Chance Meeting
OrionRedStar
Chapter 7: Shipwreck Cove Connection
Chapter 7 Summary: *ADULT LANGUAGE and SITUATIONS. Jack and Elizabeth part ways in Shipwreck Cove, but Jack solicits the assist of a familiar friend to help him cope .
Chapter 7 - Shipwreck Cove Connection
When the Black Pearl had finally docked in Shipwreck Cove, there were a lot of happy pirates. They were all beholding to Captain Sparrow who had seen the ship and crew through a terrible tempest. Right up to and including Elizabeth, who was bustling to get ashore herself. And that is exactly what Elizabeth did. Even with her ankle bound, Elizabeth had collected all of her clothes together, everything that she could at least carry in a large duffle bag. She finally sorted everything, went outside onto the deck, and made sure she did not see Jack. It was easy to do because the fatigued Captain was exhausted, starving, and was presently in the galley getting something to eat and drink. So with Jack preoccupied, Elizabeth had made it down the plank as swiftly as she could with her tender ankle. It would have been a clean break if it was not her running into Gibbs who was on his way back to the Pearl. He had secured all the lines and was making his route up the plank when he ran into her. Elizabeth stopped short and they were practically nose to nose. He was semi-drunk from his leave from the helm and did not question Elizabeth to her business, why she had a large sac with her, or asked where Captain Sparrow was to know she was departing. Elizabeth briefly told Gibbs Jack was in the hold and then vanished into the misty afternoon swirl of fog.
Gibbs thought Elizabeth's behavior pleasant but harried. He did not think anything else was out of sorts other than it appeared odd that she would not pair off with Captain Sparrow, which was usually what she would have done in the past. Elizabeth had definitely went ashore without Jack. They had been literally inseparable, except for the past night and a half while Jack was at the helm. Not hearing their altercation on deck, and figuring they had made some previous arrangement, Gibbs thought nothing more on the subject. With that being set in his mind, Gibbs went onto the ship and traveled down into the hull to his bunk. Meanwhile, Jack indeed had left the galley and had gone down to the hold, and while there had nearly drunk himself into a stupor. Worn out, arms smarting, and plagued by a lack of sleep, Jack did not want to go back to his cabin and face off to the sour music awaiting him with Elizabeth. He felt bad enough for shoving her about and being brutish to her, so mean that he was ashamed of himself. So to absolve himself, Sparrow landed where he was and began to drown those bad feelings with much rum. Jack was sitting on a barrel pondering over his heap of sorrows when he heard someone stirring in the hold behind him. His head jerking around to spot who the intruder was to his solo stint, Sparrow then snarled,
"Mr. Gibbs…what are y' doin' down 'ere then, doesn't liberty appeal t' you?" he growled in a swinging of his voice which altered from a low threat into higher register of an aloof and snide jest.
"Oh, didn't mean to disturb you Capt'n, just that I was told you'd be down here an' I wanted to ask when you wanted to depart, did you have a means for leavin' tomorrow morning or late evening...perhaps mornin' next, then?"
Jack mulled over the decision and really did not have one firmly decided preference at that exact moment, and so he vapidly shrugged his shoulders, not really giving a rat's ass about it either.
"No matter t' me mate–whenever the crew gets back from their leave–s'pose they'll straggle in all sorts o' times, s' once everyone's 'counted for...we'll shove off, savvy?"
"Very good, uh–an' what of Miss Swann...will she be stayin' on here in Shipwreck Cove, eh? I'd not suppose she'd be returnin' at all by the look of 'er?"
With a deep scowl etched hard upon his visage, Jack glanced over his shoulder at his first mate with a peculiar, but sharpened eye; lips pursed as his vision squared off at the older man.
"She's in m' cabin. Dare swear 'tis a better notion by askin' her yerself what it 'tis that she wants, then. I know not of what her mind 'tis about, savvy?"
"Beggin' yer pardon Jack, but I just saw 'er no more than an hour ago, an' Miss Elizabeth looked like she was leavin' the ship fer a while―least by the size of the gunny sack she had brought with her. I assumed by the swelled size, it was holdin' all of her gear...if'n ye catch my drift."
Jack instantly stood up to attention, his black onyx eyes as huge as two blazing saucers and mouth gaping open with a dropped jaw in shock as the notion was slowly seeping into his brain.
"Eh?" Jack stammered as he struggled to gather up his wits and focus on Gibbs, "What's that y' say? She's left the ship…with whom?" Sparrow inquired with his black saucer shaped eyes, staring keenly and glaring quite ominously with the assist of black kohl surrounding them in a defining smudge.
"No one, she left with some sort of a duffle bag an' just said where I'd find you. Then she was off―"
Jack nearly stumbled and fell over as he staggered past the hold's stacked crates and lined storage barrels in the pathway, darting towards Gibbs until he reached the man. Sparrow pertly grabbed Gibbs by the shirt, pulling his collar so taunt and close that the man was nearly strangled, Gibbs found himself practically nose to nose within Sparrow's clutches, stretched upwards and nearly on his tip toes!
"Which way did she go….hurry an' tell me, man!" Sparrow barked in a low, broiling rumble.
An alarmed Gibbs told Jack what he knew and suddenly was released from his grip as Sparrow flew up the stairs in a flash. He darted into the cabin with a loud reverberating bang emanating from the kicked in and still swinging door. His onyx eyes made a quick assessment of the empty cabin, and then he raced to gather up his effects. Noticing that the trunk where Elizabeth's clothes had been stored seemed slightly askew against the wall, Jack lifted the lid and saw the clothing was no longer there. Getting himself together quickly, Jack was shoving his pistol into his sash, strapping on his sword, gathering up his coat and hat, and all the while was muttering to himself. Sparrow was worried to death where Elizabeth would go, whether she would hike her way up to the fortress, or linger elsewhere. How far would she actually get with a turned ankle? Sparrow wondered if it was a secure enough means for her to traipse about this tough town without escort. Elizabeth may have had a rough time in Port Royal on her own, but this was Shipwreck Cove and it could be a far tougher place even than Tortuga, being nothing but pirates from one end to the next.
"If she'd not scurry a carriage right up t' the fortress, where the bloody hell would she go whilst in Shipwreck Cove―an' at this hour?"
Of course it was early evening, but to Jack's rum soaked and over exhausted brain it felt like three in the morning. Gibbs watched Jack burst forth like a cannon ball shot from his cabin, still adjusting the sword at his waist as he hurried across the deck and then bolted down the plank at breakneck speed. As Gibbs watched Sparrow pass him without a word, the captain hit the dirt of the lower town streets; without hesitation he flew off in the direction that Gibbs indicated he'd last seen Elizabeth travel.
Jack scurried through the crowded streets and avenues, not really knowing which way to go, but he assumed since Elizabeth took all her things and was handicapped with a bad ankle - not too far. Obviously, she needed to walk at a slow pace, therefore Sparrow assumed she would tire easily and land at some sort of a local inn or tavern to rest. Not to be recognized, Elizabeth would have to secret herself into a place of shelter to remain on the quiet. If she was clever, Elizabeth would ensure not to be seen traveling outside on the main streets or in other venues which were well traveled. Naturally there was a host of taverns, pubs, inns…and brothels in Shipwreck Cove where she could easily fade into any establishment to disappear. Jack was not thinking Elizabeth would fall prey to one of those sordid whorehouses...that would be her last choice. But, Jack assumed Elizabeth would drift towards the best establishments in town, places that she deemed having the most laudable reputations.
Singling out and about those better three avenues of town, right where the well known and reputable inns were favored, that was Jack's target. He ambled about and walked those roads seeking the lofty places; where higher clients of good standing haunted those specific establishments. Jack diligently canvassed those classy streets of Shipwreck Cove in haste. He darted about peering down avenues, alleyways, and ducked his head within a few close inns that served good food. Any of those better places Elizabeth could have readily scurried into. As tired as he was, Jack pressed his weary body onward, nearly blind with fear and drained from the lack of sleep. He went for the closest inn since her bag had to be very heavy for Elizabeth to carry. She could not be much further away from the Pearl. Jack was turning the corner around one of those better known neighborhoods, when suddenly a deep and raspy belly laugh was heard along with the boisterous announcing of his infamous name.
"Why there'd be Jack–Jack Spar-rah!"
Jack turned around so fast, doing a spin of a circular double take having not seen an able body about to own that particular voice. Suddenly out of the darkened alleyway he saw him appear like a spectral visitation...Captain Hector Barbossa. Almost elated to see his nemesis once more, Jack forced a subtle half smile and in a breathless gulp had replied as he approached,
"Barbossa, nice t' see y' mate, but I can't stay 'ere an' chat, then….mmmmmm…M' on a mos' urgent mission an'―"
"Aye….I've jus' seen 'er n' more n' five minutes ago meself. She's at the Ram's Head Inn, Jack. I was jus' on me way t' the Black Pearl to tell y' of it."
Jack's obsidian eyes flinched, constantly blinking those lashes as he was utterly shocked and surprised that Barbossa not only knew what he was doing, but who he was looking for. Alarmed that Hector had obviously seen something grossly amiss that would spur him to seek out the captain of the Pearl, Sparrow tried to appear casual. So far, Jack forced his frame to stand erect and promote all semblance of being calm and in control just by his stature. However his constant swaying from the waist was a clear indicator Sparrow was irked, was feeling raw nerves and skittish to what was troubling him. At best, anyone who knew Jack well was also acquainted to all his tics and habits. They could readily discern by his twitches that Jack was presently very perturbed and guarded by those exact series of rumors and suspicions. Sparrow's shoulders squared off as he drew in closer to inspect Barbossa better at close range by torchlight, and then rumbled his lexis in a low tenor,
"Oh. The Rams Head Inn, y' say? Uhhh….what was she doin' in there, if I may be s' bold t' inquire?"
Barbossa shook his head, his large black plume of a feather atop his hat swaying elegantly along with his head movements. He looked down at the newly formed puddles in the alley and then glanced back at Jack with an expression of knowledge. Taking a poignant breath, Barbossa patted Jack on the back as if he felt pity for him and wanted to share in an assist to alleviate the good Captain's grief. An act of pity from Hector Barbossa instantly put Sparrow on the wary side of this conversation. Finally, Barbossa's leathery countenance winced as if he felt the internal agony himself and told Jack plainly,
"Jaaaaack, I cannot lie t' ye….. she'd be in a very rare mood, I say….a very rare mood indeed. I tell ye this, if'n yer not of a mind t' see it―stay 'way, says I."
Jack seemed daunted by this bit of sage advice and wondered what on earth Elizabeth had gotten herself into that even Hector Barbossa feared for his friend's reflective feelings about the matter. Clearing his throat and now his arms crossed over his chest, Sparrow was still going feral inside, but managed to muster up a visage of stoic proportions as he grilled the pirate Captain further.
"Mmm…..What d' you mean, then? What sort o' rare mood 'twould that be, eh?" Jack inquired warily with his black eyes growing slightly wider and his lips pursed to keep his true sentiments withheld.
Barbossa glanced about the street, at the passer-by pirates who seemed interested in watching the famous Captains chatting. There was still a good deal of moisture in the air and the fog was not lifting. It swirled precariously as Barbossa's arm made a wide sweep, as if in explanation of his meaningful retort,
"She'd b' a woman scorned an' as they say 'bout hell's fury hath none―She's gone off an' signed up with another ship t' be rid of ye...or so she says t' the first mate what's been recruitin' 'er this hour hence."
"WHAT? What ship b' this, then? Wh…what first mate of what vessel b' that?" Jack's voice was so shrill it actually cracked.
"The first mate of the Seahawk, he'd b' named Edward, it was….an' from what I'd seen 'as staked his claim upon 'er, Jack. Miss Lizzie…oh, rather our Mrs. Turner…..she'd b' drunker than five sailors by now, an' I think Edward means t' bed 'er as well. I'd not want to b' Mister Turner….if y' catch me meanin', eh?" Barbossa mused with a sinister inside wink.
Jack's black eyes flared slightly as he secretly swore under his breath and was clearly rattled by the scene relayed to him. He released one arm from his chest and it fell to begin clenching a fist around the hub of his pistol. Sparrow's jaw was working back and forth with extreme and pent up angst while his wild imaginings fueled his apprehension. Standing in place but his boots shifting in the wet street puddles with a skittish nervousness, Jack was nearly twitchy when he was finally ready to bolt away but first stated,
"Ah! Well, Barbossa―I got t' fetch Elizabeth back…mmmm…..t' the ship I mean. I've sort of promised safe escort to the fortress, an' lost track of 'er, y' see…..I did somethin' pretty stupid las' night an' I fear it hatched a bit of a row betwixt us. I expect she's doin' this t' get back at me….mmmmm….I mean William, then. I dare swear I probably deserve a bit of a goin' over fer my part, but since I promised t' deliver her. I mus' see it through proper."
Barbossa eyed Jack with a piercing, narrow-eyed glower, one that was so intrusive it had Jack fidgeting like a bug under glass as he resumed his lame excuse,
"Y' see…'twas done with all good intent–fer her own sake I'd done it. But, I never thought the altercation would go s' far that she'd literally jump ship n' take off as she did."
"I took that by her converse of ye. Them were not pretty words an' she'd not said yer name exact...only referred t' ye as 'the captain,' unfortunately in 'er drunken stupor her sense of judgment 'tis a trifle off–"
Barbossa saw Jack's troubled expression and then arrived to his own conclusions. He had been around long enough and knew his former Captain and his extensive history with many females. Hector was clever enough to discern the sparks of attraction fly over a year ago between Elizabeth and Jack. So, from what his sage old eyes had witness on his own, Barbossa figured out the precise game at hand and then suggested with a hearty laugh and stated in a sly tenor,
"Ah, s' it's a lover's quarrel, Eh?" his twang hung in the humid atmosphere like a canopy.
"Mmmmm…..n….n o…..no…..not a 'tall, then! What make's y' say that?"
Barbossa's wise yellow eyes glimmering with humor and inwardly laughing at Jack's poor defensive attempt at cloaking his amorous feelings, that was when he then announced,
"Aye, a spat…betwixt normal folk 'tis bad 'nough, but betwixt legends, very bad lot indeed, mate. Come 'long lad, I'll take y' to yer lassie, then."
Jack gave up trying to argue the point of where he and Elizabeth stood personally, just started off down the alley following Barbossa who led the way. It was a long winding road that finally opened up into a famous cobble stoned, square shaped courtyard. There was activity everywhere as per usual all around town at this time of the night. Revelry, action and debauchery as only the streets of Shipwreck Cove could deliver. Jack shook his head as he glanced around at the level of illicit activity. It aggrieved him that his Elizabeth was aimlessly wandering the streets alone in this squalor and wound up in one of these local dives; and no less she was being taken advantage of by a no count, pirate sailor! Jack stuck close to Barbossa, keeping up with Hector's unusually wide and wobbly, bow-legged stride. Finally stopping short, Jack banged into Barbossa's back, not aware that his pirate buddy had abruptly stopped in the middle of the courtyard.
"Here we'd be then. What's yer plan, Jack? If y' mean t' go burstin' in there an' expectin' Miss Lizzie t' go quietly...let me b' the first harbinger of bad news t' tell you―nay. She's good an' fired up 'bout you, so whatever it 'tis that y'd done, best stay clear of another row, eh?"
Jack looked at Barbossa's leathery face lit up by the scattered lanterns illuminating the street. He doubted the man had much of a way with women at all, but after his own magnificent blunder, Jack was willing to hear him out regardless of opinion.
"What d' you mean she's 'good an' fired up' 'bout me? What has she been sayin' in there, eh?" an intimidated Sparrow asked feverishly as he pulled on Hector's sleeve to gain a full view of his façade.
"Le's jus' say….'twas nothin' good…an' cut to the chase, then."
Down in the mouth and pouting in clear sight of his former first mate's brush off, Sparrow's facial features morphed into a formidable, and obvious expression of doubt and trepidation. Noticing that he was being scrutinized again, Jack pulled himself together and toughened up. Even his voice sank into a lower register to promote a more masculine cadence to thwart any feminine shades of sulking.
"Right…..wha' do you suggest, then?" Jack asked, losing patience and feeling like a complete loser having to ask Barbossa for advice on the lost and lovelorn.
Tossing a hand to slap Jack's chest, Barbossa drew in a breath and spoke in a soft rasp,
"I say we go inside, b' discreet as possible, remove yer hat as soon as y' get in...cover yer face with it. Once through the door, take t' the left an' sit you down in the back where the tables be. Elizabeth is at the bar with the first mate―that 'tis if she's still standin'."
Jack tossed him a filthy side glare as Hector resumed to sketch out the plan,
"She was in rare form Jack, jus' be prepared t' see 'Elizabeth at 'er worst. Try t' control that wild head of yers―if y' can, eh?"
Again, Jack winced as he heard word that Elizabeth was really in such a drunken state. He was fearful that if indeed she was that pissed–would she revert to old ways just to get even with him? What a bloody mess. I'd done it to 'er, I set 'er off makin' her think I didn't care a 'tall. I've got t' put it right…I've got to tell 'er how I feel too…if she'll 'ave me, then.
"Right, y've told me that lot several times already, then….I've got it! She's all fired up an' hates me bleedin' guts, an' that she's mos' likely t'shoot me at first sight rather than say hello. S' tell me, 'ave I got all that, then?" Jack asked sarcastically and then added with affirmation, "…that's what we'll do, then. I'll follow yer lead, all right?" Sparrow stressed with a hiss.
"Good man–follow me!" Barbossa replied with a wide eyed flair and hit Jack squarely in the chest once more, hard enough to cause Sparrow roll his eyes skyward in humiliation.
Barbossa lumbered across the remainder of the wet square and before he opened the door to the Ram's Head Inn, he silently pointed to Jack's hat, motioning for him to follow the plan and use it to cover that infamous mug of his. Jack nodded; hand on the brim of his hat and ready to strategically remove it at the right moment. Barbossa opened the door and a wave of tobacco smoke and the din of jolly laughter from its inhabitants hit them in their faces. The atmosphere had taken dominance of their senses with a profound rush. Jack followed Hector to the left, shadowing the older pirate maneuvering through the inn, past tables, watching Hector navigate in front of him. The plan being to keep to the outer areas of the pub–to lurk amid the shadows by the tables located near the windows. Jack would least likely be seen upon entry. With such a large crowd within, Sparrow could loiter in the shadows and easily spy on Elizabeth unencumbered.
It was like a visual magnet there at the bar, and impossible for Sparrow not to take a peek to the right in that direction. Sparrow was dying to inspect what Elizabeth was doing at the bar―and with whom. As Jack followed Hector Barbossa working through the sea of tables, Sparrow just had to gawk. There, to the right of him where the large public bar was situated, his gaze landed. It was located about thirty five feet away. Elizabeth was there alright, and the sailor pirate she happened to be with had his arm draped around her shoulders while whispering into her ear. Jack suddenly stopped walking, hat lowering from his peering orbs, and stood frozen in his tracks. Transfixed to the unimaginable image before him, Jack was unable to move his limbs and leave the place where he stood while observing treachery in action. Brazenly out in the open, Sparrow was glaring at the lovey-dovey couple at the bar. Once Barbossa realized Jack was not directly behind him or using the hat as a mask, he quickly back tracked. Hector grabbed Jack' arm and barked in a deep, junk yard dog growl,
"Why don't y' just go up an' bite 'em in the arse if y' want t' make yerself known that quickly, aye?! Are ye daft man? Go an' set yerself down afore yer seen or recognized by the patrons!" Barbossa snapped to a stoic Sparrow.
Jack saw the young pirate place a chaste kiss on Elizabeth's neck and he cringed, feeling his blood surging from his chest to his stomach and ate through his bowels like acid. It was unbearable to watch so he turned his face away, gazed down to the ground, and shielded his visage with his hat and followed Barbossa. Although Jack walked on, he continued to take intermittent chances at peering over the rim of his tri-corn hat and glare in their direction. Now Jack was noting that this man's hand was sliding down from Elizabeth's shoulder, waist, and then grazed way too close to her behind.
"The bloody nerve…." Jack growled under his breath as his obsidian eyes fiercely glowered at them.
An' look at what she's wearin'….could that shirt b' buttoned any fuckin' lower? Why not let 'er tits out altogether, then….ruddy wench!
Sparrow and Barbossa finally got settled in the back corner table, a perfect vantage point. They sat behind the plants where Jack could view them out in the open yet be disguised by a shroud of foliage amid the shadows. When the bar maid came to take their order, Jack was so enthralled with what Elizabeth was doing, Barbossa had to order rum for Sparrow too. Jack was absorbed in the visuals to even hear the bar maid speak. Jack's head was so filled up from his own inner dialogue of rage, that everything else he heard was totally drowned out. From the moment he heard what Gibbs told him...that Elizabeth had taken off from the ship, Sparrow's mind was mush. That announcement alone had Jack believing Elizabeth had left him for good. That was enough to kill off any man's right mind; Sparrow's head emptied of anything else but ill tidings. At the present moment with the bar maid off to fetch their rum order, Jack and Hector were finally alone. Now with no one else hearing their discourse they could speak in private. Barbossa took a gander at what Jack was currently focused in on, and leaned around a plant to see for himself. Upon catching sight of the scathing scene, Barbossa's lips drew taunt.
"Jack, I told ya...'twould not b' an easy task t' sit 'ere an' watch this affair."
"Wha d' ya mean 'affair'―do y' think she'd 'ave an' affair with 'im?" Jack rapidly snapped.
Jack's head flew to direct a dead-eyed stare at his crony excitedly, frantic of the mere mention that this man had already usurped him as Elizabeth's lover―and assumed that it was already a done deal! Barbossa's expression was screwed up with concern, realizing Jack was out of his mind with extreme jealousy. Already it was obviously Jack had not been thinking straight. Gazing at Jack as if the man had lost his mind entirely, Barbossa shook his head and vehemently stated,
"She's only been in 'ere fer an hour! Hardly 'nough time t' bed 'im or start a world class affair, eh? Nay, when I says affair, I mean the state of current events, Spar-rah'. Get yerself t'gether man or yer goin' t lose 'er fer certain. Jus' sit back quiet like an' see what she does. I see that 'er duffle bag is still on the floor where it 'twas afore. Means she's not yet set fer lodgin's. Now, d' you know how much coin she'd 'ave in 'er purse?"
It did not matter what caring guidance or dictation which came forth from Barbossa, Jack had not heard it. Because he was too mesmerized with the scene before him, nothing else mattered other than that. His Elizabeth–HIS woman was with another man! On top of that, she seemed to be having a very pleasant time. Jack knew every move and gesture that woman contained and he saw it with his own eyes; Elizabeth was flirting outlandishly with him. The flip of her long blonde hair, touching his wrist as she spoke, all the little intrinsic maneuvers Elizabeth had used and still used to this day on him! Sparrow clammed up and didn't reply because the bar maid had unexpectedly turned up at their table. She was finally there and also delivering their food Hector had ordered. Barbossa was starving and ordered a large rack of lamb and nearly drooling as he wrapped a napkin about his neck. He beamed with expectation when the bar maid lifted the warming lid off the tray to expose the savory meal he was about to devour. Barbossa's phrase was suddenly heard by Jack, for he was greatly disappointed and muttering something was amiss.
"Blast, will y' look at that, Jack….'tis a sad state, I tell you."
"Aye, it sickens me it does, Barbossa."
Jack, who was lost in his attentions that were totally honed in on Elizabeth and her new conquest, was assuming Barbossa meant the appalling sight before him―meaning Elizabeth and her paramour! So, Sparrow sneered in disgust over the display as well as he heard Hector then state,
"Agreed. Used t' be a hard workin' man could expect a certain thin' which had somethin' to it–substance! Not a sorry sight such as this―"
Jack slowly nodded his head and humbly agreed with a labored sigh, thinking all this time it was a critique about Elizabeth. As Barbossa rattled on about his meal issues, in Sparrow's warped mind he had cross referenced it to be a discussion about his traitorous lover, Elizabeth. With that in mind Jack lamented with gusto,
"It 'tis a pity indeed. When a man's lookin' fer somethin that claims t' be rightfully what it 'tis…an' then gets this bloody shit served up t' 'is face―makes it nigh a criminal act, it does!"
Barbossa, still looking down at his overcooked and nearly burned rack of lamb, was disgruntled over the paltry portion as well. Surely it was touted to be succulent and juicy meal, but when ordered and served...was given thus...all wrong.
"Aye, an' t' think I'd be expectin' t' sink me teeth into a juicy haunch m' self."
Jack's head snapped to glare at his mate, shocked that Barbossa candidly admitted to desiring a tryst with Elizabeth himself! His long dreadlocks were still swaying as well as the trinkets and gems clacked with noise. Jack was glowering at Hector with his black orbs squinting, aghast for taking such liberties of lusting for Elizabeth–let alone having the gall to shamelessly announce that squalid wish out loud to him.
"―What !?" Sparrow snapped, thoroughly disgruntled with the disclosure, "…you an' Elizabeth?"
His accusatory gaze fell onto Barbossa's countenance and was met by a visage of shock and like disgust.
"Jack…I was referrin' to me dinner, not yer bloody lady friend! Where's yer head, boy!?" Barbossa snarled,
"Oh." Jack proffered a brief and weak grin of embarrassment, but then quickly locked his eyeballs back onto Elizabeth once more, stopping long enough only for a gulp of rum.
The accosting pirate sailor was now running his fingers like a wide rake through Elizabeth's long flaxen blonde hair as if he was seeking the damp portions, separating them so to help her thick mane of hair to dry. Elizabeth had nodded to him in agreement about something and then Jack saw her lifting up the back portion of her golden tresses. Suddenly this pirate leaned over and began to blow air on that part of her swan-like neck. Seeing this intimate exchange, Sparrow's body jolted upward and out of his seat. However, Barbossa anticipated such a brash maneuver from him and grabbed Jack by the wrist. When Jack glanced over to him, Barbossa shook his head back and forth indicating that it was an awful idea. Jack, lips taunt and clearly enraged over this situation, sat back down in his seat with reluctance. Seated, Sparrow gestured a flailing hand in her direction as if to proffer an excuse for his recourse of brash actions. Knowing very well why Sparrow jumped up, Hector replied,
"Nay…sit it out, Jack…" Barbossa warned Sparrow accordingly with a reprimanding hiss, "Wait an' watch. I don't see cause fer you t' go jumpin' in there 'cept fer makin' a damned fool out of yerself."
Jack gritted his teeth and drew his lips taunt under duress, attempting to force his mouth shut from blaring out a threatening scream across the entire inn to challenge the offensive couple's poor taste in manners. He knew of course Barbossa was right. It was just difficult for jack to hold back and be tortured over viewing these intimate images of Elizabeth with another man. And this other man was taking full advantage of the circumstances. This of course seemed like a perfect storm brewing for this guy to ease himself into her knickers. Jack was all too aware of that maneuver having expressly used it himself many times!
"Blimey! Jus' look at that, Barbossa! She'd nearly took but five sips of 'er current tankard n' the bloody bastard's got another round waitin' right in back of it―ready t' ply Elizabeth senseless wif it! No doubt t' get her s' bloody pissed she can't see straight!"
Sparrow observed the young pirate's maneuvers, recognizing the lurid and obvious plot this offending sailor used. He was lining up another drink to make certain Elizabeth was getting more inebriated by the moment. Barbossa stretched his neck to peek around the long leafed fern and saw for himself what scene Sparrow's black orbs had been glued to.
"Aye, well the preparation seems t' be workin'―she's shit-faced pissed, lad. I was a'feared it 'twould happen, then….Lizzie's 'bout t' get a lot more in 'er b'fore she makes the ultimate move."
Jack's head snapped to his left again, those black obsidian eyes blazing fireballs over Barbossa's claim. The thought of Elizabeth going to a room and having sex with that sailor, giving herself up so freely to that milksop of a lad; turned Sparrow's stomach. He actually bent over and clasped his gut for the ache of angst that was now physically plaguing him from duress. Glancing to Hector for any sort of reach for reality, Jack asked in a strained tenor,
"Y' don't s'pose she'd really go off with that ugly, scum suckin', bottom feedin', sea urchin…..do ya?"
Barbossa rolled his yellow hued eyes upwards to the ceiling in exasperation as if to measure the absurdity of Jack's claim. Clearly Sparrow was in an emotional tail spin because of his mixed feelings, but some of this stuff he was spewing forth was absolutely absurd. Hector was about to proffer a retort when suddenly Sparrow unexpectedly leaped out of his chair once more to intervene.
"Right, I'm off t' fetch 'er!"
"Nay, belay that!" Barbossa bellowed in a hushed, toned down volume so only Jack could hear his gravelly voice, "I told ye t' wait an' see jus' what Elizabeth does. Mebbe she'll surprise us both n' high tail it out of 'ere an' go back t' the Black Pearl…mebbe she won't give that scallywag the time o' day, eh? What say you, Jack?"
"I do' no, Barbossa….jus' 'ow much o' this can I stand?" Jack groaned, clearly showing this was killing him even more than Hector had anticipated.
"Well, not that I'm the sort t' be bargin' in on yer little romance there Jack, but what exactly d' you intend on sayin' to 'er when ye get there at the bar? I mean after all, she left you―fer whatever reason! It seems that yer the last pirate in the town of Shipwreck Cove t' be convincin' 'er of anythin' at the moment. Aye, stay n' make certain that she's safe t' wherever she sets out for. An' I suggest y' stay 'way–at a distance. Goin' up there to fight against those two 'twould be meanin' mischief to 'er. Remember, Jack…..Elizabeth is a free agent...an' a married one at that. What stakes or any rites of claim d' you 'ave on a lass of such status, eh?"
Jack heard what Barbossa said. Somewhere in that scrambled head of jealousy, hurt, and concern...he knew it was sound advice. The old pirate had a valid point and a good one―Elizabeth was not his to force into doing anything. Even if Sparrow felt it was against the laws of nature or anyone else's opinion as well…Elizabeth was not his. That was driving Jack feral and the notion of her leaving him. All this was fact, and still Sparrow was moved to the desperate position of winning her back. Unfortunately, this was the only means he had at his disposal before it was too late. Elizabeth would make an erroneous error and leave with this pirate. Sparrow was tapped out of patience and could not control himself when he suddenly blurted out to Barbossa in one big groan,
"I'm in love with 'er…alright!" Sparrow exclaimed with his hands now holding up his aching skull from a near migraine sized headache.
Eyebrows lifted lofty in response to the melodramatic outburst, Barbossa nodded and repined with a sly smile spread across his rugged visage, stroking his chin and scraggly beard, and not seeming really phased by the emotional but newsworthy explosion of Sparrow's heartfelt confession.
"Aye…well, 'tis as I thought―do tell, Jack―does the Captain of the Flyin' Dutchman know 'bout all this? Yer little love arrangement can hardly travel o'er the seas an' reach his ears fer approval, eh?"
Midnight black eyes peering out at Hector from between the spaces of splayed fingers spread across his visage, as if shrouded by a forest of digits, Sparrow repined with a terse and exasperated tenor,
"It was William Turner 'imself who put Elizabeth in m' charge, eh? How d' you like that fer dutiful, spousal love? But I ran off t' the Orient to avoid said charge an' she ran amuck in Port Royal on her own. 'Tis only by a chance meetin' that I'd run into Elizabeth in recent days hence. She knew not that I'd made such an oath t' Turner―an' that I turned me back on it straight off..."
Barbossa was giving a sinister chuckle because not only was the information humorous, the scenario in which Jack depicted it was comical. Testing the waters by smirking over at the disparaging lump of pirate heaped next to him, Hector then replied with a twinkle in his eye,
"Like a mouse t' the cat, eh? But since y' hadn't run straight after 'er as permission was granted…'tis the fates takin' charge perhaps?"
Barbossa chuckled in that devious sinister tone once more as he took another bite of his newly delivered platter of roasted lamb–cooked to perfection this time. Jack was merely taking the punishment and insults when suddenly his black obsidian eyes spotted what was happening at the bar. Elizabeth suddenly slid off her chair and was so unsteady on her feet that she staggered while hanging onto the rail of the bar for ballast. Jack started to rise out of his seat for a third time, ready to leap until a diligent, on guard Barbossa was waiting for that reaction. Barbossa swiftly grabbed his arm, jerked back hard, and that was adequate counteraction of motion to throw Sparrow backwards. Jack landed hard onto his arse and back into the seat.
"Blast! Stay 'ere an' just try t' get a grip on yerself man; mark me, she'll not fall from a lack of assistance….look―"
Sure enough, Jack glanced over and the first mate sailor grabbed Elizabeth by the waist and held the hobbling woman for the time being. Her ankle still wrapped up and obviously tender, Elizabeth swayed until she got her sea legs and stopped teetering. The interloper was just a kiss away from her lips and Elizabeth was laughing heartily; giggling over her wayward balance and how silly she must have appeared. Shifting off her bad leg and swaying on the brink of tumbling onto the floor of the pub, Elizabeth giggled as the young pirate held her fast. The din of all the existing patrons which were eating in the dining the room rose. Seated at the tables in-between, they all stretched their necks at the main bar to observe her. The chatter was so loud that Jack could not hear what Elizabeth was saying to the young sailor in question. Needing to decipher their communication, Jack was attempting to discern the interaction by her body moves. The facial expressions created while Elizabeth spoke were studied. Sparrow adjusted his seat so he was at just the right angle to view them both from where he was positioned. Listening in, she was so drunk that Elizabeth got louder. Soon he was able to overhear her as well, and that is when Sparrow heard;
"Oh, I am dreadfully sorry," Elizabeth excused herself in an exaggerated apology as she happened to grasp the sailor's forearm for ballast, and the other hand went to her forehead as she giggled a little, "I fear my legs have turned to gelatin fish...one already in a fit of discomfiture, as you can well enough see!" Elizabeth purred holding out her sore ankle, "It must have been the rum." She giggled again to him, leaning forward with an engaging smile to keep him enticed.
"Oh, I would prefer to think you swooned over my good looks," Edward smiled widely and leaned forward as well to give a kiss to the rosy apple of her cheek.
Elizabeth had picked up a bottle of rum that they had been sharing. Feeling targeted, she started to pull back from Edward's advance but she was unstable. Finding that her legs wanted to go another way, Elizabeth had been vaulted into a swaying sort of stagger. Once more Elizabeth was tossed into a giggling fit. This allowed Edward to move his face towards her again. However, she was still on her guard. Elizabeth had no idea at all that a pair of seething black, ebony eyes were boring holes into the back of her skull, but yet she had the eerie feeling of being watched.
"Ah, your good looks, then? Now there's a thought to ponder," Elizabeth mused as she tipped her nose to his, but would not allow a kiss to transpire.
This was just friendly flirting to Elizabeth's estimation of this harmless encounter and she had no designs on sleeping with Edward for fun or coin. But he had offered her a post on his ship, and that interested her. Not only that, but it was offered after Elizabeth proffered her credentials of seamanship. She did not disclose being the Pirate King incognito. Elizabeth just happened to avoid telling him exactly what named ships she had served. He was not told of her past sails, even with the Empress. Elizabeth was afraid that if she mentioned the Black Pearl or any other infamous vessel, it would carry too much weight to disclose her hidden identity. Her rumored rendering as being a simple pirate was quite possibly the best. That she considered to be her best bet and way to go. It seemed a far better course for Elizabeth to take a more clandestine means to board another ship. So, why tempt fate? Elizabeth simply stretched her odds into the favorable zone by not telling him that bit of history.
Jack was practically out of his skull with jealousy at this stage and was bursting from the seams. Barbossa glanced over to Sparrow whose black kohl framed eyes were glaring like two, red hot coals of fire. They were widening and narrowing at the point of interest across the inn, now seething. Jack's blood was on fire that this young, pirate sailor was taking advantage of Elizabeth's being inebriated. Worse yet, she seemed to be blatantly flirtatious with him.
She's mine, 'ow on earth can Lizzie tell me in one breath she cares 'bout me―n' throw 'erself on that―he's naught but a good fer nothin', repulsive an' disgustin' scallywag!
Elizabeth was sipping on her rum when she just happened to overhear two bar maids huddled together. They were standing on the other side of the long bar next to Edward. Evidently they were giggling and staring over at someone behind where Elizabeth stood. She watched them huddled, laughing and whispering with curiosity. She listened to their musings with piqued interest. It seemed as if there were certain words these women shared which came into focus; they were familiar to her ear. They seemed related to her in some way shape or form. In fact, Elizabeth swore she heard the one woman mention the name of Jack Sparrow.
"Kitty, d' you know who I jus' realized 'tis in 'ere? See that older gent over there with the big floppy feather in his hat?"
The other friend spotted him and nodded, as the first one continued,
"Aye...who is 'e?"
"….well that pirate is Captain Barbossa. He's with someone else as well―he's more difficult t' spot then, b'cause he's leanin' into the shadow of the china hutch an' plant. Wait….see there!? That really handsome man next to Barbossa…..that is Captain Jack Sparrow!"
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