PRELUDE TO EL LOBO DEL MAR

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

After a breakfast of the last of their provisions and assorted fruits Honour had harvested, the couple resumed their trek back to the beach where they had landed.  Jack had made such a comic production of eating a pomegranate that she still wasn't sure whether to laugh or blush.  It made her happy to see him so light hearted.  She had rediscovered the Jack Wolfe she had fallen in love with.

Still, Honour was worried how he would react to the news about Zara.  Would he be happy they had a child, that he was the father of a beautiful baby girl?  Would he even want to be part of Zara's life?  Would the thought of having the real responsibility of a child change his mind about starting over with Honour?  Or would he be angry about being kept in the dark this whole time?  After all, if things had gone as planned in Glenlivet, she wouldn't have had to deal with telling Jack anything at all.  But life seldom cooperates with one's plans.

As she mulled the possibilities over in her mind, another came to the fore.  A small yet insidious voice within her said 'So don't tell him.  Play it safe.  Go back to Glenlivet and hire passage to Wales.  He doesn't need to know.  Why risk it?'  She recognised that voice immediately.  It was the horrid little voice that had piped up at every major juncture of her life with the same message: 'Run!'  Honour shook her head to clear her thoughts.  If there was anything she was tired of, it was running.  She looked over to find Jack smiling at her.

"You're a million miles away again, love.  A guilder for your thoughts?" he said with a wink.
"A guilder!  My, what a high price you put on my daydreams!"
"I'm a pirate, darling.  Bribing my way in is what I do."
"So that's how it's done?  Not charging in, guns blazing?"
"That tactic is for amateurs.  It's good for the first few times, but it's easy to counter once they suss out your game.  No, I rather prefer the subtle approach these days.  More sincere, and certainly more satisfying."
Honour turned her face away to hide the blush that came to her cheeks.  "You needn't bribe me, Jack.  But what happened to the unpredictable ways that made you a legend?"
"Oh, don't worry my pet.  They're still alive and well."  He tossed his sword that he had been using as a machete over his shoulder.  Honour turned to watch it arc though the air and spear the ground behind them.  Before she knew what was happening, Jack swept her up in his arms and gave her a deep, loving kiss.
"Unpredictable enough for you?  I have plenty more where that came from," he said with a saucy smile.
She looked back at him, her eyes still wide in surprise.  "I can see that!  Forgive me.  I should have known you still have plenty of tricks up your sleeve!"

Jack set her gently back on her feet.  "Didn't want you thinking I'd gone soft.  Just wizened."
"After last night, I'm the last to suggest you've gone soft, my husband," she said demurely.
It was Jack's turn to give a shocked look.  "My dear, I think you made me blush!"
Honour plucked his sword from the ground and, with a twirl, presented the weapon to him.
"I believe this is yours?  You should take better care where it's displayed.  I should hate to think of just anyone coming around to fondle it."
He accepted the sword from her.  "I'll take that under advisement.  You're the only one allowed that close to my blade, I'll have you know."
"See that it stays that way, mon capitan," she said with a flirtatious glance.

Jack had kept his sword drawn more out of habit than need.  The path was still clear enough, even after the storm.  He sheathed the cutlass as they continued on, all the while keeping his eyes on his bride.  Even in such a harsh jungle, she cut an elegant figure.  It was so easy for him to fall in love with her all over again with the changing of the day's light.  But uncertainty nagged at him.  Why was she so reluctant to talk about staying with him?  He had laid his soul bare to her, and as usual, Honour had played her cards close to the vest.  What was she hiding?  Was there someone else?  His stomach tied itself into a knot thinking that Cade Jennings might be out there waiting for her.  If there was one person Jack wanted to exact retribution from, it was that treacherous whelp he had so foolishly trusted like his own son.  He remembered how Cade looked at Honour, and he had always resented it.  Yes, Honour had told him that there was nothing between the two of them, but he couldn't shake the suspicion no matter how hard he tried.  If she evaded his questions once they were back aboard El Lobo, he would have his answer.

Suddenly, Honour took off at a run.
"Jack, the beach!  Here it is!  And the boat made it though the storm!  We can go home now!"
Home.  What a wonderful word to come from her lips!

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

"Well, it's about time ye made it back here, Jack! I was about to send a search party out for ye two!"
Briggs extended his hand out to Jack. As he swung his leg over, he clapped Briggs on the back.
"Damn, it's good to have the wood of the deck under my feet again!"
"Ahem!" came a familiar voice from the ladder.
"I seem to have forgotten the anchor and chain!" chuckled Jack with a wink to Briggs.
"Oi! I heard that!" the voice responded from the other side of the gunwale.
Jack leaned over and laughed, "Oi! I meant for you to hear that!"
Briggs could scarcely contain himself. "So... did ye find it?"
Jack played innocent. "Find what?"
"You know... what was inside!"
Honour's head popped up by the gunwale. "Do you intend, Jack Wolfe, to set sail with me hanging onto the side for dear life?"
"No, love. Although you would make a fine masthead, I'd hate to have to scrape the waterbugs out of your hair!"
He reached over and took both of her hands.
Honour threw her legs over the gunwale and hopped onto the deck. She gave Briggs a warm smile.
"So nice to see you, Josiah!"
He grinned, "And ye as well, Honour!"
She dusted off her clothes and said, "The one thing I really want is a hot bath!"
She headed towards Jack's quarters.
Briggs said quizzically, "Um... ain't yer quarters over that way?"
She winked at Jack and said, "Aye. That they are, Master Briggs!" She proceeded on towards the great cabin, closing the door behind her.

Briggs whirled towards Jack. "Ah.... ye... and Honour... are... um..."
"Assuming there is a question beneath your suddenly atrocious grammar," said Jack as he lit his pipe, "we've come to a mutual accord, Josiah."
"Meaning.....?"
"She knows where I keep the hot water!"

Briggs sighed and raised an eyebrow. "I suppose it was inevitable. But on to business. Are ye going to tell me, or not?"
"I suppose I shall have to quit toying with you, but not quite yet. We did have unexpected company though. As long as Honour is submerging herself and there are parts of her I don't want you to see, let's go down to her quarters and I'll fill you in on what we found. And who."

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

Briggs and Jack settled back with a brandy, Jack indulging in the pipeweed he knew Honour hated.
"So... tell me! What did ye find?"
Jack opened the haversack and carefully stacked handfuls of the precious books upon the table.
"That's it? THAT'S IT? I've seen ye risk yer neck over many an odd thing, but BOOKS?!"
Jack grinned, "There were a few things that caught my eye, now you mention it..."
He took out one of the statues and set it on the table.
Briggs let out a low whistle. "Jack... any idea what it is?"
Jack put his feet up on the desk and folded his arms across his chest.
"LaFourche mentioned additional keys. I believe this is one of them. The chest was way of securing them and transporting them. And these--" he patted one of the stacks of books "----may be the instruction manual on how to use them. Another puzzle, another set of secrets to unravel. Just think, Josiah; if these are keys, what do you supposed the treasure they unlock might look like?"

Just then Honour came in, dressed in fresh clothes, her wet hair hanging down her back.
"Please, go on with whatever you were discussing, which I am sure was our discovery. I just came in to get a few things."
She opened her chest drawers, humming a tune. She took a few chemises and a few of her cosmetics, then left the room.
Briggs raised his eyebrow and Jack gave him a smile.
"We're working on our accord."

"Before I tell you the whole story, let me get Duckie. I got bit by a snake and this way I don't have to repeat the story twice and it will be easier...."
The door opened again, and this time she ship's doctor came strolling through.
"There you are! Davis told me you were back. I was taking stock of the drug inventory."
Jack held out his hand "Just the man I want to see!  Duckie, take a look at this, will you?"
Duckie looked and said, "That's your hand. So what?"
"Any sign of poison of a snakebite?"
"Snakebite! What the hell were you two up to? I would have expected it to be on your rump!"
Jack laughed and said, "Honour once again saved my life. For some reason, she knew which herbs to use to draw the poison out. And as long as I have the medical go-ahead, pour yourself a brandy. I am about ready to tell Briggs the story of the last few days!"

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

"..and that is the whole story."
Duckie poured himself another brandy. "Why am I not surprised by all this? Jack, I swear, you and Puddin' have nine lives. By rights, you should have been dead long ago!"
Briggs shook his head. "Bonita. Thought that witch-woman would still be in Castara. Claiming to be one o' the Ancients? I never heard such bilge."
Jack shrugged. "Funny thing, Josiah, is that I can't completely discount her claim. It's too preposterous not to be completely false. She certainly believes it."

He finished his drink and said, "Look at the time. Gentlemen! I declare this meeting over. The cook is having a dinner sent to my quarters. Mrs. Wolfe and I have some discussing to do."
As Jack left the cabin, Briggs turned to Duckie and said, "Don't like the sound of that discussin', Duckie."
Duckie poured another brandy and said, "If they are quiet, you won't have to hear it, Josiah!"

[Welsh Wench]

 
Jack lit the candles as Honour came out of the dressing area.
"Jack! How lovely!"
She stood there in a dress of emerald green silk, her hair swept up and away from her face.
He found himself staring at her. "I don't know what is more attractive, Honour. You wrapped in silk, all brushed and scented, or in the jungle in a wet, dirty chemise with dirt streaked on your face."
She laughed and said, "Jack, you say the most unusual things. But I guess I'll take that as 'sweet talk' coming from a pirate!"

They each took helpings of the food, making small talk, talking about everything and nothing. And avoiding what seemed to be the question hanging between them.
What do they do now?

Jack poured the merlot.
"We never did discuss what you were doing in Bridgetown, Honour."
"I was heading back to Wales."
"Wales. And what is in Wales?"
"My family."
"I did alot of thinking last night after we...got close. And it all comes down to one thing, Honour. We belong together. There hasn't been a day that's gone by that I didn't think of you. When I saw you on your hands and knees trying to crawl out of the tavern, I almost couldn't breathe. I believe fate has brought us back together. And who are we to laugh in the face of the goddesses?"

Honour took a sip of her wine and looked down.
"Jack, I don't know. So much has happened. Last night we were caught in a moment."
"A moment. Is that all it was to you? A moment?"
She shook her head. "Of course not. It meant so much more. It was just like the last time we were together. Only better."
Jack took her hand and looked into her eyes. "I want you back. Is there any reason why you can't come back to me?"
She felt her breath stop and she consciously willed it to resume.
"When we made our way back to Bridgetown, after you had been shot, you rejected me. You changed. We both said alot of hurtful things. But Jack, I never meant to hurt you."
"What are you trying to say?"
"That we are not the same people we were eighteen months ago. Alot has changed. And right now, my place is to go to Wales."
"Why?"
"I can't tell you."

Jack's eyes hardened.
"Since when can't you tell me? Lord help me, Honour. I'm your husband! I have been your husband for the last eighteen months. Alright, so we had a bit of a separation. Alot of marriages have rocky spots."
"Rocky spots? Try Gibraltar, Jack. You pulled a gun on me and I had to kick it out of your hand in order to stay alive. A wife doesn't forget a little thing like that. I couldn't trust that it wouldn't happen again. If I didn't leave, there was a chance I never would have had..."
She stopped short.
"You never told me where you went that night, Honour. But I found out. A friend of mine who happened to know you from the tavern days told me he saw you coming out of the very same inn where Cade Jennings was staying. No use denying it. Turns out that Cade happened to brag about it to someone and he was overheard."

She shook her head. "I don't expect you to understand. Or even forgive me for the way I left."
"You left without a trace. Not even a note. What was I supposed to think?"
Honour knew from the change in his tone that the Wolfe temper was about to be engaged. She braced herself for it.
"I was confused. I had alot going on just then."
"You mean you had Cade going on just then."
"Leave Cade Jennings out of it."
"I would if I could."
"Cade has nothing to do with my decision to go back to Wales, Jack."
"Then why are you going?"
"I told you. Family."
Jack stood up and slammed his fist on the table.
"You know what I think?"
She stood up and met his anger. "I'm sure you are about to tell me, Jack. You always do."

"The plantation you were sent out to purchase had been sold to another person. Someone named R. C. Castlemaine. I tried to find out who this man was but no one ever heard of him. Ten chests of my guilders were missing the day you disappeared. Cade then purchases a ship. The Gryphon. He then leaves the smuggling operation and I am left picking up the pieces. I think you arranged to meet him, gave him my money to buy his ship and then you two sailed off to Wales together. And I think you still have plans. I heard from the captain of the Scarlet Fox that Cade was due in Bridgetown any day. And strange that I should find you there too. What were you doing, keeping the bed warm for him?"
"IT'S NOT TRUE! I had a good reason for that money. And it wasn't for me!"
"Right. It was for Cade. Or was it for another lover?"
"I can't believe you said that. I should have trusted my first instincts. I should have given you the key right away and kept walking! You haven't changed. You will never change!"
Jack looked at her intensely and said in a measured tone, "Where are the chests of guilders, Honour? WHERE ARE THEY?"

She felt her eyes welling up with tears.
"They are for a little girl."
"WHAT?"
She looked up at him defiantly, "A little girl who is waiting for her mama to come back for her."
Jack stared at her in disbelief.
She could barely whisper, "A little girl named Zara Wolfe."

[Welsh Wench]

Jack stared at Honour in disbelief.  He blinked a few times before he finally found his voice.
"Honour, are... are you sure?"
"Yes, Jack, I'm quite certain that what popped out of me wasn't a salamander," she retorted.  "It was a baby. Your child. There certainly were enough opportunities to conceive a child and you were always impetuous. I only wish you had been there to share in the pain!  It was like trying to shove Briggs through a porthole.  Good God, Jack!  Didn't your parents explain any of this to you?"
"They did, after a fashion. The chalk drawings left a lot to the imagination, and I never could figure out how the stork fit in.  What makes you so certain the child is mine?"

A shocked look crossed her face.
"Damn you! Damn you for asking me that question!" Fury painted every word.
"What would you make of her? She has beautiful bright blue eyes, delicate features, skin the colour of almond butter, and thick, curling brown hair, almost long enough to braid when she was born. Sound like a couple of people you know?"
He put his elbows on the table, steepling his index fingers as he pressed them against his lips in thought. He stared somewhere in the middle of the table for a while as Honour waited for his response.
When none was forthcoming, she said furiously, "Don't just sit there like the Spanish Armada was coming and you are caught with your pants down."
"Well, you aren't exactly Spain."
"But I got the pants down part right, didn't I?"
"If you only had some proof...."

Honour's face burned with fury.
"You want proof. You want PROOF? Well, I will show you PROOF!"
She marched over to the top drawer of the dresser and pulled out a silver box.
Angrily she threw it at Jack, hitting him squarely on the nose. The box tumbled to the table.
"This is your proof, you bastard!"

Jack picked the box up and hesitantly opened it. He knew whatever the box contained, it had the probability to change his life forever.
He reached in and carefully picked up the contents. It was a pink ribbon which held a lock of auburn hair, curling around his finger.
He held it up and knew right away. It was the same hair colour and curl of the hair he had been dealing with most of his life.
"Honour....I...I don't know what to say."
"That you are an idiot? A bastard for ever doubting me?"
"It...it's just that the possibility of a child...well, I never gave it much thought. I mean, no one has ever appeared on the docks waiting for me and calling me Daddy."

"Maybe because you didn't stick around long enough to find out. Maybe the Caribbean is filled with Wolfes. Maybe you should check that establishment with the red door. There may be a regular nursery wing filled with little urchins with your face stamped on them."
Jack took a step towards Honour but she took a step back.
Her voice rose in defiance and despair.
"I was unloved as a child. I had no one. So I was going to make damn well sure my child would always know love. I had no idea how you were going to react. Well, I must say I am not surprised. But how dare--HOW DARE!--you ever try to doubt that you fathered a child by me!"

He brought his hands to her shoulders but she angrily shrugged him off. Her voice took on an edge of hysteria.
"I even have a baptismal certificate to prove it. I made sure she would never bear the label of bastard child. Her legal name is Zara Jane Wolfe. Her father's name is listed as John Michael Wolfe. She's legitimate in both the eyes of the church and the laws of the land. So like it or not, you are the father both legally and divinely. I was going to tell you in my own way tonight, Jack. Quietly and ease you into it. But you ruined it....you ruined it..."

With that, Honour put her hands over her face and dissolved into weeping.
Jack took her in his arms. She put her arms around his neck and sobbed. He held her close and whispered, "I'm sorry, Honour. I  am so very, very sorry."

[Welsh Wench]

Jack knew it was a matter of time before Honour's tears were spent and it was futile to rush the process. All he could do was hold her.
As she started to cease her tears and replace it with hiccups, he gently wiped the tears off her face with a napkin. He led her over to the bed and sat her down.

"So, Honour....I think we need to have a real heart-to-heart talk. No more skirting issues and blurting news out."
He handed her a glass of merlot. With shaking hands, she took the glass and took a sip.
"Alright," she said quietly.
"So this is the family you were going back to Wales for? Our child?"
She nodded yes as she looked down at the floor, suddenly afraid to look him in the face.
"In the middle of a civil war?"
"Which one--England or ours?"
"England will have peace eventually. Ours? It remains to be seen. So you were going to raise our daughter in a country of complete unrest? Why did you come back to Barbados then?"

"I wanted to clear up any loose ends. I wanted to get a divorce from you and get on with my life. I was going to make a life in Scotland. I thought it would be a nice place for a fresh start."
"But why a divorce? Why not just an annulment?"
She looked up at him. "So she would not be illegitimate. An annulment makes that so but by rights a divorce means we were married when she was born. I couldn't do that to her. So I came down here to clear up all legal matters."
"You thought I wouldn't find out about a divorce? I have eyes and ears all over this port. The ink wouldn't be dry before I would find out."
"I---I planned on paying off the magistrate so that you would get your copy when I was out of port and safely out of reach. I--oh, I don't know what I was thinking anymore."

"When did you plan on telling me about our child, Honour?"
There it was. The question she knew was coming and she dreaded the answer because she had none. None that he wanted to hear.
"I was waiting for the right moment."
He got up and walked over to the ship's window, looking out of the harbor.
"The right moment? We've been together on this ship for four day now and another two by ourselves in the jungle. You managed to talk about everything BUT our daughter. I could have died from that bloody snake and never known I was a father Were you waiting for the death rattle before telling me? For God's sake, Honour, you could have died in the mutiny. I would be none the wiser and there would be an orphaned little girl in Wales who never knew her mummy or daddy."

Honour was used to Jack's temper but the quiet way he talked had her unnerved. She took a deep breath.
"Jack, please, you aren't being fair."
He turned to her and looked at her sadly.
Softly he said, "You never had any intention of telling me about her, did you? You were content to disappear again and deny me the knowledge of my own flesh and blood. Just like you vanished from Barbados all those months ago. You were going to leave again and take the knowledge of the child. You were cutting me out of her life."

She felt her face redden with shame and she willed her voice to stop shaking. "I wasn't cutting you out of her life. You were never there to begin with. Jack, you pushed me away after your little grudge match with Mendoza. Everything fell apart and you took it all out on me. When we had the chance to set things right, you had to run off to Martinique to get your journal."
"That journal netted us a find of a lifetime. Who knows what other treasures are out there, Honour?"
She felt the tear starting up again and willed them away.
"You had a treasure right here, Jack. Right here! But I guess I didn't glitter enough to hold your attention."
"That's not true, Honour."
"Isn't it? You had a strange way of showing it," she said sadly. "By the time I left Barbados, I knew I was pregnant. I had suspicions of it on the crossing from Tobago. I was queasy and dizzy on the return trip. When I dug that bullet out of your shoulder, I got sick. I now know why. But you went off to Martinique and left me in port for over ten days. I couldn't trust you anymore, Jack. I couldn't trust you would be around when I needed you and I certainly couldn't trust your temper."
"Now you are the one not being fair, Honour."
"Am I? Jack, if you had fired your pistol that night, you would have killed me and our unborn child. Think about that."
Jack looked stricken as she continued.
"How was I supposed to trust you after that, Jack? I knew then that I had to leave, to protect the baby and myself. I'm sorry but it is true. I didn't want to, but you left me no choice."

A wave of guilt washed over Jack in the face of his temper being brought to light. Honour was right, of course., no matter how it stung to acknowledge the fact. It was clear his selfishness had cost him dearly. Not only had he driven away the woman he loved, but he missed out on the birth of his daughter. Ever since Honour had mentioned wanting children on their honeymoon in Castara, he had it in the back of his mind children and a family life would be what he needed. Faced with the knowledge he had a child with her, if felt surreal.
But one thing was certain.
This was his last chance.

[Welsh Wench]

 
"I wanted to tell you so many times, Jack, I swear.  I didn't know how."
"We really should find a middle ground between silence and blurting."
"We do spend too much time either keeping our thoughts to ourselves or saying too much, and all at the wrong times," she agreed.
He gave her a wan smile and shook his head.  "It seems to be what we're best at."  He took a swallow of wine and sighed heavily.  "Where do we go from here, Honour?"

Usually, Jack was an easy man for her to read.  Not this time.  Why wasn't he asking questions about Zara?  Maybe he's still in shock, she thought.  She bit her lip and looked toward the windows.  "You know my place is in Wales now."
Jack's body stiffened and he took a deep breath.  "You're place is in Wales, and by my side.  I want to see my daughter, Honour.  So I'll take you home myself."
"Jack, I..."
"Now, don't waste your breath trying to talk me out of it!" he interrupted.  "I know what you said before about not being able to trust me, and you were right.  But I'm a different man now.  To be honest, I can't bear the thought of having you walk out of my life again.  Even more so now that I know about Zara."
"Jack!"
"I know what you're going to say, and it just won't do!  I love you, Honour.  I need you.  And Zara needs us.  Her mother and father, together.  And that's how we'll be going to Wales.  Together.  So don't go making me kidnap you again.  I'm getting pretty good at it, you know..."
Honour stamped her heel hard on the deck.  "Jack, would you SHUT UP?!  Of course you're going to take me to Wales!  Thanks to you kidnapping me, I've missed my ship!  It's only reasonable that you provide me the transportation I need as compensation.  Besides, this ship is half mine."  She put her fists on her hips and gave him an exasperated look.  "Did you really think I wasn't going to let you see your daughter after telling you about her?"

Jack looked back at her incredulously.  "I... you... what?"
"I said, I want you to take me back to Wales so we can fetch our little girl."
"But, you were just saying you didn't feel you could trust me."
She sighed and shook her head.  "And as you said, you're a different man now.  I could see it in your eyes the night of the mutiny when you showed compassion for Eli, and so many more times whilst we were in the jungle."  A tender smile came to her lips.  "Deep down, you've changed.  For the better."
He continued to look at her as a broad smile broke out on his face.  "You're serious, aren't you?"
"Yes, Jack.  I'm serious."
"Then why the hell did you let me go on like that and make a fool of myself?!"
Honour laughed gently.  "I tried to stop you, but you were on a roll.  Besides, it was adorable watching you try to be all noble."

He went back to his chair and sat heavily, and drained his glass of wine.
"Dear Lord... a baby girl?  You're sure about that?  I mean, they dress babies up so that you can't tell what the devil they are.  Boy, girl, ferret- it's tough to say some times."
"Yes, Jack.  I checked, more than once.  No stem on the apple," she said with a wink.
"There's a cruel twist of fate, don't you think?" he asked as he refilled their glasses.
"How so?"
"Jack Wolfe, the father of a little girl?"  Suddenly, his eyes went wide in horror.  "Oh, no..."
Honour held her breath.  "What's wrong?  Don't tell me you're having second thoughts."  She took a sip of wine to ready her nerves.
"No, no, not that," he said quietly.  Turning to her with a look of worry and concern, he explained, "Honour, I'm going to have to protect her from... men like ME!"
She was barely able to swallow her wine before dissolving into laughter.  "You've got a few years before you have to worry about that!"

After a few moments, she cocked her head and gave her husband a puzzled look.
"Are you all right?  I know this is a lot for you to take in, but I can't remember ever seeing you quite like this."
"Am I all right?" he chuckled.  "I'm overjoyed and terrified, all at the same time.  Even more than when I realised we were married.  I mean, I had no idea you might be... you know..."
"Pregnant?  It's all right to say the word, Jack.  We are married after all.  I wasn't certain myself until you left for Martinique.  There was no way for you to tell as I was only a month along."
"A month?  That means--"
"Yes.  Zara came into being on our wedding night.  Or very soon after.  There were lots of opportunities," she said with a slight blush.
Jack's smiled wistfully.  "From the way you described her, she's beautiful."
"She is," Honour smiled proudly.  "Positively the most beautiful baby ever born.  And very much your daughter.  Every time she got upset, it reminded me of you.  She's got your lungs."
"A hallmark of the Wolfe line," he pronounced with mock braggadocio.  "We're not always right, but we are always LOUD!"

They enjoyed a hearty laugh together, and Honour lifted her glass.
"To our daughter, Zara.  Congratulations, Captain Wolfe.  It's a girl!"
"Another jewel in the family fortune, Mrs. Wolfe!" he replied.
"Ah!  Just a moment, Jack," she scolded.  "She's your child, not some pretty bit of swag in your collection."
Jack nodded and clinked glasses with her.  "I stand corrected, my love.  But I do have one question."
"And what's that?"
"What do you mean, half your ship?"

[Welsh Wench]

"What was it like, Honour?"
"What?"
"Having a baby. I mean, I wasn't there for the grand event.  Hell, I wasn't there for any of it."
"It was a pain and scary and wonderful and a joy. The only way I can describe it is like a mongoose trying to get out of a haversack! Without untying the sack."
"I wish I had been there for you."
"It's probably better you weren't."
"Why not?"
"Because I am sure the whole countryside of Wales heard me scream that your parents weren't married!"
He chuckled. "That bad?"
"That bad."
"What day was she born?"
"March 1st. During one of those dark, stormy nights. I swear, the loudest clap of thunder and the biggest flash of lightning occurred just as she made her debut."
"Did it take long to kick her out?"
Honour poured herself another glass of wine.
"I would say about twenty hours."
"That long?"
"Your daughter didn't want to be born on a leap year day so she held on tightly. Poor Megan was beside herself."
"Megan? That was the midwife?"
"No, Nesta was the midwife. She birthed me. And my sister. Megan is my sister. She's five years older than I. She's married to Daffyd.  A fine man and I like him very much. He and Megan were very good to me."
"So you went to stay with Megan?"
"I suppose I owe you the whole story on the last eighteen months, don't I?"
Jack opened a fresh bottle of wine. "I think you owe me that much."
She sighed, "I guess it is the least I could do."

"Jack, it was after we had the encounter with The Mercedes. You turned away from me and when we were in port, you practically left me on my own. 

"That was when you decided to leave me."
"No, it was when you pulled the pistol on me. With your temper, I had no idea what would set you off again."
"So you went to Wales. How did you get there?"
"I booked passage as soon as you left."
"With whom?"
She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Jack. On pain of death I promised this individual I would never reveal his name. But he was respectful and didn't lay a hand on me. And he didn't know I was pregnant. If he did, he probably would have made me stay in Bridgetown and made me work it out with you."
"He's that noble?"
"He's that noble. He made sure I got to a transfer spot and then booked passage for me to Wales."
"Where you went to be with Megan."
"I told her the entire story and I stayed with her."
"One question, Honour. Does Megan have our child?"

"Yes, I left her with Megan and Daffyd. She is as safe as can be there. Megan has two children of her own.  And they are well to do so Megan has servants to help her."
Jack ran his finger along the rim of his wine glass. Quietly, he said, "I have missed so much, Honour. I missed her first smile. Her first laugh. Her first tooth. Her first step. I wish I could blame it all on you. But I can't.  It was my foolishness and my pride that drove you away. "

"Is there any story you can give me to hold on to, Honour? Something to make Zara a bit more real to me? Because as of right now, she is just a name and a notion. A beautiful notion, but I'd like a bit more."
Honour smiled in remembrance. "She has a habit of when she rolls over, she takes the entire blanket with her."
"Like her mother."
"I do not! Oh, and her laugh is something to hear! I can't really describe it.  But to me, it is a laugh of sheer joy. She is truly a child in love with life. She chews on her fist when she is teething and I can tell when she is sleepy because she twists her hair around her finger."
"Again, like her mother. "
"What?"
"You're doing it now."
Honour stopped in mid-twirl.
She laughed, "I guess I do."

"Are you tired?"
"I guess so. The whole day is catching up to me."
"Well, at least you didn't have the news you have a child sprung on you."
"No. I'm sorry, Jack. I intended to tell you when we got back to the ship and there was a peaceful minute. I--I wanted to do it right."
"Honour, there WAS no right way. I'm sure in the next few weeks, bits and pieces will surface. And by the time we get to Wales, I will know so much about my daughter that it will be like I already met her."
Honour's face glowed. "I can just picture her reaching out and tweaking your nose."
Jack rose and held his hand out to her. "You have had a long day, love. Shall we?"
"Shall we....what?"
"WhatEVER!"
Honour laughed. "That's my line."

[Welsh Wench]

"So what do you make of it, Josiah?"
Briggs leaned over the gunwale, his pipe sending curls of smoke in the air.
"Make of what?"
"The missus. Think she is here to stay?"
"For the moment. Until those two get to bickering and squabbling. Then it is anyone's guess."
"How long you give it?"
Briggs shrugged. "Can't rightly say. It's anyone's guess as to what Mad Jack has planned now. Me, I'm looking to do a fair bit o' pyracy. You don't use it, you lose it. I'd hate to see mildew get on that flag of ours."
Davis took out his flask. "Maybe he will set her up in a house in Bridgetown and visit her when he is in port. He'd at least save some money."
Briggs looked over at the closed door of the captain's quarters. "Don't let him hear you say that. Honour may be many things but she's no doxy. You weren't around when he married her. He changed."
"How so?"
"He was....happy. Like a part of him was where it should be. It was as if that part died after she was gone. Jack had gone into a few taverns to see what information he could pick up on Cade Jennings or Honour Bright. Duckie and I were in a tavern--think it was Aruba--and we got rip-roarin' drunk. We got to talkin' about the way Honour did Jack.
Duckie said only one other woman did Jack that way. What was her name?---Rhonda? Rose? Rose!--that was it. I asked Duckie who she was but then Duckie passed out and I had to half-drag his arse to the ship.
Next day I asked him about it and he denied it.  Said he never said anything of the sort. I let it go. Figured it was Jack's business and it was before we made acquaintance. But still..."
"Still waters run deep?"
"NO! I was going to say that still after that, Jack Wolfe fell for a piece of fluff named Honour Bright. 'Cept one thing."
"What is that?"
"Honour is no piece of fluff. There in that captain's cabin perhaps lies the one woman who if she had breeches and what goes in them could very well rival Jack Wolfe. She can't tame him. But she taught him."
"Taught him what?"
"To feel again. He was happiest when he was with her. And there's one thing."
"That is..?"
"I don't think Jack can stand the heartache of losing her again. One thing that I AM grateful for."
"What's that, Josiah?"
"The two of them never had a wee bairn."
"May keep her on land with the homefire burning."
"Aye but there may be one other thing."
"What?"
Briggs took a deep draw on his pipe and then tapped it on the gunwale. The ash flew up and landed on the whitecaps.
"Pray we don't end up putting a cradle on the crows nest!"

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Briggs lit his pipe and watched as a pair of playful dolphins frolicked in the ship's wake with the morning sun glistening off their sleek bodies.  The sound of boots on the deck behind him made him turn to find Jack wearing a positively blissful grin.
"Good morning, Josiah!   And how are we this fine morning?"
Briggs cocked an eyebrow.  "We are doin' fine.  You look like ye're over the moon.  I take it that since we didn't see hide nor hair of ye or the missus last night, your discussion went well?"
"Better than well," replied Jack.  "We cleared the air about a great many things.  And we arrived at some important decisions."
"One of which bein' that she's stayin' on, yeah?"
Jack's grin got bigger, if that was possible.  "It's that obvious?"
"If she weren't, I'd have heard ye before I seen ye.  We all would have.  A man like you don't pine for a woman like her and take rejection easy."
"I do wish you'd learn to speak your mind, Josiah.  Being cryptic doesn't suit you.  I know you don't care for her."
Briggs chuckled and leaned on the gunwale.  "I like Honour just fine, Jack.  She's a fine woman, and I know she makes ye happy.  But I'll admit I like her best when she ain't got ye all turned around and inside out."  He sighed and looked thoughtfully at his pipe before poking it back in his mouth.  "I sure hope ye know what ye're doin'."
"You think she'll run off again, don't you?"
"Don't matter much what I think.  There ain't a hope of swayin' ye with sense and facts on this one, I can tell."

Jack leaned on the gunwale beside his friend.  "I realise now she had every reason to leave, and I was the one who gave her those reasons.  But it turns out that there is one very important reason to put all that behind us."
Briggs rolled his eyes.  "Let me guess.  True love?"
"All right, make that two reasons," Jack laughed.  He turned to look at the quartermaster.  "Josiah, I have a child."
Briggs' mouth dropped open when Jack delivered the happy news, and his pipe went tumbling into the sea.  Immediately he began choking on the smoke he'd inhaled.
"Hang me for a lubberly Dutchman!" he gasped.  Dropping his voice to a quiet rasp, he asked, "How is that good?  I mean, what if Honour finds out?!"
Jack screwed his eyes shut in exasperation.  "Josiah, the child IS mine and Honour's!"
Briggs lurched over to the binnacle and retrieved the bottle of rum.  He took three or four full swallows before looking back at Jack.
"Tell me ye're havin' me on!"
Jack shook his head.  "I'm not.  Believe me, I was surprised too.  But it's wonderful, Josiah!  Honour says she's a beautiful little girl..."
The bottle was back at Briggs' lips, and he downed a few more swallows.
"Honestly, Josiah.  I thought you'd be happy for us," said Jack, clearly becoming annoyed at Briggs' carrying on.
"Just tryin' to get used to the idea of you bein' a pappy," answered Briggs.  "Of a girl?  That one I can't say as I'll ever get used to."  He started to bring the bottle up again when Jack snatched it out of his hand, corked it, and put it back in the binnacle with a slam.

Still wearing an incredulous look on his face, Briggs asked, "I guess we'll be makin' for Barbados and home, then?"
"Actually, we have another stop before we make anchor at Bridgetown again."
"Where?  Martinique?  St. Kitts?"
Jack shook his head.  "Further north."
"Anguilla?  We had us a hell of a good time there..."
"Wales."

Briggs' eyes grew wide, and he went for the binnacle again.  The sound of Jack clearing his throat stopped him cold.
"Why the devil are we goin' there of all places?!" he fumed.
"To fetch little Zara, and bring her back to Barbados.  Honour's sister is taking care of her until we arrive."  Jack looked out over the ocean.  "I can hardly believe, Josiah.  I'm a father!  A family man!"
Briggs turned his attention to the men on the deck below them.
"'Zara'.  Honour picked a right pretty name for the wee one.  Aye, that ye have a family now a fine thing, I suppose," he said solemnly as he reached for his pipe, then remembered it was well on its way to the Locker.  "But what plans have ye for this family, Jack?  Your crew?  Given them any thought?  With Honour aboard, I know there'll be not a bit of piratin'.  With a baby to boot?"  He turned and looked at his friend.  "Your days on the Account are over, aren't they?"

Jack gave a heavy sigh.  "When we make port in Glenlivet, we'll give the men a choice of staying on as salaried crew, or they may part company with some extra coins in their pocket.  I know many of them have no desire to venture anywhere near the Commonwealth again.  And many don't dare."
"Ye know ye'll be lucky to keep half of 'em.  A fair number of skilled men are goin' to walk off this ship and ne'er look back," warned Briggs.
"I know, Josiah.  But this is how it has to be.  Honour has been in enough danger because of me.  No more.  I'll move heaven and earth to keep her and Zara safe."
"Is that offer bein' extended to the entire crew, as per the Articles?"
"Of course it-- Josiah, no.  Please don't do this."
The quartermaster gave his captain a weary look.  "You're lookin' out for what's right by you, Jack.  I hope ye don't expect me to do different.  You're the master of this ship, and thy will be done.  But as a man I admire greatly once said, I need to know my options."
He paused for a moment, but Jack was too stunned to speak.  Over the years, Briggs had followed his friend's wild hunches and crazy schemes with little question.  This time he wasn't so sure he could go along.  Change was one thing Briggs did not take well.  What Jack had told him amounted to a new way of life. 
After several long, uncomfortable moments, he quietly said, "I'll be with the men should ye need me.  Don't ye worry none.  I won't say a word about your plans until we're in port and safely docked.  One mutiny this week is enough."
With that, Briggs left the quarterdeck and began inspecting the work of the crew as they went about their duties. 

The words of his long time friend and confidant left Jack stinging.  He had always been able to rely on Briggs' full support, however reluctantly given.  What he never anticipated was outright opposition.  The ship's articles were clear on the matter.  When in port, any man may leave the ship to seek his own fortunes once any outstanding debts to the Company were settled.  Usually that was sufficient to keep the average tar aboard.  Sailors were notorious for being perpetually broke and in debt.  Jack's plan was to soften the surprise change in plans by offering a small quantity of gold to any man who chose to leave.  That would make the squaring of debts easier for everyone.  While he wanted to keep as many experienced men as possible, those who stayed reluctantly were of little use to him.  Jack needed a crew he could trust, as much as anyone could trust a collection of pirates.  He was gambling his family's future on his ability to inspire loyalty in cutthroats and criminals.  Once again, what Jack called a plan would be called insanity by anyone else.

Jack could see Briggs' point of view, however reluctantly.  While it was a personal decision for him, it affected the lives of everyone aboard.  But Jack's concern wasn't about maintaining the cohesive crew of a pirate ship.  His focus was getting himself and his bride to Wales as swiftly as possible.  Nothing would sway him from that goal.  There was far too much at stake.

He did his best to shake off Briggs' chilly reaction to the news about Zara.  There was one person who he was certain would be happy for him and Honour.

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Duckie had just dipped his quill to begin the day's journal entry when a soft rap came at the surgery door. With a sigh he pushed back from his desk and opened the door.
"Jack! So good to see you. How's Honour?"
"She's well. Still sleeping. We had a... productive evening."
"Well, don't just stand there bobbing on the doorstep!" chided the doctor. "Come in and tell me all about it! The polite parts, mind you. By your smile I can tell how the rest of it went. Here, pull up that chair. Brandy?"
Jack laughed. "When the news is good, the bar opens?"
"Because when the news isn't good, you mope too much. I won't pour good liquor on a bad attitude." He handed a glass to Jack. "Here. Now spill it! I'm dying to hear."
"First off, she's staying. She's really staying, Duckie," Jack grinned. "We're making a fresh start of it."
"Thank God!!" Duckie elated. "It's about bloody time! I've been waiting for you two to figure out you're meant for one another! So tell me, what was the turning point?"

Jack sipped his brandy and thought a moment. "I'm not quite sure. Maybe it was the mutiny where both our lives were in danger, or on the island when she saved my life once again. Maybe a combination? Either way, I'm grateful."
"You both needed a sharp rap on the head to realise how much you need each other, and you got it. I'm happy for you, Jack. She completes you."
"More than you know, Ducks. There's even more good news."
"Really? Well, tell me, man! Keeping it to yourself is not fair."

Jack looked at his friend with a sense of pride Duckie had never seen in his eyes before.
"Drake, I have a child."
Duckie's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. In a flash, he sat his drink down and slammed the surgery door.
"Good God! Does Honour know?"
Jack looked up at the ceiling in exasperation. "Why does everyone react this way?"
"Because you're a two-legged tomcat?" Duckie offered.
"Duckie, Honour is the mother! We have a child together!"

Duckie blinked, then downed his brandy in one gulp.
"I'll wait while you pour another," sighed Jack.
His glass full once again, Duckie found his voice. "Jack, please, don't get me wrong. I'm happy for you! I'm just..."
"Shocked?"
"That's scratching the surface, yes."
"Imagine how I felt."

Duckie rubbed his chin. "Of course! She was so tired during the crossing from Tobago, and I wrote off her getting violently ill after saving your life on shock. Damn, how could I have missed it? It makes sense, since you two were going at it like rabbits..."
"Is that your clinical analysis, good physician? Rabbits?"
"I'm sorry!" Duckie laughed. "Honestly, Jack, I've never seen a man so enamoured of his wife in all my days. That's why I was so taken aback by your actions after the Mendoza engagement. So was she."
Jack stared at his glass, as if searching for a good answer. "My ego got the better of me. The ship was a floating wreck, and I was no better..."
"Rubbish. You were fine, Jack. I remember how you were when we rescued you from Mendoza's prison. You were a shell, barely alive. I swear you died twice on my table. So don't tell me getting shot was worse. You were mourning your ship, and your image."

A bitter laugh escaped Jack's lips. "You have an annoying habit of getting to the truth of things."
"Suck it up, Jack. You were a fool to run her off the way you did. It's a wonder I stayed on with you after that."
"As I recall, Doctor, you didn't. We parted company for nearly a year."
"Because you were an idiot. I almost didn't forgive you for the way you treated her."
"And yet, you did."
"Don't push it. Escaping your orbit is a difficult thing. Honour is the best thing that's ever happened to you, Jack. I'm glad you've finally woken up to the fact." He took a sip of brandy. "Ye gods! A baby! You're a father now! I'll bet he's a real scrapper!"
"She."
Duckie froze. "Beg pardon?"
Jack laughed. "Duckie, I have a daughter. A beautiful little girl named Zara. Zara Wolfe."
"Oh my god," said Duckie as he rubbed his forehead. "That has to feel like a reversal of fortunes for you, then."
"How so?"
Duckie laughed. "Because, my lusty friend; eventually, you're going to have to protect her from men like you!"

[Captain Jack Wolfe]

Jack shook his head and laughed. "That was one of the first thoughts to cross my mind!" He finished off his brandy and offered his glass for a refill. "God, Duckie, why can't Briggs have taken the news as well as you have?"
"I suppose I haven't gotten all the information he did. All you've told me are the happy parts. What haven't you told me, Jack? You always have a hidden card."
"We're going to Wales, to fetch Zara."
"Ohhh," said Duckie thoughtfully. "That's a month's journey, including a layover at the Azores, isn't it? And not a bit of pirating to be had whilst Honour is aboard. Certainly none with the wee bairn in our midst. How did you expect him to feel, Jack?"
"He's threatened to leave the ship."
"Piracy is the only way of life he knows. You just took that away from him. Briggs has been the epitome of the loyal soldier. But if you're leaving the Account, as I pray to God you are, what's left for him? The sea is the only constant lover he's known since Annie died."
"That's why I thought he'd be happy, Drake. He knows what it means to be a father."

Duckie shook his head. "The news did more to reopen old wounds than you realise, I'm afraid. Phillip disavowed Josiah when he learned his father was a pirate, not a merchant sailor. Remember?"
"I didn't even stop to think," said Jack. "Getting anywhere near England would be painful for him, now that you mention it."
"Everyone sees Josiah as a rock. It's easy to forget that he has his own feelings, and his own ghosts. Give him time, Jack. He may come around yet. Christ, I need time to deal with being an uncle to your daughter! By the way, who is taking care of the little angel?"
"Honour's sister, Megan. She and her husband Daffyd. Good lord, Duckie. If you think it's a stretch coming to grips with being an uncle, try getting your head around being a father!"

It was Duckie's turn to stare at his glass. "If Ellen had stayed around, I might well be on the other side of this conversation."
"Oh, damn. I'm sorry," said Jack.
Duckie waved his hand. "No, don't worry about it. It was years ago. She was right to leave. My place is here, and we both knew it."
"It seems my happiness is once again the source of pain for others."
"Oh, stop it!" admonished Duckie. "Allow yourself to be happy for a change. You have to concentrate on yourself and what's right for your family now. Wales is beautiful this time of year. Actually, Wales is beautiful any time of year. Even more so now that we're going to retrieve my niece!"
"Do you really think Briggs will come around?"
"Worry, worry, worry!" Duckie laughed. "He's probably more frightened of being beaten over the head with a belaying pin by a toddler. He'll come round, Jack. Give him time to digest the news. Being an uncle to your daughter... that should give any man pause! Now go. Go and attend to your beautiful wife."
Duckie stole Jack's glass away and hustled him out of the surgery.
"Thanks, Ducks. You're a good friend," said Jack.
"Pish. Knowing you two, this ship will be a floating nursery. My only wish is that I get to deliver the next one. Or ones!"

Duckie closed the door and went back to his brandy. "I'm an uncle! To no doubt the most headstrong little girl the world has ever seen. This will be such fun! Now, how terribly will I be able to spoil her...?"

He sat at his desk and took up his quill once more, but found himself too excited to concentrate. Knowing that Jack and Honour were together again, and that they had a daughter, gave him more joy than he could have imagined. Duckie had held a guarded hope that they would reconcile ever since he found out Honour was aboard. Now the world felt a little brighter.

The thought of returning to England brought its own sense of happiness. He hadn't been home to see his family in over five years. He took a sip of brandy and began rummaging through the cubbyholes of his desk. Finally, he found what he was looking for. A bittersweet letter he had received a year before from his sister Rose, informing him of the passing of her husband Edwin Carlisle, the Earl of Shrewsbury. How would she react to the news that not only was her former flame Jack Wolfe a husband, but a father was well?

[Welsh Wench]

Honour stretched out in the bed in the captain's quarters, the sunlight streaming through the blinds. She woke up with a smile on her face. Tenderly she reached over to hug the pillow next to her, a feeling of contentment coming over her. Contentment? More like a feeling she was finally home after a long journey.

Jack had covered her with the comforter before he left to tend to business. The night had been a long one, filled with accusations and declarations, confessions and confirmations. She was relieved to finally tell Jack about Zara. It was as if a burden had been lifted from her. She smiled as she remembered the look of pride on Jack's face. And the abject terror when he realized the child was of the feminine persuasion.

Honour was anxious to get back to Beaumaris. She had been away from Zara for six weeks now and every week brought about a change in her little girl that Honour could never get back. When Honour left Wales to arrange for the sale of the plantation, Zara was just starting to pull herself up on the furniture. She smiled as she thought of her tiny daughter with the dark curls and delicate features.  And the set of lung she inherited from her father and her willful ways from her mother.
'Jack, I hope you are up to the challenge of dealing with a little girl.'
But Honour knew that even before he had seen her, Zara would twist him around her little finger.

Honour crawled out of bed and wrapped a dressing gown around her. It was the sky blue silk she had left on the ship when they had crossed from Tobago. Fortunately she had left quite a few clothes on the ship. She crossed over to the chest of drawers and looked through the drawers for a change of clothes and there she saw it.
A black velvet drawstring bag.
And a gold ring.

She took it out very carefully and looked inside. It was a band of gold inscribed with a promise.

WAIT FOR ME

A dozen thoughts and a half a dozen conflicting emotions surged through her. She inexplicably teared up as she remembered the day she was given it.
A brisk autumn day in a cave in Beaumaris.
It was the ring that Rhys Morgan had given her before he left with the promise he would return in six months' time and marry her.
But one factor worked against them.
Mother Superior had her spies.

She thought back to the day that Mother Superior called her into her study. There was no reasoning. She was to be sent home. What was the phrase Mother Superior had used?
Oh yes....'pleasures of the flesh'.
Honour was sent packing the very next day.

She held the ring close to her heart as a tear trickled down her face. In her mind's eye she saw Rhys as vibrant and alive as he had been in all the times she had known him. Her mind drifted back to the first time she saw him.
She had taken a skiff that was beached by the cliffs. She rowed it out to look at a ship that was docked a ways out in the bay. A seagull had swooped down on her and as she screamed and batted it away, Muir decided to leap after it.
Rhys was the one to fish her out of the water.

Six years later, Rhys Morgan had shown up in her life again, as a pirate captain in his own right.
The Neptune Rising had become his.
And so had a girl named Rhiannon Conaway.

She slipped the ring on her finger. It still fit.
'Was it really that long ago that I last saw Rhys Morgan?' she wondered.
Four years.
He reentered her life when she was seventeen. But there were the...complications.
And Rhys paid for it with his life.

Honour hastily wiped the tears from her face.  She took a shuddering breath. The guilt would always be there.  But if not for the turn of events that had followed, she never would have met Jack.
And Zara would never have come into existence.
Softly she whispered, 'I'll never forget your, Rhys. Or your love. But it is time I moved on. I have a man who loves me and a daughter born of that love.'
She felt the tears well up again and she pushed the feelings down like she had done for the past four years.
Once and for all times.

'Good-bye Rhys. I do love you. But my life is with Jack and Zara now.'
She looked at the ring one last time and put it back in the velvet bag, pushing it to the back of the drawer.

She washed her face and brushed her hair, changing her clothes, heading up to the deck to greet another day.
And the man who was her life now.

[Welsh Wench]

Briggs was directing the men on deck.
"Good morning, Josiah. Where is Jack?"
Briggs jerked his thumb towards the infirmary.
"In there with Duckie."
He barely said anything else.

Honour took a deep breath and said, quietly, "He told you, didn't he?"
Briggs nodded.
"That he did. Told me the plans to go to Wales. And when we make port in Bridgetown, any crew member who didn't want to go was free to leave the Company."
"Josiah, I don't want to disturb any arrangements that Jack may have made with any of you.  I know that you and Jack have been friends for years."
"If you were expecting a wee one, why didn't you have the good sense to stay and hash it out with Jack? Didn't he have the right to know and be there for the birthing?"
She looked down. "I wasn't thinking clearly, Josiah.  And lest you think I am a thief, I still have the ten chests of guilders. I only took them to secure the baby's future."
"And what of the land you were supposed to buy?"
"I did use the money that Jack had given me to buy a plantation."
"In whose name? Certainly not that of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Wolfe. He did a title search, you know."
She hedged a bit. "I put it in a name that made it safe and secure for Zara."

Josiah shook his head.
"Honour, I delivered the news to Jack when you weren't there to come home to.  The man had his guts torn out of him. I don't think I could stand to see him hurt like that again."
She nodded solemnly. "I can't say I blame you, Josiah. But I was young and afraid. I never had a baby before and with things the way they had been between Jack and me, I had no way of knowing how he would react. I couldn't afford to be deserted."
Josiah grew indignant. "When have you ever known Jack Wolfe to not be a man of his word?"
"Josiah, I am telling you something I never told anyone before. Not even Jack. But I took a risk going back to Wales. Things....had happened there in another lifetime. Please don't ask as I won't say. But I needed my family. Good Lord, you didn't want me to have a baby on a pirate ship, did you? So I did what was best. I see now how wrong I was. And I'll spend a lifetime making it up to Jack."
"And how do you plan on doing that?"
"By not making him sorry he married me."
"So far, so good, Honour. "
"And one other thing I need to do and I need to do it tonight."
"You aren't going to tell him you have another kid stashed somewhere, are you?"
She shook her head.
"No. I need to tell him one thing."
"And that would be?"
"That I love him."

[Welsh Wench]

Honour gazed over the shoreline of Bridgetown as it came into view. She felt her stomach tighten up. 'Please, for all of our sakes, don't be here....'

Jack came up behind her, sliding his arm around her waist. She jumped a mile.
Laughing, he pushed the hair away from her ear and whispered, "Almost in port."
She nodded, her eyes still darting back and forth as she skimmed her eyes over the ships that were docked.
"You seem nervous, love."
She shook her head. "I just want to pick up my things and head out as soon as possible. I--I miss our daughter and I don't want her to forget me."
He sighed. "And she doesn't even know me."
He turned Honour around to face him. "Think she will like me?"
She looked at Jack's face, so hopeful and yet full of apprehension. She drew him close and laid her head against his chest.
"I know she will. I can't wait to hear her call you 'Da' for the first time."
Jack brightened. "You really think she will?"
She laughed and said, "What do you think she will call you? Captain?"
He laughed with her and said, "That would be Captain Da!"
Honour still continued to look over the port.
"Honour? You seem a bit distracted."
She hastily replied, "Jack, I was in Bridgetown for a few days awaiting passage back to Wales when you kidnapped me.  I just want to fetch my things from the inn and get out of here."
"I'll go with you then."
"NO!"
"Pardon?"
She did a quick recovery. "I mean, you have so much to do with the men.  Giving them the news that we are sailing back to the Continent to pick up your child. I really hope you don't lose anyone."
Jack replied, "Can't say that I blame them.  And I hope that Briggs will make the decision to stay. There hasn't been much talking to him the past three days."
"When will he let you know?"
Jack shrugged. "I guess I will find out when he shows up on Monday."

A person was clearing their throats behind them.  They both turned and Eli Meredith stood there, his cap in his hand and a look of uncertainty.
Honour gave him a warm smile and Jack nodded solemnly. He still did not quite trust the lad due to his small but unwilling part in the mutiny.
"If I may be talking to you, Captain Wolfe? In private?"
Honour gave Jack's arm a quick squeeze. "Eli needs to talk man to man with you. I'll get my things together to go ashore."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Jack led Eli to the quarterdeck.
"We will have privacy here. Speak your mind, Meredith."
Eli twisted his cap in his hand. "First off, I want to say how right happy I am that you and Mrs. Wolfe are together. "
Jack looked at the lad and softened.  He couldn't have been much older than nineteen.  His blond hair kept falling over his eyes and he kept pushing it back.
"Thank you, Meredith. Now what is on your mind?"
Eli started but then his words came tumbling out.
"I can't begin to tell you how sorry I am for what happened. Burgess was a bad lot from the beginning. And I know I should have warned you but I was afraid of him.  I was hoping that he would change his mind."
Jack admitted, "You did redeem yourself when you told me where Honour was. For that I am thankful. "
Eli nodded solemly. "I don't think I could have forgiven myself if any harm had come to your lady, Captain.  But what I would like to know is this--do you intend to leave me in Bridgetown?"
Jack shook his head. "I don't rightly know, Eli. I spared your life. Is that not enough?"
Eli looked down at the deck. "I overheard you talking to Mr. Briggs. I kept it all to myself but I heard that you intend to sail for Wales."
Jack nodded. "I will be telling the crew in my speech before they disembark in port."
Eli raised his eyes and said with trepidation tinged with hope, "I'd like to stay on and go to Wales with the ship, Captain."
Jack took a deep breath.  "I think that can be arranged."
Eli impulsively stepped forward and grabbed his captain's hand.
"Thank you, sir! Thank you!"
Eli walked off and his captain said quietly, "You are welcome....Eli."
Eli stood up a little taller and squared his shoulders.  He had redeemed himself in his captain's eyes and he was ready to face the world again with his head held high.

[Welsh Wench]

Honour gathered what few things she had and returned to the deck. The men were getting excited. She gave the port a sweeping look.
And breathed a sigh of relief.
The Gryphon was not there.

She drew her shawl closer to her as her mind went back over the three days before Jack had whisked her away under protest.
Under protest?
Kidnapped was more like it.

Jack had kissed her and the gangplank was let down.
"I still think I should go with you, Honour."
She hugged him and said with a sigh, "I would rather go by myself. I'll be back before you know it."
He reluctantly let her go. "And when will that be?"
She kissed his cheek and said, "I will be back no later than three o'clock. And may I do a bit of shopping?"
She looked at him hopefully and he laughed as he produced a bag of gold coins.
"Don't spend them all at the boot store, love. We have no more room!"
"Now, you know you can never have too many boots, darling!"

She walked down the street leading to the room she had taken.
Taken with.....him.
Her mind drifted back to that day....

"Honour! What are you doing here?"
She turned, a look of delight and worry crossing her face.
"Cade Jennings!"
A person she thought she would never see again in her life.

"You didn't wait for me. I told you I would be back in a week's time. "
"I had to leave. I....I got word that my mother was sick and I had to rush home to Wales."
"And how is she?"
"She had a bad chest cold and it was touch and go for a while. But she recovered."
Oh, how easy it was to lie....

"Have dinner with me.  And then we can decide what we want to do."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you did get a formal divorce decree from Jack, didn't you?"
"Not exactly."
"What do you mean?"
"I--I left Barbados suddenly and there was no time to file papers or anything.  He went to Martinique to get Armand LaFork---"
"La Fourche--"
"WhatEVER. By the time he came back, I had gone. I had left him a note."
Another lie.
They just seemed to be coming quicker.
"So what do you do now? Can you get a divorce en absentia from him? I mean, you could claim desertion. After all, he left you to go to Martinique."
"I don't know. I suppose I could see the magistrate about an annulment."
He took her hands. "I love you, Honour. And I want to be with you."
 
Coincidently, they had both taken rooms at the same inn.
By the end of dessert, the second room was no longer needed.


Honour drew her shawl around her and entered the tavern.
"There you are!"
Mrs. Washburn bustled forth. "Lord, child! We thought something had happened to ye! Ye disappeared and never came back!"
Honour replied, "I had a few complications, Mrs. Washburn. But things have straightened out and I have come for my things."
"Ye are paid up till the end of the week.  But ye missed yer passage ship back to Wales, dearie.  And a gentleman left a note for ye."
She opened a drawer and pulled out an envelope.
"Was he upset?"
"He didn't seem to be. He told me ye'd be back for yer things, that ye probably had  gotten distracted with the bootmaker. He was laughing about it and said he would catch up with ye when--how did he put it?--Oh yes. When ye are a free woman."
She winked slyly at Honour.
"Thank you, Mrs. Washburn. I'll collect my things. I have passage back to Wales on another ship."

In the privacy of her room, she opened the envelope. The handwriting she knew well.

Honour, darling---I  had to leave quickly for another port. El Lobo del Mar was spotted and my quartermaster sent word to me that Jack was heading into port. Fortunately I had docked The Gryphon on the west side of the port and Jack always favors coming in where the wind will take him. I'll catch up to you in a few week's time. By then Jack will be gone. I know he stops for supplies here and then heads out.  Be careful and avoid the taverns. I know he frequents the Bilge Pump Pub and takes rooms there.
I love you.
Cade

She folded the letter and put it back in the envelope, shoving it to the bottom of one of the trunks.  There weren't very many things to pack up since most of her belongings--except for most of the chests of guilders that were deposited at the bank in Bridgetown--were at Megan's in Wales.
Including what she held dearest of all.
Zara.

She called down to Mrs. Washburn.
"May I borrow one of the men and a cart to transport my trunk to the docks?"
Mrs. Washburn called back, "Most certain, dearie." Then she yelled, "Caleb! Get yerself over here. A small job for ye!"

Within the hour, Honour had the trunk sent on ahead and decided to do a bit of shopping. By the end of it, Jack's pouch was empty.
Yet she had purchased a new dress, a pair of boots and three silk shirts for Jack to replace the one she had pinned through the mast with her sgian dubh, the one that was caught in the door that he had to cut be out, and the one she threw out the porthole when Jack decided the key was more important than satisfaction.
She picked up a few things for Zara. A dress here, a blanket there.
And the crew was not forgotten. A few bottles of fine claret to be shared among them all.
Because after all....the men needed to know they were appreciated.

One final stop.
Honour entered Ye Olde Swordshop.
"May I help you, Miss?"
She looked around and said, "I'd like to purchase a rapier. That one over there. The French one."
Master Campbell laughed and said, "Aye, ye know your rapiers! T'is one of my best sellers."
"Do you do engraving?"
"I surely do. I can even do it whilst ye wait, Miss. A gift for a husband? Or a lover?"
he said with a wink.
She smiled broadly and said, "I want it inscribed with two initials."
"And that would be?"
"E. M."
"I know this E. M. will be pleased."
Honour nodded. "A special person.  Because if it weren't for him, I never would have found my way back to the person I love. And now I have a chance to get it right."