Chapter 22: Portobello

24 August, 1686 Morning

The Maidens Revenge made Portobello just as the sun was rising the following morning. Within easy view by all onboard were Fort Santiago, located on the mainland on the road at the entrance to the town of Portobello, and Fort San Fernando, located across the Bay of Portobello on Drake Island. Both of the forts having been built to protect the entrance into the Bay from pirates and both forts were built in a beautiful green tropical setting.

Both forts, especially San Fernando, were built on a number of different altitudes. The parts of the forts that lay at lower altitudes are where the Spanish mounted their cannons and farther up in altitude located on the incredibly beautiful remote hillsides were several smaller forts known as "casamatas", where the Spanish stored their gunpowder and arms.

Columbus had stopped in the Bay of Portobello on his fourth journey to the New World in 1502. There had been a terrible storm out to sea and he pulled into the bay for protection; that was how the bay was given its name, "Portobello" or "beautiful port".

The English pirate Edward Vernon, who along with Lawrence Washington captured Portobello in 1739 as part of the British Cartagena Campaign of the 1730s and 1740s. The Cartagena Campaign was an attempt by the British to weaken Spanish power in the Caribbean, especially in the lower Caribbean along the Panamanian and Colombian coasts. For the Spanish and the local populations these English incursions into their territory was seen as terrorist acts and Portobello had changed rule of hand between England and Spain a number of times. Out of necessity the primarily Spanish inhabitants of Portobello were also forced to learn the English language.

Portobello is one of the most important cities in the Western Hemisphere because a lot of gold and silver pass through the Counting House of Portobello on its way to Europe. It is also the place where Francis Drake, the great English pirate died in 1595; his body was thrown into the bay.

Portobello was also well known for its yearly fairs that lasted for as many as 40 to 60 days and at which time even pirates were free to land in Portobello and engage in trade or whatever else they desired.

"So," Carmen asked Isabel after they had dropped anchor, "how do you think it best for us to proceed?"

"I think it best if I go alone. Less chance of any trouble that way," Isabel answered.

"Are you sure?" Carmen questioned, "What if your father doesn't like the idea of you coming for Teresa?"

Isabel smiled as she touched the hilt of her sword, "Constance and Claire have taught me well how to use this blade, and father or not, Teresa will be accompanying me when I return. Besides, father will be out in the fields this hour of the day. I should be back well before the sun is low in the sky."

Isabel waved to Carmen and Carmen waved back just before Isabel climbed down the ladder to the jollyboat.

"As you see fit," Carmen called loudly after the girl, but after Isabel had departed, using sign language and lip reading she asked Cog to take the other jollyboat and follow the girl without letting her know he was doing so.

As she walked toward the quiet house Isabel suddenly spotted a familiar figure, standing under the porch, "Teresa!" She called out.

Isabel rushed over, full of joy, to kiss her younger sister, an adolescent dressed in a white and blue dress with a bodice tie, full head of dark curly hair and a beautiful but solemn, delicate face. Teresa's response was momentarily constrained not being able to come to the realization that her older sister was actually there.

"Teresa! Aren't you going to kiss your sister?"

Teresa smiled a little, and then kissed Isabel, "Oh, Isabel, it really is you! I never thought I would see you again. Ever, just like Maria. Oh, Isabel... Isabel..." The younger girl began to sob.

Isabel held her sister tightly to her breast while whispering, "I love you too."

Teresa leaned back and asked several questions all at once, "Isabel why did you come back? How did you get here? Why are you wearing such strange clothing? And a sword? And pistols? Have you seen Maria? Is she coming back too? Are you no longer married?"

"Un momento, one question at a time por favor. Now, no sadly, I have not seen Maria. I am not married and never have been married. But most importantly... I have come to take you away with me."

"Take me away with you?" Teresa questioned as she pulled away and looked at her older sister uncertainly.

"Yes," Isabel answered with a cheerless voice. "Papá never married me and Maria to those men, he sold us to them. Hear me well sister, he sold us both into slavery, and as soon as you were to turn thirteen he would sell you too. That is why I came for you, so what happened to us will not happen to you."

"No! That can not be. I would have known something. Mamá would never..." Teresa stopped mid sentence becoming distracted by the approach of her mother from out of the house.