A Pirates Revenge

Chapter 1

Slamming the door to her bedchamber, she furiously paced the floor. Her father’s words, “I have made my decision, and that is final,” echoed in her mind. What in the world was he thinking? Her father had arranged a marriage for her - to the son of a pirate, no less. She knew her mother would have fought against the idea, being she was almost a victim to a similar situation. Thankfully, her father whisked her mother away just in time.

Madelyn knew in her heart that her father decided without her mother’s knowledge. Though she knew her mother would never agree. He lied, ensuring Madelyn would not fight him over it. “Ugh!!” she growled loudly to the empty room. He can be such a pirate sometimes.

“Just because that man’s father and my father were friends does not mean that I have to marry his scoundrel son.” She grouched to herself.

Madelyn jumped when Kaitlyn chimed in with her two cents on the subject. “Maddie, who are you talking to?” Kaitlyn asked, while grabbing Madelyn’s hand to lead her to Kaitlyn’s corner of the room.

Kaitlyn Dashwood is Madelyn’s younger sister. She is an exuberant child. Very inquisitive. She is always asking questions. To look at her, you could see she was an angel with a devil’s streak. She loved to dress like a pirate. Not knowing of their father’s notorious past. To see her dressed like that is comical. No one could keep a straight face when Kaitlyn was around. Some of the things that came out of the child’s mouth could make the sternest person beam.

“Oh, nobody of any importance, honey. It is nothing for you to worry about.” Madelyn assured her, still growling under her breath.

“Then why is your forehead all crinkly” Kaitlyn asked while trying to decide what dress to put on the doll in her hand.

“Grown-up issues Kaitie bug, that’s all.” Madelyn said as she ushered her little sister back into the nursery. Kaitlyn shrugged her shoulders and skipped across the nursery to play with the dolls in that room.

She tried to hide the smile she could not keep off her face when Kaitlyn was around. Kaitlyn can be impish. Even with her mischievousness, she is a hoot to be around. Madelyn shook her head. A door separated their rooms. Madelyn had insisted on them having rooms beside each other when their mother died. She wanted to be there if Kaitlyn ever needed anything.

Madelyn had vowed a few years ago that she would do what she could to shelter Kaitlyn from anything that would harm or upset her. A ridiculously sheltered life comes to mind. Madelyn could not help it. Kaitlyn had become her life.

Madelyn would let no one know the actual reason she insisted on it. She had been afraid of being alone. The death of their mother had hit her harder than she let on. She sometimes still wakes up in the middle of the night feeling her mother standing next to her bed.

“Maddie?” Kaitlyn called to her in frustration. Kaitlyn was kneeling in front of her toy chest. She had a mess of doll clothes and shoes all around her. She was furiously trying to get a knot out of her doll’s hair. It always amazed Madelyn at how quickly this child could make a mess.

“Here, let me help.” Madelyn said as she walked up to Kaitlyn and gently took the doll out of her hand to help her get the knot out.

“Are you going to marry that yucky boy?” Kaitlyn asked, watching Madelyn successfully brush the knot out.

“Where did you hear that from?” Madelyn asked Kaitlyn, shocked.

“Oh, around.” Kaitlyn said while changing the clothes of the doll in her hand. “I heard Papa telling you about your dipropal” Kaitlyn said, looking slightly guilty. Madelyn tsked at her. Kaitlyn knew not to listen to adult conversations.

“Betrothal” Madelyn corrected. “Do you know what betrothed means?” Madelyn asked Kaitlyn. Wondering what words of childlike wisdom will come out on this topic.

“Sure do,” Kaitlyn said confidently, still brushing the heads of her dolls, “It means that you are happy like you say Momma and Papa were before....” Kaitlyn did not finish the sentence. She stopped what she was doing and looked at Madelyn with worry on her face. She knew that talking about their mother always upset Madelyn. Kaitlyn was barely a toddler when their mother died.

Thomas and Georgina had been on a leisure voyage to get new tapestries for the castle walls and a few other pieces of décor. They ran into a large storm. Georgina had gone topside against the wishes of Thomas. She had wanted to help. Thomas had been watching the storm at the helm when he saw Georgina come out of the captain’s quarters.

Thank goodness he had reached her right before a wave swept her off deck. She had gotten sick with fever from that storm. When they made it back to the castle, it was too late. The doctor said that the fever had taken its toll on her. She would not make it through the night. She passed away peacefully in her sleep.

Madelyn remembers that night as if it were yesterday. She Could not recall a time that she had ever been so scared. Her father was nearly inconsolable afterwards. She remembered how he would sit behind his desk with a bottle of brandy by his hand while he slept the day away in a drunken stupor. He did not eat. He did not talk to anyone. He just sat there, staring at the portrait above the mantel in his office. That lasted for months.

Madelyn had been really worried about him. She would go into his office many times a day and try to wake him. He would just mumble something about the love of his life being gone.

If it had not been for Mary, their nanny. There is no telling what would have happened to the girls during that time. Mary let Thomas mourn for a respectable time before she took matters into her own hands. Boy, did she ever.

One day she got so fed up with him neglecting Madelyn and Kaitlyn that she had a few of his men carry him out to the inner garden. She had the men tie Thomas up, and then she splashed buckets of frigid water in his face until he came to. Mary told Madelyn it took three buckets of icy water to get him awake. He woke up sputtering and furious. Mary laughs about it now.

When she knew she had his undivided attention, she reprimanded him for the way he had been acting and for him neglecting the girls. By the time she finished, he was almost himself again. Madelyn believes that is the day their hidden romance budded.

To Madelyn’s ultimate chagrin, their father had not let her back on the schooner since her mother died. The closest that Kaitlyn had gotten was seeing the ship from the beach. Madelyn knew that if her father had anything to say about it, neither girl would ever set foot on a ship again. Fat chance, father. Madelyn giggled to herself.

Thank goodness he was not aware of the time she had taken Kaitlyn by dingy to the ship he kept hidden in the cove. Madelyn was sure he did not know she knew it was there. He would be furious if he knew she went to it. Frequently. She loved the sea. She loved to feel the ship gently sway beneath her.

The sea was her sanctuary. Madelyn vowed to change her father’s opinion. She felt closer to her mother when she was out there. When she was young, before Kaitlyn, the three of them would sail all the time.

There was not much about sailing that Madelyn did not know. She could even run the helm from time to time with her father and mother standing beside her. She missed the times when it was the two of them, at the helm, with the feel of the ship gliding across the water. She missed it so much.

Madelyn missed Georgina. Sometimes so much it made her chest hurt. She did not know how she would make it through the wedding. Georgina’s gentle touches and soft humming as she was fussing with Madelyn’s hair was always soothing. Madelyn may miss her mother dearly, Mary being there helps. Madelyn is sure she would not have been able to get through the pain without Mary’s help.

Mary had been Madelyn’s nanny since she was a baby. When Kaitlyn was born, Mary became her nanny. She became more like a mother to them since Georgina had passed away. Mary is not that much older than Georgina and was her best friend. She was quite the lovely lady.

No matter how she tried to hide it. She was exquisite. Her best efforts to look frumpy failed in comparison. She was petite in build and height. Mary stood about five feet tall, so to see her stand next to Thomas was comical. She had flaming red hair and emerald eyes against the most alabaster skin. She had the cutest freckles all over her face. With her coloring and demeanor, she could be the descendent of a king or something.

Madelyn loved to watch Mary put the pirates in their place. She has become feared by some of the meanest of pirates around. She makes it quite clear when they have overstepped their bounds. Most that had been here before knew the rules in this house. She could be formidable. Even with her challenged height.

Mary would get onto one of their visitors for tracking in anything, or for putting their boots on the furniture. It was comical when Mary would get mad. Her skin would turn as red as her hair. Her eyes would take on a darker shade of Emerald green. Madelyn could swear that some pirates would anger Mary just to see her get flustered. It always made Madelyn and Kaitlyn giggle.

Pirates! What a confounding lot. Arranging a marriage for her to a pirate? That makes sense! Edmond Blackborne! She Could not deny that it intrigued her a little. He was the son of a pirate, so most likely a pirate himself. He spent his youth on a pirate ship. If he were not a pirate, that would be news to her.

“Maddie,” Kaitlyn began. Startling Madelyn out of her thoughts. “What are you thinking about? Your forehead is all crinkly again,” Kaitlyn said as she continued brushing the hair of one of her dolls.

Leave it to Kaitlyn to shake her out of her musings, and thankfully so too. “I was wondering what kind of man my ‘betrothed’ is.” Madelyn said the word betrothed sarcastically.

Kaitlyn stated, “We do not need any yucky boys here. Did you know boys give you cooties? That is what Papa said.”

Madelyn Could not help but laugh out loud, “I am sure he did.”

“Maddie,” Kaitlyn called to her, “If you get married, are you going to leave me too?”

“What do you mean by that?” Madelyn asked, concerned about where this line of questioning came from. She never wanted Kaitlyn to fear being left alone. That is the worst feeling in the world.

“Well, when you get married, you and that yucky boy will leave, would not you?” Kaitlyn’s voice broke as a tear slid down her cheek. “You will leave and never come back.” Kaitlyn whispered. “Just like momma did.”.

Madelyn walked over to where Kaitlyn was playing. She was not sure what to tell Kaitlyn, because she did not want to make any promises that she could not keep. Madelyn did not want her to worry, either. While Madelyn thought of what to say to the baby girl, she pulled Kaitlyn into her lap to hold her. As soon as Madelyn wrapped her arms around Kaitlyn, she started sobbing. Madelyn just rocked her and calmed her softly while rubbing her back.

When Madelyn finally thought of something that she could say. She took Kaitlyn by the arms gently and held Kaitlyn out in front of her. Looking in Kaitlyn’s eyes she said, “Kaitlyn, no matter what happens, know that I will always love you. You will always be welcome at my home, no matter where it is, ok?”

“Ok!” Kaitlyn sniffled and then cuddled back up to Madelyn.

After she got Kaitlyn settled for a while, she went off to her own bedchamber. Madelyn wished she had her mother here to talk to. She knew she could talk to Mary about anything, but sometimes she wished her mother were here. She had so much to talk to her about and wanted to hear what wisdom her mother would give.

As Madelyn sat in front of her mirror. She was desperately hoping that her betrothed would not take her too far away. She needed to be here for Kaitlyn. To watch her grow up and blossom into a woman. She wanted to be near to help her through the things that all girls go through as they grow up. Their mother may not be here to do it, but Madelyn would make sure she was there.

Madelyn will have to sit Edmond Blackborne down to make sure he understands the importance of her being near. To be there for Kaitlyn. If he refuses to understand, she will make him understand. Or she just would not marry him. She shrugged her shoulder at this thought. Madelyn did not care if her father approved or not.