31. Madeline

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

Madeline

Madeline waited for Christopher's arrival. Ever since her husband Charles died, Christopher had been the one to provide for the small family. Though Madeline worked as a housemaid, it was still not enough for her growing children Emma and Thomas.

She felt horrible for accepting charity, especially since she knew the money Christopher gave her came from someone else. But every time he handed her the much-needed dollars, she pushed back the guilt and accepted it, saying that it was for her family. She needed to survive, and it was her dive right as a mother to provide for her young ones.

She wished things were different. She wanted to depend on her parents, but they were long dead and left no money. She wished she could rely on her husband, but he didn't have anything to his name. Christopher was her last hope.

The young pirate had been a friend of Charles since he stepped in their house, carrying her drunk husband, who had one too many at the tavern that night. Ever since then, Christopher was a family friend.

But it was Christopher who had volunteered to support her family financially. Why? She didn't know why. He was a pirate, a single man with no worries in the world. Why would he dedicate his time and money for a single mother he didn't even have to see again?

Christopher was a kind soul, that, Madeline saw. She knew that he was more than what everyone said a pirate was, but it still baffled her to take that road in the first place. He was a good man; it made no sense for him to be stealing when he was so good at giving.

That evening, she waited by the window for the approaching carriage that usually stationed itself outside her little home. It was dark out, and her children were fast asleep. She hadn't seen Christopher in three months, and she wondered if there was anything new that happened to him.

There has to be something out there that that man is looking for, she thought to herself. I hope he found whatever that something is.

A silhouette of a carriage and horse approached, and she watched as it stopped and the door opened, and a person got out - a person she already knew was Christopher. But there was something different. He paused at the carriage door and looked back inside, standing there like he was talking to someone.

She watched as Christopher stood there for several more minutes before shutting the door to the carriage and crossed to her house.

Who was that? He never usually brought along anyone, so why now?

Suddenly, she heard the knocking of the door, and all the thoughts of the crazed ideas of who could be in that carriage disappeared but never left her mind as she opened the door. She greeted the pirate with a warm, welcoming smile and invited him inside, taking a quick peek at the carriage before seating her guest.

"It's good to see ye, Captian," she said, respectably sitting down. Christopher smiled and took a seat in the armchair beside her.

"It's good to see you too, Madeline," he said. "How are Tommy and Emma?"

Madeline returned the smile. "Very well. Tommy has taken up piano and is already becoming like his father. He's excellent."

"I'm delighted to hear that. I hope Tommy's not considering playing in taverns like his father," Christopher laughed.

Madeline lightly chuckled at the silly thought. "No, Tommy strictly said he wants to be a world-class pianist. He's so determined."

Christopher stuck a hand in his pocket. "Well, I hope this will help him achieve that dream of hi," he said, pulling out a beautiful pearl necklace, holding it up so Madeline could see.

Madeline gasped at the wondrous sight. What a treasure! How could Christopher ever obtain this?

"Here," he said, handing over the necklace. It fell right into Madeline's hands. She turned it over, watching as it sparkled in the light.

"W-where did you get this?" She asked, gazing up at him with doe-like eyes. Christopher sighed.

"I kept it for safekeeping."

"But-"

"Go down, Maybel Street. There, you should find a little shop called 'Robert's,' ask for Will and tell him it's a favor from me. He'' hand you the money."

Madeline nodded absently, not daring to ask any more questions about the fortune that now rested in her hands. Instead, Madeline had something better to ask.

Who was in that carriage?

But before she could even get the words out, the front door busted open. Madeline's eyes quickly found who done the act and found it was none other than a young girl in men's clothing. The frantic girl searched the room before landing on Christopher, who stood up. Madeline looked back and forth between the two, a curious look on her face.

"Anne," Christopher said. It had seemed like the world had stopped when the name left his lips. It was like poetry, an art form. Deep down, Madeline smiled to herself. She could tell who this young woman was to Christopher without even questioning it.

Then, a man arrived at the scene, a man Madeline could identify as Fish, Christopher's first mate. He stood in the doorway, panting. "Cap'n. Lass. I's-"

"Thank you, Fish," Christopher said coldly. Madeline was surprised by this. She never heard him use a tone that wasn't warm, especially not towards his first mate. The girl seemed to shiver, Madeline noticed.

After Fish left, Christopher turned towards the girl and paused. Did he want her to follow Fish? After a moment and the girl hadn't moved, Christopher said, still in his ice-cold tone, "Anne," he said. "Go. Now."

The girl's lips parted, but before a word could escape from them, Christopher said once again, "Anne, go."

The girl stood there, looking like she might burst into tears at that very moment, but she restrained herself and turned to go. Madeline glanced at Christopher, who watched the girl named Anne close the door behind her before sitting back down with a sigh.

"I do apologize," he said, rubbing his head. "I wasn't expecting us to have company."

"Quite alright, dear," Madeline mumbled, sensing the pirate's tension.

They stayed silent for a few moments, Christopher eyeing the ground, and Madeline trying to find a way to question the scene without upsetting him.

Christopher was the first to break. "She's a girl I rescued," he confessed, playing with the ring on his finger - his ring finger.

Madeline noticed and thought about the one she had been wearing for the last ten years. That ring wasn't just anything - not in the least.

"Oh?" Madeline asked innocently. She wanted him to keep talking.

"Indeed. Pirates wanted to sell her," clenching his teeth. It was a delicate subject for him.

Madeline couldn't stop herself from the overwhelming curiosity building inside her, and so she asked briefly, "What are you going to do with her then?"

Christopher looked up into the single mother's eyes for a moment before sighing. He looked down at his ring, playing with it again. "I didn't make it very hard to let it go unnoticed, did I?"

Madeline sucked in a breath, suddenly feeling embarrassed, but Christopher kept talking. "She's not my wife if that's what you're wondering. She's my accomplice; I guess you can say."

The words flowed through her head. Accomplice. What could that mean? But she didn't ask, knowing it was something she wouldn't understand. And why did it matter? She saw what was between the two of them.

But she did ask another question. "What's wrong, dear?"

Christopher tugged at his ring, uncomfortably. He cleared his throat. "I've been wearing a mask I mustn't take off," he said. "She sees me as a pirate, and I don't think she'll see me as anything else. And why should she? I am what I am."

Madeline smiled and grabbed his fidgeting hand. She squeezed tight. "It's alright to take off the mask, dear," she said motherly. "You're a good man. There is no reason to hide that from her. But I do have a question."

Christopher smiled. "It wouldn't be regarding the ring on my finger, would it?"

Madeline giggled. "No, I'm afraid. But I do wonder. Are you going to tell her how you feel or not?"

***

A/N

Hey guys! I'm back with a new chapter. What do you think? Does Christopher feel the way, Madeline thinks he feels for Anne?

Besides that note, I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my friend Eva Kloppenburg. She recently published a book that you can now find on Amazin Prime for a dollar! If you're interested, it's called:

So You Found The Body, Huh?

I definitely recommend this if you like this story! Go and check it out!

Anyway, catch you guys later and be on the lookout for a new chapter!

---Author

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net