The Storm

"Heavy weather approaching, Captain."

Gregory turned, glancing up from his breakfast, when he heard the voice. A glance toward Earl and both of them rose, as did the rest of the crew.

"Ladies, I'll return. If I can't, I'll send someone to get you back to your cabins." To the men, he called out. "Batten down. And make ready to set the storm jib."

Arabella reached up and caught his hand, and he paused, staring down at her.

"Please, be safe," she said softly. In all the commotion, it was little more than a whisper, but he understood it. Gregory gently brought the back of his hand upward and touched her cheek as he grinned down at her and winked before disappearing out into the hall.

The jib set, the winds began to buffet the huge ship. They lowered and changed the main sails next. Gregory's bicorne, he barely caught, as the wind whipped it off his head. He threw it downward to the second level rather than lose it. Whitecaps surrounded the ship, and as heavy gusts buffeted and the vessel listed, water flowed over the sides.

Gregory found himself uttering the seaman's prayer as they fought. There seemed to be no end to the dark stratocumulus clouds that now lined the entire sky. He prayed the ladies were safe downstairs but had no one to send down to check on them, until, at last, the winds lightened briefly. He turned toward Earl, not far away, when he heard a call from the helm.

"Vessel overtaking us off port quarter!"

He whirled back. Where the bloody hell had it come from?

His eyes blazed when he saw the Mermaid's Revenge rapidly gaining on them. He glanced upward at the crow's nest, only to see that it was empty. Mercer and Benny had both disappeared, in the midst of the storm.

"Men overboard!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Man the cannons!"

He caught sight of a smaller boat in the water and ran for the nest, since there was no one to look out.

"Gregory! Don't!" It was Earl's voice, but he began to climb, anyway. The ship was listing dangerously with the swells of the waves, and he made his way up to try to see where the fallen men were.

The first one he saw, climbing back onto the ship with the help of the crewmen, was Mercer. Benny, he didn't see anywhere. He shook his head. Benny had been a good man and a good crew member. Sarah would be heartbroken. But water was not the only thing now flowing over the sides of the ship. An array of men from the Mermaid were coming over. Unless his eyes betrayed him, there were at least thirty of them.

Bedlam ensued, as the fight broke out. The Mermaid's crew advanced. The Charlotte's countered.

He'd seen all from his viewpoint he needed to. Climbing back down, he felt for the pistol in his vest with his right hand.

A shout from Earl was heard just before the thunderous sound was heard and the ship listed heavily with the repercussion. Cannon fire! Gregory's boots lost their footing on the ropes below and he grabbed onto the ones in front of him, swinging by one hand.

His heart plummeted as he realized they'd been hit. Arabella was below. He had to get to her.

Just as his feet hit the deck, he heard Miller's voice and turned. Face to face, they stared at each other. The Mermaid's men had freed him. Jean Luc Poche, the privateer's captain was shouting.

"Where are the women?"

It was suddenly clear to Gregory what had happened. The pirates had rescued Miller from the brig. The only man Gregory hadn't known well; he'd been the privateer plant from the very beginning. Gregory's mouth became a flat line.

Miller's face was full of guilt, Gregory's, a combination of fury and disappointment.

"Miller! Where are they?" The Mermaid's captain was in the seaman's face now.

Miller never took his eyes from Gregory's face, as he stepped back. "Starboard cabins," he shouted back. "Toward the back."

Gregory couldn't believe his ears. Miller knew very well where they were, yet he'd given directions for Poche to go to the opposite side of the ship.

Gregory nodded to him, and they stared at each other a moment longer. Miller turned away, only to be slugged in the face by one of the crewmen. Gregory turned and slowly made his way toward the ladder to go down to the lower deck, when he was met with a gun to his chest.

He followed it upward to see Jean Luc's ugly face. He smiled, showing a mouth full of decayed teeth. "Bastard gave me the wrong directions. But you'll tell me. Now."

"Think so?" Gregory took a step back and flashed him a disarming grin, before drawing back a fist and slamming it into Poche's jaw. "I don't," he added, as the privateer went down.

"Going somewhere, Captain?" an unfamiliar voice said.

"Just out for a stroll." Gregory turned, bringing forward his other fist and, like lightning, sent the man to the deck, knocking the weapon from his hand. It slid toward the ladder. When he turned back, Miller stood in front of him, holding it. This time, he was blocking the entrance to the lower deck.

"Sorry, Captain," he said, sounding sincere.

"So am I. I trusted you."

Miller's face fell, just before Gregory shoved him backwards, down the opening.

The weapon discharged as he fell, leaving a hole in the floor of the upper deck, and Gregory waited a few seconds. When there were no more shots, he leaned inward and scanned the lower level. Miller was lying where he had landed on his back below, with his eyes closed. He was out.

* * *

"It would appear the men have their hands full maintaining course in this wretched weather," Bella said, clutching her stomach. The ship was lurching back and forth now, struggling under the choppy waves. "Maybe we should make our way to our cabins by ourselves."

"And chance getting tossed overboard by the slippery deck?" Lily did not look as if she was feeling very well, herself.

Chloe chuckled at them. "Not so keen to be sailors today, my friends? Lily makes a sound point, though. It might be best to wait in steerage until things are calmer. There should be less motion down there."

The storm caused nothing but ruckus as the three women made their way. Bella rushed to the first porthole she could find when they got to their destination, trying to hold herself steady while she looked out. She remembered how Gregory had held her in front of the window in the dining hall the first day of the voyage and explained how watching the movements of the waves in the distance helped ease some people's seasickness. But the dark sky held angry black clouds and the ocean was a sea of white-capped peaks. The horizon was impossible to even see.

Arabella forgot about her stomach. Gregory was topside in this. How she longed to check on the captain and make sure he was safe in this weather.

The sound of a thunderous explosion was heard in the distance, followed by a reaction from the Charlotte, groaning and lurching under a mighty blow. The three ladies were knocked to the floor and sent sailing across steerage.

"What was that?" Lily cried out. "Do you suppose we were struck by lightning?" She reached an arm to help Chloe to her feet.

Bella started to get up when she lost her footing on the slippery floor. Water was pouring inward from the doorway to steerage. She ran out into the corridor, only to see that the ship was taking on water from the area of the stern. "We're under attack," she yelled, pointing toward the stern. The water looked a foot deep now.

"Who would be attacking us?" Lily steadied Bella when she got to her feet again.

"Pirates?" Chloe suggested, and all three ladies screamed at the thought.

Lily almost knocked them both over in her haste to make it to the ladder. "Earl is up there. I must make sure he's safe."

"Wait!" Bella shouted. "We have to check the berths and the kitchen and make sure there's no one else down here. The water's coming in fast!"

The berths, further toward the bow, were empty, but a few inches of water covered the floor now.

"Miss Sarah?" Chloe called out, heading for the kitchen.

A dark head, popped around the doorway. "Oh, it's you, child. My kitchen is a terrible mess."

"There's no time to worry about that, Miss Sarah! The ship's been hit. Water is coming in! We have to get out of here! There may be pirates upstairs!"

"Pirates! Oh, Lordy…oh, Lordy!" Sarah was muttering under her breath in alarm. "But I don't want the captain—"

"No, no, leave it! We have to go, while we still can!"

Sarah dropped the long wooden spoon into the sink, and Chloe eyed it. Then, the woman reached for a longer, metal one, pulled it off the rack, and tucked it into her bosom. "Might need this," she said. "In case we run into one of those pirates."

Generally, a lady of patience, Bella didn't stop to reason what might be the proper way to handle this type of situation. By now, she had been as patient as she could. If pirates were coming aboard, she needed to get to Gregory to warn him. If they perished before she admitted her true feelings for him, she would regret it for the rest of her life…which would not be very long, if the flow of water pouring into steerage was any indication.

Their skirts, drenched with water, began to pull at them. Bella lifted hers upward so she could wade the water more easily.

She ended up climbing over Lily's frame in her haste to reach the next level.

She halted, suddenly. There were unfamiliar men moving about on the second level! They seemed to be carrying off crate after crate of the food supplies. Bella looked back over her shoulder to whisper a warning. "Be quiet, ladies, or we will be discovered."

The roar of battle above and the nasty weather made it difficult for the three ladies behind her to hear her warning. Lily, behind her, groaned. "I can't hear a word, Bella. Move out of the way so I can get to Earl."

Bella didn't have a chance to repeat her warning. One minute, her feet were perched on the ladder in front of Lily, and the next, an arm was around her waist and she was suddenly pulled upward. She could hear Lily's voice below, saying, "About time!"

The next thing she heard was Sarah's scream, followed by a "Lordy!" and the shout of a man in pain, whom she'd apparently just whacked over the head with her spoon.

Arabella tried to look back but couldn't see anything. She could hear Chloe's upset shriek, cutting off her tirade at them for being so careless as they climbed. "You could get hurt. This is not time to be rushing around on a ship taking on water and declaring war against an angry ocean."

Held against a man's chest, Bella heard the answer. A hand was clapped over her mouth. She could see Lily, who was in the same predicament, and watched as another unfamiliar man reached down and brought up Chloe, kicking with all her might.

"You forgot to mention the dangers of dealing with pirates, missy. They be right horrible bastards." The deep voice chuckled when Chloe fought against him.

Her eyes slowly moved away from the ladder. Where was Sarah? She didn't hear a sound. Had the woman fallen? Or been taken captive?

They were all held helplessly while dozens of men disappeared with the Charlotte's supplies. The crates and barrels of provisions soon disappeared upward, toward the top level, no doubt to a waiting boat to take them away. Bella could do nothing but observe as she saw whiskey and coffee hauled away, followed by the beer and salt pork. When one of the crates was dropped and the fruit spilled across the floor, the pirate responsible didn't even bother to pick it up.

Bella watched as the last crate disappeared. It was then she realized her captor had taken his hand from her mouth and took the chance for a deep breath. Next, she saw Lily and Chloe carried upward. But the man who held her was still holding her there.

"Gregory!" she screamed. Was he all right? Did he know the ship was taking on water? She must find a way to warn him. Trying to break free, her anger rose at the strength of her captor. She took in her surroundings, realizing that being a proper lady was not going to help in this situation. Lifting her heel high, she stomped down hard on the man's instep. Her attack startled him into letting her go, as he bellowed out in pain.

Running toward the ladder going to the first deck, she almost fell when she tripped over the body of a man. She gasped and stared.

It was Miller. Why was he out of the brig? Before she could think better of it, she pulled back her foot and kicked him in the side.

The man moaned and moved a few inches. He still appeared knocked out cold, and she saw the weapon stored in the waist of his pants. Before she thought better of it, she reached down and took the gun, discreetly storing it down into the garter of her right stocking. Her skirts concealed it nicely.

She got to her feet and started upward, cringing as she met a man coming down. He reeked of whiskey and body odor, growing closer as he intercepted her progress. The giant of a man grinned at her, showing off missing teeth. Arabella stared back down the ladder, but the pirate she had injured was behind her. The one above her laughed.

"Well, look here, gents. We don't want to be leaving this treasure aboard a sinking ship. Take her aboard ours and stow her in my cabin. You can share the other two, but I want first dig at this one."

"Let her go!" Gregory's voice echoed across the ship.

Bella forgot all about her illness for the moment. She sought the direction from which his voice had come. Her captain was still alive, though he was one of the few men left aboard the Charlotte who was not a pirate. Even Earl seemed to have vanished. No sooner had the thought crossed Bella's mind when Lily's pitiful wail traveled the depth of the ship.

"Lily!" she shouted.

They were being tossed overboard! Jerking away from her captor and racing to the side, she was somewhat grateful to see various pirates in the lifeboats, reaching arms up to catch her friends. Cooper, the cat, leaped into the small boat carrying Chloe, who instantly grabbed him. When the pirate next to her tried to take him from her grasp, she kicked him in the face and knocked him backward, over the side of the boat.

The few remaining loyal members of the crew were not as lucky. The pirates aboard the Charlotte shoved them overboard and their heads quickly vanished in the foamy waters below.

"No!" she cried out. "No!"

Bella turned back to see Gregory racing toward her. Before he could reach her, however, she was grabbed from behind.

"She yours, Captain Smythe?" The rough voice behind Bella was the same man she'd met on the ladder. With one hand, he held her around the waist; with the other, he grabbed a fist full of her hair, laughing at her gasp of pain.

"You harm one hair on her head, Poche, and you'll regret it the rest of your miserable life."

Poche gave him an evil grin. "Don't fret. I'll consider her a personal treasure passed from one captain to another." Pulling out a gun, he waved his remaining men to take their exit.

Gregory shook off the two men who were trying to block his path. But when he started for Poche, once again, the gun pointed directly at Bella's head.

Gregory froze.

"Generally, I let the captain go down with his ship," said Bella's captor. "But you look to be one who manages to survive what should be sure death, don't you?"

Bella clutched her stomach, groaning and doubling over.

Her captor grinned. "How could I concentrate on enjoying your woman, if I have to keep one eye over my shoulder?"

The ship was now listing hard toward the stern, portside. It would disappear the way of its sailors, any minute now.

Gregory's eyes narrowed, and he took a step forward. "You may be sure," he growled. "Even if I die, I will always be there, right behind you. Know this. If you hurt her, you'll never be free of me."

A small laugh came from the pirate's mouth, but it was unconvincing. His fear was palpable. Even Arabella could feel it.

She looked up into Gregory's face, her eyes large, and mouthed the words, "I love you," just as the pirate turned the gun in Gregory's direction and put his finger on the trigger.

The crews of both vessels ceased breathing, as the sound of gunshot exploded into the air.

* * *

No one moved. Despite the storm that raged all around them, all eyes were on the two captains who faced each other, their eyes locked.

Gregory's face was immobile. So was Poche's.

After an eternity, the legs of the pirate began to shake, and his hold on Bella relaxed. He went down slowly, crumpling like a stone. Arabella stared down at him with round, terrified eyes and looked at the weapon in her hand, before she met Gregory's face.

"Arabella?" Gregory's voice brought her back to reality, and she began to cry.

"No, Captain." Another voice spoke up, to his left. Just at the top of the exit to the lower level, stood Miller, a gun in his hand. "She didn't do it. It was me."

Arabella ran into Gregory's arms, sobbing. "I thought he'd killed you."

He reached down to sweep her up into his arms. But she surprised him, when she turned suddenly and ran to Miller, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Thank you," she said, rising up to her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "He'd have killed both of us."

"No doubt he would, missy. But you're embracing the wrong man. Seems your captain is waiting for you."

Gregory waited, his arms open, as she turned and ran back to him, jumping into his embrace. He carried her over toward the side, and both of them stared downward at the lifeboats below.

Lily was screaming her head off, but she wasn't alone. The pirates in the lifeboat began to scream, as well. Gnarled hands, some black, some white, were reaching up over the sides of the lifeboat and grabbing viciously at those inside.

The faces of the remainder of the pirate crew were white with terror, and they began to unsettle the small boats, turning and jumping into the ocean, themselves, to get away. Chloe was frozen with horror as she watched. Sarah had taken the long-handled metal spoon from her bosom and was beating the pirates over the head and pushing them over the side. Cooper escaped Chloe's grasp and was clawing at the hands of the pirates trying to grab hold to the sides.

But the arms reaching up from the water were now attached to bodies, and the crewmen of the Charlotte began to surface. Earl had climbed aboard the lifeboat and was reaching down to the men to help them into it. Others had done the same. Sarah's, "Lordy, Lordy," could be heard above the commotion that was left. When she yelled with delight, she was hugging Benny tightly to her ample bosom. Mercer was climbing into the boat, as well.

But, at last, the storm was calming, and Gregory heard Miller's voice at his elbow.

"Go, Captain. Water's up to the mid-portion of the second deck now, sir. If you wait any longer, she'll suck you down with her. This is your only chance."

Gregory looked down at Arabella and then back at Miller.

"Come with us."

Miller shook his head. "If only I could. I would be hated by either crew, now. Please give my apologies to Miss Lily. I have delusions of grandeur when I drink. Go now."

Gregory put out his hand, and Miller shook it. "Thank you, my friend."

Miller nodded. "Go," he said for the third time.

Gregory moved to the portside ledge of the boat and climbed up to the side. Wrapping his arm around Bella's waist, he looked down into her eyes.

"I love you, too, my darling," he said, just before pressing his lips to hers in an extremely hard kiss and jumping straight into the sea.