| Mrs. Mapleton | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Vital statistics | |
| Title | Madame |
| Gender | Female |
| Status | Alive |
| Ships | None |
| Relationships | Noonan (Former employer; deceased) Jack Rackham (Former employer) Max (Former employee/Employer) Charlotte (Former employee; deceased) Esther (Employee) Idelle (Former employee/Enemy) Eleanor Guthrie (Former employer/Enemy; deceased) |
| Appearances | First: II. Last: XXXVIII. |
| Portrayed by | Fiona Ramsay |
Mrs. Mapleton is the wily old madam of the brothel run by Noonan in Nassau.
Biography[]
Season One[]
After spending the night with Max, Eleanor Guthrie leaves her room, and comes across Mrs. Mapleton treating one of the prostitutes who is covered in bruises. After paying Mapleton, Eleanor asks what happened, and Mapleton explains that she was with some of Charles Vane's crew the night before, and clearly roughly treated. When Eleanor asks if Noonan knows about this, Mapleton simply tells her that they paid her fifty pieces, and that was worth a "few nicks to the hull".[1]
Later after Noonan's death, Jack Rackham attempted to take-over the brothel for himself and Vane under the guise that Noonan had sold it to them. He walks in on Mapleton dealing with a Distressed Whore. Mapleton is shocked to see Jack, who explains that he and Noonan came to an agreement where Noonan has transferred ownership of the Inn to Jack and Vane. Mapleton asks Jack if Noonan really sold him his life's work after trying to have Vane beaten to a pulp, and Jack answers that Noonan could not wait to be rid of the Inn and its "screeching pig of a bawd." Mapleton sees right through the deception, but quickly negotiated a hefty raise for herself in exchange for keeping her mouth shut,. Rackham gives her a raise from 3 percent of the gross profits, to 40 percent. While the Ranger crew is busy, Jack sends Mapleton to tend to Max in her tent on the beach. Mapleton tries to wash out Max's vagina with a urethral syringe to prevent her from becoming pregnant, but her rough treatment hurts Max. Anne dismisses her and finishes the task[2].
However, Rackham struggles to run the brothel, with Mrs Mapleton and the rest of the girls ripping him off right left and centre. After the disappearance of the remaining Ranger crew, Idelle informs the newly returned Max of this while brining her some food, but is quickly summoned downstairs by Mapleton to greet a customer.
Due to the graft, Jack tries to fire the Distressed Whore with Mapleton at his side, but allows her to stay after she begins crying. Alice then comes downstairs and gives Rackham five pieces. Max then emerges and confronts Alice, saying she knows that she just serviced Captain Hallendale, who always asks to be mothered, for which the price is 20 pieces, and Jack and Mapleton watch the confrontation. Alice says that all he had time for was a handjob, which costs five pieces, but after Max slaps and threatens her she admits her lie and swears never to do it again[3].
As Max continues to assert some authority among the girls, the graft stops. Shortly thereafter, they hold an "Evening in Paris" themed night in the Inn during a hurricane. Mapleton asks Jack about her pay, as the bursar denied her her share of the house's profits. Rackham explains that he ordered that her wages be garnished as a result of her embezzlement. Mapleton says she understands that Max is now having the girls honestly report their income, but warns Jack that she is not one of the girls, who can easily be intimidated or controlled. She demands that she be paid or she will tell the street about Noonan's fate.
Rackham then gleefully fires Mrs. Mapleton for "gross insubordination." Mapleton is shocked that he is not frightened by her threat, which she thinks would cause the merchants to rally and hang Jack for killing one of their own. Max arrives and points out that many of the prominent merchants enjoy steep discounts at the Inn now as a result of her management. Mapleton desperately tries to invoke the fear of Eleanor in them, but Max says that Eleanor already knows about it. Max is installed as the new madam of the brothel, although Mrs. Mapleton swears vengeance on them all.
The next day, Anne confronts Jack while he bathes about firing Mapleton without telling her, warning she'll tell the island about Noonan's murder. Jack responds that all the men who would care are "elbow deep in free prostitute" downstairs. Later, Charles Vane confronts Jack and Anne about the role they played in murdering their remaining crew mates. As punishment, he places a black mark on them for betraying their brothers, vowing that they will never sail under the Black again. Mapleton watches from the doorway, smirking, indicating that she was the one who told Vane[4].
Season Two[]
Mrs Mapleton bides her time, working at a Butcher's shop, until one of the young prostitutes, Esther, tells her what is going on at the brothel, with Featherstone having secret meetings with Max and Rackham. Esther says that she will forever be grateful for Mapleton's treatment of her during her reign as madame, but asks who she is gathering this information for, but Mapleton just pays her extra to keep quiet. Mapleton then goes to meet with Eleanor, revealing that she's been hired to keep an eye on what Max is doing in the brothel.
Eleanor is surprised to see Mrs. Mapleton, as they were not scheduled to meet. Mapleton voices her belief that something is afoot, and that she believes Eleanor knows something about it too. Mrs. Mapleton tells her that Charlotte has disappeared, allegedly eloping with Logan from Nassau. However, she knows this isn't true because Charlotte entrusted her with all her savings, which she still possesses. Furthermore, Logan's crew was on the precipice of capturing a massive prize, and yet both left with no one witnessing their departure, and no money.
She tells Eleanor that she believes Max and Rackham are conspiring to send the Colonial Dawn to retrieve the Urca gold, while Captain Flint is off taking Abigail Ashe back to Charles Town. Eleanor doubts this, but Mapleton points out that Rackham's crew emptied their ship's holds indicating that they expect to take a massive prize. Mapleton warns Eleanor that if this happens, it will embolden the pirates to remain on the Account and completely derail Eleanor's plans for Nassau[5].
After Eleanor's arrest at the hands of Captain Hornigold and his remaining men, Mapleton, Frasier, and other former Guthrie associates gather to plot their next course of action. Frasier insists that he has everything under control, which Mapleton openly doubts. Frasier insists that they cannot act rashly and stresses that they must not panic, but Mapleton says that nothing is under control. She asks how Frasier is the only one unable to see that. Eme then arrives and apologizes for not putting out any refreshments, for she did not know that Eleanor was holding a meeting. Frasier then gives her the news about Eleanor's arrest[6].
Season Three[]
Even after Governor Rogers has removed all resistance from Nassau, the situation in the port remains unstable. After Flint's return is proclaimed and the pardoned pirates invited to rejoin him. Max hires Mrs. Mapleton to renew her role as madam of the brothel to keep the prostitute in line. Max tells the prostitutes that while they have become skilled in extracting secrets from their customers' heads, now they have to put ideas in them: namely that they believe the idea of returning to piracy absurd. When Mapleton is reintroduced, it angers Idelle against Max. Mapleton thanks Max for trusting her with such an important job, although Max scoffs at the idea of trusting her. Nevertheless, Mapleton promises to see the task done. Mapleton notices Max seems troubled, and tells her that she watched Eleanor go through the same process of having to learn how to bear the weight of her authority and the awful and lonely compromises it requires. Mapleton then offers Max the same advice she gave to Eleanor: in her position, anyone who tends to her needs will ask for more than they receive, but having them met is necessary. Thus, it is best to make sure that the only thing Max needs to offer in return is money, and Mapleton summons Georgia to tend to Max[7].
Mrs. Mapleton eventually discovers that Idelle is the spy who helped Rackham escape. When she informs Max, Max questions her loyalty, asking if she has told anyone and when Mapleton answers no, asks why not, recalling that it was only months ago that Eleanor employed Mapleton to spy on her. Mrs. Mapleton explains that she has no respect for Eleanor, as she used her position not only to vanquish enemies, but create new ones, as she is only able to see herself through the eyes of those who hate her, which she believes is sowing the seeds of Eleanor's own destruction. Eleanor has a new position and allies, but she is the same person to Mapleton, and she believes that Max will outlast her. As she is leaving, Max orders her to ensure that the Governor's men are steered to other prostitutes than Idelle, and to stem the flow of information out of the Inn. Before exiting the office, Mapleton asks if Max will tell Eleanor about Idelle, and Max gives no answer. Later, Mapleton attends the execution of Charles Vane. The Court Official gives a speech about how this execution marks the return of law and order to Nassau. Vane then gives a speech reminding the people of Nassau that they are pirates and they outnumber the Governor's men, who will use his death to try and frighten them into submission. After his hanging, the crowd seems to have taken his speech to heart[8].
A while later, Max and Mapleton walk through the streets of Nassau and Mapleton remarks it has been a few days since she told her about Idelle, and that Idelle presumably has partners. Mapleton notes that Max has failed to tell Governor Rogers and Eleanor about any of this or take action against Idelle and her partners herself. Max explains that as the conflict plays out, she will watch the players reveal themselves in order to avoid prematurely making an enemy out of someone she may want to call a friend. At that moment, Captain Throckmorton's dead body drops down from a building, hanged by his neck. Max's guards then rush the two to safety. That night, Max summons the members of the Governor's Council to her office, Mapleton included, where she informs them that Rogers has declared martial law on Nassau Town in the wake of Throckmorton's murder. She then reads the letter sent by the Pirate Resistance, promising that the pirates will return and take the island back by force and signed by Long John Silver.[9]
Season Four[]
After the devastating sack of Nassau by the Spanish, Mrs. Hudson visits Mapleton in the brothel, after learning that she was an ally from Eleanor’s journal. Mrs. Hudson tells her that Rogers is going down a dangerous and destructive path and offers her information from inside the Governor’s mansion that could help Mapleton get back on the council, in exchange for safe passage back to her children in London. Mapleton says that this sounds like treason, but ultimately agrees. She then informs Jack Rackham and Augustus Featherstone that she has learned where Governor Rogers is heading- Skeleton Island. She also helps them find the last man on the island who sailed there with Henry Avery, Mr. McCoy, who agrees to serve as a guide to them[10].
After Rogers is defeated at the Battle at Skeleton Island, he is imprisoned when the Guthries purchase his debts and force him to default. Featherstone then becomes the new Governor of New Providence Island, although Max is the real power behind the throne, and Mapleton continues to serve her. When Mark Read tries to join Jack Rackham's Crew, Jack explains that piracy is officially outlawed, but he is still allowed to discreetly go on the Account in order to drive up prices for the merchants in Nassau, pointing out Governor Featherstone, Max and Mrs. Mapleton on the upper floor of The Tavern.[11]
Memorable Quotes[]
"50 pieces they paid her. That's worth a few nicks to the hull, wouldn't you say?" Mrs. Mapleton on Vane's crews mistreating the prostitutes, I.
"Eleanor Guthrie used that chair not just to vanquish her enemies, but to create new ones. Because some people can only understand themselves through the eyes of those who hate them. They thrive only on sowing the seeds of their own eventual destruction. Miss Guthrie has new clothes now. Miss Guthrie has new friends now. But to my eye, she looks the same." - Mrs. Mapleton to Max, XXVII.
"When you asked me if I could help you learn where the governor's ship went to what place he drew Captain Flint, I thought it unlikely I could be of much help. But you will never believe what just walked through my door." - Mrs. Mapleton to Jack Rackham, XXXVI.
Appearances[]
| I. | II. | III. | IV. |
| V. | VI. | VII. | VIII. |
| IX. | X. | XI. | XII. | XIII. |
| XIV. | XV. | XVI. | XVII. | XVIII. |
| XIX. | XX. | XXI. | XXII. | XXIII. |
| XXIV. | XXV. | XXVI. | XXVII. | XXVIII. |
| XXIX. | XXX. | XXXI. | XXXII. | XXXIII. |
| XXXIV. | XXXV. | XXXVI. | XXXVII. | XXXVIII. |