Zeelandia

48. Reacquainting

Father and I held the embrace for a long while, gently caressing each other, in silence but for our hums of contentment, then I said, "We are impolite, Father. There are others here. Captain Betheson waits to greet you."

"In its time, Sweetheart. I need this first."

I nodded. "We both do."

After another while, he chuckled. "And like this, you cannot see my nakedness."

"I have already seen it as you approached. Come, Charles has breeches and a shirt for you."

"Charles?"

"Captain Betheson. You met him two and a half years ago, after the raid on the pirate haven."

He grimaced, shook his head and breathed a deep sigh. "Where I dallied too long."

"Too long?"

"After we had loaded, I ceded to the crew's demand for a rest. Another of the pirates' ships arrived, and caught unprepared, we were captured."

"Oh!" I paused a moment to think, then I said, "It might not be wise to dally here, then."

"Indeed, unwise." He released the hug and looked about. "Come, I must warn the captain. Which is he?"

"Here, Sir," Charles replied. "Of what must you warn me?"

"Their third ship sailed last week, laden with plunder. Its return is imminent."

Charles strode to the bell and rang it a long series, then he called, "Hoy! Hoy! All hands! Prepare to weigh and proceed."

Men were still boarding from the boats as the crew scrambled toward their stations. He called again, "The pirates have another ship, and it is due to return. We must sail immediately. Shorten-in. Let fall the squaresails."

Master rushed up the steps, and after instructing him, Charles turned to Father and asked, "In which direction had they sailed?"

Father pointed across the starboard beam. "Westward. They go to Port Royal in the guise of an English merchantman and sell their booty there. Just over a day's sail with fair winds. Three or four days of beating to windward to return."

"How well armed?"

"Not as well as was Venturer, and a bit slower. Santiago was captured from the Spanish, and she is awkly with her high sterncastle. They do not use her to fight, only to transport."

Charles winced. "Sorry to have sunk Venturer, Sir."

"The ship matters not now. You have rescued us."

He nodded, then turned to receive a report from forward.

With Father unoccupied, I picked up a pair of breeches from where they had been laid, and kneeling in front of him, I held them out. He placed a hand on my shoulder and stepped into them, and as I pulled them up, he clicked his mouth twice and said, "You have now seen me in full and close detail. Not at all proper for a young girl."

"It bothers me not."

He nodded, then as he drew the ends of the cincture to gather the waist closed, he chuckled and said, "There is room in here for two of me."

"We will soon get flesh back onto your bones." I held out a shirt and helped him into it.

Men continued boarding from the boats, and I asked, "How many are you?"

"They took twenty-four to the ships, so seventy-seven."

"We pulled six of yours alive from the sea."

He sighed and nodded. "How did the pirates fare?"

"Sixteen taken off, three horribly injured. One did not survive the boat."

He nodded again. "They had been about fifty."

As the anchor rode rattled around the capstan and Master barked orders, Father asked, "How came you to be here?"

"When Mother passed on, Chris returned and –"

"Françoise is dead?"

I nodded. "In October."

"For the better. She is finally relieved of her tormented mind." Father pursed his lips then sighed. "Yes, for the better. And Chris?"

"He returned and took over the estate, banishing me to the groundskeeper's cottage."

I watched Father tense. "Then I shall remove him, banish him again. This time, disinherit him."

As his anger eased, he asked, "So, how does this place you here?"

I passed my hands up and down my body. "I bound my breasts and dressed like this to –"

"Breasts?" He glanced at my chest. "Yes, of course. Two and a half years. You are now a woman. No longer my sweet little girl."

"I remain your sweet little girl, Father." I tugged on his beard and giggled. "Older and wiser, but still your girl."

He smiled and pulled me into another embrace. "Memories of your spirit kept my hopes alive all this time."

We were silent for a while in our own little world as sounds of the ship coming alive sounded all around us. Then he asked, "So, you disguised to become a sailor?"

"Not a sailor, Father. The cabin boy as you had done."

He chuckled, unwrapped the embrace and held me at arm's length. "Such an exquisite face. How could none suspect?"

"Charles did not know until a few days ago when I told him."

"Charles?"

"Captain Betheson."

"You seem overly familiar, given your position."

"He has asked me to call him Charles, and he calls me Camille. Over the weeks, he had grown to love and cherish me as a son he wished he had, and I had become increasingly enamoured of him."

"And when you told him?"

"After the shock, he asked me to be his wife."

"That seems a rash response. And your reply?"

"We are now as wed."

"Even more rash. Temerarious. Where has your wisdom gone, Camille?" He shook his head. "Have you not thought he might abandon you in some port when his fancy turns to another woman?"

"He has a house and land in the Duke of York's new colony, the former New Amsterdam, and we will settle there."

"Do you trust this?" He rolled his eyes. "Have you not thought this might be a story to woo you into his bed."

I shrugged and smiled. "I did not learn of his holdings until after I had enticed him to lay with me."

He suppressed a laugh, then let it free, and when calmed, he said, "That is the spirit I remember, but now matured. Oh, how I do cherish you, Camille." He nodded down. "And if you find yourself with child?"

"We will both celebrate. We want many."

Father pursed his lips and nodded. "Seems your mind is set. But as your father, the decision is mine."

"Oh, is it?" I turned and pointed to Charles and chuckled. "He is rather busy at the moment, but when he is less so, I shall order him to order you to approve our union."