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Lady Elizabeth Darcy missed her courses.

Even at fourteen they had been as reliable as a precision timepiece.

After her rant to her mother-in-law about not becoming with child soon enough for her liking she felt a great sense of anticipation, but she knew that she could not talk to anyone about her suspicions just yet.

She was well aware that many pregnancies terminated spontaneously early in the term, and she would hate to get William all excited and then it come to nought, so she resolved that she would wait until she missed the next cycle before she mentioned her suspicions to her husband.

She was sure that Marie had recovered from her disappointment and was looking forward to sharing her good news with her, but she still felt that it would not do for her to give a hint to anyone, including William, until she was sure and had her state confirmed by a doctor.

Elizabeth was sitting in her shared sitting room with her sisters and sister-in-law.

Amy had just verbalised her impatience of becoming with child and she stopped herself mid-sentence.

“Oh, Marie, I am so sorry,” she said, feeling embarrassed. “Here I am going on about being impatient to be with child in front of you. It was thoughtless of me.”

“You have nothing to be sorry about, Amy,” Marie said with a wan smile that was noticed by her three sisters, “I felt the same way when Jane entered the state before me. We had always done everything together, so I naturally assumed that it would be the same with the birth of our children, but it was not to be.” Marie looked from one sister to the next and could not miss the looks of sympathy.

“Do not look at me so, you three. I am recovered.

I just have maudlin thoughts from time to time, and it is not because of anything that you said, Amy.

“Just like you, I am impatient to become with child again. It will soon be two months since the accident and all I can do is pray that I am granted another chance, and that this time I will be a lot more careful.” Marie looked off into the distance.

“I recently had my courses, so I know it is not my time yet,” she added.

She had spoken the truth, it was not anything that Amy said that had made her feel sad, it was the fact that had she still been carrying her babe, she would have felt the quickening around this time, and try as she might, she could not forget that fact.

Lizzie counted the months in her head. “Marie, I know why you are sad,” she said as she sat next to her older sister and hugged her tightly. “It is around this time that you would have felt the quickening is it not?”

Marie simply nodded her head sadly. Amy felt bad for her sister-in-law, but she at least knew that she was not the cause of Marie’s sadness.

Soon the four were discussing the proposed plans for the family chambers to be redecorated.

It had been decided that the changes would start in the family wing as the family would be able to occupy guest suites until the work was complete.

The four matriarchs were working with Lizzy’s outline to finalise a plan for the ground level of the house.

William had sent instructions to his man of business in Town to acquire a new Broadwood Grand, a harp, and a number of other instruments, including a harpsicord which his mother enjoyed playing.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

About ten minutes prior to Laraby relieving the captain of the watch as planned, Forester and Tibbson hid themselves under a canvas near the capstan.

Jones arrived five minutes before his watch was due to start and relieved the man on the wheel.

As long as there was no sudden squall, the crew would be able to sleep with no need to change the rigging or sails.

A few minutes after Jones arrived, so did the first mate.

The first mate conferred with Younge for any details for his watch, then Younge departed for his bed once the handover was complete.

Laraby knew that he needed to lull Jones into a false sense of security.

He had decided to get rid of his competition during the third hour of the watch when he assumed Jones would be tired and not as vigilant as normal.

For the first hour he made inane conversation, was overall much friendlier to his intended victim than he had ever been before.

If Jones was not already on his guard, the change in the man’s demeanour toward him would have roused his suspicions.

As the officer of the watch, Laraby should have made rounds of the ship at least once an hour, but being as lackadaisical as he was, it was approaching two bells, and the man had yet to make any rounds.

After the first mate had rung the two bells, Jones could not but notice the anticipation in the other man.

He was relatively sure that Laraby intended to execute whatever harebrained scheme he had hatched soon, and he did not have long to wait before receiving confirmation.

Laraby affected like he was making his rounds, walking to the port side near the stern then turned and called out to his watch mate, “Jones, lash t’e wh’l in position.

I wants ya ta’ look at summin ‘ere that don’ look right w’ the longboat.

” Jones did as he was instructed, and as he passed his friends’ position at the capstan, he signalled to them.

They slipped from behind the canvas and went in opposite directions so they would be in position at either side of the first mate before Jones, who intentionally walked rather slowly, approached Laraby.

Once Jones saw that his friends were in place, he stepped up to the rail under the longboat.

When Laraby indicated for him to look at the ‘problem’ he had discovered, he turned his back to the man and looked at the area that was pointed out.

Laraby stealthily drew the knife that he had secreted under his jacket.

There would be some blood before he pushed the body overboard, but he was ready with a bucket and mop to make sure all evidence was removed before he called “man overboard.”

As Jones turned away, the first mate scowl transformed to an evil grin as he lifted the knife in his hand high and leaned to strike, but before it fell his forearm was gripped by hands both unexpected and strong, and his other arm was similarly restrained.

He twisted both left and right to see the very menacing glares from Forester and Tibbson.

Forester gripped the first mate’s wrist, squeezing until his hand involuntarily opened and the knife fall harmlessly to the deck.

“So ya’ thought to do me in!” Jones had turned back around, his face mere inches away from Laraby, who’s eyes had widened with true fear. “Don’ look like ya’ gonna do it, do it not?” Jones mocked the cowering man.

Before Laraby could respond, Tibbson pulled a cosh from his pocket and hit him on the head with much force, rendering him instantly unconscious.

They lifted the inert body above the railing and heaved him into the sea.

A second later they heard the satisfying sound of a splash into the water.

Forester and Tibbson quietly went below decks and climbed into their hammocks.

The rest of the crew were all deep in slumber, as one learns to be on board a ship, so no one had noticed the two had ever left the quarters.

Half an hour later, the whole ship was roused to the constant ringing of the ship’s bell and the loud yells of “man overboard!” Within minutes everyone was on the deck, including the two women.

Jones relayed how Laraby had made his scheduled rounds between two and three bells and had thought something amiss with the longboat, that he had leaned against the railing to inspect the boat suspended above him and had somehow slipped and fallen overboard before he himself could reach him.

It was a moonless night, so Younge knew that turning the ship to search was futile, which is the same as it would have been even had the moon been full.

He would not share his sentiment with his crew, but he was not unhappy that Laraby was gone, and instantly promoted Jones to first mate, which was met with universal approbation.

As Forester was scheduled for a day watch, he was instructed to join the new first mate for the hour and change remaining on the watch.

Younge ushered the women back to their cabin, and shortly the rest of the crew returned to their hammocks.

Forrester gave his friend a light slap on his shoulder and a nod of appreciation for a task completed. Laraby was where he deserved to be, in Davy Jones’s locker.

~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~

At Broadhurst in Essex, Lord Wes De Melville and his friend Lord Mark Creighton were accompanying Ladies Mary and Kitty on a walk in the estate’s extensive formal gardens.

Mary had her arm lightly resting on her cousin’s, while Kitty had hers on Lord Mark’s.

Lady Loretta had determined that she needed to practice a new piece on the harp and had begged off joining the excursion.

Mary was deep in thought about how her life was changing in ways that she had not imagined.

She had always liked Wes as a cousin, but now she had tendre for him, and based on their prior conversation it seemed that her feelings were reciprocated.

She was not sure if she was in love yet; and she was also not sure that she would recognise the feelings if she did have them.

As much as she understood why her mother, aunt, and older sisters were not near to talk to, she was sorry that none of the people that she would have approached were present.

While she had not spent a great deal of time with her Aunt Priscilla, her mama and aunt were the closest of sisters and had very similar views on the importance of love matches; she resolved to talk to Aunt Priscilla in private when her aunt had some time and ask her for her advice and assistance with her questions.