Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Thirteen

Captain John Henry tipped his head back and let the spicy liquor slide down his throat. A little dribbled down his chin, but he did not seem to care. Flynn stood nearby with his arms folded over his chest. It was obvious he disapproved of his father's behavior. Maybe he just disapproved of his father. I could not really tell.

As the ship made its journey out of the bay, I turned and watched my town shrink. The shore was the first to disappear, then the house, until only the top of the church steeple could be seen. I sighed heavily; I was doing it. I was leaving and trying to find Jane. I could not believe that the soldiers did not recognize me. Would my father ship out my things next? As I stood pondering, Flynn put his hand on my shoulder. I turned away from the direction of land and focused on the sea ahead. My new life. I was no longer a governor's daughter. I was the cabin boy on The Gilded Lady.

"Are you all right?" Flynn asked, as he clasped his hands behind his back.

"I'm fine."

He nodded and went down on deck with the rest of the men.

"Boy, belay that loose rope to the pin!" Captain Henry pointed toward a flailing rope.

I ran down the steps and grabbed hold of the rope, tying it off. The other men were going about their usual duties. Two men stood in the crow's nest, a few were swabbing the decks, and everyone else seemed to have their daily routines memorized. I wondered if they ever tried doing something different or trading jobs.

"Thomas! Get yer head out o' the clouds!"

I went running to the captain's side. "Aye, sir?"

"Get the spyglass," he bellowed while turning the wheel.

I nodded and headed for his quarters. There was an opulent bed on one side with a chest of drawers. In the center of the room was a large dining table decorated as though he were having the king over for supper. In front of the large window at the back of the room was an extravagant writing desk. I riffled through the papers and moved things around, trying to find the telescope. Sitting on the corner was a purple, blue, and black box. It looked like nothing more than a child's trinket box. I opened it and saw ladies' jewels. Resting on top was a gold chain with an oval locket. There was a diamond in the center with an intricate design on it. I picked it up and closed my eyes. Taking a few deep breaths, I opened it. On the left side of the beautiful necklace was a picture of my mother. On the right was a picture of me.

"What are you doing?" I spun around, tears in my eyes, and stared into Flynn's face. His nostrils flared, his cheeks were beat red, and the vein in his neck popped. "Are you trying to get caught, Anne?"

"He has Jane's necklace," I sputtered holding up the locket.

"What?"

I held up the oval locket that was still on the gold chain mother had given Jane all those years ago. "Mother's picture is on one side, and mine is on the other."

"Let me see." He took the locket from me.

I watched as his face softened from the furious anger when he walked in to disgusted with a hint or irate thrown in for good measure. He handed the locket back to me and turned to leave.

"What do I do?"

"Put it on. We'll deal with it when we dock in the Caribbean. The bring 'em near is on his stand near the bed," he said before storming out of the quarters.

I tried to avoid eye contact with Captain Henry when he grabbed it off me. "What kept you?"

"I-I couldn't find it," I stammered.

He studied my face for a few long moments before extending the cylinder and peering through the small eyepiece. He scanned the ocean, put it down, and continued steering the ship in the same direction.

There wasn't a cloud in sight. I had never seen a bluer sky, nor such beautiful turquoise water. The salty air sprayed in my face as the ship cut through waves on its way to the Caribbean. I was brought back to reality when I heard the banging of a tin cup against wood. I looked at the captain and noticed him smacking his empty mug off the wheel. I obediently fetched him a drink. That is how the days dragged on. That was my life, fetching drinks, tying off rope, and otherwise being the captain's wench. We saw no other ships, not even a pirate ship. I felt as though I was going mad. I wanted nothing more than to see land, even a tiny speck of land. As the days turned into weeks I was shocked and thrilled when the man in the crow's-nest finally hollered.

"Land ho!" came a shout from above.

I could scarce believe my ears. Was it true? Could we be near land?

I ran to the side of the ship and looked ahead. Sure enough, in the distance was a mountain peak. Relief washed over my body as we drew nearer.

"What port is it, Captain?" Flynn asked, taking over at the helm.

Captain Henry leapt on the railing, holding onto a rope that flapped in the wind. His hat flew off backwards landing somewhere near the anchor wheel. His head flopped back, and I could hear him shouting out in glee. I had never seen a man act in such a manner before. Flynn, though, did not have a smile on his face. He was as expressionless as a dead man.

"It's Curacao!" he shouted.

"Aye, sir," the crew yelled back.

"We're docking in Curacao?" I asked Flynn.

He nodded his head, never taking his eyes off the growing mass of land. As the captain returned to the helm, I noticed him stop and talk to the burly man from the beginning of the voyage. I still had not bothered to learn his name. I felt uneasy around him, so I tried my best to avoid him. Captain Henry's happy, cheerful expression quickly changed. The corners of his mouth turned downward, and he looked toward Flynn and me. I could not be sure which of us he was staring at, but it was enough to make me nervous.

I hoped that the crate from my father would be put on another ship because I would follow it. Then at least I would be away from that big, tall, and menacing shadow that followed John Jacks around.