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When Stede asks Mary to sail the high seas with him, she hesitates.
But she doesn’t say no.
She hadn’t been ignorant to the idea that her husband was unhappy with their life. She knew what novels filled their shelves. She listened to his bedtime stories of swashbuckling and adventure. She heard the yearning in his voice, even if the children didn’t know what it meant.
She knew that the same desperation was within her. Pirating wasn’t her dream, but neither was this… stagnation.
She loved her children, of course. That love was as easy as breathing. But she was not a natural mother. Their nanny was more of the nurturing type.
“The children are old enough for the Academy, are they not?” she asked casually after they had retired to their bedchamber.
Stede paused in his (extensive) skincare routine. “Yes, I suppose they are.”
“I know that you had a difficult experience with Badminton’s lot,” she said simply, “But sending them together should help. Besides, they’re too young to come with us.”
She had his full attention now. “Come… with us?”
She nodded, and his answering smile was like a warm ray of light. “Mary! Oh, do you really mean it?”
“We need to make plans,” she warned him. “Ensure that the children would be cared for if we didn’t return.”
“Yes, of course,” Stede said, although it was evident that he hadn’t thought of all that.
Mary picked up her hairbrush and started pulling it through her tresses. “You can organise the ship. I’ll tie up the loose ends.”
*
The children were told the bare minimum; their father was going away on business, and Mary wished to see more of the sights. The society ladies were horrified that she was considering such a risky venture, but she was firm.
Her excitement grew with every passing day. Stede came back from the port with news of their ship’s progress, and in return she told him what she had discovered of the many wonderful places they could visit- between raids, certainly. She also brushed up on her languages, some medical knowledge, and a little bit of fencing. Stede joined her for the fencing, and they both enjoyed getting out some of their extra energy and excitement.
The children were sent to the Academy. Their lawyer was given firm instructions on managing the house and their small estate. Their acquaintances (no one could be called ‘friends’) were told of vague leaving plans.
The day finally came for the Bonnets to christen their lovely boat and set sail. They hired several merchant sailors to get them to Nassau, and from there they could find their crew.
Mary ran her hands over the painted wooden railings, marvelling at Stede’s dream made into reality.
“-finest cherry wood from Brazil, I heard that a mast should be no less than-”
She threw herself into his arms, almost knocking them both overboard.
“Stede,” she said seriously. “You must promise me that we are in this together. I know that we have not had the most… conventional marriage. But out there, on the ocean… we need to look after one another.”
Stede pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Of course, dearest Mary. We will protect and support each other through thick and thin! I will never forget how you have supported my… hobbies.”
“It wasn’t difficult to convince me,” she teased. “Any more time with Mrs Fowler’s inane embroidery circle and I would have resorted to violence!”
“We need to name this beauty,” Stede said, looking up through the billowing sails.
“Something pirate-y,” Mary said. “And for ourselves, of course!”
“A name should strike fear into the hearts of men,” Stede said, thinking back on the history and folklore of pirating. “What are you most afraid of, my dear?”
Mary wrinkled her nose. “Sharks,” she admitted. The accounts of shark attacks had been terrifying to read. “You?”
“Improper tailoring.”
They laughed. After some discussion, a decision was reached.
“Welcome aboard, Bloody Mary,” Stede said with a deep bow.
“Thank you for having me, Gentleman Pirate,” she demurred with a curtsey. “The Revenge is known for its dastardly exploits all across the seven seas!”
“Mental,” she heard one of the hired hands mutter. “They’re both mental.”
*
It was certainly an adjustment, for both of them.
Getting their sea legs was a multi-stage process. And while they both had excellent technical knowledge of sailing, it was different to ordering people about while the boat rocked on a stormy sea.
Mary had to adjust her wardrobe very quickly. Gone were the layers of petticoats and structured garments; gone were the dainty slippers with no real protection form moisture or uneven ground. She covered herself in sturdy linens, belted with thick leather around the waist and forearms. Thick woollen stockings prevented blisters from her leather boots.
Stede was… less adaptable. He was quite the clotheshorse, after all. But he was now resigned to a much-reduced wardrobe, at Mary’s insistence. She had also convinced him to rig his library with long ribbons across the shelves to prevent the books from crashing off the wall at the first wave. It worked a treat.
The act of getting mercenary pirates to come aboard the Revenge was more difficult than either of them anticipated. Luckily they were not picky. Some of the candidates had barely sailed before, but some of them were more experienced than their co-Captains.
Mary and Stede took all comers. They explained the wage system, their treatment of crewmates, and what the men could expect of their leadership.
There were quite a few people turned off by the fact that Mary was sailing with them. One of them told her, quite matter-of-fact, that the crystals in her body attracted sea creatures.
“Well then, all the better to lure the kraken to its doom,” she said cheerily. “And if I hear you saying such silly things again, you will be marooned forthwith.”
Frenchy looked unconvinced, but he did end up joining the crew.
Once they had a full compliment, they set sail.
*
“We need a flag,” Black Pete complained.
“Well, it’s a good thing we have quite the lady seamstress aboard!” Stede said, winking at Mary.
“Call me that again and I’ll stab you through the eye with this dainty needle.”
“Right-o!”
They collected fabrics and Mary took charge. “I won’t be coming up with the design,” she warned them. “I want to see your creativity!”
It turned out that Little John had sewed before, and Frenchy was quick to pick it up. With a little bit of grumbling, the rest of the crew fell in.
Stede was very impressed with the array of flags that they presented to him that evening. So much in fact that he couldn’t decide on which one.
“Let’s try them in situ,” Mary said. “You never know how these things will look up the rigging.”
*
After a few failed attempts at piracy, they came across their first big fish.
Unfortunately, it was also a warship of the British Navy.
Fortunately, the Admiral was an old school chum of Stede’s.
Unfortunately, he was a consummate asshole.
Fortunately, the crew were more than willing to put the officers at ease once Stede explained the plan.
Unfortunately, they were not very good at disguises and violence broke out quite quickly.
Fortunately, Stede and Badminton had gone to the Captain’s quarters to chat.
Unfortunately, Badminton decided to continue bullying poor Stede.
Fortunately, Mary snuck out of a secret passage to bonk him over the head with a statue of a whale.
Unfortunately, Badminton fell on his sword.
Fortunately, they could use this to their advantage to build their reputation.
Unfortunately, Stede was fairly cut up by the whole thing.
Fortunately, Bloody Mary had no regrets about the whole affair.
*
“Captain,” Izzy Hands greeted as he stepped into the smoke-filled cabin. “You wanted to hear about any new contenders.”
“Ah, yes,” Blackbeard rumbled from his chair. “Any small fish trying to be sharks?”
“There have been rumours. A new pair of pirates called… the Gentleman Pirate and Bloody Mary.”
That got Blackbeard’s attention. “Seriously?”
“A woman,” Izzy spat. “Probably no more than a common whore.”
“With a gentleman,” Blackbeard murmured. “And…?”
“They seemed to take several British naval officers hostage with no casualties, sir. The stories aren’t quite clear, but…”
“Hmm,” Blackbeard said. “See what you can find out… maybe from Spanish Jackie.”
*
“He’s an idiot,” Izzy reported back a few days later. Blackbeard was standing on deck, looking at the far horizon. “They’re both making it up as they go along. They won’t last.” His ego was bruised from their encounter, not least because he had been caught off-guard by a woman’s threat of violence.
“Do you know where they came from?”
“Nothing solid. They say the man’s called Stede, and I suppose his wife is Mary.”
Blackbeard clutched the pommel of his knife and stared out at the sky. “Do we know their heading?”
*
For their hostage negotiation, Stede insisted that Mary stay back with the ship.
“You’re co-Captain,” he said gently. “Someone needs to stay here, and…”
“And people won’t negotiate with a woman,” Mary finished grouchily. “Tell that to Spanish Jackie.”
They had gotten along surprisingly well, considering Mary’s more genteel ways. Jackie was adamant that Mary should consider getting multiple husbands to fulfil her needs, and Mary was certainly open to the concept. She was less convinced that she should start a nose jar. The smell was horrendous.
“I’m sorry, love,” Stede said. “You’ll show them.”
She felt that something was going wrong when Jackie’s slimy husband went with them, smirking all the while. Along with a few crewmen- and Jim, who Mary knew full well wasn’t who everyone thought they were- they left in a dinghy.
Mary kept the eyeglass glued to her face as she watched them climb aboard, only to see the Spanish take everyone at knifepoint.
“Shit!” she cursed. “Buttons, Take us about! Little John, load the cannons!”
“We can’t fire on them!” the Swede cried, “Our people are over there!”
“Yes, but we’re pirates,” Mary snapped. “They don’t know what we’re capable of.”
She put the eyeglass back up, just in time to see Stede jerk and stiffen. The Spaniard pulled his sword away, covered in crimson.
She swallowed down her panic and continued to give orders. When she was able to look back, they had Stede on a barrel with a noose tied around his pale neck. Still alive, she told herself.
She just got the broadside in range of the warship and had the Spanish scrambling for their own weapons, when another ship came into range seemingly out of nowhere.
“Look ye at the flag!” Buttons shouted. “By God!”
She looked up at the black flag, skeleton grinning back.
“Blackbeard,” Mary whispered. She had no idea of his intentions, whether he would slaughter everyone aboard the Spanish warship regardless of allegiance, but she didn’t intend to back down. Not while Stede was in danger. “Prepare to fight!”
*
Meanwhile, Stede was praying that Mary would at least retreat while she had the chance.
Of course, she did the exact opposite.
He was in a haze of pain, but he saw just enough to realise that all of the men fighting on the deck weren’t their own.
“Barbanegra!” a Spanish soldier shrieked.
“No way,” Stede choked, and then someone kicked the barrel out, and everything went a bit black around the edges.
*
“Stede!” Mary cried, launching herself onto the boat with a grapple and stumbling through the melee. She drew her sword and hacked at the rope holding him. She winced when he dropped like a sack of potatoes, but at least he was alive.
The Spanish didn’t seem to know what to do when she started defending Stede, unsure of whether they were allowed to fight a woman. Anyone who came close got a swish of her blade.
Soon the rabble of pirates were able to kill or maim enough of them that the remaining soldiers surrendered. But still, she did not lower her weapon. She could hear Stede gasping on the ground behind her.
“Bloody Mary and the Gentleman Pirate, I presume,” a rich voice interrupted.
Her heart pounded, and she turned to face the voice. She saw a grey-haired wild man with black leather and an arm full of tattoos. He didn’t have a weapon out.
“You’ve heard of us?” Stede asked weakly. Mary resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
“Oh, I’ve heard of you,” the man who was obviously Blackbeard said. “I’ve heard all about you.”
He smirked.
Mary lowered her weapon for only a moment, and dropped to her knees beside Stede. If she didn’t act now, Stede would definitely die. She pressed on the gut wound. “Olu, the kit!”
*
The rest of the afternoon was a blur. They managed to get Stede back on the Revenge with a gangplank, and into the opulence of their Cabin. There Mary could clean and dress the wound, and refer to a few of the medical texts that they had brought aboard.
Buttons was in charge of getting them as far away from the decimated Spanish warship as possible.
It was only after they were at full sail that she fully realised Blackbeard and some of his crew had not returned to their own ship.
She tried not to panic. There was supposedly a bit of a code between pirates that they wouldn’t attack each other without due cause, but this was Blackbeard they were talking about. He had no morals, no mercy.
Mary admonished herself. She didn’t know the man outside of stories. Maybe he could be different. There was certainly more to Stede than most people expected.
She cleaned the blood off her hands and marched out of the Captain’s quarters. Everyone was on deck, waiting for news.
“Your co-Captain is stable,” she reported. “I thank you all for your efforts in the rescue. You fought well. Buttons, are we-”
“That’s quite enough of that, love,” Izzy Hands sneered. Mary recognised him from their encounter on the island, where they had divided the hostages. “Let the men take this one.”
Olu whistled. The Swede started whimpering.
Oh, it was on.
“I don’t know who you think you are, Mr Hands,” she snapped, “But this is my ship. If you don’t like it, feel free to take a long walk off a short plank.”
“Yeah, Izzy, show some respect,” Blackbeard said. She hadn’t seen where he was, up on the bow of the ship, but now she saw him coming down the stairs at a sure and menacing pace. “We are guests, are we not?”
Izzy snorted.
“More like stowaways,” Mary said. “You certainly didn’t have my permission to be aboard, Captain Blackbeard.”
Black Pete choked on air. Lucius thumped his back, but also looked a bit pale at Mary’s rudeness.
But Blackbeard laughed. “I suppose you’re right there, Captain Mary. Or is it Captain Bloody?”
“Just Bloody Mary,” she said. She strode forward and shook his hand. It was calloused and gritty under her soft palm. “Or Mary.”
“Well, Mary,” Blackbeard said. “Here’s the situation as I see it. We easily could slaughter your entire crew and take the ship for ourselves, but honestly we prefer to fight for booty, and it appears you’re fresh out of treasure. Instead, let’s consider this a bit of an… opportunity. To get to know each other. Collaborate.”
She sized him up. He did seem sincere, although there was always a bit of a twist to his lips that made it seem like he was secretly laughing at her.
“If you hurt anyone here, especially Stede,” she warned him, “We’ll set your people on a dinghy to be picked up by the Spanish.”
“Deal!” Blackbeard said over Izzy’s choked protest. “Let’s drink on it.”
She nodded shortly. “Buttons, are we making good time?”
“Aye, Mary me lass. But the armada is surely close behind.”
“We have time,” Mary said, looking at Blackbeard. “Let’s talk.”
*
Blackbeard was stunned by the Cabin he walked into. “Jesus, is this all yours?”
“Stede and I are accustomed to a certain lifestyle,” she said. She poured out two whiskeys. “Being on a ship is just incidental.”
“You’re crazy,” Blackbeard said approvingly. “I like that.”
She toasted him, and they both took a long swig. She pretended not to have tears in her eyes from the sharp tang.
“You must love your husband very much to sail with him.”
“Who said he was my husband?”
“No one,” Blackbeard said. “But it’s obvious.”
She smiled despite herself. “We made it work. Devotion comes in many different forms.”
Blackbeard hummed. He took a turn around the room, openly curious about all their trinkets.
“I’ll be honest,” the grizzled pirate said finally. “When I heard the rumours, most equated your role in this little venture to little more than a painted lady.”
She looked steadily at him. “I’m used to being underestimated.”
“I’m sure you are. People underestimate women at their own peril. Jackie isn’t the only one out here who could kill a man with her pinky finger. Nor is violence the only form of influence… although I can see that I’m not telling you anything you didn’t already know.”
Mary nodded.
“I came aboard because I want to understand how someone like the Gentleman Pirate can do something different in this business… but I’m starting to think that the biggest difference is having someone like you.”
“You flatter me,” Mary said. “Stede had all these ideas. I helped to execute them.”
Blackbeard’s next look was more calculating. “It’s more than that, I think.”
His circuit had taken him all the way to Stede’s prone body. Mary tried to stay relaxed as Blackbeard took a seat and stared at him.
“He is in no danger from me,” Blackbeard said. “Like I said, I want to understand him. Nothing more.”
Mary wasn’t sure why she believed him, but she did. “I’m going to check on the crew,” she said. “Call me if he wakes, Captain Blackbeard.”
“Edward,” he said. “Call me Edward.”
*
She was just about tired of Hands looking at her like he was watching a talking dog, but she ignored him out of respect for Blackbeard. Edward. That was hard to get used to.
It turned out that Little John had been burned in the melee (probably from trying to set his own fire, bless him), so she tended to that and checked on the status of their munitions.
Olu and Jim were talking in harsh whispers near the stern of the ship. Jim hadn’t put their fake nose and beard back on, but they still wore the hat low around their face.
“Cap’n,” Olu said, seeing her approach. Jim tensed up.
“Relax,” Mary said. “Do you think I’m going to object to having someone on board who isn’t another stinking man?”
Jim’s lips quirked.
“What do you want us to call you?”
Jim shrugged.
“Let us know when you decide,” Mary said. “I know a thing or two about finding a different identity. What I do need to know, is whether Spanish Jackie is going to keep coming after us.”
Jim didn’t reply. Olu interjected, “There was a bounty out. It’s probably gone up. At least we didn’t kill another one of Jackie’s husbands.”
Mary sighed. “One is work enough for me. Anyway, Jim… you can always come to us, if you need anything.”
Jim nodded, pushing the hat back slightly so they could smile tentatively at Mary.
*
Stede did improve, only to be caught by an infection that left him feverish and moaning. Mary, Lucius and Blackbeard took turns watching over him. Mary sponged away his sweat, debrided the wound, and changed his nightclothes as often as was needed. She didn’t instruct Lucius or Blackbeard to do the same, but when it came time for her shift, there was often a basin of water or soiled bandages left nearby.
She tried not to think too hard about whether it was Lucius or Blackbeard. Either would be strange enough.
*
Stede only had scattered memories of his recognisance. He saw Mary, and Lucius, and a strange man with a grouchy countenance and a cool hand on his forehead.
When he finally lurched out of his fevered sleep, the stranger was there to greet him.
“Mary,” he croaked, but the man pushed him back down firmly.
“She’s asleep,” the man said quietly. He jerked his thumb to the chaise, and Stede could just see the swaddle of blankets with his wife’s hair sticking out. He relaxed.
“I’m Ed,” the man said.
“Stede,” he responded. “How long have you worked for Blackbeard?”
*
Mary was awoken from her exhausted sleep on the chaise when she heard murmuring. She momentarily panicked when Stede’s bed was empty, but she saw the door to the wardrobe cracked open a bit, and relaxed.
Izzy stormed in. “Edward, are you in ‘ere?” he asked. He sneered when he saw Mary there, but thankfully didn’t comment. He left as quickly as he came.
Mary approached the secret wardrobe on light steps.
“Was that Blackbeard?” Stede asked. Bless him.
“No, I’m Blackbeard,” she heard Edward say. “Shhh.”
The horrified silence from Stede was enough to make Mary giggle. She knocked lightly. “Stede? How are you feeling?”
“Get back, Mary!” he said in a panic. He groaned as even that exclamation pulled on his gut wound.
“Don’t be silly,” she tutted. She looped her arm under his shoulder. “Come on, back to bed. Edward, get the other side?”
Stede spluttered as they carried him back to bed. It would have been hilarious if not for Stede’s obvious pain.
“You know him?”
“He’s been helping to take care of you,” Mary said.
Edward, to her surprise, flushed a little and looked away. “Not really. Just keeping watch. Making sure you didn’t jump up and kill anyone.”
She knew immediately that he’d been the one to change the bandages, but said nothing of it. “Rest, Stede. I’ll go fetch some broth.”
When she came back, the two men were chattering away like old friends.
*
She felt very strongly that she shouldn’t interfere with Stede and Edward’s budding relationship.
She had taken to sleeping out on deck, claiming that the fresh sea air was better for her, but in reality she didn’t feel entirely at home in Stede’s bed anymore.
Not that they shied away from the little gestures of intimacy that had been habitual during their marriage; they often embraced, gave each other little gifts, that sort of thing.
But she knew her husband, and she knew herself.
She could see as clearly as the crystal water of St Augustine that he was falling in love.
She discussed her findings with a very tipsy Lucius. “It seems that Stede and Ed are joined at the hip these days.”
“Oh, head over heels,” he blurted. “It’s quite disgusting, really.” His eyes went wide. “I-I mean, I’m sure your husband… wouldn’t be unfaith… oh God, just run me through!”
Mary laughed. “At ease, Lucius. I’ve known for some time that our marriage of convenience would never be more. I just wasn’t sure if another lady would catch his eye, or… someone like Edward.”
Lucius shrugged. “Some people find comfort at sea in anyone’s arms, but Stede and Edward… it’s different.”
She looked up at the crow’s nest where Stede and Edward were drinking and playing some local variation on checkers. Their laughter was like a fresh breeze.
“Yes,” she said. “It is different.”
She pushed down some of her jealousy. Her husband’s happiness did not reduce her own.
But she did wonder… if Stede was to run away with Edward, where would that leave her?
The crew were perfectly satisfied to follow her when Stede was unwell or absent, but she never truly wanted to be a Captain. She was Stede’s first mate, for as much as he said she was co-Captain. She didn’t want to be everything that he was.
This had been quite the adventure, but some part of her still wanted peace.
*
Several Months, and Much Fuckery Later
*
They were taking some shore leave when Mary plucked up the courage to tell Stede.
“What? You can’t leave!” Stede cried. “We’ve only just begun!”
“It’s been two years, dear,” she reminded him. “The children have only received the occasional letter. I want to check on them myself.”
“Of course, but… you’ll be back, won’t you?”
She looked over at Blackbeard, who was painstakingly teaching the Swede how to fish. The blond’s fingers were already speckled with blood from failed attempts at baiting a fishhook.
Stede followed her gaze, and his cheeks went pink.
She laughed. “I’m not blind,” she said. “But that’s not the reason I’m leaving.”
Stede looked back at her, quizzical and slightly afraid of what she might say next.
Mary took a deep breath. “I love the sea air,” she said. “But I also want somewhere to call my own. I want to improve my painting, make some friends, eat more than hard tack. I don’t want the life we had before, but I want…”
Stede smiled. “You want your own dream.”
She nodded. She suddenly felt overwhelmed with gratitude for the man who had walked beside her all these years.
“Then go get it, what are you waiting for?”
She pulled him in close, crying happy tears on his silk jacket.
“I’ll write,” she said. “All the time.”
“You’ll be bored of my letters,” he promised in return.
On an impulse, she kissed him square on the lips. He patted her back awkwardly, and she pulled away, instantly apologising with a squeeze of his shoulder.
“You have your dream, and your lover to share it,” Mary said. “I hope to find someone half as devoted to me.”
“You will,” Stede said. “And if he treats you wrong, tell him that your husband is the toughest pirate on the seas and we won’t hesitate to roast him alive!”
*
They had a farewell of sorts on the ship before she carried her bags away. She would miss them all very much. Buttons even cried, which was… strange for everyone there.
She set out on a merchant ship, back towards their old home. She itched under the layers of clothing that she was wearing for the journey, still less than some women but more than she had become used to.
She pulled out her sketchbook and started putting in the coastline as it went past.
“You have a good eye,” a man said in a thick American accent. She turned around; it was another passenger. She was struck by how open and friendly his face was, so expressive.
“Thank you,” she said. “I’m trying with charcoals, but I can’t quite get the water right.”
He held out his hand. “Douglas Lamb. I’m a painter.”
“Oh, how delightful!” she held out her hand. “Mary Bonnet, pirate-ess.”
He laughed, presuming it to be a joke. A smudge of charcoal passed from Mary’s fingers to the back of his hand.
“Oh, I’m terribly sorry,” she said, pulling out a handkerchief. “Here, let me.”
She took his hand again, and when she brushed the cloth against his skin, she felt a thrill of electricity pass between them.
Oh.
That hadn’t taken long at all.
*
Stede had said his final farewell to Mary and was in a somewhat sombre mood that evening. He missed her already, and Ed was being an absolute stick-in-the-mud for no apparent reason.
“When is she coming back?” Ed asked. He was sitting on the opposite end of the settee, holding himself apart.
“If all goes well, she’ll never be back,” Stede said sadly.
Ed’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
Stede gestured wildly. “This was my dream, not hers. She enabled my idiosyncrasies for long enough. I had to let her go.”
“But… you’re a team!”
Stede smiled. “We are. And a good team knows when to part ways. I thought she would have explained all this to you?”
Edward shrugged. He’d been avoiding spending much time with Mary, especially at her farewell party. It reminded him of what he wasn’t, what he could never be.
Stede’s.
“You didn’t think we were… together, did you?” Stede asked timidly.
“You have children,” Ed pointed out waspishly. “I know how it works.”
“We had an arrange marriage. We did our duty. I’m fortunate that Mary turned out to be as incredible as she is, but there was never any… well… desire there. Not like…”
The sentence trailed off like a fish escaping a line.
“Stede?” Ed asked, hating the tremble in his own voice.
Stede continued, each word falling from his lips like manna from heaven. “…not like I feel with… you.”
Ed could hear his own heart pounding. All this time.
“You know that I love you, don’t you Ed?”
“Oh, thank God,” Ed stuttered. “I love you to, you absolute idiot.”
“The message got somewhat lost beside the insult-”
Ed shut him up with a well-timed kiss. Fewer and fewer words were spoken as the evening progressed, until all they could say were each other’s names in rapturous tones.
*
*
Mary whispered to her swollen belly, looking out over Doug, who was busy at work in their painting studio. “Let me tell you, Baby Lamb, about the bravest men you’ll ever meet…”
*