Pier Legran
The Buccaneer
On a rainy summer evening in 1711, the notorious adventurer, privateer, and duellist Pierre Legrand - captain of the swift frigate "Courage" anchored in the Marseille harbor - entered the city-renowned salon of the Italian songstress Madame Monfalcone.
Shedding his wet cloak and tricorn on an attendant's arms, Pierre strode into the brightly lit parlor. He ceremoniously bowed to his hostess, kissed her perfumed hand, uttered a few courtly compliments, and took his seat at a card table. Across from him, seated at a table covered in green felt, was a portly elderly abbot nimbly shuffling an ornate deck of cards.
"My stake!" the buccaneer nonchalantly tossed a crimson leather purse filled with gold onto the table. "What's yours?"
"A prophecy," the abbot smiled enigmatically. "I stake my divination against your gold. Agreed?"
"I don't quite follow, holy father," Legrand frowned, his hand instinctively resting on the hilt of his long rapier.
"If you lose, the gold is mine," the priest explained, deftly dealing out the cards. "And if I lose, I shall tell you what fate holds in store for you."
The captain was tempted to dismiss the man as a fraud, but an intrigued curiosity overcame him. He suspected the abbot was a seasoned swindler, common in any port city. He likely colluded with the salon's mistress, using her tacit support to fleece wealthy patrons at the card table, his priest's robe concealing the garb of a former convict - those eyes held a cunning glint. Legrand was a skilled gambler, and he was intrigued to hear the abbot's fabrication if he lost. Wine was ordered and the game commenced. Fortune fluctuated between the buccaneer and the ecclesiastic, but as the first rays of dawn peeped through the tall windows, the priest sat defeated.
"A thousand gold coins," Legrand leaned back on his chair, a sardonic smile playing on his lips. "Pay up, holy father!"
"In a year's time, you will grow wealthier," the abbot predicted confidently, folding his hands over his belly. "A distant sea voyage awaits you, and an encounter with a fair lady of hearts. She will bring you extravagant love, immense fortune, and extraordinary exploits! You shall earn the favor of royalty itself and inspire legends in the annals of history."
"Anything to avoid paying your card debts, eh?" Pierre laughed. Indeed, this priest was a true fraud. Unable to best the captain through gambling, he resorted to spinning fantastical tales. Well, no matter, let the debt stand.
"Farewell, holy father," Legrand rose to his feet. "My lady of hearts must be awaiting me impatiently."
"May God keep you, my son," the abbot replied meekly. "Remember, in a year's time!"
A year later, in 1712, in the Indian Ocean waters that caressed the Dutch-held island of Mauritius, a small squadron of French warships emerged, led confidently by Admiral Chareaule. Among the squadron was the frigate "Courage," under the command of Captain Legrand. Standing on the bridge, he used his spyglass to survey the forested hills cloaked in a bluish haze, the spires of houses of worship, the white cottages, and the small figures of people around the docks.
Wasting no time on diplomatic pleasantries, the French fired a couple of broadsides at the island - a display of intimidation rather than an attempt at destruction. Sailors quickly lowered lifeboats from the ships, armed themselves, and stormed ashore in a show of force. Caught completely off guard by the attack, the island's unsuspecting garrison chose immediate capitulation to avoid bloodshed. Governor Van Brink of Mauritius handed over his sword to Admiral Chareaule, deftly negotiating his departure from his former domain with his family and considerable wealth. A frigate was provided for his transport, and Captain Legrand was assigned the mission of escorting the governor.
The Crimson Lady
The moment Pierre caught sight of the governor's daughter - the golden-haired beauty Anita Van Brink - his heart skipped a beat and began to race. Gallantly offering his arm to the lady, the "Courage's" captain felt a lightness in his step as he ascended the gangplank to the ship's deck.
"You are the most precious cargo I have ever been entrusted with," he whispered to the charming blonde. "I'd wager my soul to make you my prize!"
She returned his gaze with a promising glance and disappeared into her cabin, closing the door firmly behind her.
From that moment, Legrand dedicated his free moments to the company of the governor's family. Of course, neither Monsieur Van Brink nor his wife had any allure for the young man - it was their daughter who captivated his thoughts! The young captain was handsome, educated, courteous, courageous, and madly in love. It came as no surprise that he swiftly won the heart of the governor's daughter.
Pierre invited the young woman to his captain's cabin, where they confessed their love and swore oaths of fidelity, promising never to part ways.
"Now I must reveal a secret, my love," Anita divulged unexpectedly, stepping back from Legrand's passionate embrace.
The adventurer's curiosity was piqued: what secrets could she possibly possess? Could he be about to learn of some illegitimate children or...? But what the governor's daughter revealed astonished the captain and left him pondering deeply.
Pirates seeking refuge from fierce sea storms had frequented the coast of Mauritius for centuries. Some of their ships were shattered upon coastal cliffs by towering waves, sinking to the depths. However, the pirates audaciously salvaged the most valuable plunder they could find from the stricken vessels and stashed it away in cunning caches throughout the island. One of the pirate chieftains had fallen in love with and married a local woman, and upon his time to depart this realm, he bequeathed his knowledge of the existence of the pirate gold to his mixed-race daughter, along with a secret map. Years later, the daughter became Anita's nursemaid and, growing fond of the girl, gave her the map inherited from her father, its cryptic symbols indicating the locations of untold riches. The nursemaid had never believed in their authenticity, but Anita was convinced of the existence of the treasures. Now, with her heart, she gave her beloved the map and the secrets of the buccaneers.
As the ships prepared to sail, Legrand spent many sleepless nights in a delirium of love and contemplation. Often he brought out the deck of cards in an attempt at divination, and the Queen of Hearts invariably appeared. How could he forget the prophecy made a year ago by the enigmatic abbot, whom Pierre had initially scoffed at as a mere fraud?! Would it come true? Was it wise to risk his neck based on the stories of a nursemaid and a worn piece of ancient parchment with mysterious scrawls serving as a treasure map?
Anita skillfully fanned the flames of Legrand's amorous passion and greed, and eventually, her influence prevailed over his better judgment. The adventurous spirit of Pierre triumphed over reason, and the buccaneer decided to launch a preliminary expedition. In secrecy, he handpicked a few trusted members of his crew, readied a skiff, torches, lanterns, ropes, weapons, and tools. Under the cloak of night, the skiff was lowered into the sea. Legrand boarded with Anita, and the sailors rowed with all their might.
Soon the bow of the skiff reached the pebbles of the shoreline. Guided by the pirates' secret markings, they navigated secluded paths to the first of the hidden stashes. Now the answer would be revealed!
With the aid of torches, they pinpointed the location, and the sailors swiftly wielded their spades. Soon enough, the iron struck wood, and with the help of ropes, they lifted a large chest from the pit. A single blow knocked off the lock, they lifted the lid, and gasped - the chest was brimming with golden Portuguese "reals." The old pirate's map had not deceived! Neither had the beautiful daughter of the former governor. What's more, she adamantly claimed that according to the stories of her nursemaid, the other secret stashes scattered throughout the island contained equal wealth. Could it be that the strange abbot had foreseen all this a year ago?
The gold had spoken unequivocally! With its gentle clinking, Legrand struck a deal with his crew and seized two more frigates, boldly declaring to Admiral Chareaule the next morning: "I will not raise anchor until I've settled my own affairs on Isle de France!" as the French now called Mauritius.
The Sea Battle
Knowing the audacious nature of the swashbuckling adventurer and lacking the force to subdue his partisans, the admiral chose to set sail as swiftly as he could, hoping to save the ships he still commanded. As if a gift from destiny, the following day he encountered a small French naval squadron approaching the island. Assuming overall command, Chareaule, now filled with confidence, ordered his ships to set course for Mauritius, determined to swing the traitorous Legrand from the yardarm.
Yet, fate often accompanies misfortune. A daunting surprise awaited the admiral near the island - a sizable Dutch naval squadron. The enemy outnumbered the self-assured French by almost double, and the admiral had absolutely no hope of relying on the two frigates commanded by the buccaneer Legrand.
To Chareaule's and his officers' utmost astonishment, Legrand's frigates swiftly raised their anchors, unfurled their sails, and sailed into the sea to confront the Dutch. The admiral pressed his spyglass to his eye and decided, with
