Back To The Past: Jane Austen Fifty-Two

Passengers were yelling that there was a pirate ship approaching. Megan and Jennifer seemed nervous but their husbands to be seemed calm. Maybe it was just for show. Megan was tugging at her hair and her hand reached up to the hat she was wearing. Darn hat pin! That hat pin had stuck her finger. Hat pin! A great weapon! Megan took the hat pin out of her hat. She whispered: "Okay, pirates. I am ready."

Jennifer watched Megan. She, too had worn a hat. Great idea. Jennifer took hat the pin out of her hat. Pirates be damned! The pirate ship was getting closer and slowing down. A lot of passengers had left and some men stayed. One had a sword. Bradley had his sword in the cabin but he had his gun on him and there wasn't time to get his sword. He patted his jacket and put his hand over his gun. Jennifer was glad Bradley had his gun with him. Miles reached in his coat pocket and pulled out a candle snuffer. Megan and Jennifer nervously laughed.

"I was snuffing the candles out before we left home and I forgot to put it back. Now, I am glad I did." Miles smiled but seemed nervous now.

"A candle snuffer can leave quite a lump on one's head. Good show, my friend." Bradley and Miles were ready for a good fight.

Jennifer looked at Megan. She mouthed "Good show?" She had never heard Bradley use that phrase. The English used that expression a lot she knew.

The pirate ship had stopped but the ship Megan and Jennifer saw was stopping, too. The pirates were coming. They were dressed in tattored dirty clothes. One pirate had gray hair tied in a pony tail and a hole in his pants. He had no teeth and he was carrying a knife. He looked at Megan and headed straight towards her. Miles took his candle snuffer and hit him upside the head. Megan poked him in the leg with her hat pin. The pirate yelled and Miles hit him again. The pirate fell. He was down for the count. Megan laughed. "Grandpa, aren't you a little old for pirates games?"

The old pirate slowly got up and limped away.

There were more pirates coming. They didn't look like pirates of the Carribean. Some had no teeth. One had a peg leg. One had no hand. One looked like he was eighteen. A young blonde kid. He had a gun and Megan was nervous. Bradley drew out his gun and said: "Mate, you are just a lad. Don't make me use this.I am older, wiser and faster."

The blonde kid dropped his gun and ran. A older ugly pirate with dirty, oily brown hair grabbed Jennifer and grabbed her breast. Bradley shot him in the foot. The pirate limped away yelling curses. The one male passenger who had a sword cut one pirate's arm. There were still plenty of pirates to go around. Jennifer took her hat pin and poked one pirate in the butt. This pirate had a fancy white shirt on that was dirty and he had black hair. He was good looking but he was a pirate.

"If ye want to play with my butt, just say so!" The pirate was in his twenties. Bradley pointed his gun at him. "Another comment like that and I will blow you away!"

The pirate had a sword and was gopng after Bradley and Miles came up behind the pirate and hit him with his candle snuffer on his head. The pirate dropped his sword. He left in a hurry.

Megan thought these pirates were chicken. Nothing like Captain Jack Sparrow and Will Turner. What a pity! It would have been nice to see the movie pirates that she loved.

Just then a Navy ship came out of no where and stopped. The pirates who saw the Navy ship were jumping ship.

Megan smiled. She had to wonder if these Navy men were some of Jane's friends. The Navy officers came aboard the ship and were fighting the pirates with swords and one shot a pirate. Miles and Bradley took Megan and Jennifer to their cabins. With the Navy here, the battle would probably be more brutal.

Bradley and Miles got Megan and Jennifer to their cabin.

"Hey! It was just gettng interesting. I want to see the Navy in action!" Jennifer exclaimed.

"We were doing great battling those pirates. We had hat pins, a candle snuffer and a gun. We had it covered." Megan sulked.

"Yes, we did good but the Navy is taking charge. Miles and I are going back to the battle." Bradley kissed Jennifer and Miles kissed Megan.

"Be careful!" the women said in unison.

"We will." Bradley promised.

Just then there was a rumble and smoke. Megan and Jennifer looked out the portal window. The pirate ship had been fired on by the Navy's cannon.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" Jennifer's eyes got huge.

"Looks like the pirates have had their last rumble." Megan couldn't believe the adventure that they were having.

Bradley and Miles got back to the pirates and the Navy. Pirates were being shackled and taken aboard the Navy ship. The captain and his crew were talking to the pirates.

"Looks like they have things handled." Bradley and Miles watched the burning ship sink.

"I am going back to be with Megan." Miles said.

"I will go with you." Bradley and Miles went back to be with Jennifer and Megan.

The women hugged the guys. The burning pirate ship had an awful aroma but it was sinking.

"That was a short battle. I have always thought of pirates as being colorful. They were taken down. I suppose they will be hung." Megan said sadly.

"Don't go feeling sorry for them. They steal and kill people." Bradley reminded Megan.

"I have never seen pirates in that way, I guess. I saw them in action today. I guess they could be brutal. We had a good short battle. I am surprised that I wasn't scared. I loved poking those guys with my hat pin." Megan giggled.

"Me, too. If it wasn't for Megan pricking her finger with her hat pin, we wouldn't have realized that we had weapons." Jennifer was putting her hat back on.

At least we are all safe. Good call, Miles that you had that candle snuffer in your coat pocket." Bradley smiled.

"I thought so, too. Desperate times call for desperate measures." Miles said.

Just then there was a knock on the door. Megan answered the door. A man from the captain's crew told them that all the pirates had been captured.

Jennifer lit up a cigarette and Bradley did, too.

"Only two days into this adventure, we have already encountered pirates. Since we have met you ladies, life has been an adventure. We are so lucky to have you. You don't act like nineteenth century women and that is what we like about you. It is what I love about you, Jen."

"I love you, too. I think I will love being in France. At least there won't be any pirates in France." Jennifer finished smoking her cigarette.

"Let's go to the deck and see what is going on. Shall we?" Miles offered his arm to Megan.

Miles and Megan walked up to the deck and Bradley and Jennifer joined them.

The Navy ship was leaving. Things lookied back to normal. The burning ship was sinking. A lot of the passengers watched the burning ship sinking. These pirates had, had their last voyage.

Miles and Bradley went to talk over some business with three men aboard the ship. The ship was starting up again. It was ready to continue on it's voyage. The burning sinking pirate ship was out of view. Seagulls were flying and making noises.

It was announced that dinner would be in a half hour. Megan and Jennifer told their husbands to be that they would see them later. The ladies walked to their cabin.

They opened the door and there stood the blonde eighteen year old pirate! This wasn't going to go well! Megan and Jennifer froze in their tracks.