Young Writers Society

It was a miserably hot day, and although only the latest in a long line of many the summer had seen, Madeleine Grey found herself wishing it would be over. And although in a month or so it would cool and rain would be more frequent, the months that ended the year would simply be a milder version of the perpetual summer she had known for two and a half years. She found herself craving snow, brisk cold mornings she would spend horseback riding with Helena, hot cocoa and sitting by the fireplace.

Madeleine sighed, placing her violin on her lap. She'd intended to come to the parlor to get some quiet practice time, but she wasn't feeling in the mood. Instead she got up and parted the blue velvet curtains of the few windows nearest her to let in sunlight. Looking out gave a great view; green grass and lush foliage, the tips of buildings just visible at the base of the hill which her estate rested, the turquoise water and white sands of the Caribbean ocean spreading into the expanse. And while it was beautiful, it somehow always made her feel more isolated then she ever did in England.

She became aware of someone else in the room. She turned and smiled when she saw her sister.

“Hello, Madeleine,” Helena said. “Father told me you were in here. Is everything okay?”

“I'm fine.”

Helena went to her younger sister and stood beside her at the window. “I do wish it wouldn't be so dreadful outside.”

Madeleine nodded. “I was hoping we could go horseback riding this evening when it cools.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Helena paused, eying the diamond ring that sat her finger. “I know that I am in love with George, but the closer it gets, the more nervous I am. I don't know why. We all must marry sooner or later, but maybe the change is too paramount for me think of right now. I always enjoy our rides. Anything to make me feel at ease.”

“After supper, perhaps? We'll go on the beach trail.”

“That would be lovely.”

Madeleine didn't mention that she didn't know what she do with herself in just two weeks time when her sister married and left her even more alone. Madeleine was seventeen and although her sister was two years older, she yearned for excitement in her dull life. To fall in love, perhaps. But the chance of that happening was miniscule. Helena had gotten lucky. Her father had picked George Harris for her because he was young, handsome, strong, a captain in the navy, and even richer than them. She would have married him even if they hadn't fall in love.

It only seemed natural that her sister would have the best. Not only was she loved by everyone she met, but she was also beautiful. Wavy, long blond hair. Perfect rosy skin. Light blue eyes. Although Madeleine possessed these same features, whenever she was with Helena she never felt as though she could carry herself in the same way, or flatter a dress the way her sister did.

They stood for a movement in silence before Helena turned back to the couch. “Were you going to practice your violin?”

“I don't know.”

“If you do, I can go fetch my sewing and we can relax a while before supper.”

And so they did. Madeleine kept the curtains open to watch the view. It made her feel more at ease watching the stillness of the buildings and the gentle waves of the ocean in the distance. She played a soft tune she had learned with her tutor the week before. Music another thing that she found solace in. It reminded Madeleine of her mother – a kind, gentle, beautiful woman who became deathly ill five summers ago. Her mother had purchased her the violin for her ninth birthday, and she always used to sing and play the harp.

“You play so lovely,” Helena remarked after she finished the song. “I don't know how many times I have to tell you that for you to believe me.”

Madeleine laughed but said nothing, and two spent the next hour or so in the parlor before Helena went back to her bedroom to take a rest.

Dinner came and went. Helena and her father mostly discussed details of the wedding which left Madeleine out of the conversation for the most part. She engrossed herself in her meal and in other idle thoughts. Their conversation consisted of mostly dull details, such as new tableware that was being ordered for the feast and the guest list and decorations. Suddenly her father turned to her.

“Madeleine,” he said. “I have been having trouble finding a band to perform and the festivities afterward. Would you like to play a few tunes on your violin for us? It would make your sister very happy.”

Madeleine paused a moment before answering. “Alright,” she said. Because, really, what else was there to say? She knew that her father was the type of person to whom she could not say no. On one hand it felt nice that her father was recognizing who she was and what she could do. But on the other, it meant she wouldn't be able to participate much in the actual festivities before her sister left her.

“That would be marvelous,” Admiral Grey said, “Perhaps tomorrow we can select pieces for you to practice.”

“Okay.”

The rest of the meal passed in relative silence. Madeleine and Helena went out to the stables just as a breeze in the wind had come and the sun was beginning to pass into the horizon.

Their horses were resting calmly in their pens beside each other.

“Would you like to go for her a ride?” Madeleine asked her horse, and his ears perked up. Helena did the same with hers and soon they were beginning on the trail that went down a wooded area at the edge of their houses that was broken by the beach. There were other trails, some that cut through town, but this was the one they rode most often.

“Madeleine, do you not want me to get married?” Helena asked flatly as they entered the wood.

“No, I am happy for you.”

“You have not been acting like it.”

Madeleine sighed. “I am afraid to be even more alone than I am now. My life is so dull that I often wonder what my purpose is in being alive. I want to marry and lead a different life than I do now.”

“Madeleine, you do know that Father has been searching for a husband for you as well? I know he's told you several times.”

“I hope that he picks a good husband for me. One that is kind and handsome and good to our children. He would still let me play the violin and ride my horse.”

Helena laughed. “I'm sure that he will.”

They were coming to the base of the hill now. Madeleine could just see the base of the ocean over the tops of the trees. As they entered the sandy clearing,, they could see the edge of town to their right and the beach a short distance in front of them. The sun was beginning to set in the horizon and the breeze was picking it up. The town was beautiful; Madeleine had to admit that. Every time she went outside to ride her horse, she always got the sense that there was something out there for her greater than what she knew now.

They had traversed about ten yards of the beach when Madeleine received a desire to do something she and her sister had often done before. They were still about sixty yards from the docks, with nothing between them but clear sand.

“Shall we race?” Madeleine asked her sister. It always was a fun little thing to do that let them both feel a little more free. Helena needed and the two bucked at their horses to go faster.

The next few seconds were a haze. Madeleine felt a rush of adrenaline as her surroundings blurred and she rushed through time and space before finally halting a few feet from the docks. Madeleine saw her sister had not arrived yet and felt a little smile escape her lips due to her victory. But a few seconds later when she saw her sister's horse arrive without its rider, she felt a momentary panic attack. Madeleine turned around and saw her sister lying on the ground about fifteen yards away.

“Helena?”

“Madeleine?” her sister called back, voice weak.

“What's the matter?” she asked as she moved back toward her sister. Helena's horse, realizing what had happened, followed the pair.

She dismounted and sat besides Helena. At first she didn't seem like she had been injured too seriously; her hair was a little dirt caked and she had some bruises on her arms. But on second glance she saw that her sister could not hide the pain in her face. “I don't know what happened. I wasn't paying attention and I fell.”

“It's my fault. I shouldn't have suggested that we race.”

“No, you are fine. I am dimwitted, and it just means I'll have to face Father's wrath when we get home.”

Madeleine nodded. Their father was never very enthusiastic about their horse rides, constantly fearing for their safety. In addition, with two weeks until her wedding, Helena could not afford to be seriously injured. “You don't have to. I can tell him it was my idea.”

Helena sighed. “We'll talk about it later. For now, let's go home.”

“Can you walk?”

“I don't think so.”

Madeleine nodded and started to lift her sister onto her horse. Although she wasn't very strong, Helena was about her size so it was not too impossible a task. She had just done it and was being to grab both pairs of reins, thinking it better to walk through town, as it would be safer and easier, when she heard screams coming from the dock.

Madeleine's heart skipped a beat as she turned around, nearly frozen with fear at what she saw. A small ship had anchored at the edge of the dock a few piers from where she was standing. At a glance it was ordinary looking, but menacing, dirty people were beginning to descend. They carried weapons and wore tattered clothing. Madeleine, because she was an Admiral's daughter. Pirates. Her father had fought many of them before in his heyday. He told Helena stories of fighting them not just on on open water but stopping them from attacking port towns as well. The merchants still milling in the docks were in various states of panic. Some of them were already dead. Madeleine stood rigid in a state of panic. Never had she thought in all her father's stories that something like this would be happening. Helena was about half conscious but seemed to understand what was going on. She didn't speak, but she knew what what Madeleine did. There was no way they could go back the way the came at the proper speed they would need to go without injuring Helena more and possibly their horses, if they overworked them. No one had seen them yet, but they needed to act fast before they were dead meat.

Just then, Madeleine felt someone tap her shoulder. Her heart stopped for a second, fearing the worst, but she saw that it was a younger merchant, probably not more than twenty. He gestured toward Helena.

“Is she with you?” He asked urgently.

“Yes. She's my sister. She's hurt.”

“I can try to ride,” Helena offered.

The merchant nodded then turned back toward Madeleine. “Then get on your horse. And the both of you, follow me quickly. I know a place where we can hide this out.”

Madeleine had always been taught not to trust the word of strangers, but seeing as how she was in a potentially life or death situation there was little else that she could do.

The next few minutes were surreal. The horses sensed the urgency and followed the merchant as fast as they could. Screams and sounds of weapons painted a fearsome background picture. They wound through streets of frantic citizens, some understanding what was going on, others who had yet to find out. It seemed as though they were out in the open forever before they came across what the outside sign noted to be the Lord Family Carpentry.

“In here,” he said. “The carpenter is my friend. He'll show you to the cellar. I will tie your horses behind the building. They should not be able to find them there. I will join you in a second.”

Madeleine nodded without question. The merchant helped her down from her horse and she, in turn, helped Helena. Giving her a shoulder to lean on, Madeleine helped her sister half-walk, half limp into the store. For a second she questioned the door being open. But then she remembered business hours were still going on and that things like this weren't supposed to happen. The carpenter, an older man with gray hair and a beard, saw them instantly and raised his eyebrows.

“Please, sir,” Madeleine said. “A young merchant who said he was your friend brought us here. We were trapped at the docks when a pirate ship anchored and started to raid the town.”

The carpenter stared at them, wide-eyed. “There are pirates here?”

Madeleine nodded. “My sister is hurt. Your friend is taking our horses to a safe place. He told us to have you lead us to the cellar.”

The carpenter muttered something, the merchant's name, Madeleine thought, but she couldn't make out what he said. “He's close by?”

“He said he'd join us in a minute.”

The carpenter nodded, setting aside his work. “This way.”

He lead the two around a corner. Even though he was old he was still strong, because he took the shelf filled with various random things that seemed to cover the wall and moved it perpendicular without breaking a sweat. When he moved it, it revealed a small door with a descending ladder.

“I'll go first,” he told Madeleine. “Then I'll help you and your sister.”

Helena looked uneasy, and Madeleine could tell she was both in a lot of pain and nervous about slipping on the ladder.

“Don't worry,” the carpenter said. “I'll help you.”

The three descended carefully. The cellar was a dark, cold room with hardly any furniture, just a few barrels of food and wine and scattered carpentry supplies. They waited few seconds in silence before the merchant joined them. Upon descending the latter he turned the shelf back perpendicular and took a seat next to the three.

“Your horses are safe,” he said.

“We are grateful, sir,” Helena pitched in.

“What were two young ladies such as yourselves doing so close to the docks?” He was eying their clothing and it was evident he could tell they were rich.

“My sister and I like to ride our horses. Her horse threw her off as we were passing the beach. And everything happened so fast- just as I was helping her, we saw the havoc starting and we didn't know what to do. Nothing like this has ever happened before for as long as we've lived here.”

The merchant nodded. “I was helping James stock goods on his ship for a trade route he has to take to Charleston in a few weeks when I saw you two. You looked like you needed help.”

“We'll be safe here?”

“You should,” said the carpenter—James. “Every time there is an emergency, I always hide here, and so far I am still alive.”

“How long will we have to stay here? Father will be worried sick, and I fear I will have broken my leg.”

“Unfortunately I do not know what I can do about your leg, miss. You might have to wait until you return home, but I will try to see what I can find. But I do not know how long you two will be here. Since this is my store, I'll check as often as I can to see when the coast is clear.”

Madeleine turned to her sister. “It is likely that Father will have already been called to respond. Either he'll think we found shelter or we went back to the house. Once we explain the situation, he cannot be too angry at us.”

“Who's your father?” asked the merchant.

“Admiral Edward Grey.”

“Grey?” His eyes flickered with recognition. “I presume you two are Helena and Madeleine?”

“Yes,” she said. “I am Madeleine, and that is Helena. How do you know?”

He turned to Helena. “My name is Matthew Simmons. I am the town silversmith. Your father hired me to make new tableware for Helena's upcoming wedding. The set is almost finished, actually. I am to stop by your home to deliver it within the week, actually.”

“You seem quite young,” Madeleine remarked.

“I am twenty. When I was ten my parents put me on a ship out here from Ireland to become an apprentice to the silversmith here. The old man died five years ago. Thankfully I had James to help me run the store and I had perfected my craft enough to keep business strong.”

Madeleine hadn't noticed it before, but there was indeed a trace of an Irish accent in Mathew's voice. She didn't know why, but she found it alluring. Possibly because everyone she had interacted with all her life was either British, or one of their Negro servants? It was now too that she began to fully assess his features. Light brown hair that curled around his ears. A thick brow. Clear, blue-gray eyes. Slightly tanned skin. Rough hands and a strong physique. He was handsome, yes. But Madeleine had almost forgotten why they were there. She couldn't think of such things, not right now.

They stood there for a moment in awkward silence before James decreed that he was going to see if he could find something to treat Helena's leg.

However, if she was still in pain, didn't show it. She was slipping quickly into sleep, and she had put her head on Madeleine's shoulder.

“Have you two lived here all of your lives?” Matthew asked.

“No,” Madeleine said. “We moved here from England when I was fourteen. That was about two and a half years ago.”

“So you are sixteen now?”

“Seventeen. My sister is nineteen.”

The conversation dropped off after that. Everyone was tired. Madeleine had many worries; how the people who couldn't escape were fairing, how much damage had been one, how her father and George Harris were doing, how much they were worrying about them and what they would say when the two returned. The last thing she remembered was James returning with a bandage for Helena's leg before she let herself slip into darkness.

It felt like mere seconds before Matthew aroused her.

“Time for you to go. Helena and her fiance are upstairs. He arrived here just a few minutes ago..”

Madeleine rubbed her eyes, still only half coherent. “Where's James?”

“He moved up to his bed.”

“He lives here?”

“He has a bed here in case work keeps him and he cannot go home. Come, I shall help you up the ladder.”

They did so. Matthew climbed the ladder first, offering his hand to Madeleine. She was so tired that the only thing she could make out was how warm and strong it felt.

Captain Harris and Helena were standing a few feet away, arm in arm.

“Thank you again for making sure they were safe. I am in your debt. So is your father.”

“How did you find us?” Madeleine asked.

“When we were called to ward back the pirates and I met with your father down at camp, he said that you two were out in town. We figured that something had happened and you had hid out in town. We couldn't do anything then, but afterward we asked around and someone sighted you two coming into here.”

“Did they do much damage?”

“We can only confirm a few deaths. Some of the shops closer to the shore were badly damaged, but their invasion force was small and poorly equipped.”

Madeleine nodded. Most everything he was saying was going over her head. She figured they would talk about what had happened more tomorrow. “Where's father?”

“He went back to your home.”

“Our horses are safe?”

“They were somewhat parched, but Matthew was kind enough to get water for them. Since Helena is hurt, she and I will ride together. Will you feel alright riding by yourself?”

“Yes.” Because really, what other choice did she have.

“I shall see you both home then. Thank you again, Matthew.”

As the three headed toward the exit, Madeleine waved. Matthew waved back and smiled a little. And she had a strange thought. Hoping she would see him again.

Madeleine vaguely remembered the ride. The damage was visible, but she blocked out much of it as possible. She needed rest now, in her own bed. When she finally reached it she quickly fell to blackness.