Historical Romance
December
25, 1623
It has been
two years since our journey of survival began in Africa. Two years since I have
written anything down in my diary, the only book I was able to save on that
hopeless night of September 29, 1621.
But before I
capture those terrible events, I want to pen down my love’s reaction to the
estate we will be living in for the rest of our lives.
In the end
it became possible for us to be together. The price was high, but we have
survived and I know with Cisco at my side I can face anything else.
As a
Christmas gift I gave him full ownership of my estate. It has been handed down
from generation to generation of Artiagas.
I knew he would be the perfect landowner to continue the legacy my family
started, and that my inheritance was safe.
When
Rosa-Lee climbed on his lap to give him a big wet kiss he smiled down at her
and gave her a bear hug. The last few days he had been extremely emotional. We
both felt a deep compassion for him. I feel proud to know this man, my husband,
Cisco Almaida. When I handed him the PAPERS, he was shocked. Disbelief shone
clear in the blue depths of his eyes. He had the same expression when we first
arrived two days ago.
He could not
believe the large estate or the castle, built by my great-great grandfather all
those years ago.
When we arrived Cisco only stared at the estate, the manicured
gardens and lawns only yellow due to the cold weather, and I had to encourage
him to step into the castle as man of the house. This was more than he ever
dreamed of. His mind was stunned and dumbfounded at the magnitude of the riches
he faced.
Gathering the
cream fabric of her skirt in her hands she ran down the road to the harbour to
meet the captain of the ship she recognized. She was hoping that it would be
good news about her brother but the sense of dread did not leave her small body
as her chestnut hair streamed behind her, her small oval face wary and
troubled.
The months of
waiting in anticipation of Pedro had been too long. They stayed a close-knit
family, especially Mother, Father and herself, but the two boys who had not yet
had adventures did not understand the dangerous side of sailing ships. It
sounded foreign and distant to them, just stories they had heard all their lives.
But Rosa-Lee and her parents knew how quickly things could change on the sea.
They had lived on it and had survived its worst.
Pedro was still
very young, inexperienced about life.
Rosa-Lee’s dress whipped against her legs as she ran down the shoreline
into the town, her lungs burning with the unusual exercise. Today she did not
see the splendour of the sea or land, the birds flying just over the top of her
head. She did not notice the familiar faces, townspeople who waved at her and
flashed toothy smiles. She just wanted to find out any news. With only the Contra O Vento coming in she was
worried.
“Cisco, you have
called for me. Where’s the patient?”
Cisco Almaida
visibly shook for the first time in his life. His whole family was endangered
by one man’s insanity. Wrapping his arms around his wife, he caressed her back
and in return, tiny hands held his broad back, caressing him.
Watching his
daughter over on the settee, he could see raw emotions running over the
youthful face. Then at last he followed the familiar voice to his friend and
family doctor. He swallowed at the bile in his throat, got his voice back, and
said,
“Doctor Vasco,
please come in. It is Jean. He was wounded.” Cisco turned to Captain Jean,
still holding his wife around the shoulders. The captain was still sitting on
the chair, as white as a sheet, miserably in pain.
“Is there
somewhere we could lie him down so that he can be more comfortable?”
“Yes, Doctor,
please follow me,” said Rosa-Lee, who had come to her senses, lifting her eyes
and wiping the tears away. Her mother was still distracted. She did not hear
anything else around her. Tears streamed down her face but she made no sound.
Straightening herself, Rosa-Lee walked to the injured Captain Jean,
helping him to his feet. With the aid of the doctor, supporting him between
them, she got him to the nearest bedroom, where they laid him down. Rosa-Lee
helped to remove his jacket. They saw the gaping sword-wound clearly, his shirt
and trousers on the right side drenched with blood.
Ochre eyes
roamed over the enticing body wrapped in green taffeta. The dark braided hair
lay over a creamy shoulder. Her bodice clung to the small frame in the latest
fashion. Her perky breasts looked ripe for the plucking. He grinned at the
picture he knew he will enjoy.
She stepped away
from her parents with anger still visible on her face. She gathered her dress
in her hands and walked up the plank with a steady gait and a rigid back, small
shoulders straight, showing no fear, to where the pirate waited. She looked at
him, eyes locking his with defiance. His guffaw rumbled up his throat, mocking
her. She pulled her chin up. Without a word, she turned to wave to her parents.
Rosa-Lee
Almaida definitely has some backbone, Roberto smiled. Backbone I would like to
break and bend to my will. Yes, I am definitely going to enjoy this voyage.
He turned his attention back to the ship and
barked orders still aware of Rosa-Lee at the railing.
She stood there until the white sails were set high above her, the
breeze filling them with snapping sounds. Wood creaking, the ship started to
sail away from the harbour. They moved far high, and farther over the blue
depths, small waves tossing against the hull, until she could not see her
parents anymore.
Walking to the
bow, a man busy with ropes looked at her with interest. She ignored him,
touching the taffrail to keep her balance. She could look far around her, the
west coast of Africa noticeable on the horizon. The ship clove the clear
waters. A light sea spray met her that was welcoming in the heat. It was her
first time taking a voyage again.
Her mind
wandered very far from her immediate surroundings, thinking about a similar
voyage twenty years ago when she was only four years old. Memories flooded
back; of how they had met the giant they now knew as Cisco Almaida. She
remembered how she ran up to him, telling him that she would be his daughter
because he didn’t have one and looked sad. From that day forward there was a
bond between that sailor, now her father, and herself.
She remembered hugging his thick leg, feeling safe. His hug in
return was hesitant because the captain did not allow any contact between the
passengers and the crew. In her young mind she did not know of the trouble she
had caused him, only that she had a longing for a father figure. Her father was
never interested in her, never around, or when he was he was always drunk. She
had always been afraid of her biological father and had never had the liberty
to run up to him and hug him as she could with the giant.
When Rosa-Lee
finally stood up to leave the cabin Roberto also stood up and asked, “Would you
care to go up and walk with me on the deck?”
Hazelnut eyes
met ochre ones and for a few seconds they just locked before she answered, her
eyes revealing her shock at the invitation.
“Yes, I would
like that.” It was still early and she was not in the mood to confine herself
in her cabin. After three days of self-imposed lock-up, she wanted to feel the
wind in her hair and the sea spray on her face. The fact that he asked her to
walk with him shocked her the most.
Be alert
Rosa-Lee. He cannot be trusted!
Darkness filled
the starry night sky. The quarter moon made it even darker. Lit lanterns on the
upper deck added a romantic feeling, she thought, not a scene she was
comfortable sharing with the pirate.
You could barely
see anything out on the sea as they walked along the taffrail on the deck. Only
the sound of the ship breaking through the waters interrupted the silence. The
few men that were on duty were quiet, nodding when they passed. If she did not
know better, she would have thought that they were alone.
“Your brother
has told me a lot of stories about what you endured during your adventures into
Africa. Don’t you want to tell me a story?”
