Rogue Wave (The Rogue Wave Series Book 1), page 14
“What are the buckets for?” She asked.
“Wetting down the sails, Captain.” He looked up at her. “You always wet down sails if you are preparing to possibly engage in battle. It helps them from catching alight.” He gestured at the water and the sails that were laying near him.
“Oh, I see.” Benjamin did not seem nearly as cheerful as usual. “Are you worried about the Captain?” She felt her nerves begin to waver again.
“Nah, the Capt’n can take care of himself and I have no doubt Alaric will get him back. I heard you are the one that came up with the plan.” He gestured to her. “You are lucky you were able to even be in the cabin when they were talking.” He looked back down at the sail he was patching.
“Here let me.” Catherine took the thread and needle from him. They sat down and continued to work. Catherine was suddenly feeling even more self-conscious in the big hat. “Well, you are lucky you got to man the helm. I have yet to be given that opportunity.” She gave him a small knock with her elbow.
Benjamin chuckled. “I suppose, when you put it like that.” He pushed another needle and thread through a sail. “Alaric said your father was the Baron that dined on the ship a few weeks ago. I had not realized. He also said the deed the Governor tasked the Capt’n with delivering is the deed to your plantation.” He shook his head and scoffed. “What are the odds, not to mention Thomas kidnapping the Capt’n for the same deed. Here I thought this would be a fun and easy voyage.” He stopped stitching the sail and looked up at Catherine. “You really have accomplished a lot. My first real voyage on The Trinity was much harder on me than it was on you, I admit.”
Catherine watched Benjamin for a bit. “What do you mean?”
“Well, my first ever trip on here,” he patted the deck. “I was only ten. Alaric found me in London, him and the Capt’n were there on business. I was in the streets, starving and sick with fever. Alaric took me aboard, they healed me. I begged him to keep me on the ship, but he said I was too young. He found a family to take care of me while he was at sea. The family I stayed with were kind, but I was never very close with them. They take in a few kids here and there that need help. Alaric would always visit when he could. When I turned fifteen, he told me he would allow me to join the crew.”
Benjamin smiled. “It was not easy, we had not been at sea long when we had to intercept an enemy ship. It was one of the worst battles, we lost several men. I will never forget it, the screams, grown men crying.” He focused harder on the sail. “It got easier though and much better.” He looked at Catherine. “I would never change a thing, I love this ship, it is my home, and Alaric, he is the closest thing to a father I have ever had.”
Catherine placed a hand on his forearm. “I had no idea. I thought you were all just really close and I had no idea about your past. I am sorry.” She was so used to seeing the happy Benjamin that was always joking with the others, she had never seen this side of him before.
“Nah, don’t be sorry, Miss Catherine. In truth, I have enjoyed every moment.” He adjusted stretching his long legs out and tying off the stitches in the sail.
“Well, I best go see if Cook needs any help.” Catherine stood, brushing sand off her breeches. “Benjamin, thank you for telling me.” Turning, she walked across the deck and opened the hatch that led to the galley.
Lucas watched as Thomas climbed through the narrow hatch. He shook his head and turned, back to the only dry spot in his cell. He glanced over at Ethan, the man looked as if he were in pain. Lucas had been surprised at Ethan’s outburst, he had obviously recognized one of the bracelets and Thomas knew he had as well. Thomas had worn them when he was part of his crew, he still had the chain necklace as well. He had never questioned where he had acquired the jewels or why he wore them before this moment.Lucas sat back down, draping his arms over his knees. He had known Thomas was reckless and a troublemaker but he had far underestimated his vicious nature. There was more hate and deception in him than Lucas had originally thought. Locked in the stinking and moldy brig, he knew Thomas did not have the deed, only him. Chances were, Thomas was planning on trading Lucas for the deed, and if that were the case then there was no doubt a battle would ensue. He just prayed that Catherine remained belowdecks and safe from any harm. He trusted Alaric would come up with a plan and do what needed to be done. In the meantime, he would wait for the opportunity he needed.
“You alright?” Lucas asked Ethan, who still stood with his hands on the bars.
He slowly glanced over at Lucas. “Aye.” He answered, looking towards the hatch.
“Why’d he put you down here?” He asked, noticing the bloodstains on the man’s shirt. Lucas shuffled his feet a bit to keep the rats away. He knew if he sat still for too long, they would not hesitate to take a nip.
“A fire broke out on board the ship, one of the younger and new recruits accidentally set it. He had forgotten to cap his pipe. When we went on deck the poor lad was shaking, sweat dripping off him like he had just been dunked in the sea. He was terrified of being whipped, and I reckon if I had not taken the blame, he would have been whipped to the bone, the kid hardly has an inch of muscle on him. The boy is of no use to the Captain and is too young and scrawny to help in any way. At any rate, my guess is, the boy will be far more careful about his pipe in the future after seeing what the Captain did to my back.” He shrugged.
“That was noble of you. You are probably right, there would have been nothing stopping Thomas from beating the lad half to death, though by the stain on your shirt, looks like you did not get off so easily either.” Lucas pointed to Ethan’s tattered shirt. “What brought you on board this particular vessel? You don’t appear to be the average sailor bouncing from ship to ship.” Lucas observed.
“I confess I am not. I am with the Royal Navy, yet another reason I believed the whip would have been far too severe of a punishment for a young lad. On the Navy ships, a young boy like that would have been bent over a barrel and been caned or maybe birched. He would have had a sore arse for a while but would have been none the worse for wear. Most of us can say we probably suffered through something similar as lads.”
He chuckled. Growing serious again, he continued. “I took leave from it for a time. Last year while I was away at sea my sister was assaulted on her way home from a dinner party at a friend of ours’ estate. When I returned home, it was a couple months after the attack. She would always stay with a friend when I was away on duty. I was afraid she would get lonely or bored if she was in the big house alone. We have no relatives, our folks passed a few years ago.” Ethan let his hands drop, walking over to the bars that divided the two cells. “They had sent a couple letters, explaining what happened, but I never received them.”
“How is your sister fairing now? Was her attacker found?” Lucas stood, walking closer to Ethan.
He shook his head. “My sister did not make it. She was fifteen. The coachman was knocked off his seat. He hit is head hard on the ground, rendering him unconscious. When he woke, it was nearing early morning. My sister laid by the carriage; her clothes torn.” He swallowed hard. “She succumbed to her injuries after the bastard left her laying there on the street.” His jaw worked.
“Her attacker is the reason I am on this ship. The coachmen did not see much of the man. He saw him from behind, said he had blonde hair and resembled a pirate. I knew if I were to find the man, I would have to go where a pirate was most likely to be.” He stretched his arms out. “A ship like this seemed like a good enough place to start. I hoped to be able to get to know the crew, question them slowly about a pirate they might know that would have done that. I was not getting very far. I had a suspicion that it might have been our dear friend, Thomas.”
“The bracelet, the one with the rubies.” He paused disgust in his voice, “I gave that to my sister, Helena, before I left. It was the last time I spoke with her.” He looked towards the hatch again. “It was him, you heard what he said about that Baron’s daughter and about the collection of jewels on his wrists.” Ethan slammed his hand against the bars. He turned and slowly paced the tiny cell.
“Aye, I would not put it past the man.” Lucas watched Ethan closely. “I suspect a battle is to come in a day or two. My men will be coming for me, when they do, I will make sure you are set free and if Thomas should live through the battle, you are welcome to join my crew. No man like him should be allowed to live, not for long at least.”
Ethan nodded. “My thanks, I only hope that when he gets what he deserves, it will be by my hand.” His voice was hard.
They both fell silent, listening to the sounds filtering down from above deck. Lucas leaned against the damp, back wall of his cell. He rubbed his knuckles together, worried about his crew and most of all Catherine. He knew what Thomas would do to her if they failed.
There was no way around a battle. He was not about to let Catherine’s estate go or allow his crew to be sent to the gallows for failing to carry out the Governor’s orders. He thought about the girl aboard his ship, how her lips had felt when they had kissed. Her hair was as golden as the sandy beaches and just as soft as the small waves that washed over them.
There were footsteps drawing closer and a hatch clanking that led to the brig. It slowly opened. A sailor came in, muttering profanities as he stepped down the steps, sloshing what looked like grey broth with bit of salted meat in it out of the wooden bowls. The man had a jagged scar on his face and looked to be a good thirty to forty years older than Lucas, his thin hair hanging loose about his shoulders. There was a square opening in the bars of the cells to allow food to be passed through the bars without having to unlock the cell and risk the prisoner escaping. Limping, the old sailor slid the bowls through the small openings at the bottom of the cells. He stood up, trying to wipe the spilled stew off his grungy, torn shirt.
“Best eat up lads, that will be all you are havin’ and you won’t want them rats gettin’ to it first.” He gestured to the bowls and hobbled towards the hatch.
Shooing a couple rats away with his boot, Lucas reached down, grabbing the bowl from the ground. He scrunched his face. He had eaten some pretty questionable meals over the years. Ship food could get rancid and hard in a short time, Cooks usually pickled or heavily salted the food to hide the souring taste. Running a wooden spoon through the stew, the small piece of meat felt as hard as the spoon. Taking a tentative bite, Lucas coughed and spat it right back out. He quickly put the bowl through the opening and watched as the rats scurried and squeaked towards it.
Ethan chuckled, “I suppose this is meant to be our punishment.” He took a small bite. “To be honest though, the food was not much better above deck either.” He said, choking down another bite. “So tell me, what is the deal with this deed and who is the Baron’s daughter that the Captain mentioned?”
“Ha, well,” Lucas let out a low laugh. “When I left for France under the Governor’s orders, I took on a few new recruits, one of which was a particularly young sailor, I and the rest of the crew believed to be fourteen-year-old Allen.” Lucas shook his head. “The young sailor did very well, a lot better than many do at that age. One night there was a nasty storm, the sailor was told to remain belowdecks and assist the others with leaks and holes.”
“Next thing I knew, the sailor was scrambling towards a belaying pin that was loosening. In an attempt to save the ship the sailor almost went overboard. The next morning, I went to the surgeon to check on the patient, that was when I was informed that our young Allen was in fact, Miss Catherine Benedict. The daughter of a Baron. She had dressed as a lad so she would not be recognized, she had intended to board a passenger ship but through a bit of confusion and chaos at the docks, she landed aboard The Trinity. That’s my ship, The Trinity. She continued her disguise for fear of what would happen to her if a ship full of men discovered her identity. After she got to know us a bit better though, I believe she was relieved when we found out who she really was. I am sure she was tired of putting on the façade for so long.”
His tone turned sober. “Their estate and entire plantation is at risk of being handed over to a wealthy man in France. I am to take the deed to the man, they in turn will lose everything they have. Of course I did not know it was a deed at all, let alone the deed to Miss Benedict’s plantation. I only recently learned that. I have been devising a plan to save the plantation as well as try and keep my Letter of Marque. I about had it all laid out when Thomas and his cronies took me.” He scoffed. “I knew he was at the port, but I did not worry much about it. I knew Miss Benedict was safe on board my ship, last thing I had expected was the bastard to kidnap me.”
Lucas laid his head back against the damp wood, letting his eyes close. It would not be long before Alaric and the rest of his crew came. He felt the ship slow and heard the heavy anchor lower into the sea. Now all they could do is wait.
Lucas woke the next morning to the clanking of the hatch being opened. He sat up straight and blinked back the sleep from his eyes. A young man quickly came into the brig.
“Ethan,” The young sailor whispered. “I brought you a bit of dried meat. It’s not much but it will have to do.” He walked over to where Ethan stood at the bars.
“Thank you, Nick. I appreciate it.” The boy reminded Lucas a lot of young Benjamin. Ethan handed one of the pieces over to Lucas.
“There is a bit of a ruckus on board. All the men are focused on the ship that was spotted on the horizon. The Captain is in a strange mood. I heard one of the men say it’s his ship, come to make a trade.” The young sailor pointed towards Lucas. “I best get back up there, likely someone will be coming down soon to fetch him.”
“You be careful, Nick. Thanks again for the food.” Ethan looked over to Lucas, grinning.
Despite his unease about Catherine possibly being involved in a ship battle and his men being at risk. Lucas felt confident his crew had things well in hand. They probably had Catherine tucked away safely out of sight of Thomas and his crew and away from any musket fire.
Lucas stood at the door to his cell, his arms draped through it, resting on the cross bars. They listened carefully and estimated The Trinity to be getting close enough to board. Lucas stood up straighter, the men above had all but gone silent. He glanced over at Ethan; his brows pulled together. Lucas felt the ship sway, indicating The Trinity had come up alongside Thomas’s ship. He heard the scraping of wooden planks being pulled between the two ships.
“We will make the trade with you, but first, we need to see Captain Harding and make sure he has not been harmed.” He heard Alaric’s commanding voice travel over the ship and through the hatch.
“Very well, if you insist. Show me the deed.” Thomas replied, fury in his voice at being challenged once again. There was a moment’s pause. “Harris, go get Harding.”
Lucas shifted his gaze to Ethan, “I will see that you are released. Once on board my ship, we can discuss what you would like to do about Thomas. I do not wish to risk my crew or Miss Benedict if this can be done without a fight right now.” Ethan looked to be in anguish. He did not want to wait any longer to approach Thomas about what he had done to his sister, but Ethan also knew he had little choice.
“Aye, alright.” He said, taking a bite out of the hardened meat. “Good luck, Mate.”
A big man ducked in the hatch, covered in tattoos and a gold earring hanging from his ear. He walked over to Lucas’s cell, rubbing a hand over his bald head. “Looks like it be your lucky day, Harding.” The man fiddled with the rusty lock, finally it clicked free. “Come along, let’s not keep the Capt’n waiting and don’t even think of trying anything funny, our cannons be loaded and we ain’t afraid of sinkin’ that ship o’ yours down to the depths.” He grabbed tight to Lucas’s arm.
Lucas bit back a retort and clenched his fists. The sailor led him through the hatch and out into the bright sun. After his eyes slowly adjusted, Lucas scanned the deck of Thomas’s ship, looking for any indication of Thomas not keeping his word. He turned his gaze over to The Trinity, he swallowed.
He could scarcely believe what he was seeing. There she was, still dressed as a lad, wearing one of his white shirts which rippled in the warm breeze. Small tendrils of her hair whipped around her face. She confidently stood next to Alaric, wearing Lucas’s Captain’s hat. Despite his fear at seeing her standing in the open, in front of Thomas’s entire crew he chuckled. He caught her eye and grinned, giving her a wink.
Lucas watched Alaric give a brief nod to Catherine, who stared straight at Thomas as she slowly walked across the plank. Lucas tried taking a step forward but the large man holding him did not let him move. He did not like her stepping onto the other man’s ship. He shot a look to Alaric, who simply raised an eyebrow and nodded just enough for Lucas to notice. He looked back to Catherine who was now standing in front of the other Captain.
“Release Captain Harding and I will hand over the deed.” Her voice was steady. Thomas signaled to the man who still had his meaty hand around Lucas’s arm. The sailor reluctantly released him, shoving him forward. Catherine cautiously handed the deed over to Thomas.
He snatched it out of her grasp, greedily grinning. He unrolled it and looked it over. “Very nice, you can have your precious Captain back.” He spat at Lucas’s feet.
“Catherine, no.” He shook his head, he could not bear her giving up her estate for him. “Do not do this. You do not need to give him the deed.”
“You are right, I do not need to.” She said, sounding as confident as she looked. “Join your crew sailor,” she ordered. Lucas grinned, he could hardly believe she had just given him a direct order in front of his entire crew.
