Thanks to Xx-Angel-of-Shadow-xX, SirenoftheStorm, Cabbage_Merchant, Lizzylove4ever, Fop Huntress and IamLeahsConscience for your reviews!
Cabbage_Merchant: You will get more Jack in this chapter! Happy, I'm not so sure but Jack none the less. I'm glad you liked this so far and thank you very much for your review!
Chapter Seven~ Luv, Lizzie and Elizabeth
When I wake up, I can hear the footsteps of the crew above me. Rising slowly to my feet, I find my way out of the rum cellar, leaving my empty bottle to roll around as it pleases. Jack hasn't been locking the cellar door since it's nearly empty and makes it more difficult for the crew to restock it.
Still tired and a little fuzzy brained, I head for my cabin. As I pass the stairs leading up to the deck, I look up to see the light of mid morning. So I haven't slept in too much. I can faintly hear the sound of some of the crew snoring from down below. The others are up making preparations for our departure the next day.
I open the door quietly and step inside, turning to close it once I'm in the small room. I glance over to see that Giselle is still sleeping in my bed. I have an urge to go and wake her up, not in a very nice way, but I decide that I'd rather not deal with her at all.
Ignoring her instead, I walk up to my dresser and quickly rake a brush through my hair, not really caring what the result is. My shirt is slightly crumpled from my night in the cellar, but I've learned long ago not to care about that. Taking my hat from the dresser top, I set it lightly on my head. It's when I start to straighten my shirt that I realize that I'm purposely wasting time.
I don't want to go up on deck. I'm not sure if Jack is still mad at me and honestly, I don't care much to find out. But I want the rest of the explanation I got the night before and sitting down here avoiding everyone is not going to get that for me.
I'm halfway out the door when Giselle wakes up. When I hear her feet touch the floor, I turn back around to check if she really is up. I notice her feet are bare. She stands up and walks to my mirror, placing both hands on the table and leaning in, inspecting her face and hair. She tries to smudge away some of the makeup that's run, but in my opinion she doesn't look any less like a raccoon. Giving up on that, she inspects the sleeve of her dress.
Sighing, she turns to me. "I need a new dress. Have you got anything?"
Biting my tongue, I nod and smile as best I can, walking back into the room and to the dresser. She backs away from it and allows me to open a drawer and pull out a simple blue dress. Handing it over to her with barely concealed resentment, I leave her to strip down to her corset and change.
Now in a semi good, semi bad mood I escape from my cabin, heading up the stairs and onto the deck. I forgot that I didn't want to be here either.
Spotting Gibbs though, I sigh in relief. Maybe I can get things done the easy way.
"Elizabeth!" I freeze. Jack stands in the doorway of his cabin, a cheery smile on his face. It would be reassuring if I could guarantee that it's real. He waves his hand for me to come then disappears inside, leaving the door wide open.
With a small fear of him, I force myself to walk the distance to the opening and peer inside. He's sitting behind his desk, his feet propped up on top of the piles of papers. Stepping inside, I stand not so casually by the door, ready to leave when given first notice.
"Close the door," he says and I reach behind me and gently close the door, deciding that listening is probably the best thing to do. "Now come here."
With slow and hesitant steps I approach the desk and stop a few feet away from it, crossing my arms in front of me. I look at his booted feet instead of his face, noticing the scuff marks on the leather and studying the imprints on the sole with half of my attention. The rest is focused on him.
"While we are here, you will stay on board. There will be no trips for you of any sort until we leave, and once we have I doubt you will have a need to be leaving this vessel anyways. And for today, I must ask you to keep Giselle preoccupied," he explains like he's just telling me when tea is.
"You want me to deal with Giselle?" I ask disbelievingly, looking up from his footwear to his face. He smiles briefly, as if trying to throw blame for the circumstances in which I find myself on someone else.
"Only for today and she'll be gone, promise."
"Why can't she leave now?" I ask with undisguised irritation. He frowns at my reaction, pulling his feet off the desk. "She lives here doesn't she?"
"Until he leaves, she stays. Sundown, I promise."
"Until who leaves?"
"Mr. Dorian Long," he says with a smirk, watching me closely.
I pause, not sure why Giselle can't just get off of this ship right now. "Why?"
"Because he will no doubt be looking for her now that she's run off. He's much one for losing anything."
"Then can't she just do what she wants?" I'm annoyed that he can't just let her be like the rest of the crew. I don't want to give her a tour or anything, I'd rather just send her on her way and hope she gets lost somewhere in the brig.
"No, because then she might leave," he says with a smile, sounding as if he's explaining the logic to a ten year old. I'm angry that he cares about her so much. It would save me a lot of time and trouble if he would let me send her on her way already.
"I don't want to babysit!" I yell, louder than intended. He opens his mouth then closes it again.
"Lizzie luv, it's for—"
"Don't call me that!" I snap, confused as to why I'm getting so angry with him. No not at him, at her. I think.
"What...Lizzie?" he asks, his expression one of confusion.
"No. Don't call me 'luv'. I have a name and Lizzie's works good enough if that's how it has to be. Every woman out there is 'luv' to you. So until she leaves, you can't call me that because I'll have no idea which of us you're even talking to! It's Elizabeth or Lizzie, damn it!" I shout. Then I shut my mouth and keep it shut, wishing it had never opened, not regretting a single word.
Jack remains silent, observing me quietly. "Please Elizabeth," he whispers then, and my full name bites me. Even though I've just finished yelling at him about it, it hurts. Why can't I make up my bloody mind?
"I hate her."
"She has to stay," he says firmly.
"Jack, I just don't understand anything. Am I going to get an explanation or not?" I ask desperately, stepping closer to the desk so that I'm leaning against it.
"It doesn't matter so much what he's done Lizzie, but what he's doing," he says, frowning at the mess of papers in front of him.
"And what's he doing Jack?" I ask softly, prompting him gently.
Just then the door bursts open and I spin around to find Giselle all suited up in my dress, strutting in like she owns this cabin.
"Do you mind?!" I yell at her, before I can catch myself. She stops, her mouth opening slightly.
"Giselle, I'm terribly sorry, but could you just step outside while she unwinds? I assure you, it's nothing personal, she just hates women in general," he says reassuringly and I turn to glare at him. I can feel her glare on my back before the door closes.
"I do not hate women," I say.
"Never thought you did, but she may never need to know that," he smiles in his defence.
"So Emily..." I say, wanting to get it over with already and go be by myself.
"Ah, they jumped ship with the kid, her and Dorian. I have no idea what Dorian ever saw in her, but then again, I don't know what the crew or her ever saw in him. He's probably a eunuch too," Jack says and holds up both hands in front of him, as if to defend himself. "Of course, that was in England, but word gets around and it wasn't long before I heard he was in Africa."
"But he never said he goes to Africa," I protest, getting a funny feeling about this. Ideas pop into my head unbidden and I force them out, knowing that I've made too many assumptions already.
"Right. You said that he said that he trades in England. But he does more business in North Africa."
"Oh..."
"Anyway, Africa. Next thing I heard, the girl was gone. He had promised her he would never leave her, told her he loved her an' all that messy stuff. Dumped her off as soon as he could. Of course because she was European, he made quite a bit of profit and it soon became a habit. Now he keeps up a steady trading business. He never takes from Africa though, only drops little pretties off. He keeps most of 'em in the brig. He never likes spending much money, so he takes whatever women he can catch. The ones he buys are usually allowed to work up on deck because they're a bit more... tame than the others."
"The child, she's on his ship now," I say, trying to sort out this new information in my head.
"Aye, he won't be selling her. He regrets selling Emily no doubt, so he keeps the kid for her."
"He doesn't seem like he would do any of this though. He's so kind and..." my thoughts and emotions are getting all mixed up and confused.
"It's part of the lie."
"But you can't dislike him so much. Surely you've met people like him all over!"
"As I said, it's not what he's done, it's what he's doing, Elizabeth."
"Don't call me that!" I snap again.
"You're a bloody mess. Go get some more sleep and when you've sorted out your mood swings then you can come back," he says and the words sting a bit. He waves me away with both hands in a shooing motion. Taking a deep breath, I turn and walk towards the door, fighting the anger and confusion that are also fighting each other in my head.
I grasp the latch in my hand and am about to pull it down when Jack throws one more thing at me. "You can send Giselle in too."
I yank the door open and leave.
Giselle is standing by the rail near Ragetti, attempting to flirt but it's obvious that he's afraid of her, never once looking at her and trying to return to his work. He's just not like that, I guess.
Trying to control my temper, I put on a fake smile before walking over. But when I'm halfway, I drop it in defeat. "Giselle, the Captain wants to see you now."
She smiles at me gloatingly then prances away, leaving Ragetti to give me a thankful look before turning back to his job of polishing the railings.
I reach the open hatch to the hold when I hear an annoying giggle from behind. Giselle has already left the cabin to my relief, but Jack is right next to her as they walk along the rail of the ship. I watch as he stops and says something to her in an apologetic but not type of tone, the words unclear to me. Her mouth drops open and she turns to face him. He continues to talk, his hands gesturing and his smile sarcastic.
Then she slaps him. Hard.
Jack grimaces but stands there as she spins around and walks down the ramp leading down to the dock, her face angry but her chin held high. He begins to turn his head to look over in my direction and I turn my back on him before he can see I was watching.
I decide that my cabin will be a good spot to think things through. Shutting the door and immediately falling onto the bed, I close my eyes.
Dorian sells slaves, about which I am unsettled. Giselle has left, for which I feel relieved. Giselle is no longer sharing my cabin, for which I am very grateful. Giselle has run off with my dress, for which I am a little annoyed, but at least I won't have to wear it ever again. Giselle is currently in the state of not throwing me dirty looks, for which I am delighted. Dorian's story is mostly cleared up, for which I am satisfied with for now but unhappy with the knowledge that I have completely misjudged his character. Dorian is doing something now that is somehow worse than what he's been doing before, at least in Jack's mind. And Jack thinks I'm a mess... for which I have no thoughts.
Next chapter: A few more answers and a big story step!
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