This is a sort of epilogue/preview for my next Saoirse story. Till next time, friends!
"Did you see his face?" Lucy was giggling at their taunting of her older brother for fawning over a girl.
"Bright red! Just like the time we caught Seamus about to kiss Juliana!" Both girls dissolved into giggles. Saoirse and Lucy were fourteen years old and the best of chums.
"One day though, boys will be a-courting us!" Lucy giggled.
"Aye, and imagine the fun our brothers will have at our expense for revenge!" That set them giggling again. Just then someone roughly pushed past Saoirse, pushing her into Lucy and both girls were sent tumbling to the street. The person didn't even apologize. When the girls were up and brushing themselves off, they noticed the person dropped something and went to pick it up.
"Tis a wanted poster, Saoirse, look at this!" Saoirse held one corner of the description "Odd, usually there's a sketch."
"They don't have a name of the person."
"From what it says, they didn't know his name and no one actually saw his face, but he was caught impersonating a member of the clergy of the Church of England."
"You think they would have seen his face."
"From what it says, it was covered with a hood so they weren't able to see much other than black eyes, black hair, a mustache and two braids in his goatee with beads at the ends."
"What an odd description. He has braids in his goatee?" Lucy nodded.
"I've heard of a pirate that wears all sorts of trinkets in his hair. Supposedly they're like souvenirs of places he's been and things he's done."
"Well I guess if he's wanted, he got away, right?" For some reason, Saoirse wanted it to be true, even if she didn't know the person who impersonated the member of the clergy. Like many other times, her hand drifted to the shamrock locket around her neck that usually lay under the knot of her scarf. Lucy gave her a funny look.
"Yes, he got away. They say the only thing they saw, other than his eyes, some of his hair and his facial hair, was the brand of a pirate on his right wrist." Saoirse felt an odd twisting feeling in her gut that she couldn't explain.
It couldn't have been Captain Jack, she told herself. He's dead. Mum and Daddy told her so and when he was spoken of in the house, it was in the past tense. This must be some other man who'd been branded on the wrist, even though most men were branded on the forehead.
"Why are you worried about a pirate?" Saoirse shrugged.
"I don't know, Lucy. Did it say if he hurt anyone?" Lucy read the rest of the wanted poster and shook her head, puzzled.
"That's odd. Why is he wanted? He took nothing and hurt no-one!" Saoirse sighed.
"Oh forget it then. They're probably just indignant that he impersonated a member of the clergy. Come, let's get some sweets!" The two girls brushed the dirt off their gowns and headed towards the shop. Lucy didn't even notice that Saoirse turned the shamrock over and read the inscription again, even though she knew what it said.
"For my little friend, Saoirse, Captain Jack." Saoirse wished she could remember him better. She'd forgotten the sound of his voice, his face and the feel of his hugs. She missed him terribly. It was thanks to her parents that she remembered him at all. They told her how he rarely called her by her name, choosing to call her "Love", "Sweetheart", or "Darlin'" instead. They also made sure that as she grew that she always had a chain long enough to wear her locket.
With a sigh, Saoirse released the shamrock and hurried after her friend as she pulled her purse from her pocket. Lucy was already picking out some penny candy while Saoirse looked around, trying to make up her mind. Looking at the chocolate, she smiled. Tommy Ryan had told her about one time when she'd gotten a splinter and after it was out, Captain Jack shared some chocolates with her. He said she'd claimed the ones with the strawberry crème filling were her favorite.
"Miss Miller?" The owner of the sweet shop was at her side. "Have you made up your mind, Miss?" Saoirse smiled and looked up into his crinkled grey eyes that matched his grey hair and nodded.
"Yes, sir, I'd like half a pound of Strawberry crèmes, if you please."