Two weeks more passed…
Silver, after receiving Dr. Dunkley's approval and congratulations, finally ended his diet. That didn't mean he still didn't have to watch what he ate, but not quite as strictly anymore now. Which, he thanked the heavens above, meant an end to Amelia's nearly tasteless regimen of gruel.
Thankful to finally be back working at the job he loved, Silver walked out of the Benbow's kitchen, bearing a tray of wholesome smelling food.
He put a tray down elegantly in front of the same young woman he flirted with on a regular basis. "Here yeh are, Cathy me darlin'," he said cheerfully. "Bon appetit!"
The pretty girl smiled up at the roguish pirate-turned-cook. "Thank you so much, Silver," Catherine told him, taking her first petite bite. "So… how was your diet? Not too bad, I hope?"
"Ah, lass… twas fair terrible, so it was," Silver told her, putting on such a look of planned misery that Catherine could only laugh.
Jim saw Silver at work, and ambled over. He crossed his arms, grinning, and gave Silver a knowing look.
"Now now, Jimbo… I just be servin' one o' my many deservin' customers, so I am," Silver explained to Jim.
"Whatever you say, Silver," Jim replied with a grin and a shake of his brown-haired head.
Sarah Hawkins then whisked by, a tray full of food and drink for some of her loyal customers upon her shoulder. She smiled at her son as well as Silver, acknowledging them both, but not having enough time to speak. Miss Catherine happened to be looking at John Silver when Sarah went by and saw the look he gave the energetic, kindly woman.
"John Silver, I know that look when I see it," she declared, shaking Silver out of his reverie.
"What was that, lass?" Silver asked, grinning weakly, knowing he'd been busted, but trying to make out as if he'd missed what she had said.
"Don't give me that," Catherine demanded in an amused voice. "I know how you look at Mrs. Hawkins… and don't you try to tell me otherwise, sir."
"Away wit' yeh, Miss. What mischief are yeh implyin'?" Silver said.
"You're in love with Sarah, John Silver," Catherine declared, resting her rounded chin upon the back of her dainty hands.
Silver's jaw dropped, and his eyes went wide in surprise. "Have mercy! Shh! D'yeh want Mrs. Hawkins to hear yeh goin' on so with such scandalous talk?" Silver folded his big arms before his chest, his face showing a scowl. "Besides, Mrs. Hawkins an' meself… bah! Why, she's too fine a lady to be seen wit' the likes o' me, and that's a fact."
"Oh, I don't think so," Catherine assured him, reaching out to kindly pat his ham-sized hand. "She looks that way at you too, you know…"
Silver did a double-take, which caused Catherine to giggle. "S-S-She what?" Silver asked, then frowned again. "Didn't yer sainted mother teach not to lie, miss?"
"She did," Catherine admitted, but smiled sweetly at the big, flustered man. "But I'm not lying to you, I swear!"
Silver squinted his good eye, obviously not convinced.
Catherine sighed, then grinned impishly. "Oh, Sarah!" she called out, nearly singing the woman's name.
"Shh! God save Ursid… hush, girl!" Silver hissed at Catherine, but to no avail.
Sarah, between customers, heard Catherine's summons and threaded her way over to where the girl sat talking with Silver. "Why, hello there, Catherine dear! It's so good to see you again."
"Hello, Mrs. Hawkins," Catherine replied, her big brown eyes innocent as a lamb's. "I was just talking with Mr. Silver here and…"
"Hush, lass, hush," Silver growled softly out of the corner of his mouth.
"Yes?" Sarah asked, wiping her hands on her apron, a soft smile on her lips.
"Well, I had a question, was all… for the both of you," Catherine continued, her girlish face betraying nothing.
"Well, ask away, Catherine. We're all friends here," Sarah told the girl.
"I was wondering, you understand, about my calendar for this year," Catherine told her.
"Hmm? Why?" a bemused Sarah asked in reply.
"Well, I want to be sure I'm available for the upcoming celebration, Mrs. Hawkins," Catherine told her matter-of-factly.
"Celebration? What celebration?" Sarah replied, not having a clue about what the girl was talking about. "You've lost me, Catherine dear…"
Catherine rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "Am I the only one that has their eyes open? In this whole Inn?"
Sarah looked over to Silver, who looked back at her and shrugged.
"Gah! You two!" Catherine then fumed. "You've been skating around one another like moths around a flame for months now. So when are you two going to come out and admit your feelings for one another? Hmm?"
It was hard to tell who was more stunned…John Silver or Sarah Hawkins. Both of their eyes went wide, their jaws dropped, and their faces paled considerably.
"W-Wh-Whatever are you saying, Catherine?" Sarah stammered, her cheeks now a pretty pink. And that had nothing to do with the heat, mind you…
"Yer daft, girl… aye, that's what yeh are," Silver grumbled, his face now flushing scarlet.
"Am I now?" Catherine countered, grinning knowingly. "Me thinks they both protest too much, I do," she said, then giggled again at her wit.
Sarah and Silver blushed even deeper, and looked away from one another in embarrassment. But, Catherine couldn't fail to notice that they both flicked their eyes back involuntarily to one another's and gave the other a small smile. "I've had my say, you two… do feel free to carry on now…" Catherine giggled again.
Sarah and Silver walked back to the kitchen together. "John…" she began then stopped and looked away.
"Sarah, lass…" Silver tried to begin to reassure her, but he too faltered.
"D-D-Do you really fancy me that way?" Sarah finally worked up the courage to ask. "You know… as a woman, rather than just a friend?"
Silver rolled lie after lie around in his head, but knew-just knew-he couldn't lie to her. "Would yeh find it embarrassin' if'n I did, lass?"
Sarah gave him a small, shy smile. "Would you find it embarrassing if I said no, I wouldn't be embarrassed if you did?"
Silver chuckled. "Why, would yeh look at the likes o' us both! As shy as teens we are, an' us both grown adults, can yeh believe it."
Sarah grinned, her cheeks still a bit flushed. "Yes, silly isn't it?"
Silver then cleared his throat. "Nay, not as silly as I've been, lass… fer not tellin' yeh the way I feel…"
"You mean…" Sarah began, her big blue eyes wide. "You really do have romantic feelings for me?"
"Aye," Silver gruffly admitted. "Ting is, I don't deserve to, Sarah lass. Yer far too fine a lady to ever be seen wit' the likes o' a rogue like me…"
"Why don't you let me be the judge of that, John Silver," Sarah told him, looking up into his startled face.
"Hmm?" was all he could manage to say at first. "Yeh mean… yeh'd not be amiss to me wooin' yeh, Sarah Hawkins?"
Sarah giggled softly at his use of the word "woo". "I think I'd like that, John… I'd like that a lot."
The two of them left the kitchen then, all too aware that a lengthy absense would be embarrassing. They went about their business… that is, until they passed Catherine's table again.
"So, you two… decided on just how many stepbrothers and sisters Jim's going to have yet?" Catherine asked grinning knowingly.
"Catherine Mosby, you just hush," Sarah told the all-too-smart young woman. Catherine laughed softly, clapping her hands in delight.
"Oh, some advice for you both. Once Jim finds out, you know he's going to be absolutely insufferable. So… if you'd like to shut him up about you and Silver, you need only threaten him with the fact that I know he fancies Alice Doppler," Catherine said with a satisfied nod.
"My Jim? And little Alice Doppler?" Sarah exclaimed in surprise. Sarah´s and Silver´s eyes widened in surprise at hearing that. "Goodness me! I wonder if Amelia knows about her daughter and my son?" Sarah said, clearly worrying.
"We'd know if she did, lass. Oh aye, we'd know," Silver laughed imagining the Captain's howl of outrage.
"Well… enough of that. Thank you, Catherine," Sarah said, setting her cap straight, and standing tall. "You'll have to excuse us both… we have work to do."
Catherine Mosby wasn't quite sure if she meant that literally… or if there was more to that simple statement than she thought…