Thirty Seven
North Carolina
The vow of the midwife was that she would give all her energy to the mother and child she was delivering until she was certain they had made safe passage through the arduous journey of birth. It was a vow that no conscientious midwife would query or ignore, but there were occasions when Tiola needed some of that energy for herself. She too had to survive. Tiola was usually able to bring a healthy babe into the world through a relatively comfortable birth. By and large the mothers needed no particular assistance beyond the help of a friend or relation. Tiola, as midwife, was there to anticipate problems and deal swiftly and efficiently with emergencies. But even with her skill and care, women died.
It would have been good to have Perdita here helping, with her calm manner, her soft voice and gentle smile. Tiola thrust the thought aside as she massaged Elizabeth-Anne’s feet and legs, not wanting tears to come. The three lives had been lost: Jonathan, Perdita and their child. Then there was Mary Ormond – she did not want to lose these two as well.
Elizabeth-Anne was propped on the bed by pillows and cushions. The contractions had become stronger, but the baby was no nearer to being born. It was night outside. Tiola had watched the sky fade into purple then dark blue. One diamond of light shone brighter than its companions. Venus. She could not be thinking of where Jesamiah was. What he was doing.
Another contraction shuddered through Elizabeth-Anne, followed quickly by another. Her waters had broken in a gush of fluid half an hour ago. Unless Tiola was touse her Craft to its full extent there was nothing more she could do to help, except hope that the woman had the courage and strength to keep on pushing her baby out,and that the boy wanted to help get himself born.
Thirty Eight
Virginia
Alicia, Jesamiah had always been convinced, could charm the birds down from the trees. That might be so, but the footman at the palace obviously did not know of it, or he was the wrong sort of bird. A turkey not a turtle dove.
“I have told you, Ma’am, Governor Spotswood is at dinner. He will not be seeing you, nor no pip-squeak architect. Go away and come back Monday.” He glanced again at the man with her. An architect, he’d said, but his face seemed familiar. The footman had seen him somewhere but could not place where. It was the eyes he recognised. There was something familiar about those dark eyes. And aside, why would an architect be wanting to see the Governor on a Saturday evening?
“Sir, I am Mistress Alicia Mereno. I am a personal friend of the Governor’s. I assure you he will be most displeased were he to discover you attempted to turn me away.”
“Then I will take that risk. I know he will be even more displeased to have his dinner disturbed.”
They were at least inside the entrance hall with its array of fearsome weaponry. They had got this far but it seemed they were going no further.
From upstairs, Jesamiah heard a woman laugh and then a man’s voice – Spotswood. All Jesamiah had to do was run across those few yards of black and white tiled flooring, turn left and dart up the stairs. Half a minute? Less? More? How long would it take this footman to get out a pistol, cock and fire? Not that long. He needed a diversion, something to distract this obstinate fellow. He put his hand in his pocket. Felt the pouches he had put there when aboard the
Sea Witch
. Smothered a grin. Diamonds were rare, and precious. He had acquired them a short while ago, one of the two perks of his spying assignment on Hispaniola. The other, had been the chance to make love to a beautiful woman.
“I think we’re getting nowhere, Alicia. We will do as the man says; come back Monday.”
He slid his arm through Alicia’s before she could protest and started for the door. Leaning close, said quickly; “I’m going to distract him. What you get, you keep. Savvy?”
He whirled, thrust out his hand as if to strike the footman a blow to the face. The man staggered backwards a pace and raised his arms as Jesamiah threw something at him. The flickering light from the many candles glittered on a shower of sparkling, twinkling diamonds that sprayed from his hand and fell like tinkling rain to the floor. Alicia cried out and fell to her knees, scrabbling to gather up as many of the beautiful gems as she could – the footman, too, was on his knees, shoving her hand aside as he groped for his share.
“They are worth a lot, Alicia!” Jesamiah shouted as he sprinted for the stairs. “Better than tobacco for barter, eh? Call your tavern
The Acorn
!”
The footman realised his mistake, hesitated, anxious to collect the diamonds for himself, as anxious not to let the scoundrel anywhere near the Governor, which would certainly mean his dismissal. Out of duty he had to stop him. He pocketed a good handful of the glittering beauties and shouted for help – but Jesamiah was already up the first flight of stairs, around the bend and halfway up the second; was almost at the top.
“Governor!” he yelled, desperate, for this was his only chance. “Governor, it’s me, Jesamiah Acorne! I must see you!”
Alicia ignored the both of them. She opened her poke bag and sweeping her hand backwards and forwards across the floor scooped up as many diamonds as she could.
Thirty Nine
Sunday 17th November
“Were I you, I would leave Virginia.”
Groggy, roused from sleep, Knight lifted his head from the pillow. He blinked, squinted into the room that should have been dark; light from the lamp in the corridor was streaming in through the door. It was ajar; he was sure he had shut it. Pushing the covers aside he half rose, froze immobile as he realised a pistol was pointing at his head.
“As I said; were I you, I would leave Virginia and stay left. You ain’t welcome ‘ere, Knight.”
Raising hands that were trembling, Knight uttered a few squeaks of alarm then stammered, “Who are you? What do you want? I have no money. I have nothing for you to steal.”
Jesamiah sat on the end of the bed, being careful to ensure that the light remained behind him so that his face could not be seen.
“Of course you have no money, Mrs Mereno has not paid you what you asked her, has she?”
Knight was wondering if he shouted for help, would anyone come? Jesamiah guessed his thoughts. The man had given them away by flicking a glance at the door and opening his mouth.
“No one will come. Everyone’s asleep and the porter downstairs will be expecting the other half of the payment I made him.” Jesamiah leant forward slightly. “I told him not to worry if you made a noise. He thinks I’m a sodomite come to pleasure you.”
Knight blanched.
Tempted to start unbuttoning his breeches to frighten the man thoroughly, Jesamiah thought better of it, he was limited for time. He’d had a job climbing out of the first floor window at the palace, and would find it damned more difficult to get in again. At least he’d had no bother getting to see the Governor. Their talk yesterday evening had been most interesting, the one planned for later this morning promised to be similarly so.
“Now,” Jesamiah said, “about you leaving Virginia. The Governor does not – yet – know you are a touch too friendly with Edward Teach.”
Knight began to bluster. Jesamiah clicked the hammer on his pistol to full cock. “No good you protesting, mate, I know what I know. I am prepared to keep m’knowledge to m’self though. On one condition.”
“I need no conditions. I have done nothing wrong.”
“No? Shall I tell Spotswood about the tunnel between the creek and the Governor’s cellar? That it extends to your cellar? I wonder what he would find if he were to look?”
Noticeably, Knight remained quiet.
Jesamiah stood, walked backwards to the door. “If you are still here come sunup, Knight, I will tell Spotswood everything. And if I ever – ever – hear of you threatening Mrs Mereno again, you’ll wish I had, ‘cause hanging for treason will be preferable to what I’ll do to you. Savvy?”
He opened the door wide, slipped out; closed it. By the time Knight had struggled from the bed, stubbed his toe, found the doorknob and opened it again, the corridor outside was empty.
Forty
North Carolina
Sunday morning; dawn was yet a way off. Elizabeth-Anne had been in labour for hours – more if you counted the niggling pains that had started early the previous morning. She was tired, the baby too. Both had almost had enough. Another massive contraction swept in like the surge wave of a bore tide and Elizabeth-Anne screamed.
“Help me! Oh help me! I cannot go on. I cannot do this anymore. Just stop it. Please, I beg you, just stop this pain!”
Tiola heard voices outside, Nicholas, anxiously calling his wife’s name. Had she been anywhere else Tiola would have let him in. It was nonsense not to allow men into the birthing chamber. They were there at the begetting, damn it, perhaps to witness this end of things would keep their cocks in their breeches a little more often.
Gripping Elizabeth-Anne’s hands, Tiola stroked her sweat-damp hair. “You can do it, dear-heart, you are doing it. Follow your body, stop trying to go against the pains, go with them. When each one comes push with it, push it down, push it out. You are delivering your baby. He is nearly here, believe me he is nearly here, it is nearly all over!”
Tiola looked into the woman’s exhausted eyes and breathed lightly on her face, murmured “
hie…esshh,
” and spoke a few soft, chanting words. She rarely used her Craft during a birth as she never knew who was near, who was watching, who – what – was listening. The quickest way to be discovered as a witch was to use her ability during a birthing, especially if the birth went wrong. But Elizabeth-Anne was near exhaustion and it would be a while yet before the child came. Tiola could at least give her some respite,a chance to rest,to rekindle some strength; and the best way do so was to rake away the pain. And trust that her interference went undetected.
Forty One
Virginia
Governor Alexander Spotswood was as furious as an enraged hornet. Tobias Knight of North Carolina being the object of his rage. The Governor had summoned everyone relevant in hunting down Blackbeard to be at the palace an hour after sunup on the Sunday morning. Messages went out to the Captains Gordon and Brand and Lieutenant Maynard of the Navy, Jesamiah Acorne and Tobias Knight. Except Tobias Knight was nowhere to be found. His room was empty, his clothes gone. On enquiry, it was discovered he had taken a horse before dawn and left Williamsburg. Why, no one seemed to know.
Apart from his secretive midnight sojourn, Jesamiah had spent the night sprawled warm and comfortable as a guest at the palace. He had quite liked the luxury. The mattress was filled with goose-down and the palace boasted a bathhouse – of which he had taken full advantage before breakfast. All he had needed was Tiola to share the bath and the bed. Next time, perhaps? If there was a next time.
“Just how much did you tell Knight?” he asked, unfolding his arms and getting to his feet. “How much of your plan does he know?”
Spotswood growled. The two captains blustered a bit, not committing themselves and not wanting to answer a man they saw as a knave. Maynard was the one to speak up.
“He knew all of it. He knows the Governor put out a public decree of reward as a ruse to detract from the fact we are to sail secretly after Teach and capture him.”
“I see. And in what inappropriate ships are you intending to sail?”
Captain Gordon was indignant. “How dare you insult us? You are a scurvy, ignorant vagabond; a degenerate pirate! What know you of ships, of tactics? Governor!” he faced Spotswood, hand outstretched, appealing, “I beg you to remove this dog. He cannot be trusted.”
Slamming the desk top with his hand Jesamiah roared his anger. “It is Knight who cannot be trusted, and you are the one with your head stuffed up your arse, Gordon, not me!” Incensed, he swept several books to the floor. “The Navy has one hundred and twenty-four commissioned vessels. Just ten of those are stationed here in the Americas. Six are in the Caribbean under command of Commodore Vernon, one patrolling up near New York, one for New England and two here in Virginia. Have you any idea how many pirate ships there are? Do you really want me to tell you? Do you really want me to show your ignorance to the Governor?”
Gordon had never liked Jesamiah Acorne. He saw him as a threat to his authority. “You are remarkably well informed. How do you know this information?”
“Because it ain’t a fokken secret and I ain’t fokken stupid!”
Spotswood interceded before the two took the argument further and started calling each other out. “Captain Acorne, you tread on the Navy’s pride, though I see your point, and I personally think the Navy’s pride deteriorated some while ago.” He held his hand up to silence Gordon’s protest. “I accepted Captain Acorne into this venture because I also believe he knows what he is doing. I suggest we grant him the courtesy of at least hearing him out?” He gestured at Jesamiah to continue. “But, Acorne, please, temper your words. It is, after all, Sunday.”
Apologising, Jesamiah asked, quietly, “How do you intend to get close to Blackbeard Captain Gordon, Captain Brand? Where did Knight tell you he was anchored?”
“Pamlico Sound. Near Pilot Point,” Maynard responded. He shared Jesamiah’s opinion of Gordon, though he would not express it aloud. Ellis Brand was competent, but too cautious. He spent too long weighing the pros against the cons.
Jesamiah spread his arms, palms upwards. “Well, there you have it. Knight is playing you for fools.”
“How so?” Captain Brand had not liked Knight, had thought him untrustworthy, though given the seriousness of the situation, and the person who verified his suspicions, he was not elated to discover his assessment had been correct.
“Teach is settled on the Ocracoke, where you will never get those ships of yours anywhere near cannon range. He will wait for dark then slip out with the flood tide – and you would not be able to stop him. He can sail for miles over those shallows with a rising tide. You will have to stick to deep water.”
Lost in thought, steepling his fingers against his lips, Spotswood sat considering. He took some snuff, sneezed; blew his nose. “Knight said Teach was gathering other pirates. That he intended to make Pilot Point his base – build a fortress and hold the whole of Pamlico Sound to ransom. That would severely affect our trade as well as that of North Carolina. Knight said he had come as an emissary and that the Colony needed our help to rid them of Teach. I take it none of what he said is true?”
Jesamiah shrugged. “I do not know all of it, but aye, Teach has been talking to other pirates. Vane, Rackham. Bonnet was supposed to have joined him.”
“Bonnet wept like a babe when they took him to his hanging. He pleaded for mercy and screamed for a pardon. The crowd pelted him with filth for his cowardice. Or so they are saying.” Gordon’s sneer was contemptuous.
Ignoring him – he was not interested in Stede Bonnet, alive or dead – Jesamiah continued, “I have a suspicion that Teach intends to call in others. He thinks I am with him, he is waiting for me to return. He intends to create mischief one way or another.” He pulled up a chair, sat, “I would guess that Eden and Knight have had enough of him – I have already told you of the foul deeds that have happened. But the pair of them have been hauled so high with Teach they know not how to shorten sail. If they initiate a fight and Teach survives – well, they already know how vicious he can be.”
Spotswood took more snuff. After several sneezes said, “So they get me to do the deed? If it goes wrong they will plead innocence.”
“You said it Governor.”
Spotswood sat back in his chair. “So, Acorne, you have a better plan?”
Jesamiah nodded. He did.
Later, while Maynard was rousing John Brush to open the armoury and fill a wagon with muskets, pistols and grenados, Governor Spotswood privately asked Jesamiah two questions. He expected truthful answers to neither – if indeed he got an answer at all.
“Did you have anything to do with Knight’s inexplicable departure?”
Looking pained, Jesamiah laid his hand over his heart. “Me? Why would I be involved? How could I have done? I spent a peaceful night in your guest bedchamber. And very pleasant it was too, compared to the previous accommodation you offered me.”
Spotswood chewed his lip, nodded sagely, not believing a word of it. “Then you have no thoughts on how several of my carefully tended blooms got broken last night and footprints were all over my flower beds?”
“None at all.”
“And Acorne.”
“Sir?”
“From where did those diamonds come?”
“Diamonds? What diamonds would they be, Governor?”
Spotswood produced two from his waistcoat pocket. “These diamonds.”
Whistling at their obvious value Jesamiah shook his head. “I have no idea, but I suggest you put them away and keep them for something useful. New flowers perhaps?”
“I am not open to corruption, Acorne.”
Jesamiah touched his hat in salute and headed for the door; “Glad to ‘ear it, Guv’nor. Glad t’ ‘ear it.”