Capt. Sterling

They "Get it!"

As she lifted his chin, he rememberd his stepmother. How many times had she done the same thing before she scolded him as a child? He knew she wanted him to look at her, but he was uncertain as to whether he wanted to as she rebuked his offer. And yet, as she leaned gently in to gather up the brightly coloured silk and kiss him, he could not help but feel that he had indded, made the proper choice. He watched her, the smile he so desparately needed to see, finally gracing her soft lips...and the look in her eyes captured his heart completely. When she spoke her agreement, he could still hardly grasp his good fortune. "What?" he thought to himself and yet he knew he had heard her clearly. It would take him some time to fully accept this blessing. He looked at her and wrapped his fingers about hers, raising her to her feet then to his side. He shifted toward her, his forehead resting against her own, he closed his eyes. "Thank ye," he whispered. "I shall make ye proud to bear my name and our children. I love ye, Aurore." And then he kissed her.

burnt

Wow Rumba!!! Beautifully done! The colour combination looks great on you!! and the trainless version really does look just as nice!

Well I promised you the Captain's daughter, Sarah Sterling, next... Honestly, since the day she started doing Living History, she pretty much has had the correct kit no matter what the time frame... and being as biased as I am about her, tis hard for me to find a bad picture of her... . So, we will take her out of her American Old West duds as pictured below, and transform her into a child of the 90s, 1690s that is.... Here she is in Reconstructing History's Lady's Hunting Outfit... she is wearing a sleeved waistcoat over a long, trained, brocade petticote... And here, with her jacket, sash and cocked hat.... Her coat has lately undergone the change from pewter buttons to Dorset.... Our next victim, I mean study, will either be Cheeky or Mr. March, but we will have to wait until after the Lockhouse event.... Stay tuned...

Sterling watched her as she contemplated his request. Not so much as a spark of a smile, could he discover in her expression. A jumble of questions instantly bombarded his thoughts when she did not reply, in his mind, quick enough. Was his proposal too soon? Would not his father have married him, sight unseen, to someone he had never met? Was this so very different...or even worse... wrong? He could not help but look away as she touched him... his mind reeling with the belief that she too had already rejected him. "Mayhaps..." he had begun, but she placed a solitary finger upon his lips to silence him.

***SIGH***

Jump rope

hmmm interesting idea...but my photo shop/art is down until I can cough up 100 bucks to upgrade.... sigh

Hello Gov'nor

farthing

He gently placed the quizing lense back into the box Aurore had withdrawn from the wardrobe earlier. In time he would ask her to place it about his neck along with the chain bearing the key to his chest and the violin case. He looked down at the instrument and carefully took it up before he returned it safely to the case that served to protect it so well. "Some day I shall play this for ye if ye like," he thought, his mind lost for a moment on future hopes. As he closed the lid slowly, hiding the violin away once more, he looked up at her. "There is something I wish to give to ye Lady, before I make ready and ask yer brother's aide yet again...." he paused a moment. It was all too evident he felt himself a burden, one he was finally glad to remove from the Devareaux lands. It was best he returned to the port, at least for now... It was several long minutes before he finally stirred again and reached beneath his pillow. Pulling out the lovely silk square, Sabastian had turned over to Sterling's care, he placed it beside him where she could see it. "This is not the way I had invisioned doing this... and I am concerned that I may frighten ye away with asking ye so soon, but with the way things have transpired over the past few days... I fear if I wait too long... " he stopped again, all too painfully aware of what a muddle he was making this. "Yer brother gave this to me, along with his permission to make ye mine if ye will have me. Irregardless of whether or not you wish to marry me, I wish ye to keep this as Sabastian was to give this to Mistress Shea. " He took a deep breath, then swallowed hard before he looked up at Aurore where she stood. "I wish ye would marry me Chere. I am not much but all that I have tis yours if ye be willing..."

pence

Sterling nodded a silent thanks to Sabastian as the other man took his leave. He waited for the door to close both he and Aurore in, alone together. "I do not think there is anything to fear from this Striker " he began as he looked at her and knew she was truly troubled by his decision. "But would it make ye feel better if, with yer brother's permission, ye traveled with me? Once onboard the 'Angel, no one can harm ye there."

He thought about what she suggested. It could very possible work and work well but the thought of such a falsehood irked him. He finally shook his head. "I promise you, Chere. I will be as safe as I could be any where. I will have the most loyal of my crew and officers about me, and, given the time, if I leave as soon as I can dress, and after what has happened, no one will be looking for me. And, if all has gone according to schedule the Archangel's refit should be nearing completion or finished. I will set her at anchor in the harbour as soon as I am able and move myself on board until I can venture once again in the Port on my own."

"There is a gentleman captain by the name of Striker. It appears he has gotten word that Killingsworth is indeed dead, finished off by another threat that is now in Port Royal. It seems this Striker will not speak directly to my first officer, but wishes, instead to speak with me." He looked once toward the brother than fixed his gaze on Aurore. "I am sorry, Chere. I must go and find out what this man knows. If there truly is another or worse, more, that need to be dealt with, I wish to know all the possible information I can. You all ready know the damage Killingsworth could cause, if he is dead...." Sterling fell silent for a moment then shook his head. "I must get to the bottom of this. I cannot lay abed and wait this out."

For a instant, a mixture of emotions washed over the captain's features, finally settling for a brief expression of confusion and then resolve. "I suppose Mistress McKinney was in need of his company and mayhaps something to calm her nerves. Ah well, Mr. Merriweather, is there any possible way of yer returning, post haste to Mr. March? Perchance the gentleman that brought ye here can bring ye back as well?" Sterling sighed as he looked toward his host, his eyes nearly pleading for the additional assistance he hated to ask for. "If it can be arranged, tell Mr. March to meet me at my room at The Three Crownes, I fear it will take me a bit of time before I am ready to follow after ye. Say, if all goes well, to be there before midnight."

“Merci,” Sterling said. With a quick glance back into the interior of the box that protected his possessions he spied his quizzing lense. He unfolded the paper and brought the lense into place before his good eye and rapidly made work of the communication before him. Angrily, at message’s closing, he began to crumple the paper, thought better of it and reread it once again. Upon second conclusion, he did indeed crush the letter in his hand than passed it over to Mr. Merriweather. “Dispose of this if ye please, sir,” he whispered. He sat back against the head board, his gaze fixing on the instrument besides him. Lovingly his fingers played along the smooth curve of the violin’s form and then one string was plucked. He allowed himself a moment to close his eyes as the sound played itself out. “Mr. Merriweather, would ye be so kind as to fetch Dr. Reiley. I believe he is down the hall in the guest bedroom. Ask him here please.”

Sterling observed the care filled attention with which the items had been secreted away into custody. “Wait Chere,” he called after her, then remembered the others in the room and quickly cleared his throat. “I could do with your hands Lady,” he added, removing the chain from its keeping. “The smaller key,” he noted as she came close once more. “It will unlock the case. Remove the violin and, yer fingers should be delicate enough… there will be a note inside the instrument’s body. If ye would be so kind as to retrieve it for me…I would not bother ye so but…” to emphasize his meaning he awkwardly lifted the left arm in its sling and instantly wished he hadn’t.

But the Captain was not pleased...he had not been raised to cause disturbances for hosts nor hostesses. And yet when he took notice of the case clutched tightly in the lad's small hands, he struggled to sit upright. "Did Mr. March send ye, Mr. Merriweather?" Sterling asked, his voice a mere hush as he spoke. "Aye he did, Sir, and sorry he is to burden ye Captain, but Mr. March said this could not wait," Sean answered. He had bowed slightly as he neared the bed then cautiously, as if the contents of the case might explode upon contact with the bedclothes, he placed the violin case down next to Sterling's side. "Good lad. Nicely done Mr. Merriweather," Sterling said and yet, it was obvious that he was not pleased with the turn of affairs... nor the knick on the case's corner that had occured when chucked all too hastily through the book shop window. Absent mindedly he reached for the chain that he wore about his neck but the item and keys along with it had been removed from his person when he had be stripped for Reiley's all too necessary digging the day before. He looked to Aurore where she stood in the doorway. "Mistress Devareaux, my things if ye would be so kind," he said, his voice softening as his gaze settled upon the youngest of the clan.

Sterling waited patiently as Aurore went to check on the latest disturbance at the cottage. The hour was growing late and as the sun disappeared, lowering to darkness behind the trees, a tenseness overcame the inhabitants once again as yet another horseman entered the compound, the hard clap of galloping hoves, striking hard against the packed earth. He almost breathed a sigh of relief as the rider was hailed and then welcomed as someone well known amongst them all...but in the end, his sigh was one of continued frustration as he heard his name bandied about and then recognized the young voice of his eldest midshipman. "Now what?" he muttered angrily under his breath as the sounds of people moved back into the cottage and made their way up the stairs.

furnace

Ah but this has to be true... after all you fell in love with a one eyed captain who passed out from Malaria the first time you saw him....

Hmmmm, I don't know Empress... you're a dictator and I despise authority... and we were getting along so well!!!

Hell no, I vote for the purge... enama time !!! Quick someone fetch a ram rod!!!!!!!!!!!