Somewhere Beyond the Lighthouse

Embarrassed, but contenting herself with the thought that her embarrassment would likely save the life of every man on the ship, Peggy stepped out onto the beach. Tamping down her instinct to cover any part of her body, she stood brazenly nude on the sand and waved smiling at the spyglass she could not see, but that she knew was there. She could only imagine the hoots and vulgarities inspired by her body and the horrid things many of the sailors would no doubt wish to do to her in that moment...but the indignity paid off. As she stood there waving at the ship, she was soon joyfully aware of the first signs that it was steering towards her and out of danger.

Tempting though it was to retreat into the house once she was sure of the ship's approach, Peggy dared not do it. Her foremothers had warned her that such actions had, in the past, resulted in ships turning back into the storm and being lost. And so she stood her ground, waiting for the ship to arrive. As for what to do should it send several men ashore, Peggy would cross that bridge when she came to it. It was nothing she had not endured in the past, and thanks to years of practice fending off the men at the café, she had always come out on top.

As the ship drew near, Peggy was acutely aware of the vulgar noises she had imagined all along; now they were all too real. No surprise, really, she thought sadly while keeping her welcoming smile pasted to her face. As the ship drew as close in to the beach as it could, she saw a rowboat being lowered; to her relief, it appeared to contain only the captain and two rowers. The older man sitting up straight in the boat did not look amused as he approached the shore; but neither did he look unappreciative of Peggy, she thought. She knew this type well enough after all these years.

"Madam, what in the hell is the meaning of all this?!" he demanded of Peggy even before clambering out of the boat to wade through the last several feet of water onto the beach. "How on earth is a captain supposed to manage a ship full of men who haven't been near a woman in months with a show like this on the shore?!" Though sounding angry and looking hungry, he kept a respectful distance and tried -- but failed -- to look Peggy only in the eye as he addressed her.

"He isn't, Captain," Peggy replied. "And that is why I have enticed you to Martin's Isle. Welcome. You may stay here, and your crew safe in the harbour, until the storm has passed."

"Storm?!" the captain demanded. "Do you think I am not capable of sailing to Sauraquid from here? It is but one hour if that!"

"I do not think you are incapable, Captain. I know you are. You needn't ask why, for I assure you a man would never understand. Besides, if you have been at sea for as long as you claim, surely you have heard of Martin's Isle by now, and our purpose in luring you to safe harbour?"

"Martin's Isle!" The captain spat out the words like they tasted bad, though Peggy noticed that his two subordinates in the boat exchanged knowing looks, before quickly refocusing their attention on her body. "Bloody myth! Heard it all my life, but no man has ever actually been there! Yes, I've heard the stories, how you give safe passage to those ships with wholesome cargo aboard and keep away the unsavoury ones. But never from anyone who has ever been there!"

"Been here," Peggy corrected. "And you have never heard from those who have been here because those who have experienced our charms would prefer to keep it all to themselves. Surely you can appreciate that, captain; look around! Compared to the squall from which I only just saved you, do you see anything here that you would ever want to share with another?"

The captain at last averted his hungry eyes from Peggy and surveyed the lovely summer sunset over the quiet beach and the trees swaying gently in the breeze. "Well," he considered, "No. No I would not. And I suppose you are going to tell me that is why your little island is on no map I have ever seen in my lifetime at sea?"

"Quite right," Peggy confirmed. "And now, let me ask you, in your lifetime at sea, have you heard of any captain of what you just called 'an unsavoury ship' sailing in to Sauraquid successfully?"

The captain's face softened as he considered the question. "It is a fool who tries," he admitted, "and all those I know who have been so foolhardy have indeed paid with their lives."

Peggy gestured to the house. "In that case, Captain, welcome to Martin's Isle. You are welcome to dine with me."

"What of my men?" He tried, but once again failed, to sound conciliatory on the matter.

"There are but one of me and two of my sisters in arms at this time," Peggy said. "We only have so many foodstuffs, and as for other favours, Captain, that depends on your attitude and that of your men. But if you desire to bring a few of your officers ashore, I can provide a meal in any event."

"Dear God, Charlie!" Lillie exclaimed, and I had little doubt she had been struggling to keep her prurient curiosity to herself for some time. "Are you saying the ladies of Martin's Isle kept Sauraquid pristine by sleeping with the captains they approved of and drowning those they did not?"

"Not necessarily," Charlie clarified. "They did what they could to assure safe passage for the good ships and to deter the bad ships. Very often, though, that did mean using their feminine charms to draw the captain onto land in the one case or to steer the ships off course in the other. Surely, my dear, you would agree the ends justify the means."

"I'm not certain," Lillie said, and I dearly hoped that would be the end of her fascination with Sauraquid. Alas it was not, for she promptly added, "Am I to guess you were on this ship with the tropical fruit, Charlie? Is that how you learned the secrets of Sauraquid?"

"Wish I were, Lillie, but the answer is no," Charlie continued. "I heard of that voyage from a disgruntled mate who was invited to dinner that evening but talked himself out of anything beyond a meal. As you will see, not just any man who came to Martin's Isle was treated to Peggy's favours. Those who were, wisely kept the secret to themselves, but the less gentlemanly among them who were turned back to the ship, their bitterness ensured that Martin's Isle wasn't the absolute secret the ladies would have liked."

"And one of the gentlemen the captain invited ashore that evening..." Lillie began. A strong glance from me and her voice trailed away.

"Was no gentleman," Charlie confirmed.

Back in Sauraquid, the storm had only worsened. The late shift staff arrived nary a moment too late for Annie, Josephine and Gwendolyn. Peggy had had the presence of mind to hire male bartenders for the late hours when the drinking truly began to get out of control. And all three girls eagerly awaited the arrival of Robert and James as the rain pelted harder than ever outside and the men grew rowdier by the minute inside.

James was the first to arrive, soaked to the skin from the walk down the beach road. "Heavens, it's absolutely out of control out there!" he told the ladies as he arrived behind the counter to take over. "Begging your pardon, give me a moment to dry off." He picked up a towel from behind the counter and ran it through his wavy hair.

"Take all the time you like for that," Annie said, shamelessly admiring his well-developed chest and arms under the shiny wet cloth of his shirt.

"I know what you mean, Annie," Josephine added. "James, you'll have a job to keep everyone in line tonight. Chances are good you'll get wet with beer sooner or later anyhow."

"So what else is new?" James asked with a grin. "That's why I took this damn job, now isn't it?"

Gwendolyn, as usual, was quieter in her admiration of James' physique. She was also mildly jealous of Annie and Josephine and the way they always disappeared together at the end of the shift. She had learned not to comment on such things, as they only brought trouble. But tonight, in the miserable weather, trouble was looking preferable to going back to her bedsit alone when there was companionship to be had. And so at just the moment when she sensed Annie and Josephine to be tearing their attention away from James, she slipped off into the back office and put on her brightest smile, vowing not to be turned down this time.

A moment later, they both appeared in the doorway, laughing at some pleasantry or other and clearly not expecting Gwendolyn to still be there. "Hey!" Gwendolyn said cheerfully, drawing a startled look from them both. "Listen, I'm dying for some fun after that shift. What do you say we all go get a pint for a change, and something to eat besides?"

"Um..." Annie stammered, looking at Josephine.

"Gwen, that's very sweet of you, thank you!" Josephine said. "But I'm afraid we cannot. Prior commitments, you know."

"Haven't you always got prior commitments!" Gwendolyn tried to hide her frustration, but could not do so entirely. "What could you possibly have to do in this weather anyway?"

"We're not at liberty to say," Annie recited the line Peggy had always told her to use if absolutely necessary.

"Sorry, Gwen, but she's right," Josephine said. "See you tomorrow, I suppose?"

"Right." Gwendolyn turned and opened the back door without another word. But the blast of rain in her face just renewed her resolve, and all at once she got an idea. Gathering up her skirts, she ran around the building to the front door, and burst back inside. Ignoring the hoots and catcalls from the men, she waded through the crowd and behind the counter again, James never noticing her as he was busy taking orders, and peered into the back office through the window in the door.

Annie and Josephine were still there. To Gwendolyn's titillation, they were both stark naked as well, folding their dresses just as matter-of-factly as pouring a beer. As she spied on them, they each walked down the stairs to the cellar. Gwendolyn knew when the cellar door had shut behind them, as it caused the door hiding her to puff out a bit. On that signal, Gwendolyn rushed into the office and stooped down to look down the stairs to the cellar. She arrived just in time to see Josephine kicking off into the water.

Gwendolyn was shocked for a moment, but then she recalled the rumour all little girls from Sauraquid had heard one time or another. The ladies of the lighthouse. Could Annie and Josephine be among them? It would explain so very much! All at once, Gwendolyn resolved to find out. She stood up and tore off her dress, not caring in the least if James or Robert should happen to burst in, and bounded down the steps. Finding the shelves where the others had left their clothes, she shoved the wadded-up garment in, opened the door and splashed out into the cold water just in time to catch a glimpse of Annie or Josephine -- she couldn't hope to tell which -- paddling away off to her right. Taking a deep breath, Gwendolyn plunged in after them.

She had heard many stories of the ladies of the lighthouse, and in those moments she could only hope some of them were true and some weren't. It was said that a woman could only know she was a Lady of the Lighthouse by attempting to swim out there during a squall. It was said many had tried and failed. Some said none who failed had ever been heard from again, others said one or two had returned but had gone mad and spent the rest of their days in an asylum somewhere on the mainland. Still others said there was no need to try: the ladies could sense their own kind and would issue invitations when the time was right. All were agreed, though, that the secret to the sisterhood was reaching the lighthouse and finding the weather clear there. The way to Martin's Isle would be clear, and the swimming smooth.

No one seemed to know just where Martin's Isle actually was -- it was simply "somewhere beyond the lighthouse" -- but legend had it a woman who arrived safely on the far side of the lighthouse would be able to find it by some instinct. Gwendolyn told herself this again and again as she gasped for breath and held up her head to look for the lighthouse in the gray rain. Though she soon lost any sign of Annie or Josephine, after several minutes of intense struggle she found she was on a course for the lighthouse, and it was getting a bit clearer to her with every time she raised her head. As its presence grew, so did Gwendolyn's confidence; soon she was exhausted but happy as she realized she was going to make it.

That happiness turned to fear when she at last looked up to find the tower larger than life just ahead. Close enough to feel like a strong wave could bash her into the building, she found she had no idea what to do next, and now it occurred to her that if the way did not present itself, she would soon be marooned naked on the tiny deserted island in the rain. Putting that from her mind out of sheer survival instinct, Gwendolyn paddled on, stroking as hard and fast as she could past the ominous shadow, and forced her fear and panic down. She pushed down so hard on her emotions that the first glint of golden light did not register with her. Only the memory of its joy made itself known as she scooped at the water. But that memory made her hold her head up and take a closer look, and at once she was wonderfully aware of a wedge of sunshine amidst the sheets of rain. With a whoop of joy and a deep breath, Gwendolyn took a deep breath and plunged back into the water, and swam like a demon towards the vision.

She cut through the water until her lungs felt ready to burst, and slowly she burbled out the air, still not surfacing until she had exhaled completely. Then she made a hopeful jaunt for the surface, and burst into a calm warm sunset with fair seas in every direction. Disbelief mingling seamlessly with delight, she was somehow aware of land off to her right, and once again she set about swimming as her elusive sense told her to.

The captain returned to shore with his two chosen mates after roughly half an hour. He had ordered them to don their finest for the occasion, and upon his arrival in the island's only house he was slightly disappointed but not surprised to find Peggy no longer nude, but now swathed in a colourful gown to match the lovely surroundings. "Welcome to Martin's Isle, gentlemen," she said with a broad smile and a wave of her arm. "Dinner is served inside, and my two sisters in arms will be joining us shortly."

The captain turned back to his two waiting men and issued a gruff order, which was swiftly acknowledged; and Peggy turned and bade them follow her into the house. Inside, she led them to the sitting room, where there were three rum drinks waiting on the table. "Dinner shall be but the work of a few minutes," she told them.

"You can make dinner on your own with no hired help?" The captain was understandably incredulous.

"There is a great deal my ladies and I can do on our own here," Peggy admonished him as she disappeared into the kitchen. "I could no more explain it than you could teach me how to sail your ship." She ducked into the pantry for her always-prepared stocks, and in a matter of minutes there was stew in the pot and bread in the brick oven.

"I don't suppose you know how she did that, Charlie!" Lillie interjected. "I'm dying to know!"

"As am I, my friend, but I have no earthly idea," Charlie said. "Hardly the only magical thing about that island, though."

Just as dinner was nearly ready, Peggy heard the clatter of Annie and Josephine arriving by the back door. Most of the ladies of Martin's Isle, including Peggy herself, had suffered the indignity of arriving naked and wet from the sea at the front door while there were men awaiting their dinner; once that lesson was learned, they kept their eyes out for a boat on the beach and, if it was present, they crept around the house to the back. Both Annie and Josephine had long since been through that as well, and so Peggy had no need to advise them to dress for dinner.

Indeed, when she emerged with bread for the men, she found them both chatting amicably with the captain's younger companions. Annie had helped herself to the palest and thinnest of the lot, while Josephine was taken with the dark haired gentleman with the moustache, for whom Peggy had harboured great hopes. There would, of course, be words about this with Josephine later; but for now, Peggy remembered to smile and make formal introductions. "I see you have met Annie and Josephine," she said, setting down the plate.

"Yes, Peggy, and have you met Jamison and Raddler?" Annie cooed, looking in the eyes of her companion -- Raddler, evidently -- rather than at Peggy.

"I have now," Peggy said. "And Captain..."

"Burgess," said the captain with a polite nod. "I don't suppose we were quite properly introduced before."

"Well now, I wasn't dressed formally enough for that, now was I?" Peggy chirped.

"Wasn't dressed at all, I heard," grumbled Jamison. Obviously not the sharpest hand on deck, Peggy realized.

"I do believe she was joking, Jamison," advised Burgess. To the women he explained, "You'll have to pardon my first mate. Hell of a sailor, he is, but things tend to go over his head."

"I'm only trying to run a tight ship, sir," Jamison said, once again without a hint of appreciation for Josephine's gentle caresses. Once Peggy had set the bread down before them, he leaned over and grabbed at a great hunk of it. "Certainly grateful for the food, you know, but I quite frankly voted for staying on board. We could've made it through that storm."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Josephine said, patting his shoulder. "Take it from us, we've seen an awful lot of ships that didn't make it when their crew were sure they could."

Jamison whipped around and pulled Josephine's hand away. "Now, look here! I'm as true a lover of your sex as you're going to find anywhere, but I take no advice from any woman! I went to sea for that very reason! You're no sailor, and I'll thank you very much to sticking to what a lady does best. Speaking of which, Captain, I'd just as soon skip dinner and go straight for dessert!" With that, he made a salacious grab at Josephine, who looked revolted and shocked at his attitude; even the worst of the drunks at the inn had never spoken to her like that.

"Jamison!" screeched Burgess, leaping to his feet. "One more word out of you and I'll see you court martialled for insubordination! These fine ladies have offered us dinner and a night in safe harbour and the sweetest of their favours, and I shan't have you treating them so disrespectfully!" After a moment's silent glare, he pointed at the door. "You may sleep in the rowboat or on the beach. I have it on good authority the weather here is suitable for that."

"But Captain!" Jamison's horrified face betrayed his realisation of all that he had just cost himself with his mouth.

"Out!"

Jamison had no choice but to comply, and the ladies all looked away in discomfort as he took his leave. Once the door had slammed behind him, dinner proceeded as planned.

Jamison, of course, had no option but to do as he had been directed and wait out his sentence on the beach. He had only just sat down to sulk when Gwendolyn arrived triumphantly in the shallow water. Looking around at the paradise she somehow knew was Martin's Isle for the first time, she was at once horrifyingly aware of the sailor's presence only yards up the shore, sitting in the sand with his head in his hands. By some miracle he had not taken any notice of her; Gwendolyn did her best to keep it that way by walking briskly off in the other direction, into the woods behind the house.

Although elated at her success, Gwendolyn now found herself acutely aware that she was naked and alone on an unfamiliar island with no way to get home. As she stood a respectable distance from the house, safely out of view of the man on the beach, she listened for some clue that Josephine or Annie were about. What she did hear was even more of a relief than that: Peggy's roaring laugh (likely in response to a bawdy joke of the Captain's) wafting from the house. If Peggy was inside, surely she would be welcome as well! Needing no further prompting, Gwendolyn picked her way through the grass on her bare feet and knocked gently at the back door.