Black Magic (a Captive Fox story) by Bluebonnet * * * * * * * * * * *E-mail:* captivefox@yahoo.com *Rated:* NC-17 *WARNING:* This story contains DISCIPLINE - that means Fox gets his pretty little tush spanked. If this is not your thing, bail out now. As DiAnn always said, I don't want to hear from you, and I don't want to hear from your Mama {g} *Summary:* Fox encounters a pirate ship. *Archive:* Sure, feel free. *Thanks:* to Seeker One, my most excellent beta Goddess * * * * * * * * * * "Elizabeth, be a dear and fetch Papa a drink of water, would you?" Six-year-old Margaret Elizabeth Scully regarded her father doubtfully. Normally she would comply with any request he made immediately and with good humor, for she was a remarkably mature child for her age, who adored her Papa. Today, however, she was uncertain--Mother had said Papa was to remain in the stocks until Aunt Melissa arrived. She hadn't made mention of unauthorized drinks of water. Seeing her hesitation, Fox put on his best pouty face, the one he knew always played havoc with his daughter's tender heart. "Please, sweetheart. Mother wouldn't want Papa to faint from heat exhaustion." "It isn't all that hot, Papa," Elizabeth contradicted, nonetheless taking the dipper from the nearby bucket and climbing up on a small platform to hold it to his lips. "Perhaps not, but I have been standing in this one spot for a very long time, and I am quite thirsty." He drank the water gratefully, for in spite of his daughter's protestations, the day had grown uncomfortably warm. "Thank you, darling," he told her when the dipper was empty. "I appreciate you staying with me all afternoon." "Mother said I was to watch over you, to make certain no harm befell you," she said primly, and Fox smiled. His daughter held the Scully spirit in full, and he had no doubt she would fight to the death to protect him or her twin brother, Douglas, if necessary. Elizabeth took her responsibilities as a Lady quite seriously, to Dana's immense delight. "Perhaps you could persuade Mother that Papa has spent enough time in the stocks, and should be released early," he commented hopefully, and knew when he saw her disapproving expression that there would be no more mercy forthcoming from his daughter than from his wife. "No, Papa," she said firmly. "It was very naughty of you to lock Mother in her chamber whilst you rode Samantha about unescorted, like a wild man. You deserve your punishment." Fox heard the words from his daughter's lips and stared in amazement; they were precisely the words Dana had used when castigating him soundly for his escapade. It occurred to Fox that the girl might well have inherited his own frightfully accurate memory. It could be at once a curse and a blessing, and he wasn't certain whether to rejoice in the discovery, or pity the child. All at once he felt ashamed-- she may be a female, and a very mature one for her age, but Elizabeth was still his little girl, and he had just tried to manipulate emotions with sweet words and a pathetic expression. "I apologize, my darling," he told her at once. "I should not have asked you such a thing." Elizabeth gave a smile so like his wife's that it made his heart ache. "It's all right, Papa," she replied cheerfully. "Mother says you always try to evade your punishments." She leaned toward him and lowered her voice, as one who was about to impart a great secret. "I have sometimes done the same thing myself, but Mother can be very strict." Fox nodded glumly. "It is only because she loves us so, you know, and wants to teach us to behave." "Of course Mother loves us! And she must take special care of you and Douglas, because you are only men." Her father sighed--as much as he adored both his wife and his daughter, it was obvious Dana's autocratic manner had been passed on to Elizabeth. Oh well, there was nothing to be done about it, except to try and teach Douglas that males had great worth as well, both in society and to the Goddess. He shifted his legs uncomfortably; in addition to his thirst, he was smitten with the need to relieve himself, but was not about to ask his daughter to hold a chamber pot for him. Some things were simply beyond his endurance. Making a concentrated effort to control himself, he glanced up at the sun and sighed. It would be at least another three or four hours until Melissa and Jake arrived. It was with great relief that he heard his wife's voice in the next instant as she approached from behind where he stood, his head and hands trapped between two stout pieces of oak. "Well, Elizabeth, has your Papa been behaving himself?" she called gaily, and Fox winced. His daughter would tattle; there was no question. "Yes, Mother, except he asked me to plead with you for his early release," Elizabeth reported faithfully, jumping down from the platform and going to hug her mother's legs. Dana returned the embrace warmly, then glanced up at her husband with a twinkle in her eye. "Go and find Sarah, darling. It's time for you and Douglas to have your baths." She watched as their daughter raced toward the house, then came over to stand before Fox. "The girl is a menace," he complained, although with no real heat. "As a watchdog, she does quite nicely." "Indeed, Elizabeth is responsible and trustworthy, and for that I am grateful. They are qualities to be desired in a Lady. Am I to understand that you truly tried to wheedle your freedom from our daughter?" "It was merely a suggestion," he argued. "Indeed, I had no doubt that it would be refused." "And well it should have been. Perhaps, rather than reducing your sentence, I should lengthen it. Not only did you attempt to endanger yourself after I had specifically forbidden your actions, you caused me unnecessary delay in meeting with a very ill patient. I find it vastly unamusing to be locked in my bedchamber by a mere man, and you know how I feel about your disobedience." Fox flushed. "You did screech most angrily," he admitted. "Indeed I did, and while my initial anger has cooled, my displeasure with your behavior has not." Fox swallowed hard as he examined his wife's face. Her expression was stern. "My lady, I--offer my apologies--" His eyes, as well as his panicked look, betrayed his fear that she might carry out her threat, and Dana held up her hand to silence both his words and his fear. "Remain calm, Fox. If I were hardened to your masculine wiles, I would increase your time here, but I fear I remain as weak for your pleading as ever. Also, I know how you worry for your cousin. Rest assured, Melissa would not have undertaken the journey had Jake not been strong enough to endure." His eyes twinkled in spite of his situation. "My lady has never been weak," he contradicted. Dana chuckled. "I must return to my task, for I have several more cases to write up before suppertime. Do you require anything?" He shifted his legs, casting his eyes downward in sudden embarrassment, and she inclined her head knowingly. Reaching for the empty chamber bucket, Dana unfastened his breeches and allowed him to relieve himself. Fox accomplished the task as quickly as possible, his eyes closed against the humiliation. Once he had finished and his breeches had been securely fastened, he felt her soft kiss upon his lips and opened his eyes. "Do not fret, sweeting," she said softly, stroking his face lovingly with her fingers. "In our years together, I have seen the best and the worst of you, and I love you still the same." A warm feeling settled over him at her words, and he smiled happily, forgetting for a moment that he was being punished for his foolish actions of the morning. He was reminded of that fact when she walked away and he turned his head to follow her with his gaze. His neck was quite sore, as were his wrists, and he had no doubt he would be ordered to spend the morrow abed. Dana punished him severely when he misbehaved, but she had a tendency to coddle him afterwards. Turning his head slowly from side to side in an attempt to loosen the muscles in his neck, Fox allowed his thoughts to drift to the early morning hours, and the situation which had landed him here. * * * * * * * * * * The family had scarcely risen from their beds when there was a dreadful pounding at the door, and moments later Roberta led a woman Dana recognized as one of Melissa's aides into the breakfast room. Dana had jumped to her feet quickly, for the entire family feared something had happened to Melissa, but it was quite another message the woman carried. "My lady," she bowed. "I have an urgent communication from your sister, Commanding General Scully." "Yes, yes, what has happened?" Dana asked brusquely, her worried eyes scanning over the parchment the woman extended. After reading the few terse lines written there, she had turned to Fox with sympathy deepening the blue of her eyes. "Fox, I am afraid this concerns your cousin, Jake. You know he took ill with the fever last month--Melissa says he has been near death's door for longer than she cares to mention. She chose not to tell us how serious his condition had become in the fervent hope that he would recover soon. She did not wish to worry you unnecessarily. Jake is only now well enough to travel, and she is bringing him here to recuperate from his sickness. They will arrive late this afternoon." Fox, whose heart had momentarily stopped beating, took a deep breath and sent up a silent prayer of thanks to the Goddess for preserving Jake's life--one of many he had offered of late. "I must go to him," he announced, hurrying from the room. He had gotten halfway up the stairs before Dana managed to catch up. "No, Fox, wait," she commanded, and he paused on the steps, looking down at her, fear coloring his beautiful features that were so like Jake's. "Dana, please. I must be with Jake. What if he..." He didn't finish the awful sentence, only turned and hastened onward to their chamber with his wife in pursuit. "Fox, you will listen to reason," she ordered, closing the door behind them and clutching his hand as he began to reach for his traveling clothes. "You cannot ride to meet Melissa alone, and I am unable to accompany you. I have a very important appointment with a critically ill patient this morning that will not wait. Besides, your duties as Lord Scully dictate that you remain here and prepare for our guests' arrival." "Walter can do that," he said carelessly, throwing a cloak over his tunic. "I simply /*must*/ go, my lady!" "You shall not." The words were said mildly, but there was no mistaking the steel behind them, and Fox found himself pausing in spite of his intentions. "Surely you can spare a few servants to accompany me." "No." He took another deep breath, visibly fighting his exasperation. "Why? Please, Dana, just tell me why you forbid it so vehemently." For a moment he thought she might actually explain, but then her face hardened a bit--Dana did not like to be questioned. "Only know that I do forbid it, Fox." Her voice softened as she continued, "And know that I have a very good reason for doing so, my sweeting." "I am safe with our servants," he argued. "No one has ever molested me while accompanied by them." "And more than likely no one shall, but you are far too precious for me to take unwarranted risks with your safety," she stated firmly. "You shall remain here, where you belong, and you will see Jake this afternoon." Fox stood quietly while she removed his cloak from his shoulders and returned it to its proper place, but inwardly he was furious. He hated it when Dana treated him like this--as if his wishes, indeed, his very thoughts, were of no account. "You treat me like a child." "I treat you like a husband," she returned bluntly. "One who is often wont to disobey his lady wife." He stalked to the chamber door. Although obviously still angry, he spoke no words aloud, but Dana turned around to shoot him a baleful glare. "You shall do nothing of the sort," she ordered sternly. "My lady?" He whirled around, startled that she had apparently read his thoughts. "You will not be stealing away to ride out and meet your cousin." "I would never do such a foolish thing, Dana," Fox declared stoutly, and she smiled, turning back to her mirror. "See that you do not. I should most assuredly punish you severely if you did." "Will you be home for luncheon?" he inquired quietly. "I hope I shall, but I must see to Lady Farthing first thing this morning. I do not know how long our meeting will last, for she has been quite ill." "Very well, my lady." Fox crept quietly out the chamber door, and as he closed it behind him, his hand grazed across the key in the lock. A thought crossed his mind suddenly, one so deliciously naughty as to make him give a small gasp at his own daring. He shook his head again, determined not to engage in such foolishness, but was accosted by his wife's voice once again. "You shall not disobey me, Fox." She did not even look at him, he fumed, but she seemed to know all that was in his mind, and treated him as if he was no more than another of her servants to be ordered about! Fox found himself muttering, "No, my lady," even as he was slipping the key silently from the inside lock. He could not believe his own actions as he closed the door, inserted the key into the outer lock, and twisted. The resulting 'click' was almost inaudible, and yet Fox stood still for several moments, waiting with bated breath to see if she had heard the telltale noise. When no sound came from inside the chamber, he withdrew the key and slid it into the pocket of his breeches. He was unable to suppress the wicked smile which crept across his lips as he left the East Wing, making his way quickly downstairs. Fox left the Manor house, his heart racing in his chest as he considered what he had done. Dana would be furious, and his bottom would most certainly pay the price later, but he simply must see Jake as soon as possible. He ducked into the stables, nodded a pleasant 'good morning' to Beulah, who tended the horses, and quickly saddled Samantha. He would show Dana, he vowed, that treating him as a silly young boy gained her nothing. ------ Dana watched her husband leave their chamber to attend his duties and smiled. He had come far in the years of their marriage, and was settling down to be a very docile husband. There was a time when Fox would have argued with her until she was forced to punish him, or would have stolen away while her back was turned to do that which she had forbidden. She was gratified to see him give in with such good grace. Perhaps he had finally accepted his man's place in society, and would eventually cease indulging his reckless impulses altogether. Gentlemen, she reflected, simply did not often realize what was for their own good. She hurriedly completed her morning rituals and prepared to depart. Moments later, while still congratulating herself on having done a fine job of training her husband, Dana reached for the chamber door and noticed the key, which should have rested inside the lock, was missing. With an inaudible curse which quickly changed to a quite audible roar, she rattled the doorknob furiously. "Roberta! Mother! Elizabeth!" she yelled, banging on the heavy oak door. Spotting the bell cord used to summon the servants, Dana yanked it so hard it came down on her head. She tossed it aside furiously. Moments later a small voice came from the other side of the barrier. "Mother, are you all right?" It was Elizabeth. Making a concerted effort to regain her temper, Dana spoke gently to her daughter. "Elizabeth, go and fetch Roberta at once. Tell her she must stop your Papa before he rides away. Then bring Grandmother to me." Elizabeth, a Scully woman to the core, obeyed her mother's direction immediately. Dana ran to the window, which unfortunately faced away from the stables, but she was able to hear the shouting of the servants as they pursued her wayward husband. "Dana, what has happened?" demanded Maggie's voice from outside the chamber door, as she twisted the door knob. "Mother, use your skeleton key to release me," Dana answered deliberately, "so that I may take all the pretty skin off my husband's back." "Walter, fetch my key ring," Maggie instructed, and her own husband, anxious to avoid his wife's ire, ran at once to do her bidding. Less than five minutes later, Maggie had opened the chamber door. Not long afterwards, Dana was presented with her struggling husband. He fought angrily, held by two large servants and flanked by two more who were ready to assist should Lord Fox manage to break free, but his efforts were useless. "He didn't get far, my Lady," one of them reported to her. "We managed to catch him just before he reached the main road." Dana kept her fury in check still, but Elizabeth stood forward, her six-year-old eyes flashing blue fire. "Papa, you disobeyed Mother again, and put yourself in danger! You should be whipped soundly!" "Here now, Elizabeth, it is not your place to correct your Papa," Dana reminded her daughter gently. "I am sorry, Mother," the little girl replied, her head bowed in shame. "But Papa does try one's patience." Dana smiled. "Indeed he does, and someday you will have your own husband who will no doubt try your patience as well. However, the punishment of your father is left to me." "Yes, ma'am." "Now kiss your Papa to show him you still love him, even though you believe he deserves to be whipped soundly," she directed with no little amusement. Elizabeth obeyed, going forth to give her Papa a tender, apologetic kiss on the cheek. Fox, who found the entire conversation simply too humiliating, bit his lip to keep back the angry words he wanted to loose. He accepted Elizabeth's kiss, returning it in kind, then raised his eyes from his daughter to his wife and sighed. It may not be Elizabeth's place to suggest he be whipped, but Dana certainly looked as if she thought the idea a capital one. To his great relief, she did not reach into her bureau for her cane or strap. Instead, she strode out of the chamber, ordering the servants who held him, "Bring him downstairs." The women turned and, careful of his footing on the staircase, escorted him back the way he had come. Fox complied gracefully, knowing any further attempts to escape would only compound his punishment. They followed Dana to the paddock, and Fox blanched when he heard her whistle. The stocks were bad enough, but surely she was not leaving him to Thunder's tormenting tongue again! He began to quake when the horse trotted obediently up to his mistress. "Dana, please," he begged as Roberta began to wrap a rope around his wrists. "Not the sugar water again, I beg of you!" She turned to him with a smile of wry amusement, holding up a hand to stop Roberta. "Very well, Fox, I shall give you a choice. It is either the sugar water now, twenty strokes of my largest paddle before we retire for the evening. Either way you shall be spending the afternoon in the stocks." His eyes widened in fear, but then he glanced over at Thunder. The horse was watching him expectantly, for Fox was one of his favorite treats when covered liberally with the delicious sugar water concoction. Thunder would run his rough tongue over any part of his mistress' naughty husband that was not protected by clothing, hoping for a taste of his favorite snack. For Fox, whose sensitive skin was extremely ticklish, it was the worst kind of torture. Determined not to give that damnable horse any satisfaction, Fox muttered, "I choose the paddle." Dana nodded. "Very well. I am sorry to have to punish you this way, sweeting, but you must have lost your wits, to risk your safety and behave in such a manner." "Yes, my lady." "Now, you shall remain here until Melissa and Jake arrive. That way I will know you are safely guarded until the temptation to run away no longer exists." "But Dana, that will be hours!" "Indeed. Perhaps you should have considered the possible consequences before taking such rash action." "But--" "Walter will prepare for our guests, as you yourself suggested," she concluded, the mischievous sparkle in her eye belying her stern expression. With that, she had kissed him lightly upon the lips and left him, and here he had remained throughout the long morning and afternoon. He had been fed, when the noon hour arrived, and after her luncheon Elizabeth had arrived to keep him company. Fox found his embarrassment dwindling away as his daughter entertained him with her lively chatter, but the day had nonetheless been barely endurable. To Lord Scully's great relief, Lady Melissa and her husband arrived only two hours after luncheon. Fox heard the noise of their carriage pulling into the front drive and immediately cast his eyes about the yard--surely someone would be arriving at any moment to grant him his freedom. He prayed Melissa would not see him in this position, or even worse, his cousin Jake. It would simply be too humiliating. He gave a grateful sigh when Dana herself appeared from the back entrance to the manor, quickly freeing him from his prison. She steadied him on his feet while he stood slowly upright, and rubbed at his sore shoulders for a few moments before leading him to the house. "Thank you, my lady," he murmured, and she simply smiled in response. They arrived in the entrance hall just as Melissa was entering the Manor, carrying her normally robust husband, now so thin and frail, in her arms. Fox flashed a small grin of relief when he heard his cousin protesting furiously; Jake's body might still be weak from his illness, but his spirit was apparently as strong as ever. "Melissa, put me down!" Jake ordered from deep inside the blanket in which he was securely bundled. "I am perfectly able to walk this little distance." "Where shall I put him?" Melissa asked Roberta, ignoring Jake's protests, except for a whispered aside of, "Darling, if you do not remain still, I shall thrash you." Fox noted with amusement that Jake quieted immediately. "I see you have your husband well trained to do your bidding, Sister," Dana greeted. "I congratulate you--I know from experience it is a task not easily accomplished. Roberta, Walter has prepared the Green Chamber for our guests." "Yes, my lady." Roberta motioned to Melissa's personal aide, who picked up her mistress' bags and followed the butler up the stairs. Melissa, in response to Dana's comment, called over her shoulder, "He is only well-behaved because he is ill. I assure you, Sister, he spends most of his time naked at my side, that I may know his whereabouts at all times." "Melissa!" Jake's scandalized gasp came from deep within the blanket, and his wife chuckled warmly. "Do not fret, my untamable vixen," she whispered loudly, for the benefit of all listening. "I shall not tell them that you are rarely allowed to leave our bed-chamber, and are usually kept chained to our bed." Any further protest Jake intended was stifled by the kiss his doting wife then bestowed upon his luscious lips. As they disappeared up the stairs, Fox saw his cousin's fingers, which had rested around Melissa's neck, slide up to thread through her hair. It was clear, in spite of their frequent public spats, that Jake and Melissa made a happy couple. Jake was apparently still not accustomed to having his actions dictated by a wife, but Fox had no doubt Melissa was capable of handling him quite firmly. It was a Scully family trait. * * * * * * * * * * Fox entered their chamber, happily taking in the sight of his wife as she changed into her afternoon clothing. The view of her unclad body never failed to excite him, and now was no exception, but unfortunately, he had come to her on a different, far less pleasurable errand. "My lady," he said roughly, then cleared his throat. Dana turned to him curiously. "Yes, Fox? Your voice sounds odd. Are you quite well?" He crossed to the large bed and sat upon it, rumpling the spread that the servants had so carefully smoothed that morning. "I am well, my lady, it is simply that I...I wish..." She gave a fond, knowing smile. "You wish to receive your punishment now, rather than later, is that it, sweeting?" "Unless you would choose to forego it altogether," he replied hopefully, but was unsurprised when she shook her head. "You know that I will not," she told him firmly. "However, I am willing to administer it now, if you prefer. It will make sitting at tea all the more difficult for you." Fox ducked his head in embarrassment before answering, "I understand, my lady, but I should rather be sore this afternoon than tonight." Now her small smile turned to a full grin. "Are you implying that you would engage in other activities at bedtime, my dear?" The gaze he turned on her was smoldering. "I should be delighted to indulge in them now, were there enough time before tea," he informed her huskily. She gazed at him with such longing that Fox could not suppress the urge to cross the room swiftly and take her in his arms. His lips closed over hers in a hungry kiss, which she returned with enthusiasm. When at last they released one another, Dana smoothed a wayward lock of hair over his forehead and observed, "You are becoming quite a forward hussy, sweeting. It pleases me greatly." He blushed slightly, pleased yet disconcerted at her praise, for even after seven years of marriage, Fox had not lost all his virginal shyness. He was completely unaware that his wife considered it his most endearing quality. "Back to business," she said, turning away and withdrawing the promised paddle from her 'punishment drawer.' Fox cringed slightly whenever she used the term - it was where she kept all her implements of discipline. Many times he had fantasized about destroying every single item within, but such an action would surely be tantamount to suicide. The paddle she now held, her largest and most painful, was made of solid oak, and was as long as his arm and half as thick. He had hefted it a time or two, out of curiosity, and found it to be every bit as heavy as it appeared. The fact that his tiny wife had the strength to wield it with expert skill never failed to amaze him. "Ten, you said?" he asked innocently, bending himself over the end of the bed, for his punishment was inevitable, no matter how much he would prefer to take his wife to bed and make violent love to her. "You know quite well that I said twenty, and for that little attempt at deception, we shall make it twenty-one." "I was only teasing, Dana!" he protested. "Indeed. However, I am not. You disobeyed my orders, delayed my attending to a very ill woman, and worst of all, placed yourself in what could have been great danger. I believe you have forgotten something, Fox." With a dark look, Fox stood, lowered his breeches to his ankles, then bent over the bed once more. Carefully, Dana positioned Fox so his bottom would gain the maximum punishment from the paddle, but his lower back was safe from harm. She was severe when punishing him, but she did love him dearly, and would never do him permanent harm. She rested the paddle on his backside, observing the gentle curve of his buttocks with admiration. After a moment of feeling nothing but the heavy wood against his bottom, Fox turned his head to face her. "Do hurry, my lady," he pleaded. "I sometimes believe the waiting is the most difficult part." She smiled grimly. "Do you, my dear? I shall have to disabuse you of that notion." So saying, Dana drew back her arm and landed the first hard smack on his upturned bottom. "OW!" he cried, clutching at the thick spread that covered their bed. "My lady, twenty of that caliber will surely finish me!" "Twenty-one," she corrected, bring the paddle down for another stroke. Fox held himself still with an effort, knowing that to move would only invite further ire. Several blows fell before the inevitable lecture began. "You know how I feel about you endangering yourself, Fox." "OH! Yes, my--OW!--my lady!" "A man of your beauty, on the road to London alone--" "Please, Dana, enough!" "--where the seediest of women travel--" "I won't do it again, I give you my word!" "You could have ended up the plaything of any number of unsavory females." "Yes! Yes, you are right! I'm sorry!" His tears began in earnest now, no matter how bravely he fought to hold them back, and Dana smiled with the satisfaction, not of hurting her husband, but of getting a lesson through his stubborn head. "Believe you still that the waiting is the worst part, sweeting?" she asked, just a touch of humor in her tone, but his only answer was a stifled sob. "I see," she went on. "Then let us finish quickly." So saying, she administered the last strokes in rapid succession, and once the twenty-first had landed, tossed the paddle aside and pulled him up and into her arms. Fox sobbed into her shoulder for several minutes while she rubbed his bottom soothingly, trying to ease away some of the sting. "There, now, my darling, darling Fox," she whispered as his tears began to subside. "You are the most precious thing in the world to me. Had some awful fate befallen you, I should never have been able to go on. Please, sweeting, do think more of your safety in the future." "Ye-yes, my lady." "Now, wash away your tears, Fox, and come downstairs. Melissa and Jake will be down to tea in a very few moments. And tonight, sweeting--" and here she placed a tender kiss on his cheek, and another on the small bit of chest peeking through his shirt, "--I shall show you again just how much I treasure you." Fox nodded, already anticipating her touch upon his sensitive man's body, then reached for the washing cloth beside the basin. Nobody downstairs could be in doubt of what had just happened, he thought ruefully, but there was no reason for him to go in to tea with traces of his reaction to the punishment on his face. * * * * * * * * * * "Fox, why are you so restless?" Melissa asked pleasantly as they seated themselves in the salon for tea. She nodded a 'thank you' to Walter as he poured her a cup. "You are unable to sit still for even a minute." Dana grinned while Fox flushed uncomfortably. Melissa raised an eyebrow in understanding. "Have you earned yourself a punishment already today, my dear?" she asked indulgently. "You must be on your best behavior whilst we are here, Fox. Jake will need your assistance, and you can be of no help to him if you are lying abed recovering from a beating. Besides, Jake could make use of your example of proper husbandly behavior." "I--" "Fox is never beaten, Sister, you know that. More often he is a treat for my horse." Dana's amusement deepened as Fox gave her a disgusted look. "Today, however, he has spent his time in the stocks, and has only recently had his backside soundly warmed with my largest paddle, the one you sent me last Goddess' Day. It is quite effective." "What did he do?" Melissa inquired, helping herself to another teacake. "To look at him, you would never believe him disobedient. His cousin's rebellious nature is revealed by the wild look in his eyes, but this one appears so docile." "He insisted upon riding out alone to meet you. He had the audacity to lock me in our chamber while he attempted to disobey my direct order that he remain at home. I was delayed in seeing a patient." Melissa's eyebrow shot up almost to her hairline. "That was quite daring, if ill advised. And thus, Walter prepared our chambers and Fox spent the afternoon with his head between wood?" she guessed. Fox, who had grown heartily tired of being discussed as if he were not present, turned to Dana grumpily. "My lady, may I please be excused? I should like to visit my cousin, now he has had a chance to rest." Dana gave Melissa an inquiring look, and her older sister immediately replied, "Go, Fox. Satisfy your mind that he will live. I had my doubts for some time, but now I know Jake is far too mischievous to be done in by a mere fever. Indeed, I half-suspect he concocted the entire illness just to earn himself some coddling at my hands." There was no need to contradict Melissa's words--it was obvious she was still shaken from the seriousness of Jake's illness and was merely attempted to lighten the mood with a joke. "Ladies, Walter," Fox nodded before hurrying from the salon and scurrying up the stairs to his cousin. Walter, silent thus far, held out his hand to Melissa, who kissed it tenderly. "My lady, my warmest welcome to you and Jake," he offered. "I believe, if you ladies will excuse me, that I should look in on the supper preparations. I'm certain Fox is too preoccupied with his cousin to give it a thought." "Thank you, Walter, that is quite thoughtful of you," Dana told him, and he nodded before leaving the room. * * * * * * * * * * "So tell me honestly, how is Jake?" Maggie demanded as soon as the door was shut behind her son-in-law. "Is he truly recovering as nicely as you would wish?" Melissa shook her head gravely. "I believe he will, here in the country, but Mother, the fever rages still in London. It was only because of my husband's delicate condition that I was allowed to bring him away--Her Majesty needs all her Generals in service at this time." "Have none of the other Generals' husbands taken ill?" asked Dana curiously. Melissa nodded grimly. "One has died already. This illness seems to strike the men much worse than the women." "Men have more delicate constitutions," Maggie observed. "Indeed, Mother, I believe it is more due to the fact that the men are the ones who nurse the ill, therefore exposing themselves to the sickness much more readily than the women. Jake spent the entire week before he took the fever looking after Major General Winnington's husband. Lord Winnington did not recover, I am afraid. We were quite saddened; he and Jake had become good friends." "Why did Major Winnington not remove her husband from the city?" "It is not considered seemly for the military to retreat from this battle," Melissa informed them. "Personally, I believe all but the most essential personnel should leave London for a time. Her Majesty, most of all, should be removed from danger, but she refuses to abandon the Palace." "And yet you were allowed to bring Jake here," Dana observed. Melissa's eyes sparkled with her excitement. "Jake's condition is more...delicate than normal. Mother, Dana, I am with child again." Dana gave an excited shout and hugged her sister, but Maggie looked concerned. "Have you been well examined by a doctor, Daughter?" Melissa nodded. "I have. She believes I shall carry this babe for the full term. You would be impressed, Dana. My doctor insists I give up spirits for the duration of my pregnancy." Dana smiled and Maggie snorted. "And my poor son-in-law is ill with the effects of your pregnancy, as well as fighting the fever," she commented. "Poor Jake. He has had a time of it, has he not?" "He has, but he shall survive. I am certain of that now. He is well enough to complain. He constantly bemoans the fact that it is men who must suffer sickness whilst their wives are carrying a babe." It was Dana's turn to snort. "Perhaps you should describe in great detail the pain of actually birthing a babe," she pointed out. "Something the Goddess knew men were far too fragile to endure. If they must suffer a few months of illness, I find it only fair." Melissa grinned. "I would describe it to him, Dana, but I fear he would fall over in a dead faint. It will be difficult enough for Jake to be present during the birthing." Maggie looked aghast. "Daughter, surely you are not thinking of allowing your husband to be in attendance in the birthing chamber!" "I am, Mother. It is an important event in his life as well as mine. I think it only fair that we share in its magic." Maggie saw the way her daughter's eyes sparkled, and bit her tongue. She would never understand the newfangled ways of pregnancy and childbirth. Dana had refused to taste spirits for the entire duration of her pregnancy, convinced it might harm her babe in some way, and now apparently Melissa's doctor concurred. It was ridiculous. Maggie had birthed four healthy children, all having been subjected to spirits whilst in her womb, and she never would have dreamed of having William present during the births. It was unseemly. Birthing was a woman's world. Waving her hand dismissively, as if to change the subject, Melissa leaned closer to her mother and sister and informed them almost in a whisper, "There is another reason Her Majesty sent me to Azure at this time. A suspicious ship has been spotted lurking just outside your harbor." They both nodded vigorously. "That ship is the reason I would not allow Fox to ride out to meet you, even with our servants' protection," Dana affirmed. "What do you know of it?" "We suspect it to be the Black Magic, a well known pirate ship," Melissa confided. "The captain is a woman I served with during my first few years in the army. She deserted, turned to the bad and has been living a life of crime ever since. She and I...have some history together." "History?" demanded Maggie. "What kind of history?" Melissa smiled. "Nothing of which you need be ashamed, Mother. In reality, it was nothing more than a poker game gone wrong. She lost one of her prettier slave boys to me in a late night match, and I freed him rather than taking my pleasure of him. She was quite livid at the development when I voiced my intention to send the poor boy back to his family in India. She asked to play another hand in order to win him back, and I refused. Later, I discovered she lost the boy purposefully. She intended him to spy upon me, to relate military secrets to her. "Captain Sherrill is a poor loser, I fear, and now considers me her enemy. Her Majesty found it odd that she would lurk near Azure, when there are so many richer ports southward. The Queen and I are both concerned that she may be planning a strike against the Scully family, as it is well known we have a large estate here." Dana's eyes widened. "And yet you brought Jake into this danger?" she demanded. "Why did you not inform me? I should have taken Fox and Douglas away at once!" "And I, Walter!" Maggie put in. "Had you done so, Captain Sherrill would realize we are on her trail, and would disappear to sea again. Would you inflict her evil on the unsuspecting Colonies to the West? We are much better equipped to deal with her here." "But our men, Daughter, you have endangered them," Maggie pointed out gently. "It is only because of the courage of the Scully men that I dared do so," Melissa told her staunchly. "Indeed, now that we are aware, we should be well able to protect them. I am hoping to lay a trap of sorts for the Captain, in order to snare her and bring her to justice." "Using our men as bait?" Dana clarified. Melissa gave a short nod. "If we are careful, they need not be in any true danger. You know I love Fox and Walter as my brother and father, and Jake is my life. As for my beautiful nephew...I would never willingly put any of them in harm's way, but this is our duty, both to England and to Her Majesty." "I will not allow it," Dana declared firmly. "I'm sorry Sister. You know I am loyal to the Crown, but that loyalty does not require me to put my family in danger. I am sworn to protect them, and protect them I shall." Maggie said nothing, but her stern expression conveyed to Melissa exactly what she thought of such a plan. "Very well," Melissa sighed. "Truly, I had no real hope that you would agree. You are probably right--it is best not to take chances. However, that does still leave me with the matter of Captain Sherrill to deal with." "Mother and I will help you in any way possible, as long as it does not involve endangering Douglas, Fox and Walter," Dana assured her. "Perhaps together, the three of us may come up with a viable plan for capturing this woman." Melissa smiled. "I am certain of it, Dana. Tell me, do you believe we should warn the men of the potential danger? Perhaps they will be more careful--" "No!" exclaimed Maggie and Dana in unison. "Fox is already quite distraught over his cousin," Maggie reminded Melissa. "I do not believe additional worry will be for his benefit." Melissa gave a most unladylike bark of laughter. "You are quite right, Mother. More likely my dear husband's cousin would run off to the docks for a glimpse of such a ship!" she pointed out, and Dana shook her head slowly from side to side. "If he learns of the possible plan to abduct the Scully men, he will no doubt offer himself up as a sacrifice in order to protect the others. I cannot allow that. Fox, for all his bravery, is still quite innocent. I shudder to think of him in the hands of a band of lusty pirates." "Or Walter. No, we shall not tell them," Maggie decided. "They are much better off if they believe you are here only for Jake's health." * * * * * * * * * * "Cousin," Jake greeted warmly as Fox entered the chamber. Fox swallowed hard at the sight of his cousin, always so full of life and strength, lying abed, barely able to raise his hand in greeting. "How are you, Jake?" he asked, seating himself in a chair and pulling it closer to the bed. "Melissa would never tell me the truth. She would wish to protect me." "I am recovering, Fox, I swear it," Jake told him soberly, meeting his cousin's eyes with his own identical hazel ones. "I was quite ill for a time, but am surely on the mend now. I am just very weak still." "It is hard for me to believe you took so ill." Jake nodded sympathetically. "It is quite difficult for me to accept as well," he concurred. "I was caring for a sick friend, and took the illness not even a day after his death." "He died!" "Yes, but Fox, he was much older than I, and not in the best of health to begin with." He grasped his cousin's hand warmly. "You mustn't worry. I am not prepared to die quite yet. I have a child to raise." Fox gaped at him. "A--you have--" "Melissa is carrying another babe," Jake confided happily. "Her healer is certain this one is healthy and will live." Fox squeezed Jake's hand tightly. "I am very happy for you. I shall pray to the Goddess for your son's safe delivery." Jake grinned warmly. "It is to be a daughter," he contradicted teasingly. "All the Scully women bear a daughter first. Lady Maggie has decreed it shall be so." "Indeed," Fox laughed. "Perhaps you shall be blessed with twins, as was I." "Do not even mention it!" Jake groaned. "I still have not forgotten how exhausted you were throughout the first year of their lives. You should have allowed the servants to assist you more." "I wanted to be the one to care for them," Fox argued stubbornly, for he had had this same conversation many times before, with many different people. "I did not wish my children to confuse a servant with their father. Had either Douglas or Elizabeth referred to anyone else as 'Papa,' it would have certainly been the death of me." "How are my niece and nephew?" "They are in excellent health. Douglas is the joy of my life, quick to learn the manly arts and eager to please. Elizabeth is so like her mother it makes my heart swell with pride to watch her. She is quite the young Lady." "You are a lucky man, Fox." "I only wish we could have had more children, but when Dana took ill after their birth, Lady Maggie told us more babes are unlikely. She has never been with child since." Jake nodded his understanding. "Indeed, each time Melissa would lose a babe after carrying it for only a few months, I would hear her cry, late at night when she thought I was asleep. It shook me to my core to see my wife display such emotion. I sometimes wonder..." "What?" Fox prompted gently. "I wonder if my loose behavior before our marriage is to blame. Perhaps the Goddess does not deem me a fit father." Fox was aghast. "Jake, do not even think such a thing! You have proven your worthiness by your devotion to your wife and Her Majesty. I do not believe our Goddess would be so cruel." "I pray you are right, for Melissa's sake," Jake sighed. "She does so want a daughter to carry on her name. "And she shall have one, perhaps more than one," Fox told him firmly. "We shall keep you both here in the country until the child is safely delivered." "Melissa would never agree," Jake contradicted sadly. "It is only because I have been so ill we were allowed to travel here. The fever has taken many lives in London, and all the military are needed to maintain order and protect Her Majesty." "But surely it could not be good for the babe, should Melissa take ill!" "My lady has been assigned duties that have kept her far from the illness, once it was determined she was with child. Her Majesty is anxious for her Commanding General to have a family." Fox nodded, and Jake grasped his cousin's hand again, drawing him closer. "There is another reason we are here," he whispered softly. "I am not certain what it might be, but my lady dispatched soldiers in the direction of the waterfront when we had nearly reached Azure. I fear something else is afoot, something of which I have not been informed." "To the waterfront! Perhaps it is something truly exciting, like smugglers, or pirates!" Fox replied excitedly, his eyes sparkling at the idea. Jake grinned weakly. "Pirates, near Azure? This is not a rich port, Fox." "But maybe they are here for some other reason. Perhaps Lady Melissa was sent here to investigate the captain's purpose. Mayhap it is a spy ship!" "Perhaps," Jake agreed. "Fox, I know how your mind works. Mine works the same way, but you must not go near that harbor." "What harm could come to me if I was careful and stealthy? Imagine, Jake, if it really is a pirate ship! Can you tell me, in all honesty, that you would not attempt to secure a sight of it, were you not ill?" "Perhaps I would be tempted," Jake agreed seriously, "but even I should be hesitant, knowing the large number of soldiers Melissa sent to the harbor. She fears the danger, and if my lady is cautious, it is for good reason, I assure you." Fox stared at his cousin in surprise. "Why Jake, she has tamed you!" he exclaimed. Jake blushed, his embarrassment turning his sickly pale skin quite scarlet. "My lady is...quite severe in her punishments," he agreed at last. "She is a woman of many passions; indeed, she loves me as enthusiastically as she disciplines me. Never in my life have I felt such heightened emotions. I manage to find my share of mischief--'tis in my nature, I fear--but believe me when I say I would never deliberately bring her to anger." "She is that harsh?" Jake shrugged. "Harsh is perhaps not the correct word. Your Lady Dana is quite creative in her punishments. Lady Melissa is not. She is very constant. Therefore, I know exactly what to expect, should I disobey her, and exactly how much it will hurt. I have no wish to incur her wrath." "What Melissa said downstairs...about you being chained to the bed, naked...that was merely a joke, was it not?" Fox asked nervously, for even after all these years he had not forgotten the servant he had released from Lady Fowley's property, much to his own future detriment. Jake gave a weak grin. "I am kept naked at her side quite often, but I assure you I have never been chained to the bed, my cousin--not for punishment, anyway. Melissa is quite fond of me in the bare flesh, and often when we are alone in our chambers, she wishes me to go without clothing." "That sounds...rather cold," Fox snorted, a bit disconcerted at his cousin's revelation. Jake smiled dreamily, his eyes closing in weariness. "My lady has many ways of keeping me warm," he corrected. "Fox, I fear I must sleep now." "Indeed, I have occupied you for far too long," Fox apologized. "I shall have your supper sent up to you. Rest now, Jake." His cousin nodded once and was asleep. * * * * * * * * * * "Melissa!" Dana called from the large entrance hall of Scully manor, her voice full of grim determination. Her sister appeared almost immediately, summoned more by Dana's tone than her word. "What is it, Dana?" she asked worriedly. "Has something happened?" "Indeed it has," Dana replied, gesturing to the woman standing at attention beside her, obviously a servant, but not one employed by the Scully family. "Rebecca, tell my sister what you told me." "My lady, my friends and I were at the tavern last night, and we happened to overhear the conversation of a group of seedy-looking women, strangers in town." "Yes?" Melissa demanded brusquely, for strangers in Azure, while not uncommon due to the proximity of the harbor, were rarely cause for alarm. Something untoward must have occurred for this woman to appear, unsummoned, before Lady Scully. "I heard them discussing how they were to sneak into town tonight, my lady, and steal Lord Jake from you!" Her eyes played over Melissa's imposing figure in awe and fear. Melissa's hand went immediately to her pistol, secured at her waist at all times while in uniform. "You are employed by Diana Fowley," Dana said coldly. "I recognize the symbol you wear." "I am debt-bound to the Lady Fowley, my lady." "Diana Fowley has no love for the Scully family," Melissa retorted. "For what purpose have you truly come here?" Rebecca's eyes darted nervously about the hall. "My mistress didn't send me," she explained. "I have come of my own accord." "Out of the goodness of your heart?" Melissa sneered, and the servant flushed. "My contract with Lady Fowley expires next week," she confessed, her head bowed. "I hoped...that is, I thought...perhaps if Lady Scully had need of a servant...I would be willing to work in any capacity, my lady," she informed Dana earnestly. "Do you bring us the truth?" demanded Dana, glowering menacingly. "It shall not go well for you, should we discover you have lied." "Oh, I promise you, my lady, I speak the truth!" Rebecca cried. "Lord Jake is in danger. While it is true I hoped to secure a position for myself, I wish no harm to befall an innocent gentleman." "You speak nicely, for a servant," Melissa commented. "Who taught you?" Rebecca blushed even more furiously, and shifted uncomfortably. "My mother is Lady Branden, of Brandenburg, north of London," she offered at last, her voice quiet. "She owed a debt to the Lady Fowley which she was unable to pay, therefore, my mother contracted me to Lady Fowley for the space of five years in order to meet her obligation." "Your /*mother*/ contracted you!" Dana repeated, scarcely able to comprehend such an action. "Indeed," Rebecca replied, her head held proudly high. "You see, I am not the daughter of my mother's husband." "Illegitimate," Melissa murmured. "So she felt it appropriate to sell you like a slave to pay her debts." "However, if your five years is ended next week, why do you not return to your mother?" inquired Dana, her voice more gentle now. "I have no wish to ever see that woman again," Rebecca answered frostily. "I feel my mother had no right to sell me into servitude, as if I were nothing more than a mere male, but the law upheld her decision. I come of age in two months. Until that time, I would ask for your protection, my lady, and in return I shall be more than happy to sign the lifetime contract you require of your servants." "I have no need of more servants at this time," Dana told her, a twinge of regret in her voice. Rebecca's face fell, but brightened at Melissa's next words. "I have," Commanding General Scully remarked. "The military is always in need of good soldiers, dedicated to the protection of the Crown. I know of Lady Branden and her propensity for wagering more than she is able to lose, but I had no idea she would stoop to this low level. I shall consider employing you, Rebecca, but first, you must prove your loyalty to this family." "I should be happy to do so, my lady, but how?" Rebecca asked. "Until next week, I am Lady Fowley's." "Yet Lady Fowley gives you free time to visit the tavern?" "She is away, on a gaming junket about the countryside, accompanied only by her personal maid and her...gentleman companion, Alex. I have my duties still, but once they are completed, I am free for the evening." "I assure you, Alex Krycek is no /*gentleman*/ companion," Dana put in coldly. "However, that is neither here nor there." "Indeed, let us not diverge into that story now," Melissa agreed. "Rebecca, as a way of proving your devotion to the Scully family, I will require you to give every available moment you have to us for the next week. We shall need every hand in service to protect our men from the pirates." Rebecca's eyes sparkled. "I am not due back at Lady Fowley's estate until tomorrow morning, my lady," she said simply. "Until then, my time is yours." "Excellent. You may begin by telling me exactly what you overheard, in as much detail as you are able." Rebecca began to speak, and before she had even finished her tale, Dana had ordered all female servants gathered in the Great Hall of the manor. * * * * * * * * * * "Fox? I was certain I would find you here," Dana said, poking her head around the door leading to the Green Chamber. Her husband looked up with an anxious expression, dipping a cloth into a basin of water and bathing his cousin's face with it. "Jake's fever has returned, Dana," he said hoarsely. "I fear the traveling took a larger toll on him than expected." Melissa, right behind her sister, pushed into the room and made immediately for her husband's side. She examined him critically, then took his hand gently between her own two strong ones. "Jake, my darling, do open your eyes and look at me." Jake complied wearily, his eyes bloodshot and drooping. He managed a weak smile. "I shall keep you at my side yet, my lady." Melissa gave an exasperated grin. "I have suspected all along that your supposed illness was merely a way to gain my sympathy," she informed him. Dana turned to her husband quietly. "Fox, bring me the brown bag in my wardrobe that has my potions and medicines in it." Fox obeyed instantly, and Dana rummaged in the bag, pulling out several packets of herbs, which she crushed together and mixed with a small amount of fresh water from the jug. She gave the cup containing the potion to Melissa, who held it to Jake's lips. He frowned. "What vile poison will you force down me this time, Wife?" "One guaranteed to have you back to your disagreeable self in no time," she retorted. "And if you do not moderate your tone, I shall add some especially ill-tasting leaves, just to punish you." Fox was a bit taken aback by their exchange for a moment, before catching the twinkle in Melissa's eye and the matching one in Jake's. He at once felt a rush of love both for his cousin, who he cherished like a brother, and for Melissa, who had taken Jake and--against all his protests--made him a respectable husband. And soon-to-be father, Fox reminded himself quickly. Catching sight of his face, Melissa assured him, "I know my sister's skill with herbs, Fox. This wretch should be dancing a jig by morning. Do not fret overmuch for his welfare." "Indeed, my lady, he appears apt to burst into song at any moment," Fox agreed, relieved and grateful that his wife was such a talented healer. "Melissa, you should remain with your husband this evening," Dana said, but Melissa shook her head firmly. "As much as I should prefer to be at Jake's side throughout his hypochondria, I cannot, Sister. I must conduct the business we discussed, and it must be tonight. I shall not rest easily until the threat no longer exists." "What threat?" asked Fox and Jake at once. "Nothing about which you should worry, Sweeting," Dana comforted, stroking the back of her husband's hand softly, enjoying the way his eyes grew wide and darkened with need. Due to her heavy case load and a slight stomach ailment which had temporarily stricken their son--which circumstances had left them both too exhausted to do more than drop into bed and fall into immediate slumber--they had been several days without lovemaking. Now she enjoyed the feeling of power it gave her to notice the tightening in his breeches. Fox shifted position suddenly, and Dana smiled with satisfaction. Tonight, once those damnable pirates had been dispatched, she intended to celebrate the victory by taking her husband quite thoroughly. She vowed she would not allow him his release until he was screaming for her mercy. Then she would give him such pleasure that he would hold that satisfied, contented look in his eyes for days. Oh yes, tonight... "Dana and I must go to the village this evening, boys," Melissa explained, inwardly chuckling at the tease Dana was giving poor Fox. "I do not wish to leave you, my sweet, but it is unavoidable. With any luck, we shall not be terribly late home. Jake, Fox and Walter will look after you whilst I am away. Do try not to suffer too pathetically, if you please." "I shall save my best theatrics for you alone, my lady," he whispered, his eyes closed and the ghost of a smile upon his lips. "See that you do. The potion makes him sleepy," she told Fox. "I shouldn't be surprised if he should sleep straight through until we return." "Dana, why must you go?" Fox demanded, his voice soft out of deference to his sleeping cousin. "Jake needs you tonight!" "Do not question me, Husband," she replied sternly. "Rest assured I would not be leaving a man as sick as Jake if it were not a matter of dire necessity." Fox, knowing his wife spoke the truth, and equally certain that she would not give further explanations, merely nodded in acceptance. "Are there any other medicines I should administer?" She shook her head. "If all proceeds as I expect, he will need nothing further before morning." "Dana." The three swung around at the sound of Walter's voice in the doorway. "My lady has asked me to inform you that she has assembled the servants, as you requested." "Thank you, Walter," Dana replied firmly. "We shall be down momentarily." Walter bowed and exited the room while Dana addressed Fox's look of concern. "You and Walter are to remain in this wing of the house tonight, Fox. I rely on you to do as you are told." "But my lady--" She held up her hand for silence. "I shall explain the whole of the situation to you on the morrow," she promised. "For tonight, you will trust me, and endeavor to do as I command without getting yourself into trouble. Caring for your cousin should keep you quite occupied enough." "Yes, my lady," he agreed demurely...perhaps too demurely, for Dana immediately gripped his chin and forced him to look deeply into her eyes. "It is imperative that you obey me without question, Fox. Should I return and find that you have not, your backside shall surely suffer as it has never suffered before." Fox swallowed hard, his eyes huge, and nodded. Dana kissed him softly on the lips and took her leave, waiting outside the chamber while Melissa said goodbye to an almost unconscious Jake. As the sisters started down the staircase, Melissa asked curiously, "Do you believe Fox will obey you?" "Of course not," Dana replied with certainty. "But I shall have Roberta keep an especial eye on him, to see that he does not find more mischief than can be safely dealt with." Melissa linked her arm through her sister's and laughed heartily. * * * * * * * * * * Dana addressed the assembled crowd--all the female servants from the highest ranking house worker to the lowliest field hand had been called forth, and the male servants had been ordered to remain safely in their quarters for the night. Melissa's small regime of soldiers also stood at the ready. "We have received information that a foul pirate, a Captain Sherrill, will be assembling her crew at the tavern in Azure tonight. It is believed she will send some of her crew to Scully Manor, in order to abduct Lord Jake, while she and the remainder of her women remain at the tavern to create a diversion. "Lady Maggie, Lady Melissa and I will be there to greet them in hopes of spoiling their scheme. However, if we are to do so, it means leaving our men here under your protection. You will remember how precious they are to us, and you will guard them with your lives." The crowd of servants voiced their agreement, their faces stern and uncompromising, for all were loyal to the Scully family, and interlopers were not to be tolerated. Dana smiled, nodded approvingly, and continued. "Our intention is to intercept the kidnappers before they come this way, but Lady Melissa has prepared a plan of defense, should any of the pirates manage to slip past us and try to approach Scully manor. She will tell each of you where you are to be positioned. You are not to leave that watch until you are relieved by the person to take your place. You will watch in four hour shifts." She stood back and Melissa stepped forward, unrolling a large scroll on the table as she spoke. "Roberta, the grounds have been divided into four sections. We shall separate the women into four groups, dispersing the strongest equally among them and then I will make post assignments." * * * * * * * * * * While the younger women arranged the defense plan, Maggie took herself upstairs to Jake's chamber, where she found Walter and Fox at his bedside. "How is he?" she queried softly. Fox shook his head. "He is sleeping now," he replied sadly, "but I fear the fever is once again overtaking him. He has not had a good day. Lady Melissa fed him a potion, but I can see no improvement as yet." Maggie approached the bed, gave Jake a gentle examination without waking the young man, and stepped back. "I may be an aging woman, but I still possess knowledge younger doctors have yet to learn," she told them. "I shall prepare my own concoction for him," she told them. "It will not interfere with what Dana has already given him. You must administer it once an hour for the next three hours." She left the room, returning shortly with the potion in a small glass decanter. After placing it carefully on the bedside table, she turned to her husband and son-in-law. "Lady Dana and Lady Melissa are downstairs even now, instructing the servants upon how you are to be protected whilst we are away tonight. You will follow their instructions to the letter. It is vital you both understand how very important it is that you remain here in the house, under the watchful eye of the women. Walter, I hold you responsible for these two rapscallions as well, both as my husband and as Lord Scully the Elder. Is the gravity of this situation unclear to you in any way?" She regarded them both with her deep blue eyes, now stern and uncompromising, and both men shook their heads wordlessly. "Excellent. You have nothing to fear if you obey the orders you are given. You are both to remain here, in this wing of the house, although you are not required to stay in this chamber. Indeed, I would that you both attempt to get some sleep. Summon Aja to remain with Jake, if necessary. Do not forget to give him his medicine. You may wake him up for the first dose now." "Yes, my lady," Fox replied, reaching toward the decanter with a trembling hand. He carefully poured a third of the liquid into a mug and gently roused his cousin. "Fox, you shall never marry if you do not learn some coquetry," Jake murmured, his hazel eyes gazing straight up at the ceiling. "Lady Massey has eyes for you, but you see only your father telling you ladies wish simply to bed you for your beauty. What harm can a little flirting do?" "He is out of his head," observed Maggie. "Indeed," Fox told her grimly, slipping his arm beneath Jake's head and raising it slightly. "He remembers a time when we were but children. Come, Jake, you must drink this now." "Is it the wine?" Jake asked, opening his mouth eagerly. "I did not believe you courageous enough to steal it from Lady Teena's parlor, Fox. Bravo! I shall teach you mischief yet, my perfect cousin." Fox blushed slightly, but held the mug to Jake's lips and helped him drink the potion down. Maggie watched, to be certain all the liquid made it safely into her patient. She touched Jake's face gently, giving Fox a reassuring smile, and left the room. "Did you truly steal wine, Fox?" Walter asked with a slight smile. "NEVER! I did not," Fox told him firmly. "Jake...imagines far too much when he is under the influence of fever." "And yet, knowing your penchant for finding trouble, I must wonder at your protest," Walter answered teasingly. "I daresay you did take Lady Teena's wine, and she most likely blistered your bottom for it." "Were I to engage in such a foolhardy activity, my mother would surely have banished me to my chamber for four days, giving me nothing but wine to drink with my meals until I grew heartily sick of spirits," Fox replied, his eyes still on his cousin. "However, as I told you before, I would never commit such a deed." "I seem to remember an incident with brandy a few years ago--" "I assure you, I have no idea to what you are referring." Walter snorted delicately but said nothing more. * * * * * * * * * * Melissa, Dana, Maggie and Rebecca sat quietly at an obscure table in the corner of the tavern, sipping carefully at the watered-down ale they had requested from the owner, a good friend of Dana's. The woman had taken one look at their dress, clearly meant to blend in with the crowd of village woman peopling the establishment, and complied with their request immediately. She did not know what the Ladies Scully were up to, but Lady Dana had always been kind to her--had, in fact, saved her small daughter's life when the child had broken her leg--and she would no more betray a Scully than she'd slit her own wrists. Looking over the women in the room, Dana asked softly, "Do you recognize any of them?" Melissa shook her head. "I shall likely only know Captain Sherrill; I have never met up with her crew." "Those two there, my lady," Rebecca answered, nodding discreetly toward a table in the center of the room where two women sat, growing drunker by the moment. "They are two of the ones I overheard discussing the pirates' plan." "And yet, where are the others?" Maggie worried. "Do you suppose they have changed their minds? Perhaps they learned their plans had been leaked." "I believe they are simply scouts, sent here to report back if anything appears amiss," Melissa observed. "It is a time-honored strategy, one with which Captain Sherrill is well acquainted. When they do not return to the ship soon, the other pirates will likely come ashore. I daresay we shall wait no longer than another hour for their arrival." True to Melissa's prediction, not long afterwards the tavern began to fill with particularly seedy women, strangers to most of the clientele, obviously rough and rowdy types. The gaming, always competitive, became suddenly fierce, and more than once a dagger was drawn in anger. The serving boys, accustomed to defusing an occasional rumpus, were able to divert attention from the quarrel before blood was shed, but the atmosphere in the room was much more tense than was common. Eventually, six of the pirates rose from their chairs and ambled casually for the door. "There," Melissa said, nudging Dana's arm, and her sister nodded. Doing their best to attract no attention, the Scullys and Rebecca made their way out the back door of the tavern, hoping to intercept the pirates. They expected the women to immediately head their way, for Scully Manor lay directly behind the tavern less than a mile from town, but after a few moments, Melissa motioned for them to follow her. Carefully, keeping close to the building, hidden in the shadows, they crept around the corner, moving forward until the front of the tavern was in full view. They were surprised to see all six of the women, two of them already making their way across the street to the low-rent rooming houses occupied by prostitutes, men of the evening on their arms. "Bloody hell!" Dana swore. "They've only come out to find a man for the hour." "Shh!" Melissa silenced her. The other four women were still in sight, sizing up the men that remained available for their entertainment. "So, my pretty young lad, how many years have ye gained?" one of them asked, saucily pinching the bottom of a boy who could not be more than seventeen. "Ah, my lady, I've enough years behind me to give ye all the pleasures ye can stand!" he replied, striking a coquettish pose. The moonlight on his face revealed the difficult life he lived, and Dana shook her head sadly at the fate which befell some young men. Thank the Goddess the Scully family money and good name would assure Douglas was never faced with such a horrible situation. "And how many of us do ye reckon ye can pleasure?" tittered another of the pirates, crowding up behind the boy and rubbing herself suggestively against his backside. Her hands came around his waist to cup his manhood and she grinned widely. "I daresay there's enough of ye there to go around!" "Aye, my fine lady," he assured her laughingly. "Bring on yer friends and I'll give 'em all their money's worth and more!" Another of the pirates, taller and stronger than the two who were teasing the boy, drew near, leading another prostitute by his erect rod, which she'd freed from his breeches. Sizing up the younger boy's firm buttocks, encased in trousers so tight he could surely scarcely breathe, she ran her eyes appreciatively over his naked chest. Reaching down to suddenly twist open the button that held his trousers closed, she gave a loud guffaw. "By all the Roman gods!" she exclaimed. "I believe this one has the longest rod I've seen in quite some time, and this one here behind me has the thickest. I think I should like to sample them both!" So saying, she picked up the boy and tossed him over her shoulder, still leading the older one by his manhood. "Now, where be yer crib, my boys?" "Just across the way, my lady," the boy over her shoulder giggled. "Joe, my room is the largest. Let's us all go there." Joe, quickly following the pirate who had his rod in an iron grasp, simply nodded agreement, and soon all five disappeared into one of the rooms. The sound of raucous laughter could be heard from the window, but as far as the Scully women could tell, the entire situation was consensual on all parts. While they had watched the unsavory scene, the woman left behind approached a man standing alone on a street corner. The two held a quiet conversation, and soon disappeared into another of the rooms. Dana sighed. "False alarm," she said. "Unless /*they*/ were the diversion!" Maggie said, suddenly fearful they'd been tricked. They moved quickly, but still unobtrusively, back inside, and heaved a collective sigh of relief when they found the rest of the pirates still arguing over games or drinking themselves silly. After several more hours of watching, during which time all the women who had gone off with the prostitutes eventually returned, the pirates gathered their winnings and their drunken sisters and left en masse. Following quietly, the Scully women were able to see that they made their way, to a woman, toward the harbor. "They aren't going toward Scully Manor at all!" whispered Rebecca. "Do you suppose they had a change of heart?" "No," Melissa said in a hard voice. "I suppose that you have lied to us, for what reasons I do not yet know." Ignoring Rebecca's gasp and protested innocence, she drew her dagger and held it threateningly. Glancing around, Rebecca could see that Lady Dana and Lady Maggie had done the same. "You will return with us to Scully Manor," Dana ordered. "If we find our men safe and our home not under attack, we shall consider believing you are not the vile snake that any Fowley servant should be regarded." "And if they have met with danger..." Maggie let her voice trail off, but the glitter of the knives in the moonlight left Rebecca with little doubt as to what her fate would be if the Scully men were not safe and sound, tucked in their beds. Putting up no fight, she turned and allowed them to escort her to the Scully home. * * * * * * * * * * "Walter, come quickly. I need your assistance." Walter looked up from the novel he was reading, setting it quietly aside and waiting while his son-in-law entered the salon. He had grown tired of watching Jake sleep, and as the younger man appeared to be improving from the administration of Maggie's potion, had taken himself off to the salon for some much-desired privacy. "Jake has quite suddenly taken a turn for the worse," Fox reported, his face white with concern for his cousin. "I must reach Lady Melissa and Dana at once." "Can you not send a servant for them?" Walter asked, rising and following Fox at once toward the Green Chamber. "I had Fiona ride to the tavern to retrieve them, but she was unable to locate them there. They must have moved on. All the other servants are occupied in guarding the estate." They entered Jake's bed chamber and Walter at once went to the ill man's side. Jake lay tangled in the sheets, tossing his head from side to side, deep in the throes of fever. His brow was coated in sweat and his face contorted with pain. While Fox gently disentangled him and straightened the sheets over his cousin, Walter wet a cloth and bathed Jake's face and hands. "Did you administer all of Lady Maggie's potion?" Fox nodded, indicating the empty decanter. "We must have medical assistance," Walter said grimly. "There is nothing we can do for him with our limited knowledge." "I will summon Fiona again. She must scour Azure to locate Dana!" Fox hurried to the kitchen where the servant was busy warming her hands before the fire. "Fiona, you simply must find the ladies," he ordered. "My cousin is much worse." "My lord, Lady Dana has forbidden any of us to leave the grounds. I directly disobeyed her order to journey to the tavern, although I would no doubt have earned myself a severe punishment had I discovered her there. It will do your cousin no good if you gentlemen are left unprotected whilst I trek across Azure, should danger arrive in my absence." "There are other servants who can protect us," he insisted. "My cousin will die without a doctor!" "All the servants are scattered about the Scully lands, hoping to keep away that damnable pirate and her crew. No doubt we are outnumbered, but by our cunning we may still repel them, should they venture an attack." Fox gaped. "Pirates! So there truly are pirates in the harbor?" Fiona instantly clapped her hands over her mouth. Roberta entered the kitchen at that moment, her face marked with a grave scowl. "My lady did not wish the men to know of the pirates, you wretched girl!" she scolded. "Now you've frightened Lord Fox." "I am sorry, my lord, Roberta, I simply forgot that it was not to be spoken of. My lady will be so angry with me!" "Indeed she will!" "Roberta, please tell me of these pirates!" Fox pleaded anxiously. "I'm not frightened, only worried for my cousin. My lady would tell me only that there was danger about. I wish to know the nature of the danger." Roberta considered for a moment, then shook her head in resignation. "I suppose since Fiona let the cat out of the bag, you'd best know the whole story," she allowed. "The pirate captain is an enemy of Lady Melissa, and she's been lurking around Azure in order to get her hands on the Scully men. She wants Lord Jake, I'm certain, but I've no doubt she'd settle for any of you." Fox's already pale face whitened further. "I will never allow her to reach Jake!" he whispered hoarsely. "And Douglas, above all, must be protected. It is imperative that I locate Lady Dana!" "Lord Fox, you're not to leave this house." Roberta commanded. "I'll not face my lady when she returns, only to tell her you managed to slip out and get yourself captured by pirates!" "But I--" "No more discussion." Roberta held up her hand sternly. "My lady would wish me to take charge in her absence. You go upstairs to your chamber and wait. I will do what I can toward locating a healer for your cousin." "Roberta--" "Go now, my lord, else I shall put your pretty head back in the stocks to keep you in place. My lady would expect no less of me." Knowing she was right, and heaving a long sigh, Fox made for the stairs dejectedly. He turned toward the West Wing, rather than the East, and when Roberta made a noise from the bottom of the stairs, replied, "I must see to Jake, Roberta. I promise you, I shall remain in his chamber." "Very well, Lord Fox, see that you do." Fox, who had no intention of honoring such a promise, ducked into Jake's chamber and sought out Walter. He quickly explained the situation to his father-in-law, and saw Walter's face darken. "Fox, you are not going out alone to seek a healer." "I must. Please, do not attempt to stop me. I cannot simply allow Jake to die because I was too cowardly to face danger!" He managed to hide the catch in his voice, but Walter studied him carefully nonetheless. "Can you not send Aja?" "Aja has been ordered to remain here by my lady. As devoted as he is to me, he would not dare disobey her, nor would I ask it of him. Dana would certainly banish him back to the servants quarters, and I shudder to think what would become of him there. I took Aja into my service to protect him from that fate." After a minute of thought, the older man replied, "Very well, but I shall go with you. Fetch Aja and have him sit with Jake." "Walter, you mustn't--" "Do as I say, Fox, or I shall restrain you." The words, spoken calmly and firmly, had the desired effect, although Fox muttered beneath his breath words to the effect that everyone seemed determined to lock him up tonight. Walter ignored his grumbling, and within five minutes Aja was sitting at Jake's side. Moments later, Fox and Walter were climbing carefully down the tree which stood conveniently outside Walter's chamber window. "Lady Maggie will surely have this tree removed now," Walter observed in a whisper as they reached the ground. "I do not care, she may have any number of trees removed, if only Jake is saved," Fox replied desperately, already making his way through the darkness toward the village. "We'd best stay off the road." They managed to slip by the servants guarding the estate without making a sound, and as soon as they were past the boundaries of Scully lands, Fox broke into a run. "We must hurry!" he panted, doing his best to avoid tripping over the small branches and stones which lay in his path. "Every second is precious!" "Slow a bit," Walter commanded. "You shall do your cousin no good if you break your leg--or your neck." Fox reluctantly obeyed, realizing the wisdom of Walter's words, and twenty minutes later they were in sight of the first lights of the village. The tavern lay in the center of town, illuminated with many glowing lanterns, and here and there, lights from other windows sparkled in the darkness. "We should try the tavern first," Fox commented. "Perhaps Fiona missed them. If they were there and have continued on, Richard, the tavern-keeper's husband, may know where they are to be found." He was so intent upon his goal that he did not see the shapes moving out of the trees until he and Walter were completely surrounded. When Fox realized what had happened, he tried to run through the ring of raggedly dressed women, but the largest of them captured his arms in her massive hands and held him still. "Well, of all the luck! We go searching for a treasure, and lo and behold, the treasure finds us," she commented, and the other women laughed. Walter, who had been similarly detained by two more of the pirates, struggled against their grasp. "Please, release us," he begged. "We must seek a doctor for Lord Scully's cousin--he is quite ill." "What care we if Fox Scully is ill?" the woman who held Fox asked contemptuously. "It is this one we wanted. Our captain will be quite pleased we've managed to capture you, Lord Jake." Fox, quickly discerning the situation, begged, "I will go with you, I promise you, if you will only release Lord Walter. He can fetch a healer for my cousin Fox. Please, I beg of you, my lady. My cousin will die!" "The world will be rid of another wretched Scully man," she replied, shaking him so hard his teeth rattled. "And your friend here comes with us as well. Bring them," she commanded, and moments later, Fox found himself wrestled to the ground, bound, gagged and blindfolded. He was hoisted over the large woman's shoulder and felt himself grow nauseous as his stomach bounced against her while she walked. He could not see, but he assumed Walter was in the same predicament, and prayed to the Goddess that the elder Lord Scully would not reveal his true identity. He felt certain he could endure whatever these women intended until Dana came to rescue him, but if they were to find Jake, his cousin would surely die from such treatment. ----- He could not guess how long they had traveled, but after a time, Fox detected the odors of the ocean and knew they were near the waterfront. The smell of salt mingled with the stench of rotting fish, serving to increase his nausea. He swallowed the bile that tried to escape and forced himself to think. There must be some way out of this predicament! If only he had not been so quick to leave the grounds, he thought guiltily, he and Walter would not now be on their way to the ship of a band of ruthless pirates. On the other hand, had he remained at home, Jake might very well have been abducted as well, along with Douglas. He had no doubt Dana would manage to save them, and he could already feel his bottom tingle in anticipation of the whipping she was certain to deliver upon their return home. No doubt Elizabeth would be quite satisfied with the punishment her mother would mete out to him. He gave an experimental wriggle and felt a heavy hand come down across his buttocks. "Be still," commanded the large woman gruffly, and Fox obeyed. It wouldn't do to anger her at this point, when he was both blind and helpless. Once they reached their destination, perhaps he would be untied and could then search for an opportunity to escape. ----- Soon, Fox heard his captors' feet splashing through shallow water, and moments later he was deposited, none-too-gently, in the bottom of a small vessel. The pirates quickly boarded the boat and soon it was gliding silently through the dark harbor, drawing nearer and nearer the pirate ship. Occasionally, Fox heard a peal of ribald laughter from the shore, and wished desperately that he was able to call for help, but the gag in his mouth stifled all but his occasional quiet moans. The rippling sound of the water against the sides of the boat, and the gentle swaying from side to side, did nothing to relieve his nausea--indeed, he felt it growing worse by the minute. He wondered if Walter was on the same boat, or if the women who'd captured Lord Scully the Elder had made off somewhere else to enjoy their prize. He shivered slightly at the realization that, even should their ladies guess what had become of them, the pirates might set sail immediately, thereby making it extremely difficult for Dana to locate him. Of course, since there was no doubt she would slowly torture him to death for exposing himself into such a situation, he was not certain which end sounded more preferable at the moment. He had almost decided a life at sea as the slave of a pirate captain might be more welcome than the certain death that would await him when Dana got him back to Scully manor when the boat bumped sharply. He heard one of the women call, "Lower the ladder!" A few minutes later, a rope was looped about his waist, tied carefully into a makeshift harness, and he felt himself being raised up the side of the ship. He bumped against its rough surface once or twice, and reflected grimly that the bruises he was certain to gain from this treatment might well be the least of his injuries. When he was within reach of the pirates waiting on deck, Fox was hauled over the side and dumped unceremoniously on his belly. His ill feeling increased until he was certain he was going to vomit behind the gag, choking himself to death. Just as he knew he could not repress the urge one second longer, the gag was ripped from his mouth. Fox weakly retched up the remains of his supper on the deck while the pirates watched unsympathetically. "'e mucked up me clean deck!" one of them groused. "I oughter make 'im swab it hisself." "Mitzi, the lad ain't in no condition to be swabbin' decks," another woman contradicted. "I'll take care of it." Almost immediately, Fox was drenched with a bucket of icy cold seawater. He jerked at his hands, wanting to rub the water off his face, but they were still tied securely behind his back. Still blindfolded, he struggled to his knees. "I assure you, my lady, I had no intention of 'mucking up' your deck," he retorted. "Had I not been treated so roughly by your associates, I should not have been ill. I am Lord Jake Scully. My wife is the Queen's Commanding General. I suggest you release us at once, or it shall not go well for you." He was answered by resounding laughter, ceasing only when Captain Sherrill herself appeared on the scene. "Untie him," she instructed, "and remove his blindfold. I wish Jake Scully to know who has abducted him, and why." The blindfold was ripped from his face, and Fox tried to get his bearings, staring about the moonlit deck quickly. The captain stood before him arrogantly, surrounded by approximately twenty pirates, rough, seedy-looking women who frightened Fox with the very expressions they wore upon their hardened faces. Attempting bravery, he faced the woman who was obviously their captain. She towered above the other women, easily matching him in height. Her broad shoulders and muscular arms told him she would probably surpass him in strength as well. Her face was hard, weathered, and though her eyes were a soft shade of brown, there was only cruelty in them now. "May I ask who you are, my lady, and what you wish with Lord Walter and me?" he inquired politely. She laughed. "'Tis no lady I be, my fine prize," she sneered, "and as for this one..." She jerked her head toward Walter, still bound, gagged and blindfolded, "'he's nothing but a bonus. You are the man I sought, and now, here you are before me, my prisoner." "My lady wife will surely put you to a slow and horrible death," Fox replied calmly. "She must overtake me first," Captain Sherrill answered. "As we leave immediately for the East Indies, I sincerely doubt that possible. Besides, I don't think that strutting pea-hen will threaten me, not while I have you in my power. And so pretty you are," she commented, stepping forward and stroking a fingertip seductively down his face, tracing his jawline until her finger dropped into his open shirt and pinched a nipple. Fox bit his lips firmly together in order to avoid crying out in pain and embarrassment, but Walter had heard quite enough. He jerked against the women who held him upright, yelling curses behind the gag. "Untie that one," Captain Sherrill ordered carelessly, her eyes still on her prize. "Captain, what'll ye do with them?" inquired one crew member, her eyes raking lustfully up and down Walter's body after his bonds had been removed. "Might yer crew have a bit of a nibble?" Captain Sherrill smiled. "Jake Scully is for me alone. I have an outstanding debt to settle with his wife, and for that reason, none but I shall touch him. This one," she indicated Walter carelessly, "simply had the misfortune to be in the wrong location at the wrong time. However, I have no particular love for the Scully women, nor their men. The crew may do with him as they please." With a joyous shout, the women surrounded Walter at once, dragging him to a nearby mast and tying him securely to it. His shirt was askew, but as yet his breeches remained safely about his waist. His look of desperation spurred Fox on to action. "My Captain, I fear I must confess a horribly shameful secret before you proceed." Captain Sherrill looked Fox up and down suspiciously. "What secret is this of which you speak?" Fox cast his eyes downward demurely, and his voice grew conspiratorially quiet. "It is a...a pox, my lady. Suffered by all the Scully men. A pox of the...manly parts." He flushed delicately, and for the first time ever, was grateful at how easily he became embarrassed. Simply speaking of such matters to this woman was enough to bring him to agonizing heights of shame. She took a lamp from a crew member and held it toward him as if to discern his truthfulness. He saw with relief that she had taken note of his discomfiture. Captain Sherrill looked from Fox to Walter and back again, while the crew watched and waited. "A pox, you say? What type of pox?" "A terribly contagious one, my lady. Our wives...will not bed us." His voice almost disappeared with the shamefulness of the confession. "You expect me to believe your ladies never partake of these luscious bodies?" she laughed. "Please, Jake, credit me with some intelligence." The noise of the women had disappeared as all grew interested in the terrible secret Fox was revealing, and Walter seized the opportunity to assist in saving them. "I'm afraid it is true, my Captain," he broke in. "Do you not realize, this is the reason neither of us have children?" She bit her lip speculatively. "And yet Lord Fox has children. Obviously Lady Dana has bedded him." "But his children are six years old, and he has no others," Walter reminded her. "The pox came upon him later than the rest of us, but I assure you, my Captain, he carries it as well." She digested the information, raking her eyes over both of the beautiful men at her disposal. Fox prayed she would not realize how improbable it was that all the men who /*married*/ into the Scully family carried the same disease, but apparently the inferiority and weakness of males in her mind outweighed her vaunted intelligence. "Very well then," she allowed at last. "If I may not bed you, I will take my enjoyment in other ways." She turned to her watchful crew. "Ladies! Remove this one's clothing, then take him to my cabin and secure him at once. The other is still for your entertainment--you may fondle and punish him as you wish, but you shall not bed him. I'll not have my crew infected with some vile pox." At that, Captain Sherrill turned on her heel and strode away. As the two men were separated, their eyes met in identical expressions of fear--Fox may have saved them from rape with his quick wits, but for how long could they maintain the deception? Sooner or later, the Captain was bound to realize the fallacy of their claims, and at that time there would surely be vengeance extracted. And what horrors would they suffer in between time? Fox closed his eyes in humiliation as his clothing was stripped from his body, the women ripping it to useless shreds in their haste. They ran their hands lasciviously over his naked flesh, and he stood rigid, refusing to give them the satisfaction of pleading for their mercy. They did not seem to mind. One of them reached for his manhood and he gave an involuntary gasp, but another woman slapped her crew-mate's hand away. "Ye'd best not touch the goods, Maida," the woman warned. "The Captain is quite determined to have this one to 'erself." "Aw, I weren't gonna do nothin' to him," Maida protested. "I just wanted to see what that fine rod looks like when it's standing up straight and tall." "If I know our Captain, ye'll get yer chance to see it," laughed another of the women. "No doubt she'll want to parade this pretty one about on deck." He said nothing as they led him to the Captain's cabin, gritting his teeth as their roaming hands caressed him eagerly. Inwardly, he vowed to trust his lady--surely Dana would find them before serious harm befell them. She simply must. Once they reached their destination, he was pushed roughly, face first against the cabin's wall. His wrists were fastened above his head with the manacles that hung there. A steel band was fitted around his waist and firmly attached to a pair of hooks on the wall, and he was helpless. He wondered how many other luckless men had suffered this fate; the Captain's cabin seemed to double as a veritable torture chamber. "Mayhap the Captain will tire of him quickly, and give him over to her faithful crew," one of them mused, running her hands slowly down his back and cupping his shapely bottom before withdrawing. "Not bloody likely!" the sailor called Maida retorted. "But we've still the other one at our disposal. Let's get back up topside, before he's all worn out." Their crude laughter echoed in his ears as they slammed the door and left him alone, with nothing but the single candle for solace. He closed his eyes and prayed for Walter's safety. ----- "What the devil do you mean, they're missing?" demanded Dana angrily, her eyes flashing blue fire. She glared at Rebecca, who appeared white-faced and terrified. Roberta had greeted them, wringing her hands in a most un-Roberta-like manner, to inform them that both Lord Fox and Lord Walter were missing. "My lady, I swear to ye, I knew nothin' of their plans!" Roberta babbled anxiously. "I'm thinkin' they climbed out the winder in yer chamber, Lady Maggie." Roberta, who prided herself on having finer speech than any other servant on the estate, had slipped back into the gutter-talk with which she'd been raised. "Climbed out the window?" Dana echoed, puzzled. "Do you mean to tell me the pirates have made no appearance, Roberta?" "Nay, my lady, ain't nobody been here tonight! Been quiet as a mouse, it has!" "I shall have that tree cut down immediately," Maggie commented grimly. "Better yet, I shall hang both of them from it by their manly parts, until they have learned not to disobey direct orders." Her voice rose steadily until she was thundering her anger to the rafters. Melissa, ever the level-headed Scully, put a staying hand upon her mother's arm. "Roberta, why did they leave?" she inquired. "Have you any idea where they might have gone?" "Oh, aye, my lady!" Roberta answered immediately. "It was Lord Jake wot took ill with the fever again, and Lord Fox was itchin' for a doctor. I told him to wait for his lady, but the foul wretch snuck out instead!" Melissa was gone before Roberta finished her sentence, up the stairs like a shot toward her chamber. Dimly she heard her sister telling Roberta not to call Lord Fox names, even if he /*was*/ a foul wretch that deserved to be whipped. "Jake!" She flung open the door of the chamber, coming face to face with her husband who, in spite of being confined to his bed, was attempting to make his way to the chamber pot. Aja sat beside his bed, slumped into a large chair, fast asleep. "Hush," he whispered, nodding toward Aja. The nod nearly threw him off balance, and he clutched at the counterpane to steady himself. "I shall beat you until you are black and blue!" Melissa hissed, running to his assistance, yet automatically lowering her voice. "What are you thinking, getting out of bed?" "I must relieve myself, Melissa," he explained patiently. "Bodily functions do not cease with illness." "Why did you not wake Aja?" Jake's face softened. "He has assisted me enough this evening," he told her, glancing sympathetically toward the sleeping youth. "I have vomited much bile, both from the pregnancy and from Lady Maggie's vile potion, and Aja has taken care of me. Indeed, he has changed the sheets three times already. I tried to call for Fox, but my cousin must be a very sound sleeper." "Your cousin is a reckless idiot who, when located by his adoring wife, will no doubt regret his rash actions of tonight," she answered, supporting Jake as he relieved himself. When she had him tucked safely back into bed, the covers piled thickly atop his shivering body, Jake raised a curious eyebrow at her. He wanted to ask questions, but seeing the storm clouds on her face, did not quite dare. "Do you mean to imply you did not know of his foolish plan?" she asked, her arms crossed threateningly over her chest, when she saw his puzzled expression. Jake sighed. "My lady, I have been quite out of my head this evening. It is only in the last two hours I have regained my senses, and at that time I was severely ill. I assure you, I have no knowledge of any plan, foolish or otherwise. What has my impulsive cousin done now?" "He and Walter have disappeared, possibly captured by that foul pirate and her crew! I only hope we are able to locate them before..." She said nothing more, but lay a hand aside his face gently. "Remain abed," she instructed. "And if you need assistance, wake Aja. He can sleep on the morrow. I must go and help Mother and Dana locate their wayward men. If you make any attempt to follow us, I shall kill you very slowly, my dear." "Please, Melissa, find my cousin," Jake said hoarsely, his eyes wide and frightened at the implications of the situation. "We shall find them both," she promised, dropping a quick kiss on his forehead before taking her leave. ----- "Elizabeth? Douglas?" Dana called, entering the nursery where her children slept. Seeing her daughter sitting atop the heavy chest where their toys were stored, she smiled. "Where is your brother, darling?" "I'm here, Mother," piped a muffled voice from inside the chest. Dana frowned. "Elizabeth, have you locked Douglas in the chest?" "No, Mother, he is under the bed." She raised the edge of the coverlet, revealing her brother's dusty face. "Elizabeth has been protecting me," Douglas reported brightly. "She said she wouldn't let the bad pirates get me." Dana sighed. A secret certainly spread quickly in the Scully family. "Your intentions are admirable, Daughter, but I fear your experience as a warrior is still somewhat lacking. Let Douglas come out now." Elizabeth offered Douglas her hand, and he scowled at her, climbing out from under the bed on his own. "I raised the coverlet every few minutes, Mother, so he would have air." "It was fun under there, but Elizabeth has been insufferably bossy, Mother. Please tell her she cannot order me around like one of the field hands." Elizabeth turned to him, hands on her hips and her face dark. "You are a boy, Douglas," she retorted. "It is my duty to keep you safe from harm." "I'm as strong as you," Douglas returned, flexing his arm muscles, "and twice as fast. I don't need you to protect me!" Dana held up her hand for silence. "I haven't time to mediate a spat right now," she told them. "Grandmother Maggie, Aunt Melissa and I must return to town. I wish you both abed immediately. Sarah will remain outside your chamber to ensure your safety." She kissed them both, tucking them safely into their beds, and extinguished the lamp. "Sleep well, darlings." Upon leaving the nursery, Dana immediately sought out Sarah, ordering her to keep watch over the children. "If there is any trouble, hide them, Sarah. I would not put it past that foul pirate to harm the children." "Aye, my lady, I'll guard them with me life!" Sarah's eyes shone with devotion, and Dana put a hand upon her faithful servant's shoulder. "Let us both hope it does not come to that, Sarah." ----- Walter gritted his teeth as yet another stroke from the pirate's lash fell upon his naked buttocks. He'd been on his hands and knees, scrubbing this damnable deck by moonlight for what seemed like hours, and if he so much as slowed in his efforts, the woman watching him took the opportunity to land several strokes on his unprotected skin. His legs were tied together at both ankle and thigh, preventing him from running for the side of the ship and jumping overboard--an attractive notion in these circumstances--and he was sore all over. His shoulders and arms ached from having been forced into this unaccustomed manual labor, and his knees hurt where they rested against the hard deck. With every stroke from the lash or probing caress from unwelcome hands, Walter cursed his son-in-law, his family name and his masculinity. Absent any of those variables, he should not be in this position. "Tha's a lovely sight," a female voice commented from behind him, but Walter ignored her. So far the pirates had obeyed their captain's orders and had not raped him, but he felt that could change at any given moment. He hoped there was not a large amount of ale on board. "Aye, 'tis a pity we can't take our pleasure of him," replied the woman wielding the lash. "Keep scrubbin', me fine lord." She punctuated her words with another stroke to his back. "Ye believe that story, then, about the pox?" "Nay, I think it to be a clever lie, but Captain Sherrill has ordered us not to take him." "She needn't know everything." The older pirate lay her lash aside for a moment, turning to the young woman who stood gazing hungrily down at Walter's naked body. "Ye be new to this crew," she commented. "Mayhap nobody has told ye how Captain Sherrill disposes of pirates who belay her direct orders." The young woman shook her head, intrigued. "It be nothing you'd like to witness," Walter's watchdog continued grimly. "The last time a crew member chanced to disobey her, the captain ordered her belly sliced open, her wrists tied together at the end of a long rope, and her body thrown overboard. She hung in the water, not deep enough to drown, but deep enough to attract the sharks. It weren't a pretty death. I've no wish to taste Captain Sherrill's anger, and if ye be smart, ye'll stay out of her way as well. Now, begone with ye, slut! Ye have your duties to attend." Walter felt his stomach turn over at the description of the hapless pirate's death, and forced himself to breathe slowly until he was able to contain his nausea. This Captain Sherrill was obviously a cruel, evil woman. She needed Jake--or at least the man she believed to be Jake--but she'd stated herself that Walter had been a bonus. How long before the pirates tired of a man they were unable to bed, no matter how pretty his naked flesh, and sent him to the sharks as well? He risked a glance over his shoulder at the pirate overseeing his task, but her eyes were cold and hard, and she merely swung the lash sharply across his shoulders and told him to get back to work. Walter swallowed hard and obeyed. There would be no help from that quarter, but somehow he must find a way to get himself and Fox off this ship. ----- Fox tensed when the cabin door swung open. He'd been manacled to this wall for hours, and had begun to despair of ever seeing another human being, but now one was approaching, he found himself longing for the solitude. Captain Sherrill put her candle on the table, beside the stump which was all that was left of the one he'd been given earlier. She raked her eyes up and down his lovely form, enjoying the blush that crept up his neck and face, visible even in the dim glow of the candle. "Lovely," she commented, closing the cabin door securely. "My lady--" he began desperately, but was interrupted when she approached him, grasping his chin between her sea-roughened fingers, turning his head to the side and forcing him to look her in the eye. "You seem to be laboring under the misguided notion that I /*am*/ a Lady, Jake," she commented mildly. "I used to be, a long time ago, but I have long since forsaken that life. Now I do what suits me, convention be damned." "The law be damned as well, isn't that right?" he demanded hotly, squirming in an attempt to free himself from her grasp. He was certain he would have bruises on his jaw in the morning. Rather than taking offense at his words, she laughed loudly. "There is no law at sea, Jake," she informed him amusedly. "The only law aboard this ship is my law." She released him at last, allowing her fingers to wander down his back, caressing his bottom roughly before continuing on to cup his manhood, squeezing his tender sac until he winced. "Your life is, quite literally, in my hands now, Jake," she went on, dropping his manly parts and turning away. Fox breathed a sigh of relief that was short-lived; craning his neck, he could see when she opened a small chest and withdrew an instrument that made his stomach flip-flop. It looked like a regular switch, but the tip of it was split into three separate parts, all of which appeared lethal. Captain Sherrill noticed his frightened gaze and smiled. "Do you like it?" she queried, her grin growing feral as she displayed the instrument of torture. "I had it made especially for me. You see how the end is split? Three times the pain. That means I don't have to work as hard." She approached him once more, probing the tip of the switch against the crease in his buttocks, and Fox held his breath in terror. He feared she would strike him in that most sensitive of areas, but instead, she stroked the switch gently across his skin from head to toe, making no move to hurt him. "My lady--I mean Captain--I would that you not use that device on me. My lady wife will be quite furious if you injure me." He tried to speak firmly, to keep the quiver out of his voice, but Captain Sherrill guffawed at his words. Fox flushed again, this time in anger. How he hated not being taken seriously! "Oh, my dear Jake," she gasped, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes. "How amusing you are, beautiful boy. Do you not realize the very reason I brought you here was to lure your wife to my ship? I shall send word to her that you are being tormented, indeed, perhaps I shall tell her I have given you to my crew for their pleasure. That should bring General Scully right into my waiting trap." "T-trap?" "Of course, dear boy. Did you believe I wanted only to make away with your pretty flesh? First I shall dispose of the Scully women, from the oldest to the youngest. After that is finished, I shall bring Lord Fox and his son to the ship. I wager Lord Fox, Lord Walter and Lord Douglas would bring a fine measure of gold in the slave markets to the south. You, my dear, will remain as my cabin slave until such time as I tire of you. There are many healers in France and Italy who practice the art differently than here in England. I have no doubt a cure can be obtained for this pox of yours, and then I shall bed you as often as I like." Fox wanted to kill her with his bare hands when she threatened his son and daughter, but knew he must maintain the deception. Should Captain Sherrill learn that Jake was back at Scully manor, weak with fever, she would storm the estate to gain possession of him. "What kind of trap will you set?" he asked curiously, blinking his wide hazel eyes slowly, consciously summoning what Dana always called his "achingly innocent" expression. Captain Sherrill stood back, swinging the switch through the air a time or two, enjoying his involuntary cringe when it sliced close to his shoulder. "I shall lure her to my ship in the belief that it will be possible to obtain your freedom...for a certain amount of gold coinage. I'm certain Her Ladyship will wish to regain possession of such a lovely husband, even if she is unable to bed him." "In truth, my lady cares nothing for me," Fox lied desperately. "I have been a disappointment to her from the beginning of our marriage. It is only her sense of honor and duty that prevents her annulling me." Captain Sherrill stepped closer to him, raising the switch high above her head. "If that is the case," she answered softly, "why would she be angry at your injuries?" Fox was unable to answer her, because as the switch began to fall again and again, striking every inch of his back, bottom and legs, it was all he could do to breathe in between the screams he was simply unable to suppress. ----- Walter's head jerked up when he heard the first sounds of agony coming from below deck. "Keep at it," instructed the pirate with the lash, whose name he had learned was Elsa. "What is she doing to him?" Walter demanded, turning to look up at Elsa. He was not at all reassured by her wicked grin. "The Captain likes to play with pretty boys," Elsa replied. "No doubt she is showing Lord Jake all the special toys she keeps in her cabin." Walter shuddered, turning away from Elsa and trying hard to block out the sound of the pathetic screams of his son-in-law. He knew Fox had great faith in the Goddess, much greater than his own, but with a sinking feeling he realized all the faith in the world might not save them now. Nevertheless, he did his best to pray silently, the words in his head keeping time with the scrubbing motion of his hand. ----- "My lady, I have an idea," Rebecca said softly, and all eyes turned her way. While it had become clear to the Scully women that she had not lured them to the tavern in order to allow the men to be kidnapped, Rebecca still felt responsible. If only she could prove herself without a doubt to them... "Speak, Rebecca," Melissa ordered gently. "I will take some of the Scully servants to the pirate ship to meet with Captain Sherrill. We shall tell her we are fleeing Lady Dana's employ, because she is cruel. We must find a way to incapacitate the crew, and regain Lord Fox and Lord Walter." "It will never work," Dana argued. "Why would she believe in my supposed cruelty, when the Scully reputation is known far and wide to be benevolent toward servants?" In answer, Rebecca wordlessly pulled her tunic over her head, turning her back on Dana and Melissa. There was a loud gasp from the assembled crowd, for the soft skin of Rebecca's back was marred with scars left by a vicious whip. On top of the older scars were recent marks, still red and raw in places. "Goddess above! Who did this to you?" Dana demanded, and when Rebecca shrugged, she nodded grimly, answering herself. "Lady Fowley, of course. I had known the woman to be cruel to her male servants, but Goddess, to beat a /*woman*/ like that..." "Rebecca, you are very brave. If Captain Sherrill suspects you are lying to her, she will no doubt feed you to the sharks in pieces." Rebecca swallowed hard, but held Melissa's gaze levelly. Melissa thought quickly, then turned to her sister. "Dana, have you any servants with marks of displeasure from previous employers?" she asked. Dana nodded slowly. "I have several," she said thoughtfully. "And the most notable among them is Roberta. Until she came to me, she served a lady in Westchester who beat her regularly. She is also my most skilled servant at gutter fighting, which may be required for this mission." "Agreed. Let us round up those servants who are to be in the party, and give them instructions." "I'll not force them, Melissa. This is dangerous. It could result in a horrible death for them all. I shall give them a choice." Melissa frowned for a moment, then her face softened. "I've no doubt they will all wish to serve you, Dana," she replied. "I must retrieve something from my chamber. I have an idea how we may disable the pirates." ------- Rebecca and her crew were able to row out to the pirate ship without mishap, and she felt a thrill of excitement when a lantern flashed from above and a harsh woman's voice called out, "Who be ye?" She shielded her eyes, and peering up through the blackness, was just able to make out a figure holding the lantern, and several others pointing wicked-looking muskets down at them. "I am Rebecca, a servant of the Lady Dana Scully, from whom we are attempting to escape. We seek shelter and offer our service to your Captain." There was the momentary sound of women whispering amongst themselves, then another voice, more confident, haughty, called down. "My women wish me to give the order for them to kill you," she said imperiously. "Can you give me a reason why I should not do so?" Rebecca stood carefully in the boat. "My Captain, we are all unarmed, and wish only to join you. I beg of you to hear me out." "Speak," Captain Sherrill said after a moment. "The Lady Scully is a cruel mistress," began Rebecca. A chorus of "aye!" and "horrible, she be!" echoed her words from the other servants in the small boat. "Some few of us have managed to escape our quarters this night, and we beg to be taken aboard your crew. We will gladly serve you without compensation, if you will only provide us this means of rescue." "How many of you are there?" "Six of us, Captain." "Very well. You may come aboard. If you are not what you claim to be, I shall allow my crew to dismember you whilst you still live." Ignoring her shiver of fear, Rebecca climbed the rope ladder that was extended to her, and was greeted at the top of it by two hefty pirates and several swords, pistols and muskets. As each of Lady Dana's servants climbed aboard the pirate ship, their hands were secured behind their backs with stout ropes, and they were searched for weapons. When Captain Sherrill had at last satisfied herself that the women were unarmed, she ordered a crew member, "Take them to the brig. Keep them there until I call for them. This one will come with me. Garan, Elsa, bring her to my cabin." The two women holding Rebecca pulled her unceremoniously toward the steps leading to the lower deck as the rest of the servants were marched away. When they entered Captain Sherrill's cabin, Rebecca was shocked to see Lord Fox there, naked and shackled to the wall. He hung limply in his chains, and his back, legs and buttocks were mottled. He bled in places. His eyes opened blearily when they entered the cabin, but as soon as he decided they meant him no immediate harm, he closed them again. "As you see, I have already taken Lord Jake," Captain Sherrill said casually. "Soon I will have the rest of the Scully men, and they will be sold into slavery to bring me easily as much gold as a captured ship." Rebecca was taken aback at first - she was not well acquainted with Jake Scully, but the man hanging wearily in the manacles before her was clearly Lord Fox. She knew him well, by sight if not personally, for Lady Diana never failed to point him out when she chanced to see him in public. As her personal valet, Rebecca had been subjected to the story of how she had nearly gained Fox Scully for her own, but had traded him for Alex, who now graced her bedchamber, his beautiful naked flesh marred with many marks of her ownership. Rebecca had been repulsed by the tale, but dared not voice her displeasure to Lady Fowley. Now, grasping the situation rather quickly, and forcing herself to act the part, she smiled broadly. "I see you have given Lord Scully a bit of training," she remarked to the Captain. "An undisciplined brat, he is, if I may say so, as are all the Scully men." "Indeed, he will not remain undisciplined for long," Captain Sherrill replied. "Garan, ale." When the large pirate plunked a mug of ale down before her, the Captain drank of it deeply, then leaned back in her chair. "So, you are unhappy with the Lady Scully's employ," she observed, her eyes sharply looking Rebecca up and down. Rebecca's face darkened instantly. "Indeed we are. She has a reputation for much kindness to her servants, which is why I signed a contract with her, but her methods are insidious. She requires her servants to sign lifetime contracts, and once she has control, she abuses them viciously. All are threatened with death, should they speak of it to others, so the myth she has created continues, and more hapless servants sign with her. It is impossible to break a lifetime contract, therefore our only option is to escape, and leave England." "That is a lie," came a voice from the wall, and both women stared over at Fox. Apparently he had not been as detached as he had seemed. "Lady Dana is very kind," he insisted. "And if this woman claims to work for her, she is lying. I do not know her." Captain Sherrill raised an eyebrow at Rebecca, who thought quickly. "The reason Lord Jake does not know me is because since he has come to Scully Manor, I have been enduring punishment. If you like, I can provide you with ample evidence." Captain Sherrill nodded, and Rebecca once again removed her tunic. There was no gasp of outrage this time, merely cold scrutiny. "After having beaten me, Lady Scully locked me in a shed on the estate for several days. I was only released this morning. That is why Lord Jake does not know me. I came to work for Lady Dana since his last visit." "She is a liar," Fox said again, more weakly this time but still firmly. "Lord Jake tells me you are a liar." Captain Sherrill stood, and Rebecca swallowed hard at the way the big pirate towered over her. "My Captain, I--" "I will allow you to prove your loyalty to me," Captain Sherrill interrupted. She opened a cupboard, and Rebecca noticed Lord Scully began to tremble all over. The Captain withdrew a long leather strap, thick and vicious, and held it out to her. "Jake is in need of correction for talking out of turn," she said, a wicked smile twisting her features. "If you truly have no love for the Scully family, I am certain you will not mind administering his discipline." Rebecca blanched when she realized what the captain wanted her to do, thankful that in the dim light, her sudden loss of color was likely unnoticeable. "With pleasure, Captain," she said, forcing her voice not to tremble. "How many strokes shall I give him?" "Use your discretion," Captain Sherrill said offhandedly, seating herself again to watch the show. Praying the Goddess would forgive her for this necessary evil, Rebecca stepped forward and prepared herself. She refused to look at Lord Fox, knowing if she did so, she would never be able to finish. The first stroke of the strap woke Fox completely from his state of semi-consciousness, and the scream he emitted nearly broke Rebecca's heart. Having felt the punishing lashes on her own back so recently, she felt as if she were suffering along with him, but knowing their lives depended upon making this look convincing, she gritted her teeth and continued. ----- After indicating that "Jake" had been punished to her satisfaction, Captain Sherrill curtly dismissed Rebecca. "Find yourself some supper, if you are hungry," she offered grudgingly. Rebecca nodded her thanks and left the cabin, ignoring the two women who immediately entered. "So, Cap'n, do we trust them, or may we throw them to the sharks?" asked one of the women, an eager look in her eye. "I am not certain, yet, whether they can be trusted. However, I am not quite ready to give them to you as playthings." Her crew member's face fell, but Captain Sherrill ignored her disappointment. "Take a group of six women ashore, Greta. Remain at the waterfront. Keep an eye on the ship. If you see anything untoward, make immediately for Scully manor. Kill as many of the women as you are able, but bring me the men alive. They are worth much gold in the slave markets." Fox, barely conscious, heard her threat against his family, and felt such a surge of rage that he had difficulty maintaining his control. He must remain calm, he reminded himself firmly. It would do him no good to antagonize her, not while he remained helpless. But Sweet Goddess, he pleaded desperately, I beg of Thee, send us aid! * * * * * * * * * * It was remarkably easy, Rebecca thought smugly, to slip the herb Lady Dana had given her into the stew. Captain Sherrill may have been suspicious of her and her companions, but the cook was simply glad of assistance. Rebecca had pulled the small packet out of the hem of her trousers, where it had been secreted, and when the cook was fussing with something else, dumped the entire contents into the simmering pot of stew. As Dana had promised, the herb had only a very faint aroma, overwhelmed with the scent of cooking meat and vegetables, and in appearance, it could have been any number of herbs which had already been added to the bubbling pot. "Keep a-stirrin' that pot, my girl," instructed the cook in a gruff voice. "I've a need to go up topside for a few minutes." Rebecca nodded demurely, wondering with a sudden pang of fear if the cook had seen her slip the herb into the food, but as it turned out, the woman only wanted to take a piss over the stern of the ship. She returned shortly, and taking over the stewpot from Rebecca, began dishing up bowls of the steaming concoction. Shortly thereafter, members of the crew began arriving, grabbing bowls of stew and large hunks of bread and taking their places at the long tables. They ate quickly, many of them only being allowed a short break from their duties, and the rest wishing to return to the deck immediately, in order to continue their torment of the hapless Walter Scully. Presently, the entire crew had been fed, including Captain Sherrill, who instructed Rebecca to take a bowl of stew for herself and another for Fox and return to her cabin. Rebecca obeyed, coaxing Fox to eat a little of the poisoned mixture in order to avoid suspicion. Her own share she dumped unceremoniously into the Captain's chamber pot, sprinkling fresh lime atop it to hide the odor. Then she sat down to wait. It wasn't long before the effects of the herb began to make itself known. Rebecca could hear the cries of violently ill women all over the ship, and moments later, Captain Sherrill appeared in the cabin doorway, clutching at her stomach. "You!" she screeched, reaching for Rebecca with one trembling hand. "You've poisoned us!" "Aye," Rebecca agreed grimly, quickly tying the helpless woman to her bunk. "And if I had my way, I'd have murdered you all." As soon as the captain was secure, Rebecca ran up the steps to the main deck and, using a discarded scrap of clothing from one of the men, raised the white flag which was to be the signal to Melissa that all was well aboard the ship. Then she went back down to release Lord Fox. "All is well, my lord," she told him gently, helping him to a chair and giving him a dipper full of cool water. "I have raised the white flag of surrender, and soon Lady Melissa and her troops will arrive." "Nay!" he cried weakly. "You must not, for she has sent a crew ashore to keep watch. If they see a sign of distress from the ship, they shall attack Scully Manor at once! Dana, my children..." "Dear Goddess!" breathed Rebecca. Racing upstairs again, she lowered the scrap of shirt, praying the pirates ashore had not yet spotted it. Confused, uncertain what she should do next, Rebecca thought quickly. At last deciding, she grabbed a pistol from a nearby suffering pirate and began herding the crew into the hold. * * * * * * * * * * As soon as the white flag appeared, Melissa, Dana and their assistants had begun rowing for the ship. Maggie, being less of a warrior than her two daughters, had remained behind at Scully Manor to keep an eye on Jake and the children. They had covered less than half the distance to the pirate vessel when the white flag was once again lowered, and Dana and Melissa stared at one another in confusion. "Do you suppose our plan is found out?" asked Dana grimly, holding her battle sword with firm hands. "I fear 'tis so," Melissa replied, "but we've no choice but to push onward. Fox and Walter are still aboard that ship, as are Rebecca and six of your loyal servants." She clasped Dana's hand tightly for a few seconds. "Courage, Sister." "Indeed," Dana agreed. "A Scully woman goes down fighting." That decided, they continued rowing nearer the ship until at last they reached its wooden side. "Ahoy!" called Melissa boldly. "I am Lady Melissa Scully, Commanding General of the Queen's Army, and in the name of Her Majesty, I order you to surrender this vessel!" A few seconds later, a white face holding a lantern peered over the ship's rail. "Oh, my lady, it /*is*/ you!" Relieved, Rebecca lowered the rope ladder, and Melissa and Dana climbed aboard. "Rebecca, what has happened?" Melissa demanded at once. "We saw the white flag raised, then lowered, and feared you had been overpowered." "Nay, my lady, all is well here, but Lord Fox tells me the captain sent a crew ashore earlier this evening. They were to attack Scully Manor if there was any sign all was not right aboard ship. I fear they may have seen the flag I raised, and made for the Manor already!" "Where is the pirate crew?" asked Dana, staring around at the empty deck. "Locked in the hold," Rebecca said proudly. "Your herb worked as if like magic, Lady Dana!" Dana smiled. "Never chide me about my unusual herbs again, Sister," she teased. "Rebecca, where are Lord Fox and Lord Walter? Are they well?" "Aye, they are alive," Rebecca told them soberly, "but I am afraid Lord Fox has been very badly treated." "Were they..." Dana was unable to bring herself to say the awful word, but stared in surprise when Rebecca chuckled. "According to Lord Walter, Lord Fox saved them from rape by inventing a tale of a pox," she replied. "I have not yet had time to get the entire story from him, but it should prove interesting. Now, if you will come with me, Lady Dana, I believe your husband requires your attention at once." "Rebecca, you stay here and tend the men and the Scully servants. This is an antidote to the illness they are suffering." So saying, Dana pressed another small paper packet into Rebecca's hand. "Mix it with some water and have them swallow it." "I shall go back ashore and quell any disturbance I might find at Scully Manor," Melissa called. Dana nodded, already on her way to Fox. * * * * * * * * * * Lady Maggie stopped in her constant pacing of the lower floor of Scully Manor. Certain she had heard an unusual noise, she checked once more to make sure the front door was secure. All at once, the large window beside it shattered, and pirates were pouring into the house. Maggie managed to injure one of them, but they outnumbered her. One of them landed a blow to her head with the broad side of a sword, and knocked her unconscious. Her last thought before she slipped into the blackness was a prayer that Walter and Fox would return home safely. Other servants came running at the sound of breaking glass, and while they engaged in combat with several of the pirates, two of them managed to slip upstairs. "You go right, I'll go left," one of them ordered, making for the West Wing. She crept stealthily down the corridor until, finding a chamber door ajar, she pushed it open and grinned at the sight with which she was confronted. A man, so like Lord Fox Scully that he must be his twin, lay abed, obviously quite ill, and beside him, clutching a large sword in shaking hands, a young boy stood bravely defending his master. "Now, now, ain't ye a pretty one?" she cooed, her eyes raking up and down Aja's slender form. "Mayhap I'll take ye back to the ship with me. I could use a sweet young man to warm my bunk." "Stay away from us!" Aja insisted, tightening his grip, but the pirate only laughed louder. "There now, don't be unfriendly-like," she coaxed, her dark eyes glittering cruelly. "I'll not hurt ye...much...if ye behave." "Leave us alone!" The woman ignored his cries, striding toward him purposefully, and Aja, terrified, dropped the sword and backed away. She continued cornering him until at last he tripped, losing his balance on the rug. Aja cowered on the floor as the pirate loomed over him until Jake, who had slipped out of bed unnoticed, jerked at the rug beneath her feet. She went down, landing on top of poor Aja, and there was a loud blast as her pistol discharged. Thinking quickly, Jake snatched up the sword and, as soon as she rolled off Aja, sliced her head from her body. Closing his eyes for a moment against the grisly site, he dropped down next to Aja. Blood was pouring from the boy's thigh, and Jake ripped off his nightshirt, doing his best to staunch the flow. "Help!" he yelled, hoping there was someone still alive to assist them. "Help us!" * * * * * * * * * * The pirate assigned to the East Wing entered the long corridor and was immediately confronted by Sarah, determined to protect the children with her life, if need be. They were both armed with daggers, and for a few minutes their combat was equally matched. Soon, the children emerged from the nursery, and the pirate swore as they began pelting her with their toys. "I'll cut off yer head, ye little guttersnipe!" she bellowed when Elizabeth bounced a wooden block off her head. At that particular moment, a shot rang out from the East Wing, and everyone froze for a moment. "Leave Sarah alone!" commanded Elizabeth, mustering all the six-year-old authority of which she was capable, but the women ignored her, continuing their battle. Things drew rapidly to a close when Douglas, inspired, emptied an entire bag of marbles on the floor beneath their feet. Both women slipped and fell, but Sarah immediately grasped the advantage, and soon had the pirate at her mercy, the dagger at her throat. Elizabeth brought her the supplies she requested, and before long the pirate was trussed up, completely helpless. "Hooray! Hooray!" the children shouted, jumping up and down in joy, but Sarah shushed them. "There may be more of the evil creatures downstairs," she warned them. "I wish you to go back to the nursery at once, and remain there until someone comes to get you." Sobered, Elizabeth took her brother by the hand and they obeyed. Sarah ran to the East Wing, taking in the situation at once. "Go into the next chamber, Lord Jake, and get into bed," she ordered. "You're practically dead on your feet. I'll see to Aja." "Melissa?" Jake managed weakly, balancing himself against the wall. "Where's Melissa?" "We haven't received word as yet," she replied grimly. Sarah bundled Aja into her arms and lifted him onto the bed, noting his pale skin and shallow breathing. Rooting through Lady Dana's medical bag, she extracted some bandages which she used to bind his wound, but it was clear if Aja did not have a healer soon, he would die. "Go, my lord!" she said to Jake, still standing behind her. "I must find my wife," he told her stubbornly. "My lord, you are too ill--" Before Sarah could complete her sentence, Jake had left the room. Shaking her head, certain he would not get far, she turned her attention back to the injured boy in the bed. * * * * * * * * * * Jake gripped the banister tightly, forcing himself to put one foot ahead of the other in continuous, if painfully slow progress. He had to stop and rest three times before he was able to reach the bottom of the stairs, but at last the goal was his. Taking several deep breaths, ignoring the dizziness which seemed only to increase with each passing moment, he took a step toward the front entrance. His eyes fell on Lady Maggie, lying still and white upon the floor, and he gasped. At precisely that moment, the door flew open to admit Melissa and the servants who had accompanied her. "Mother!" Melissa cried, running to Lady Maggie and feeling for evidence of a heartbeat. "She is alive!" she told the women, gathering Maggie into her strong arms and moving her to a nearby sofa. She had not even noticed her husband until one of the servants called her attention to the stairs. Looking up, Melissa spotted Jake's frail form, wide-eyed and ghostly. "Goddess above! Jake Scully!" "Melissa," he whispered, holding out his arms to her before falling into a dead faint. * * * * * * * * * * Three Weeks Later Scully Manor Early Monday morning "It's very clever you are, my husband," Dana said drowsily, pulling Fox into her arms. They'd been awake far too late the night before, making love, and both were pleasantly exhausted. "The very idea of a pox--" She shook with silent laughter. "I was desperate, my lady," he replied, his finger circling her nipple lazily. "I couldn't bear the thought of anyone else touching me. It was simply the first thing that came to mind." "I am quite relieved that it did, my sweeting. The thought of you at the mercy of ruthless pirates still causes shivers in me." "I'm very sorry, my lady, that I left the manor against your orders that night, even if I did think it was the right thing to do" Fox told her soberly, for as yet he had not been punished for his actions, and he wondered when the proverbial axe was to fall. "I'm certain you are, sweeting," she murmured, pushing him onto his back and beginning to plant soft kisses on his face as she straddled him. "Let us not speak of it further just now. I've much nicer things I would rather discuss with you." "And what might those things be?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Perhaps I should bring my lady her breakfast in bed?" He made as if to rise, and found himself immediately pinned to the bed. "Perhaps later," she said firmly, one hand tracing the curve of his jawline tenderly. "First, I have need of making you scream with pleasure." "Indeed," he whispered, surrendering to her touch, "that does sound more pleasant than porridge and ham." Dana's kisses feathered across his lips until at last he could stand the torment no longer. Sliding his hands through her hair, Fox held her still while he ravaged her mouth, enjoying the small moans of ecstasy she emitted. At last releasing her, he whispered, "Should you like me to be atop you, my lady?" before taking one pink nipple between his lips and tweaking it lightly. "Not--not this time, Fox," she gasped, grinding herself against his hardness almost subconsciously. "What I wish is to have you inside me, /*now*/." He complied with her demand at once, slipping his shaft into the warmth of her womanhood, yelling his pleasure to the ceiling as she sheathed him tightly and began to slowly ride him. "I shall make you beg me for your release," she murmured, regaining control of the situation at once, plundering his mouth. "Mmm," he moaned against her in protest, but she ignored him, continuing to set a maddeningly slow pace, reveling in the way he thrashed desperately beneath her. "Yes, sweeting, come with me," she whispered into his ear at last, feeling his tension mount, and moments later he exploded into her, taking her with him into that beautiful abyss. Scully Manor Monday Luncheon "So, Mother, Sister, I fear we must away to London soon. Jake is full recovered from the fever, and Her Majesty needs me at my post." "You will be careful, Melissa, not to endanger the babe." Maggie spoke softly, but her concern for her grandchild was evident. "Yes, Mother, I will take every precaution. Jake, bless his soul, has been quite ill. I declare, the poor man had scarce recovered from the fever before the sickness of our babe hit him full force." She smiled indulgently at her husband who, his complexion slightly green, sipped unwillingly at a bowl of broth. "I believe it to be a good sign," Dana interjected, helping herself to more of the roast lamb. "The more ill a husband is during pregnancy, the healthier the babe is likely to be. Fox was terribly unwell whilst I carried the twins, and look at them now!" "My niece and nephew are beautiful specimens," Melissa praised, raising her cup of wine in toast. "To the Scully family. Long may the name live on!" "And to your babe, Melissa," Dana added. "May she be as courageous and strong as her mother." "Mayhap it will be a boy," Jake muttered testily. "Nonsense, Jake," declared Maggie. "You know my feelings upon the matter. Walter, why are you so quiet, my dear? Is your impending punishment of such concern to you?" Walter gave a nervous glance around the table, then smiled weakly. "No, indeed, my lady, it is merely the delicious meal which holds my attention," he lied. "Well done, Fox." "Thank you, Walter. Um...Lady Maggie?" "Yes, dear?" "Nothing." He wanted to ask, but was afraid of what the answer might turn out to be - true to her word, Maggie had ordered the tree outside her window cut down the day after he and Walter returned from the pirate vessel. She would say nothing further about her intentions, only that she intended to put the wood to good use. Then, at the beginning of their luncheon, Maggie and Dana had announced that the men were to receive their punishment this afternoon. Fox fully expected to find a new paddle waiting when he went upstairs. Maggie and Dana shared a secretive smile, and Melissa laughed heartily. "Poor darlings," she sympathized. "Will you ever learn not to disobey your wives?" "Let us hope not, or half the fun of living would be gone." Dana's eyes twinkled as she sipped from her goblet, and Fox stifled a groan. "My lady, may I please be excused?" "What do you think, Mother?" she asked. "Shall we put these hapless men out of their misery?" "I rather think we shall be putting them /*in*/ their misery, Daughter." Maggie tried to hide her smile behind a napkin. Walter and Fox stared at each other, their eyes growing wide with fear now that the moment was at hand. Dana rose, offering her arm to Fox, who took it with his own trembling fingers. "There now, do not fret overmuch, sweeting. You know I will not harm you." "My lady, harm is not what I fear," he replied softly. "Then you must face up to the consequences of your foolish actions. This is certainly the most dangerous stunt you have ever contrived, Fox, and it placed many people in peril, not only yourself." "I believe Jake and I shall retire to our chamber. He appears quite peaked." Melissa helped her husband to his feet, offering her strong arm for support. "Quite a good idea, Melissa. We shall see you both at tea. Now, Walter." Maggie took her own wayward husband by the arm and led him toward the stairs. He halted, nearly running into Fox, who had stopped cold, when they realized they were being taken /*down*/ rather than up. "My-my lady?" Fox asked, his voice faltering. "Follow me, Fox," Dana replied firmly. "I certainly feel an action such as your warrants a stay in the dungeon. Fox began shaking in earnest now; he well remembered his one cold, lonely night in that dungeon, many years before. It had been dark, and terrifying, and Dana had not been half so angry then as she was now. The men exchanged worried glances, but fell silent as they followed their wives down the narrow stairs, through the dark passageway that led to what used to be a torture chamber, back when the torture of misbehaved males was sanctioned. Although Fox was well aware that all the implements of torture had long since been removed, the thought of a night--perhaps more than one--spent in its dank depths made him shiver. At least he would have Walter for company this time. When the door to the dungeon was opened, Fox blinked slowly, not quite believing his eyes. The room had undergone a total transformation since the last time he had been here. It was well lighted now, with lamps gracing all four walls, and it had been thoroughly cleaned. The musty smell was almost gone, masked by the fragrant rushes on the floor. He barely had time to notice these changes before his gaze fell on the room's new furnishings. A long wooden table, complete with leather manacles at its four corners, stood against one wall. Next to it was what could only be a spanking bench, padded with cushions, ready for its first victim. Adorning the opposite wall were all manner of paddles; large, small, wide and narrow ones hung on convenient hooks. Mixed in among the paddles were switches, straps, and silk scarves, along with Walter's particular terror, a complete assortment of feathers. "Sweet Goddess!" Walter breathed. "Maggie, where did all this come from?" "I told you I would put the tree to good use, darling," she replied, leading him over to the table and beginning to remove his clothing. "I certainly consider this--" she indicated the entire room with a sweep of her arm--"to be excellent usage." "But I--you--Maggie, please!" Walter didn't dare fight against his lady as she lay him, naked, on the table and fasted the leather restraints around his wrists and ankles. "Walter," Maggie said, her hands on her hips and her expression stern, "I came far too close to losing you this time. Had Fox not dreamed up the ridiculously brilliant idea of the pox, you would have been raped by any number of women. As it is, you were beaten and threatened." "Is not the fear and pain I suffered a fitting punishment?" pleaded Walter, his eyes never leaving her as she strolled over to the wall of tools, selecting the largest feather. "I assure you, my lady, it was quite a terrifying experience!" She said nothing more, only began to stroke the feather from his toes to his head, paying special attention to the parts she knew were most sensitive, and soon Walter had lapsed into incoherent screams and moans. Fox, shaken by how quickly Walter had been brought to tears, turned beseeching eyes to his wife. "Dana, I--" "Say nothing more, Fox," she commanded, holding up her hand for silence. "There is no plea you can give that will save you from your punishment, for were I to shirk my responsibility, I should have to face our daughter and tell her I allowed you to go unchastened. That I shall not do. Now either you remove your clothing, or I shall do it for you, my dear." Seeing resistance was utterly useless, Fox slowly removed his tunic and breeches, allowing them to drop to the floor in a heap. Gently, Dana pushed him down on the spanking bench, securing his ankles and wrists to it in order to keep him from struggling overmuch. Then she made her wall to the wall to select the implement most appropriate for her naughty husband's punishment. She passed Walter, beginning to beg desperately now, and smiled, knowing all his pleading would be for naught. Maggie would not stop until any future thoughts of rebellion had been driven firmly from her husband's mind, nor would she, she vowed. Dana took up one of the new switches, slicing it through the air a time or two in order to get the feel of it before returning to the gloriously naked bottom presented to her. "There are so many things I would rather do with your naked body than punish you, sweeting," she sighed. "I do wish you would make more of an attempt to behave." With that, she brought the switch down hard on his white flesh, waiting for the first scream of shock and pain that she knew would come. After the first stroke, Fox would attempt to control himself, but she would refuse to let up until she had broken through his defenses. Some days it took longer than others. Today, Dana sensed, it would take quite some time before Fox had truly learned his lesson. Until the next time he disobeyed, she smiled to herself as she landed another stroke on his writhing bottom. This particular time, both Dana and Maggie chose to forego their usual lectures, and soon the only sounds in the dungeon were the slap of the switch on Fox's poor bottom, his sniffles and Walter's begging. It was clear Walter would have bruises on his wrists and ankles from his struggles, but Dana had no doubt her mother would administer the appropriate comfort in their chamber that evening. Indeed, it was something she planned to do, as well. After all, comforting a husband afterwards was half the fun of punishing him! At last, when Fox had finally broken down into sobs, and Walter had long since given up his pleading for one long keening moan, both women stepped back. "I do believe they have learned the lesson we meant to teach them, Mother," Dana offered, hanging the switch back in its place. "I do hope so, Daughter. I would hate to have to repeat this performance after supper." "My lady, I assure you, no repetition is necessary," Walter groaned as Maggie unfastened the manacles and helped him to a sitting position. She brought him a cup of water, which he downed in one gulp. "Next time, I want to trade places with Walter," Fox groused, rubbing at his flaming backside once Dana had released him. He also drank the water he was offered, holding out his cup in a silent request for more, with which Dana immediately complied. "Indeed, Fox, you do not," Walter contradicted. "It is akin to Thunder and the sugar water, yet at least when Dana punishes you in that manner, Thunder stops once the sugar water is gone. Lady Maggie can continue forever!" "Indeed I can, and I beg you to remember that the next time you wish to engage in such dangerous foolishness." "My lady, I assure you, I shall never engage in dangerous foolishness again. I wish to see this room locked up, never to be used again in my lifetime." "That is entirely up to you and how you choose to behave," Maggie told him, assisting him to his feet. "Now, let us get you dressed and go upstairs. You could do with a bath and a long rest." "I've no doubt this dungeon will see usage on a weekly basis, at least as far as Fox is concerned," Dana teased. "He seems unable to stay out of trouble for even a moment." "I have not disobeyed you since you rescued me from the pirates!" Fox protested, groaning as his aching muscles were forced to move. Dana laughed aloud. "That is only because you feared compounding your punishment, sweeting. Now, let us follow Mother's lead and make our way to our chamber. I feel the need of a nap, as well." The glimmer in her eye told Fox that sleeping was the farthest thing from his lady's mind, and in spite of his fatigue, a shiver of excitement ran through him. Perhaps if he pouted just so... The End