices that had previously been his alone to make. He had also become terribly nearsighted, so much so, that the crew had finally felt the need to take measures into their own hands. There had been no need for mutiny, a simple vote was all it took to promote Vi to ship's captain, after Chauncey had almost ran them aground one too many times.

Vi saw no harm in allowing Chauncey to believe he was still their captain, though there were times, such as now, when Chauncey could not be convinced to keep watch on the ship, that Vi felt the old man to be a bit of a burden. All of the crew kept an eye on him, however, in an attempt to keep him safe, while they also attempted to keep their distance from him at the same time. The reason for that was the strong aroma the old man put off. Chauncey no longer bathed and his breath alone, due to his rotting teeth, would drop any man straight to his knees if one be in too close of proximity. If the crew chanced upon a dock, inevitably one of the men would accidentally bump into Chauncey, knocking him into the drink, their goal being to freshen him up, if even a small bit. Vi realized that theirs was not an ideal situation, however, Vi hadn't the heart to take Chauncey away from the only life the man knew.

Vi took a moment to take stock of their present situation, he signaled for his men to hold their positions, as he silently moved forward to slip around the giant of a man who sat snoring before a dying fire. Vi moved slowly and stealthily, as he imagined one blow from the mighty man's fist would surely crush a normal man's skull. Vi tapped upon the giant's shoulder from directly behind him. The giant's snores stopped abruptly and his head raised slowly as he glanced about for what had startled him.

Vi lifted his pistol high above his head, bringing it down with all the force he could muster, thudding it against the giant's hard skull.

Tiny slumped onto the sand to unconsciously repose alongside the fire.
A rustling towards the jungle's edge caught Vi's attention, he quickly pulled his other pistol as he searched for the source of the noise. He spotted movement halfway up a palm and carefully approached to get a closer look.

"What have we here?" Vi spoke aloud, feeling he could, as the giant was now sleeping and the main camp was still far down the beach. He peered at what had once been a man, tied securely to the palm's trunk. The shape was human, head, shoulders, arms, torso and legs, but the face was far from looking as a person, for this man's face seemed to have been almost completely flayed away with a whip.

"Now, just who did you piss off, man?" Vi squinted up at the figure tied to the tree. The body mass was strangely familiar, but Vi still couldn't place the identity of the man. Dawn's light still had not broken, enabling Vi to make him out as anyone in particular, until the man spoke, that was.

"Vi, is that you?" Bailey strained to see through his swollen eyes who had addressed him, however, he would recognize that soft, commanding voice anywhere. He had known Vi for many years now, though their paths only crossed a few times annually, when Vi picked up supplies or came to pay his tithe.

Vi's eyes widened with recognition upon hearing Bailey's voice. "So, dear Marcus, you finally pissed off someone whom you could not control, eh?" Vi chuckled softly, wishing he had the time to enjoy this, as Bailey was one of his least favorite acquaintances. Vi felt that Marcus was a horrible man, a man with too much power and a horribly sick, twisted mind.

It was true, Vi being a pirate himself, that most might condemn him also as being a horrible man. But Vi did have quite a few morals that he never wavered from. Large, slow, merchant ships were easy pickings for him and his crew. They were owned by rich men, only looking to get richer, so Vi felt no guilt in relieving them of a small portion of their cargo. He only killed when absolutely necessary, he always tried to get the valuables with the least amount of bloodshed and then get away quickly when the deed was done. He never took captives, and Vi never tolerated the abuse of women, nor children. He shared a bit of his wealth with widows and orphans, especially those that had been left that way when their husbands or fathers had been lost at sea, the ill fated sailors leaving the poor beggars with no support of their own.

"Vi, cut me down already!" Bailey screeched. Vi's laughter worried Marcus that he may not find the help he needed.

"Hmm, I think not, Marcus. I think I shall wait and see what the person who did this to you has to say." Vi looked back at the sea, the sun was going to start rising any moment now, he needed to get up the beach quickly if surprise was to be their advantage. "However, I have some business to tend to and I may return when it is done, if that pleases you."

Vi turned and signaled his men to follow him. They moved off, Bailey's voice growing more desperate the further away they moved, as he tried desperately to call them back.

The pirate crew stealthily moved up the beach, Chauncey still weaving around nonexistent pits, until they drew in near to the camp.

***************************

Alejandro slipped into the men's tent, relieved to have sent the more vulnerable to safety, he found he could focus much better now. He made his way to where Derek stood sentinel at the front of the tent. "How close?" Alejandro asked quietly.

"They are nigh upon us, my friend." Derek replied. "We must keep a cool head, there is no telling what could happen to the rest of them if we fail."
Derek's expression spoke volumes of how he felt, knowing it was only he and the men surrounding him, who could keep the women and children from harm. More than that, Derek had finally found the woman he wanted for the rest of his life and he did not want to lose her now.

Alejandro knew exactly how he felt, if not more so. He, himself, had been given a miracle and he would defend it with his life.

Derek informed him of the plan before Alejandro moved back, winding through the ranks of men, making sure all were armed and at the ready, giving encouragement where needed and stressing caution when he came upon the more hot headed men of their crew.

"This is not just about us this time men, we have others depending on our ability to protect them, keep a cool head and follow your captain's lead." The men around him nodded, having been given their orders from Derek, they knew precisely what they had to do. Knowing their lives, and those of the others, depended on keeping their wits about them, they tried their best to wait patiently until the time was just right. Some of their heads had already been turned by a few of the new female passengers. They had also grown fond of the boys they had been fishing the waters with, the children they had given stargazing lessons to, and the islanders they had shared life stories with. The crew knew what was at stake.

"Alejandro!" Derek rasped. "Our guests have arrived."

************************************

Arianna and her mother followed the path until they were almost to the pool. Arianna could see the tiny lights from the candles Derek had placed there for her pleasure and had not bothered to put out. She stopped suddenly, the Duchess ran right into the back of her. "I can not do it!" Arianna cried.

"Can not do what?" Her mother asked warily.

"I cannot just hide here, hoping all is well, I shall go mad with worry!" She grabbed her mother's hands with hers. "Could you, would you, if it were father back there on the beach?" She asked, hoping she knew her mother well enough by now, that the Duchess would understand and even share her feelings.

"Aye, daughter, I hear you. I have been thinking upon the same exact thing since we began walking this way." The Duchess agreed, hesitantly. "However, we need to use our heads and not rush into anything or we may become more of a liability than we are helpful." She cautioned wisely.

Arianna looked at her mother as tears sprang to her eyes. "I love him, Mama. It would hurt terribly if something happened to him and I did not at least try to help."

The Duchess took Arianna in her arms, "I know, my darling, I know." The duchess comforted Arianna as best as she could. "Sometimes patience and a little thought can go a long way however. Let us at least wait for... Oh! Here they come now, let us go to the pool and put our heads together with Carmelita, she is surprisingly resourceful sometimes. I will tell you sometime of the things she would do to save others from Marcus' wrath."

Betsy, Carmelita and Roman, followed by the rest, approached where mother and daughter had halted on the trail.

Betsy flew into Arianna's arms. " Oh my lady, 'tis glad I am to see you! I have been praying like mad since I was awakened! Why, my lady, does it seem we are subjected to one trial after another?" Betsy turned a fearful face to the Duchess. "Your grace, I am frightened."

Kathleen took the girl under her arm and started walking to the pool. "We are all afraid, Betsy," she whispered. "But it just will not do to worry Roman and the other children, we women must be strong for him." She gave Betsy a look that brooked no argument. "Now, chin up darling, we have some planning to do."

Betsy recognized the same strength and determination she had come to know her mistress so well for, and had Arianna, and God, not kept them alive the last time their lives were threatened? Wait a moment... Betsy thought.

"Planning to do? Planning what, exactly?" Betsy asked suspiciously.

"How to get the men out of this situation they find themselves in." The duchess answered, her determined face giving Betsy pause.

Oh, Lord help us, Betsy thought. What are they going to do now?

************************************

Finally! The Duke thought. Only one more task and they could be underway.
Having spoken to Captain Daniels, the captain had gathered the men that would qualify to stay and help the islanders.

"I am asking for volunteers to stay here for approximately three to four months, maybe five. Are there any of you who would be willing to do so? The task at hand is to train and support the men here if pirates should try to seize the island. You will be given quarters, meals and bonus pay for the time you serve." The Captain walked back and forth before the men, looking each one over, though he was assured he knew a few who would most likely volunteer.

Sure enough, the men he had in mind, Joseph, and his two brothers, exchanged affirmative looks and knowing smiles. "You can count on us, Captain." Joseph spoke for the three of them, none were married, all three were fearsome fighters who knew their firearms.

"I had counted on you men, thank you for volunteering. I need at least two to three more men if anyone else be willing." He stated.

The men started talking amongst themselves, then two more stepped forward. "John and I will stay also." Dick Hardy volunteered.

"Good men, thank you Dick, Johnny." A man the duke recognized as one of the senior officers had stepped forward. "I believe we are about ready to set sail, you men gather your things. There is a wagon waiting to transport you and your goods to your quarters. Again, the duke thanks you, and I thank you. I shall turn the cargo we carry and return for you. Godspeed, and good luck."

Captain Daniels then addressed his crew. "Prepare to set sail men, we leave within the half hour."

The Duke had stood back and let the Captain address his men alone. They were his crew, and as so, he would know best who would be up to the task at hand. There were already men loading ammunition and additional arms into the wagon. It shouldn't be long now, the duke thought.

"Thank you, Captain. I know the people here will appreciate the men greatly and make them most comfortable." Marlborough assured him.

"Those men are the ones I wanted, your grace, out of all of them they are the best." The Captain answered. "They could not ask for better."

"Excellent, I trust your judgment completely in the matter. I believe I will go below, I will be in my cabin if you need me." The Duke turned and made his way down the stairs to his quarters.

Closing the door behind him, he opened the small trunk that sat at the foot of his bunk. He pulled out Kathleen's pillow and put it where his head would rest later. He set her hairbrush on the washstand, and her letters, he reverently placed on the writing table. He removed a shawl from the chest and held it tight, bringing it up to his face to rest against his cheek, breathing deep of her scent that was tinted with her beloved gardenias. He would never get enough of that essence, for it was hers alone, he would know it anywhere.

William turned to look at himself in the mirror above the small washstand. Had he changed that very much? Had Kathleen? Would she still want him? Would she still love him after all this time? He saw a worrisome tear fall from his eye and knew he would give his life to see her looking back at him instead. He imagined a shared love in her eyes, a beautiful smile on her angelic face. He would give all that he owned for that one thing.

He removed his boots, using one to push off the other, he then picked up a few letters, taking them to the bunk. He sat and opened the first to read again of her love for him and their children, to read of her faith that they would be together again one day. It was what would keep him from going mad while waiting to touch her again.