Tempest's Embrace

Chapter 47

~My dearest sister Lucinda
It humbles me to know that you are in good hands. Imagine my surprise when I received your letter. I am so happy that the sisters found that you are cured of your malaise. And that you have settled and married. An Earl non the less. Father would be proud of you but I understand that the tension between the two of you is deep and your last words in parting were deep and painful. But please understand that what he did was for your own good.  To be with a man such as Cuthbert was a horrifying thing.  Sister, I am grateful that you realized that no good could come of such a union. I end this letter with my sincerest words.  I love you very much and I hope to see you soon. 
Feel safe none of this will be mentioned to Father.
Sincerely,
Charlotte

*******

For several long minutes, Justin stared at the letter. His hands trembled slightly when he opened it. It was addressed to Lucinda from Charlotte.

Her sister.

He felt his mouth go dry, his heart began to pound as he rummaged through the large chest once more. He had finally opened the trunk weeks after Haines dumped it on his deck.  It was the damnable chest Cuthbert kept under lock and key.  The one he killed Gaspar for.

To his utter surprise, when he and his men opened it, nothing but letters, some baubles, a diary, and women's clothing were inside.

There was no treasure as most thought.  Disgruntled, his men walked away. But alone in his cabin, he sorted through the items in the trunk until he found a stack of letters addressed to Lucinda from Charlotte then the diary.

Without pause, he moved on to the diary opening it to the first page. He skipped some pages until reaching towards the very end of Lucinda's diary:

I am so enraged that the bastard son of my husband has been placed in our home.  He deemed it necessary to mock me with his lover and got her with a child.  Now that the harlot is dead, her son is to live with us. But not for long.

"Christ...," he whispered.
His entire body trembled.  It felt cold. He felt confused now more than ever. He needed more answers and he needed them now!

*****

Livid and in a hurry, he sent Bellamy and Big John into town.

He needed a magistrate...

After the refusal of bribery of a few coins, the threats followed.  Now confronted by Big John and Bellamy, the poor pasty-faced magistrate had no choice but to travel with them.

Now aboard the Floating Vengeance and after a week of the crew's apologies and some convincing,  the magistrate, Mr. Ashborne, had settled in his cabin.  Grateful that he wasn't seasick through the perilous transatlantic crossing, he decided to conduct his findings.

"These are serious accusations," he looked over the rim of his spectacles at Justin and the rest of his men that sat around in audience in the small cabin.

Justin exhaled a long breath then swallowed the contents of his cup, feeling the sudden burn down his throat as a needed reminder of the pain that woman caused him.

"Can you explain them?" Ashbourne asked.

Hot and annoyed Justin stretched his neck and looked up at the Magistrate.