Read Online The Pirates and the Nightmaker by James Norcliffe - Free Book Online
Authors: James Norcliffe
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comment and didn’t alter her expression in any way. She quietly studied the table as if it were an interesting book that held her rapt.
‘Well, Captain,’ said Jenny Blade, ‘it was indeed fortunate we found you when we did. By the way, you may not realise it but you really owe your delivery to my daughter Sophia. It was she who observed you from the lookout and drew our attention to you …’
I sat very still, scarcely daring to look at Mr Wicker in case he made something of this. Like the others at the table, he turned to look at Sophie when she lifted her eyes and gave the company a small smile. Mr Wicker frowned slightly then, as if thinking to himself, and then he flashed me a sharp questioning glance. This time, it was my turn to remain impassive and I fought not to give anything away. I’m not sure I fooled the man, but he did look away eventually to re-join the conversation.
Now the captain was speaking. ‘The strange thing is,’ he said, measuring his words carefully, ‘that while your daughter may have observed our little boat, long before we ourselves could make out the masts of your vessel, our passenger Mr Wicker here had some intuition of your presence. Indeed, so convinced was he of this, he practically ordered my men to row towards you. Moreover,’ he added, ‘most mysteriously of all, he was absolutely right.’
‘Indeed, I was,’ Mr Wicker put in easily, ‘despite your thinking that I had been touched by the sun. Admit it, my good fellow!’
The captain glanced at him suspiciously. I knew he wouldhave been stung by being called Mr Wicker’s good fellow, or Mr Wicker’s good anything for that matter. As if goaded, he said, ‘It was an exceedingly strange intuition, madam, and even stranger that Mr Wicker not only sensed the presence of your ship from the very air as it were, but in truth was able to name your ship and also name your good self!’
‘Astonishing!’ said Jenny Blade. ‘Do you admit this, Mr Wicker?’
‘I do confess it, madam. A remarkable conjecture, I admit, but without it I doubt whether I could have persuaded the men to row towards an empty horizon.’
‘Remarkable, indeed,’ grumbled Captain Lightower.
Jenny Blade looked at him, mocking his ill humour. ‘Really Captain, you seem so morose about this. Am I to believe you had rather Mr Wicker had been wrong and you had not been rescued?’
‘Not at all, madam,’ said the captain stiffly. ‘Yet the manner of our rescue …’
‘God save the king!’ cried Dr Hatch, who had been following the brandy rather than the conversation.
‘I think I may be able to help you with this little mystery, sir,’ said Jenny Blade. ‘You see, Mr Wicker knows both me and this vessel. There was a time, indeed, he wished to charter it himself for some purpose I forget the nature of now. I imagine that knowing our vessel could be in the vicinity, his claim that we were just over the horizon was possibly a triumph of hope over reason. Would that not be so, Mr Wicker?’
‘As you say, madam, possibly,’ smiled Mr Wicker, raising his glass to her, ‘and you may possibly be right.’
I looked at the captain and his frown grew deeper. It was perfectly clear he did not believe a word either was saying.
‘And, Captain,’ said Jenny Blade, ‘your vessel you say was boarded and you and your men were cast away in the jolly-boat ?’
‘It was, madam,’ replied Captain Lightower bitterly. I could understand his bitterness. It is a dreadful thing to lose a ship, especially without a cannon or shot being fired and in the middle of the night. Somehow, when he returned to Kingston Harbour, Captain Lightower would need to explain this to the admiralty and it wouldn’t look good for him. Where was the watch? It would appear a gross dereliction of captaincy.
‘And your orders?’ asked Jenny Blade. ‘Or are they a military secret?’
‘No secret, madam,’ said Captain Lightower more easily. ‘We were to join a flotilla in
‘Well, Captain,’ said Jenny Blade, ‘it was indeed fortunate we found you when we did. By the way, you may not realise it but you really owe your delivery to my daughter Sophia. It was she who observed you from the lookout and drew our attention to you …’
I sat very still, scarcely daring to look at Mr Wicker in case he made something of this. Like the others at the table, he turned to look at Sophie when she lifted her eyes and gave the company a small smile. Mr Wicker frowned slightly then, as if thinking to himself, and then he flashed me a sharp questioning glance. This time, it was my turn to remain impassive and I fought not to give anything away. I’m not sure I fooled the man, but he did look away eventually to re-join the conversation.
Now the captain was speaking. ‘The strange thing is,’ he said, measuring his words carefully, ‘that while your daughter may have observed our little boat, long before we ourselves could make out the masts of your vessel, our passenger Mr Wicker here had some intuition of your presence. Indeed, so convinced was he of this, he practically ordered my men to row towards you. Moreover,’ he added, ‘most mysteriously of all, he was absolutely right.’
‘Indeed, I was,’ Mr Wicker put in easily, ‘despite your thinking that I had been touched by the sun. Admit it, my good fellow!’
The captain glanced at him suspiciously. I knew he wouldhave been stung by being called Mr Wicker’s good fellow, or Mr Wicker’s good anything for that matter. As if goaded, he said, ‘It was an exceedingly strange intuition, madam, and even stranger that Mr Wicker not only sensed the presence of your ship from the very air as it were, but in truth was able to name your ship and also name your good self!’
‘Astonishing!’ said Jenny Blade. ‘Do you admit this, Mr Wicker?’
‘I do confess it, madam. A remarkable conjecture, I admit, but without it I doubt whether I could have persuaded the men to row towards an empty horizon.’
‘Remarkable, indeed,’ grumbled Captain Lightower.
Jenny Blade looked at him, mocking his ill humour. ‘Really Captain, you seem so morose about this. Am I to believe you had rather Mr Wicker had been wrong and you had not been rescued?’
‘Not at all, madam,’ said the captain stiffly. ‘Yet the manner of our rescue …’
‘God save the king!’ cried Dr Hatch, who had been following the brandy rather than the conversation.
‘I think I may be able to help you with this little mystery, sir,’ said Jenny Blade. ‘You see, Mr Wicker knows both me and this vessel. There was a time, indeed, he wished to charter it himself for some purpose I forget the nature of now. I imagine that knowing our vessel could be in the vicinity, his claim that we were just over the horizon was possibly a triumph of hope over reason. Would that not be so, Mr Wicker?’
‘As you say, madam, possibly,’ smiled Mr Wicker, raising his glass to her, ‘and you may possibly be right.’
I looked at the captain and his frown grew deeper. It was perfectly clear he did not believe a word either was saying.
‘And, Captain,’ said Jenny Blade, ‘your vessel you say was boarded and you and your men were cast away in the jolly-boat ?’
‘It was, madam,’ replied Captain Lightower bitterly. I could understand his bitterness. It is a dreadful thing to lose a ship, especially without a cannon or shot being fired and in the middle of the night. Somehow, when he returned to Kingston Harbour, Captain Lightower would need to explain this to the admiralty and it wouldn’t look good for him. Where was the watch? It would appear a gross dereliction of captaincy.
‘And your orders?’ asked Jenny Blade. ‘Or are they a military secret?’
‘No secret, madam,’ said Captain Lightower more easily. ‘We were to join a flotilla in
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