EL LOBO DEL MAR

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Jack kissed Honour gently, and looked into her eyes as he ran his fingers through her golden hair.  The happiness he saw reflected there made him smile all the more.
"I love you so much, Honour.  God knows I could hold you forever."
"As I could you, my love," she sighed.  "I'm hearing an unspoken 'but', though."
"You know me so well.  I really should check on Thomas.  I left him in Briggs' care, but he was so drunk..."
"And who got him that way?"
"Guilty as charged, love," he laughed.
"And thankfully that's something you'll never have to say formally.  Go.  Find your brother. You know how nervous Josiah gets when he has to babysit.  I'll put Zara down for a nap whilst your gone."
"Once I do find him, I'll most likely introduce him to Duckie.  I seem to recall he has some roots or herbs that might help Thomas avoid a nasty hangover."
"That would be the brotherly thing to do," said Honour.
"Ah, but it would also be playing fair.  What fun would that be?" Jack replied with a wink.
Honour gave him an exasperated look and pointed in the direction of the ship's bow.
"All right, I'm going!  And I'll make sure Duckie fixes him up."
Jack paused to look at Zara standing sleepily in her crib, trying hard to watch her parents.  But her little eyes were so heavy that she could barely keep them open.  He smiled as Honour went to her crib, then he closed the door and walked slowly down the companionway.

He could scarcely believe it.  Pardoned!  Even after telling Honour the new of their good fortune, it still hadn't sunk is as being real.  But the absurdity of being rewarded for something he had already done of his own will fit with all his other strange turns of luck.  Fortune hadn't quit smiling on him.
"Well, Jack my boy, you've still got it!" he laughed to himself.  "Now, what are you going to do with it?"
A good question.  He still hadn't decided what he wanted to do now that he was an honest gentleman.  Daffyd had piqued his interest in horses again.  But then there was the merchant trade to consider, however mundane that seemed.  Politics?  There was more honour in piracy.  Maybe if he dabbled in a little of everything?  He certainly had more money than he and Honour could ever hope to spend in a lifetime.  But would too many irons in the fire take him away from his wife and child, who he loved with all his heart?  Jack had a hard enough time as it stands being away from them for more than a handful of hours.

The choices before him seemed without end, but he knew he couldn't drift rudderless.  A bored Wolfe is a bad Wolfe, his father always said.  So, where to find a rudder?

Thomas.  Thomas had always been ready to give him advice in the past, whether he wanted to hear it or not.  Jack doubted time changed things that much.  That settled it.  A Heart-to-heart with his brother was just what he needed.  Now to find him.

Jack stepped out onto the weather deck and squinted into the afternoon sun.  He looked around the deck and could see no sign of Briggs and Thomas.
"Probably up admiring the quarterdeck.  As long as Briggs didn't show him the rum stash..."
He climbed the steps to the ship's hallowed ground, only to find the captain of the watch, Nathaniel Simm.
With a puzzled look, Jack asked," Oi, Nate!  Have you seen Briggs and my brother?"
Simm's eyebrows went up.  "That was your brother, cap'n?  That Fancy Dan with the seagull nest on his head?"
"What can I say?  He's an admiral in the Navy.  Every family has a bad seed.  Where did they go?"
"Well, he and Master Briggs were talking by the crates down there, when your brother, he kinda rolled off and lay there 'til Briggs helped him up.  Pretty sure they went to the surgery."
"I'll never hear the end of this one," grumbled Jack.  "Right, I'll go there now and check on him.  Thanks, Nate."
"Welcome, cap'n."  Simm paused for a moment.  "The Navy, cap'n?"
"Aye."
"You have me sympathy."

Jack chuckled and started down the stairs when his eye caught an odd fluttering of feathers.  He went to the crates where Simm had told him Thomas and Briggs were talking.  Sure enough, Thomas' garish hat was lying there like some strange wounded thing.  He picked it up and gave it a disdainful look.
"Pirates have a much better sense of style," he said.  "Better take this back to the cabin for safe keeping.  Zara will enjoy seeing it when she wakes up...."

"Make it stop!  It feels like ants burrowing under my skin!" yelled Thomas.
"Calm down, Thomas!" implored Duckie.  "Shouting about it won't make it stop any faster."
"But it's driving me mad!"
"If you don't stop yelling, I won't be able to concentrate on a counter-agent.  So unless you want to suffer longer, please BE QUIET!"
Thomas took a deep breath and balled his fists to keep himself from scratching at the itching, burning sensation under his skin.  He closed his eyes tight and kept his jaw clenched.
"Thank you, Thomas.  That's much better," Duckie said.  "Now, itching, itching...  Was it this one?  Or this?"
"Try 'em both!" said Briggs.
Duckie turned back to the quartermaster and gave him a pained look.  "Josiah, do you have any idea what you're saying?  I'm loathe to combine these medicines willy-nilly because I can't be sure what the concomitant result might be.  And I'll not experiment on Jack's brother."
"Explain later, please?" growled Thomas.  "I can't stand this much longer!"
Briggs made a show of pretending to lock his lips and throw away the key.  Duckie nodded approvingly and went back to his remedies.
"These two have worked well in the past," he said to himself, thinking out loud.  "One part of this, and one-and-a-half of this."
He combined the powders and made a solution as he'd done before, and handed the cup to Thomas.  Thomas took it and began to drink.
"Slowly now," instructed Duckie.  "You don't want to take it all..."
Thomas drained the mug and handed it back to him.
"... at once.  Oh, dear.  I should have said earlier."
"Does it make a difference?" asked Thomas.
"Well, it's usually inadvisable to knock back these medicines like so much rum, but you should be fine."

Thomas sat for a few moments, then began to smile.  "The burning.  I think it's easing up!"
Duckie smiled with satisfaction.  "Good!  I didn't expect it to act this quickly.  But no matter, as long as the side effect of the first solution is neutralised.  And your head is clear, yes?"
Thomas nodded.  "Yes, I feel muth bettah naw."
"Excuse me?"  Duckie's eyes went wide.  "What did you just say?"
"I thaid, I feel muth bettah... Thit!  Wahth habbening to meh?  Ah cand fehl mah tunnk!"
"Oh dear, oh dear...  Don't worry!  I can fix this!"
"I kind of like him this way," said Briggs.
Duckie shot him a hard look.  Briggs repeated his earlier pantomime, this time with a double lock.  Thomas laid back on the bed and moaned.
"Somewhere up there, my father is laughing," muttered Duckie as he puzzled over his next attempt.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Jack quietly opened the door of the great cabin, careful to keep the heavy door from squeaking too loudly and waking Zara.
"Where's Thomas?" asked Honour.
"I couldn't find him on deck," said Jack as he laid Thomas' hat on the table.  "But I thought I should bring this here so it will be safe.  Wouldn't want the admiral's finery falling overboard."
Honour stared at the feathered monstrosity.  "I suppose it shouldn't find its way out a window, either.  Where could he be?  I thought Briggs was watching after him."
"In the surgery.  Thomas' indulgences got the better of him.  I imagine Duckie is introducing him to one of his herbal wonder cures."
"Old medicine is sometimes the best.  But you really shouldn't have taken advantage of him again."
Jack stepped behind Honour and slipped his arms around her waist, pulling her close.
"You know me, love.  Some things I just can't resist..."
She elbowed him in the stomach just hard enough to get her point across.
"Behave yourself, Jack Wolfe!  We have company – family! – on board!"
Jack pretended to be terribly crestfallen.  "I suppose you're right."

He looked over to where Zara lay sleeping soundly, her toy rabbit clutched against her little body.  A look of angelic peace was on her face.
"Why don't we both go to check on him?" he asked Honour.
"Both?  But Zara needs..."
"Zara is sleeping peacefully, love.  Remember that thunderstorm we sailed through after we left Madeira?  She slept through it when neither of us could.  She'll be fine if we leave her for a few minutes.  She's perfectly safe here, safe as houses.  What could happen?"
Honour thought about it for a few moments.  "You're right, of course.  She'll be fine without me hovering."
"That's more like it!" smiled Jack.  "Come on, let's go find your brother-in-law."

Once the couple left the cabin, a ghostly grey figure crept out of its shadowed hiding place in the rafters.  Emerald green eyes cautiously studied the prey as the cat manoeuvred into position.  Certain that the prey could not escape, he pounced...

"I dond wand it," said Thomas stubbornly.
"Thomas, I have no idea how long it will take for the numbness to wear off," said Duckie, his patience almost exhausted.  "Do you want to send the rest of your visit with Jack unable to speak clearly?  Moreover, do you want your men hearing you like this?"
"Ye do sound daft as hell," added Briggs.
Thomas pretended to ignore Briggs.  "Urr suhr dis will wuhk?"
"I'm highly confident, which is the best assurance I'm able to provide.  Medicine is an art masquerading as science, Admiral.  Sometimes the canvas doesn't accept the paints, so we keep trying."
Thomas sighed heavily and held out his hand.  "Gibbid tuh meh, dehn."
"That's the spirit, mate!" Briggs said cheerily.  "Of course, it's ain't me taking the potions..."
"Master Briggs, surely you have somewhere else to be?" said Duckie pointedly.
"No, Jack said I was to..."
Duckie glared with an arched eyebrow.
"Y'know, there's somethin' I need to check on that I just remembered.  If ye'll be excusin' me."
Briggs got up and went to he door.  He paused to look at Duckie, who mouthed the words "thank you".  Briggs nodded, then stepped out into the companionway.

"Josiah!" called Jack.
The quartermaster nearly jumped out of his skin.  He quickly slammed the surgery door.
"Jack!  Honour, ma'am!  I wasn't expectin' to see ye!" he said a little too loudly.
"What's the matter, Josiah?" asked Honour.  "You look like you've seen a ghost!"
"Nope!  Nothin's the matter.  Not at all, not one thing."  A sweat began to break out on Briggs' forehead.
"Is my brother in there?" asked Jack.
"Aye, he is.  Duckie's still tendin to him."
"Then I'll just pop my head in and..."
"No!" yelped Briggs.  "I mean, ye don't want to be disturbin' him just now.  Restin' and all, he is."
Jack gave him a suspicious look.  "Why are you sweating so?"
"Must be comin' down with somethin', I guess."
"Good thing we're at the surgery.  Duckie can look after you next."  Jack pushed past Briggs and opened the surgery door.  Briggs closed his eyes and waited for the explosion.

"Ah, there you are, Jack!" said Duckie cheerfully.  "Do come in!  Thomas and I were just finishing up."
He was putting away his chest of herbs as Jack stepped into the surgery.  Honour stayed just inside the doorway, and Briggs stayed just outside.
"How are you feeling now?" Jack asked Thomas.
"Never better!" smiled Thomas.  "The good doctor here was afraid you'd pickled me even beyond his skills, but I'm right as rain now."
Briggs exhaled with relief so loudly that Honour turned and gave him a puzzled look.  The quartermaster smiled sheepishly and gave a little shrug.
"Duckie here is the best!" said Jack.  "I dare say he could teach your surgeons a thing or two."
"I'd have to pry the saws out of their hands first," laughed Thomas.  Honour grimaced at the thought of what the saws were for.
"Oh, I'm sorry!" Thomas said quickly.  "I'm not used to being in the presence of a lady whilst aboard ship.  I'll be more careful."
Honour smiled appreciatively.  "That's quite all right, Admiral.  I'm used to the realities of life at sea."
"Please, Honour, call me Thomas!  We're family now!  No need for awkward titles.  I can't imagine spending my short time aboard calling you Mrs. Wolfe."
"All right then, Thomas," she replied.  Apparently charm was a Wolfe trait, she thought.

"Duckie was able to wring the alcohol out of you, was he?" asked Jack.
"The most amazing thing I've ever experienced," Thomas said.  "And no hangover!"
"No problems, then?"
"Just a little upset stomach at the first, but that's all."  Thomas gave Duckie a wink.  Briggs make a quiet derisive snort, which made Honour look strangely at him again.
"Do you want us to step out so Duckie can see you, Josiah?" she asked.
"What's that now?" asked Duckie.
Briggs' face began to colour.  "Nothin'!  Just a little tickle in me throat is all.  A spot of rum'll take care of it."
"The good doctor has some amazing herbal remedies, Mr. Briggs," said Thomas with a smirk.  "Why don't you give them a try?"
"Yes, Josiah," added Duckie.  "I can have a solution ready for you presently."
"I'm fine!" Briggs protested, and he thumped his chest solidly.  "See?  Fit as an ox!"
"Yes, I've been meaning to talk to you about your diet..." Duckie smirked.

"Speaking of food," interrupted Jack.  "Thomas, I want you to stay for dinner.  We set a fine table here, much better than you could hope for aboard one of Ollie's ships."
"Yes, Thomas, do stay!" added Honour.
"You've got a sister-in-law to get to know, and a little niece!  And since you're aboard my ship, I'll ask you to not make me give you a direct order."
Thomas slapped his knee as he laughed.  "All right, all right!  How can I resist such hospitality?  I would be honoured to be your dinner guest.  It will give me a welcome break from the humdrum of navy regimen."
"Well, you'll find it pretty sedate here as well," said Jack.  "We go out of our way to keep things uneventful these days."

An ear-piercing scream from down the hallway shattered the moment, followed by hysterical sobs and another scream.
"Zara!" cried Honour, and in a flash she was running down the companionway to the great cabin.  Jack and Thomas were on her heels, followed by Duckie and Briggs.  Honour threw open the door and raced to Zara's crib.  The traumatised little girl was standing up clutching the crib rail, her face crimson as she pointed and cried inconsolably.  Honour picked her up and tried to comfort her.
"Birdie!!  Birdie!!!" she yelled in between sobs.
In the middle of the table, atop the shredded remains of Thomas' hat, was a very self-satisfied Puddin' with a mouth full of white feathers.  The ship's cat sat proudly astride his kill, appearing to wait for the praise he was sure was due him.
"My hat!!" exclaimed Thomas.
"I'm afraid it's a goner," said Duckie.
"That's one dead hat," Briggs said.
"A shame," said Jack.  "We could have used the eggs."

[Welsh Wench]

"Wonderful brandy, Jack. Where did you get it"
"Portugal. Lourinhã, to be exact. We took it off one of the Spanish ships that crossed our wake one fine afternoon in '52. Easy take. Captain donated to the cause and we let him keep his vessel. A few tons lighter, of course."

Jack and Thomas sat at the table in Jack's cabin, the remnants of a fine meal still on the plates.
Honour sat at the table with Zara in her arms. The little girl had come to grips with the fact that the 'birdie' was merely Uncle Thomas' now deceased hat. But not until Jack plopped the hat on Thomas' head did Zara make the connection.
Puddin laid on the bed, his belly full of a combination of rum and cream.
"Jack, I don't understand you rewarding your cat for bad behaviour."
Jack held up his finger. "Ah, that is where you are wrong. To Puddin, it wasn't bad behaviour. In his mind's eye, he saw a bird. Being a predator, he did what came naturally. He came. He saw."
"He conquered?"
"No, he ripped its guts out."
Thomas shrugged, "Well, you know I have always been a dog person, Jack."

Zara reached her arms out to Jack. Honour sighed. "She always does this after dinner. This becomes Daughter-Daddy time."
Thomas laughed. "Well, she's a Wolfe alright. She---"
"Bolx!"
Zara had reached for a cookie and Honour had slid the plate out of her reach.
Honour's mouth tightened and Jack's face grew red. That made Thomas laugh even more.
"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it, eh Jack?"
Honour shook her finger at Jack and then turned to Thomas.
"What do you mean?"
"I meant that--hard as it is to believe---little Jackie here had quite the little potty mouth."
Honour handed Zara to her father and leaned forward. "Oh, this is one story I have to hear."
Jack frowned, "Thomas, I don't really thing this story is relev---"
"It was in Scotland. Jack and I were visiting our Gran and she took us to church proper like on Sunday. As they passed the collection plate, Jackie here said, "shine! Look at all the loot!"
Gran was mortified but our Granda laughed, shrugged and said, "Aye, well, the little git be English."
Jack started to laugh. "I don't know who Gran was more upset with--me or Grand-da."
"Oh, he was a pistol, that one! Gave Jack and me our first taste of whiskey and taught us to sing bawdy drinking songs."
Honour laughed. "And did he ever see you two grown up?"
Thomas shook his head. "He passed away a few years after that. Just sat down in his chair with his whiskey and when Gran came in, he was sitting there. Dead."
Honour broke a cookie in half and gave it to Zara.
"Well, I am sure he wouldn't be surprised the way you both turned out. Jack ended up in piracy and you, Thomas, as a model of the Royal Navy."

Jack grabbed the brandy and poured him and Thomas another drink.
"Honour? You want one?"
She shook her head no. "And I strongly recommend that this be the last for the two of you. Your livers will thank you in the morning."
Thomas leaned back. "I dare say they would be very surprised."
Honour replied, "Well, yes, I guess they would be surprised that Jack turned pirate."
"Yes, especially when I was the bad seed."
"WHAT?"
Jack nodded. "It's true. You know how Thomas ended up in the Royal Navy?"
She shook her head.
"Da insisted he go to straighten him out. You see," Jack pointed with his brandy snifter---"Thomas here was the wild son!"
Thomas put his finger to his lips in the shhh motion. "Jack, really, I am sure Honour won't find this interes--"
"Oh yes, I will!"
Jack pushed his brandy carefully out of Zara's outstretched hand.
"Yes, dear, the esteemed Admiral Thomas James Wolfe here was sent to the Navy to make a man out of him."
"I protest, Jack! I was a man when I went in."
"Yes, as Tessa can attest to."
Honour rested her chin in her hands. "I find this subject infinitely fascinating. And ask myself, 'What have I gotten into by marrying into this family?'  And do I want to contribute to the perpetuation of this gene pool?"
Jack grinned. "Thomas here had wracked up gambling debts at the age of nineteen. The only way Da could square it away was to have Thomas enlist."
"Jack, really. I needed direction anyways."
"And Da practically planted his foot on your behind. Then there was that business in the hayloft..."
Thomas visibly coloured. "Well, that was human nature--"
Honour raised her eyebrow. "More like the Wolfe libido kicking in."

Thomas pointed at Jack. "Well, Jack here is a late bloomer. Quite the bookworm, that one was."
Jack shrugged. "Never hurts to improve your mind."
"Hell, we couldn't get your nose out of a book. Jack was the dutiful son. No trouble, that one was. Until he went to sea. But his knowledge served him well.  Always following Da around the shipyard. Carried his charts and drafting instruments for him. Da taught him the intricacies of ship building. But then Jack got a scholarship to Oxford and Da was so proud. He knew Jack would make something of himself."
Jack grew quiet. "Well, it was in the cards for a while but...."
"Jack, Da would have moved heaven and earth to keep you in Oxford. He didn't plan on typhus."
"Well, I chose a different career path. But it still had to do with ships!"
"And speaking of which, I should get back to mine. A mutinous crew does not go over well with Cromwell."
Thomas stood up and pushed his chair in. And Zara did something no one expected.
She reached out for Thomas.
He looked questioning at Jack and he nodded.
Thomas took his little niece in his arms and she put her little hands on either side of his face and patted his cheeks. He felt his eyes begin to mist up.
Thomas said softly, "Mother would have loved her."
Honour smiled tenderly at Jack.
"I know, Thomas. Maybe I have redeemed myself after all."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thomas and Jack stood on the deck, Jack waving the lantern for the Reliance to send its longboat back for its Admiral.
"I have to say, Jack, that this has been the best time I ever spent with you."
Jack smiled, "I'm glad you had the chance to meet my wife."
"Does she have a sister by any chance?"
Jack laughed, "Three. Just as beautiful and charming as Honour.  Also all married. But we will keep you in mind if any become available."
"Well, you had better keep the one you have happy or else I may just come to call if she ever gets tired of you."
"I'll keep it in mind."

The boat sailed up to El Lobo quickly. The rope ladder was dropped.
Thomas sighed, "I guess this is it, Jack."
"I guess it is. Thank you, Thomas, for everything. For giving me a clean slate."
"It was the least I could do for you, little brother."
They clasped each other.
"Keep the wind at your back, Jack."
"And the next time you are in Bridgetown, come stay with us. I can tell Honour has accepted you as family."
"Take care of Zara. She's a Wolfe, no doubt about it."
"Will do."
Thomas looked out to the inky sea.
"Never expected our lives to turn out this way. Did you, Jack? You a reformed pirate and me married to the Navy."
"Mum and Da would be proud."
"I'd like to think they know how it all turned out, Jack."

The brothers hugged once more and Thomas threw his leg over the rail.
From the side of the ship came, "I'll see you in a few months."
Jack leaned over and yelled, "Just ask Renee where the plantation is. I'll leave word with her. It won't be a hardship for you to stop in there, I guarantee you."
All he heard was Thomas' laughter.

Jack suddenly remembered something.
"Your hat, Thomas!"
As the longboat sailed back to the Reliance, his voice was heard.
"Give it to Puddin'. In remembrance of a good kill!"

[Welsh Wench]

Two weeks later......


"Oh, my God, Honour! It is just gorgeous!"
Jack looked out the carriage window at the plantation house that Honour had purchased from Monsieur Picou almost two years previously.  The red brick house was flanked by six white Grecian columns. The walkway was of brick which led to brick stairs and led to a massive oak door. A verandah wrapped around three sides of the house. Two matching second story balconies were supported by the columns. The front lawn was lush and green with a slope the house sat upon.

Honour beamed with pleasure.
"When I saw it, I fell in love with it. It was just as I imagined it to be on the inside. And Monsieur Picou sold me some of the furniture. It is perfect. Imported from France, you know."

Jack opened up the carriage door and held out his hand to Honour. She handed him an armful of Zara.
"Little ladies first! I've already seen the house. You and Zara are seeing your new home for the first time."
"What do you say, sweetheart? Should we see the house?"
"Kee! Kee!" Zara pointed to the carriage.
Honour laughed. "Evie is in my bag."
The little black kitten popped her head out of the bag and Honour stuffed it back in.
"Not yet, Evie. You need to find your way around the house before you venture outdoors."
Jack swung Zara on his shoulders, holding on to her hands.
"Ready, Zara?"
She laughed and put her arms around Jack's neck.
"I'd say she's ready!"

A plump woman with a pleasant face came out to the verandah.
"Lord have mercy, you did make it back! And with the wee angel, too!"
"Mrs. Avery! You look wonderful!"
Mrs. Avery took a step back and smiled.
"Well, Mrs. Castlemaine, you look pretty wonderful yourself! And this is the young lady we have been wanting to see! Mr. Avery will be beside himself to see her."
She straightened up and frowned.
"But you didn't tell us you would be bringing company."
"Mrs. Avery, may I present my husband."
"Husband? But I thought you were a widow, ma'am, that is what you told me and the mister."
Jack raised his eyebrow and shot Honour a look.
"Mrs. Avery, I am sorry. I guess there is alot I need to explain to you over tea. But no, I am married and this is Captain Wolfe. With an 'e' no less. He's Zara's father and has been my husband for the last year and a half."

Mrs. Avery crossed her arms.
"Uh huh, if you say so."
Honour suppressed a grin at the look of indignation on Jack's face. She linked her arm with his and said, "I do say so. Let me give Zara and my husband the grand tour and you and I shall sit down and have a cup of tea and a tete a tete. I'll explain everything."
Mrs. Avery bustled off, muttering, "First she's a widow and then she is married. That's enough to confuse anyone..." as she left the room.
Honour laughed.
"Poor dear is confused. But never mind. I will give you and Zara the tour of the house."
He held her close. "Have I ever told you how much I love you, Mrs. Wolfe?"
She hugged him and whispered in his ear, "Yes. But I never tire of it!"

"Well, are you ready to see the house, darling?" Honour's eyes were shining with enthusiasm. Jack thought she never looked so excited, save but for the time she was introducing him to his daughter for the first time.
"I can't wait to see what you have gotten me into, Honour."
She scooped Zara up in her arms and handed her over to Jack. She grabbed his hand and led them both into the parlor. The massive fireplace was done in brick but the walls shone white in the sun. Light drapes from the ceiling to the floor graced the paneled windows. A piano was off to the side. The furniture was understated but elegant. From the hallway you could see the marble staircase that split midway. The bannister was of oak.
"Honour, this is wonderful!"
"I know. It was what I have always dreamed of. Let me show you the dining room."


She led them  to the formal dining room.  A solid mahogany table with sixteen chairs and a glass chandelier hung from a carved plaster ceiling. A cabinet of crystal stood in the corner and a sideboard for platters was against the opposite wall.
The French doors looked out over a brick patio and onto the ocean. The sheer curtains blew in the breeze.
Jack peeked out the doors. There was a detached kitchen with a pergola covered with grapevines and a brick walkway. Forethought to keep the kitchen separate as fires were not unheard of.
Exotic flowers made up the garden. Their perfume filled the air.  
"And we can grow grapes and maybe even have a winery, Jack!  Now let me show you the upstairs."

They mounted the marble staircase. The master bedroom also had French doors with a balcony that overlooked the ocean. Honour sat on the four-poster rice bed and bounced on it a bit, her fingers running over the down comforter.
"And it is as comfortable as it looks. I did actually spend a few weeks here when I was back here to arrange everything."
An armoire and chest of drawers completed the set along with oil paintings of scenic countryside. Jack looked into the alcove and there was a small handcarved cradle. His heart melted a bit at the sight of the nursery.
The rest of the rooms were tastefully appointed with furnishings that bespoke of opulence.
Honour looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"You do approve of it, Jack?"
He nodded. "Nice to see that my guilders went for a good purchase."
She smiled. "And I got a fifteen percent discount from Monsieur Picou."
"Mrs. Wolfe, you drive a hard bargain. Now, how soft did you say the bed was?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Jack looked down at his sleepy daughter. They were sitting on the verandah in a rocking chair. The evening sea breeze washed over him as he rocked his little girl. He watched the sun set and the rare green flash as it dipped into the liquid sea.
A wave of nostalgia came over him as he began to ponder over the fact that this may very well be the closest he was to come to the ocean again. Was this what he really wanted? To give up a life he had known for the past nineteen years?
He knew piracy was no way of life for a married man with a child. And one with the prospects of more. Honour was a healthy, energetic young woman. It was only a matter of time....

"Zara? You want a little brother or sister?"
Sleepily she said, "Kee..." before her eyes closed.
He kissed the top of her head.
"Just so you don't name the baby 'kee'."
He gathered his little girl in his arms and whispered, "Time for bed, princess."
He gently took her thumb out of her mouth and headed up the stairs. Going into the nursery, he laid her down in her crib and covered her up.

He opened the door to the room he was to share with his wife. Honour was looking out the French doors that opened to the verandah. The fragrance of tropical flowers filled the room.
She turned with a smile. She was wearing a light voile dressing gown in white trimmed with light blue ribbon. It matched the ribbon she wore in her hair.
"I've just taken a warm bath. It felt so good after the sea water. Refreshing as the salt was but something about fresh water makes it feel so good on your skin. And the water is heated up so you can take one too."
"Baths? In a tub? I don't know about it, Honour."
She loosened his shirt and pulled it over his head.
"I'd join you but the tub is too small.
"Then we shall have to see about importing a larger one, won't we?"
"From France?"
"Mais oui!" Jack whispered in her ear.
She pushed him gently back. "And your razor is on the dresser in there."
He sighed. "Country gentry already, Honour?"
She kissed him and said, "I do know a side of you that isn't so gentry, Jack."

Jack emerged freshly shaven and washed. He gave a quick intake of breath. Lying there in a four poster bed with mosquito netting was his wife. The sheets were barely drawn up to her chest. Two goblets of white wine were on the night stand.
The white voile lay in a puddle of gossamer on the floor.
She looked at her husband with a devilish gleam in her eyes.
"I'll let you take the ribbon out ."
As Jack pulled the covers back, he slid into bed. Honour ran her finger up and down his arm.
"You may look like a gentleman, Captain Wolfe, but I fully expect you to make love to me like the wild pirate I know you are..."

[Welsh Wench]

Bristol, England---May 1653

The boy hoisted his duffel bag over his shoulder and headed down towards the harbour. The port of Bristol was bustling with activity. Ships were porting and departing. After all, it was summer and the holds were bursting with booty.
Cargo it was called if one had a mind to.
It all depended on what side of the morality fence one was sitting on.

The lad squinted his eyes in the sun. Surely it wouldn't be hard to book passage on one of these ships. But where to start his search?
He was rumoured to be in the Caribbean. Maybe once he got there, he would find him.

He sat down on his duffel bag and pulled a few coins out of his pocket. The vast majority of his money was in a pouch in the duffel. No sense leaving it out in the open to give anyone a reason to steal from him. As if they needed a reason.

"Well, well...look what we have here. A fish out of water, Smith!"
Smith grinned. "Looking to book passage on a ship, little guppy?"
The lad looked up to the eyes of two dissolute pirates.  And the look was anything but cordial.
His heart started pounding. He had heard about press gangs.

"Passage, yes. I have no desire to work my passage off and I intend to pay for my way. I am heading to meet my father. He sent me just enough for my passage."
"Aw, now ain't that sweet! Daddy wants his little boy with him."
The lad stood up. Inside he was afraid but knew that a show of fear would give them power.
"This really is no concern of yours, sirs. Now if you will be so kind as to let me pass..."
Smith advanced towards him.
"No cause to be nasty, eh, Jackson?"
Jackson grinned. "Seems little guppy here should be taught it ain't polite to refuse help. And that's all we wanted to do was help. We can get you passage. Over on that ship over there."
The lad nodded and said, "Good day, sirs. Is that polite enough for you?"
Smith pushed him.
"Insolent! Seems to me this here guppy needs to go back in the water. What say you, Jackson?"
Smith grabbed the boy by the collar and the waistband of his breeches and hoisted him up.
"Into the water you go, guppy!"

"PUT HIM DOWN!" The two pirates set the lad down.
"We were just having a bit of sport, Captain. No harm intended."
"Then you will see no harm intended when I tell you to sign on with another ship. Your kind I don't need."
The men glared at the captain and then to the boy.
"I'm sure, Smith---and Jackson--that there are plenty of less scrupulous ships you can sail with."
The captain flipped them two coins.
"Here. Drinks are on me. Now get out of my sight."
The two pirates ambled off.

The captain turned to the boy. "You look like you haven't had a decent meal in a while. Am I right?"
The boy looked down and scuffed his toe in the dirt, not saying anything.
"Yes, well, that's what I thought. Come on. I'll buy you a hot meal. That's the least I can do. And you can tell me about this father of yours."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So why are you so hot to find this father of yours?"
The boy mopped the gravy with his bread. "He disappeared when I was a baby and my mother died. He left me behind in the care of her sister. Aunt Lydia just died two months ago. In going through her things, I found a few letters he had written. They were addressed to me but she hid them from me."
"Why do you think that was so?"
"Because he became a pirate and Aunt Lydia hated pirates. She refused to acknowledge that her sister had a child by a pirate. All the time I thought my father didn't know of my existence or he abandoned me. But now I find out he did know and tried to make contact but Aunt Lydia wouldn't have it."
"Was the ship mentioned?"
"He was once on a ship called the Laura Ann. He was a sailor on it. The last letter I have he said he was on a ship called the Raven's Pride."
"Sounds familiar. I think she still sails in the waters out of Tortuga. But ships change hands so often. Could have changed the crew five or six times in as many years."
The captain looked thoughtful.
"Tell you what--can you write and can you read maps?"
"I can read but not so sure about the maps. What I don't know I am a quick learner. And I am willing to try."
"That's all I can ask. Here's the deal. I was once helped out of a jam by a kindly captain. Now it is my turn for karma and all that crap. I'm willing to pay my dues. You help out with the mundane things. Every night I will dictate and you can keep the ship's log. I hate to write. And help me with the maps. In return I will take you to a few ports so you can find your long-lost absentee father. Although I have to tell you--he sounds like a two-legged tomcat!"

"Thank you, sir. I appreciate your help."
"How old are you, kid?"
"I'm not a kid. I'm fifteen."
The captain laughed. "You're right. I was barely your age when I set out to sea. The captain took me under his wing and made me the man I am today. For that I shall be grateful to him."
The lad looked quizzically at him. "You still see him?"
"No....all things come to an end. Just as well. We didn't part on very good terms."

The captain began to study the lad. The way he brushed his hair out of his face. The trait...so familiar. Like he had seen that gesture before.
The lad had brown hair and hazel eyes. But then so did alot of boys. But something...just something about him.  Like the captain had known who he reminded him of in another time, another place.
The captain offered his hand. "I'm Captain Cade Jennings of the Gryphon."
The boy took his hand and shook it.
"Phillip Briggs. Pleased to meet you."

[Welsh Wench]

  
"I woke up and you were gone."
Honour came into the dining room with an armful of Zara.
Jack smiled over his coffee.
"You were sleeping so soundly I didn't want to wake you."
Zara reached her arms out to her father and he readily took her. He broke his toast in half and gave her a piece of it. Zara happily shoved it into her mouth getting crumbs on her cheeks. jack wiped her face with a napkin and tweaked her nose gently.
Honour threw open the French doors. "Is there anything more glorious than a Caribbean morning?" The ocean breeze wafted through the room.
"There is nothing healthier than sunshine. Really, I couldn't see raising my child in dreary Wales, as much as I love the country. The weather can be so depressing."
She poured herself a cup of tea and asked, "And what do you want to do today? See the rest of the land in the daylight? Go shopping?"
Jack made a face. "Shopping--no. That is your specialty. No, I need to visit an old friend."
"Someone from another ship?"
"No."
"Oh." She grew silent. In the eighteen months she and Jack were separated, celibacy was a word that wasn't in Jack's vocabulary.
"Who is she, Jack?" she said in a small voice.
"Oh, hell, Honour. Nothing like that. I need to see Renee."
"Renee?"
"You remember Renee de Bertrand, don't you?"
She said frostily, "I see. And the NEED to see her--did we not take care of that last night?"
Jack burst out laughing and grabbed Honour, taking her into his lap.  Zara fussed at the intrusion.
"Ma-ma!" she said crossly.
"Darling, Renee is a friend from the old days. As far back as when I was a lowly sailor. You'd like her. She was the one Briggs brought me to when I was in such bad shape. Renee gave me a place to stay, she helped the men nurse me back to health and she got me the best doctor available."
"Duckie."
"Yes, Duckie. And when I was acting like such a jackass after the whole Mendoza thing, she was the one who kicked my butt. Told me to go back to my wife and do right by her."
Honour looked down.
"And why do you need to see her? To formally cut off ties?"
"Why, Honour! You're jealous!"
"Of course I am!"
"Darling, you have nothing to be jealous of.  Renee and I haven't been--well, not since I met you."
"The first meeting or the one that we had a few months ago?"
Jack busied himself with Zara. "Well, look at who made a mess of herself! "
He looked up at Honour. "Really, she will be delighted we are back together. When I couldn't find you, Renee was the one who told me to keep searching. She was the one who kind of got inside your head--I know it sounds crazy--and explained to me the woman's viewpoint of why you did what you did. But she had no idea there would be a little third party involved."
Zara pounded her little fist on the table and squished the bread, then brought the mess up to her mouth.

"Really, Honour, there is nothing to be jealous of. I want to share with her the good news we are together again. I'd love for you to meet her. You would love her."
"Well, let's wait a few weeks until we are settled in."
"And then she can come to tea?"
"Heavens no!"
"But Honour...."
"What I mean is that tea just won't do. We shall have dinner."
He got up, handed Zara to her and kissed her forehead.
"That's the free-thinking Honour I know and love!"
She dipped her napkin in the water glass and delicately wiped a squirming Zara's face.
"Just make sure you are back by dinner. If not, I come after you. And it won't be pretty."
He raised his eyebrow. "Planning on a little alteration on me, darling?"
She then gave him a smile. "Don't be silly. I wouldn't punish myself!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack walked up to the red door at the house on Lucas Street. He straightened his cavalier hat and then knocked three times, paused, knocked once and paused. Then two more knocks. The door opened and a petite redhead named Mimi opened the door slightly.
"Jacques le Loupe as I live and breath, cher!"
He entered the house and grinned broadly at her. "Mimi--you are looking as ravishing as always."
She ran her finger up and down his arm. "Ah, so that is what you are in the mood for!"
Jack actually found himself blushing. "This is a social call, Mimi. No business transactions today."
"But Jacques, we haven't seen you in six months. Madame was just speaking of you last week. She said she wondered--how did she put it?--when le Loupe will be hungry again."
He laughed. "Well, Iet's just say I have changed my diet."
She cocked her head with a befuddled look. "I see...I think."
"So is Madame Renee around?"
"Oui! If you will wait I shall find her. Unless you want to delay it for an hour, you can wait in my room," she winked.
"I'm afraid that won't be necessary, Mimi."
She looked him up and down. "Quelle domage! But I shall get Madame for you."

Jack walked into the main parlor. He poured himself a brandy and had barely time to take his first sip when a voice behind him said huskily, " I wondered, Jack Wolfe, when you were going to walk back through my door."
He turned around and there she was.
Renee de Bertrand, Madame extraordinaire.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Renee stood just inside the entry of the sitting room, looking resplendent in a dress of deep green brocade and cream-coloured lace.  The colour of the dress along with the intense red of her hair served to accentuate the exquisite paleness of her skin.  Her usual seductively welcoming smile was replaced with an inquisitively arched eyebrow, her fingers drumming rhythmically on a cocked hip.
Jack smiled as he swallowed his brandy and sat the glass down.  "Renee!  As I live and breathe, darling!" he said cheerily, his arms spread wide.
"Mimi tells me you're off your feed," she replied, not moving from her pose.  "Your tastes have changed, now that wifey is getting all your best?"
Jack let his arms drop, but his smile remained.  "News travels fast in these port towns."
"Fast?" Renee laughed.  "You've been back in Barbados a full two weeks now.  Even that deaf blacksmith at the end of Broad Street knows all the gossip about you."
"The one you have to write everything out for?"
"That's the one."
"Oh.  Damn.  At least I'm finally in print!  All right then, why don't you tell me all you've heard, and I'll refute or fill in the blanks as appropriate?" asked Jack.  "It'll save a lot of time I'd think."  He reached for his drink, but Renee waggled a finger at him.
"Ah!  Time enough for that whilst we catch up.  Come here and give us a kiss, you gentrified bastard."
Jack went to her and gave her a tender kiss on the cheek.
"That's how you'd kiss your sister," she protested.
"And I love you like a sister."
"Yeah, now you say that, being as you're off limits."  She leaned close and sniffed the collar of his coat.  "Jasmine.  Just like you said."
Jack sniffed the fabric himself and gave her a puzzled look.  "I don't smell anything unusual."
"'Cause you're not a woman, that's why.  Which is good, otherwise we'd have never gotten along so well.  Now, sit down and let's talk a bit."

Jack retrieved his drink and sat down on the richly upholstered love seat.  Renee sat in an ornately carved high-back chair with burgundy cushions that afforded a full view of the room plus the adjoining hallway.  In any other setting, she could easily have been mistaken for royalty.  This was her domain, and Renee was obviously the queen.
"I can't help feeling my thunder's been stolen," said Jack.
"Serves you right, you silly prawn," she said teasingly.  "El Lobo arrives in port, and where are the first two places Jack Wolfe's crew heads to spend their money?  Jack Wolfe's tavern, and Jack Wolfe's whorehouse.  Lonely men spill their guts to the first pretty bird who pays them a little attention.  It's a law of nature.  And you gave your men a hell of a lot to talk about!"
"It helps that your girls are very attentive."
"Keeps the rates high, right where I like them.  Plus I get the best dirt.  Enough about the lasses, let's get on to you, shall we?"
Casually taking a sip of his drink, Jack leaned back and smiled warmly.  "Fire away"

"Obviously you found your pretty wife and reconciled."
"Obviously."
"Who's the father?"
"Lord Rhodri Conaway.  Stuffy old bloke and a right bastard, but I had great fun with him."
Renee stared at him with her mouth open.
"And he gave her up, just like that?"
"Why wouldn't he?  We're already legally married, after all."
She pounded the armrests of her chair once with her fists.  "Damn it, Jack, I meant the baby!"
"Oh!  You should have said."
"You knew!"
"And pass up having you on?  Please, Renee!  You know me better," he smirked.
"So answer the question, Mister Clever Trousers."
"I'll have you know, and proudly, that Zara is my daughter.  Got to see her take her first steps, I did!"
"Ooh, Zara!  I like the name!  You're lady's got style, in spite of marrying you.  But for Zara to be yours and walking about, that means..."
"That Honour was pregnant when she left Barbados, yes.  Most likely from our first night together."
"Blimey.  You'd think there'd be a million of you wandering about the Caribbean then..."
"And if that were so, you could have been--"
"Don't you go there!  I'm deathly allergic to dirty nappies and snot and you know it.  So little Zara... you're certain?"
"She's beautiful, Renee.  Oh, so beautiful!  She's got my dark hair, curls and all; Honour's eyes and defiant little chin, and both our lungs."
"Temper?"
"And determination.  In spades."
Renee shook her head.  "God help us.  You, a papa!" she chuckled.  "Any more in the offing?"
"We haven't talked about it yet.  But I'd imagine yes," he smiled with pride.
"A pirate dynasty in the making!  You plan on ruling the New World for generations?"

Jack held up his hands.  "I'm sure you heard about this as well.  I've quit the Account."
"I'd heard tell," she said with a sigh.  "I just had to hear it from your own mouth.  So you're just walking away from it all now you're richer than Solomon himself?"
"It's a young man's world," he said over the rim of his glass.  "I've got too much to lose now."
"A young man's world," echoed Renee.  "Young men, like Cade Jennings?"
Jack shot her a hard look.  "Cade is dead to me and you know it."
"He's a dead bloke who makes port in Barbados every few months.  Even asks about you, from what I've heard.  What happens if you should happen to cross paths with him, Jack?  Make good on him being dead?"
He took a deep breath and looked toward the hallway.  "As much as I'd like to put a bullet through his traitorous heart, I won't have a dead man between me and my wife in bed."
"You've given this some serious thought.  Not the answer I expected out of Mad Jack Wolfe."
"Like I said, love.  I've got too much to lose.  That's the reality of Jack Wolfe now.  But God help the man who tries to take any of it from me."
Renee smiled.  "Now that's my Jack."

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

"I'm still here," said Jack as he tapped his chest.  "Just a different set of priorities now."
"It figures that money made not one iota of change in you.  Where Honour is concerned, you could have said sod it all and gotten any woman or women you wanted, and still keep on a-pirating.  But look what the love of a woman – sorry, two women! - has done.  I have to admit, Jack, you clean up very nicely!  Why, if I didn't know first hand what lies under all that silk and suit cloth...  I might be fooled into thinking you're respectable."
"You've seen me dressed nicely before."
"Yes, but you were impersonating a minister.  Not that it didn't have a certain allure.  It's the closest I've ever had to a religious experience."
"Shouting 'Oh God, yes!' repeatedly in bed isn't what they had in mind when they coined the term 'religious experience', dear," chuckled Jack.
"It's more of a daily affirmation for me, dove.  But it was a hell of a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon, you have to admit!"  She paused a moment and looked closely at Jack's face.  "I don't believe it.  You're... you're blushing!"
Jack could feel the heat in his cheeks, which made him blush all the more.  "It must be the brandy," he said quickly.  "What are you doing leaving the strong stuff out for the clientèle, Pip?"
"The brandy, my sweet arse!" she laughed.  "And the only time you call me Pip is when I'm getting the better of you."  Renee shook her head slowly.  "Blimey, you have changed, Jack!"
"Not that much."
"Not only are you dressing like polite company, you're beginning to act like them too.  This is going to take some getting used to for me.  You always have known how to keep a girl breathless and off balance."

Jack brushed aside her comments and refilled their glasses before taking his seat again.
"So, what else have you heard about me?"
"Oh fine, spoil sport.  Back to the safe topics."  Renee sipped her brandy before continuing.  "You moved into the Picou mansion sweet as you please.  Almost as if you already owned it."
"Who's to say I didn't?"
"Because you were too busy feeling sorry for yourself and messing up your new marriage to dabble in real estate."
Her stinging statement elicited a wince from Jack.  "You know, one of these days you're going to tell me exactly what you think about something instead of being so damned diplomatic."
Renee dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand.  "Besides, I checked the land records.  The place was purchased by a Mister R.C. Castlemaine.  I'm guessing somewhere along the line you waved enough coin under the nose of Roderick or Reginald or whatever his name--"
"Rhiannon."
She blinked at him.  "What??"
"Rhiannon Conaway Castlemaine.  Also know as Honour Bright Wolfe."
Renee sat in silence as the twist sank in before bursting out in laughter.  "Oh, I do like her!  She's got stones, this one!  When did you find out?"
"She told me, after we reconciled."
"Oh, my, my, my.  No wonder you love her so.  She can match you."
Jack shook his head.  "She completes me."

"Thank God you finally got that through your thick skull."  Renee took a sip of brandy.  "Well, now that you're out of the business of piracy, what's to become of your bonny ship?  Thinking of selling her?"
"I'm going to hang on to her, but not as her captain," said Jack.  Renee could hear a note of longing in his voice, but not to the extent she expected.  "You never know where life will take you, and sometimes you need a ship to get there."
"You'll have to hire a captain, and keep a crew.  A ship that never leaves its quay is just a floating lumber yard."
"A crew is easy to come by, and I already have a captain."
Renee sat up a little straighter.  "You do?  Who?"
"Who do you think?" he chuckled.  "Josiah, of course."
"It's best never to assume with you.  Oh, good!  Good for Josie!"
"'Josie'?" asked Jack.  "Don't tell me you've gone sweet on him!"
She caught herself blushing a little.  "You know I have pet names for everyone.  I've always called him that."
"Not around me you haven't.  It's always been Briggs or Josiah."
"Well, he's always been a gentleman to me, albeit a shy, clumsy one.  In this industry, you don't get that much."
"And you're a redhead.  He's got a powerful weakness for redheads."
"I'd like to think his interest goes beyond beyond the colour of my hair," she said, adjusting the upper part of her bodice for emphasis.
"Oh, I'm sure it does, Pip.  He'd have to be dead not to notice the rest of you."

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Renee gave him a satisfied smile.  "All right, that covers the babe, the house, and the ship.  What about the rest of your business ventures tied to your former life?  Assuming you fully intend to recast yourself as an honest, upright citizen of the Commonwealth."
"That's a very good question," Jack sighed.  He felt around his coat pockets.  "Damn and blast!  Not to change the subject, but would you happen to have a shilling?  I really do need one."
"What?  All the money you've got, and you need a flippin' shilling?"
"I left the house without coin one in my pockets.  Please?"
"Oh, all right."  Renee left the parlour, and returned a few moments later with a coin.  "Here.  Going to pick up a present for your little girl on the way home?"
"Hadn't planned on it, but it's a good idea.  But this is what I had in mind..."
Jack pulled a set of papers out of his coat pocket and handed them to Renee.
"What the hell is this for?" she asked.
"Go ahead, open it up and look."
She sat down in her chair and unfolded the papers.  Her brow knitted as she scanned the document, then she looked at Jack in complete disbelief.
"This... this says you're giving me your stake in the business?"
"No, I sold it to you for an undisclosed amount," he replied, holding up the shilling.  "Money changed hands, so it's all nice and legal.  It's all yours, love.  Free and clear."
"But I don't understand."
"You said it yourself!  If I'm to be a fine, upstanding member of the community, I can't very well be part owner of the finest bawdy house in all of Barbados, now can I?  There's not a Puritan or Methodist on this bloody island who'd do business with me.  Besides, this has always been your business to run as you see fit.  This move simply makes it official."
"Jack, I- I don't know what to say."
"You could say thank you."
Renee continued to stare at the papers.  "Thank you," she said in a near whisper.  "I mean, thank you!  Yes, thank you!"  She practically leapt from her chair and threw her arms around Jack's neck.
A giggle could be heard from the hallway.  Jack and Renee looked over to see Mimi peeking around the corner.
"C'est délicieux!  Très bon!!  Jacques, he is hungry after all!  I can be next, oui?"
"It's not what you think," sputtered Jack.
"Jack did something nice for me, and I was just thanking him, Mimi.  That's all!"
A seductive smile came over Mimi's face.  "I can be très reconnaissant..."
"All right, missy, that's enough!" said Renee sternly, her Cornwall accent coming though thick as a coastal fog.  "For the last time, no.  Now, up to your room with you!"
Mimi gave Renee an angry pout, then turned on her heel and stomped her way up the stairs.  A few moments later the loud slam of a bedroom door could be heard.

Jack and Renee looked at each other, then began laughing together.
"Oh, Jackie, there's gonna some very disappointed girls."
"Just because I won't be 'reinvesting' my cut with them."
"More to it than that, you prawn," she said teasingly.  "Your very... attentive to a woman's needs, shall we say?  I'm going to miss that myself."
"All good things," Jack said with a smile.  "And on that note, I should be getting back home.  Oh!  Speaking of home, Honour and I want to have you over for supper.  Say, next Thursday, sevenish?"
"I'd like that!" grinned Renee.  "I have to meet this woman who's managed to civilise you.  I didn't say tamed, mind you, 'cause I know that will never happen.  At least it had better not!"
"No, it won't.  Honour likes a bit of wildness, too!" he said with a wink.
"Lucky woman," she replied.  "But it's just as well.  You know, before you get too long in the tooth for my liking."
"Before I what??"
"Ha!  Gotcha!" she laughed.
"That you did, love!" Jack chuckled.  "See you next Thursday!"
"You bet your arse you will, dove.  Your missus and I, we're going to have some interesting girl talk, I'm guessing!"
He gave a deep sigh.  "All at my expense, of course.  See you then!"

Jack opened the front door of Renee's house, and nearly ran headlong into Briggs.  The quartermaster was dressed in what passed for his Sunday best, and he had a bouquet of island wildflowers. 
"Jack!" the startled Briggs exclaimed.  "I wasn't expectin' to see ye here!"
"Nor was I expecting to see you, Josiah!  And what a sweet gesture.  But you know I prefer light chocolates."
Briggs cheeks became rosy red at Jack's jibing.  "Well, they ain't exactly for ye, Jack.  Would ye mind?"  He jerked his head in the direction of the street.
"Oh!  No, not at all.  Just a moment, though."  Jack leaned back into the house.  "Renee!  It's Master Briggs, come a-courtin'!  You are here a-courtin', aren't you, Josiah?"
Briggs winced visibly, looking for all the world like he wanted to crawl into a hole and pull the hole in after him.
"Oh, I'm just having some fun with you, Josiah!  It's not like I-- WHOA!!"
Jack was suddenly propelled forward from the doorway, thanks to a hard shove from a well-placed woman's boot in his backside.  He stumbled to keep his footing.  When he turned back, there was Renee at the door, looking angelic.  She gave him a little wave before turning her attention to Briggs.
"Oh, Josie, for me?  They're lovely!  Do come in, dove.  I was hoping you'd stop by."
She took the flowers and turned from the doorway.  Briggs took a step to follow, then turned back to Jack.  A broad grin broke out across the quartermaster's face when he saw his friend's approving smile.  Jack nodded toward the open door.
"Well?  Get on in there!  Don't keep the lady waiting!  And Josiah?"
"Yeah, Jack?"
"Be happy, my brother.  Just be happy."

Jack turned and walked down the street, whistling a happy tune as he flipped the shilling coin into the air.

[Welsh Wench]

The Gryphon pulled out of Bristol's harbour at sunset, sailing with the high tide.
Phillip Briggs leaned on the gunwale looking back at the land and heaved a sigh. So much had happened to him in the last two months.
He felt a hand on his shoulder.
"Too late to go back now, kid. But if you change your mind, I can drop you off at port when we reach the Azores and help you book passage back to England."
Phillip shook his head. "No, really, I am fine."
"Any regrets?"
"None. I thought this through. There is so much I need to find out. And maybe even make some amends. What my father must think of me...."
"He's a good man. He'll understand. That is one thing Josiah is, he is understanding. He has to be to put up with that captain he sails under."
"You know my father?"
"Aye, I do.  A good man and an even better friend."
"But how do you know him?"
"Oh, your father and I both started out under a Captain Wolfe. Your father is the quartermaster and his right-hand man. Tell you what, kid--you stow your stuff and come to my cabin for dinner and then you tell me why you decided to find your father now."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Phillip settled into a chair opposite Cade Jennings. He passed Phillip a glass of juice.
"No rum for you yet. Not till you turn eighteen."
"I am eighteen."
"For someone eighteen you look awfully sixteen to me."
He poured himself a tankard of ale. On the table was pheasant and a platter of greens. Also a bowl of red apples.
Cade helped himself to an apple and bit into it.
"Ah...no wonder an apple was the fall of man."
"I thought it was a woman."
Cade held up his finger.
"There is always a woman involved."
"And who is your apple, Captain Jennings?"
"Call me Cade. At least in here, lad. I am not old but I am wise."
"How old are you, Cade?"
"Thirty."
"For someone thirty, you look awfully twenty-three to me."
"Alright, so you got me on that one."

Cade poured himself another tankard and settled back.
"Now....time to tell me why you are on a quest to find Josiah Briggs."

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Honour had just finished putting Zara down for her afternoon nap.  As she walked past Jack's study, she heard the rustling of papers.  This struck her as odd, because he wasn't supposed to be back from town yet.  Cautiously, she peered in the doorway to see who was at her husband's desk.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
Jack looked up from the stack of papers he was building.  "Hallo, love!  I got back from Renee's earlier than I expected.  Miss me?"
She came into the room and stood at the side of his desk.  It was bigger than the one he had aboard ship, made of dark cherry wood with beautifully carved details.  It hadn't taken him long to turn it into a highly organised disaster.  So many things had changed for the better about Jack in the past months, but not his organisation skills.  Honour could see ledger pages and receipts, mostly in Jack's hand, comprising the layers of the stack.  It was mildly amusing to her to see him bothering with financial records, but he had a knack of knowing where every penny was even when he was still a pirate.
"You know I always do," she replied.  "And what's that you're doing?"
"The closing out of a business venture, my dear.  I'm giving it all to Renee so she can keep her records complete.  You should have seen the look on her face when I handed over my stake!  It was priceless!"
"It was sweet of you to hand it over to her like that."
"No, I sold it to her."
Honour's eyebrows went up.  "You sold it to her?  Jack, I can't believe you!  You have more money than you know what to do with, and still you--"
"Hold on, love!  Hold on!" he laughed.  "I sold it to her for a solitary shilling.  Just so no one can come back and question the legality or start rumours.  As far as anyone is concerned, she bought me out for an undisclosed sum."
Honour threw her arms around her husband and kissed him.  "Jack, I can't tell you how happy I am!"
"Because I did something nice?"
"No.  Because you divested yourself of that... business.  I held my tongue, but I wasn't happy about you being part owner of one of those places."
"And I appreciate your patience with me, Honour.  That's why I made it my first order of business once we settled in.  Hard to be a respectable citizen when your name is attached to the best bawdy house in Barbados.  Oh!  And guess who else made a visit to Renee's a top priority?  Our own Briggs himself!"

"Really, Jack!" she said, her face flushing in embarrassment.  "That's Josiah's personal business!  How he chooses to spend his money isn't for our sport."
"It wasn't a 'business' call, darling.  He's been sweet on Renee for years.  It was quite the sight, really.  He brought flowers, and wore his best waistcoat and a new shirt.  Even cleaned up his boots!  For a man like Briggs, that's serious.  You should have seen the look on his face when I answered the door!"
"I hope you didn't tease him too much," said Honour, a hint of disapproval in her voice.  "Josiah is far more sensitive than you would think."
"Don't worry, I never got the chance.  Renee saw to that."
"She did?  How?"
Jack's expression became a little sheepish.  "A swift kick in the rear," he mumbled.
"I'm sorry, a little louder?  The sound of wounded pride drowned out your voice."
"Very funny," he said.  "You heard me.  She literally booted me out the door."
"Oh, you're right!  I think I will like Renee very much!" Honour said admiringly.  "I think it's very sweet she thinks enough of Josiah to do something like that."
"I can see how our little dinner get-together will go," said Jack.  "Ganging up on me is not very fair."
"She accepted the dinner invitation?  Wonderful!  And I promise, we won't gang up on you."  She paused as an impish gleam came to her eyes.  "Not much, anyway."
"That's all I need, you two becoming best friends."
"Afraid we'll start comparing notes?"
"Your words, not mine!"

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Honour smoothed the front of Jack's waistcoat.  "It wouldn't be very ladylike of either of us to do anything of the sort."
"That would be enough to stop you?"
"That, and you're far too easy a target.  It wouldn't be sporting, either."
Jack rolled his eyes and laughed.  "What did I do to deserve such abuse?"
"You fell in love and married me.  That makes you mine to tease."
"So that would make you....?"
"Yours to adore."
"Ah, well," he smiled.  "That makes it all even."
"Good answer," she replied with a giggle.  She looked back at the desk.  "What are those other papers?  They look terribly official."
Jack glanced at the other papers that littered his desk.  "Oh, those.  They're the documents I still need to deliver to our dear Governor Culley."
Honour's mouth fell open.  "Your pardon?  You mean you still haven't shown him your letter?  Jack, you know your pardon isn't fully recognised until you show Culley your original signed pardon!"
"I know, darling.  I just haven't gotten around to it yet.  It keeps slipping my mind." 

That statement was a lie, and he knew it.  Every day, Jack took out the letter of pardon and read it, as if to make sure the words on the page had not changed or the signatures disappeared.  There was a very small part of him that knew once he showed the governor the pardon letter and received Culley's writ of recognition of it, his identity as a pirate would be gone forever.
Honour gave him an exasperated look.  "Are those all the documents you need?"
"I still have to write a letter stating that any agreements between Culley and I are voided.  An insurance policy of sorts.  He won't be happy about any of this, Honour."
"I don't give a damn about what makes the governor happy or unhappy," she declared.  "This is our future, Jack.  Yours, mine, and Zara's.  We're going to write that letter tonight, together.  Then tomorrow, you will finish this bit of business once and for all."
He sighed, then kissed his wife's forehead.  "You're right, of course.  I've put this off far too long.  And this makes the second kick in the pants I've gotten today."
"If you ask me, you deserved both.  Is there anything else you've been putting off?  I'll go fetch my good riding boots."
"That's the only thing, I promise!" laughed Jack.  "I'm sorry I put this off, love.  Tomorrow, it will all be squared away and behind us."
Honour managed a smile.  "I do love you, Jack.  Even when you do something silly like this."
"I'm a lucky man," he said.  "And I love you.  Now, speaking of lucky...."
She put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him away.  "Oh, no you don't.  We write the letter first.  Then maybe - maybe - we can talk about your luck."  Honour smiles, then turned and walked from the room.
"With or without the riding boots?" Jack called after her.
The only reply he heard was a girlish giggle from down the hall.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

The black carriage came to a stop in front of a mansion that had seen better days.   The coachman secured his reins before nipping sprightly off his bench to the ground.  He opened the door and waited as Jack stepped out of the carriage and back into the bright Barbados sunlight.
"Got ye here in plenty of time, Cap'n," said the coachman.  "Ye could have a pint before ye see the governor, if ye be so inclined?"
Jack pressed a few coins in the man's hand.  "No, thank you, Gilbert," he said.  "I shouldn't be more than half an hour.  Maybe after that.  Why don't you get a head start?"
"Thank ye, Cap'n!  Don't mind if I do!"
Jack watched as Gilbert tied the horse to a post by the front gate.  After giving the horse some sugar from his pocket, the coachman headed off for the nearest pub.  

Benny Gilbert had served as a gunner aboard El Lobo for nearly five years before choosing to take advantage of the same pardon that made Jack a free man.  He had grown up around horses on the family farm, and he jumped at the chance to stay in Jack's employ as a groom and coachman.  Gilbert was one of several who accepted Jack's offer to join the household staff rather than try their fortunes aboard a merchant ship.  Their loyalty was not lost on Jack, and he made sure they were paid well.

Jack took a deep breath and walked up to the mansion's heavy wooden door.  On it hung a carved emblem of the Commonwealth, its colours faded by the persistent tropical sun.  He took another deep breath and used the large brass lion's head knocker to rap three times.
"Oh, come on, Jack!" he muttered.  "This is ridiculous!  Everything's legal and in order.  Not even Culley would be so arrogant as to ignore a signed edict from the Lord High Protector himself."
Or would he?  Culley was known for pushing the boundaries of legality, but not breaking laws outright.  Not publicly, anyway.

Just as Jack was about to knock again, the heavy door swung open on squeaking hinges.  Before him stood the governor's faithful and stone-faced butler, Herndon.  The man's impeccably pressed suit was showing signs of becoming threadbare, much like the house itself.
"Ah, Herndon!" said Jack cheerily.  "How good to see you again.  Is Governor Culley available?  I know, I should have--"
"You should have made an appointment," droned Herndon, whose gaze never moved to meet Jack's.  He just kept staring impassively straight ahead.  "Governor Culley is a busy man and has many callers."
"Yes, well, we're all busy men these days, aren't we?"  Jack pulled a few coins from his pocket.  "Perhaps there's an opening in the governor's schedule?"
The sound of money got Herndon's eyes to move at last.  He looked down at the coins in Jack's hand like a hungry dog looks at table scraps being offered.
Jack jingled them invitingly.  "It can't hurt to look at his calendar for today, yeah?"
Herndon took the coins and pocketed them, his face turning to stone once more.  "Follow me, please."

They walked into the mansion's grand foyer.  While Herndon consulted what looked to be a schedule book, Jack decided to have a look around.  It had been years since he'd seen this part of the mansion.  All his meetings with Culley had involved coming in through the servant's entrance, or some clandestine location away from the prying eyes of Culley's political opponents.  The gaudy symbols of the Commonwealth he remembered were still arrayed throughout the space, ensuring visitors knew they were indeed on English soil.  But much like the butler's clothes, they showed signs of age and neglect.  Cracked paint and peeling gold leaf gave silent testament to the financial state of the governor.  Even the repair work done where Jack had picked the gold leaf from the emblem over the fireplace had fallen off, and no one bothered to patch it again.

"The governor will see you now, sir," said Herndon.
Jack turned and smiled.  "That was fast!  I guess my name still carries some clout around here, eh?"
Herndon stared at him blankly.  "No, sir.  I have not announced you yet.  Please follow me."
"Warm as ever," muttered Jack as he fell in line behind the butler.
As they walked down the long hallway to Culley's office, Jack looked around and couldn't help noticing dust on furniture and the odd cobweb here and there.  It wasn't like Culley, who valued appearances highly, to allow things to become untidy.
"I take it the housekeeper is on holiday?" asked Jack.
After several steps, Herndon answered, "The governor has found it necessary to make certain... staff reductions."
Jack nodded silently.  Culley was not going to like hearing what he was there to say.

[Welsh Wench]

Phillip took another bite of the apple.
"I haven't seen my father since I was a few months old.  So of course I don't remember him. Or even what he looks like."
Cade looked questioningly at him. "How can you look for a man that you don't even know what he looks like?"
Phillip took a deep breath. "My mother--her name was Anne--died when I was born. I was left to the care of my Aunt Lydia. She was my mother's sister. She loved me, she did. But I never saw my father.  Aunt Lydia told me it was his fault my mother died. That he deserted me because I was a constant reminder and he blamed me for her death."
Cade shrugged. "It happens. But you didn't ask to be born."
Phillip nodded. "Try telling that to a young boy."
Cade smiled to himself that Phillip was still a young boy but best not to point that out.
"Three months ago, Aunt Lydia died. She was good to me. She really was. Saw to it I got an education. And she was planning to send me to Oxford. She said I wasn't going to turn out like my father. Lord, she hated him!  But after Lydia died, I went through her things with the help of the vicar's wife. Most of her personal belongings--her knick knacks and her clothing--I donated to the Church.  Except for this."

Phillip reached into his duffel bag and withdrew a small wooden chest. He used a key and opened the lid, taking out a sheaf of papers.
"She lied. All these years, she lied to me. My father didn't hate me. He loved me. He sent letters to me and she kept them from me."
He took one out and read it.

"This was the last letter he sent. I was about ten years old when he wrote this."

Phillip, my son--this will be my final letter to you. I stopped by to see you when I was in port and your Aunt Lydia said you refused to see me. I'm sorry, son. I really am.
Your mother's death left me a broken man and I tried to do what I thought was the best thing for you. I had turned to drink to numb myself from the loss of the only woman I loved. Lydia offered to raise you. And I agreed. I couldn't stay when every corner I turned I saw Anne. Your mother was a fine woman, Phillip. I loved her. And I love you.

I know your Aunt Lydia told you I turned to piracy. I didn't set out for that. Only as a merchant seaman till I could get myself straightened out and come back for you. I had to come to terms with my grief first.

Our ship was taken over by pirates. The only way for me to survive was to join them. Otherwise, we were faced with death. My friend Jack's ingenuity and knowledge of shipbuilding kept both of us alive. We had no choice, my son.

Every time I was in port to see you, Lydia claimed you were at school or at church. The last time she told me you refused to see me when you found out I was a pirate. That you hated me. I am sorry, my son. I had no choice. It was either that or death. Maybe someday you will find it in your heart to forgive me. But I wanted you to hear the truth from me.
I wanted to let you know I love you. That I never abandoned you. And that I understand if you don't want to see me anymore.

With love, your father
Josiah Briggs

Phillip folded the paper and put it back in the chest.
Cade sat there in silence as Phillip said, "And this is why I need to find my father. So much time has been lost between us and he needs to know that I never turned my back on him."
Cade poured a glass of rum and slid it over to Phillip.
"I think that earns you that glass of rum there. It explains alot."
"What do you mean?"
"It explains why Josiah would disappear whenever we ported in Bristol. He always went to see family in Trowbridge and when he came back, he always got rip roaring drunk. We always thought it was a woman but the captain shook his head and said no that wasn't it but he never told us what. I guess he respected Josiah's privacy because he knew it hurt too deeply. I'm sure the good doctor knew too. Those three always were thick as thieves."
"Then you understand why I need to find him? You will help me?"
"Yeah, kid. I'll help you. And you can stick with me until we find him."
"That is very kind of you, Captain...Cade."
"Never let it be said that Cade Jennings dumped a kid and left him in port."

Cade's mind drifted back to the day that Captain Jack Wolfe rescued him from a street life and certain early death when the El Lobo ported in New Providence.
Jack had taken him under his wing and schooled him in the ways of piracy. And Cade had the knack for smuggling. After all, you had to be quick on your feet and light in the fingers when you were pick-pocketing sailors and pirates. Only Jack had been too savvy for even Cade.
But one piece of advice that Jack gave always resonated with Cade.
'Never let your emotions get out of control, boy.  Your passions will be your undoing.'
Not a piece of advice, oh no.
It was a prediction.
A prophecy come true.


Phillip gently sipped on the rum. He didn't like the taste but he didn't want to insult Captain Jennings.
Cade's eyes took on a faraway look and Phillip said quietly, "And now do you want to tell me your story, Cade?"
Cade snapped back to the present.
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you dislike the captain you sailed with?"
"I don't dislike him. I admired him."
"But....?"
Cade sighed. "It's a long story."
"We've got nothing but time, Captain."
Cade poured another glass of rum. "Fair enough. Captain Wolfe took me in. We were the best of friends. I was in on the rescue when he was captured by Colonel Diego y Castille Medoza. But that is a story for another time. When Mad Jack--that is Captain Wolfe's name--was attacked by Mendoza's ship, the El Lobo suffered alot of damage."
"You were there?"
Cade shook his head. "I was in charge of the smuggling operation. I was to meet them. Another story for another time. But Mad Jack took the trouncing personally. He turned his back on alot of people and nursed his hurt. Turned his back on his wife. They were only married a month."
Phillip started to smile.
"I was sure there was a woman involved."
Cade snapped, "Are you sure you are only sixteen?"
Phillip laughed. "Yeah, I am sure. Got the family Bible to prove it."
Cade relaxed. "Alright you got me there. She left him. Ran away back to Wales. But I found her. I was with her in Glenlivet not more than three months ago."
"So is she waiting in port for you?"
"No. She kind of disappeared. She left to get some things from the early morning market before I left but she was distracted and I had to leave before she got back. She's like that. Easily distracted. You know, being a woman and all...."
Phillip nodded although he wasn't really familiar with the female psyche. But Captain Jennings was.
And that was good enough for Phillip.

[Welsh Wench]

Six weeks later, the Gryphon docked at Castara Bay.
Captain Cade Jennings stood on the quarter deck giving orders to his crew.
In the short time that Phillip had been on the pirate ship, he had learned to tie knots, read the ship coordinates and decipher the navigational logs. Cade then gave him the task of updating the Gryphon's captain's log.

"You've got a real talent for this, kid," Cade said. "Are you sure you don't want to stay on?"
Phillip coloured at the compliment but shook his head. "I appreciate it, Captain, but maybe after I find my father."
Cade nodded. "I know where the ship your father sails on makes berth. In Bridgetown. Usually every three or four months and since we are coming up on the spring equinox, he should be in port with no more than a few weeks' delay. Do you have any plans?"
Phillip shook his head. "I have enough money to get a small room. I can eat simply. And maybe there is some work on the docks I can do while I wait.  Do you know of a boarding house or any taverns with rooms to let?"
Cade held back a smile, "Aye. I do know of a place. When we get to Bridgetown I will get you situated there. But meanwhile, we need to spend a few days in Eden."
"Eden?"
"Well, a metaphor. It's really Castara Bay."

The crew had been given their shore leave and headed for the center of what consisted of a town.
"Come on, kid. We need to see someone."
"Who?"
"Well, she's kind of hard to explain but you have to see her to believe her."
Phillip looked up at the swinging sign overhead a tavern.
'Le Loup' it read.
He looked quizzically at Cade.
"The Wolf?"
"You know your French."
He shrugged. "If it were Spanish, it would be 'El Lobo.' Why French? Why not Spanish?"
"Well, the owner of this tavern dislikes the Spanish so much that he disassociated himself from the idea of Spain and the French was kind of thumbing his nose at them."

Cade opened the door to the tavern. Only a few sea men sat at a table in the corner. Cade and Philip walked up to the tavern counter. Suddenly a head popped up from behind the bar.
"Well, if it not de man wit' lots of coin and make de earth move when he was here. How you be, captain Angel-face?"
Phillip found himself snickering at the nickname this funny creature gave Captain Jennings. Cade shot him a look and Phillip straightened up.
"Hello, Drusilla."
"Ah, Captain Angelface 'member me!"
He looked at the red ribbon that was in her hair. It was the worse for wear.
Cade smiled. "I see you still have that ribbon, Drusilla. Why don't you get a new one?"
She touched it and straightened it out. It came undone and hung in Drusilla's face.
She carefully tied it again in a bow. "Because it be from Bonita. Her have the powers and if I wear her ribbon, den I get de power of sight too."

A voice from behind her derisively said, "Dat ne'er happen, Dru. Dat is somet'ing you are born wit'."
Phillip looked up and his mouth dropped open. The woman was not of a large stature but gave the appearance of commanding a room. Her dreadlocks were like Drusilla's but thicker and longer. And her face was finely chiseled with high cheekbones reflecting her dusky complexion. He couldn't determine her age. But he knew that she had wisdom that was acquired through life's experiences.

Cade grinned. "Bonita. So nice to see you looking so well."
The woman grinned back. "And Cade Jennings looking well too. What brings you to Castara again?"
"Can't I pay a visit to an old friend?"
She snorted. "Old friend. Since when do we be old friends? Dat were a partnership from Le Loup until you decide you too good for de tavern."
Cade held his finger up. "Ah, you know I was going to move on to better things."
Bonita picked up a glass and filled it with ale.
"And you look for dat golden child still."
Cade sat down and motioned for Phillip to do likewise. "And has he been back?"
Bonita shook her head, her dreadlocks swirling around her shoulders.
"Jack Wolfe not be back here. De smuggling operation not here anymore, Cade Jennings. Not since you left it and you know it!"
"Birds gotta swim, fish gotta fry, Bonita."
She chortled, "Ye be getting dat wrong, Cade Jennings. Like you get so many t'ings wrong. And dat woman be de deat' o' you and Jack."
"What do you mean? I'm still alive and by all reports, so is Captain Wolfe."
She spat, "I mean she kill your frien'ship. She poison an' it be time you know it!"

Bonita looked over and her demeanor changed. "And who dis be?" she said in a friendly voice.
Cade nodded at Philip. "This is the son of---"
"Josiah Briggs! I knew it!"
"Bones tell you that, Bonita?"
She drew herself up. "Don't need bones to see dat. Him brush him hair out of his eyes like him father."
"And you deduced that from a gesture?"
Drusilla piped up, "Bones no lie. Bonita say so and I believer her. Besides, she tell me dat we have guests and dat one of dem is dis boy."
Cade whirled on Bonita. "Still practicing your divination, eh? Well, toss a few bones and tell me where 'that golden haired child' is.
She shrugged. "De bones always keep Jack Wolfe hidden from Bonita. And de people close to him. Bonita don't see golden child. Dat tell you somet'ing?"
Cade grew silent.
Bonita smugly replied, "Den you have your answer."