The day turned into dusk and there was still no sign of Grace in sight. Scarlett peered at the clock but instead of letting her anxieties take hold of her, she decided to begin preparing supper. She rummaged through the items they had purchased that day and contemplated what to make for their meal. There was a plentiful storage of salted fish in addition to a freshly caught cod from the market, and along with some cooked squash, boiled beef and a freshly baked loaf of bread, there was no doubt they would be eating quite well for days.

It was dark outside by the time Scarlett had concocted a hearty dinner. William's fire was roaring in the hearth due to his persistent stoking and the room radiated comfortably with its heat. It was upon this scene that the door finally opened, a cold rush of air sweeping across the floor to announce a presence in the room.

“Oh, how lovely,” Grace said, removing her cloak and hanging it on the wall hook. She moved over to the fire and bent low to warm her cold hands. “It looks like you've got everything handled perfectly well.”

“I've just prepared supper and it's been cooking over the fire,” Scarlett said, dumping the chopped vegetables into her pot of beef and carrying it to the hearth.

“Please, let me help,” Grace said, striding over to her sister's side. “You've been such a help already and you are my guests.”

“It's my pleasure, really. Seeing as you have long days away from home, it was the least we could do.” Scarlett placed the heavy pot on the hooks above the fire. Then she rose to her feet and returned to the kitchen. “What is keeping you so busy, anyway?”

“Oh, you know…” Grace trailed, waving her hands dismissively. “Just errands. I wouldn't want to bore you with it.”

“No, I'd like to know. You're my sister. It isn't boring.”

Grace hesitated before walking to a cabinet and retrieving dishes to set at the table. A worried look shadowed her face, not unnoticed by Scarlett. “Well, I do work now dealing with imports of sorts. I deal with merchants and the like to establish deals between them and vendors to trade their goods. It's rather tedious work, as I said, but it gets me by.”

As Scarlett listened to her sister open up about her life, a peaceful relief swept over her and washed away her worries. “I think that's wonderful. I'm glad you've been able to find good work.”

The pot over the fire began to boil and she walked back to the hearth to attend to it. After stirring the stew and seeing the vegetables were well-cooked from the fire's brisk heat, she removed the pot and placed it on the table. Supper then commenced and the three sat down to serve the meal before themselves. Scarlett scooped spoonfuls of the hot beef stew, William broke the warmed bread and passed some around to his sisters and Grace poured a new bottle of port into their glasses in celebration of their reunion. Each ended up with a healthy plateful and relished the long-awaited taste of homemade food to warm their bodies from the chill of the day.

After eating in silence for a few minutes, Scarlett began thinking of more inquiries to bring up about her sister's life. “So besides work, what do you do here? Do you have any connections?”

“No,” Grace began, casting her eyes down shamefully. “Not many. When a scandal follows you, there aren't many folk to associate with. Even despite changing your name and moving to another town, people are suspicious of an unmarried woman living on her own.”

“You must know some of the townsfolk, though? Is it a nice neighborhood here?”

“Yes, people are generally nice. Overall, Plymouth is a beautiful town. It has its bad corners just like any other but its harbor is well-respected and growing in popularity with the trades.”

“Yes, I've heard that,” Scarlett said, then she paused and set her fork down. “Grace, I had an idea. What if you came home with us, if you'd like? You could see Mother and Father and meet Joseph.”

Grace looked up at her, an alarmed expression on her face. “I don't think that's a good idea.”

“But they want to see you. If you come back with us, we can start over and be a family again.”

“No. I can't leave here. There is too much involved in such a move.”

“Well, perhaps you may come for a visit. Stay with us for a couple months and then you can come back here to your home.”

“No, I can't leave to visit either.”

“Why not? Surely your employer would be understanding?”

“I said I can't leave,” Grace said, anger rising in her tone. “Things are too busy right now and that shall be the end of the discussion.”

Scarlett froze, taken aback by her sister's harsh words, and she refrained from saying any more. William glanced between them nervously, tension loitering in the air once again.

Something was bothering Grace but Scarlett couldn't imagine what would tie her down so much to one place. Whatever the reason, it was upsetting to her and her stark objection to her sister's suggestion left Scarlett feeling dejected. Her hopes of reuniting their family were crushed. Perhaps, Scarlett began to wonder, they would be returning home without their sister, after all.

----------

“Perhaps I was too forward,” Scarlett said as she and her brother sat alone in the drawing room the following afternoon. “I shouldn't have brought up coming home with us, especially so soon.”

“Maybe,” William said. “But she can't blame you for your excitement. It certainly didn't merit that response.”

“Well, I figured she would be upset about Mother and Father but somehow, I don't think that's what it is. She acts like she can't leave here.”

William shrugged. “This has been her home for a long time now. She's established herself here with a job. I can see why it wouldn't be easy to leave.”

“I don't know. It just doesn't feel right to me.”

“I would just give her a little space. She may simply need some time to think about it. Like you said, we have suddenly thrown ourselves into her life. It's all very new for all of us.”

“Yes, you are right,” Scarlett said, though her mind continued to swirl with theories as to her sister's long absences. One way or another, she was going to find out what it was.

However, that proved to take longer than she anticipated. Three days passed during Scarlett and William's residence in Grace's home--all in the same manner of routine and without another word spoken about going home.

They continued on as they had, making themselves feel at home at Grace's bidding, though earning their keep by helping with the cleaning and cooking. Grace, meanwhile, carried on with her regular schedule of leaving quickly in the morning and returning in the evening around dusk. Nerves fluttered in Scarlett's stomach every night as she watched the clock, fearing Grace wouldn't return in a reasonable hour. It seemed as if the times of her arrival were growing further into the night so Scarlett had no way of telling exactly when to expect her home. Yet, she always appeared through the doorway and proceeded to rush about and fuss over her younger siblings as if nothing were unordinary.

Scarlett remained baffled by her sister's actions as she would watch her busy herself around the house. Her moments of silence or harsh words of anger contrasted unsettlingly with her moments of what seemed like genuine happiness. Something was hidden behind that facade and Scarlett was certain of it now. If they were going to reunite their family, she had to break down her sister's barriers first.

It was in the late afternoon of a damp and cloudy day as Scarlett deliberated over this. Unable to ponder any further into her thoughts about her sister, she decided to attend to the laundry. She found a basket and after gathering her and her brother's meager collection of clothes, she took them to the washing basin. She scrubbed away vigorously, rinsing their soiled garments from their days of captivity and salty sea air. Memories of the Captain and their adventures came back to her with a little thrill but before it could take root in her heart again, she hung their clothes out to dry and dumped the dirty sea grime out into the alleyway where it could flow away into oblivion.

She stepped back inside, retrieving her basket, and then headed for her sister's bedroom. It was a small room but quaint with a single bed and a wardrobe in the corner. She walked over to it and opened the doors, revealing an assortment of dresses. In amongst a few plain clothes were some beautifully crafted and likely tailor-made by a seamstress. Scarlett gazed upon them in awe as she remembered her sister's comment regarding sewing dresses for richer people and thus, indicating that seamstresses never wore such fine garments. However, feeling the fabric between her fingers, Scarlett realized the dresses now before her would have been of that very kind.

Dismissing her speculations about Grace's mysterious circumstances, she rummaged through the clothes to determine which ones could do with a washing. She pulled them out one by one, feeling inside the pockets in case anything had been left inside. They were empty and she threw them into her basket until suddenly, Scarlett's hand touched something inside the pocket of the dress Grace had worn the previous day.

She pulled out a slip of paper and was ready to cast it aside when some writing caught her eye. Curiosity overcame her senses and she examined it hurriedly. There was an address on the paper and scribbles of random numbers she couldn't piece together. Though not familiar with her sister's hand, she could tell it was a woman's and only guessed it was related to imports for a merchant. However, instead of being quick to discard it, Scarlett realized she had her clue to finding out more about her sister's work and she couldn't shake the thought away.

Abandoning her basket of clothes, she left the room and walked toward the front door, retrieved her coat and began to put it on.

“Where are you going?” William said from the drawing room.

“I may have found where Grace works,” she said, but when she looked upon William's confused expression, she added, “I'll be right back. It will only take a moment.” Then without bothering to explain further, she rushed out the door.

Scarlett knew it wouldn't be a far distance away. She had recognized the name of the street as she had already learned of it during their stay in the town and as daylight still remained, she determined it would be no difficult jaunt. She scurried down the steps and set off down the road, winding through the few people that milled about in the neighborhood. She turned around a corner, following the addresses on the stone residences and shops as she passed. The alleyways grew narrower and people were fewer and farther in between until finally it was silent, save for the sound of Scarlett's shoes on the wet cobblestones.

Just as she was beginning to feel at a loss as to the address’ whereabouts, she heard a shuffling of feet coming from the intersecting alleyway. Before she had time to react, she was met with the source of the noise coming around the corner in a blind hurry and nearly collided with her sister.

“Scarlett!” Grace said, jumping back in surprise. “You scared me half out of my wits! What are you doing here?”

“I came looking for you,” Scarlett said, putting a hand to her chest to calm her startled nerves. “What are you doing here?”

“I was working,” she replied, her expression falling stern as she let out an annoyed huff. Her eyes dropped to the paper in Scarlett's hand and her face grew pale as she recognized it. “What is that?”

Scarlett faltered for a moment. “I--it's got an address on it. I found it when doing the washing. I went into your room and found it in one of your dresses. I thought I could come down to see where you work all day.”

Grace snatched the paper from her sister's hand and glanced over it. “Well, you shouldn't have done that.”

“Why?”

“Because. You shouldn't be out in this area. It's not safe for a woman by herself.”

“Yourself excluded, I take it?”

Grace sighed and gazed at the frustration on Scarlett's face. “I have lived here a long time, Scarlett. I know the people in these parts. Now, just get on back to home. I was just heading there myself.”

Scarlett hesitated to turn around, her curiosity left unsatisfied and rather highly suspicious of her sister's harsh tone. But Grace appeared frazzled and disturbed by her sister's prying so Scarlett decided to back down. With a nod of obedience, she turned and they went on their way back home.

Their walk was a silent one, the awkwardness between them making it seem to take longer going back. Only when they entered the door was there a break in the tension, as William greeted them with a beaming smile. Quickly, though, he sensed something was wrong by the expressions on his sisters’ faces. He fell quiet and glanced nervously at Scarlett for some explanation but she only shook her head dismissively. Grace, on the other hand, began attending to things around the house and busied herself with her work once again. No more words about the incident were spoken between her and Scarlett.

However, it was far from settled, according to Scarlett. Though her sister kept up a silent front, she racked her mind to think of a way to investigate without further arguments. She watched on as William began kindling a fire for the evening and Grace started preparing supper. Little of what could be said came to form thoughts in Scarlett's mind and she found herself softening her own anger. She realized the best she could say was an apology.

Walking over to the kitchen table, Scarlett loitered by a chair. “I'm sorry, Grace,” she said. “I don't know what came over me.”

Grace paused for a moment but then resumed peeling the skins from the potatoes before her. “It's quite alright,” she said, keeping her eyes on her work.

“It wasn't right of me to pry like that,” Scarlett added, sensing she wasn't clear from being her sister's object of hatred. “That's your private life and I will respect that.”

Grace turned around to face her. “Thank you,” she said. “I appreciate that. But we can consider it forgiven and forgotten.”

Scarlett smiled but the gloominess on her sister's face worried her. “I know it may take us some time but I hope we will come to know each other very well someday. Then, perhaps we can share everything together, just like I've always wanted with a sister.”

“Perhaps,” Grace said, smiling for the first time that evening. “That does sound lovely.”

Interrupting their conversation, a loud rap sounded upon the door. Grace started at the abrupt noise and set down her knife.

William rose from his seat in the drawing room. “I can answer it,” he said.

“No!” Grace said. “I mean, please take your rest. I will see who it is.”

She rushed to the entryway and opened the door. Though she was out of sight, Scarlett heard a mumbling of voices. A deeper voice spoke, followed by her sister's higher voice in a distressed tone as if trying to prevent the other from entering the room but it was too late.

The owner of the deep voice stepped inside and suddenly, his tall, dark figure loomed over Scarlett and William. His wide shadow danced upon the wall from the flickering of the fire as if the devil had entered the room himself. Scarlett peered at the man in the wide-brimmed hat and bulky coat adorned with an array of flintlock pistols across the chest. Her heart jumped in terror as the dark abysses of Blackbeard's eyes gazed wickedly into hers.