The Harlot's Daughter

Two Part Four

Brutus drove the team while James appeared to take in the passing scenery, the silence was not uncomfortable, yet, both men knew they avoided the obvious conversation.

"Would I be correct assuming you know she is not a boy?" Brutus asked James humorously.

"You would," James admitted, before frowning in consternation. "I should have purchased her more comfortable clothing," James admitted.

"That was more than likely your first mistake." Brutus nodded along with James's observation. "However, why try to pass her off as a lad at all?" Brutus queried.

"She enjoys sailing with me, but she knows of the rampant superstition, most do not want women amongst the crew. They're rumored to bring bad luck, or some such thing." James sighed his answer.

"I would agree, but not for that reason." Brutus looked at James, then looked over his shoulder to Nannette sleeping in her nest.  Nannette slept off the cider's effect's peacefully, curled up on her side tucked securely in the blankets, her pinkie tucked into her mouth. Brutus could not help but smile, as now that he knew she was a girl, Brutus admitted she was cute as a button. "'Tis only the hardships I would save a lass from, the storms, sea illness and piracy. It once was Violet's greatest fear, that the pirates would see she was a female. Well, there was that, and Violet was afraid of her becoming with child." Brutus looked forward, far down the road. In his mind's eye he saw his Captain, Violet Petals, on his knees in awe upon the helm deck, while grateful, worshiping tears fell from his eyes. Aye, at one point his friend had had much to fear.

Looking askance at the man next to him, James saw that Brutus was thinking upon something profound, so he held his silence, hoping to hear Brutus's thoughts.

" 'Twas a fierce electrical storm out ahead of us, one that had been building its momentum for days," Brutus began." I assumed that once we knew from whence it came, whoever held the helm would head in the other direction, avoiding the brunt of it as we always tried to do before that."

James nodded in complete agreement. Why put one's ship, and one's crew at risk, if one did not have to? Find a nice, sheltered cove to duck into and wait it out was what most men did.

"I awoke to find Violet racing straight for the raging storm as quickly as he could," Brutus stated incredulously. His voice then turned morosely grave, "I went to the helm to relieve him, finding him white as a sheet, commanding our men to race directly into the tempest as quickly as they could."

James listened raptly, his brow furrowed with concern.

"I did not realize it at the time, but a greater menace than the storm was upon us..." 

"Barbary's?" James whispered. His own heart seized in his chest, as that had also, always been his greatest fear.

"Aye, Barbary's." Brutus nodded, his gaze trained on the tree line out ahead of them.

"Great Zeus, what did you do?" James queried incredibly.

"There was no Zeus about it, James," Brutus went on to explain, "You see, Violet saw the ship coming, as did Pete and Sam. Bart was the one who spied it first, so it was not only Violet who saw it, you see. But when I reached the deck, of a sudden, there was no Barbary ship a'tall. Violet and the men all agreed 'twas large as life, easily twice the size of the  Wench, barreling down upon us, her square, dark sails full o' the tempest's winds."

Both men sat silently, picturing the scene in their minds, only able to imagine Violet Petals fear at that moment, knowing any fight would be utterly futile.

Brutus looked sidelong at James, his bright, blue eyes holding wonder, yet, his face was a mask of seriousness. "When I got to the helm, I assumed it was the storm that had him rattled, so I told Violet about Elizabeth, down in the galley reading psalms to all else aboard while I got my coffee. I had to tell him because the strangest thing had happened while I was there. I felt the spirit of God moving through that room as a tangible thing, and by the time I reached Violet, I swear to you, James, the Barbary ship had simply ceased to exist."

James opened his mouth to speak, but Brutus help up a hand, wanting to finish his thought.

"Violet, too, knew from where our deliverance came, for he had prayed earnestly for God to save us. Hell, the entire crew was baptized in the freezing, cold Atlantic as soon as we hit land." Brutus chuckled at the memory, smiling James' way. "You will find my men to be believers, James, and while I have no say to how you conduct yourself on land, aboard my ship, I would have you understand..."

James nodded once in agreement.

"I am admittedly new at this, but I do not believe in testing His wrath," Brutus admitted.

James caught what Brutus was trying to tell him, he opened his mouth to speak just as a guttural snore resounded from the back of the wagon.

James and Brutus both turned towards one another to then look over their shoulders, just as a second, rasping snore issued forth from Nannette. Brutus quickly assured himself that she slept peacefully, turning to his front again, a wry smile tweaking his cheek. "She's a corker," Brutus admitted, easily seeing why James liked the bonny lass,.

Nannette was flat on her back; arms flung wide, her snores grew louder by the moment.

James looked back at her adoringly; it was the craziest thing, but from the moment he first laid eyes on her, he had adored her. James turned to look at Brutus, "We are married, Brutus, if 'tis that which concerns you." James laughed low in his chest.

Brutus's eyes darted to James, then back at Nannette before facing forward once more, "she was the doxie aboard ship?!"

"Uh huh," James continued chuckling, " 'tis why she won't look ye in the eye."

"Oh, great Scott!" Brutus blushed a little and ducked his head shaking it a mite. "If only you had waited 'till full dark."

"I believe we did; you were the one carrying the glaring arse lantern."

Both the men laughed at this, still not looking one another in the eye, as Brutus had seen James's wife in the nude.

"I shall act as if I don't know," Brutus suggested.

"Do not know what, Brutus?" James laughed aloud. "That it was her on the ship that night? Of course, it was her; she is my wife."

Brutus' blush crawled up his neck; he had not thought of that. "Oh, right. Well..."

"While I am sure the opportunity would have arisen at some point accidentally aboard ship, 'tis good to get it out of the way, so we do not have to worry on it anymore." James joked with Brutus, seeing the red on his neck.

"We could simply put off telling her I know she is a girl," Brutus suggested.

"And let her think she has ye fooled just a wee bit longer?" James asked amusedly.

"Aye." Brutus smiled conspiratorially, still looking out ahead of him.

"I like it." James grinned, moving about a little bit. He adjusted his seating, hoping it would not be too long before they arrived; his arse was not accustomed to bouncing on an unforgiving, wooden wagon seat.

Brutus chuckled beside him as they rounded a bend and the Saucy Wench II came into view.

"Well, I'll be damned..." James took in the large structure that resided on the bank of a small, serene lake. Half on the lawn, the other half in the lake, it was the shell of a ship and James could see a handful of children at play there.

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