Hook's Daughter Read online

  Hook’s Daughter:

  The Untold Tale of a Pirate Princess

  R. V. Bowman

  Copyright © 2018 by Rosanne Bowman

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  Cover Illustration Copyright © 2018 by Brody Bowman

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  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof

  may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the author,

  except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  In Loving Memory of My Dad,

  Who never stopped being my hero.

  F. Rodney McColm

  (Dec. 24, 1938 - Sept. 6, 2017)

  Contents

  Author’s Note

  1. The Duel

  2. The Hope

  3. The Visit

  4. The Idea

  5. The Decision

  6. The Rival

  7. The Plan

  8. The Close Call

  9. The Escape

  10. The Boy

  11. The Bully

  12. The Rescue

  13. The Destination

  14. The Big Question

  15. The Magic

  16. The Island

  17. The Betrayal

  18. The Capture

  19. The Risk

  20. The Camp

  21. The Vote

  22. The Plot

  23. The Revenge

  24. The Mermaid

  25. The Flight

  26. The Pirate

  27. The Reality

  28. The Fight

  29. The Risk

  30. The Prisoner

  31. The Battle

  32. The Face-Off

  33. The Reunion

  34. The New Beginning

  Afterword

  Also by R. V. Bowman

  Author’s Note

  This book is a derivative work loosely based on the works of J.M. Barrie. Peter Pan first appeared as a seven-day-old baby in a chapter of his novel The Little White Bird, published in 1902. The Peter Pan most people know is from a play written by Barrie and then performed on stage in 1904 called Peter Pan, or The Boy Who Never Grew Up. The play was later adapted into a novel called Peter and Wendy in 1911. The story has since seen many adaptations, including the Disney film Peter Pan.

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  Because the beginning of this book is set in the North London suburb of Tottenham during the Edwardian period (1901-1910), I did quite a bit of research into what people wore, what they ate, and how they spoke. Some of the terms, such as balmy on the crumpet, that were used in this book were commonplace slang of the period.

  * * *

  One of my biggest challenges while planning the action of this book was figuring out how to get Rommy from Tottenham to the Victoria Docks, a journey that would have been next to impossible for a young, upper-class girl to make unchaperoned during that time. In order to do that, I had to fudge history just a little bit. The best and easiest way to get Rommy over the distance she needed to travel was to use the London Underground or, as it was also called, the Tube. Trying to find which rail line was added when and to where involved a bit of digging. It turns out there was a railway line that did bring workers from Tottenham into Central London and even offered access to the ports of London where the Victoria Docks were located. However, these were all aboveground trains, even though they were still often called the Tube or the Underground. A direct underground route from Tottenham to the Victoria Docks wasn’t installed until the 1960s.

  * * *

  Besides Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and Neverland, which all featured in Barrie’s play and novel previously mentioned, the people and places in this book are completely of my own imagination. Chattingham School for Modern Girls has never existed, to my knowledge. However, the place I chose for Rommy’s school was loosely based on an actual school that existed and was housed in Bruce Castle in Tottenham from 1827 to 1891. That school was for boys, but like Chattingham’s, was very progressive for the time period. Bruce Castle is now Bruce Castle Museum and is open to the public.

  1

  The Duel

  Tottenham, England, April 1910

  “Andromeda Cavendish’s dueling partner will be...” Miss Watson put her hand into the velvet bag and pulled out the marker. “Primrose Beechwood.”

  Rommy’s hand tightened reflexively on the hilt of her fencing sword. Taking a deep breath, she pushed to her feet.

  On the opposite side of the room, a tall, golden-haired girl stood up from the fencing team's bench. Girls on both sides of the room clapped and cheered. Rommy heard someone give a whoop, and she smiled. It had to be Francie.

  Miss Watson cleared her throat. “This duel is the last of the three challenging matches. If won, Andromeda will earn a place on the Chattingham Girls’ Varsity Fencing Team. The official regulations for duels will apply. The winner of this match will be the first duelist to reach 10 points. Please take your places.”

  Rommy’s stomach swooped with nerves, and she clenched her sword tighter. She and Primrose stepped onto opposite edges of the dueling mat and faced each other.

  Rommy drew her thin-bladed sword up to salute her opponent with a trembling hand. Across from her, Primrose did the same, adding a fancy flourish to the end of hers. The two girls then faced and saluted Miss Watson, the director of the match, and then Mrs. Wilkes, Miss Bludge and Monsieur Bouvier, the three judges for the match. The judges smiled and nodded as Rommy and Primrose again faced each other.

  “En garde,” said Miss Watson.

  Rommy and Primrose slid on their masks and held up their swords in the ready stance. Primrose’s smirk was visible through the screen of her mask. Rommy lifted her chin and pressed her lips together. Primrose had the advantage of being a head taller than she was, but Rommy had been watching Primrose for the last year. She favored going to the right, and she was slower than Rommy, who was small and quick. Rommy could dance under someone’s guard and, before her opponent even knew what she was about, strike a touch.

  “Pret,” Miss Watson said.

  Rommy tensed, ready to lunge forward to get a first touch and the first point of the match.

  “Allez.”

  Rommy didn’t hesitate. She closed the gap between herself and Primrose, and lunged under her left side.

  “Touch.”

  Rommy and Primrose stepped back and got into the ready position again.

  “Allez,” Miss Watson called.

  This time, Primrose attacked first, lunging forward. Rommy blocked her thrust and countered with a lunge of her own under Primrose’s left side again.

  “Touch,” rang out again. Rommy had her second point. Only eight more to go.

  The next point went to Primrose, who used her long reach to hit Rommy squarely in the chest. Despite the padded jacket she wore, Rommy knew she’d have a bruise in the morning.

  Back and forth, the two girls attacked, defended, and counter-attacked. At the end of the first three-minute period, Rommy was ahead four to three.

  Miss Watson called for the one-minute break. Rommy retreated to her bench and used her handkerchief to mop her face. She took a long drink from her water flask.

  The break seemed to last hardly a moment before Miss Watson called the girls once again to the dueling mat.

  Again, the two girls’ feet danced across the mat, lunging, striking, and parrying. The cheers from the other students were muted in Rommy’s ears. Her sole focus was on Primrose, trying to read the other girl before she moved. Rommy knew her quickness was her only chance to win. Primrose, being older and larger, was stronger than she was. If it came down to strength, Rommy knew she’d lose.

  The second three-minute period ended. This time, Primrose led, eig
ht to seven. As the two readied themselves again, Rommy could feel Primrose’s hard stare. A smile, more like a grimace, graced the girl’s face under her mask. Rommy's confidence slipped. Primrose only needed two more points, and Rommy was tired. She shook her head and squared her shoulders. She could do this.

  “Allez,” called Miss Watson.

  Rommy lunged forward, feinting to the left. As Primrose moved to defend the attack, Rommy flicked her sword under Primrose's blade.

  “Touch.”

  Tied. Only two more points.

  When Miss Watson called allez again, Primrose went on the attack. She moved Rommy back with a flurry of sword strikes while Rommy desperately parried each blow. The capped tip of Primrose’s blade dug into Rommy's sword arm, and she sucked in her breath as pain streaked up to her shoulder.

  “Fault,” said Miss Watson. “Duelist Primrose, please strike only in the approved target areas. En garde.”

  Primrose and Rommy again took their ready positions.

  “Pret.”

  Rommy tensed even as her sword arm throbbed. Quick. She had to get in quick before Primrose could press the advantage of her injury.

  “Allez.”

  Rommy darted forward and feinted right. Primrose, wise to Rommy’s move, parried. They danced forward and back, each trying to gain the advantage. Rommy whipped her sword around to the side, striking Primrose’s left hip. It was on the edge of the allowed target area. She breathed a sigh of relief when Miss Watson said, “Touch.”

  Just one more point. One more point and then, maybe, her father would take her to sea with him this summer. She needed to prove she could defend herself. She would overcome any of his excuses if she could just make the team, if she could show him she was tougher than he thought. That she wasn’t her mother.

  The two girls came together again in a clash of swords. Rommy could see the sheen of rage in Primrose’s eyes. Primrose hated losing any contest, especially in front of the other girls. She was 14, and Rommy was just 12. Today.

  Primrose’s sword came down in a vicious swipe. At the last second Rommy blocked it, but Primrose, with all of her height, was bearing down on Rommy. Gripping her sword with both hands, Rommy held Primrose’s downward thrust, but just barely. New sweat beaded on her forehead, and her arms shook. Her injured arm throbbed. She had to do something.

  The new technique Monsieur Bouvier had taught her last week flashed into her mind, but she had only practiced it a few times.

  Primrose pressed down harder, and Rommy knew her arms wouldn’t hold much longer. Taking a deep breath, she swirled away from and behind her opponent. Rommy extended her arm behind her, striking Primrose’s shoulder.

  “Touch! That is the tenth point. Duelist Andromeda Cavendish has won the point and the match,” announced Miss Watson.

  The students erupted into cheers. A few stamped their feet on the bleachers, and there were a few whoops and whistles heard above the general noise.

  Primrose ripped off her mask. “Miss Watson, she hit me from the back. Surely, that is not ladylike conduct in a match.”

  Miss Watson hesitated, and Monsieur Bouvier stood. “They call the counter riposte that Miss Cavendish used the black diamond, which is indeed an accepted strike on the dueling mat. I would also like to note it is not ladylike conduct to lunge downward on an opponent half your size, Miss Beechwood. Touches to the head do not count, in any case. Accept your loss graciously and be happy that you now have such an accomplished teammate.”

  Rommy approached the middle of the mat and saluted Primrose, who saluted back. The two shook hands, and Primrose squeezed Rommy’s hand until the bones crunched together. She pulled Rommy in closer.

  “Don’t get too comfortable on the team,” she said.

  2

  The Hope

  “All right, ladies,” said Miss Watson, clapping her hands to get everyone’s attention. “Afternoon tea is in one hour. Please be punctual. You are dismissed.”

  She walked over to the bench where Rommy was gathering her things. “Andromeda, your father should arrive around teatime, so you are excused to go right to the visiting parlor.” Miss Watson put her hand on Rommy’s shoulder. “Congratulations. You did well.”

  Rommy ducked her head. “Thank you, Miss Watson,” she said.

  Miss Watson turned to leave just as Francie, Rommy’s roommate and best friend, came charging across the floor.

  “You did it, Rommy! The youngest member. It’s so marvelous! Aren’t you excited?” Francie latched onto Rommy’s arm and leaned in closer. “And did you see Primrose’s face?”

  “I could hardly miss her glaring at me,” Rommy said. “I still can’t quite believe it.” She shook her head as the two walked from the exercise room and out into the hallway. “I only hope it’s enough to convince Papa.”

  “I don’t see how your father could say no,” said Francie. “You were wonderful.”

  Rommy made a face. “I don’t think Primrose agrees. She certainly won’t be welcoming me onto the team with the hand of friendship.”

  “Don’t be silly, Rommy. Of course Primrose isn’t happy,” said Francie as the two girls made their way up the big central staircase toward their rooms on the third floor. “You defeated her in front of half the school, and she’s two full years ahead of you. You know how her family is, too. Her father will likely humiliate her for losing.”

  By the time the girls had made their way to their corner suite, Francie was out of breath. One of the bigger rooms, it sported a spacious bedroom, large windows, and a separate sitting nook. With Rommy’s mother dead and her father out at sea most of the time, she had been staying year-round at Chattingham’s since she had arrived seven years before. That is, until Francie’s arrival three years ago. Now, Rommy often spent school holidays with Francie’s family, but the corner suite remained theirs.

  Rommy looked around the room. It was the only home she remembered. She had vague recollections of a big brownstone with heavy, dark furniture, but the memories had faded over the years. Now she wasn’t sure if the things she remembered were real or something she had dreamed.

  “I thought you were done for there at the end.” Francie danced across the floor, her voice pulling Rommy away from her thoughts. “Then, whoosh, you twirled and whirled. It was just like you were dancing, Rommy.”

  With a final pirouette, Francie flopped backwards onto the bed and giggled. Her black curls spilled over the far side of the bed. She suddenly sat straight up. “Which dress will you wear tonight? You want to look elegant tonight, so your father can see how mature you are.”

  “I don’t know, Francie. I want to look strong, not elegant.”

  “Well, silly, you can’t wear your fencing kit to the visiting parlor. What would Mrs. Blakely think?” Francie’s dark eyes sparkled at the idea of the very proper etiquette instructor’s expression if Rommy went into the formal parlor in her fencing outfit.

  A laugh spurted out of Rommy. “No, Mrs. Blakely definitely would not approve!”

  “I think you should wear the blue with the scalloped lace trim and your white kid slippers. It makes you look much more grown-up. Do you want me to help you braid your hair up high? Everyone would be scandalized if you wore it up, but a high braid won’t be amiss.”

  Francie bounced up and gathered her things to help Rommy get ready. Rommy stood at the washbasin in her chemise and washed up as best she could. She patted her face dry and then spun to face her friend.

  “Oh Francie, I’m so nervous. What if Papa says no?” A stinging started behind her eyes, but she blinked back the tears. Rommy rarely cried. After all, what good did it do? “I have to spend the summer with Papa. I can’t even think about him saying no.”

  “You know you are always welcome at Hyde House,” said Francie. She came over to stand by Rommy, slinging an arm around her shoulders. “Mama loves having you. She says you have a wonderfully civilizing effect on me.”

  “And I love your family, Francie, truly I do, but I miss
Papa so much. I only see him two days out of the whole year, and it’s just not enough. I feel like we don’t even know each other.

  Rommy dropped the hand towel she’d been twisting and squared her shoulders. “He has to let me go. Nobody has ever made the Chattingham Girls’ Varsity Fencing Team at 12. He’ll have to admit that I am strong and can take care of myself.” Her hands tightened into fists. “I’ll make him see.”

  “Well, he won’t see anything if you don’t get ready,” said Francie, pushing Rommy into the chair in front of the mirror. “Plus, I can’t wait to see Primrose’s face at tea. It will be so much fun watching her try to act like she doesn’t care she lost.”

  “Francie, you enjoy tormenting Primrose too much.” Rommy twisted in the chair to admonish her friend.

  Francie pushed her back around. “Don’t act all prim and proper. You know she’s been absolutely horrid to you since she started attending Chattingham’s. She’s bound to be positively unbearable now.” Francie rolled her eyes as she brushed Rommy’s thick, tawny hair.

  “I still don’t know why she’s never liked me, but I’m sure she positively loathes me now,” Rommy said, letting out a sigh.