Pirates and Prejudice by Kara Louise Page A

they
did their captain.
    Darcy watched
him closely not only to learn the ship’s routines, but also to patch up the
many grievances his first mate instigated from within the ranks of the men.
    By the end of the
fifth day, six more men came by, bringing the total to twenty crewmen. But
still there was no sign of Lockerly.
    Early in the
morning of the sixth day, Foster returned. He gathered Darcy, Evans, and Lindel
in the captain’s quarters and gave them some discouraging news. In the privacy
of the room, the men dropped their accents. “I have come upon information that
Lockerly is not anywhere near here but is across the Channel on the Isles of
Scilly.”
    “The Isles of
Scilly?” Darcy asked.
    “Do you know of
it?” Foster asked.
    “Yes, but only
slightly. I have read a little about it and have seen it on the maps of
England.”
    “It is known to
be a haven for pirates and smugglers who often hide out in its rocks and caves,
is it not?” Lindel asked.
    Foster nodded
his head slowly. “A perfect place to hide out.” He turned to Darcy. With a
slight laugh he asked, “You would not want to go on a real adventure and set
sail, would you?”
    “To Scilly?
Certainly not. If you wish to proceed there on your own, you have my utmost
wish for success, but I shall not accompany you!”
    Foster let out a
long sigh. “I cannot change your mind?”
    Darcy shook his
head.
    “I did not think
so.” Foster put out his hand to Darcy. “I appreciate all you have done, Darcy.
Enjoy your last night as Pirate Lockerly. I know the men have a great deal of
respect for you.”
    “I am sorry it
did not turn out as you wished.”
    Foster nodded.
“As am I.” He clasped his hands together and returned to his common way of
speaking. “Well, I came only to briefly check on things an’ see if ye might
reconsider stayin’ with us a wee bit longer. I need to see if I ken pinpoint
exactly where Lockerly is holdin’ up. I’ll come back ’ere in a day or two.
Darcy, I imagine you’ll be gone when I return, so let me say again, I thank ye
for bein’ willin’ to humour me an’ me scheme.”
    “And I am
grateful to you, Foster, for believing in me when I was in that cell.”
    “Aye. Once ye
are gone, we’ll tell the men what we ’ad ’oped to accomplish. There’s no need
for ye to do that, and I’ll pay the men their wages.”
    “I hope the men
prove useful to you. They are all fine men and lack only some good direction.”
    “Which you have
provided well, Darcy.” Foster smiled. “But take care to watch yer tongue fer
the rest o’ the day. Ye still ’ave a bit more time left.”
    Darcy chuckled.
“Aye! I will!”
    The men talked a
bit more, and then Foster left.
    Later that day,
Darcy, Evans, and Lindel watched as a man slowly approached them. His sandy
blond hair brushed his shoulders, and he had a beard just as long. He was
taller and broader than Darcy, and his steely blue eyes peered out from a
grimy, weather-beaten face. He appeared to be in his forties.
    Darcy kept a
cautious eye on him as he drew closer.
    “Needin’ some
help?” Darcy asked.
    The man dropped
the knapsack that he had been carrying. “You Lockerly?”
    Darcy tilted his
head as he addressed the man. “Who’s askin’?”
    “Name is George
Bellows. Heard Lockerly is hirin’ a new crew for ’is ship. I should like to be
considered.”
    Darcy did not
like the looks of the man. He had a bad feeling about him. “Won’t be needin’
ya. We ’ave all we need,” he replied.
    Bellows looked
out over the crew and let out a laugh. “From the looks of things, ye only ’ave
a bunch of scrawny kids. None of ’em would fare well if they was in a skirmish.
A trio of old ladies would ’ave no problem bringin’ ’em to their knees.” His
eyes shifted to look at Darcy. “Ye need someone like me.”
    “Do ye ’ave any
sailin’ experience?” Lindel asked.
    Bellows nodded.
“I ’ave worked on a merchant ship fer a few years.”
    “Why are