6. Gaining a Hubby at Gunpoint
In 1693, Anne Dieu-le-Veut became a widow once more, when her second husband Cherel was killed in a bar fight by another buccaneer, Laurens de Graaf. Anne was not about to play the wilting flower grieving widow. Instead, she challenged de Graaf to a duel to avenge her husband. He drew his sword, but when she pulled out a pistol, cocked it, and took aim, de Graaf had second thoughts, and suddenly remembered that chivalry forbids men from fighting women.
De Graaf also proposed to Anne on the spot, supposedly because he thought she was badass and admired her courage. That could well have been true. However, it was also true that she had a cocked pistol aimed at his chest, and the quick-thinking romantic gesture might have saved his life. Either way, Anne accepted de Graaf’s proposal.
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