The Captain's Choice

"You are assuming that the King will issue a pardon?"

"He will if you recommend it Sire."

"You are an impetuous and presumptuous young man Captain Faulkner, I'll grant you that. You have it Sir, I will recommend to His Majesty that Mrs Prunella Faulkner be pardoned and set out the facts of the matter as I believe them to be. I suppose that you now want me to wed you?"

"Yes Sir." Edward said, trying hard to hide his impatience.

"Very well then, so be it."

Edward and Prunella returned to the Jupiter as husband and wife with the letter of recommendation to the King in his hand. The celebrations went on for some time before Prunella announced that she was feeling tired and she and Edward spent their first night together as true husband and wife.

The return journey was quicker and less eventful than the journey to Sydney Town. They sailed in a southerly direction until the roaring forties carried them swiftly across the Pacific and, on rounding Cape Horn they turned to the north until the Gulf Stream carried them up the eastern seaboard of North America and across the North Atlantic to England and home.

Edward's first stop was to his house where he introduced Prunella to his sister-in-law Madeline and his children. Jeremy and Eliza were shy at first, not understanding that this woman with their father was their new mother but, with her abilities as a teacher, Prunella soon won them over and they eagerly showed her the back garden where they had many adventures.

"She's a lovely woman Edward, I can understand you marrying her, she's very much like Juliette, and the children have taken to her. She is having a child I see."

"Yes she is, we were married in Sydney Town."

"I venture that she was with child before then, as she is showing already."

"You don't miss much do you? Yes she was, I fell in love with her the very first moment I clapped eyes on her."

"Was she a convict?"

"Yes, but she is to receive a Royal pardon because she is innocent of the charges against her."

"I wish the two of you well. I suppose that you would have me move out and leave the two of you alone?"

"No. I want you to stay for the time being, I have work that will take me from home for some weeks and I think that you can help her settle in."

"Very well, I will stay for as long as you need me."

Edward stayed at home for three days before leaving to call on his father. He took with him sketches that he had made from his observations of his ship's behaviour under various conditions as well as sketches of Polynesian canoes whose slender shape and sharp bow seemed better able to withstand heavy seas than the blunt bowed English sailing vessels. He discussed his ideas with the ship designer, pointing out the severe strain on the sails and rigging caused when the ship hit a large wave, the hull virtually stopped while the rigging under sail was still driving ahead and they reached the conclusion that a ship with a narrower beam and more pointed bow would cut through the waves rather rise over it causing less strain and providing a smoother ride.

After two days at the shipyard Edward took to the road again, this time his destination was Leppington Hall and the Reverend Copley. He was led into the Reverend's study by the housekeeper to find the good man deep in thought. "Good morning sir, what can I do for you?" He rose from his chair to greet Edward.

"Sir, my name is Captain Edward Faulkner and I bring you news of your daughter."

"I hope that she's well, as well as her circumstances will allow."

"She is exceedingly well sir, in fact she is back in England."

"What is that you say? Is she not in Sydney Town?"

"No, I have some good news but first I must speak to you about your situation for I fear that my news may place that in danger."

"Speak plainly sir and allow me to be the judge of it."

"Prunella is to receive a Royal Pardon, she is free of the charges laid against her. I have just presented His Majesty's agent a letter of recommendation from Governor Phillip requesting the pardon, it is but a formality that it will be granted. What concerns me, concerns us is that this news may not be well received by your patron, after all he was responsible for the sentence of transportation."

"I think that it will come as a great relief to Sir Richard. He knows now that his daughter fabricated the evidence that led to this miscarriage and he has offered his profuse apologies on many occasions and expressed the regret the he could not undo the harm that has come to her as a result of him listening to Jacqueline. How is it that you know of this?"

"Sir, under different circumstance I would be here to ask your permission to wed your daughter Prunella, but alas it is too late for that for we are already wed and you are shortly to become a grandfather."

"What news! Saints be praised, Edward isn't it? You have restored my faith in both God and my fellow man at a time when I despaired of ever having it restored. Tell me all, how did this come about?"

"I noticed her as she was boarding my ship and decided in that instant that she was not as the other women being transported, so I invited her to join me in my cabin. I have to admit that for various reasons, I had recently lost my wife to illness and had not had any female companionship for some twelve months, that I could do with some companionship on this voyage and yes, carnal thoughts were among those in my head at the time. But on observing her and hearing her story I realise that any such thoughts were beneath me."

"She was a pleasant companion and we grew closer and by the time that we reached Cape Town we knew that we were very much in love. Your daughter did something that showed to me and the entire crew just how selfless her nature was for she volunteered to nurse a typhus patient until she was over the illness. When we reached Sydney Town I applied to the Governor for permission to marry her. This was given along with the letter of recommendation to His Majesty for the pardon."

"When can I see her?"

"Now that I know that her return will actually bring joy to Sir Richard as well as yourself, I shall return home and fetch her. You shall be re-united in a matter of days."

"Make haste sir, so that I may be with her again."

Edward rode straightaway for his home. Prunella rushed from the door as soon as she heard his footsteps approaching the front door. "Darling, I'm so pleased to see you." Her kisses prevented further words for many seconds. "I missed you so much, come in." She dragged him inside. "Jeremy, Eliza, Daddy's home!" There was a clattering of footsteps as the children dashed into the house from the back garden.

"Daddy!" Jeremy shouted as he threw himself at Edward. "Mummy is helping us build a tree house, come and I'll show you." He grabbed Edward's hand and led him into the back garden. "Look, isn't it grand!" It was indeed a grand structure. Jeremy took Prunella's hand in his. "Mummy is such a good builder."

"You?" Edward looked at his wife. "Where's Madeline?"

"Off walking the fields with her beau. You'll never guess who it is." Just then the gate at the rear of the garden opened to admit Madeline and Tom.

"We heard the commotion from some fifty yards away and came as quickly as we could, we knew that it could only be your return."

Prunella and Madeline went inside to prepare tea for the men. "What news of the ship, when is she to sail again and are you the new captain?"

"We sail for Port Jackson in two weeks with another load of female convicts and yes, I am the new Master."

"Good for you, I wish you a safe journey." Edward noticed an uneasy look on Tom's face.

"I wish that I didn't have to make this voyage. As you've observed Madeline and I are in love and I do not want to leave her at this time. I fear that if I do she may find another man."

"I think not, she will stay with us and we can keep any prospective suitors at bay."

They were called inside where tea was laid out for them. "What news of your trip Edward, is all well?" Prunella asked.

"All is very well indeed. I called on your father and have returned under strict orders to bring you to him as soon as possible. Sir Richard will also want to see you so that he can apologise for the harm that he has caused."

"You went to my father without me, why?"

"To ask for your hand in marriage, late that this was, it was given by the way, and to find out if your return would cause any difficulties. That was how I knew that Sir Richard wanted to apologise."

Prunella forgot all about her tea and rushed to Edward and hugged him to herself. "You are such a wonderful man. I love you so much." She tilted her face to him and he kissed her.

"Are you taking lesson Tom?" Madeline said. Tom was, although he said nothing.

"How long are you staying Tom?" Edward asked.

"I leave this afternoon, I have to be back on the ship tomorrow, why?"

"We will leave in the morning for Leppington Hall, if you were to remain I would suggest to Madeline that she remain with you but as you will have left by then she will accompany us." The looks exchanged between Tom and Madeline spoke loud and clear just how they intended to spend the time between now and when Tom left.

"Did you know Madeline was in love with you and had made plans to marry you on your return?"

"Are you sure of this?"

"Yes, she told me so herself, that was after she realised that there was no possible way that she could compete with me for your love. She is very happy for us now, especially now that Tom has professed his love for her and in time I'm sure that she will return that love."

"I hope so, Tom's a good man and will make a good husband, she could do a lot worse."

"So could he, she will make a wonderful wife and mother, the children love her."

Tom bade a tearful farewell to Madeline, and a formal farewell to Edward and Prunella, late in the afternoon with the promise of a visit immediately on his return.

Dinner out of the way Edward and Prunella were in bed, their night attire thrown over the bed stead. They mumbled to each other as they explored the now familiar territory of each other's bodies. "You are more beautiful now than ever before." He said as he ran his hand over her now obviously pregnant belly. Her attentions were on the cause of her pregnancy. "You will do no damage if you make love to me." She whispered. They had been apart for a matter of days but their love making suggested a much longer separation. "I still have bad dreams of what might have been if you had not chosen me from all of those women. God must have been watching over me."

"I dread to think of what might have happened if I'd chosen another, but once my eyes rested on you there could have been no other." He fondled her breasts, now fuller and to his eyes better than before, her darkening aureoles in contrast to her pale skin. He bent to kiss them and she held his head to them with one hand while the other worked to bring his cock to life once more.

The next morning Edward went off to arrange a carriage for them for the trip to Leppington Hall. "Will you two ever slow down?" Madeline asked Prunella.

"What do you mean?" Looks were exchanged, Madeline's said 'you know very well what I mean,' while Prunella's said 'we kept our lovemaking as quiet as possible'.

"Don't worry, I'm not jealous of you, not anymore that is. Tom has promised that we will be married on his return."

"Congratulations, I wish you every happiness."

Prunella's father ran faster than he had ever run as the carriage entered the grounds. He was waiting at the lych-gate for them and was overjoyed at being introduced to his instant family. Jeremy and Eliza were subdued until Prunella took them for a walk around the small cemetery telling them tales of those buried there, not all of them true.

Within minutes of their arrival a messenger from the hall came down with an invitation for them all to attend. Sir Richard greeted them in the library. "Prunella, I cannot begin to imagine the hardships that my listening to the lies that my daughter told about you have caused, and I mean to make it up to you in some way."

"Do not bother yourself with that for I forgive you. If it wasn't for what happened I would never have met my husband, so in a way you have done me a great favour. I cannot imagine how I could be happier than I am now but I'm sure that my life will just get happier as time goes by. Think no more of the matter."

"You are your father's daughter right enough. Nevertheless I will make you an endowment of one thousand pounds a year for life." The strength of his words told him that his decision was final.