They were quick with their movements to get onto the ship and go into the storage. Marguerite scurried around looking for something they could change into. She lifted the lid of a crate and winced when it hit the floor with a loud thud. The air and women were still for a moment to make sure no one had heard. She dug into the crate and pulled out a few sets of spare clothing, throwing one to Elizabeth. If they were going to stay on this ship, they couldn’t be women. Marguerite took off her dress and ripped off a few of the larger pieces from the skirt to bind her chest. She threw another to Elizabeth for her to do the same.

Elizabeth took off the large gown and set it aside then went to changing. It seemed such a waste, she looked so beautiful in that dress, now it was tattered and torn. She sighed and ripped another piece off Marguerite’s dress to bind her hair and hide it in the tri corner hat. Marguerite had turned to see that and grinned. “Good idea!” She did the same.

With both of the dress in rags now, neither of them went to truly hiding them. Marguerite and Elizabeth quickly went to the main deck to see the crew running around to make sail. At least now they were getting away. Beckett had no idea where they were. But Elizabeth had a mission. She had to get to Tortuga, where Will had told her he would search first for Jack. That was all she had to focus on now.


The next day, they got to scrubbing and washing the floors. Neither of the women were used to hard labor, but to not be caught they had to do the same chores as everyone else. Marguerite saw to the deck, while Elizabeth tended to brushing the railing of the ship when a great ruckus was heard. Apparently there were rumors of a ghost, she managed to notice the glimpses of gold from Elizabeth’s dress and winced. They were found out, but not caught. Their stories were insane, it wasn’t until the captain took over the subject it all even made sense to the crew. Then he started speaking of a stow away. Most likely naked. Marguerite and Elizabeth had to contain their laughter as they “helped” search for the stowaway aboard the ship.

Marguerite and Elizabeth met back in the storage room after receiving orders to search there. Marguerite pretended to look as Elizabeth sat on one of the crates. “We have to get to Tortuga..”

Marguerite opened and closed one of the lids and looked back at her friend, from what she had heard of Tortuga, it was a strange and dangerous place. “Why? Or better question, how?”

Elizabeth sighed “Will went looking for an acquaintance of ours…he would most likely wind up there.” Alright, at least they knew where they had to go now, but the question was how.

Marguerite placed a hand on her hip. “And just how do you plan on getting us there?”
Ha! Elizabeth had been waiting for marguerite to ask JUST that question. She leaned closer to her friend with a small grin on her face. She was excited to reveal this plan. “Well, they think the ship is haunted right? Well, what if we give them something to believe in?”

Thoughts and ideas ran through Marguerite’s head for a few moments. She was mainly trying to figure out where Elizabeth was going with this. The crew thought there was a ghost because they found Elizabeth’s dress….”Ha!” Marguerite let out in a triumphant giggle and she nodded to her friend.

Elizabeth’s eyes went wide at Marguerite’s outburst and signaled her to be quiet. “Alright…here’s what well do….”


Night fell on the merchant ship. Everything was in plan. Elizabeth gave thumbs up to Marguerite as she climbed the mast wedding gown in hand as Elizabeth wrote Tortuga onto the deck with rum. The plan was truly foolproof! She set a lantern perfectly in place on a crate so that it could wobble and fall easily onto the message then they would be on their way!

Elizabeth climbed the mast after Marguerite and stood at her side on the mast. She pointed to where the dress would cause the most attention. “Go over there, that’s where the captain’s cabin is!” Marguerite nodded and let the dress fly in the wind over the window on the side of the ship repeatedly, now all they had to do was wait. A few moments later the captain and a few crew members came storming out and soon the entire crew was following the way of the dress as Marguerite tried to knock the lantern over.  Ha! Sweet success! With a bang the lantern fell onto the words and flames filled the lettering…except the crew wasn’t looking. They were looking in a completely different direction. Marguerite rolled her eyes and looked over to Elizabeth, “Would you mind please?” She said, gesturing down below. Elizabeth too, rolled her eyes and nodded. She quickly took the rope and swung down and over heard the Captain talking about end trails being a bad sign. She cleared her throaght and then deepened her voice gesturing to the fire. “What’s that over there?!”

Next thing they knew, the Captain ORDERED for them to turn the ship on Tortuga’s direction. Marguerite grinned from the crows nest to Elizabeth, then climbed down herself after the deck had cleared. She detached the dress from the hook and laid it across a barrel as if to show the “spirit” had gone to rest.

By night fall the next day, Marguerite and Elizabeth equipped themselves with swords and all essentials to survive this island. Elizabeth left the sip first, but Marguerite paused looking at town in absolute fright. She didn’t even think she could survive this. Elizabeth paused and looked back at her friend. She rolled her eyes abd climbed back aboard taking her hand and pulling her back to land. “Come on…let’s do this…”