Shamed

All characters and
events in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons,
living or
dead,
is purely coincidental.

Taken Aboard

The House Cleaner

The Ruse

The Stain

The Trading of
Nera

Colours

Home Alone

Dressed For The Part

Lena’s Humiliation

Unaccountable

The sky was a dark mix of grey and black clouds and the sea thankfully
quite calm. Dawn was still some minutes away but edging ever nearer as
demonstrated by the dark hulk of the land mass that edged the horizon, a faint
shade of red barely visible above its undulating line. She was leaning against
the rough weathered balustrade, wrapped heavily against the chill. The ship
heaved momentarily causing her to stagger and a powerful thrust of wind set the
sails rippling with a sound that reminded her of an enormous flock of birds
taking flight, the retaining ropes straining noisily. It was their third day at
sea and Prudence had been unable to sleep, finally going above deck to savour
the fresh air, leaving Maud below asleep in her cot. A handful of crew manned the
deck, a surly looking haystack of a man at the helm and the look out in the
crow’s nest who was asleep, she was sure. She didn’t blame him; what a wretched
place to have to spend the night. The boatswain had greeted her as she stooped
through the low doorway and asked after her welfare, his consternation that a
woman should be on deck unattended and in the hours of darkness obviously
causing him great discomfort.

Feeling the wind pick up Prudence tightened the bow on her bonnet to
prevent it being whipped away over board. The breeze nipped at her hands and
she wished she had worn gloves. Still, soon the day would be upon them and then
the sun would come with its radiating warmth, driving the cold from her bones
and in time causing her to regret the layers of clothing that were becoming of
a woman. The crew would strip their upper articles, casting off the leather
jerkins and heavy woollen shirts, displaying their bronzed, weathered skin and
toned muscles as they worked; necessitating that the ladies should go below or
be shielded from them by the placing of windbreaks that would offer some little
protection to their visual sensitivities.

One more day and they would reach their destination and she would be
home and back in the breast of her family, on the estate with its sprawling
grounds of lush green grass and beech trees. She thought of father, watching
him from the herb garden through the large windows of the study, cataloguing
his butterfly collection, Mother on the veranda reading, shaded from the sun.
She missed home, the house, but perhaps not the sometimes smothering nature of
her parents. At twenty six she was a woman, intelligent and capable and
occasionally she felt constrained by the slow pace of life and intransigent
doctrine of life in her parent’s home. The trip to visit Aunt Clarice, albeit
brief, had been a welcome diversion and the bustle of the town where Aunt
Clarice lived and the woman’s exuberance, so in contrast to Prudence’s mother,
often captivated her. On her visits away Prudence would often travel to town
with her cousin George, persuading him to take her to the more risqué parts of
town. It was their sworn secret and George, younger than Prudence by a couple
of years but much more worldly wise seemed to enjoy the devilment of it all.
She would secretly observe the strutting ladies who populated the bordellos and
bars. Fallen women, George called them and Prudence was secretly inquisitive,
fascinated and, in her private most secretive moments, had considered what it
would be like to give up her body in that way, without love or commitment,
shamefully, sinfully. Her sexual knowledge amounted to furtive sessions reading
a medical almanac she had discovered in her father’s study. Alone in her room
at night, when Maud and her parents had retired, Prudence would sometimes apply
make up to her face, imitating the fallen women - dressed in her underwear or
sometimes naked - and fantasise a liaison with a surly gentleman, performing in
her mind all manner of unspeakable acts. It had a strange effect on her, making
her wet between her legs and when she indulged in her darker fantasies;
flushing her body with a strange trembling excitement. Sometimes her fantasies
involved several men. She didn’t know where she got the idea from, but she
imagined being one of the fallen women, stretched out on the bed as a queue of
men stood around her all waiting to take her in one sitting; one after the
other.

As the light improved the sea began to change from a barely visible
black abyss to a
bluegreen
mat of swells and troughs.
Maud, her maid and constant companion, had not enjoyed the sea journey. She was
fearful of most things, whether it be some tragedy befalling the vessel, an
affliction of disease or simply the almost certain (in Maud’s view anyway)
ravishing of their womanly virtue by the depraved crew. Actually, the Spanish
crew of the Elvira were, in Prudence’s view, a fairly pleasant crowd in
comparison to some she had sailed with. By measure, a fair way from the
gentlemen she was accustomed to be in the company of but by and large not a
totally disagreeable assembly. Captain Palencia ran a steady ship, even handed
and was appreciated by his crew if not loved.

Prudence watched as the red glow over the land began to seep upwards
and dislodge the black and grey clouds. The sea itself began to sparkle and
shimmer in places as the first streaks of sunlight touched the tips of small
waves. She watched as a small boat emerged from the shadow of the land mass and
appeared to stand still at a constant distance, hugging the shore. She wondered
who was aboard, where they were heading; what adventures lay ahead of them? She
was startled by a hand gently touching her sleeve. It was
Guillem
,
the chief mate; he was looking at her with his dark eyes softly peering from
chiselled features. In his passable English he asked if she was alright.

“I’m fine
Guillem
, thank you.” Prudence said.
“I found that sleep was denied to me and I decided to watch the sea until the
dawn arose.” She smiled, unsure if he had understood her words.

Turning to face the sea again she noticed that the boat she had seen
earlier was nearer now much larger than she had at first supposed. At the same
instant
Guillem
gave out a loud cry and raced along
the deck shouting over his shoulder at the crew. He began to ring the ships
bell near the foremast and yelled frantically at the top of his voice. 
The words, although in Spanish, were similar enough for her to comprehend and a
cold chill ran through her.

“
Piratas
!”
Guillem
cried “
Piratas
!”

The Elvira suddenly heaved to the starboard as Haystack at the helm
swung the wheel and the ship groaned against the sudden alteration to its
course leaning heavily. He was trying to steer it away from the approaching
vessel and out into deeper waters. Several of the crews staggered out into the
early morning light from below decks and a clamour of urgent, confused, voices
pierced the air in a language that Prudence could not understand. Captain
Palencia appeared from his cabin, his expression startled as he ran to the
balustrade next to Prudence and his hands gripped tightly as he stared out at
the oncoming ship. Prudence thought she heard him say a prayer and he crossed
himself. Throwing a hand to his forehead in despair he took Prudence by the arm
with the other and guided her up onto the quarterdeck where Maud suddenly
appeared before them.

“Ma’am?
What’s happening?” Maud
asked,
her face white with fear.

Before Prudence could answer her, Captain Palencia grabbed hold of Maud
and manhandled them both towards a low doorway that lead to their small
quarters below decks. Down a small flight of steps he continued to rush them
with urgent words and gesticulations. Throwing open the door he pushed them
both in and slammed it shut behind them.

“You must to stay here!” he called through the closed door.
“Stay here and no noise!
En total! No noise!” 

Prudence was alarmed at how frightened the Captain had appeared. She
sat with Maud on one of the wooden cots and holding her trembling hands in hers
explained what she had seen. Maud looked like she was going to faint and
Prudence assured her that everything was alright. It was probably a
misunderstanding, for all she knew it could have been a large fishing boat, a
whaler perhaps. They were safe where they were. As soon as everything had been
clarified they would be allowed back on deck.

The shipped heaved suddenly again and then a moment later shifted once
more, changing course. The shouting of the men out on the deck was frantic and
the sound of running feet hammered though the planking. Then the volume of the
shouting increased in urgency and Prudence thought she could hear someone
shouting an order or a warning, somewhat more distant than the voices of the
crew.
In English?
She couldn’t be certain. The shout
was met with an angry fusillade of Spanish in response and more urgent running
about.

Suddenly there was a loud grating noise and the Elvira seemed to lurch
sideways momentarily. The shouting outside increased, angry, terrified shouts
and more voices, growling like animals, feet running, cries of pain and fear.
Maud was shaking terribly and almost laying now in Prudence’s lap, her face
buried into her skirts. Prudence realised Maud was still in her night clothes.
Fearing the worst, but not wishing to increase Maud’s alarm, she encouraged the
girl to rise and told her that she must dress. Prudence grabbed one of her own
dresses from a chest that was close to hand and forced her terrified servant to
concentrate as she helped her dress. It was one of Prudence’s more expensive
outfits, purchased in the town from an exclusive store but now was not the time
to worry about that. She made light of it by joking with Maud that she looked
better in it than Prudence did.

“Perhaps I should allow you to keep it?” Prudence said trying to control
her breath, desperate to distract Maud from the unseen drama. “Perhaps you can
wear it to the next ball?”

“If we are alive to see another ball!”
Maud
wailed.

Outside, the fracas seemed to suddenly quieten down and there followed
a few minutes of harsh spoken words which Prudence was now certain was in
English. She heard Captain Palencia respond, his voice weak and almost
unrecognisable. The talking was followed by the shuffle of many feet and then
ropes creaking and sporadic bursts of laughter. She could hear taunting and
whistles and then silence. The voices then became conversational and calmer and
she could hear movement all around as doors and hatches opened and shut and a
barrel rolled across the deck. She held tightly to Maud as they backed into a
corner, fearing the worst and knowing that soon they may be discovered.

When the door burst open they both jumped with fright and screamed. A
dirty wretched looking man cautiously entered the room, a large knife in his
hand held at the ready. On seeing the women his toothless face broke into a
grin and, more confident now, he swaggered into the room. Maud was crying and
with a lecherous glint in his eye the man brushed a finger down her cheek
capturing a tear on a rough scoured finger. Maud shrank away from him as far as
she could. He held her chin between his thumb and forefinger and tilted her
face towards him.

“Leave her alone!” Prudence insisted, stepping between him and the
girl. She was shoved unceremoniously to one side and the man grabbed at Maud’s
skirt and began to pull it up as the girl wrestled with the material against
him. She screamed.

Prudence leapt up and shoved the man hard, managing to knock him to one
side just as a voice boomed into the room.

“Stand aside!” A large rugged man stood in the doorway filling its
frame.