Harry & the Pirate IV: The Chalice of St. Francis

[geekmama]

Chapter Seven: Santiago



“How lowering it is to once again be reminded that, of the two of us, you are the more beautiful.”

Alphonse schooled his features with some difficulty on hearing this saddened, and (he felt) debatable observation. His Amelie had finished dressing Madame Sparrow a few minutes before, and the lady now seemed to consider it her wifely duty to supervise the completion of her lord’s more elaborate toilette. To this end, she had come to stand beside his chair, watching the process and his changing expressions with interest. The valet’s eyes flicked to the ornate mirror and saw the Captain’s eyes narrow as he met his lady’s mournful gaze. Alphonse was still applying hot irons to the long, dark hair, which precluded movement, but Jack did say, silkily, “Right. Go on. You just continue in that vein, Miss Impertinence. I’ll have the entire day to consider the exact nature of tonight’s Revenge.”

Lady Harry abandoned pretense and dimpled. Leaning down, she nuzzled her cheek against his hair, already in soft, scented curls on that side, and was heard to murmur, “Mmmm…revenge! But don’t you feel such thoughts will be somewhat… distracting? Might spoil the line of those elegant trews.”

Alphonse was betrayed into laughter, and pleaded, “Madame! I beg of you! My hand must be steady to accomplish this task without incident!”

“Aye!” growled the Captain. “If he burns me ear, it’s your backside that’ll pay. Should’ve listened to my better instincts and left you with your brother.”

“Oh, that wouldn’t have been any fun at all!” Madame pouted. “And you know you would have missed me dreadfully.”

“Quite beside the point. Between you and Tom, how’m I s’posed to attend to the task at hand?”

“Jack!” Tom’s doting mother objected. “Tom has been good as gold!”

“For a whole twenty-four hours,” Tom’s father retorted. “And he was asleep for ten of that. He was in here a bit ago, askin’ a hundred questions about that lot, before I sent him to the rightabout.” Jack gestured slightly at the assortment of beads, coins, and other more exotic objects lying in and around a little box on the vanity table in front of him.

Alphonse had carefully removed the precious ornaments from Jack’s hair just that morning, for, thanks to the many hours of careful grooming that the valet had expended on the pirate’s exotic coiffure over the years, he’d been able to assure his master that the uncomfortable but temporarily necessary transformation to fashionable gentleman (or ‘fancified prig’ as Jack called it) could be accomplished during the early hours, just before their arrival in Santiago. Jack had readily accepted the reprieve the day before, though it made for a difficult morning now. This particular disguise was Jack’s least favorite of the several he’d had occasion to assume over the years that Alphonse had been in his service. Bloody togs’re too clean an’ close. And havin’ to bare me face, and get painted up like some strumpet! Probably end up wearin’ a damned patch, as well! Both Lady Harry and Alphonse had been treated to these and similar complaints recently, and both knew that behind the words lay an unvoiced concern. Stripped of his facial hair and eye-blacking, and with his own abundant hair carefully combed and curled into the semblance of an exquisite’s wig, Jack’s appearance changed utterly. His face had a stunning, youthful symmetry that inevitably provoked stares from women and men alike, and the occasional hints of vulnerability in his eyes and expression were far more noticeable. Alphonse knew this exposure made Jack uncomfortable, but as a disguise it was nearly foolproof, for the man thus revealed held little outward sign of the celebrated pirate captain.

Madame picked up one of the ornaments, a certain brightly painted wooden bead, which was associated with a memorably ribald tale. “What did you tell him about this one?” Her eyes twinkled at Jack’s in the mirror.

Jack frowned. “Aye, I suppose he went to ask you, after I threw him out. What did you tell him?”

“That he must ask you again, when he’s older.”

“Don’t suppose you thought to specify how much older?”

“Oh, no!” said Harry, blithely. “It is not a tale for a child of course, but you wouldn’t want him to have it from another source, would you?”

Jack sighed. “Y’know, there’s more to this bein’ a father than I ever imagined.”

The teasing look vanished, and Lady Harry bent and tenderly kissed the painted cheek, right beneath the patch that Alphonse had indeed carefully placed on one sharply defined cheekbone. “You are a wonderful father!”

Jack smiled slightly at this old refrain, but there was a defensive note in his voice as he said, “At least he sees more of me than I did of mine, in spite of me bein’ a sailor.”

“Oh, yes,” his lady agreed. “And he has such love and respect for you. Truly! You would not want him to be other than he is: he is like you in so many ways!”

“I know it.” A crease appeared between the neatly plucked brows.

Lady Henrietta watched her husband’s gaze drop to the little box again. The ornaments contained were mementoes of wondrous, merry, salacious, and occasionally alarming adventure, but there were scars on the body beneath the gentleman’s fashionable frippery that were stark evidence of far grimmer tales.

She said, “We can’t protect him entirely. You know that.”

“Exactly what I’m always sayin’ to you, love. But…” he frowned and, after a brief glance at Alphonse in the mirror, went on in a low voice, “you know what I mean. He skins his knee and I feel it. I give ‘im a scold an’ it damn near breaks my heart.”

“I know. I know.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, crushing his dark curling hair. He closed his eyes for a moment, leaning into her hug just a little.

“Madame! Madame, please!” said Alphonse, his voice not quite steady.

“Sorry!” Harry straightened, and smiled as the valet fluffed Jack’s hair. “It’s beautiful, Alphonse! You’ve done a marvelous job.”

Jack laughed shortly. “Beautiful, again.” He pushed back the chair and stood up, straightening his coat, then turned away from the mirror.

“Oui, mon Capitaine,” said Alphonse, firmly. “Both you and your lady. How you will both turn heads at this summit-the mind can barely comprehend it! The others will be quite cast into the shade.”

Jack had crooked his arm while Alphonse was speaking, and Harry slipped her hand in, and looked up at him, eyes alight. He took a deep breath, and winked at her, and finally smiled. “Well, that’s the plan, ain’t it? Ready to dazzle ‘em, lass?”

“Oh, yes. Quite! Act Two, Scene One: In which my Lord and Lady Byrd are introduced!”

o-o-o

‘Captain’ Gibbs and his crew had brought the ‘Royal Swan’ into the harbor at Santiago with little surreptitious direction from ‘Lord John Byrd’, who was, however, permitted access to the quarterdeck, along with ‘Lady Byrd’, and Admiral Norrington.

“White sails!” Jack groused, for perhaps the tenth time in the last four days. “Lord, I’ll be happy when we can put up the black ones again!”

“Aye, don’t seem right,” agreed Gibbs. “But don’t fret-we’ll start changin’ ‘em out soon as we leave the harbor with the chalice.”

The new white sails were not the only change that had gone into the Pearl’s disguise. Some of her trim had been painted gold, and a large, ornate plaque emblazoned with the ship’s assumed identity had been fastened over the stern. The crew, too, were disguised, having been provided with garments that were not only uncomfortably new, but were of a much more conservative cut than those they usually wore. Jack was a little surprised at how nicely his men cleaned up, and said as much to Gibbs.

“Aye, well, you’re dressed like Christmas beef yourself, Jack. Suits you, it does. You’d never know there was a scallywag under all that paint an’ finery. Your lady, too, if I might be so bold.”

Jack smiled, looking over at Harry where she stood by the rail, trim and elegant in a deep blue traveling dress, hair tightly confined in a neat, upswept style that showed off the delicious line of her neck. She turned to face him, lips slightly parted in an excited smile, her wide brown eyes sparkling with pleasure.

“It is lovely here!” she exclaimed. “The mountains, the harbor and so many ships! But I fancy the Royal Swan will still stand out among them.”

“Not too much, I hope. And we certainly don’t want to draw attention from that quarter.” Jack nodded toward the enormous gray stone fort, brooding on the cliff top, away off to starboard: El Morro, as the locals called it, bane of pirates and other enemies of the city.

“No, indeed!” agreed Harry, with a frown.

Norrington, coming up the steps to the quarterdeck, said, “I expect they are under orders to scrutinize incoming vessels, but I think we need not worry. The ship’s disguise is most effective.” The Admiral stopped and looked Jack up and down. His lips quivered, but he managed to keep the laughter from his voice as he observed, “As is your own, Jack. You look most…beau-“

“Don’t say it! Do not bloody say it!” snapped Jack, scowling fiercely.

“Now, Captain! This vitriolic demeanor is hardly in keeping with your disguise.”

“My demeanor is most adaptable, Admiral, and will adapt when I’ve need for it to do so. Until that time, I’ll thank you to remember who’s captain aboard this ship. Besides, didn’t your mam ever tell you it’s most impolite to remark on a fella’s appearance?”

“Why, yes,” Norrington conceded. “However, I believe she spoke in reference to disparaging remarks, rather than compliments.”

“Nevertheless.”

Norrington chuckled. “Very well. Not another word. I promise.”

“Excellent. Captain Gibbs: it appears we’re bein’ hailed by the harbormaster.”

They were indeed: though the ship would have to drop anchor in the harbor for the duration of the summit, the Royal Swan was being invited to pull up to the city docks to allow her diplomatic entourage to debark in comfort. Jack hid a smile at his wife’s obvious relief. He knew she would not have made a fuss about negotiating the Jacob’s Ladder down to a longboat, but the procedure was always a test of her courage. Early in their acquaintance, Jack had nurtured the hope that Harry would eventually become accustomed to climbing the rope ladders and ratlines that gave access to the various heights found on his ship-perhaps, one day, even be able to accompany him skyward, to the Pearl’s crow’s nest. He longed to show her the wondrous views, and have her experience the feeling of nearly flying, immersed in sun and air, surrounded by the vast disc of shining silver sea. However, after nearly eight years with her, this hope had been, if not abandoned, at least set aside as unlikely. Governor Swann had told Jack that this fear of heights had plagued Harry even as a child, although he’d no recollection of any particular incident that might have precipitated the tendency. Harry rarely spoke of it herself, and Jack knew that her failure to overcome it caused his darling no little chagrin, for she was an intrepid soul in nearly every other way.

She now exclaimed unguardedly, “Oh, how good of them! I mean… it will make it so much easier to offload the baggage, don’t you think?”

Far too convenient an opening. “Aye, it will,” said Jack, blandly. “And the baggage’s husband, too.” He managed a straight face until she turned to him, coloring, and then he and Norrington and Gibbs all three gave in to laughter, which Harry finally could not help but join.

o-o-o

Norrington and Jack dealt with the rotund, mustachioed official who had been sent to greet the Jamaican delegation and clear them for debarkation. The Admiral spoke a little Spanish and understood a little more, but Jack, assuming the persona of the effete ‘Lord Byrd’ babbled at the man in purest, lisping Castilian.

“Ah. Sí. Sí, señor!” The man bowed, though he looked somewhat taken aback by Jack’s mincing and fluttering. “We did not realize you were so fluent in our tongue. It is arranged that your party will stay in the home of our former diplomat to England, Don Alejandro Corazon.”

“Corazon!” The Admiral and the Cuban official both stared in surprise at Jack’s sharp exclamation. He collected himself, and smiled, and bowed. “I have heard of Don Corazon, you see. How delightful it will be to make his acquaintance at last. And I’m sure the Admiral and others of our party will be much more comfortable staying in a house where English is spoken. This is most considerate of you, and we thank you.”

The little Spaniard bowed. “Don Corazon and his wife have been sent word of your coming and are waiting at their home to greet you. If you will gather the rest of your party: the carriages are waiting.” He then turned away to direct the loading of the small mountain of luggage onto a wagon.

As they walked back up the gangplank, Norrington said quietly, “What the devil, Jack? Do you know this Corazon?”

“If it’s the same one I’m thinkin’ of…” Jack broke off and looked at Norrington with rueful amusement. “It was a long time ago. We took his ship.”

“Took his ship! Good God! How long ago?”

“How long ago was what?” demanded Harry, who was waiting at the top of the gangplank. She was frowning at Jack’s expression. “What’s happened?”

Jack’s lips quivered. “We’re to stay with the former ambassador to England: one Don Alejandro Corazon and his wife.”

Harry’s brows twitched together. The name was vaguely familiar. “You know him?”

“If it’s the same man. And I know his wife rather better than that. Don’t you remember me telling you? Before the Dauntless came for you that day?”

Norrington’s brows rose in surprise as comprehension dawned on Harry’s face, at which she blushed furiously. “You mean… your Querida?”

Jack gave a self-satisfied smirk. “You do remember!”

Harry glanced at James, reddened further, and said in a low voice to Jack, “Of course I remember! How could I forget anything that happened that day? But… what are we going to do? Do you think she’ll know you?”

“I’ve no idea. But we’ve no choice but to risk it.”

“What are you talking about, Sparrow?” demanded James, feeling very much left out of the conversation. “How is it you know the wife of this Corazon?”

“Couple o’ months after we took the ship Corazon was traveling on, we raided this little town and… well, to make a long story short, Tobias-he was the Pearl’s captain -he sent me to escort her safe to her home, a few miles away.” Seeing Norrington’s skeptical look, he shrugged. “It’s a long story.”

“I can imagine. And did you see her to safety?”

Jack bridled a little. “Aye, I did. She wasn’t much more’n a child, James-sixteen! You think I’d have done something like that? Bloody hell, how long have you known me now?”

Norrington fought down a smile at his friend’s indignation. “Sixteen, was she? And how old were you?”

“All of twenty-two, but I’d been First for two years! There was no one else to send-Will’s papa twisted his ankle as we came ashore, an’ the others weren’t to be trusted with such as that. Barely ripe, but she was betrothed to Don Alejandro Corazon, the same as was on that ship we’d plundered.”

“Good God,” said Norrington.

“Aye. But it’s over twenty years. Likely she won’t know me, eh?”

Harry and James stared at Jack’s hopeful, youthful face, and then looked at each other.

“Perhaps she will have forgotten him,” said Norrington.

Harry just shook her head.

o-o-o

After forcing Tom to endure pointed homilies (You set foot off this ship an’ there’ll be the devil to pay, Imp! and Tom, darling, you must be very good and mind Mr. Gibbs while we are gone!) as well as fierce hugs from both his parents, the Jamaican diplomatic party bid the Pearl’s crew farewell and climbed into the carriages that had been provided for their use.

Owens, Charles, Alphonse and Amelie were in the first carriage, and Jack, Harry, and Norrington followed in another. After further discussion of the issue, the latter three convinced themselves (or at least strongly hoped) that Jack’s disguise was deep enough, and the intervening years long enough, to preclude recognition by their prospective host and hostess. Thereafter firmly suppressing any nagging doubts, they began to enjoy their journey through the city. Santiago was large, surprisingly clean, and very colorful. They passed many beautiful public buildings, all white stucco trimmed with tile and hung with bright banners; green parks with splashing fountains and happy children playing (Oh, how Tom would love that!); and a large open-air market surrounded by several streets of intriguing shops that made Harry’s eyes light up.

“Perhaps Juana will like to accompany me on a shopping expedition!”

“On a first name basis already?” asked Jack.

Harry raised a brow. “Well, you did tell me we have a great deal in common.”

“Aye, you do, if memory serves, and time has been as kind to her as it has to you.”

She had to kiss him.

They passed the great cathedral at the center of the town, and were surprised and a little disturbed to see long lines of people waiting to enter to see the stolen chalice.

“I’ll send Owens and Charles to look over the situation of it as soon as we’re settled in,” Jack said. “Much as I’d like to do a mischief to that villain, Esparza, it’ll be as well if we can lift the cup without anyone bein’ the wiser.”

“You feel your friend can fashion a copy in a timely manner?” Norrington asked.

“If he’s alive. He was well past forty when I saw him last. Haven’t had much chance to come to Santiago in a good many years.”

Norrington nodded. “We’ll hope he’s yet extant. It would be infinitely preferable to forgo the need for a hasty departure, particularly in consideration of the fact that we are representatives of England at this summit.”

Jack grinned. “We’ll be quiet as church mice, you just watch, Admiral.”

A short time later the carriages were drawing into the tree-shaded courtyard of the house of Don Alejandro Corazon, and, seeing the lord and lady of the house emerge with a few of their servants, Jack and Harry and James found their fears suddenly returning.

“Corazon looks just the same but for the gray hair,” said Jack, eyeing the tall Spaniard with some dismay. The man was an impressive sight, full of years but unbowed, his aristocratic countenance saved from severity by sensitive lips that just now were twisted in a rather self-deprecating smile as he spoke to the slender, elegantly dressed woman beside him.

“And the lady?” asked James.

“That’s her, sure enough. Older, but I’d know her anywhere.”

“Oh, dear,” said Harry. “I was clinging to the hope it would be another Corazon family.”

Jack laughed. “So was I! But it’s not, so into the breach, eh?”

“Indeed!” agreed James.

o-o-o

The introductions had gone well. Jack had not hung back, or avoided eye contact with the Corazons, hiding instead behind the foppish persona he had assumed as part of his disguise, although he’d let Norrington do most of the talking.

“We are most grateful for your hospitality, Don Alejandro,” Norrington said, after the introductions had been made. He bowed politely.

“I beg you will consider our home as your own while you are with us,” Don Alejandro replied.

“If you will come with me,” said Señora Corazon, “I will myself show you to your rooms.”

Don Alejandro looked a little surprised at this, but nodded approval.

“It is most gracious of you, señora!” said Harry, curtseying, and giving what she hoped was an open smile. She had seen the sharp look Juana had given Jack when he’d kissed her hand with extravagant courtesy.

And sure enough, their fears were realized.

Harry and Jack were the last to be shown to their room, and as Harry exclaimed over the excellence of the appointments, Juana closed the door and stood staring at Jack. Harry stopped speaking and blinked, and her husband raised his brows, suddenly alert.

“Sí, it is a lovely room, is it not?” said Juana, “But… let us forgo these niceties in favor of plain speaking, for a moment.” She turned a penetrating eye on Jack, and started to walk toward him. “I knew a man once, very like to you in certain ways. Very like. Long years ago, it was, but I have not forgotten. His name, Señor Byrd, was Juan Gorrión.”

“Juan Gorrión?” Jack’s voice sounded puzzled, and he was silent for so long a moment that Juana stopped and began to frown, uncertainly. But then Jack spoke, and the words were in her own tongue. “It is many years, indeed, since I heard that name on your lips, Querida.”

Juana’s breath was seen to catch, and her eyes widened. She came toward him again, amazed, and unconsciously held out her hands, which he caught in his, with a smile. “Malvado! It is you!”

He laughed at the fond epithet. “Sí, Señora Juana Alba y Corazon. You are looking well. Your life with Don Alejandro is a good one.”

She laughed herself at that. “Ah, how I remember! Oh, sí, mi amigo, it has been good, so very good!” She shook her head. “There is too much to tell. But… you! How you have changed!” She released his hands, and looked him up and down. “You do not look like the pirate that sometimes haunts my dreams.” She looked over at Harry, who was standing a few feet away, a bemused look on her face. “And your wife! Forgive me, lady. Your husband did me a great kindness one night, long ago.”

“I know it,” said Harry. “He told me of it. When we were first together, he said I reminded him of you. I can now see that he paid me a great compliment.”

“And I, indeed! You are a great beauty, in the style of the English, though not so pale I think.”

Harry chuckled. “My dresser would agree with you: she is ever bemoaning my dislike of hats.”

Juana nodded. “We are at their mercy, are we not? But not so much as this one!” She looked Jack up and down again, and her dark eyes narrowed. “A disguise, no? And if so, then I must ask you what you are doing in Santiago. For I’ll wager it is not only to attend this summit of Esparza’s.”

Jack arched an inquiring brow at her tone. “You are not fond of the Viceroy?”

Juana made a dismissive gesture. “Esparza calls for this summit, but he does not want peace, not really. My Alejandro has worked for years to maintain communication between the Spanish and the English, but between the viceroy and his associates, my husband’s work is for naught. They are the true malvados-they work to plan a war that will bring many deaths, on both sides.”

“It grieves me to hear it, Señora Corazon,” said Jack. “And I thank you for your frankness in telling us this.”

“You would learn it soon enough in any case. But do not call me Señora Corozon! You, of all people, should call me Juana-or Querida! How I longed to hear you say it again!”

“But does not Don Alejandro call you this?”

“Oh, no!” Juana said, her eyes twinkling. “He calls me mi esposa, which is even more delightful. Or sometimes, mi amor. But never Querida-not since the night I told him about you.”

Jack’s brows twitched together. “Is that so?”

“But you must not worry!” Juana assured him. “He was most grateful you had taken care of me. And he did not mind the kiss.”

“Ah. You told him about that, as well.” Jack looked somewhat dismayed, and Harry suppressed an urge to laugh.

Juana grinned. “Oh, yes. For he suspected that his own was not my first, which seemed strange to him, due to my youth. So I told him everything.”

Harry gave in to her laughter.

“It’s not funny!” Jack protested. “Good God, what a piece of ill luck!”

Juana chuckled, but said, “No, no! You will see! He remembered you, when I told him-from the time you stopped his ship-and he will not have forgotten now, though he has not seen through your disguise, it seems.”

“I don’t know,” Jack growled. “You seem to have seen through it easily enough.”

Juana gave him a fond and playfully suggestive smile. “Ah, but that is a different matter entirely, mi pirata! Now, let me call for refreshments, and we will all three sit down and you will tell me of your true purpose. I realized long years ago that I am greatly in your debt for your aid and your restraint that night, so long ago. I promise I will do what I can to help you now.”

~.~

On to Chapter Eight