Chapter Two

Aurelia had to walk for several blocks before finding a cab at such an early hour.  The ride down to the docks was quick due to deserted streets.  She tipped the driver well then walked down to the tavern where she had seen Lucas the day before.  The smell of fresh bread lingered faintly in the air as those who served breakfast prepared for their morning customers. 

She wasn’t expecting to see him too early.  From the crowd that had flocked around him at the card game, she assumed he was the type who played late into the night and awoke only when he got hungry.  With not much more than workers in the area, Aurelia decided to walk away from the docks, up several streets to get some good coffee and perhaps find a croissant for breakfast. 

She took her time eating then meandered through the streets casually.  Over the next couple of hours, the city awoke and life began to bustle up and down the streets.  By mid morning, she had made her way back to the docks and headed to the tavern for the second time that morning. 

She sat at a table across the street and ordered a drink, more so out of politeness than thirst.  She sipped on it with no interest.  Her coffee had satisfied her and her stomach was in anxious knots.  She sat alone facing the street, a few rows back from the open entrance.  She kept her cloak tightly wrapped around her more so to hide her expensive dress than her identity.  She saw a few flattering glances out of the corner of her eye but paid no attention to anyone.  She just sat there, watching the people pass by and hoping for Lucas to soon be one of them. 

“Do you want another?”  the waitress asked from behind her.

Aurelia turned to look up at her then back to her glass.  It was already half empty.  I must be sipping my nerves away, she thought.  She turned back to the waitress.

“Uh no, no thank you.  I’m waiting for someone.”  She handed her a couple coins and turned back to the street.

A boisterous voice burst through the din of the crowd and two men walked into view from the left.  Aurelia smiled instantly when she saw Lucas smiling and chatting with a friend, a smaller man who was talking loudly and gesturing with his hands.  Lucas seemed to be enjoying the story.  They walked into the tavern across the street and sat down at a table.  Lucas faced outwards and the loud little man sat with his back to Aurelia. 

She smiled and sipped her beer, enjoying the opportunity to observe Lucas unbeknownst to him.  The men ordered food from the waitress who flirted with both of them but kept her attention on Lucas.  He was polite but paid no mind to her.  This broadened Aurelia’s smile.  Lucas sat with a smile on his face listening to his friend’s story and rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake up.  Their food came and Lucas ate while the friend mostly ignored his own plate in order to continue talking. 

Once Lucas was finished, Aurelia decided to make her move.  She stood slowly, stepped around the tables and walked up to the entrance.  She kept her eyes on him the whole time, willing him to look up at her.  It appeared that the conversation had quieted as Lucas’s face was more serious now but still content. 

Aurelia stood in front of the first bench at the table just under the roof.  She ached to call out to him but the intensity of the moment was too thrilling.  She continued watching him, thinking his name in her mind, waiting for that moment when he would see her.

Two women draped over the shoulders of a young man roared in laughter while walking by.  Aurelia didn’t take her eyes off Lucas but the outcry made Lucas glance up briefly from the conversation.  Then a second later, he looked up again, seeing Aurelia clearly from across the street.  He smiled slowly and the corners of his mouth flickered.  She knew that the controlled smile was torture for him.  She smiled back, a wide bright smile as her heart started to race and her stomach somersaulted in celebration. 

She took a step forward holding his gaze then slowly turned to the left and casually walked down the road.  Lucas gave her a minute, looking down at the table and trying to force the smile from his mouth.  He cleared his throat and dug into his pocket for money.  He tossed the coins on the table then looked at Julio.

“I’m sorry, my friend but I must leave you.  I will meet up with you later on.”

He went to get to his feet but Julio objected.  “Why the sudden departure?  I thought we were going to play cards this morning.”  Julio took the pause to put his first bite of food in his mouth.

Lucas leaned one hand onto the table and smacked Julio on the upper arm with the other.

“I’m sorry but something better has caught my attention.”  He winked.

Julio smiled and turned towards the road.  “Well, she better be worth it.” He jokingly said then took another bite. 

Lucas laughed and nodded as he walked away.  She most certainly is, he thought. 

It was only seconds before she could sense him approaching her from behind.  Just as she was about to pass an alley on her right, she felt his strong hands grab her waist and direct her into the dark space.  Her back was then instantly against the wall and Lucas’s mouth was on hers.  The intensity startled her but only in a good way.  He reached up and wrapped his hand through the hair at the back of her neck, grasping it hard and pulling her face closer to his.  He was hungry for her and she enjoyed it.  He wrapped his other hand around her small waist and drew her in.  The pressure of his body against hers felt delicious.  There was no space between them but yet Aurelia wanted him closer, even still. 

            They stayed there against the wall for several moments, mouths and hands exploring each other before Lucas took a small step back to look at her.  He brushed the hair out of her eyes and gave her another kiss, softer this time.  No words were needed quite yet.  His eyes scanned over every detail of her face.  He traced his thumb across her lips then down her neck.  She moaned quietly at the tantalizing contact.  He took another step back, holding both her hands, and eyeing her entire form.  Her small but womanly physique was a breathtaking sight to behold in such a feminine style.  He ran his hands up her arms then down the sides of her body, then grabbed her waist and drew her back against him.  At last she heard his hypnotizing voice in her ear. 

            “Never again do I wish to be apart from you for so long, Querida.  I could not bare it.”

            His sweet sentiment made her smile.  She turned her head and kissed his ear then playfully nibbled his ear lobe, making him gasp with surprised delight.  “I couldn’t agree more,” she said. 

            He brought both hands up and held her face as they kissed passionately again.  Weeks without each other had left a void far too great for both of them and they were both eager to make up for lost time.  His mouth moved down her neck and the tickling scruff against her skin made her shiver.  She wanted more.  She wanted all of him. 

***

Captain Luiz Viggo had given up trying to sleep.  His insomnia had started months ago and had progressed to the brink of mania.  The state of demonic exhaustion was further amplified by his unwillingness to eat anything other than a sloppy mouthful or two of meat and potatoes at supper.  The rest of the day he subsisted on cigar smoke and whatever alcoholic beverage he managed to pour into a glass.  Damen and Gulver, the captain’s bodyguards, always breathed a sigh of relief when the booze mercilessly took over Luiz’s system, forcing him into a restful unconsciousness.  His blackouts had been known to last as long as two days; days which were most welcomed by the crew.  Many thought that the man was no longer fit to be captain. Agreeing whispers were often exchanged below deck but that was as far as the opinion ever went.  No one dared to go up against the great Luiz Viggo.  Odds were never in their favor. 

Damen and Gulver were playing cards in the corner of the hotel room.  Luiz had been asleep since yesterday afternoon.  He had woken briefly around ten, demanding a plate of dinner.  After devouring half a pork chop and a chunk of bread, he flopped back onto his bed where he remained overnight.  It was now nearing early evening and the men braced themselves for the captain to awake. 

Gulver drew a card from the deck and glanced over at the stirring body on the bed.  Damen noticed his stare and turned to look over his shoulder.  Luiz had rolled onto his back and flopped his hands over his eyes.  An unpleasant groan gurgled up from his throat.  Damen turned back around, raised his eyebrows at Gulver and placed his hand on the table, winning the match.  Gulver cursed under his breath and swept the cards into a stack while Damen walked over to the drawing table and poured a glass of whiskey for his Captain. 

Luiz groaned again as he rose to sitting position.  He rubbed his eyebrows back and forth and squinted from the faint light coming in between the drawn curtains.  Damen took a step forward and offered him the glass.  Shockingly, Luiz waved it away.  The bodyguard looked over at Gulver who was staring at the scene, unknowing what to do.  Gulver was about to stand when Luiz spoke.

“How long have I been out?”

Damen turned and set down the glass.  “Since yesterday afternoon.  You woke for a bit last night to eat something but that wasn’t long.  You’ve probably slept for twenty-seven hours.”

Luiz chuckled lightly causing the other men to look at each other, uncertainty on both their faces. 

The captain stood up then, breathing in deep and arching his back into a grand stretch.  A joint or two popped as he settled into a normal stance.  He turned to his men.

“It might have been a month for all I know.  I feel like…” he paused then shrugged.  “Huh.  I don’t know what I feel like.  Good, perhaps, like a normal person who sleeps every night.  Except do I ever have to take a piss.”

All three men laughed.

“Find me some weak ale and a bowl of stew.  I’ll be back shortly”  Luiz left the room.

The men looked at each other in silence for a moment.  Then Gulver spoke.

“What just happened here?”

Damen shrugged.  “I think he has finally been taken over, possessed by some spirit who seems to be somewhat nice.”  He scooped a few coins off the table and went in search of his captain’s request.

Luiz was sitting at the table quietly humming to himself when Damen arrived with his dinner.  Again the bodyguards exchanged perplexed glances.  Damen placed the stew, bread and ale in front of him then took a step back join Gulver leaning against the wall.

“So,” Luiz said, dipping his spoon in the bowl then nipping cautiously at the hot gruel, “What are we going to do about the Da Vinci crew, hmm?  A crew being captained by a bitch.  I never thought I’d see the day.”

 He broke off a piece of bread and bit it in half.  He chuckled to himself as he stirred his meal then took another slow bite.  Leaning back in his chair, he tossed his spoon back onto the table.  “Obviously the men support the decision.  She led them to that gold and the crew profited handsomely.  Mutiny doesn’t seem to be a close option with that in her pocket as her first raid.”

Damen stepped forward.  “I have heard of women dressing as men on crews before.  They usually don’t last long for obvious reasons.  But if the men trust her this much and she is his daughter, she must have been with them for a while.”

Luiz took the last chunk of bread and swabbed his bowl then stuffed it in his mouth.  After his final bite, he drained the last of the ale from the cup and belched, satisfied.

He leaned onto the table and looked at his men with determination on his face and in his voice. 

“I still want that gold and I still want that crew.  Find out where they are hiding and perhaps with the right persuasion,” Luiz’ lips curled upwards in a devious grin, “we can convince one or more of them to turn on her.  Also, before her hero Teacup interrupted my little conversation with her back in Africa, she mentioned being the heir to royalty.  Find out everything you can about her.  Was it a lie?  Who leaves royal life to live among thieves on the seas?  Especially if one is a female.  I thought I had known everything about Da Vinci.  This proves otherwise.  I put an end to his pathetic life and I plan to do the same with hers.  She threatened my life,” he roared maniacally with laughter at the recall, “but I am not afraid of some…girl.  Who does she think she is?!”  His voice exploded as he stood up enraged at the memory of her getting away.  Luiz was never one to take a blow to his ego lightly.  He was always quick to use a woman as he saw fit then quickly remind her how little he thought of her.  She was nowhere near his equal but merely a thing for him to be amused by.  Knowing now that he had beaten Da Vinci’s daughter so severely was an unexpected turn on for him in hindsight.  He was both impressed and enraged by how she had taken each blow.  Had he known at the time who he was dealing with and the sex of his victim, he would have been much more cruel and merciless.  His thirst to start what he had finished that day lit a fire within.  To hell with the gold, he thought casually.  Let me kill her with my own hands, slowly and very, very painfully. 

He was pacing the floor now, panting.  Gulver and Damen looked at each other, a look of relief exchanged at once again recognizing their captain in his true form. 

Luiz picked up a cigar from the side table and lit it.  He drew a long inhale then slowly released the smoke upwards.  “Find her,” he said.  He brought his gaze down to his men.  “Find her so that she can learn one last vicious lesson from her father’s greatest enemy.  Because he certainly cannot protect her now.”

That evil, conniving smile once again turned up the corners of his mouth.  He took another long drag of his cigar and cackled devilishly at the thought of his hands raining down upon her once again. 

***

Aurelia giggled and jokingly pushed Lucas away for the third time.  It was a game they had been playing for the last half hour.  They had walked hand in hand out of the busy riverside area and down several blocks to a wooded park.  Walkers, riders on horseback and small carriages dotted the wide trails but the couple quickly stepped into the thicket and found some privacy between the sturdy trunks of oak trees.  Aurelia’s cape covered the ground beneath them and the lovers sat wrapped in each others arms, completely hidden from view of any passersby. 

She kissed him sweetly on the lips then leaned back onto his chest once more.  A warm breeze brushed through the trees and sunbeams momentarily peaked between the parted branches above.  A distant songbird chirped to another as Lucas lazily ran his fingers through her hair.  Aurelia sighed contentedly. 

“I really do have to go.  My family is expecting me.” 

“Hmmm,” Lucas replied, tracing his finger around her ear and down her jawline.  “I am not holding you back, my love.  You are free to leave whenever you see fit.”

Aurelia sat up and spun around to face him, her mouth open and a playful look of shock on her face. 

Lucas looked at her teasingly and raised his arms wide, as though to prove his point.  The wind rustled by and jostled his shirt, shifting the wide collar to the side, exposing his bronzed, toned chest.  He saw her eyes move downwards and he smiled, knowing that she liked this exposure of his flesh.  Aurelia looked back up at him then changed positions, straddling his lap.  Lucas wrapped his arms around her then and pulled her in for another kiss, leaning them back onto the tree and drowning himself in her embrace.

After a long moment, she pulled herself away from his mouth and nuzzled into his neck, squeezing him tight.  She kissed his ear.

“I really, really have to go.”  Aurelia sat back to look him in the eyes, gave him one last quick peck on the mouth then jumped to her feet with a huff.

“Even though I really, really don’t want to,” she continued.  She turned her face into the breeze and gathered her long auburn locks in her hands and tied them back from her face.  Lucas watched adoringly from the ground, memorizing every movement she made.  The leaves shuddered above them once more and the sun’s rays reached in, kissing her face and hair with its soft afternoon light, transforming her profile into that of an angel.  Lucas chuckled to himself and rose to his feet.

“What?”

He turned her to face him and watched as the light danced across her face, illuminating the brilliant color of her eyes and softening her skin so it appeared as porcelain.  He used the crook of his finger to tuck a loose strand of hair back behind her ear.

“I just don’t understand how I am so lucky to be loved by the most beautiful woman God ever created.”

The compliment melted her and she leaned her forehead into his shoulder.  “How am I supposed to walk away from you when you say things like that?” she whispered. 

He gave her one last hug and spoke into her ear, swaying her gently with the breeze.  “You aren’t supposed to walk away from me.  You have to leave for a little while, yes.  But we will never be away from each other ever again.”  He kissed her soft neck then took a step back. 

Aurelia reached down for her cape and shook loose the leaves and grass that clinged to the underside.  “I’ll come to you as soon as I can.”

Lucas nodded.  “I know you will.  But every moment will be empty until you return.”

Aurelia smiled and swung the cape around her neck.  “Well then we will just have to make up the lacking, won’t we.”

Lucas winked.  “It will be my pleasure.”

She winked back.  “And mine.”  She giggled at the flirtation then, before losing her nerve, she quickly stepped around the tree and disappeared from view. 

***

The sun had barely sunken below the horizon when Aurelia closed the front door behind her.  She had been gone the entire day and was gathering the courage to face her uncle and all his demanding questions.  He would not be happy with her for taking such a long and undisclosed absence. 

A fire was burning in the parlor but the room was empty.  A soft scratching of a chair leg across the floor alerted her to a presence in the dining room.  She inhaled slowly and tried to calm her churning stomach before pushing through the swinging door.

Aurelia took one step inside then stopped abruptly, catching the return of the swinging door with her left hand.  Her entire crew filled the room, both in bodies and in stench.  Aurelia quickly calculated while she looked around at the familiar faces, low voices quietly greeting their newly arrived captain. 

We’ve been on land for weeks now and it still smells like some of these men have yet to find a bathing house, she thought. 

The idea of returning to ship with these men and not Lucas suddenly illed her to the core. 

Her eyes found Teacup near the back and he looked at her with a friendly warmth in his eyes.  Next to him stood Marcus who in contrast, stared at her with a frustrated glare.  He was the first to speak.

“Where exactly have you been all day?” he enquired, a little too much impatience registering in his voice. 

Aurelia left the doorway and walked to the head of the table.  Most of the men stood against the walls, with only a few seated at the other end of the table.  She slowly unlatched her cape, draped it over the chair and sat down.

“Mary, bring me some tea, please,” she called.  Folding her hands in front of her, Aurelia looked to her uncle to answer.

“It makes no difference where I was today,” she said calmly.  “We are all on leave and I report to no one.”

“I am your uncle and you will report to me!” his voice boomed. 

An awkward tension fell over the crew like a scratchy wool blanket. In an instant, all the air in the room was sucked out, no one daring to breathe or knowing where to look. 

Mary was the only one brave enough to move, quickly scurrying down the room with a tray in hand, emptying its contents on the table in front of her mistress then hurrying back to the kitchen. 

Aurelia slowly stirred in her honey, set the spoon on the saucer then stood, leaning on the table with her palms spread wide.

“You may be my uncle but in this audience,” she said, her voice rising with every word spoken, “You will address me and respect me as your captain!”

“And no one,” she yelled, “not even you dear Uncle, will talk to me in such a manner!”

A proud and amused smirk twitched at Teacup’s mouth as Aurelia stood upright, clearing her throat.  She took a breath then spoke, calm once again.

“When we are gathered as a crew, I am not your niece.  I am your Captain.  Is this understood, Marcus?”

All eyes, which had been staring incredulously at the only woman in the room, now slowly shifted towards the person to whom the bold remarks had been addressed. 

Marcus held his gaze on Aurelia.  His lips were pinched shut as he firmly ran his tongue over his teeth, clenching his anger and embarrassment within his jaw.  He huffed out a breath, stood up straight then willingly acknowledged his leader.

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Aurelia held his gaze for a brief second then ended the dispute with a quick smile.

“Good then.”

She sat back down and sipped her tea.

“Now, to what do I owe the privilege of hosting a group of such fine men in my home?  Teacup, what is the matter of business at hand?”

Two men parted to let Teacup step forward. 

“Let me begin by saying, Captain, that it is lovely to see you again.  You look well and contented from the leave.”

Aurelia set down her cup.  “Thank you, Teacup.  I am doing well.  You look refreshed and clean yourself.”

“Aye.  Many thanks.”  He spun his hat in his hands before continuing. 

“Captain, we have had to move the ship.  Rumors abound that Luiz has miraculously awakened from his drunken stupor with a sole purpose of reclaiming the treasure of Theresa, gold he swears was due to him.  Word is quickly spreading as well of your father’s passing and that an unknown daughter has taken over the Compass, now known as The Black Widow.  However, not too many are believing that a woman has inherited such an established crew.”

Aurelia was not too surprised at this information.  She felt no reason to prove these rumors wrong although she knew she would prove herself in due time for the simple reason alone of keeping her father’s memory and legacy alive. Not for the sole reason of her gender.  She finished her tea and pushed away the cup.

“So what do you suggest?” she asked her second mate. 

Teacup hesitated before continuing.  “We must move, Captain.  With Luiz’s crew docked here as well, we risk too much by staying in the same city.  Some of us can be recognized and identified to the Widow and all it would take is one of his men to get a hold of one of us and the whole crew would be in harm’s way.  We need to leave, if only temporarily, so that Luiz finds nothing but dead ends in his pursuits and perhaps he’ll tire of chasing ghosts.  Once he gets bored and takes to the seas, we will have the chance to return to London but for now, I say that it is best to sail,” he said, “And to do so immediately.”

Aurelia nodded, lost in thought.  It wasn’t her own safety that she was concerned for but the idea of leaving Lucas yet again and only after one day together.  Remembering his sweet embrace and his enchanting words, she was at a loss to see how he could be the offspring of such an evil man like Luiz.  Thankfully the tree had not born similar fruit. 

Aurelia brought herself back to the room.  “And where is the Widow?” she asked. 

“I moved her down river, back to the Queenborough gulf.  It will take us three days by horseback to reach her and I have horses ready whenever we wish to leave.  I thought that would be the best hiding spot for her and give us the quickest exit to sea should we need it.”

Aurelia stood and addressed her crew. “Then it’s settled.  Men, you have one day to put your affairs in order and prepare to sail.  The day after tomorrow we will meet at dawn.  We’ll sail around to Liverpool.  Langham is there and perhaps he has more treasure that needs to be lightened from his fortune.”  She gave a slight wink. 

Grins and whispers spread around the room as the men recalled their last raid.  Langham, the wealthiest Englishman involved in slave trade, had met Aurelia at a ball in Paris where she had attended with her Aristocratic mother, Sophie.  Aurelia had been born of noble blood and her late father’s true identity as a pirate had never been revealed to the family or to the society in which she was raised.  To them, he was simply a well-known and admired explorer for the Portuguese king.  Aurelia had spent her upbringing between time with her mother in the elite societies of Paris and Marseilles as well with her father on board his pirate ship, the Lost Compass.  After he died of a bullet wound at the hand of Luiz, the Compass had been willed to her and Aurelia assumed being its captain, renaming it the Black Widow.  Using her alias in society, Aurelia worked her way into the inner circle of slave trade owners, vowing vengeance on them for their participation in such a horrific trade.  Unfortunate for Langham, he was the first victim in her plan and she was far from being done with him.  He still had plenty to lose and a long way to fall before she would be satisfied.  Profit at the bloodied hand of one who deems himself justified in buying and selling and abusing human beings was a cause in which Aurelia found herself pulled towards after an accidental run-in with a slave ship.  Now her men would again benefit from the evil man’s greed. 

Aurelia spoke over the excited din that was growing around her.  “So get your fill of good food and good women, men.  Because it might be a while before we return to this great city.  And also,” she raised her voice to get their attention and the room fell silent.

“Please, for all that is holy in this world, I want each one of you properly bathed before I see you again.  That’s an order!” she laughed.

The men chuckled at the acknowledgement of their poor hygiene and began making their way out the door and into the street. 

***

     Marcus and Aurelia stood at opposite ends of the emptied dining room.  The remaining stale body heat continued to hang in the room and Aurelia walked over and opened a window.

     “I am sorry, Uncle but I could not allow the men to be a witness to that argument.  You and I are both aware that order and respect must be kept.”

     Marcus sat down and massaged the back of his neck.  “I understand and I too apologize.  However, we do need to finish our conversation about your situation.”

     Aurelia sighed and sat down beside him.  She studied her hands in her lap before looking up at him, shaking her head.

     “No, I don’t think we do.  My relationship with Lucas does not affect the crew and with all my respect dear uncle, it does not concern you.  I am a grown woman now and I have a right to make that decision for myself.”  Her voice was low and soft but the words still angered Marcus, turning his face red. 

     “I have loved you and protected you all my life,” he whispered, frustration still seething underneath.  “I cannot sit by and watch you walk into a trap. There is no way that the son of that man is any different than his father.  His father, may I remind you, being the one that murdered yours and beat you nearly senseless just weeks ago.  How can you be involved, be in love for that matter, with a man that was involved in the murder of your father?  I do not understand!”  Marcus stood and walked to the other side of the room.  Aurelia turned her seat and watched him stoke the fire then lean against the mantle, rubbing his forehead the same way her father used to when he was annoyed. 

     Aurelia chose her words carefully and spoke slowly.  “Uncle, you do not need to understand.  Who understands love except for the two people that are in it?  I still don’t understand it but for the first time in my life, I feel it.”  She stood and slowly walked towards him.

     “I feel it and it fills every part of my soul.  It has healed a hurt that has ached and it has lifted a burden that I have carried for so long.   It satisfies a hunger that has been taunting me for years.  This giant hole in my heart, this hole that my father was so worried might never be filled, is now overflowing with the love of a good man.”

     Marcus scoffed.

     “And I know you don’t believe me,” she continued, “but he is a good man.  He is nothing like his father and he knows nothing of my leadership of this crew.  I have lived two lives since I was a little girl.  I can continue doing so a little while longer.”

     Marcus heaved a sigh and stared deeper into the warm flames.  Aurelia gently placed her hand on his shoulder.  “Loving Lucas is a choice I made and I will not change it.”             

     She hesitated, nervous to tell him her final thought.

      Her voice was barely a whisper.  “And no one can change it for me.” 

     Marcus pulled his shoulder from her touch and turned to face her.  Aurelia stared at her feet, choosing to show her humility rather than engage another fight. 

     Several moments passed before Marcus spoke. 

     “From now on, you are no longer my niece.  This relationship is now severed.  I will remain on crew and if you wish I will remain as your first mate.  But that is all I will ever be to you for the rest of eternity.  Make no mistake about it- by choosing Lucas against my will, you are choosing to end our relationship.  Your choices leave me with no choice but to walk away from you and declare that you and I were never family.”

    Marcus walked over and opened the door then turned back to Aurelia.  His voice was cold and bitter, driven with the intent to sting.  “I was the only family you had left.  Your mother has never cared for you.   Your father was murdered.  Now who do you have?” 

     Aurelia stood in the same spot, eyes downcast and listened as the door closed behind him and his footsteps faded down the hall and out the front door. 

     “Now,” she whispered to herself, “I have Lucas.”