Edward Teach Died on a Beach (OFMD)

Chapter 25

Ed was surprised to see candlelight by the veranda of Stede's former house. He was worried Stede had woken up in a panic. Instead, though, it was Mary. She was sitting on the porch in her nightgown, a glass in her hand.

She looked surprised to see him, but not as surprised as he imagined she'd be. She raised a brow and smiled slightly at him.

"Claret?" She asked, holding up her glass. "You look like you need it."

"Yeah, thanks," Ed said hesitantly.

"I'll be right back," Mary said, getting up.

Ed watched her go back inside. He was left alone for a moment. He glanced toward the art studio. The windows were dark.

He suddenly wondered if there was some rule to even this interaction. Was he supposed to say no? Was there a code he was missing?

Mary returned with a fancy clear glass. It had a tall, intricately designed neck. Mary also held a fancy bottle of red wine. Claret, she'd called it.

Mary returned to her chair on the veranda. She gestured at the chair next to her. Ed frowned, nervously stepping onto the veranda and sitting down on the chair. He made sure his silk robe was covering him. Mary held out the glass. Ed took it hesitantly.

"Can't sleep?" Mary asked.

Ed shook his head. "The stillness keeps me awake."

Mary nodded slightly, chuckling. "I could imagine."

"What about you?" Ed asked, holding his hand still as Mary poured claret into his glass.

"Doug's a snorer," Mary said. "And honestly, I like sitting out here for a while. It's peaceful."

Ed looked out at the dark sky. He looked up at the moon. "It is peaceful."

Mary nodded and stared out at it for a while. Then, she looked at Ed.

"You're really good with the kids," Mary said.

Ed shrugged. "Kids aren't like adults. Even if they do something bad, it's not their fault. It's just them playing the cards they were given."

"I feel like that's the same for most people. Except for the truly bad people," Mary said, watching him.

Ed took a sip of the claret. He wasn't used to savoring alcohol. "Sometimes I wonder if I'm one of those."

"You're not," Mary replied instantly.

"You don't know that. I could be terrible, just like all the books say. Like the Navy says," Ed said, rolling his eyes when he mentioned the Navy.

Mary shrugged. "Someone truly bad at heart wouldn't play sword fight with kids. They wouldn't do those simple little things that mean a lot to some people. They wouldn't care."

Ed chuckled softly.

"They would not stop talking about it as I was putting them to bed," Mary said, smiling. "Alma kept telling me where the best place to be stabbed is."

Ed's eyes widened. "Sorry about that."

Mary waved at him dismissively. "I guess it's okay advice for her to have. I'd rather her never have the chance to use it, but... if she's anything like her father."

Ed smiled. "She's got a good stance too. She could fight pretty well if she wanted to."

Mary looked at the sky, smiling. "Maybe you or Stede could teach her one day. It wouldn't be the worst thing for her to know how to protect herself."

Ed laughed a little. "Stede's... gotten a little better. I don't think I'd want him teaching anything, though."

Mary grinned. "How is he doing? I mean, in your eyes. You're a fairly seasoned pirate."