Chapter Text
Somewhere in the wide Sargasso Sea, cruising on gentle lee winds the Santa Maria slipped through the dawn light, at the wheel was her Helmsman Sid Carter, a tall rogue with a quick grin and sparkling blue eyes, he had been the second Officer on the Bermudan Sloop since Captain Montague, otherwise known as Lady Felicia, Countess of Montague, wife of the Governor of Port Royal, had begged her husband to let her have “a little ship of her own”. The Captain herself was sunning herself on her quarterdeck, lazing with her book beside Sid’s parted feet.
“Where is Bun?” Sid looked down and asked “I’m gasping here?” He referred to the first officer of the ship, the Captain's 25 year old niece Penelope Windermere, or Bunty to her friends.
“You know she’s studying that silly map she picked up in St Georges Harbour, she’s convinced it's a treasure map” She shook her head “why would a treasure map find itself at a flea market on Bermuda?”
“Dunno,” Sid laughed, “but it could be, stranger things have happened?”
“Like what Sidney?”
“I hear the Countess of Montague has gone Pirate” he winked at her.
“Yes well, treasure or no treasure we need to be back in Port Royal before Monty returns or we’ll all be for the high jump” she shook her head
“It's alright for you, I’ll get hanged, you’ll just get grounded” Sid reminded her.
“You still have a letter of Marque Sidney you’ll be fine” She shook her head “and anyway, we aren’t attacking Royal Navy ships are we?”
“Much”
“Much” she grinned “well Dickie Hambleston deserved it, he’s such a prig”.
Bunty came running up onto deck with her hair loose and a huge grin on her face “Mayaguana island Sid” she panted "that's where we need to go, that’s what this is a map of, I’ve broken the cipher”.
“There's nothing on Mayaguana island Bun” Sid told her “trees and the pirates well, that's it, the Spanish cleared it a century ago”
“And this is when this map is from, from the original islanders, it tells of a fabulous jewel” she stretched her hand wide “oh do lets go” she whined to her Aunt.
“Monty will be returning to Port Royal, by the end of the month, and we really need to be back” Felicia told her “and we’ve been gone for weeks already, we need to pay and release the crew otherwise they’ll mutiny”
“If you don’t relieve me Bun I’m mutinying right here and now” Sid told her indicating the wheel, “I’ve been here for hours”
“Why didn’t you lash it?”
“Have I taught you nothing?” Sid shook his head “out here we have centrifugal currents” he swirled his hand in demonstration “if you don’t keep dead reckoning you’ll end up back on Bermuda or worse in the Carolinas before you know it” he shook his head “take the wheel, and my compass, I’m going for a beer and a slash and I’ll be back to show you the finer points of maritime navigation, again”
“I know” she said tartly “I just forgot”
“You forget, we die” he reminded her “and I can't afford to die, Blind ‘Arry owes me 100pieces when we get back to Port Royal”.
“If we go straight home via the Windward Passage, we go practically straight past Mayaguana island” Bunty showed them the map.
“Again I know how to get to Pirates Well Bun” Sid said “but we need to go home, how long is it going to take us digging up an uninhabited forest?”
“But we have a map, come on Aunt Fliss, we’re pirates, let's get some pirate treasure?”
“We could put it to the vote” Felicia drawled
“Fuck” Sid shook his head knowing if they asked the crew he was definitely going to find himself on Mayaguana island. He sighed heavily “alright, I’ll get the lads together, and Fliss can do one of her buccaneering speeches” he paused “but I still think this is a bad idea”.
The Santa Maria had a shallow draft which was ideal for these tiny islands, and despite Bunty insisting she could Navigate perfectly well to the small bay where the Pirates Well was, Sid loved the little ship she was fast and beautiful, gliding into the tiny natural port was always going to be his job. Sid thought however much he missed sharing Shelley's bed in her chamber above the Red Lion, it wasn’t a bad life this pirating. The crew dropped anchor, and the longboat, pulling ashore on the bleach white sand. Felicia had stepped out holding Sid’s hand for support, and looked around.
“Oooh isn’t it lovely?” she beamed
“Yeah” Sid dropped her hand, and brought his to the Flintlock at his waist “could be anything here?” he warned
“Treasure!” Bunty beamed, “there's treasure here!”
“Somebody be watching us” Blind ‘Arry told them.
“Great” Sid whispered.
Bunty pulled out her map and walked towards the trees, “this way gang!”
“Bun!” Sid started to shout but she stopped dead as a figure moved in the treeline, there really was someone watching them.
Bunty stared at the figure in the overgrowth, “Erm hello?” she waved, and the figure ducked down slightly. Sid came and stood next to her and also waved at the figure. They were stood watching for a few moments when another figure appeared, this one was a small man in a black robe and large black hat came wandering out of the trees and stopped by the hidden figure.
“What are you doing Mrs McCarthy?” he asked
“Pirates!” the woman shouted and the man turned seeing the crew for the first time, he waved and they waved back.
“Hullo!” He smiled “welcome to Mayaguana!”
“HELLO!” Felicia took over stalking past her niece and helmsman “How lovely to meet you, I am Captain Felicia Montague and this is my crew, isn’t this place just paradise?”
“Captain, I’m Father Brown” the little priest told her “and this is my secretary Mrs McCarthy” he gently pushed the older lady from behind the trees so she tumbled out. She was wearing a brightly coloured patched dress, her hair falling long around her shoulders, with a little fascinator hat perched on her head.
“How lovely to meet you” Bunty smiled “have you lived here long?”
“Oh erm 20 years” Mrs McCarthy smiled “Father came to serve as our priest on Adros, and there was a slight disagreement” she smiled “anyway, we’re pleased to meet you, have you had your tea?”
With the rest of the crew now ashore, Father Brown showed them round their island, the vegetable garden, and the goats and chickens, the little wooden church they’d built and the little village of huts they had fashioned in case anyone ever came to visit them.
“Can we stay?” Sid asked feasting on fresh pineapples
“We’d be delighted” Father Brown smiled “it can get lonely”
“We do need to be back in Port Royal” Felicia reminded him
“Oh yeah” Sid looked down at his feast “shame”
“What about the treasure?” Bunty insisted “the map, the jewels”
“Oh yes well we know all about that” Mrs McCarthy smiled
“So there is loot?” Bunty insisted “proper loot?”
Father Brown smiled “when we first came here, there was a priestess of the old religion here, she was very kind, and helped us settle in, she taught Mrs McCarthy the secrets of the island”
“I’ll show you after dinner this evening” Mrs McCarthy told them, and then looked at Sid, “oh look at you with all that round your face, she picked up a handkerchief and went at the pirate with the clucking of a mother hen.
“Oi get off” he complained, making no move to stop her.
“I can honestly say Mrs McCarthy, that was the best meal I’ve ever had in my life” Blind ‘Arry told her “I assume Mr McCarthy has gone to his eternal rest?”
“Sadly so Mr Sloan”
“Ah in which case” the old rogue knelt down “Mrs McCarthy I offer you my hand, and all my bootie if you’d be my wife”
“Oi” Sid punched his arm “that bootie is mine when we get back to Port Royal”
“Come on Sid, I’m in ‘ere”
“You most certainly aren’t in anywhere Mr Sloan” Mrs McCarthy tutted “I’m perfectly happy where I am” she carefully covered the goat stew with a palm wicker lid “now if you’re all fed, I’ll go and get the jewels.
“Jewels?” Sid sat up “multiple?”
“Oh yes” Father Brown smiled “if you ask nicely she might let you take some back to Port Royal”.
The whole crew was sat in silent reverie in the darkening fire circle when Mrs McCarthy returned with a large dish in her hands, her face glowing with a red reflection from the plate in her hands, they all craned to see what she had, and when she placed the plate on the long table they all took an in breath.
“Scones?” Felicia asked
“Yes” Mrs McCarthy grinned “My own special recipe, wild strawberry scones”
There was a slight groan of disappointment, but then Sid reached out and took a scone, shoving it into his mouth, Bunty looked at him as he bit down, and closed his eyes “OH” he mumbled “OH GOD”
“Sidney?” Felicia asked, suddenly serious “are you OK?”
“OH FLISS, BUN it's immense!” tears fell from his eyes “that, I’ve never tasted anything, OH my GOD!”
“Well yes” Father Brown smiled “you see strawberries don’t grow naturally here, but the Priestess told us God himself had come and planted these, her people called them the “jewels of the caribbean”.
The other pirates fell on the scones with gusto, each one losing the ability to think after eating them. Eventually falling into contented sober slumbers of the forest floor.
“Well that went well Father?” Mrs McCarthy told him, carefully tucking Sid under the blanket, and ensuring the other 12 Crew were similarly tucked “do you think they will stay now?”
“No Mrs McCarthy” he nodded “I don’t think they’ll stay,,,,,,but they will definitely return regularly” he smiled down at his new flock.