The Reverend's Daughter (Book 2 after The Duke's Daughter)

Thirty Five Part Two

Brutus approached the outer cabin, bracing his hands against the doorframe, he leaned in to see if Elizabeth was behind the crates.

Not seeing her there, he leaned forward more, looking to his other side, through the doorway to the bed cabin.

He saw Elizabeth sitting upon her bed. She was rubbing her fist across her eyes, rubbing away tears, as she attempted to read a parchment she held in her hand.

"Elizabeth," Brutus went to Betsy. Concerned for her, he searched her visage, as he sat comfortingly beside her. "Are you alright, sweetheart?"

Elizabeth lifted her huge, innocent eyes to Brutus's lovely face, "How is it, Brutus, that men can be so cruel?" Her eyes flowing over with tears once again as she spoke, her face crumpled and she covered it with her hands.

The letter dropped to her lap, as Betsy sobbed, while Brutus rubbed her back softly.

"There, there, what is it that has you so upset?" Brutus tried to comfort her, as she attempted to stop crying and breath evenly. She swiped at the tears that wet her cheeks and clung to her jaw.

Brutus looked down at the parchment in her lap, "Ah, you found the letters, I see." Brutus looked upon her questioningly, "Violet had not shown them to you before now?" Brutus could now understand her sorrow.

His heart broke for her, as he realized exactly what it was she had been reading.

"Brutus, what can it be that causes men to hurt those weaker than themselves?" She asked softly, looking down at the parchment, misery reflected in her downcast eyes.

Brutus wrapped an arm around her shoulder. He could only imagine how profoundly the written words must have pierced her tender heart.

The words were powerful enough to bring a grown man to tears, much less Violet's sweet, young bride.

The letters contained the undying gratitude of families, whose children the crew had returned to them.

The letter Elizabeth had been reading from, was written in the hand of a Ms. Carroway, an aunt to four small children. Much like Timothy and Jonah's aunt, Rebecca.

Ms. Carroway's sister and husband had been killed trying to shield the babes when their ship had been attacked by pirates.

Following a vicious massacre, the children had been taken captive, then held for weeks by the bloodthirsty pirates.

Wanting to thank Violet and his crew for rescuing and returning the children, Ms. Carroway had sent a letter through Pastor Fielding, expressing her utmost gratitude over the children's safe return.

Ms. Carroway had described, in full detail, all she had learned from her sister's children.

She wrote of the horrific things the babes had been subjected to before their rescue. The atrocities that had been perpetrated upon them, at the hands of the evil, ruthless men.

She explained further, that she wanted the crew of the Wench, to know exactly what fate it had been that they had saved the children from.

She had then gone on to describe the filth and starvation. The beatings the children had endured, and other many cruel abuses that the children had been subjected to, or had been forced to witness.

Ms. Carroway also wrote, she hoped that by knowing these awful things, the crew would continue to help other poor, unfortunate souls that also needed rescuing. That she could not imagine her sweet niece and nephew's lives if they had not been saved.

Betsy had been deeply touched, then horrified, as she read the woman's words. Her heart had shattered for those poor children.

Betsy thanked God that Redbeard had sailed into the bay that day needing Michaels' help. She thanked Him, that they had been able to get the children away from Redbeard, before they had suffered irreparable harm.