Black Sam - Prince of Pirates

Forty-Seven - THE PROPOSAL

Forty - Seven - THE PROPOSAL

July 1717

Maria walked between tables of rowdy drunken men holding two mugs in each hand. She got to a table where four rough looking men sat laughing at ridiculous things. She sat the mugs down on their table. “That’s it for me boys, if you have need of another drink, heaven forbid, it will be Hanna or Israel to tend to it.”

Her accent was getting better; she had been working hard at not sounding so proper. Any time she slipped up, she just slipped in a curse, and the men never thought anything of it.

“Oh, come on that’s not right, we were just taking a liking to you.” One man said reaching out for her hand.

She hesitated but still needed to play the part and so she gave in. What is a little kiss on the hand? She rationalized to herself.

The man took her hand and pulled her onto his lap where he tried to kiss her face. She screamed and broke free of his grip. He laughed a wicked cackle and put his hand on her behind with a squeeze. She screamed, picked up one of the mugs and slammed it against the man’s head, sending him crashing unconscious to the wood floor.

Her hand went to her mouth in shock of what she had just done. Hanna came running to her side as Israel tended to the prostrate man.

Maria had acted on pure instinct and now tried to apologize. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…it just happened.”

The man’s friends sat with wide eyes and open mouths. One of the men, big and rotund, wiped his ale laced mouth and burped. With a burst, they laughed as if it were the funniest thing they’d ever heard.

Their friend woke up and held his head in pain.

Israel winked at Maria. “You better go before he gains all of his senses back, Hanna can help you.” Israel then turned to the man’s friends. “Help me get him to his seat.”

Hanna ushered Maria out of her maiden outfit and into her breeches and blouse. She still dressed like a boy when coming and going. It was a dangerous place for a girl to be walking alone, especially one of money, but the disguise worked well enough.

Hanna fixed Maria’s hair into a braid and held it at the end with a black ribbon. She rubbed some soot on her face and then placed a hat on her head.

“There you go, the prettiest man I’ve ever seen,” Hanna said with a giggle.

Maria gave her friend a cockeyed smile. “I hope not too pretty.”

Hanna helped her button up her vest. “No, you make a handsome young man. Just remember to walk like one.”

“I think I’m getting the hang of that now. My mother has reprimanded me for it several times.”

Hanna tucked some ringlets up into Maria’s hat. “There you go, out the back door with you.”

                                                                                            ***

Maria walked along the dirt road toward town. She had made good time thus far, but she still had a ways to go and felt nervous as usual. The cobblestone streets of Cape Cod were always the first step to feeling a little bit safer, so that is what she set her mind to.

She thought she heard the thumping sound of hoofs in the dirt behind her in the distance. She turned around quickly and saw nothing in the darkness. Her eyes widened as she turned and focused on the start of the cobblestone street just ahead. She heard the sound again and as she turned around, she saw four glowing eyes coming right at her.