Seasons of War 2-Book Bundle. Cheryl Cooper

      “We’ll deal with them in our own way later,” said Fly, rubbing his face.

      “How long then were you a crew member on the Liberty?” asked James.

      “Two days, sir.”

      “Why only two days?”

      “Before that I was a prisoner on a Yankee frigate, thee Serendipity it was.”

      Fly saw a slight quivering of James’s hands around his mug. When his captain said nothing in reply, he asked, “Under the command of Thomas Trevelyan?”

      “Aye, Trevelyan was his name. I was lyin’ in his gaol, keepin’ company with rats whilst he did battle with yas a week back. Ya did enough damage he had to flee to Norfolk, Virginia, to make repairs, but me, I was sent straightaway to thee Liberty, ’cause their own Cap’n Butterfield had been ordered to go after ya, to give ya chase, even though ya was a bigger ship, possessin’ more guns.”

      Fly and James exchanged glances.

      “You said you were a prisoner on the Serendipity.” James’s voice was hoarse.

      “Aye, sir.” Mr. Brodie looked again at the biscuits. Fly slid the plate under his nose and gestured for him to help himself. “Much obliged, Mr. Austen.”

      “When and how were you taken Trevelyan’s prisoner?”

      Mr. Brodie gobbled a biscuit before answering. “I was on an East India merchant vessel called thee Amelia, bound for Upper Canada.”

      “Were you being escorted by a man-of-war?”

      “Nay, thee Amelia was a large vessel with plenty o’ eighteen-pounder guns of her own.” He reached for a second biscuit and rapidly disposed of it. “We was carryin’ supplies of all kinds: farm equipment and seeds, wine, materials, linens, guns, gunpowder, you name it. As well, we had a number o’ families, mostly women and children, travellin’ to meet their military husbands posted at York, Kingston, and Quebec.”

      “Go on.”

      “We was nearin’ Halifax when we was attacked. About four in thee mornin’ it was. Trevelyan – he caught us by surprise – subjugated us with his guns and grapeshot, then lashed his ship to ours and boarded us. Straight off, his men killed a good number of our crew. But others, includin’ me, was tied up and hurled like sacks o’ taters onto thee main deck of thee Serendipity. We could hear thee women and children screamin’ and cryin’ below on thee Amelia. But we – we couldna do a thing.” Mr. Brodie lowered his head. “Lord, it was awful hearin’ those babies cry.”After a moment he raised his eyes to James and Fly. “Me and thee others was taken below to Trevelyan’s gaol, and later on it was, I overheard a couple o’ his men say they’d burned thee Amelia.”

      James suddenly looked more alert. “How long ago was this, Mr. Brodie?”

      “Can’t rightly say, sir, on account I was knocked about thee head badly. Maybe four weeks back.”

      “Sir?” Fly looked at James questioningly.

      “Mr. Austen, do you recall in Bermuda we were visited by a Captain Prickett and Lord Bridlington from the Amethyst? You were not present at our meeting, but they told me that about four weeks back my old friend William Uptergrove had come upon the debris of a burned merchant vessel, sitting fifty miles southeast of Halifax.” He turned back to Mr. Brodie with a furrowed brow. “Can you offer any explanation as to why your ship was destroyed and not just taken a prize?”

      “I canna, sir.”

      “Didn’t you say you had plenty of guns?” Fly asked in an agitated manner. “Where were your gunners? How could Trevelyan have taken you by surprise?”

      “I’m afraid I dunno, sir. I was off duty at thee time and, well, thee night before I’d had a wee bit too much grog and had been makin’ rather merry. I can tell ya this – our captain was as weak as a woman, sir. He had trouble keepin’ thee men in line.”

      “You said that Trevelyan took others from the Amelia besides yourself … How many?” asked James, his fingers clasped beneath his nose. Fly, cognizant of what James was getting at, looked eagerly at Mr. Brodie.

      “Don’t rightly know, sir. There was twenty men in thee gaol. Maybe there was others.” Mr. Brodie quickly swallowed his third biscuit. “But this much I can tell ya. Trevelyan took a woman from thee Amelia before he burned her.”

      James regarded Mr. Brodie with interest as the Scotman drained his coffee mug.

      “I saw him holdin’ Mrs. Seaton roughly like and she screamin’ like a banshee.”

      “Mrs. Seaton?”

      “Who is she?”

      “Thee lovely lass who always spoke to me whenever she took exercise above deck.”

      “What do you know of this Mrs. Seaton?”

      Mr. Brodie shrugged. “Not a lot. She was always askin’ thee questions o’ me. She always wore such pretty dresses and hats. Oh … I do recall this one time, when thee weather was fine, she put on men’s trousers and climbed a wee way up thee shrouds just ta say hello. Shocked thee lot o’ us.”

      “Was she travelling alone?”

      “Nay. There was a woman with ’er, a servin’ woman, she was.”

      “Anyone else?”

      “Aye, Mr. Seaton – her husband. Never spoke ta him. He had an aloof, arrogant kind o’ look to ’im.”

      Fly pressed his lips together and went quiet while Mr. Brodie happily polished off the plate of sea biscuits. Through the galleried windows at their backs, the sun began to peek through the clouds, sending warm light shadows to dance upon James’s oak table.

      “What became of Mr. Seaton and this serving woman?” asked James.

      “Don’t rightly know, sir.”

      “You said there were many women on the Amelia. Why then would Trevelyan have taken only Mrs. Seaton?”

      “Not certain of that either, sir, but I can tell ya this – Trevelyan’s servant, a mongrel named Lind, came down below ta give we Amelias food. When I asked him about Mrs. Seaton, he smiled and said she was ironin’ thee cap’n’s shirts.”

      A spasm of irritation crossed Fly’s face. James’s voice stayed even. “Anything else?”

      “Aye. Lind said Trevelyan holds an ancient grudge against Mrs. Seaton’s father.”

      James’s jaw worked as he stirred his coffee with a silver teaspoon. “And where is she now? Still on the Serendipity?”

      “I’ve asked, sir … no one can say.”

      James stood up suddenly, the legs of his chair scratching the worn floorboards. He stepped over to the windows to gaze out upon a calmer sea, then abruptly marched to the door of his cabin, yanked it open, and bellowed, “Call for Mr. Spooner.” At last, he wheeled about to face the big Scotsman, who quickly rose from his chair.

      “You have been most helpful, Mr. Brodie. Our purser, Mr. Spooner, will see to your provisioning – clothes, a hammock, and whatever else you may need. As we’re quite short of men and our young sail maker was injured in yesterday’s skirmish, we’ll need you to begin working in the sail room. And should you possess any carpentry skills, we would surely welcome them.” He extended his right hand to Mr. Brodie who gripped it fervently.

      “’Tis a pleasure to be back on thee Isabelle, sir.”

      Once the door had closed behind Mr. Brodie and Mr. Spooner, James shot a glance at Fly, who was trying to snooze with one eye closed.

      “Before we question the other men from the Liberty, I’d like to drop anchor and start in on our repairs.” He unbuttoned his jacket as he plunked down wearily into his wing chair.