Chapter 57: St. Mary’s island
The girl went back to the room, sat down at the piano and started playing. She played one tune after another, without stopping for a minute. Lica knew that now it was the best thing she could do. Patrick returned half an hour later and said:
"Wouldn't you like to dance with me, dear Angelica?"
"Of course," she nodded. "But how we dance without music? Who will play the piano?"
"No one! We will count and dance without music!" the Captain smiled.
He gave his hand to Lica and they circled counting in waltz: 'One, two, three… one, two, three…' Angelica looked at Patrick's green eyes and he wasn't a pirate now, but a gentle, courteous and handsome young man. She was sincerely sorry for him, but she did not know how to help him. So she just resigned herself to power of dance.
"Thank you!" the captain said and suddenly stopped. "Last time I danced at my mother's balls."
He led her to a chair and kissed her hand:
"Now go to bed! Tomorrow it is going to be a difficult day."
"Sure!" sadly noticed Lica.
Patrick turned and left the cabin. For some time Angelica sat looking through the dark window, but then went to bed. 'Tomorrow is a new day,' she whispered. Soon she fell asleep.
In the morning, she woke up because of a sunbeam jumping on her eyes. Lica got up and tiptoed went out of the cabin to the deck. But before she could step on the deck, she heard voices: the first belonged to Patrick and the other was unfamiliar.
"Captain, you promised that we would leave the girl on the first piece of land!" the unknown voice said. "However, she has been here for one day. We have sailed past the hundreds of islands, but you have not kept your promise yet."
"First mate, do not forget! I am the Captain here! And I make the decisions!" Patrick retorted.
"Yeah, but you know the crew are not happy with it! A woman on the ship will bring troubles! They are nearly to rebel!"
"I know that, the first mate. Today we'll leave her at St. Mary's island."
"Are you crazy? This is a sure way to the gallows! The government ships are there! Isn't it easier to feed her to the sharks?"
Angelica shivered.
"That would be too easy!" the captain grinned. "And now, do your duties!"
The first mate cursed and Lica quickly crept back into the captain's cabin and sat down at the table, as if she didn't come out anywhere. A few minutes later Patrick knocked on the door and entered the room.
"Good morning!" he said. "I hope the dusting didn't disturb you?"
"I am all right," she smiled. "Is it time?"
"Yes, there is going to be a large island soon. There's a harbor, with hundreds of ships. I think you'll find a ship which will take home!"
"But perhaps it is dangerous for you?"
"You are the biggest problem for me!" the captain grinned.
"Thank you!" Lica said sincerely. "Patrick, you are a real gentleman!"
"You will say thank you, when you get to the port! And now, please, play me something at parting!"
Angelica sat down at the piano and began to play everything that she ever played in her life. Patrick was listening to her attentively. Sometimes he seemed to be far away in his thoughts. Suddenly somebody knocked on the door and a tall, thin man entered the cabin.
"Captain, we sail up to St. Mary's! Once again, I want to warn you that to close to the island - is death!"
Lica immediately recognized the voice of the first mate, who talked to Patrick a few minutes ago.
"Okay!" the captain nodded. "I will be on the deck in a minute!"
The first mate looked at Angelica with undisguised hatred, and left the cabin.
"What a terrible person," she murmured.
"I know!" Patrick grinned. "But he is a brave pirate; no one equals him in the battle!"
"Someday, he'll kill you!"
"I know that. And try to keep the situation under control. Now listen to me, Angelica. The island, which we are sailing up, is under the government protection. The royal court is in the harbor, so we won't be able to come close. Our ship will be on a sufficiently large distance from the land, but I will give you a boat. I hope you know how to oar?"
"Of course!" Lica nodded.
"The earth!" somebody shouted from the deck. "Saint Mary!"
"Well, go!" said Patrick.
The girl looked at his face again and a wave of tenderness and gratitude had hit her.
"Thank you for everything!" Lica whispered and kissed the young man.
"Please, don't be so sentimental!" said the captain, pulling her slightly away.
Then suddenly he leaned himself to the girl and kissed her passionately.
"Captain, the island ho!" they heard the voice of the first mate.
"Let's go!" Patrick said sharply, pushing Angelica.
He turned and walked quickly out of the cabin. The girl had no choice as to follow him. On the deck, the sailors were scurrying. Having seen Lica, they began to sneer and say biting remarks:
"Maybe we will have some fun, dear?"
"What sexy forms!"
"Did our captain like you? Maybe now is our turn?"
Angelica stubbornly pretended not to hear them. Patrick gave the order to prepare the boat. Finally, the boat was lowered into the water. The Captain personally helped her down and said:
"I wish we had met not now and not in such situation. At another time and in another place it would be different!"
Lica so desired to kiss this young man, but the snide faces of pirates, dangling from the ship restrained her. Patrick kissed the girl's hand and climbed to the ship; she waved him and took up the oars. 'Black Patrick' moved into the seaway...
Angelica was rowing for about an hour, and finally, her boat nuzzled a sandy shore. A few minutes later a strange, fat man in a waistcoat and military hat ran to her and exclaimed:
"Young lady, where did you come from?"
"I was sailing on a merchant ship, when suddenly a storm broke out, and I was blown away at sea," said Lica.
"But the boat? It is a sign of the "Black Patrick" on it! Where did you get it?"
"Boat?" the girl hesitated. "Ah, the boat... When I was washed into the sea a pirate ship was chasing behind us. The storm was so strong! Maybe this boat is from their ship. Only thanks to this boat I could survive."
"Yes, of course!" said the fat man quite intrigued.
"And don't you take me to the harbor?" asked Angelica.
"I'll request the pleasure!"
And the fat man held the girl to a beautiful lagoon, with a lot of ships. She examined them all, but saw no one resembling the ship of Julien. Then Lica asked captains to find out if anyone is sailing into the desert. On this day, she had no luck. No ship was going there.
"What will I do?" Angelica said sadly to herself. "I have no money, no food and no ship."
To pass the time, she went to the tavern, which was not far from the harbor.
"Could you give me some food?" she asked the saloonkeeper. "I'll help you to wash the dishes in return."
The saloonkeeper critically looked at her and nodded.
"Go to my wife Martha, she will tell you what to do!" he snapped.
Angelica came to his wife. She was a big, tough woman.
"Well, what happened?" she asked Lica sharply.
"I was blown away from the ship in a storm," she murmured. "Now I have to be here until I find a ship, which is moving in the same direction."
"Where?" asked the woman.
"To the desert!"
"Ha ha ha!" the woman laughed. "Then it is only one every six months!"
"It's impossible!" Angelica said.
She went pit-a-pat and sat down on the floor.
"Well! Come on!" exclaimed the hostess. "You're lucky that you met me! I will not let you starve to death. You will wash the dishes, clean the tavern and give drinks to the customers."
"Okay!" Lica nodded.
"And now, you should eat something!"
She gave Lica a fried chicken breast and some rice.
"Thank you!" said the girl.
Immediately after the meal, she started work. They had many customers. Almost all of them were rude men, who met Angelica on 'Hurrah!' Each of them tries to grab or pinch her. But Lica as she could evade it...
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