Chapter 3: William the Damned by Lynette Ferreira

WILLIAM WAKES UP as soon as he feels a shift in the air. He steps cautiously over the stirring bodies of his crew-members and then he climbs the ladder up to the upper decks. He walks out into the cool night and then looking at the island, he sees the row boat is gone. Turning away from the railing determined, he shouts orders to his first mate to hoist the anchor. Every night, as soon as the morning star appears in the pre-dawn sky they anchor the boat. It would not help to sail aimlessly across the waters of the sea and risk being shipwrecked.

When the anchor is raised, he steers the ship with the whisper of the wind behind them away from the breakers and toward the open sea.

In the early morning hours, a pirate with a customary eye patch across his left eye yells down from the mast where he is hanging with his legs across the rigging, “Ship ahoy.”

Eagerly everyone rushes to the side of the boat and they see the brightly lit galleon on the horizon. Silently William manoeuvres the boat until they glide in next the galleon quietly. Without a sound, they tie the ship to theirs with thick ropes and then with whoops and screams they jump across to the galleon.

Instant pandemonium erupts on the deck of the galleon and William sees the captain rushing to him, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The captain’s sword is held aloft and William prepares to defend himself. He does not need the sword to defend himself, but he enjoys amusing himself with these little distractions. The captain is faster than William anticipated and he feels the tip of the captain’s sword rip the scarlet red sash tied around his waist. The sash drops down to the deck and lands in a tangle at William’s boots. A laugh erupts from his throat and then he lunges forward. William steps around and then his mind is focused on the clash of sword against sword. It has been a long time since he has been challenged in this manner and by now, the crew has killed and devoured every crew member and passenger from the galleon. They have taken the jewels and treasures to the hull of the boat and now they sit in a large circle around the two men who are still fencing against each other. William can hear the laboured breath from the captain and he can see the fear in his eyes. The captain’s legs buckle under him from exhaustion, and then William releases him swiftly from his misery.

SUSANNA COMES UP from the darkness which surrounds her. Her lips are sore and tight and her skin burns. She opens her mouth to talk because she senses people around her. Her tongue feels too big for her mouth and it sticks to her palette.

“Mamma,” she croaks.

“Susanna. You are awake.”

She must be dreaming. It is without a doubt impossible her mum would be here, replying to her. She struggles to open her eyes. There in front of her, like an angel, is her mother’s face.

Susanna whimpers elated, “Mamma!” Tears run down the side of Susanna’s face involuntarily, cooling her burning flesh.

“Hush, Susanna. Do not talk. You must rest.”

“But how did I get here?” Susanna whispers hoarsely.

Her mother softly puts her fingers onto her lips, spreading fat over them gently. Susanna sighs at the instant relieve she feels from the fat on her burning, chapped lips.

Her eyelids drop again and she falls into a deep sleep. Contentment and the secure feeling of being safe, wrap itself around her.

Susanna dreams a dream with many small snippets interlaced on a repetitive spool and the one intertwines with the other. Her mother appears young and beautiful, as Susanna remembers her when she was a little girl. She sees her father walk in and then her parents are fighting. She sees her father slap her mother, because her mother accuses her father of taking a mistress, and he is spending all the money they have on lavishly spoiling this girl… William stands behind her and she senses his big, strong presence in the room, then he disappears into a shade of mist… Susanna is running through a dense forest, it is night and shadows attack her from the sky. Suddenly the red-haired woman on the ship appears and she bites Susanna viciously, Susanna screams in pain, but then it is William bending over her, and his caressing lips on her neck are sending shivers of pleasure through her body… Her mother stands in front of her crying despondently. She says incoherently that there is no money for them to keep their home, her father spent it all when he was alive. She has written a letter to Lord Francois, and he has promised to marry Susanna in exchange for an heir…

Susanna drifts in and out of sleep for what feels like days. Each time she opens her eyes briefly, she sees her mother sitting vigil next to her bed. She loves her mother so much and she knows of every sacrifice her mother had to make because of her unconditional love for Susanna. There is no doubt in Susanna’s mind she would do anything for her beloved mother, even marry a man she has never met.

When Susanna is well enough to get up from her sickbed and sit in the chair to have morning tea with her mother, she cannot believe how circumstances beyond her control had come together. Circumstances made her little boat drift around the vast waters of the ocean and into the path of the ship carrying her mother to France.

Her mother sits across from her, impeccably dressed as always, and maternally she says, “My sweet Susanna when we saw the little boat doper around on the water, I did not for one moment consider it might be you. Sheila and I were standing on the deck when we heard a huge commotion and I looked over. The crew was hooking a little row boat closer to the side of the ship and curiously, Sheila and I walked a little closer. Not too close, of course, and then when they eventually pulled the boat over the side of the ship, they lifted you out of it. I was so shocked when I barely recognised your face. What happened, child?”

“Oh, Mamma, it was horrific.” Susanna contemplates briefly telling her mother the whole story, but something catches in her throat and she considers the consequences for William. If she told the truth now, they might hunt William and kill him. Although all things considered this would be a good thing because he killed people to satisfy his own desires. He was a murderer, a dangerous animal. However, he was kind to her. He saved her by leaving the row boat for her and he rescued her by hiding her in his cabin before one of his crew members could get to her. She also felt a peculiar sadness when she thought of him, so she decides to make up a story. Nobody will know the truth anyway.

Susanna looks at the painting of a ship on a tumultuous sea, behind her mother’s head and she says hesitantly, “I was having dinner with the Captain. Captain John was his name. He was a pleasant man and I enjoyed his company, so later we walked up to the deck and I remember the moon was full when suddenly there were screams and shouts. The galleon had caught fire and then Captain John hurriedly helped me get into a boat. He and other men hoisted me down to the water and as the boat, I was on drifted away I watched the ship burn until there was nothing.” Susanna starts to cry. She does not know why tears are silently streaming down her cheeks now, she just feels unbelievably saddened.

Her mother leans forward, and then she gently lets her hand rest on top of Susanna’s. “Hush, my child. It is all over and you are safe now.”

They sit like this for a while and then Susanna asks, after she swallows the lump in her throat, changing the subject, “Did you finalise everything in England?”

Her mother sits back in her chair with a soft sigh. “I did. I anticipated it would take me much longer than it did. Your father really had no consideration of providing for us when he was living with that other girl. They will be selling the house to pay off all his debts.” Guiltily her mother continues, “I am sorry to expect you to now marry Lord Francois, but it is easier this way than having nowhere to go. When I say, we do not have two pennies to rub against each other, it is not an exaggeration.”

Susanna would rather have married for love. Imagine the bliss of spending the rest of your days with someone you could not wait to wake up with each morning. This choice is however not hers to make and it was made for her already. She can only hope Lord Francois will be pleased when he sees her and he does not change his mind.

Susanna replies, dutifully, “I look forward to marrying Lord Francois. It is not as if I will be the first girl ever to go into a pre-arranged marriage and I doubt I will be the last. Your marriage was arranged…”

Her mother interrupts her, “Yes, but you cannot compare every marriage with the union I had with your father. Your father never loved me, which is evident in our present situation.”

Susanna contemplates this would mean her father never loved her either. In a way, she supposes this to be the truth, although she never considered it before. He walked away from her and her mother many years ago. He paid maintenance to her mother, but Susanna never saw him. Sometimes she would wake late at night and she would hear him in the house, drunk and smashing heirlooms her mother refused to give to him, but Susanna was always too scared to leave her room.

She smiles encouragingly. “Mamma, we will be all right. Soon we will arrive in France, and then I will meet the charming Lord Francois, as everyone describes him. He will marry me and we will live happily ever after.”

Susanna’s mother laughs delighted, but even though Susanna smiles outwardly, her heart feels like the lump of sugar she is slowly stirring into her tea.

WHEN THEY ARRIVE at the coast of France, the scratches on her face and her arms have healed. However, when the weather was cold, the scars still made red blemishes on her skin, which Susanna hides with powder. She has put the weight she lost back on and her voluptuous curves were the same as when she left England all those weeks ago.

She feels good and although she has not told anyone about William, or what really happened to The Majestic, she is relieved it is over. However, when she looks up at the pale moon at night, she cannot help remembering, when the moon seemed so close she could reach up and touch it, she thought of William, but then quickly shoved him out of her mind. William is a monster and although she let him kiss her, it was only because she feared him and did not want him to get angry with her, to kill her.

When Susanna and her mother walk down from the ship on the long wooden gangplank to the docks, Susanna sees the carriage Francois had sent for them. The carriage is large and elaborately decorated. Four black, shiny horses stand before it, trampling restlessly, their heads bobbing up and down.

His footmen carry their baggage from the ship to the carriage. Susanna has no baggage because it was all lost with The Majestic. The footmen help Susanna and her mother into the carriage.

Sitting back in the plush chair, Susanna looks up at the bright azure sky and she welcomes her future with open arms.

They drive through the French countryside, past vineyards and peasant homes. At times, little children run along next to their carriage, waving friendly, laughing happy and calling up to them in French.

When they eventually drive along a narrow road through a dense forest, it suddenly appears before them. Susanna gasps at the splendour. The château is impressively large and sweeps across the immediate horizon. The many windows sparkle in the sunlight and the walls of the château are a soft yellow in colour. Beautiful manicured gardens and shrubs surround the house and from here, Susanna can see the rows and rows or grapevines trailing off into the distance.

The carriage drives around a large pond in front of the château and Susanna can see golden fish swimming around in the clear water. The carriage comes to a stop in front of the sweeping stairs leading up to double wooden doors.

A handsome man stands at the bottom of the stairs and when the well-dressed servants move forward, he remains there, standing still with an anxious expression on his face.

Susanna steps out of the carriage first, with the help of a footman and then she stands to the side while she waits for her mother to step out.

The dress Susanna is wearing is pale pink and one of her mother’s newer dresses. Sheila, her mother’s servant girl sat for hours taking it in and now it fit Susanna perfectly. Tightly pulled in around her waist, it makes her hips look ampler and pushes her breasts out. Her hair is neatly pinned behind her head with little pearl clasps, but the long journey has made wisps of hair escape and now they were falling around her face in soft curls.

When Francois looks at Susanna, he immediately loves her. Although she would be his third wife, he now falls in love instantaneously.

Shyly Susanna walks with her mother toward Francois. She immediately notices his dark hair and his soft features. His eyes are so green she could see the colour from the carriage. In a glimpse, she notices his muscular arms and the way his legs fill his drawers, she notices his full lips and his long eyelashes.

He looks directly at her and she drops her eyes to the ground.

When they reach him, Anne curtseys. Susanna follows her example and then she smiles up at Francois.

Susanna sees a quick frown flicker across his brow, but then he smiles friendly at her. Immediately Susanna thinks he does not like her.

He smiles at Anne. “Welcome, Madame.” Glancing at Susanna, he inclines his head. “Mademoiselle.”

“Lord Francois, you have a beautiful home.” Anne smiles politely.

Smiling pleased, he turns away from them toward the château. “Please, do come in,” he offers.

He walks ahead and they follow him up the stairs into the house.

They walk through the huge doorway and then into an imposing hallway, the furniture is of the latest fashions. The dark wood gleams brilliantly and the entrance has a cathedral feel. Susanna follows the impressive staircase up to the second floor with her eyes and then she looks up at the balcony. She could imagine herself standing up there in a beautiful dress, looking down into the foyer while it was full of important guests.

They follow Francois through to the drawing room and then a servant steps forward while they sit down. The servant pours the tea and then Susanna takes a thinly sliced cucumber sandwich. Since her ordeal on the ocean, she eats whenever she can, almost an obsession to eat whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Francois starts, “Susanna, I heard of the suffering you went through on your journey here.”

Susanna smiles self-consciously. “Yes, it was a nightmare.”

“Looking at you now, you would never say you drifted on the ocean for days. You look well.”

“Thank you, Lord Francois.”

“Call me Francois, please.” He smiles pleasantly.

Francois turns to Anne. “Madame, did you enjoy your journey?”

“Thank you, Francois. I did not expect to find Susanna drifting on the ocean because I thought she was safely here with you, and of course with the poor Grace as her chaperone. When Susanna started recuperating after they fished her from the water, I found myself enjoying the voyage more so than before. It was such an unfortunate incident, the burning of The Majestic.”

Francois looks at Susanna pondering. He heard about The Majestic and he was worried about Susanna until he got word of her rescue. He wondered whether it was William and his cohorts who attacked The Majestic because he has been following the escapades of this particular pirate ship with great interest. “Do you remember what happened when The Majestic sank?”

Too fast, Susanna replies, “Only little bits and pieces. Sorry.”

“The doctor said she knocked her head very hard, so I presume her memory might be slow in coming back,” Anne interrupts Francois’ next question, smiling apologetically. Anne did not want a repeat of what happened when Susanna told her the story, and Susanna started crying. Anne is sure that as soon as Susanna is ready she will tell Francois.

Susanna stands up gracefully. “May I please be excused? It has been a long journey.”

Francois stands up with her. “Of course, Susanna. I should have realised before bombarding you with questions. I do hope to see you at dinner this evening.”

Susanna curtseys and then she walks out of the room.

A servant meets her outside the door and then silently he leads her up the circular stairway to her room. Susanna walks into the beautifully decorated room. The wood panelling on the walls is dark, rich wood. Delicately carved figurines of cherubs decorate the four-poster bed. Multitudes of small pink roses are embroidered onto the bed-covering.

She falls backwards down onto the bed; her arms stretch out to her sides and it feels as if the bed swallows her. Heaven, she thinks and she cannot remember when last she had lain down on a decent bed, it seems a lifetime ago.

She falls asleep and nightmarish dreams fill her mind.

When she wakes up, all she can remember is William, who played the starring role in her frightful dream and how inexplicably, even though he is a monster, she felt safe with him.

A servant girl comes toward the bed, while Susanna sits up, stretching and clearing the cobwebs of her dreams from her mind.

Susanna smiles. “Hello.”

The girl smiles back at Susanna pleasantly and then Susanna asks her friendly, “What is your name?”

The girl puts her hand on her chest, and frowning she asks, “Moi?”

Disappointed Susanna says, “You cannot speak English? That is a pity.”

The girl only smiles at Susanna politely and Susanna sighs frustrated, suddenly missing her servant girl, Grace, who William undoubtedly killed.

Although Susanna had French lessons as a child, she never really took to the language and always thought she would have no need for it. Only now does she realise how much it would have helped her in this situation.

The girl silently helps Susanna into a burgundy velvet dinner dress, she has never seen before. Francois must have bought it for her and her mother must have told him her measurements. The girl pulls the dress in so tightly, Susanna feels as if she is on the brink of fainting. She has a permanent dizzy feeling surrounding her. The girl brushes her hair and then she puts it up in a chignon behind her head. She does not use the pearl clasps again.

When Susanna is ready, the servant girl takes out a box from the dresser drawer and then opens it, nudging Susanna softly with her elbow. Susanna looks up into the smiling face of the young girl and then she looks inside the box. There is an exquisite diamond necklace in the box on a velvet cushion. The gaslight reflects off the stones and rainbows of colour sparkle off them.

Susanna asks, looking up at the girl, “For me?”

The servant girl smiles brightly while she takes out the necklace and then drapes it around Susanna’s neck.

Susanna stares dumbfounded at her reflection and the way the necklace twinkles, while the servant girl powders her shoulders and arms to hide the red welts left there from running away from William through the dense bushes of the island.

A while later Susanna stands up from the chair and then she gracefully walks toward the door, after smiling thank you to the girl whose name she did not know.

Continue reading Chapter 4/10

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