Woman's Work - Chapter 3
Title: Woman’s Work
Author: gwyllion
Genre: Canon era
Pairing: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet
Rating: R
Words: 21,834
Warnings: mpreg, crack, angst with a happy ending, pregnancy issues, missing scene, fix-it
A/N: Thanks to my wonderful beta, Gillian, whose advice always makes me a better writer. Thanks to Ro for audiencing my fic. Your encouragement always makes me want to write more.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime. Thanks so much for reading!
Stede had given little thought to how he would explain his sudden appearance at the door of the sprawling Bonnet manor, let alone the scruffy companions that accompanied him.
“Now guys, just keep quiet and let me do the talking,” Stede said as he rang the bell.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Lucius fretted. “I mean, you are supposed to be dead.”
“Never mind that,” Roach said, “We’ll all be dead when Blackbeard sees that Captain Bonnet has left him again and we were his accomplices.”
“Shh! Ed will understand,” Stede hushed them. “He saw eye to eye with me the last time, didn’t he? Eventually?”
“Only after some of us were nearly killed,” Lucius said with a roll of his eyes.
The heavy glass-inlaid door of the Bonnet home swung open.
Stede was relieved to see that Doug greeted them. He feared his unexpected visit would give Mary a heart attack. Despite his unannounced visit, he hoped neither Doug nor Mary thought he wanted to take the wealth of his former estate with him. After all, Mary and Doug were looking after Stede and Mary’s children and giving them a happy life. Stede wouldn’t dare interfere with that. In fact, if he could get this siren-induced baby out of his belly, perhaps he could leave it with Mary and Doug. Edward would never need to know.
“Ah, Doug!” Stede said with a smile.
Doug stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging open. His eyes flitted from Lucius to Roach and back to Stede a few times before he spoke.
“Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” he whispered.
“Yes, that’s true,” Stede said hurriedly looking around behind him as if he would soon be caught by the English. “But I was wondering if I could speak with Mary?” Stede’s voice rose an octave.
“I don’t see why not,” Doug said, stepping back. “The Bonnet estate is always open to you. Please come in before someone sees you-you and your companions.”
Stede stepped into the foyer with Lucius and Roach on his heels. Relief washed over him when Doug finally closed the door, leaving no opportunity for the English to catch wind of Stede being alive and back in Bridgetown.
“Doug? Was someone at the door?” Mary asked as she descended the stairs to the foyer. She was dressed in a white blouse, topped by a tweed jacket that grazed her hips. She hiked up her long black skirt so she wouldn’t trip. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Stede.
“Mary?” Stede said, then turning to his companions, he introduced her, “This is my former wife, Mary. And this fine fellow is her companion, Doug-unless they’ve tied the knot already and a different title is in order.”
“Stede? I never thought you’d come back here. What about the English? If you’ve been found out… isn’t it dangerous for you to be wandering around Bridgetown?” Mary asked, looping her arm through Doug’s.
“We’ve taken the utmost care to remain discrete, I assure you,” Stede said. His legs felt like rubber from the journey on foot. After traipsing through the hot sand to get from the dinghy to the Bonnet estate, Stede was knackered.
“Would you please introduce your companions to us?” Mary asked. She released Doug’s arm and stepped in front of Roach. Looking him over from head to toe, she remarked, “This must be your Ed.”
“No!” Roach exclaimed, his eyes going wide.
“No?” Mary asked.
“You’ve got the wrong idea about me. I’m simply the chef. You can call me Roach.”
“Roach, the chef,” Mary nodded shaking Roach’s hand. “Well, that’s very interesting.”
“And this is my valet and scribe, Lucius Spriggs,” Stede introduced.
“Very nice to meet you,” Doug said, shaking Lucius’ hand. If he noticed Lucius’s wooden finger, he politely kept it to himself.
“Please come in,” Mary said. “Have you travelled long to get here? You must be starving.”
The thought of food made Stede’s belly do a somersault, although he should have worked up an appetite by now. They had travelled a mile or so to reach Bridgetown. The Revenge was docked offshore and they had taken a dinghy to the island. Stede had given the crew strict orders to head back to sea to keep the Queen Anne in their sights, so to not worry Edward unnecessarily.
“Actually, we’re only here for a brief visit,” Stede said. “Just long enough to-”
“Oh?” asked Doug. “In any case, I hope you’ll stay for a while, for tea at least. Unfortunately, the children are spending the night with my sister and her husband. The two have been clamouring to have a sleepover, playing games with their cousins. My niece and nephew have made fast friends with Louis and Alma.”
“They’ll be back in the morning,” Mary added. “I’m sure they’d love to see you, even though they helped convince people that you’re dead, they are still your children.”
“Ah, yes, children,” Stede said clutching a hand to his belly. “Actually, that’s why I’m paying you a visit.”
Mary’s hand went to her throat. “Surely you’re not thinking of taking the children to sea with you?”
“Oh, no,” Stede said with placating hands in the air. “Nothing like that.”
Mary and Doug exchanged glances.
Just then, a sharp twinge of pain pinched at Stede’s side. “Do you mind if I find a place to sit for a while?”
“Of course,” Mary said. Then, indicating the doorway to the left of the foyer, she added, “I’ll bring some tea to the sitting room. Please make yourselves comfortable.”
Stede led the group across the polished wooden floor. His back ached and he felt as if he had swallowed an enormous amount of food, although he hadn’t touched a bite of anything since the piece of dry toast he ate at breakfast.
Mary disappeared momentarily, presumably to procure tea for the unexpected guests.
In the meanwhile, Stede tried to ignore the way Lucius and Roach’s sea-worn appearances contrasted with the richly decorated Bonnet estate that Stede had left behind. Watching Lucius take in the extravagant setting, Stede hoped that the scribe wasn’t casing the place for valuables to fill his pockets with before they left. Roach was more subdued among the crewmates, mainly because Stede had insisted that he leave his knives behind on the Revenge. Stede admired Doug for making small talk with the pirates, but he was relieved when Mary returned with the tea tray.
Stede was grateful to get off his feet. Whatever came of this siren-induced pregnancy, he was looking forward to having it over and done with if it would make his back stop aching. When tea had been poured and the guests and residents of the Bonnet household had settled, Stede spoke, “Listen,” he began. “There’s no easy way to put this…”
“Please tell me you’re not returning to Bridgetown again,” Mary said, pinching the handle of her teacup. “This is going to be too confusing for the children, never mind that you’d be hung by the English as soon as they learned your death was a ruse.”
Doug’s eyebrows shot up, as if he hadn’t considered the possibility that the children might be witness to their father’s actual death. He clutched Mary’s arm and said, “Let him speak, darling.”
“The life of a pirate is full of danger. Violent storms, unsavoury characters in competition for loot, the threat of being caught and executed by those who have suffered the loss of their valuables,” Stede started off by setting the stage to ask for Mary’s help.
“Go on,” Roach said. “It’s dangerous. I’m sure they get the idea.”
Stede huffed. “But no danger is as terrifying as when one incurs the wrath of an angry siren.”
“A siren?” Doug asked. “Is that a common thing?”
“What are you saying, Stede?” Mary asked in bewilderment.
“Stede was cursed by a siren and now he’s going to have a baby,” Lucius blurted out.
Mary spewed tea from her mouth and nose, having just made the unfortunate decision to take a sip before Lucius’ revelation.
“It sounds like congratulations are in order,” Doug stutteringly proclaimed.
Stede could not mistake the side-eye that Mary made at Doug.
“What happened with Ed?” Mary asked. “The last we talked, you were hopelessly in love with him and you vowed to find him on the seas, no matter what. And now, a baby?”
“Edward doesn’t know anything about this,” Stede affirmed with a shake of his head.
“Well, if you’re not only a pirate, but you’ve also turned into a cad and a womanizer, it looks like I dodged a bullet by facilitating your death and taking up with Doug,” Mary scolded.
“I would hardly call it taking up with me,” Doug complained.
“I’m not a womanizer,” Stede insisted.
“In fact, there’s no woman involved at all,” Roach interjected. “Unless you count the siren.”
“Ew!” Stede cringed. “As if I would ever fornicate with such a distasteful creature.”
“But if there’s no woman involved…” Doug began.
“It’s Stede who’s going to have the baby,” Lucius finished Doug’s thought.
“Stede?”
All eyes turned to Stede.
Stede felt the blush creep across his chest and rise onto his neck. He was grateful that the children weren’t here to witness his embarrassment.
“But how is that possible?” Mary asked. “Stede can’t have a baby himself. He’s a man.”
“He asked me the same thing,” Roach said. “Sea creatures have their ways. Frankly, I’m surprised it hadn’t happened to Captain Bonnet sooner.”
Stede scowled at Roach.
“Well you did help that dolphin a while back,” Lucius reminded him.
“Enough about the dolphin! Now that we all know the truth of why I’m here, let’s get down to business,” Stede said. He stood and went to Mary’s side. Kneeling at her feet, he clutched her wrist.
Doug protectively moved closer to Mary and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Mary, my former wife, mother of my children,” Stede began. “You’ve got to help me. Tell me what I need to do to give birth.”
Mary’s eyebrows drew close. “What do you mean, Stede?”
“Tell me how it’s done. Do I need to hold my breath and push the baby out? Or will the doctor give me something to make the baby appear? What must I do to get this over and done with as soon as possible?”
“What are you talking about?” Mary asked.
Doug looked every bit as bewildered as Mary did.
“Captain,” Lucius interrupted, “I think it takes time for the baby be ready to come out. You do know that, right?”
“I know that. So let’s get on with it, then,” Stede said, clasping his hands together. “We’ve got all day. How should I begin?”
Silence fell in the room. No one looked more despondent than Mary as only the distant chirp of cicadas dominated the conversation.
Stede looked from Mary to Doug. From Lucius to Roach and back again.
“Stede? It doesn’t quite work that way,” Mary finally said with a sigh.
Stede scrambled to his feet. “What do you mean it doesn’t work that way? You’ve had two children, for God’s sake. The doctor came and visited you in your room. An hour or so later and the next thing I knew, I was handed a squalling newborn. Let’s get on with this so I can get back to the Revenge before Edward discovers something is amiss.” Why these people couldn’t understand the urgency of this matter confounded Stede. He wished they would just get on with it.
“I’m afraid it will take longer than a day, Stede,” Doug said.
“We’ve got tomorrow too, if we’re invited to spend the night,” Stede suggested. He closed his eyes and hummed to himself. Surely this couldn’t be one of those things that he had missed out on learning in his sheltered youth, could it be? His mother had died when he was a child and his father’s efforts to educate his son often presumed that Stede was like other boys of his age. Stede had learned all too late that some of the innate knowledge that other men possessed was lost on him.
“Stede! It takes nine months to have a baby,” Mary cried.
“Nine months?” Stede could not believe his ears. Whatever could take nine months’ time? He barely remembered Mary’s pregnancies. There was a bit of complaining and they were over in no time at all. “That simply can’t be,” he finally uttered.
“Don’t you remember when I first was pregnant? I told you how miserable I felt.”
“No! When?” Stede asked.
“For all nine months before each of the kids were born!” Mary shouted. “I couldn’t hold any food down. I was tired all the time. My back ached. I could barely manage a stroll through the garden without having to lie down for an hour afterwards to regain my strength.”
Stede thought back to the long past days of Mary’s pregnancies. He had to admit he remembered she was a bit more tired than usual. And she did occasionally complain that her back hurt. Being the shit husband that he was back then, he hadn’t really paid much attention. Nor had he offered to help Mary find some relief. He truly didn’t know how long it took to have a baby, although he could have guessed if he had paid more attention.
“I suppose I do remember some of it,” Stede relented. “My back is aching now too.”
“What about your Ed?” Mary asked. “If the two of you made this baby together, do you think he would be able to help you?”
“I don’t know how you two did things,” Doug gestured between Mary and Stede, “but typically, a husband helps quite a bit when his spouse is expecting a baby. If he’s not involved in caring for you, I don’t know what that says about your Ed.”
“He doesn’t know,” Stede cried, cradling his head in his hands. “I hoped to have the baby here and get back to the Revenge without him ever finding out.”
“Stede, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you can’t possibly hope to have your baby here,” Mary said.
Although Mary sounded concerned, her voice took on a tone of sarcasm. Stede doubted whether she even believed that he had been cursed by a siren after all. People who were not aware of the ways of the sea always met seafarers’ tales with a healthy bit of scepticism. Stede reacted the same way before he took to the sea himself. And before he fell in love with Ed. He couldn’t blame Mary for her tone.
“Well not if this whole process is going to take more than a week,” Stede sighed. His back ached, his belly pinched, he felt like he could bring up the contents of his stomach at the drop of a hat.
“We should get back to the Revenge,” Lucius said. “Maybe Ed will come around when you tell him what happened to you.”
“Lucius, I can’t possibly,” Stede lamented.
“There’s always that guy I know in the Republic of Pirates,” Roach said, reminding Stede of his other possibility.
“If you’re telling me it will take more than a week or two for me to produce this child,” Stede looked around the room and found little sympathy for his predicament. “We need to make another plan.”
~
Mary and Doug were kind enough to offer up a few of their guest rooms for Stede and his crew members to spend the night. After Stede saw to it that Roach and Lucius were settled in, he retired to his own guest room, but sleep did not come easily.
Had he really been that neglectful of Mary while she was pregnant with their children? And for nine months’ time with each of them. That was nearly a year of experiencing such discomfort. Twice!
Stede rolled onto his side, trying to remove some of the pressure that had built in his belly. It seemed that his discomfort had grown with each day. He wished that Edward wasn’t so dead set against having a child onboard. If he weren’t so stubborn, maybe they could keep this child. They could even have Alma and Louis aboard to meet the little one.
Dreaming about what his life would be like if he could convince Edward otherwise, Stede imagined how Ed would care for him as he grew fat with pregnancy. He imagined he could feel Ed’s weight against his back as he tenderly rubbed at his taut and strained muscles.
“Oh, Edward,” Stede whispered into the dark. “You’d be a wonderful partner to me. I just know you would be. Not like the self-centred fool I was when Mary was expecting our children.”
Edward would devote himself to caring for Stede’s well-being.
Stede remembered how he and Edward first met when he awoke after being stabbed and nearly hung to death. Ed stayed at his side, tending his wounds, and making sure he was comfortable. That was before Stede had any inkling that Edward was the legendary Blackbeard, the scourge of the seven seas.
Just as Ed had tended to Stede then, he would show the same amount of care for Stede as he suffered the aches and pains of pregnancy, just like a true partner would. Stede did not deserve him.
Rolling over onto his other side, Stede fought to get comfortable. He felt like someone had driven hot spikes into his hips. His stomach swelled uncomfortably, although he had barely touched the dinner that Mary had prepared for the guests. To think that Mary had felt this way during her pregnancies, and he did nothing about it. It made him ill to think of how he had treated her with such disregard. He never offered her comfort or even the kindness of listening to her when she complained about her pain. He hadn’t known, and he hadn’t cared to learn.
Doug’s voice taunted him, “Typically, a husband helps quite a bit when his spouse is expecting a baby.”
Stede was useless as a husband. Mary deserved better than to be treated with such indifference. She deserved a partner who would listen to her and comfort her in times of distress. At least she now had Doug. Stede could not be that ideal partner for Mary, but he would try his damnedest to be an ideal partner for Ed.
Stede’s hand went to his belly, where he rubbed wide circles across the soft fabric of a borrowed nightshirt. He imagined it was Edward’s hand, warm and soothing. They had slept this way for many nights with Stede enjoying being the little spoon to Edward’s big spoon embrace. Since Stede’s return to the Revenge, they embarked on a new voyage of co-captaincy, but it wasn’t all clotted cream and fresh scones at the beginning. Sometimes, Stede needed to be the big spoon.
Stede had managed to load his abandoned crew into the dinghy on that godforsaken island. He was relieved that Izzy hadn’t decided to maroon even one more crewmember, since the overloaded boat took on water whenever the smallest of waves crashed over the bow. They had barely set off when Stede noticed a curious object on the horizon. Stede may have been relieved about the dinghy’s capacity to carry all his abandoned crew, but that relief vanished when they found Lucius clinging to a piece of driftwood, remnants of a ship lost to the autumn storms.
Of course Black Pete, waving a pistol in the air, insisted that they make room for his lover. It had been easy to argue against him, since Pete hadn’t thought to bring any gunpowder to their abandonment. A fight broke out between Pete and Buttons, but Stede took control of the dinghy’s crew. He promised each of them, including Lucius, that they could continue to tell him what happened after Blackbeard, without any of his beard at all, returned to the Revenge. As much as it pained Stede, he would listen.
“Poor Edward,” Stede muttered as Lucius regaled him with the tale of how he was nearly killed.
“And that was after I told him about how wonderfully the talent show was coming together,” Lucius said. “I never expected he would push me into the sea, although I really should have known, seeing he’s Blackbeard.”
Stede gazed into the unrelenting horizon. “I thought he liked you better than most, Lucius, if it’s any consolation,” he said.
The members of the crew took turns rowing, giving Stede a bit of a break. As long as no one wriggled more than necessary, the dinghy stayed afloat. Stede listened with sadness to their angry recollections about how Edward had behaved after he returned from the Privateering Academy. This was all his fault-everything that had happened to his crew, Lucius nearly being drowned. He needed to get to Ed before any more tragedy befell the remaining crew members that had been kept behind.
After another day of rowing on mercifully calm seas, the Revenge finally came into view. Dusk had settled around the mast’s imposing silhouette. Fang spotted them first-no small feat as the sunset’s remains dipped below the horizon. He scurried across the deck, leaving Jim to take on the task of distracting Izzy long enough for the stranded pirates to climb aboard. Although Jim was visibly delighted to see Oluwande aboard the dinghy, they readily accepted the responsibility of keeping Izzy out of their way.
Edward was nowhere to be seen.
When Jim returned from wherever they had led Izzy, tearful hugs and joyous greetings were exchanged on deck. Lanterns were lit and Roach declared that he would produce a meal with whatever stores he could find in the galley.
“The boss is in your old quarters,” Fang whispered to Stede as they embraced. “You won’t like the look of it in there and Blackbeard won’t be looking much better than the accommodations.”
“Understood,” Stede said, clasping Fang’s shoulder.
Leaving the crew behind to celebrate their reunion, Stede made his way to the captain’s quarters. He listened cautiously outside the door in case Izzy had escaped and beaten him there. Only the muffled sounds of the reunion above wafted through the corridor outside the cabin.
“Ed?” Stede called softly. He rapped the wooden door a few times with his knuckles. Stede raised an eyebrow as the door sprung open. He inspected the hinges and determined that they needed to be replaced. He stepped through the open doorway.
A dark sky streaked with smears of purple kept the cabin in near darkness, but still Stede could see just enough to fill him with sorrow. The cabin was nothing like Stede remembered.
The shelves were empty. They had once been adorned with first editions and well-loved novels that Stede had read over and over again in his lifetime. A stiletto blade had been driven into the dining table where Stede and Ed had once entertained Calico Jack before his demise and their capture by the English. The stink of stale food and spilled rum permeated the chilly air. The fireplace which once glowed with the warmth of flames now sat unused. The bitter scent of wet ash made Stede wrinkle his nose in disgust.
The cabin looked as bad as Stede’s crew had warned him it would. As terrible as the damage had been, Stede knew this was all his fault. He had driven Ed to this destruction.
A muffled sob drew Stede’s attention from the windowseat where he had once sat with a spyglass in hand. He was drawn to the sleeping nook, where long ago, he had woken from his near-death experience at the end of a Spanish noose to find Ed tending to him.
“Edward?” Stede whispered.
In a flash, Stede crossed the distance from the door to the window. The mattress had been stripped bare and the down-filled pillows were long gone, cast into the sea, Stede presumed. Ed sat on the mattress. His knees were drawn up to his chest. The tracks of his tears streaked through the sooty mess of kohl that lined his eyes and coloured his cheeks and jaw.
“Edward?” Stede whispered again.
This time, Ed turned toward Stede, letting his face catch the dim light from outside the window. In Ed’s eyes, Stede could see the hurt that he had inflicted upon him.
“Oh my darling,” Stede gasped.
Ed closed his eyes and clung to his knees more tightly. Perhaps he thought Stede was a spectre coming back from the dead to taunt him.
Ed’s very state, with his tangled hair and tear-stained face accused Stede of an unfathomable crime. Stede loved this man with all his heart and yet he had let him believe that he was unwanted and unloved.
“Edward,” Stede said, mustering the courage to climb onto the mattress beside Edward. And then, because he could think of nothing else to do, he wrapped Edward in his arms and let him cry.
Ed shook with sobs. “You left me,” Ed sniffled. “Why are you here, Stede? I waited for you for hours.”
The guilt over leaving Edward alone on the dock burned like a hot coal in Stede’s belly. A rumble of footsteps crossed the deck above their heads. Stede hoped that his crew would keep Izzy away long enough for him to apologize to Ed, long enough for him to explain.
“I’m here now, Edward,” Stede said. It was the only thing he could say. He leaned toward Ed, pressing his chest against the black leather that cloaked Ed’s back. He stroked Ed’s shoulders, hoping to instil some comfort in the man he loved. “I’ll not leave you again, not unless you ask me to.”
“Where were you, man?” Ed cried. He shook when Stede’s arms wrapped around him.
Stede knew he had only one chance to apologize to Ed, so he tried to cram everything in as best he could. He kept his voice a low whisper in Ed’s ear. “I was taken into the jungle at gunpoint by Chauncey Badminton. He said some awful things to me. Made me think that you’d be better off without me. You’d be free from the English. Free to grow your beard back. You’d be yourself again. He convinced me that I was a burden put upon you-that I had ruined you. And I believed him.”
Tears fell from Edward’s eyes, soaking the tattered cuffs of Stede’s shirt as he cradled Ed in his arms.
“So, I let you go,” Stede whispered. “I went back to my estate, my wife, my children. But they had never wanted me there. They had moved on. It took my wife and her lover to make me understand that I loved you, Edward. I love you and I always will.”
Edward sniffled. “I thought you finally realized what I had been telling you. I’m not a good person. And I’m certainly not good enough for you.”
“Oh my darling,” Stede said. “If only you knew how untrue that is. I love you, Edward. I faked my own death, so I would never have to return to Barbados again, so I could search for you and tell you how much I love you. And I know that you love me.”
“You do?” Edward asked, his voice full of longing like a child’s.
“I do,” Stede said. “I know that now. I’ve hurt you terribly. Why else would you have destroyed the Revenge like this?”
“I’m sorry I tossed all your things,” Edward cried.
“My library, my clothes, none of those things matter to me,” Stede said. “Not when I’m able to hold you in my arms again.”
Ed turned his head so he met Stede’s eyes. “I killed Lucius,” he sobbed.
“What? Stede asked with a gasp, then remembering what Lucius had told him about Ed’s rage when he tossed him over the rail of the ship, he assured Ed, “No, no, no, Lucius is alive and well. We picked him up on the way back to the Revenge. He arrived with me and the rest of the crew in the dinghy.”
“He did?” Ed asked with a sigh of relief.
“He did, I can assure you,” Stede said, pressing a kiss to Edward’s shoulder.
“Do you think we can forget about the things I’ve done when I came back to the ship? Some of them, at least?” Ed asked.
“I’d like that very much,” Stede said, tucking a loose bit of hair behind Ed’s ear.
There would be time for Stede to rebuild his library. After a few successful raids, the captain’s quarters could be outfitted with new furnishings. They were pirates, for God’s sake. With plans for the near future settled, Stede rested his head on Ed’s shoulder and collapsed from exhaustion.
~
Author: gwyllion
Genre: Canon era
Pairing: Blackbeard | Edward Teach/Stede Bonnet
Rating: R
Words: 21,834
Warnings: mpreg, crack, angst with a happy ending, pregnancy issues, missing scene, fix-it
A/N: Thanks to my wonderful beta, Gillian, whose advice always makes me a better writer. Thanks to Ro for audiencing my fic. Your encouragement always makes me want to write more.
Disclaimer: I did not create these characters. No disrespect intended. No profit desired, only muses.
Comments: Comments are welcome anytime. Thanks so much for reading!
Stede had given little thought to how he would explain his sudden appearance at the door of the sprawling Bonnet manor, let alone the scruffy companions that accompanied him.
“Now guys, just keep quiet and let me do the talking,” Stede said as he rang the bell.
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Lucius fretted. “I mean, you are supposed to be dead.”
“Never mind that,” Roach said, “We’ll all be dead when Blackbeard sees that Captain Bonnet has left him again and we were his accomplices.”
“Shh! Ed will understand,” Stede hushed them. “He saw eye to eye with me the last time, didn’t he? Eventually?”
“Only after some of us were nearly killed,” Lucius said with a roll of his eyes.
The heavy glass-inlaid door of the Bonnet home swung open.
Stede was relieved to see that Doug greeted them. He feared his unexpected visit would give Mary a heart attack. Despite his unannounced visit, he hoped neither Doug nor Mary thought he wanted to take the wealth of his former estate with him. After all, Mary and Doug were looking after Stede and Mary’s children and giving them a happy life. Stede wouldn’t dare interfere with that. In fact, if he could get this siren-induced baby out of his belly, perhaps he could leave it with Mary and Doug. Edward would never need to know.
“Ah, Doug!” Stede said with a smile.
Doug stood in the doorway with his mouth hanging open. His eyes flitted from Lucius to Roach and back to Stede a few times before he spoke.
“Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” he whispered.
“Yes, that’s true,” Stede said hurriedly looking around behind him as if he would soon be caught by the English. “But I was wondering if I could speak with Mary?” Stede’s voice rose an octave.
“I don’t see why not,” Doug said, stepping back. “The Bonnet estate is always open to you. Please come in before someone sees you-you and your companions.”
Stede stepped into the foyer with Lucius and Roach on his heels. Relief washed over him when Doug finally closed the door, leaving no opportunity for the English to catch wind of Stede being alive and back in Bridgetown.
“Doug? Was someone at the door?” Mary asked as she descended the stairs to the foyer. She was dressed in a white blouse, topped by a tweed jacket that grazed her hips. She hiked up her long black skirt so she wouldn’t trip. Her mouth dropped open when she saw Stede.
“Mary?” Stede said, then turning to his companions, he introduced her, “This is my former wife, Mary. And this fine fellow is her companion, Doug-unless they’ve tied the knot already and a different title is in order.”
“Stede? I never thought you’d come back here. What about the English? If you’ve been found out… isn’t it dangerous for you to be wandering around Bridgetown?” Mary asked, looping her arm through Doug’s.
“We’ve taken the utmost care to remain discrete, I assure you,” Stede said. His legs felt like rubber from the journey on foot. After traipsing through the hot sand to get from the dinghy to the Bonnet estate, Stede was knackered.
“Would you please introduce your companions to us?” Mary asked. She released Doug’s arm and stepped in front of Roach. Looking him over from head to toe, she remarked, “This must be your Ed.”
“No!” Roach exclaimed, his eyes going wide.
“No?” Mary asked.
“You’ve got the wrong idea about me. I’m simply the chef. You can call me Roach.”
“Roach, the chef,” Mary nodded shaking Roach’s hand. “Well, that’s very interesting.”
“And this is my valet and scribe, Lucius Spriggs,” Stede introduced.
“Very nice to meet you,” Doug said, shaking Lucius’ hand. If he noticed Lucius’s wooden finger, he politely kept it to himself.
“Please come in,” Mary said. “Have you travelled long to get here? You must be starving.”
The thought of food made Stede’s belly do a somersault, although he should have worked up an appetite by now. They had travelled a mile or so to reach Bridgetown. The Revenge was docked offshore and they had taken a dinghy to the island. Stede had given the crew strict orders to head back to sea to keep the Queen Anne in their sights, so to not worry Edward unnecessarily.
“Actually, we’re only here for a brief visit,” Stede said. “Just long enough to-”
“Oh?” asked Doug. “In any case, I hope you’ll stay for a while, for tea at least. Unfortunately, the children are spending the night with my sister and her husband. The two have been clamouring to have a sleepover, playing games with their cousins. My niece and nephew have made fast friends with Louis and Alma.”
“They’ll be back in the morning,” Mary added. “I’m sure they’d love to see you, even though they helped convince people that you’re dead, they are still your children.”
“Ah, yes, children,” Stede said clutching a hand to his belly. “Actually, that’s why I’m paying you a visit.”
Mary’s hand went to her throat. “Surely you’re not thinking of taking the children to sea with you?”
“Oh, no,” Stede said with placating hands in the air. “Nothing like that.”
Mary and Doug exchanged glances.
Just then, a sharp twinge of pain pinched at Stede’s side. “Do you mind if I find a place to sit for a while?”
“Of course,” Mary said. Then, indicating the doorway to the left of the foyer, she added, “I’ll bring some tea to the sitting room. Please make yourselves comfortable.”
Stede led the group across the polished wooden floor. His back ached and he felt as if he had swallowed an enormous amount of food, although he hadn’t touched a bite of anything since the piece of dry toast he ate at breakfast.
Mary disappeared momentarily, presumably to procure tea for the unexpected guests.
In the meanwhile, Stede tried to ignore the way Lucius and Roach’s sea-worn appearances contrasted with the richly decorated Bonnet estate that Stede had left behind. Watching Lucius take in the extravagant setting, Stede hoped that the scribe wasn’t casing the place for valuables to fill his pockets with before they left. Roach was more subdued among the crewmates, mainly because Stede had insisted that he leave his knives behind on the Revenge. Stede admired Doug for making small talk with the pirates, but he was relieved when Mary returned with the tea tray.
Stede was grateful to get off his feet. Whatever came of this siren-induced pregnancy, he was looking forward to having it over and done with if it would make his back stop aching. When tea had been poured and the guests and residents of the Bonnet household had settled, Stede spoke, “Listen,” he began. “There’s no easy way to put this…”
“Please tell me you’re not returning to Bridgetown again,” Mary said, pinching the handle of her teacup. “This is going to be too confusing for the children, never mind that you’d be hung by the English as soon as they learned your death was a ruse.”
Doug’s eyebrows shot up, as if he hadn’t considered the possibility that the children might be witness to their father’s actual death. He clutched Mary’s arm and said, “Let him speak, darling.”
“The life of a pirate is full of danger. Violent storms, unsavoury characters in competition for loot, the threat of being caught and executed by those who have suffered the loss of their valuables,” Stede started off by setting the stage to ask for Mary’s help.
“Go on,” Roach said. “It’s dangerous. I’m sure they get the idea.”
Stede huffed. “But no danger is as terrifying as when one incurs the wrath of an angry siren.”
“A siren?” Doug asked. “Is that a common thing?”
“What are you saying, Stede?” Mary asked in bewilderment.
“Stede was cursed by a siren and now he’s going to have a baby,” Lucius blurted out.
Mary spewed tea from her mouth and nose, having just made the unfortunate decision to take a sip before Lucius’ revelation.
“It sounds like congratulations are in order,” Doug stutteringly proclaimed.
Stede could not mistake the side-eye that Mary made at Doug.
“What happened with Ed?” Mary asked. “The last we talked, you were hopelessly in love with him and you vowed to find him on the seas, no matter what. And now, a baby?”
“Edward doesn’t know anything about this,” Stede affirmed with a shake of his head.
“Well, if you’re not only a pirate, but you’ve also turned into a cad and a womanizer, it looks like I dodged a bullet by facilitating your death and taking up with Doug,” Mary scolded.
“I would hardly call it taking up with me,” Doug complained.
“I’m not a womanizer,” Stede insisted.
“In fact, there’s no woman involved at all,” Roach interjected. “Unless you count the siren.”
“Ew!” Stede cringed. “As if I would ever fornicate with such a distasteful creature.”
“But if there’s no woman involved…” Doug began.
“It’s Stede who’s going to have the baby,” Lucius finished Doug’s thought.
“Stede?”
All eyes turned to Stede.
Stede felt the blush creep across his chest and rise onto his neck. He was grateful that the children weren’t here to witness his embarrassment.
“But how is that possible?” Mary asked. “Stede can’t have a baby himself. He’s a man.”
“He asked me the same thing,” Roach said. “Sea creatures have their ways. Frankly, I’m surprised it hadn’t happened to Captain Bonnet sooner.”
Stede scowled at Roach.
“Well you did help that dolphin a while back,” Lucius reminded him.
“Enough about the dolphin! Now that we all know the truth of why I’m here, let’s get down to business,” Stede said. He stood and went to Mary’s side. Kneeling at her feet, he clutched her wrist.
Doug protectively moved closer to Mary and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
“Mary, my former wife, mother of my children,” Stede began. “You’ve got to help me. Tell me what I need to do to give birth.”
Mary’s eyebrows drew close. “What do you mean, Stede?”
“Tell me how it’s done. Do I need to hold my breath and push the baby out? Or will the doctor give me something to make the baby appear? What must I do to get this over and done with as soon as possible?”
“What are you talking about?” Mary asked.
Doug looked every bit as bewildered as Mary did.
“Captain,” Lucius interrupted, “I think it takes time for the baby be ready to come out. You do know that, right?”
“I know that. So let’s get on with it, then,” Stede said, clasping his hands together. “We’ve got all day. How should I begin?”
Silence fell in the room. No one looked more despondent than Mary as only the distant chirp of cicadas dominated the conversation.
Stede looked from Mary to Doug. From Lucius to Roach and back again.
“Stede? It doesn’t quite work that way,” Mary finally said with a sigh.
Stede scrambled to his feet. “What do you mean it doesn’t work that way? You’ve had two children, for God’s sake. The doctor came and visited you in your room. An hour or so later and the next thing I knew, I was handed a squalling newborn. Let’s get on with this so I can get back to the Revenge before Edward discovers something is amiss.” Why these people couldn’t understand the urgency of this matter confounded Stede. He wished they would just get on with it.
“I’m afraid it will take longer than a day, Stede,” Doug said.
“We’ve got tomorrow too, if we’re invited to spend the night,” Stede suggested. He closed his eyes and hummed to himself. Surely this couldn’t be one of those things that he had missed out on learning in his sheltered youth, could it be? His mother had died when he was a child and his father’s efforts to educate his son often presumed that Stede was like other boys of his age. Stede had learned all too late that some of the innate knowledge that other men possessed was lost on him.
“Stede! It takes nine months to have a baby,” Mary cried.
“Nine months?” Stede could not believe his ears. Whatever could take nine months’ time? He barely remembered Mary’s pregnancies. There was a bit of complaining and they were over in no time at all. “That simply can’t be,” he finally uttered.
“Don’t you remember when I first was pregnant? I told you how miserable I felt.”
“No! When?” Stede asked.
“For all nine months before each of the kids were born!” Mary shouted. “I couldn’t hold any food down. I was tired all the time. My back ached. I could barely manage a stroll through the garden without having to lie down for an hour afterwards to regain my strength.”
Stede thought back to the long past days of Mary’s pregnancies. He had to admit he remembered she was a bit more tired than usual. And she did occasionally complain that her back hurt. Being the shit husband that he was back then, he hadn’t really paid much attention. Nor had he offered to help Mary find some relief. He truly didn’t know how long it took to have a baby, although he could have guessed if he had paid more attention.
“I suppose I do remember some of it,” Stede relented. “My back is aching now too.”
“What about your Ed?” Mary asked. “If the two of you made this baby together, do you think he would be able to help you?”
“I don’t know how you two did things,” Doug gestured between Mary and Stede, “but typically, a husband helps quite a bit when his spouse is expecting a baby. If he’s not involved in caring for you, I don’t know what that says about your Ed.”
“He doesn’t know,” Stede cried, cradling his head in his hands. “I hoped to have the baby here and get back to the Revenge without him ever finding out.”
“Stede, I can’t believe I’m saying this, but you can’t possibly hope to have your baby here,” Mary said.
Although Mary sounded concerned, her voice took on a tone of sarcasm. Stede doubted whether she even believed that he had been cursed by a siren after all. People who were not aware of the ways of the sea always met seafarers’ tales with a healthy bit of scepticism. Stede reacted the same way before he took to the sea himself. And before he fell in love with Ed. He couldn’t blame Mary for her tone.
“Well not if this whole process is going to take more than a week,” Stede sighed. His back ached, his belly pinched, he felt like he could bring up the contents of his stomach at the drop of a hat.
“We should get back to the Revenge,” Lucius said. “Maybe Ed will come around when you tell him what happened to you.”
“Lucius, I can’t possibly,” Stede lamented.
“There’s always that guy I know in the Republic of Pirates,” Roach said, reminding Stede of his other possibility.
“If you’re telling me it will take more than a week or two for me to produce this child,” Stede looked around the room and found little sympathy for his predicament. “We need to make another plan.”
~
Mary and Doug were kind enough to offer up a few of their guest rooms for Stede and his crew members to spend the night. After Stede saw to it that Roach and Lucius were settled in, he retired to his own guest room, but sleep did not come easily.
Had he really been that neglectful of Mary while she was pregnant with their children? And for nine months’ time with each of them. That was nearly a year of experiencing such discomfort. Twice!
Stede rolled onto his side, trying to remove some of the pressure that had built in his belly. It seemed that his discomfort had grown with each day. He wished that Edward wasn’t so dead set against having a child onboard. If he weren’t so stubborn, maybe they could keep this child. They could even have Alma and Louis aboard to meet the little one.
Dreaming about what his life would be like if he could convince Edward otherwise, Stede imagined how Ed would care for him as he grew fat with pregnancy. He imagined he could feel Ed’s weight against his back as he tenderly rubbed at his taut and strained muscles.
“Oh, Edward,” Stede whispered into the dark. “You’d be a wonderful partner to me. I just know you would be. Not like the self-centred fool I was when Mary was expecting our children.”
Edward would devote himself to caring for Stede’s well-being.
Stede remembered how he and Edward first met when he awoke after being stabbed and nearly hung to death. Ed stayed at his side, tending his wounds, and making sure he was comfortable. That was before Stede had any inkling that Edward was the legendary Blackbeard, the scourge of the seven seas.
Just as Ed had tended to Stede then, he would show the same amount of care for Stede as he suffered the aches and pains of pregnancy, just like a true partner would. Stede did not deserve him.
Rolling over onto his other side, Stede fought to get comfortable. He felt like someone had driven hot spikes into his hips. His stomach swelled uncomfortably, although he had barely touched the dinner that Mary had prepared for the guests. To think that Mary had felt this way during her pregnancies, and he did nothing about it. It made him ill to think of how he had treated her with such disregard. He never offered her comfort or even the kindness of listening to her when she complained about her pain. He hadn’t known, and he hadn’t cared to learn.
Doug’s voice taunted him, “Typically, a husband helps quite a bit when his spouse is expecting a baby.”
Stede was useless as a husband. Mary deserved better than to be treated with such indifference. She deserved a partner who would listen to her and comfort her in times of distress. At least she now had Doug. Stede could not be that ideal partner for Mary, but he would try his damnedest to be an ideal partner for Ed.
Stede’s hand went to his belly, where he rubbed wide circles across the soft fabric of a borrowed nightshirt. He imagined it was Edward’s hand, warm and soothing. They had slept this way for many nights with Stede enjoying being the little spoon to Edward’s big spoon embrace. Since Stede’s return to the Revenge, they embarked on a new voyage of co-captaincy, but it wasn’t all clotted cream and fresh scones at the beginning. Sometimes, Stede needed to be the big spoon.
Stede had managed to load his abandoned crew into the dinghy on that godforsaken island. He was relieved that Izzy hadn’t decided to maroon even one more crewmember, since the overloaded boat took on water whenever the smallest of waves crashed over the bow. They had barely set off when Stede noticed a curious object on the horizon. Stede may have been relieved about the dinghy’s capacity to carry all his abandoned crew, but that relief vanished when they found Lucius clinging to a piece of driftwood, remnants of a ship lost to the autumn storms.
Of course Black Pete, waving a pistol in the air, insisted that they make room for his lover. It had been easy to argue against him, since Pete hadn’t thought to bring any gunpowder to their abandonment. A fight broke out between Pete and Buttons, but Stede took control of the dinghy’s crew. He promised each of them, including Lucius, that they could continue to tell him what happened after Blackbeard, without any of his beard at all, returned to the Revenge. As much as it pained Stede, he would listen.
“Poor Edward,” Stede muttered as Lucius regaled him with the tale of how he was nearly killed.
“And that was after I told him about how wonderfully the talent show was coming together,” Lucius said. “I never expected he would push me into the sea, although I really should have known, seeing he’s Blackbeard.”
Stede gazed into the unrelenting horizon. “I thought he liked you better than most, Lucius, if it’s any consolation,” he said.
The members of the crew took turns rowing, giving Stede a bit of a break. As long as no one wriggled more than necessary, the dinghy stayed afloat. Stede listened with sadness to their angry recollections about how Edward had behaved after he returned from the Privateering Academy. This was all his fault-everything that had happened to his crew, Lucius nearly being drowned. He needed to get to Ed before any more tragedy befell the remaining crew members that had been kept behind.
After another day of rowing on mercifully calm seas, the Revenge finally came into view. Dusk had settled around the mast’s imposing silhouette. Fang spotted them first-no small feat as the sunset’s remains dipped below the horizon. He scurried across the deck, leaving Jim to take on the task of distracting Izzy long enough for the stranded pirates to climb aboard. Although Jim was visibly delighted to see Oluwande aboard the dinghy, they readily accepted the responsibility of keeping Izzy out of their way.
Edward was nowhere to be seen.
When Jim returned from wherever they had led Izzy, tearful hugs and joyous greetings were exchanged on deck. Lanterns were lit and Roach declared that he would produce a meal with whatever stores he could find in the galley.
“The boss is in your old quarters,” Fang whispered to Stede as they embraced. “You won’t like the look of it in there and Blackbeard won’t be looking much better than the accommodations.”
“Understood,” Stede said, clasping Fang’s shoulder.
Leaving the crew behind to celebrate their reunion, Stede made his way to the captain’s quarters. He listened cautiously outside the door in case Izzy had escaped and beaten him there. Only the muffled sounds of the reunion above wafted through the corridor outside the cabin.
“Ed?” Stede called softly. He rapped the wooden door a few times with his knuckles. Stede raised an eyebrow as the door sprung open. He inspected the hinges and determined that they needed to be replaced. He stepped through the open doorway.
A dark sky streaked with smears of purple kept the cabin in near darkness, but still Stede could see just enough to fill him with sorrow. The cabin was nothing like Stede remembered.
The shelves were empty. They had once been adorned with first editions and well-loved novels that Stede had read over and over again in his lifetime. A stiletto blade had been driven into the dining table where Stede and Ed had once entertained Calico Jack before his demise and their capture by the English. The stink of stale food and spilled rum permeated the chilly air. The fireplace which once glowed with the warmth of flames now sat unused. The bitter scent of wet ash made Stede wrinkle his nose in disgust.
The cabin looked as bad as Stede’s crew had warned him it would. As terrible as the damage had been, Stede knew this was all his fault. He had driven Ed to this destruction.
A muffled sob drew Stede’s attention from the windowseat where he had once sat with a spyglass in hand. He was drawn to the sleeping nook, where long ago, he had woken from his near-death experience at the end of a Spanish noose to find Ed tending to him.
“Edward?” Stede whispered.
In a flash, Stede crossed the distance from the door to the window. The mattress had been stripped bare and the down-filled pillows were long gone, cast into the sea, Stede presumed. Ed sat on the mattress. His knees were drawn up to his chest. The tracks of his tears streaked through the sooty mess of kohl that lined his eyes and coloured his cheeks and jaw.
“Edward?” Stede whispered again.
This time, Ed turned toward Stede, letting his face catch the dim light from outside the window. In Ed’s eyes, Stede could see the hurt that he had inflicted upon him.
“Oh my darling,” Stede gasped.
Ed closed his eyes and clung to his knees more tightly. Perhaps he thought Stede was a spectre coming back from the dead to taunt him.
Ed’s very state, with his tangled hair and tear-stained face accused Stede of an unfathomable crime. Stede loved this man with all his heart and yet he had let him believe that he was unwanted and unloved.
“Edward,” Stede said, mustering the courage to climb onto the mattress beside Edward. And then, because he could think of nothing else to do, he wrapped Edward in his arms and let him cry.
Ed shook with sobs. “You left me,” Ed sniffled. “Why are you here, Stede? I waited for you for hours.”
The guilt over leaving Edward alone on the dock burned like a hot coal in Stede’s belly. A rumble of footsteps crossed the deck above their heads. Stede hoped that his crew would keep Izzy away long enough for him to apologize to Ed, long enough for him to explain.
“I’m here now, Edward,” Stede said. It was the only thing he could say. He leaned toward Ed, pressing his chest against the black leather that cloaked Ed’s back. He stroked Ed’s shoulders, hoping to instil some comfort in the man he loved. “I’ll not leave you again, not unless you ask me to.”
“Where were you, man?” Ed cried. He shook when Stede’s arms wrapped around him.
Stede knew he had only one chance to apologize to Ed, so he tried to cram everything in as best he could. He kept his voice a low whisper in Ed’s ear. “I was taken into the jungle at gunpoint by Chauncey Badminton. He said some awful things to me. Made me think that you’d be better off without me. You’d be free from the English. Free to grow your beard back. You’d be yourself again. He convinced me that I was a burden put upon you-that I had ruined you. And I believed him.”
Tears fell from Edward’s eyes, soaking the tattered cuffs of Stede’s shirt as he cradled Ed in his arms.
“So, I let you go,” Stede whispered. “I went back to my estate, my wife, my children. But they had never wanted me there. They had moved on. It took my wife and her lover to make me understand that I loved you, Edward. I love you and I always will.”
Edward sniffled. “I thought you finally realized what I had been telling you. I’m not a good person. And I’m certainly not good enough for you.”
“Oh my darling,” Stede said. “If only you knew how untrue that is. I love you, Edward. I faked my own death, so I would never have to return to Barbados again, so I could search for you and tell you how much I love you. And I know that you love me.”
“You do?” Edward asked, his voice full of longing like a child’s.
“I do,” Stede said. “I know that now. I’ve hurt you terribly. Why else would you have destroyed the Revenge like this?”
“I’m sorry I tossed all your things,” Edward cried.
“My library, my clothes, none of those things matter to me,” Stede said. “Not when I’m able to hold you in my arms again.”
Ed turned his head so he met Stede’s eyes. “I killed Lucius,” he sobbed.
“What? Stede asked with a gasp, then remembering what Lucius had told him about Ed’s rage when he tossed him over the rail of the ship, he assured Ed, “No, no, no, Lucius is alive and well. We picked him up on the way back to the Revenge. He arrived with me and the rest of the crew in the dinghy.”
“He did?” Ed asked with a sigh of relief.
“He did, I can assure you,” Stede said, pressing a kiss to Edward’s shoulder.
“Do you think we can forget about the things I’ve done when I came back to the ship? Some of them, at least?” Ed asked.
“I’d like that very much,” Stede said, tucking a loose bit of hair behind Ed’s ear.
There would be time for Stede to rebuild his library. After a few successful raids, the captain’s quarters could be outfitted with new furnishings. They were pirates, for God’s sake. With plans for the near future settled, Stede rested his head on Ed’s shoulder and collapsed from exhaustion.
~