Napoleon's Gift (29 page)

    As he walked into his home, Beverly came forward, took his bag, then his coat.

     “Can ye draw me a bath Bev?” He asked, she curtsied, then left the hallway to go up the stairs. William sighed, walked into the parlor, then poured himself a drink. The bell sounded, and he looked up as Crossely came into the parlor grinning.

     “Bloody hell, so tis true.” He cried as he embraced William, then drew back laughing.
“Chum, ye’ve aged.” He cried, and William shoved him laughing.

     “Of course I have
ye arse, tis ten years now.” He said sighing as he gestured to the chair across from him and Nevel took as seat as he did.

     “And what shall ye do now that ye’ve been released?” Nevel asked as he took the cup of tea from the
Glenis.

     “I was
contemplating a bit of traveling. Ten years of being sheltered away, causes one to deliberate on considering unmarked locations.” William said as he got up to look out the window at the waterfront.

     “
Sincerely? Where shall ye go?”Nevel asked as he sipped his tea.

     “I was
meditated on America.”

     “
Earnestly? Ye a yank, I am just not imagining that.” Nevel laughed, and Willim turned grinning.

     “At least for a bit. I have no intention
s of staying there; I just fancy a gander, tis all.” He returned sighing.

     “And when shall ye sail?”

     “Friday.”

     “Three days from
hence?  So ye’ve already settle this? Ye’ve only just returned Will.”

     “I
recognize, nevertheless ye know father. I cannot hang about here anymore Nevy.”

      “Goodness, then we shall have to make a round of it tonight; for old time’s sake.”
He grinned, and William could not help the grin, which came to his own features.

     “Then I shall say 7 it is.” Nevel returned as he rose to his feet, and William laughed.

     “Only for ye Nevy, only for ye.” He laughed, and Nevel nodded. 

They
embraced; Nevel grinned, then walked out the parlor.

William looked out the window again, then sighed for what seemed like the hundredth time.

He left the parlor and went upstairs.

One

week later…

As William
gazed over the rail of the ship, he considered the ocean in all its beauty; and he felt a sense of peace and calm.

Where did he
perceive his life departing from here, he had no suspicion, nevertheless he knew as long as his father was alive; he could never stay in London and actually be content.

He
observed the ship far off the horizon, but even from its distance, he could see that its approach was rapid. He froze as the skull and cross bones came into view, and suddenly heard the captain yelling orders.

     “Sir, ye must return below!” One of the men shouted from up top, and he looked up.

     “I’ll do no such thing.” William shouted back, the man grinned, then tossed the sword down to him.

     “Then ye bes
t make ready to fight fur yer life.” He stated nodding to the ship, and William’s frown deepened even more, because as the ship approached he could clearly see that it was full of pirates.

   As the cannon hit,
William was sent flying towards the stern. He could smell not only the fire, but burning flesh as well. He shook his head to clear it, the animalistic screams sent a sudden fear down his spine, and he looked over to observe that one of the captain’s men was missing his legs.

    William had just enough time to scramble to his feet, when they charged over the side of the ship, and all hell broke lose after that.

He felt the tip of the pirate’s blade pierce his shoulder, turned then rammed him through with his sword.

If NewGate had taught him nothing else, it taught him how to survive.

    As he looked at the chaos on deck, he could see they were fighting a losing battle, but he would be damned if he would die without a fight. He had not spent ten years in that shite hole, to die aboard ship!

   The musket rang out, and all motions on deck ceased.

The angry looking man with the black long beard had the captain by the throat, his knife causing a tiny trail of blood to roll down the captain’s neck.

     “The lot of ye shall be still, or me musket will splatter yer cap’n’s brains all over the deck.” He growled, the captain’s crew frowned, then tossed down their swords. William was a little reluctant to drop his, when the pirate pressed the knife further into the captain’s throat, and he whimpered.

     “Fine, arseholes.” William muttered, then threw down the sword.

The pirate spent th
e next thirty minutes, rounding up the captain’s men, then having them brought aboard his ship.

     “The lot of ye will fetch a fine price where we aim to go.” The pirate laughed, William turned and punched the pirate behind him in the face as he shoved William forward.

   The man drew his fist back to retaliate, when William swept his feet out from under him, then pounced on him and commenced to beat the living daylights out of him. It took three men to remove William, and the lead pirate frowned. He motioned for his men to bring William forward, and they did shoving him.

     “I see this one is not to be trusted.” He said pensively as he studied William.

   
“I daresay ye have been a kept man.” He stated grinning, as he saw the tattoo from NewGate on William’s shoulder through his tattered shirt.

William looked at him then frowning.

     “Take him below with the rest.” The pirate shouted, and the men shoved William forward again.

   As he was taken below, William frowned.

He needed to find some way off this ship and quick.

He was not to be sold to God only knew how, killed, maimed or worse after ten bloody years!

They pushed him into the cell, and he looked around frowning.

     “Already
attempted it.” The man with the hat over his face muttered as William got up and tested the bars.

     “If we are going to
attempt to escape, it shall have to be on deck mate.” He mumbled, and William nodded as the man put the hat back over his face and commenced to sleep.

   William sighed as he sat down in the straw, then rested his head on the bar nearest to him.

Shite, he had exchange one prison for another.

He shook his head then;
he did not survive that hellhole for naught.

He would not die here,
this he promised himself.

If you’d like to contact Alexandria Infante, you can find her @
www.poisonedpin.webs.com
(Paranormal)
www.alieinfante.webs.com
(Historical)
www.contemporarylove.webs.com
(Contemporary) and
www.farietalewish.webs.com
(Paranormal Fae). Alexandria welcomes your comments and suggestions. You can also find out the latest on upcoming books in both paranormal series, as well as new contemporary and historical.

Happy Reading…

Research:

Louisiana:
http://louisiana.gov/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana

http://www.historywiz.com/slavery-frenchrev.htm

France: Africans in France;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Americans_in_France

French revolution:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_Revolution

Slavery and the French Revolution:
http://www.historywiz.com/slavery-frenchrev.htm

Olympe de Gouges:
http://www.dadalos.org/int/menschenrechte/Grundkurs_MR3/frauenrechte/woher/portraets/olympe_de_gouges.htm

Saint Domingue Revolution:
http://www.marxist.com/slave-revolution-saint-domingue151204.htm

Toussaint L’Ouverture:
http://www.historywiz.com/toussaint.htm

Thomas Coleman Younger:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=1138

William T Anderson, “Bloody Bill”
,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_T._Anderson

Pinkerton Government Agency,  “Pinkertons”
,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinkerton_Government_Services

Prostitution:
http://en101song18.blogspot.com/2010/09/prostitution-19th-century-united-states.html

Brothels:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/this-britain/a-brief-history-of-brothels-523962.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brothel

Love Letters:

Napoleon Bonaparte to Josephine:
Paris, December 1795

Elizabeth Barrett Browning
to Robert Browning
: 1806-1861

Robert Browning
to Elizabeth:
1812-1889

Lord Byron

John Keats

If you have questions, concerns, or just want to let the author know you’re a fan, you can reach her @www.alieinfante.webs.com. All correspondence and feedback is welcomed.