When the tears of unhealed wounds had ceased and the conversation of Scarlett's discovery had lulled, there was little left to be said amongst the family. Each retracted into their own thoughts until it was time to retire to bed.

Scarlett placed the heavy pan of hot coals at the foot of her bed and flipped the scratchy wool blanket overtop to insulate the heat. Everyone had departed to their small rooms except for William, who snuck inside Scarlett's door and closed it behind him.

“I'm proud of you,” he whispered. “That was brave.”

Scarlett shook her head. “That wasn't bravery. I simply had enough of all the things they say nearly every day. William, I feel so guilty.”

He approached her and sat down on the bed next to her. “It's not your fault. I just wish they had told us the truth.”

“I suppose they didn't want us growing up with shame.”

“But they should have let us decide how to handle it. It doesn't matter now, though. We will be reunited and make things right, just like you said.” He clasped Scarlett's hands in his and gave her a warm smile.

“I hope so. I've committed to it so much in my heart but I fear that I may fail.”

“Nonsense. We will find her together. When do we start?”

Suddenly, the realization of Scarlett's responsibility weighed down on her. “No, you need to stay here.”

“What do you mean?”

“You need to stay and help Father care for the bakery. You know he isn't able to work as hard anymore. And who would deliver to the customers while I'm gone?”

William furrowed his eyebrows. “No, I'm not going to let you go alone. Scarlett, you may have traveled the seas with pirates and seen things I haven't, but it's not safe out there for a woman. You heard Father's concerns earlier. That's why I stepped in. Perhaps, with the both of us together, we'll find our way and protect each other.”

Scarlett took in his words with careful consideration but also reminisced about her recent adventure. William touched on the subject but knew little of what she had experienced--the ruthless and dirty lives of pirates, the sword fights and thievery and lust for a good time. She felt a fluttering in her stomach at the recollection.

However, despite how appealing the adventure sounded to her, Scarlett knew her brother was right. It was a dangerous world out there and pirates and highwaymen lurked in every corner, waiting to take advantage of a traveler by stealing money or perhaps something worse.

“Do you think they'll be alright?” she said. “Father and Mother, and Joseph?”

“Yes, they will be fine. Joseph will be able to help whenever needed. Besides, once Mother finds our sister's address, we will travel there and be back home in a matter of no time. How long could the journey be?”

“Well, it depends how far away she is and if we need to travel by coach or ship. We would have to hire someone willing to take us.”

“And we will begin our search once we get the letter from Mother?”

“Yes--right away.”

“Good,” William said, beaming a smile. “This is so exciting. I've never traveled anywhere before. This may be my chance for a real adventure, just like you.”

Scarlett laughed but shook her head dismissively. “I wouldn't count on it. It won't be as thrilling as all that.”

----------

The following morning after breakfast, instead of rushing off to the bakery with her father and brother, Scarlett stayed home with her mother to search for Grace's letter. They entered her parents’ bedroom, where Catherine opened the lid to an old chest hidden in the corner. Scarlett watched as her mother dug through miscellaneous items before reaching a smaller chest at the bottom. She retrieved it and picked through its contents as well. It contained several yellowed papers and envelopes but Catherine only pulled out one.

“Here it is,” she said. “This is the last letter I received from her.”

Scarlett felt the paper between her fingers. “May I read it?”

“Of course.”

Scarlett flipped it over and pulled the letter out of the envelope, her heart picking up pace as she skimmed over the cursive writing. It was sloppy but as Scarlett read the words, it was easy to understand why. It appeared Grace had been in distress when she wrote, telling her parents the news about her newfound love being murdered by the man she had once been promised to, how he had run away from the scene and how the constables and townsfolk were searching for him. Scarlett's stomach twisted as she felt the hatred in her sister's words. She reached the end of the letter and folded it up quickly, placing it and all her jumbled feelings back inside the envelope. Then, she turned it over to look at the address. It was far away.

“She was just like you,” Catherine said, brushing Scarlett's hair from her face. “Grace had that long, wavy hair you could never pin back. And she had the same flare as you, too--same stubbornness as your father.”

Scarlett smiled. “I'd like to think that's what helped me handle pirates so well.”

Catherine winced. “Oh, I wish you wouldn't speak so of such awful things.” She paused, gazing at Scarlett for a moment. “What was the boy like? Alexander?”

Scarlett hesitated, her heart fluttering at the unexpected question. It felt strange to hear his name being spoken after her silence regarding him since her return. “Well, he's not a boy anymore. He's--” she paused, wanting to tell her mother how she felt about him, how debonair and dashing he was and how he had offered her a life of adventure with him. But she couldn't bring those words to her lips. “He's everything you would expect of a pirate captain, I suppose.”

“Did he mistreat you?”

Again, Scarlett's heart spoke truthfully but fear caused her to shake her head. “No, I was fine.”

A slight smile appeared on Catherine's face. “Good. Perhaps the stories about the great and feared pirate are not so true. I hope so anyway.” She stood and began placing the chest's contents back as they were.

Scarlett couldn't help but let tears well in her eyes but only after her mother had turned away.

----------

Scarlett shivered and pulled her cloak tighter as she stepped out of the cottage and onto the pathway. She trekked through the dewy grass beginning her descent down the cliffside towards the marketplace. Instead of venturing into town, she would be heading for the harbor.

Having a good vantage point of the bay she had grown to know so well, Scarlett examined the ships in port. Various types lined the docks as far as the eye could see--smaller fishing boats and sloops bobbed closer to shore while the brigs resided in the deeper waters of the bay. Their sails were withdrawn but their masts rose majestically high, each with a differently colored flag blowing rapidly on top. The sight sent a thrill through her body.

Scarlett had carefully pondered the best means of travel to find her sister. It was possible to go by land along the numerous routes that were being established but she quickly reasoned on the difficulties she would face--hiring a stagecoach willing to take her so far, the often-criticized rugged and bumpy roads, the cost of lodging at inns every night and the imminent threat of highwaymen along the way. She recalled the many stories she had heard through the town of the sudden prevalence of such robberies. No, traveling by stagecoach would be dangerous and unpleasant. Ships traveled faster and though there was a threat of pirates, they often had a greater arsenal of defense against those kinds on the seas. Plus, if they ran into pirates, it wouldn't be her first time, she mused.

She felt the coin purse attached to her belt, making sure it stayed hidden and secure underneath her cloak. She had gathered all the money she had saved, no longer to be kept safely in a chest in her room for a future. She hoped it would be enough to at least entice a merchant ship to carry her and her brother on their journey.

Upon reaching her destination, Scarlett glanced around the dock. Fishermen unloaded heavy catches from their boats, plopping the fresh fish onto carts and sending them off into town or further to inland cities. Seagulls squawked noisily above, competing with the shouts of men to and fro their ships. However, Scarlett ignored the menagerie and focused her eye down to the bigger ships. This was where merchants carrying sugar, flour, tea and other goods unloaded their cargo, rolling barrels down the long wooden planks from their ships to the stones of the marketplace. The men in charge supervised here, ready to barter for a hefty price.

Scarlett rested her eyes on the first merchant she spotted, observing the gruff man with his hands on his hips as he shouted directions at his sailors unloading barrels on their breaking backs. She approached him and waited for a moment to make her presence known. He looked up abruptly with a suspicious squint in his eye.

“Excuse me, sir,” she said. “Do you have a moment?”

“Not much. What do you want?”

“Well, my brother and I are looking for a ship willing to take us south to Plymouth. We would like to set sail right away.”

“Plymouth, you say?” he replied with a chuckle. “Miss, you are asking a lot of a simple merchant like myself. Do you know how far away that is?”

“I have money,” she said, pulling the small purse from her belt and showing it to him. “We are willing to pay a deposit and then will pay you more later once we have it.”

He shook his head. “It isn't worth it for me. Besides, we aren't making our way that far south for many weeks. We’re heading north after this.”

Scarlett clasped her purse back onto her belt in disappointment. “I see. I'm sorry to have wasted your time.”

“Sorry, miss, but you're going to have a difficult time finding someone willing to travel so far on that tiny purse there.”

He turned back to his crew and as his attention left her, Scarlett took her leave as well. She pressed on, not disheartened by the response of one man. She knew her search would be difficult and she was asking a lot of a stranger but someone surely had to be traveling towards Plymouth.

However, it proved to be harder than she realized. Every ship she approached was accompanied with a shake of the head from the man in charge. Some would listen to her proposition, eyeing the money in her hand before reasoning on the expense involved in such a distant journey. Scarlett continued her search well into the afternoon and the overcast skies were beginning to darken. She was nearly ready to give up until she was met by the friendly face of a young merchant, curious by her inquiry as she repeated her request once again.

“Plymouth Dock?” he said, scratching the stubble on his chin. “That is becoming quite a popular trading port but I'm afraid it's not in my route. However--” he paused, glancing at the money in her hand, “I could take you part of the way, close to your destination. You would have to find someone else to take you on the rest of your journey, though.”

Scarlett's face lit up upon hearing the first words of a prospective accord. “Yes,” she said, quickly. “If we could just travel even some of the way, I would be very grateful to you, sir.”

“Scarlett!” came a voice behind her.

She turned around to meet the presence of Commander Hughes, standing not so far away as he had already begun to make his approach.

“My dear Miss Scarlett, what a privilege it is to see you at the docks today.”