A Hidden Queen

Chapter 23

John bends at the waist, staring Josephine squarely in the face. She inhales sharply keeping her gaze on him. Her red hair fell around her face, making her wide-eyed appearance seem innocent. Her deep blue eyes held much anguish. John stops himself from inhaling sharply. It has been some time since he has seen Joe. She was a short, but somewhat of a long-legged teenager with a big personality. She was now a young woman in her early twenties. She had a beauty to her that would make any man stop and glance her way. Josephine has turned into a beautiful young woman, resembling both her mother Martha and her father Clinton. John sighs, straightening to his full height.

Joe winces as she tries to move her arms, twisting her body a little. John's eyes catch movement around Joe's neck. He pauses, furrowing down his brow and he moves some of Joe's hair away from her face and neck. His breath catches as he sees the familiar carved turtle. John reaches out, hesitating before taking the pendant in his fingers. He stares down at it, his breathing hitching as he exhales.

"This was your mother's. Clinton never took it off after she passed. Then it is true; Clinton is dead." He states, running his thumb over the wood.

John flicks his eyes on Joe as a heartbreaking sound leaves her body. She looks up at him with so much remorse and sadness. John can see the corners of her eyes becoming clogged with unreleased tears. He sighs heavily, dropping the necklace back against her skin. John glances around his crew, each of them staring hard at him.

"Is this her or not Captain?" Alex asked peevishly.

John quirks an eyebrow at Alex. He was a man with a fierce temper and very little patience. John had welcomed the boy onto his ship after Charlie and him begged John to take them away. Both boys had been a young twenty-two with boyish features when that took place. Neither had known squat about the sea, nor running a ship as the family had been mere farmers. Each had learned quickly, Charlie a bit faster than Alex, and turned into excellent seaman. The young men were now a strapping twenty-five with rugged handsome features. But John sighs, Alex now had an attitude that needed to be curbed. And he still hesitates when it comes to going into battle. Charlie was all too eager, willing to listen to orders even when they made no sense to him. He was always at someone's side, learning a new trade, a new skill and willing to work hard to perfect it. John groans within himself as he runs a hand down his neck.

He lifts his eyes when he hears Alex mumble something incoherent under his breath. He turns his head to the right in a childish way. John narrows his eyes as he notices the bruise on Alex's face. He grabs at his jaw, startling Alex to focus directly on him. John adds pressure to his grip, making the boy wince as he forces him to turn his head once again. The bruise covers the cheek bone, its edges creeping downwards. It was already an angry black and blue. John runs a calloused thumb over the small cut earning a sharp inhale from the young man.

"And how did you come about this might I ask?" John questions, staring directly into Alex's brown eyes.

"I'm not sure I wanna answer that sir."

"Then I'll answer it for him. He underestimated this girl here and she clocked him in the face with the heel of her boot." Charlie offers candidly.

"Charlie!" Alex seethes, his face turning bright red.

"Did I not warn you that she was mean spirited, boy?" John smirks.

"Mean spirited doesn't even begin to describe her captain. She kicks harder than any mule." Alex grumbles.

"I wouldn't have to kick like a mule if you hadn't been a barbarian and grabbed me like you did." Josephine snaps.

Alex's mouth falls open, "Why you little. . "