Hello! Hope you all remember me and this story! I know it's been a while... uh about 2 or 3 months maybe? Anyway! I'm back with another chapter! Not as long as usual, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless because I feel proud that I managed to write 2000+ words for this story, because it's been a lot of pain to get inspiration for it! But I really want to finish it by the end of this year, so I'm going be trying my hardest to write this and find inspiration for it.
So, I won't ramble on any longer... here's the chapter!
Chapter IX.
'You know what would be nice?' She questioned as she sat on a barrel next to him at the wheel. She wasn't really sure why she was suddenly so keen to be near him - not that she was, of course - but it just seemed better than sitting by herself in the cabin; especially when it was so warm and it was far too stuffy in there.
He hummed in response, not really feeling the need to actually say the word "what" to her.
'A bath. I've got a new nightgown, but I haven't had a bath since I was forced upon this ship.' She hissed before she bit her bottom lip.
'You want me to draw you a bath?' He retorted and she can't help but roll her eyes at the distaste in his voice.
'Not you personally. I would just appreciate one, that is all.' She murmured, suddenly feeling defeated because she was looking forward to it; she had built her hopes up thinking that she was finally going to feel clean and fresh again, and he was going to say no. She was going to be stuck in this filth until she got home; if she ever got home.
Maybe Jack sensed how she was feeling; maybe that was the reason he turned around and said, 'Fine.'
Before she could acknowledge what he meant, he turned away from her and shouted, 'Gibbs! Get the tub and take it to my cabin; fill it with water.'
Her eyes landed on the older man, and noted how he seem surprised by the request, but he moved down below to the hold to get the tub nonetheless.
'Thought you weren't going to do it?' She muttered and he just grinned at her. She gave him a smile before she stood from her seat on the barrel and dusted down her dress. But she didn't move to the cabin just yet, because his stare was enough to pin her in her place.
It wasn't until he gave her a wide smirk that she finally broke free, clearing her throat and turning around sharply to go back to the cabin. She dusted her dress down once again, just to distract herself and stop herself from turning around, because she could feel his gaze burning into her back.
It didn't take too long for the bathtub to be filled and when Gibbs poured the last bucket in, she gave him a warm smile.
'Thank you.'
'I wouldn't be too long. I heated the water up… but it's not that warm, and will go cool soon.' He informed before he retuned her smile and left the cabin.
Isabelle walked over to the door and made sure it was locked, before she stripped off her dress and undergarments that she finally managed to wash - though she had to do it herself; a first for her.
Biting her lips she stepped into the tub and almost winced because of the temperature. It wasn't freezing, but it wasn't the warmth she was expecting. But nonetheless, it was water and there was soap and it was going to get her clean.
She sank into the tub and as her body quickly adjusted to the temperature, she let out a sigh as she closed her eyes, letting her skin soften and the dirt she had accumulated soak in the water.
She didn't know how much time passed before she finally picked up the small bar of soap and the cloth that Gibbs had left her, and started to actually wash herself. But after that, she returned to relaxing in the bath, not moving, just laying there with her eyes closed. As she did, she started to hum the lullaby that her mother sang to her when she was a child and couldn't sleep.
She stopped herself short at the thought of her mother, because it was the first time since she was kidnapped that she thought on her parents. Sure, her main thought was always on Matthew and wondering what he was doing and how he was reacting, but she never once thought on her mother and father, and just what would be going through at her kidnapping.
Her mother and father were the only people she trusted in this world. And even she knew how wrong that was, because it should be her husband, not her parents.
Truthfully, they weren't that fond of Matthew Moran, finding him too reckless and unfaithful for their beloved daughter, but it was what Isabelle wanted, and they weren't going to protest against what she wanted. And he did have money; lots of it. Enough that Isabelle would be looked after and that's another reason they didn't say a word when Matthew came to them asking for Isabelle's hand in marriage.
Isabelle didn't know this of course, thinking that, because they were often together and how they acted around Matthew, that they adored him.
Her eyes snapped open and she's brought sharply back to reality. Her parents were missing her; looking everywhere for her, probably panicking and here she was, being friendly with the man that kidnapped her. Too friendly. She knew it. But no one had ever payed her that much attention before, not even Matthew when he was courting her, and it was a nice change. But she wasn't stupid. She knew she would just be nothing more than a conquest for him; see if he can bed the frigid rich lady and claim victory.
And the way she was acting, she wasn't exactly discouraging him. Not the way she should be. A part of her wanted to be chased, because she'd never been chased after in her life. She was always the one that needed to make Matthew see her again.
'You're a fool, Isabelle.' She hissed before she pulled herself from the tub, sucking in air through her teeth as the cool air hit her wet body. She wrapped the towel around herself before picking her dress and undergarments up off the floor and moved over to her place in the side cabin.
She dried herself with the towel, and with a grimace of disgust, she reclothed herself in her undergarments and dress. How people could live like this, she'll never know! She needed new clothes every time she had a bath; and she definitely needed new undergarments everyday. This way of life was disgusting and unclean.
Once she was dressed again, she unlocked the door and headed out to the deck, walking up to Jack, despite all the recent thoughts she had about him.
'Thank you. It was mostly relaxing.'
'Mostly?' He questioned with a raised eyebrow, and Isabelle cursed herself for her stupid mouth and her stupid openness to a man she didn't know!
She didn't reply however, having learnt her lesson, and she turned away after placing her hand on top of his for a brief seconds in thanks.
~oOoOoOoOoOo~
The noise from the deck distracted her from the book she was reading, because they didn't normally make that much noise. There was only ever the odd bark from Jack or Gibbs, but other than that they stayed silent, just doing their work.
But now, it was loud and noisy in a cheerful way; there was so much laughter and it had Isabelle staring at the door in confusion for about ten minutes before she plucked up enough courage to sit her book down, slide off the bed and walk over to the door.
She opened it just a crack, peeking out and when she saw the crew gathered in a circle, all of them sitting on barrels with a bottle of rum in their hands, she couldn't help herself, she pulled the door open completely before stepping out to the deck.
Someone from the crew noticed her and let out a cheerful, drunken shout before the whole crew joined in.
Normally the sight of drunks would repulse her, but the pleasant happy buzz that seemed to be emitting from them was enough to have her smiling and she walked over to stand beside Jack, who was sitting in such a position that everyone was pointing at him; looking at him.
'What's the occasion for such a party?' She questioned as she sat down on the barrel that Gibbs had moved over for her. She gave him a smile before she turned to Jack with a raised eyebrow. He didn't answer though, and just smirked at her, his eyes dancing with an emotion that Isabelle had never seen from him before.
'It's the captain's birthday today, Mrs. Moran!' Someone exclaimed, and Isabelle had a feeling it was the same man that had alerted the crew to her presence.
Her head turned back to Jack, her eyes widening with the news and she smiled kindly at him, 'Happy birthday, Captain Sparrow.'
His grin just widened before he raised his bottle of rum to his lips and took a gulp. He lowered it once more and balanced it on his knee.
'It's just another day. But the crew wanted to celebrate it…' He trailed off, raising the bottle to his lips once more and Isabelle just smiled.
'Do they normally need an excuse to drink?' She enquired and he looked at her for a second before barking out a laugh.
'No.' He admitted with another chuckle after his loud laughter finally stopped. Isabelle flushed slightly as she looked around the crew, but she didn't go as red as she thought she would when she realised that no one was paying attention to them; no one wondered why their captain was suddenly laughing loudly.
She chuckled along with him for a second before stopping when someone appeared beside her, a guitar in his hand.
'Come on, Captain. Play us a song.'
Isabelle looked between the guitar and Jack before she raised an eyebrow at him, 'You play?'
He nodded his head once before he turned to the man holding his guitar.
'Not today.'
The crew gave shouts of protest and Isabelle smiled at their determination to get their captain to play them a tune. She looked around the group of the crewmen before she turned back to Jack, her mind made up.
'So you tell me that you can play but you aren't going to show me?' She grinned at him and watched as he slowly returned it, his eyes turning back to the man with the guitar. He took it from him and brought it onto his lap.
'Fine. What song do you want, men?'
'"Jolly Sailor Bold"!'
'"A Pirate's Life for Me"!'
'Do you know "Wave Over Wave", Captain Sparrow?' Isabelle questioned and he smirked and started to strum on the strings of the guitar.
'Me name's Able Rogers, a shareman am I, on a three-masted schooner from Twillingate Isle, I've been the world over, north, south, east, and west, but the middle of nowhere's where I like it best.' Isabelle sang as the familiar tune started to sound from the guitar. She gave a small, almost embarrassed smile as she realised what she was doing. She very rarely sang, only doing so when her father decided to sit at the grand-piano in her home and played a song. That was the only time she did it; no one else made her feel comfortable enough to do so.
And she had no idea why she was doing it now.
'Where it's wave over wave, sea over bow, I'm as happy a man as the sea will allow, there's no other life for a sailor like me, but to sail the salt sea, boys, sail the sea, there's no other life but to sail the salt sea.' She sang the chorus a little louder and with a bit of a bigger smile upon her face, because it was her favourite part of the song.
It was the song her mother sang to her, because her father - Isabelle's grandfather - used to sing it to her.
She bowed her head when the guitar suddenly stopped and she felt Jack's eyes upon her. She looked up, looking into those deep brown eyes and she found it hard to look away. They continued to stare at each other until someone spoke up, asking her to continue because it was nice to hear her a nice voice instead of loud, drunken shouts.
So, they teared their gaze away and Jack started where he left off, and Isabelle started singing, all the while thinking that their little eye contact did not mean anything.
So there we go! Like I said it's much shorter than the ones before, but like I said, I'm really proud I managed to write 100 words, let alone 2000!
Hope you enjoyed it, and hope you review!
'Til the next time, my lovelies!
~Charlotte.x
