Twenty Two Part One

The next morn, the storm was less ferocious. A steady rain and choppy seas were all that remained of the tempest. The lightning had passed, taking the roaring thunder with it, as it moved out to sea.

Violet, Betsy, and Brutus remained in the galley after all had broken their fast, they were lingering over their coffees and tea.

"It was a penguin, I say, and I have no idea what it means, do you?" Brutus had been telling Vi and Betsy about his dream from the night before.

"And you were kissing the penguin?" Betsy asked, with laughter in her voice.

"Not at first. At first she was a siren of the first water, with ebony hair and golden eyes, and yes, I was kissing her madly. However, she then turned into a penguin, and I did not know how to tell her that I should not be interested any longer."

Brutus' perplexed face made Violet laugh aloud. "Was it a p-p-pretty penguin?" Violet could hardly get the words out before he carried on laughing.

"I do not know, I just know it was quite strange to be kissing one." Brutus glared at his friend with a look that said, 'See if I tell you anything, ever again.'

"Was it a good k-kisser?" Violet snorted, and continued laughing at the mental picture he had conjured up in his mind.

Betsy smacked Violet on the arm, she could tell that Brutus was going to leave, if he were made the butt of Violet's jokes any longer. "I am sure t'was a perfectly lovely penguin, Brutus. As to what it means, I have no idea." Betsy thought for a moment, "Have you been reading any books that may have put it into your mind?" Betsy asked, as Violet quickly contained his mirth.

He then gave Brutus a teasing grin, that let him know this was not the end he would hear of it.

Brutus glared at Violet, then turned to Betsy, "There is not a thing I can think of that would have me getting the amorous part of a bird."

Violet snorted again, but managed not to laugh out loud this time.

"My Papa used to say, that dreams are either God speaking to us, or our subconscious minds telling us something. Are you normally able to remember your dreams?" Betsy was not going to let Violet distract her from Brutus' wonderings.

"Only occasionally." Brutus thought harder, "Most of the time not, but this time, I was so saddened that the siren had disappeared, I woke myself. I did not want to tell her I could not have a love affair with a bird." Brutus answered Betsy honestly, right before glaring at Violet again, daring him to laugh at him once more.

Violet raised his hands in the air and gave Brutus a look that said, 'It was your dream, not mine."

Brutus was mildly amused at Vi, but then turned back to Betsy. "Why in the world would she turn into a penguin?" He seemed genuinely distressed. The siren must have made quite an impression upon him to upset him so.

"Mayhap, time will tell, Brutus. Dreams can be powerful things, affecting us very deeply sometimes, I can not think of any reason your mind made her change into such as that, however." Betsy shook her head, having no real answers for him.

"I just want the siren back." Brutus said sulkily, into his coffee cup, "She was perfect." He bemoaned the fact he had lost her in the dream.

"A perfect penguin." Violet said, under his breath, out the side of his mouth to Betsy.

Betsy tried not to laugh, as she jabbed Vi in the ribs, then she gave Brutus a stunning smile, to show she was still on his side.

Violet oooomphed, and rubbed at his ribs, yet he still grinned at the funny breakfast conversation.

Just then, Davey ran into the galley with a note which he gave to Violet. "A man came and gived me this fer ye."

"Gave, for you." Betsy corrected the boy, as he blushed, looked to his toes, then said it correctly.

"We may have to return to your lessons, if your grammar is going to suffer from a spell without, Davey." Betsy thought a quick, reviewing lesson in the mornings, after chores, may be a good idea.

"I do not mind the lessons, Miss Lizbeth, I likes the numbers jes fine." Davey told her, as he skedaddled out of the galley.

"Well, he will be working on his grammar first, that is all I can say." Betsy shook her head at how quickly he had slid back into his old rote.

She knew the bad grammar had been long standing, yet, she had hoped they would continue on the path they had started, as they were all doing so well before they made land......

Violet turned to her, "It seems your Lady will be joining us shortly, she states here, she has missed you too much not to come and wait out the storm with us." Violet handed Betsy the missive, which she took from him and then stood.

"I shall see if your mother is ready to move her things. I think we should have Katherine do her sewing in our cabin today, will that be agreeable to you?" She knew he would not mind, but she asked him out of courtesy, just the same.

"That is fine, love, I will bring the Lady to you when she arrives." Violet took Betsy's hand and pulled her back to him, only to kiss her quickly, before she hurried to tell Katherine that Eleanor would arrive in a short time.

Violet smacked his lips, "Nay, no fish there." He grinned lopsidedly at Brutus.

"I shall never tell you anything, ever again!" Brutus growled at his best friend in the world.

"They do not even have feathers, my friend, and they waddle and squawk." Violet laughed again, as Brutus hit him on the shoulder this time, yet Violet started making an awful squawking noise, as he moved out of reach.

"Just wait, something will happen to you, and I shall have the last laugh." Brutus rose, leaving to find more amicable company than Vi.

Violet sat there grinning at his back, as Marcus passed Brutus in the hall, "Brutus." Marcus greeted the man, who just grunted and kept on walking.

"What is eating him this fine morn?" Marcus had just left Katherine. He had spent a lovely morning in the company of his beloved, and nothing would ruin his mood if he could help it.

"Brutus dreamed he was in love with a penguin." Violet grinned at his father.

"Well, that may sour any man's breakfast." Marcus nodded.

"How are the bribes coming along?" Violet rose to get more coffee, holding a cup aloft, as Marcus nodded that he would take one also.

"Your mother is a wonder, I just watch her, amazed as she creates the most wonderful workmanship. She could make a fine living if she had any inclination to do so. I know many men who would give good coin for such well made articles." Marcus spoke with pride, as if she were his own wife.

"I have told her the same myself, many times before, yet she says she only creates for those she loves." They grinned at one another, as they both had wonderful things that she had made them.

"I am honored to be in that circle, you know." Marcus wondered if now was the time to tell his son.

"I do believe I know that, Marcus. We are blessed, are we not?" Violet's smile contained such love for the woman they were speaking of, Marcus could certainly not risk telling him until Katherine could be warned.

Violet drank his coffee in one swift swallow, then turned his burning eyes to Marcus, "I must go make amends with Brutus or he shall sulk all the day long. If I can convince him, would you be agreeable to some cards?"

Marcus' eyes were highly amused, "I can think of nothing better, son. Points or stakes?" He inquired, "If 'tis to be stakes I must go and retrieve my purse."

"We had best stick to points, it may be a long day." Violet grinned. He left to find the other men to see if they wanted to join them.

Violet knew, that once the Lady Eleanor boarded, he would not see his wife until much later. He must remember to bring a repast to his cabin, as once women got to talking..... He let that thought go, as he went in search of his men.

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Eleanor and Katherine were thoroughly entertained throughout the early afternoon. Ellie sat in the overstuffed chair to the side of the window seat, where Katherine sat, along with Betsy. Betsy had just started her tale, when Ellie tsk tsked her, and made her start all over and tell them everything down to the last detail.

How their cabins had been appointed, what they had eaten, and what they had done.

Betsy had to admit suffering from sea sickness for the first leg of the journey, so there was not much to tell there. But when Betsy got to the part of the story that told of the pirate attack, the sewing stopped, as the ladies held their breath.

Betsy told of how she and Arianna had watched half of their cabin disappear to cannon fire as they sat upon their bunk.

"Dear Lord!" Lady Eleanor breathed.

"My God." Katherine exclaimed, at the same time.

Betsy then went on to tell of how they had to leap to firm footing, then they had made it to the topside deck, only to run into the nastiest pirate she could ever imagine. Breaths were held yet again.

"Arianna pulled her pistol and shot him right in the chest, she did not even pause for a full moment. She saved both our lives that day." Betsy told her captive audience of two.

"I knew she had fire," Ellie breathed, "But I never would have thought she had that in her." Ellie held a hand to her heart. "Praise the Lord that girl is tenacious!"

Katherine nodded, then urged Betsy, "Go on, then what happened?"

Betsy described the scene on the bow of the ship, with pirates coming from every side, as Arianna held them off stoically, until the Earl of Trent had swept aboard with his crew, and evened the numbers.

"One of the first things Violet did when I told him about that, was to make sure I knew how to swim." Betsy blushed, as she looked down at her hands that were joined in her lap, remembering her swimming lessons, as the women exchanged 'Well, well, what is this?' glances.

"I am assuming that went well?" One corner of Katherine's mouth twitched in a smile, as she bent her head taking a stitch, while she imagined the young couple getting to know each other in such a way.

"Oh yes, he taught me to float first, then swim, but I think we had more kissing lessons than anything else." Betsy grinned, as the ladies laughed aloud for a moment, enjoying the romantic thoughts.

They both sighed, then went back to their sewing.

"Go on dear, from where the Earl showed up." Ellie urged.

Betsy had to admit, that once she had been injured and suffered from the fever, the next fortnight was a blur.

The ladies insisted on seeing her scar, whereupon they tsk tsked over that.

Betsy reached the part when they made land, Arianna was kidnapped and the Earl was shot, when a knock came upon the cabin door.

As Eleanor and Katherine were sewing, Betsy opened it to admit Violet with a tray for them. Coffee, tea and sandwiches were laid upon the tray, which Violet deposited on the table to the right of the window seat.

Betsy followed him to the table. He set down the tray, turned, then taking his bride into his arms, he held her for a moment. "Are you ladies having a nice visit?" He asked the elder two over her head.

They both smiled and nodded, hoping they would witness a kiss, but he slid his arms back from around Betsy, and took her hand in his, "If you ladies would excuse us for a moment."

Betsy smiled widely at the women as she was led out into the hall.

Violet closed the door after they walked through, Ellie and Katherine smiled knowing smiles as they stitched.

Ellie was excellent at needlepoint and hand stitching. She had offered to help Katherine, thereby making the work pass faster. She had also approved the bribe gift for the King. "He will adore it the first time he uses it." She had declared.

Katherine had been much relieved with her choice.

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Violet pinned his Kitten to the wall and ravished her senseless. It had been a couple hours past, since he had seen her, and he did not want her to forget about him.

She mewled under his lips, as her arms tightened around his neck. She liked being held against the wall while he showed her how much he missed her. She gave as good as she got, letting him know she had missed his presence also.

It was then that Violet realized he was treading into dangerous territory. He had used a bit more aggression than he had in a while, and quite suddenly, he was feeling the effects her reactions were pulling from him.

He had thought to sear himself into her mind, and had gotten caught up into the whirlwind himself.

Lord, but she was a heady brew when he let his defenses down.

He regrettably broke the kiss, then stood to his full height and put his forehead against the wall above her head. Her cheek lay against his chest as she gasped for air.

"Oh my, Violet." She laboriously breathed.

Violet groaned in muted frustration.

She panted as she she tried to catch her breath.

"Make it stop." Violet said quietly, yet fervently, as a prayer, before lifting her into his arms and kissing her again, while her toes dangled above the floor.

He pinned her against the wall once more, and broke the kiss, burying his lips in her neck as she held the back of his head.

His hair had come loose from it's tie, and she moved her hands forward to his crown before skimming them back through his straight, soft locks.

Her hands ran out of his hair, over his shoulders, as she continued their path around his shoulder muscles to his upper arms. She felt the perfect, solid muscle underneath his skin, and gloried in the thought that he was hers.

"At least we shan't be giving up our cabin." Violet sighed. "Just know I miss you when you are away from me and I think of you all the time and I can not wait to get you alone again!" He smiled at her ruefully, as his impatience to play with his kitten was showing.

"I love you too, Violet, and I shall count the minutes," She gave him a soft, sweet, slow kiss this time, "You are a very bad man, my love, I shall not be able to think on anything else now." She smoothed his hair under her hands and allowed him to tie it back once again.

"Good, then I made my point." Violet grinned, as he then smoothed her hair for her also. "Go back to your stories, and enjoy your visit." His hand lingered in her tresses as she took the three steps necessary to open the door to their cabin.

He still held the ends of her hair between his fingertips as she did, the ends finally pulling through and leaving his hands empty. As she smiled back at him and passed through to close the door behind her, he frowned a mite.

He did not like the feeling he was left with when she was gone from him. He shook his head, amazed at how very much she meant to him, how much she affected his heart. Good God above, he could not wait to make her fully his.

He put his hand upon the door, as it was where she dwelled for the moment, then let it slide away as he made his way back to the men and the game of chance.

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Hope you enjoyed! :)