Emerald Seas

Chapter 17

The carriage moved on. Kate had settled down and realized it had no use to 'fight' Mercer. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, she almost looked offended. Mr. Mercer was carrying a smirk on his face like he was amused by the sight of Kate's frustration.

'Is there something amusing about the whole situation Mr. Mercer?' Kate asked sarcastically and the corners of his mouth curled upward. They had gotten to know each other a lot better over the course of the last few months. He wasn't a man of great speech, but as time gone by it seemed like he had started to trust her and he had told her about his past. How he lost his wife and daughter years ago at the hand of criminals. How he ended up working for the Company, the only distraction from the great pain he was carrying. Kate never realized this and felt sympathy for him, something she did not expect herself to feel. But it proved that every single person has a story of his own.

'Can you at least tell me where we are going?' she whispered while her concerned eyes settled upon his face that still watched her. Without speaking he moved the small curtains of the carriage's window to the side with his gloved hand. Kate noticed the Wicked Wench in the far distance of the docks, being prepared. Suddenly she understood what the plan was, it would get her away from London to make sure she was safe. But without Cutler. The Endeavour couldn't be readied in this short amount of time, but the Wicked Wench could.

'No' Kate whispered and her sight quickly shifted back to Mercer. The carriage stopped when they arrived at the docks moments later. There were few people, no guards, no Company men. They had to leave without being discovered. Before Mercer moved his hand onto the door handle of the carriage Kate took his arm. Her eyes pierced his while she bent forward.

'Ian, please. I don't want to lose him' Kate whispered, her eyes carried emotion and for a moment she saw the same in his eyes. He had once experienced the same fear of losing the people he loved, he must be able to understand her. She needed to leave the docks at all cost, and not aboard a ship.

Kate noticed Mercer swallow, his dark eyes had lowered to the ground.

'I know Milady, but there is no other way. You need to be safe and this seemed to be the only option' Mercer spoke quickly.

'Lord Beckett needs to stay behind to not make the King any more suspicious. If he stays here to inform him of how you needed to leave London for the sake of your health it might let us escape without being convicted' Mercer tried to explain. Kate lowered her eyes, she understood but could not cope with the fact it endangered Cutler.

'If they find out we lied they might arrest Cutler for treason against the crown.. it could cost him his head!' Kate's voice started to rise. 

'He is not the kind of man to take on foolish actions, you know that' Mercer had taken her hands that had lowered to her lap earlier, he was holding them tight while his eyes pierced hers. Kate took a breath and her sight rested upon the grand Wicked Wench. She wondered if Jack was aboard. 

As Mercer helped her out of the carriage her sight went through the empty docks. If she had but one chance left, this would be it. Her thoughts were raging through her mind and she wondered if Mercer would chase her if she'd run. Her sight moved down to the heels she was wearing, she stood no chance. She would not win it from him physically, but she might turn the emotion of the moment to her advantage.

'I.. I need to see Miss Thorne before we leave' she figured if she was allowed to see Emma who lived just a block away from the docks, it might give her more time before she had to leave. Kate realized how foolish she sounded, but saw doubt in Mercer's eyes. Kate took the hood of her cape that Mercer had offered her inside the carriage moments earlier and covered her hair from the raindrops that started to fall.