Betsy luxuriated in the tub in the Captain's cabin. It was the first freshwater bath she had the pleasure of indulging in since leaving the Isle. The salt baths had sufficed while out on the open sea, but the lavender scented freshwater felt sublime.
That Violet thought of it, having encouraged her to relax and have some time of peace and quiet in their cabin, made it even more sweet to enjoy.
The widow McFarlane had gifted her with the lavender soap she now used to create suds through her hair, the scent relaxing her, as she lowered herself into the water to rinse.
She heard Violet enter the outer cabin and smiled, knowing he would soon come to find her, she missed him even though he had left only a short while before.
She closed her eyes and listened to him move about the outer room, he started humming a waltz, which made her open her eyes and smile slightly. The curtain was drawn open, as she had the privacy of the inner chamber, candles were lit on the table next to the bed.
He entered and brought with him a warm bucket of water, smiling at her as he set it next to the tub. He sat on the bed as she reached a hand out to him, him taking her hand gently into his own.
"All preparations have been made, we only await Marcus and my mother to come aboard and we can depart early in the morning."
"I am glad the pastor offered Chauncey a place to stay, was it not sweet how he and Anna visited all afternoon?" Betsy's eyes twinkled in amusement, thinking of how once Chauncey could see, he had turned his charms upon the elderly widows. He had shared stories of foreign ports, the different ways he remembered people had dressed and spoken. He had been surprisingly animated and charming, his eyes aglow, taking in all their responses and interest. It had been wonderful to watch him come alive, knowing that his future would be that much brighter, now that he could see the world around him. He had escorted Anna to her home, bowing gallantly before leaving her door, whistling as he had made his way to Sissy's yard to watch the men finish a pen for the lambs.
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Pastor Andrew Fielding had made his way across the field, from his own cottage, to join the working men.
"Marcus, if I may have a moment of your time, I believe this may help the men when they ask for their pardon."
Marcus, of course, would take any help that could be had. "What have you there, Pastor?"
"These are the children's records, each and every child is accounted for, the ones returned to their families, and the orphans we have placed in homes."
Timothy and Jonah would be accompanying the men to London, as Violet hoped to locate their grandfather while they were there.
Timothy kept working alongside Pete on the pen, but he heard the pastor, and he lent an ear to the conversation.
"That should be helpful, Andrew," Marcus nodded at the good man, "It may go far in Violet's favor, I thank you very much for thinking of it."
"I thought of it long ago, Marcus, I always thought this day may come." The pastor handed Marcus a parchment, but held another in his hand also. "This is the record of the goods pirated and the funds distributed. I would have the King know where the profits went. Violet and the crew would only take a very small percentage. Some to pay their taxes, and keep the operation afloat, the rest all went to the widows and orphans. I would have the King know this too." Pastor Fielding handed Marcus these records also.
"I am obliged for the help and will see that the King knows." Marcus put a hand on the pastor's shoulder, "I am hoping there are no reprisals, or at the very least they be minimal, and will be counting on your prayers to this effect."
The pastor nodded, "I would go along if I thought it would help, Marcus."
"I think the records should suffice, but I will tell the King you are willing to testify to these things, should the need arise." Marcus hoped that would not be necessary, but one never knew with piracy. Many pirates had been hung upon the gallows, it was not a crime taken lightly, the penalty was death. Hanging or execution was the usual end when pirates were apprehended by the King's own ships.
Granted, most of them did not use it as a ruse, nor turn themselves in, but none yet knew how Violet's crimes would be interpreted.
"I wish you Godspeed, all of us here will be praying you return soon and all goes well." Andrew shook Marcus' hand before making his way over to Chauncey. "Well, old man, be ye ready for that evening of stories I promised you?"
Chauncey went along with the pastor, as he would be staying with him until they knew the men's fate.
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"I always knew he had it in him to be a charmer, he just needed to be able to see whom it was he wanted to charm." Violet laughed softly, as he held his wife's small hand. "Would you like a little longer or are you ready for your rinse, my lady?"
"The rinse, please, I believe I am turning to a raisin, and I should get out now." She smiled and stood, as he raised the bucket of warm water and slowly poured half of it over her head, rinsing the soap from her hair and body.
He put the bucket on the floor as she stepped from the tub, allowing him to wrap her in a linen, before he started removing his own clothing to avail himself of her bath, before the water cooled completely.
He started soaping up, singing a swashbuckling tune as he did, Betsy giggled as she realised he was using the lavender soap she had left on the stand.
She smiled as she dressed, donning her nightgown that covered her neck to toes, then climbed upon the bed, to rub her hair dry and watch her handsome husband bathe.
He soaped his face which ended his singing momentarily.
"How long will it be to Lady Eleanor's, Violet?" Betsy asked, as he rinsed the suds away.
"A day and a half should get us there, my sweet, then another day to London. I am hoping we can locate Timothy and Jonah's grandfather without too much trouble before seeking an audience with the King."
She nodded, hoping the same. The boys would be going with them, it seemed the quickest way to see if their grandfather was well, and if he would be able to keep them.
The cabin boys also were going. Marcus, Katherine and Betsy would care for them, if anything delayed the crew once they arrived, or if the crew were taken into the King's custody.
Johnny, Lila and Sarah were staying with Josh and Sissy, as their own children were close to them in age, and they had already attached themselves quickly to one another. Lila was upset that Samson was leaving her, he had assured her he would do all he could to return to her as soon as possible.
Violet stood and poured the rest of the bucket over his own head, letting the water rinse him on it's way down.
Betsy had risen and began drying him after he had stepped from the tub, taking her time, admiring his muscular body as she went about it.
He chuckled and took the linen from her as she lingered behind him, wrapping it around his waist, he turned and took her in his arms.
"None of this can go quickly enough to please me Kitten, I would have it be over and done as soon as possible. It will be good when we can move forward and decide what we want our future to be. I only hope it is resolved as I pray it is, and in a very timely manner." He stroked her hair as he held her, then placed his hand under her chin as he kissed her, taking his own sweet time. Knowing that even as he wanted a resolution quickly, he would be sure to appreciate every moment they had, until they knew the outcome of the King's reprisals.
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Katherine sat upon her bed taking a moment to collect her thoughts. She had done some light baking after everyone had gone about heading home. She now had a basket to take aboard ship, another to leave with Sissy, as she would have extra mouths to feed while they were gone.
Katherine had never packed for a journey before. She had never left the security of her little community, nor varied very much from the orderly way she ran her life. This was a new experience for her and she was a bit intimidated by the idea of giving up control of her surroundings. She took a deep breath and decided to forge ahead and pack with an attitude of confidence.
Elizabeth had explained the reasons she wore the breeches aboard ship, so Katherine decided to bring what she would need to make her own pair. She packed her best Sunday dress, two skirts and shirtwaists, along with warm outer clothing as the weather was turning chillier everyday. Her brush and toiletries completed what she assumed she would need.
Everything went into a traveling bag she had made herself, which she placed by her door next to the baskets of rolls, scones and coffee cakes.
She washed her pans and dishes with hot water from the kettle hanging over the fire, then making sure the fire was banked, she then walked around her cottage seeing to any last minute straightening before Marcus returned for her and her things.
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The lambs were contentedly munching their supper in the new pen. Marcus, Pete and Timothy walked the road to Katherine's to see if she was ready. The light was quickly fading and if they could gather her and her things in a timely manner, they could board the ship before full darkness engulfed them.
Timothy was curious about something and he knew Marcus had the information he wondered about. Tim walked between Pete and Marcus, as soon as there was a lull in the conversation between the two men, Timothy spoke up to the gentleman next to him. "I was wondering, Sir, how many other children has the Captain and his men saved from the pirates?"
"Not all have been saved from pirates like you, Tim," Pete spoke from his other side, "A good many have been, but as in Davey, Elias' and Jesse's case, along with some others, they were found in port with no parents, begging for their existence. If they had no one to care for them, we would help them to find families that would. The boys on the ship wanted to stay with us, others were not comfortable upon the seas, and were better off staying with Mama Katy until the good pastor found them homes."
Marcus had pulled the parchment from the pocket inside his jacket and saw that the list was very detailed. The children were numbered, divided into groups of how they were found, and where they had gone to. Names, ages, siblings, and adopting families were listed, along with those who had been returned to family of their own. The pastor had kept a very thorough record of each and every one.
"I have a list here of two score, ten and three children, the five of you also included, here at the end of the pirated list. There have been a score and three orphans that have been recorded on the unfortunates list." Marcus answered Tim's question, a bit surprised himself that there had been that many. He knew it had been Violet's priority, but he had not had any idea of the numbers. That was almost four score children that had been given a chance at a new life because of his own son, and these fine men's efforts.
He had respected and been proud before, but now that he knew the exact numbers, he was awed. Even as he knew Violet would say it was not nearly enough.
Marcus realised the number of orphans and poor children made to work in the factories far outweighed that number, yet he himself, had no idea how to help them. Mayhap it could be brought to the King's attention and they could try to start a reform of those practices.
There had to be something that could be done to help them, Violet was only one man, yet look at how many lives he had changed, giving those children a future where they could thrive.
"I wish when I grow up, I could help too." Timothy thought of Johnny, Lila, and Sarah in the foundling home, Johnny had shared their story and Timothy had been appalled with how many children had been there, from what Johnny had told him. They had been the lucky ones, to have family willing to come get them, up until the pirate attack, that was. It was true that Tim and Jonah had lost their mother much too soon, yet their father had a store where they had been with him all day. Timothy had helped, caring for his brother, or if he be napping, to sweep or stock the shelves. He had even helped the customers to find the items they needed. He could not imagine being in a home with close to a hundred children and eating gruel for every meal.
Timothy was not even aware of the factories in this land he had traveled to, where children were used as machines, and treated very poorly.
The young man made a decision walking down that road, much as Violet had when he was younger, that he would do all he could as soon as he was old enough to help others to have a better life. After all, some of those children were as his wee brother, whom he adored, and also was all he had left of his own family. Tim wondered if his grandfather still lived, and what kind of man was he? Would he and Jonah have a new home, or would they end up true orphans themselves, who would need a new place to live where the people were not of their family?
Pete could see the concern in Tim's young face and he placed a hand on the youth's shoulder, "Ye know I will not let anything bad happen to ye and young Jonah, I will be with ye every step of the way and will make sure ye both be fine."
Timothy looked up at Pete and knew he spoke the truth. He nodded and felt a small bit of relief just knowing this big man cared for him and his little brother. "I know, Pete. 'Tis just not knowing my grandfather yet that worries me." Tim admitted.
"We shall cross that bridge when we come to it, son." Pete smiled kindly at the young man, he wished he could dispel all of Tim's doubts as he could only imagine his fears, but all he could really do was to be there for him.
They arrived at Katherine's cottage and gathered the things she and Marcus would need, Pete and Tim went ahead to leave a basket with Sissy, and await them on shore.
Marcus spoke with his driver, the good man would stay the night at Katherine's and head home in the morning with the wagon. Marcus' steed was being taken care of at Sissy's parent's farm until he returned.
Marcus then picked up his and Katherine's bags, and they made their way to meet Pete and Timothy on the beach.
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Just had to finish to get us on our way :)