MANIFEST DESTINY Chapter 6.1

CHAPTER 6

         Gareth scanned the horizon two weeks later and sighted a ship off the starboard bow, bearing not the flag of any familiar country, but the infamous skull and crossbones.

         Concerned Ainsley’s words were about to come true, he hastened to their cabin.  He found her bent over the sampler.  “We are about to have company.  Put that away.  Jedidiah is going to lock this door after I leave.”  Gareth took all the extra blankets in the cabin and soon had her wrapped in several of them.

         Ainsley looked out the windows.  “What are you doing?”

         “There is a ship off our starboard bow, you cannot see it from this vantage point, but trust me it is there, pirates.  I want you as safe as I can make you.”

         Ainsley, a look of fear in her eyes at his words, watched as he pulled the cushions from the window seat, lifted it, and disclosed a large storage space beneath.

         “I am going to place you in here.  I am hoping the blankets will keep you warm and dry.  There is a small amount of air that will reach you where the top comes down.”  Gareth layered more blankets around the inside of the space where he could feel moisture on the inside walls before he picked her up and placed her inside.  “Whatever you do, do not make a sound.  I will be back to get you out of here as soon as I can.”

         He gave her a kiss to reassure her, then lowered the lid and placed the cushions back on the window seat.  Her look of fear shot through him, but there was no other choice.  It was the only place on board the ship large enough to hide her in.  It was also small enough and inconspicuous enough that it would not draw notice if they forced the cabin.

         He scanned the cabin for other evidence there was a woman aboard, and took her trunk into the dressing chamber.  He could only hope the battle did not last too long, and he could dispatch the ship to the bottom of the ocean.  He would hate to think he had just put his wife and unborn child in their coffin.

         He came from the chamber and Jedidiah locked it behind him.  “If they force it, they will only find a trunk full of women’s clothes and assume I am carrying it as cargo back to the colonies.”

         Jedidiah followed him out of the cabin, and locked the door behind him.  “Aye, Captain.”

         “We had better make sure her father is safe as well.”

         Jedidiah followed him to Ian’s cabin.

         Ian opened the door and looked between them.  “Is anything wrong?”

         “We are about to come under attack.  I need you to stay calm and quiet.  Ainsley is safe.”

         “I can fight.”

         “No.  I want you to stay in here quietly.  I do not want Ainsley to be without a father by the end of this day.  Jedidiah will lock you in here until the battle is over.”

         “Ainsley is safe you say?”  Ian’s doubt was evident on his face.

         “She is safe.  I guarantee it.”

         “Captain, she is firing her canons!”  His first mate called down, his voice tense with the battle about to take place, and heard the report as he headed on deck.

         Ian saw the seriousness of the situation.  “I will do as you ask.”

         Jedidiah locked the door and followed his captain up on deck, and prepared for battle.

         Gareth grabbed the glass from his first officer.  “Stand by all cannons!  Gather around men.”  He was a man of prayer and faith, both on and off ship.  He had learned the importance of it from Captain Alexander, who attended him at his wedding, and other credible sea captains.  His crew took off their caps and bowed their heads as Gareth prayed.  “Father, You said You would give Your angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways.  Send Your angels now as You did before when Elisha asked for his servant’s eyes to be opened, when he told him more are they that are with us than are with the enemy.  Let it be so now also Father.  Let us see a victorious end to this day’s battle, and the pirate vessel at the bottom of this ocean.  In the name of Jesus who died.  Amen.”

         “Amen.”  His crew put their caps on their heads and scrambled for their duty stations, each mindful of what lay ahead.

         “Battle stations!  Open all cannon ports!”  He saw the ship come within range.  “Fire!”  Gareth watched as the pirate vessel fired her cannons at the same time.  Several cannonballs hit her masts, wood splintered along the deck.  He also watched as his crew hit their target, though they advanced on their position.

         The lookout shouted, “They are getting ready to board, Captain!”

         “All hands make ready for boarding!”

         Soon pirates swung aboard, cutlasses and guns blazing, as they interacted with the ships’ crew.  Another hour went by as Gareth fought for his life and his ship.  He worried about Ainsley and her earlier comment that they would go to the bottom of the ocean.

         Cannons fired upon the pirate vessel tied to them.  The pirate captain looked to see another ship bearing down on them at the same time Gareth saw it as well.

         Pandemonium broke out with the pirate crew as they hastened to their ship and broke all ties with Destiny’s Promise.

         Gareth called his crew back to the cannons and between the two ships soon had the pirate vessel on her way to the bottom of the ocean.  He noted the other ship The Liberty, one of his own, captained by Captain David Alexander.

         Gareth welcomed Captain Alexander aboard his ship as he assessed the damage.  He also worried about Ainsley’s safety.  “Thank you for coming to our rescue.  I was not aware you were so close behind.”

         “I left London the day after you.”  David and Gareth assessed the damage.  “I could let you have some of my crew to help with this cleanup.”

         “That will not be necessary.  The damage does not look bad, and our casualties are minor.  The carpenter will have this taken care of before the day is done.  What the carpenter can’t do, can be repaired when we reach Delaware Colony.”  Gareth noted some of the masts were splintered and the sails torn.  “We have canvas to repair the sails.  We will be fine.”

         “And your wife?”

         “That I am worried about.  If you will excuse me, I must make sure she is all right.”

         “I take it you hid her where she would not be found in case the tide of this battle had gone the other way?”

         “Yes.  I just hope I have not put her in her coffin.”

         “Then I will pray you have not, and she is quite safe.  I bid you a safe journey, and I will see you in port.”

         “Thank you.”  Gareth saw Captain Alexander to his own vessel, gave orders for the cleanup, and hurried to his cabin.  He unlocked the door and soon had the window seat open.  He lifted Ainsley out and shouted to Jedidiah who stood just inside the door.  “Get hotties, as many as you can find, immediately!  And more blankets, all that can be spared.”

         “Aye, Captain.”  Jedidiah hurried from the cabin, a worried look on his face.

         Gareth took the cold wet blankets from around her, stripped her clothes from her, and placed her in the bunk.  Jedidiah returned with several hotties, which he lay around Ainsley’s body and covered her with the extra blankets.

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         Ainsley opened her eyes to find herself wrapped securely in blankets on the bunk.  How had she gotten there?  The last thing she remembered was the window seat.  She looked around and found Gareth at his desk.  He looked worried, as he hunched over his books.  He also had a very unkempt look about him.  He had not looked like that before the battle.  “Gareth?”  She whispered as she found she could talk no louder.

         He was on his feet a smile on his face as he approached the bunk and sat on the edge.  He looked down into her face, as he placed a cool hand to her brow.  “How do you feel?  Are you hungry?”

         His hand felt good, as she looked up at him.  “How did I get here?”

         “I put you here, almost a week ago.  I was afraid I would lose you, and so was your father.  Jedidiah has been sending up prayers to all the patron saints for your survival.”  A smile covered his face, as he leaned down and kissed her.  “Now are you hungry?  I will send Jedidiah for some broth.”

         Ainsley was afraid.  “The baby?”

         “Is still with you.  Have no fear.  Now how about food?”

         “Yes, I would like something to eat.”

         Gareth went to the door and found the ever-present Jedidiah in close attendance.  “Get some broth, she is awake.”

         “The saints be praised.  Right away, Captain.”  Jedidiah hurried away a smile across his face.

         A shout went up all over the ship.  “Hear that?  The whole crew has been worried about you.  No doubt your father will be here momentarily as well.”

         “Then he is safe?”  She had been afraid to ask.  She had feared the worst.

         “He is fine.”  A knock sounded on their door.  “Enter.”

         Ian entered the cabin all smiles.  “You gave this poor father a time.  I am very happy to see you awake.”  He went to her and gave her a kiss on the brow, as Gareth made room for him.  “She is a hearty one that she is.”

         A knock sounded again and Jedidiah entered with the broth.  “Here ’tis Captain.  The cook had it all ready for her.  He hoped she would be awake and able to eat it soon.”

         Gareth took the bowl from him.  “Thank you.  I heard the shouting from the crew.”

         “Aye, Captain.  They were all concerned for her.”  Jedidiah stood close by and waited until she finished the broth.  “Yes, sir, they are all mighty happy she is awake and asking for food.”

         Ian sat at the table and watched as Gareth fed her.  “I know I done wrong by you, and I promise from this day, as I promised the Lord, that I will not touch another hand of cards again as long as I live.”

         She looked over at him.  “You have made the same promise on a number of occasions, Papa.”

         “I am well aware of it, but none of those occasions saw your loss as imminent.  I vowed my pledge to the Lord, and He answered me.  I will keep my vow, to you as well as our Lord.”

         “And I hope you speak true this time, and not false.”

         “I promise you on your dear saintly mother’s grave.  I am turning my life over.  I was never so fearful as I have been this past week.”

         “That makes two of us,” Gareth said.

         Ainsley looked up at Gareth with questions in her eyes.  “And you are going to give up the cards as well?”

         “I told you before that I have not played cards in many years.  It was necessary,” Gareth said.

         “Let us hope it does not become necessary again.”  She watched as her father and Jedidiah left the cabin as soon as she finished the broth surprised it sat well with her.  Perhaps she just needed to be hungry enough so her stomach wouldn’t protest overmuch.  “Why the window seat?”

         “It was built to hold my most valued treasures in case of just such an attack.”

         “Your most valued treasures?”

         “That is what you are to me.”  He leaned over and kissed all her worries away.  “If anything had happened to you or our unborn child, I would have wrecked my own havoc on every pirate vessel until the lot of them lay at the bottom of the ocean.”

         Ainsley’s eyes mirrored how she felt about him.  “You would?”

         “Aye, I would.”  His voice was husky as he looked at her.  “You need your sleep.  It is going to take some time for you to get your strength back.”

         Sleep claimed her as she closed her eyes.  Gareth watched her a moment before he went into the dressing chamber, and soon reappeared ready for duty.  He had let his first officer run the ship for the past week.  With Ainsley much improved, it was time for him to resume his duty.  He went over to the bunk, placed a hand to her brow and found her still feverish, though satisfied she and the baby would be all right.

         Gareth stepped out on deck and gave his orders to Jedidiah.  “I want you to stay inside.  Inform me the moment she wakes again.”

         “Aye, Captain.”