The Pirate and the Runaway Bride

There were two problems with that plan. Mister Bodine couldn't just walk down to the cook's fire and talk to him, not unless his shoulder had healed enough to allow him to reassume his duties as First Mate.

The second problem was Mister Bodine had no idea where the Bluefish was. If Captain Riggins had sailed for Nassau, they should have docked by now. He was apparently searching for another ship to attack, but had not told Mister Bodine. He needed to speak to Captain Riggins in order to know where the Bluefish was and to be able to plot a course and lay in provisions for the time it would take to reach Saint Augustine.

To do either required him to convince Captain Riggins that he was fit for duty, but doing so would further endanger Felicia and Martine. Captain Riggins was content to keep Felicia and Martine locked in the cabin as long as they were treating his injury. Once he was well, Captain Riggins might decide not to wait until the Bluefish reached Nassau before taking what he undoubtedly considered his right.

Mister Bodine related all this to Felicia. She listened until he finished, and then said, "I might know a way to bring the cook to you. It is also full of risks, but if your Captain Riggins is the man I believe him to be, he is already changing his mind about my fate. It is my opinion that if we fail, we will have lost little. If we succeed, we will all be the better for it."

When the two crewmen brought the evening meal that night, Felicia took two of the bowls of the usual salt pork and peas, but told the crewmen that Mister Bodine had taken a turn for the worse and that he needed different food.

"I can not explain what he needs to a common seamen, but the cook will understand what I want. Bring the cook to me and I will tell him."

One of the crewmen said they would have to ask Captain Riggins, to which Felicia replied, "Then go and ask Captain Riggins if he would kill Mister Bodine by giving him food that only makes his condition worse. I will not be held responsible for Mister Bodine's death unless I am given what I need to heal him."

The ship's bell rang twice before the cabin door opened again. The two seamen stood there with the black cook. The cook smiled.

"What Missy want with cook?"

Felicia looked at the two seamen.

"My business is only with the cook. Close the door and bolt it, lest I attack and kill you both."

The two seamen chuckled, but did as she asked. Felicia then turned to the cook.

"Mister Bodine and I would speak with you, but be warned, if you tell anyone about what we say, I will tell Captain Riggins it was your proposal. He will likely drag you behind this ship until you drown."

The cook's eyes were open wide. "Missy, I not like Cap'n Riggins. I not tell anything."

Mister Bodine's first question was the location of the Bluefish. The cook wasn't sure, but said they were to dock at Black River for supplies in a day or two and that the Quartermaster had asked him what supplies he needed. The only thing he knew about their final destination was that they were sailing to the Florida Keys.

Mister Bodine then asked the cook if he still wanted to leave the Bluefish and spend his days on land. To this, the cook nodded. "I go tomorrow, Mister Bodine, but I not know way."

As Mister Bodine explained his plan, the cook first frowned, then brightened when Martine said she wanted him to go with them, and finally smiled.

"Mister Bodine good man. I do what he say."

The conversation was short and spoken in low tones so the crewmen standing outside the door didn't hear anything until Felicia pounded on the door.

"Open the door and take the cook back. He knows what I need for Mister Bodine and it is important that he bring it to us himself morning and night."

So began the first part of Mister Bodine's plan. Every morning and every night, the two seamen brought food for Felicia and Martine. The cook brought a bowl of salt pork broth and four hardtack biscuits for Mister Bodine. In the bottom of each bowl was one silver piece of eight.

The three made their meal from the broth and the two bowls brought for Felicia and Martine after fishing the silver from under the salt pork. The three silver pieces of eight and the hardtack biscuits went into Mister Bodine's sea chest under his spare uniform.

Two days after their meeting, the Bluefish dropped anchor at Black River, but stayed only long enough to replenish her water casks and to load some fresh fruit. She then set sail again. The cook relayed that their destination was Lois Key where they would wait for a treasure ship to sail.

That night, Mister Bodine completed his plan.

"I know the Florida Keys, and that is where we will make our escape. Lois Key is one in the chain of Islands that stretch from Key West to the coast of Florida. If we sail from Lois Key to the South, we can make Matanzas, Cuba in about a day. Many Spanish ships leave Matanzas loaded with sugar. I know this because the Bluefish used to lie off the coast and wait for them to reach open water. We should be able to purchase passage to Saint Augustine on one of them because they will most likely stop in Saint Augustine for supplies before sailing across the Atlantic."

When the Bluefish dropped her anchor in the lee of Lois Key, Mister Bodine was ready. His shoulder still pained him if he used it too vigorously, but it was healed enough he didn't need the bandage changed every day. He thought he would be able to steer if the cook and two women could manage the sails. All he needed was something to take Captain Riggins away from his cabin after darkness fell. That something was the last part of his plan.

It happened the third night the Bluefish lay at anchor under the darkness of a new moon. While it was usual for the cook to put out his cooking fire after making the evening meal, he left it burning that night. Just before midnight, the cook put four burlap sacks on the coals and then hid under the stair that led up to the cabins in the stern.

Some time later, the watch on deck was alerted by the smoke pouring from the hold and by the smell of burning wood. When the mate of the watch investigated, he found the area around the fire in flames and sounded the alarm, then went to inform Captain Riggins.

The cook waited until Captain Riggins had descended the stair, and then went to tell the crewman guarding the door to Mister Bodine's cabin that he was needed to fight the fire. Once the guard heard the ship was on fire, He left his post at a run to join the crewmen lifting buckets of water from the side of the ship and passing them down to the hold.

When the cook unbolted the door, he stepped inside and then closed it again.

"Captain go see fire. Guard too. We best go now fast."

Mister Bodine helped Felicia and Martine into the jolly boat, handed them his sea chest, and then he and the cook lowered the boat into the water. Once the jolly boat bobbed in the gentle waves, he and the cook slid down the tackles, released the jolly boat, and began to row toward the south.

When they were half a league from the Bluefish, Mister Bodine instructed Felicia and Martine how to step the mast and unfurl the sail. They had some difficulty, but with the cook helping, the jolly boat was soon sailing toward Cuba, guided by Mister Bodine's compass lit by the small candle lantern from his cabin.

The Caribbean was fairly calm that night and the wind was gentle but steady. Felicia took a seat in the stern beside Mister Bodine so she could hear him better when he asked to ease or tighten the sail. For a while, she sat there quietly. Then, after an unusually high wave tossed the small boat, she grabbed Mister Bodine's hand.

"The boat looked so big on the ship. Now it seems small. Does it always rock about in the waves like this?"

Mister Bodine took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"All boats rock in the waves. Smaller boats rock more because they ride on top of the waves instead of plowing through them. We are safe enough."

Felicia put her cheek on his shoulder and whispered, "Thank you Mister Bodine."

He chuckled.

"You should save that thank you for when we reach Cuba. We have just begun our voyage."

Mister Bodine had chuckled, but feeling her soft hand on his and feeling her cheek against his shoulder had stirred his desire. Gently he slipped his arm around Felicia's slender waist and pulled her a little closer. When she didn't resist, he looked at her face.

In the dim light of the candle lantern he could see Felicia's parted lips. He pulled her a little closer yet, but her face didn't change. It was then that he bent his head and kissed her quickly on the lips.

He had expected her to push him away and tell him to never touch her again. He was surprised when Felicia put her hand on his cheek and pulled him down to kiss her again. When Felicia did pull away, she moved tight against him and again put her cheek on his shoulder.

"Since you have just kissed me and I have kissed you, I can no longer call you Mister Bodine. What is your name?

Mister Bodine hugged Felicia gently.

"Thomas, Thomas Bodine."

Then he chuckled.

"Since you have just kissed me and I have kissed you, would it trouble you to give my knife back? I saw you take it when you were getting my cup that night. I let you keep it because I thought it would give you some comfort. I doubt you will be needing it now."

It was late afternoon when Mister Bodine saw the coast line of Cuba in the distance. By his dead reckoning, they should be east of Matanzas. Two hours later, they were sailing to the west and just a quarter league off the coast.

There was a Spanish merchantman taking on a load of sugar and coffee at the docks in Matanzas when Mister Bodine steered the jolly boat into the harbor. Martine and the cook stayed with the jolly boat while Mister Bodine and Felicia went to the ship.

Felicia and Mister Bodine both knew if he spoke, his English accent would give them away, so Felicia introduced them to the captain by saying Mister Bodine was her husband and had been rendered deaf and mute by a disease when he was a boy. She further related that they and two servants were hoping to book passage from Matanzas to Saint Augustine to visit her parents.

When the captain eyed Mister Bodine's uniform, he asked Felicia if her husband was a seaman. She had anticipated that question and had a reply she hoped would satisfy the captain.

She shook her head and sighed.

"His goal since he was a boy was to be a captain on a ship, but as you can imagine, the Spanish Navy does not want a captain who can not speak. I fear he has never come to grips with his situation. The poor dear always insists upon wearing this uniform and pretending he is a naval officer."

She leaned toward the captain then and said in a low voice, "Were it not for my father, I would never have married him. The dowry my husband's family paid my father was nearly as much as my father's entire worth. I would suppose they wished to have their son removed from their house, and I can understand why that would be the case. It is difficult being married to a man who can not speak and thinks and behaves like a small boy. I am more nanny than wife to him. It is fortunate for me that his father gives him an allowance that enables us to live in some comfort."

When Felicia smiled then, the captain said he had planned to stop at Saint Augustine to take on fresh fruit and vegetables for the voyage to Spain, and would be happy to take them there. When he named his price, Felicia made a show of hand signals intended to tell Mister Bodine how much to pay. He fished in his pockets for the silver the cook had stolen, took out two pieces of eight, and handed them to the captain.

The captain said they would sail at daybreak the next morning and that they were welcome to spend the night in the two cabins he would reserve for them. Felicia smiled, thanked the captain and said they would take their dinner in Matanzas and then come back with their servants and their bags.

When they had planned their escape, both Felicia and Mister Bodine knew it would look strange to board a ship with no personal belongings. Once she and Mister Bodine had left the ship, they went to the village market. For herself and Mister Bodine, Felicia purchased two small leather traveling bags. For the cook and Martine, she purchased two of canvas. She also purchased two dresses, one for herself and a plainer one for Martine. Mister Bodine would continue the ruse by wearing his uniform. Since the cook was supposed to be a servant, he would continue wearing the clothes of a seaman.

Though Martine fretted the first day about again being attacked by pirates, Felicia was not so concerned. This troubled her to some extent. She should have been afraid, but for some reason, Mister Bodine gave her confidence that should such a thing happen, he would protect her. This was a feeling she'd not had about any man, including her father. She thought it was probably because of that kiss. Feeling his lips on hers had changed something inside her again.

On the second day, Felicia noticed that Martine was smiling and asked her why. Martine lowered her head and then giggled.

"Jobah make remember."

Felicia asked who Jobah was and what he'd made her remember, and Martine grinned.

"Jobah is cook name. On ship, he Cook Joe, but real name Jobah. He show me what man do wi' woman. Show me two time. First time remember."

Martine giggled again.

"Next time remember better. Jobah have big man root. Make Martine feel happy."

Felicia gasped.

"Martine, you let him...you let him lay with you."

Martine smiled.

"I not let. I ask after see Jobah man root. He not say no, an' not just lay. He say it long time but not forget. He know good what do. Meby you ask Mister Bodine and he make you feel happy too. I see you kiss on little boat. I think he not say no either."

Felicia gasped again.

"Martine, you should not even think such a thing. I will not do that with any man unless we are married first. A kiss is one thing. Lying together and...well, that is quite another."

Martine shrugged.

"Words priest say make wife, not make happy wife. Only man root do that. You ask. You see."

That night, Felicia lay on the cot in the cabin while Mister Bodine slept on the floor. He had insisted that she take the cot. She didn't fall asleep immediately though. She was thinking about what Martine had said when she heard Martine and Jobah through the wooden wall that separated their cabins.

"Jobah make Martine happy before sleep?"

"Aye, that I will, Martine."

A few minutes later, Felicia heard Martine again.

"Martine...Oh...Oh...Oh...Mwen santi mwen tankou si mwen pral eksploze...Oh... pa sispann, Oh, Oh, Ahhh."

Felica felt her belly tighten as she realized what she was hearing. Martine and Jobah were tied together and there could be no doubt that Martine was enjoying the experience. In Creole, she had just said she felt like she was going to explode and told him not to stop. Could it really be like that? Could a woman enjoy a man putting his manhood inside her? She slipped a finger between her thighs and probed her sex. The portal seemed to be very small. Martine had explained to her that such would be the case the first time, but the man would open the way. After that first time, she would feel him inside her and she would want that feeling often.

When the ship docked in Saint Augustine, the four left the ship with Jobah and Martine carrying the bags as was customary. Felicia asked the way to her grandfather's business, and after a walk of ten minutes, she walked inside.

Her grandfather looked up, gasped, and then ran to meet her.

"Felicia. I thought you lost to me. The Santa Isabella docked two weeks ago and the captain said you had been taken as a hostage for ransom."

He eyed Mister Bodine and then frowned.

"Is this man the one who would ask me to pay the ransom?"

Felicia smiled.

"No, grandfather. This is Thomas Bodine. He is the man who helped me escape."

Her grandfather didn't believe her.

"He does not look like a Spanish gentleman and his name is plainly English."

Felicia took Mister Bodine by the hand and gently pulled him to her side.

"No, he is not Spanish. He is English and he was a pirate until I shot him."

Felicia's grandfather shook his head.

"Come into my office. We should not discuss this in front of my customers and I must hear the rest of your story."

Once in her grandfather's office, Felicia related what had happened after the pirates attacked the Santa Isabella. At the end, she smiled.

"So, you see, Thomas was a pirate but did not like that life. I asked him to help me escape and he did so."

When she finished speaking, her grandfather shook his head again.

"Felicia, it is difficult to believe your tale, but I have never known you to lie to me. How did you manage to bring along two slaves with you?"

Felicia's face became stern, the same face her grandfather remembered her making as a little girl when she demanded she be allowed to ride her pony without him walking beside her. She had not relented until he had granted her wish, and she had shed no tears when the pony shied and she fell off.

When she spoke, her grandfather smiled to himself. She had changed from a girl to a woman, but her resolve was the same if not stronger.

"Grandfather, this woman is Martine, the woman who raised me after my mother died. The man is Jobah, an escaped slave who was the cook on the pirate ship. He wanted to leave that life just as did Thomas. Without his help, I would not be here today.

"They are not my slaves. They are my friends and as my father no doubt has disowned me, the only family I can call mine except for you. I refuse to have them treated as common slaves. If you can not treat them as you treat me, I have come to the wrong place for refuge. I will leave as soon as possible and take them with me."

Felicia's grandfather smiled. Yes, this was the same little girl he'd known when he visited his daughter in Hispanola. She would not change her mind.

He looked at Felicia.

"I do not want you to leave. What must I do to make you want to stay?"

Felicia had thought about what she would ask of her grandfather, and she had made only one small change after Martine told her of what Jobah and she had done on the voyage to Saint Augustine.

"Thomas wants to work. He grew up on a farm and he has worked on many ships. He knows the growing of plants and the care of animals, and also what a ship needs for a long voyage and what a ship needs for a short voyage. He does not speak or understand Spanish, but I will teach him and give him a Spanish name.

"Until then, could you place him in charge of your farm? He has commanded men in battle. He will be able to direct farm workers in their work. After he learns to speak Spanish, I believe he would be better used greeting your customers and advising them of how your business can fill their needs.

"Martine is the only mother I have ever known. She will be my servant to anyone other than the five of us, but among us, she will be accepted as my mother. She will direct the workers who do the housework and the cooking.

"Jobah was a cook on the pirate ship, but not a very good cook. I think he should be the driver of our carriage.

"We will all need rooms in the house, and I think Martine and Jobah would enjoy sharing a room. I do not mean a room in the servant's cabins. They will have a room in the main house.

"Mister Bodine will have a room of his own, as will I."

Felicia's grandfather smiled.

"Is that all you ask? Perhaps you would also want Mister Bodine admitted to the Spanish Court?"

Felicia grinned at her grandfather's attempt at humor.

"We shall see, grandfather, in due time."