- Chapter 10 -

To at least fight boredom, since Tia Dalma said that she wouldn't be allowed, or couldn't be able, to walk until three weeks pass, Olivia was doomed to pass time by herself for the next couple of weeks of the month. Although she was still in luck, since Henrick had once again gave her a new book, and this time, she was surprised that he handed out to her a book full of plays that was written by none other than the famous playwright of the Elizabethan age, William Shakespeare.

When she asked the man how and why he had such a book, the Dutchman only said, "It is how I keep my English good." Yet it wasn't even a very satisfying answer, and neither was she certain whether it answers her question, but still...

Once, when Barbossa visited her, he found her reading the book.

"Ye found a new book to yer likin', I can see," he said while making his way to her hammock.

She looked up, two grey eyes showing surprise. "Oh! Well, yes, eventually."

He joined her by dragging a nearby barrel beside the hammock, as he sat on it, arms firmly placed across his chest.

"What book be it this time?" he asked the brunette.

"You'll be surprise," she replied with a grin.

"Try me," Barbossa said, returning the grin with a toothed one of his own.

Shaking her head, as she once again gazed down on the printed pages of the book she was holding, Olivia said, "It's Shakespeare." She was right about Barbossa being surprised.

"Shakespeare?" the pirate repeated. "From who have you got this book?"

"Please, it's not like you don't know," said the brunette, she then took note of the look on Barbossa's face when she glanced up to him briefly.

"Compliments from Henrick again?" he asked, standing up from where he was seated on the barrel only to put the said barrel aside and look down on the brunette.

Olivia only nodded, her attention eaten by interest as she eagerly read the play Julius Cesar.

"How the blazes did that man come by with such a book?" the Caspian Lord scoffed.

Once again having her attention back to the auburn haired pirate in front of her, Olivia couldn't help but notice how Barbossa put much disdain on just mentioning the Dutch first mate.

"What do you have against Henrick anyway?" she asked.

"There where you be wrong, Miss Gale," he replied, holding up a finger. "Now you see, 'tis not what I have against the lad, but it be about what I simply have that he so dearly wanted to take."

A quirked brow appeared in the brunette's face. "What you have?" she said almost incredulously. "What possession could you possibly have that Henrick would be too inclined in taking from you?"

Her gaze was met with two intense blue eyes, making her heartbeat skipped a little faster.

"I was merely referrin' to ye."

It wasn't the fact that she was mistaken that made her heart pound more harder within her breast, but it was how Barbossa referred to her as what he have that Henrick would want to take from him. Was he confessing jealousy over the Dutch trying to be friendly with her?

"Oh," she merely said. "Well, I...I suppose we could arrange that." It was even far harder to keep herself at ease, most especially when he drew in much closer towards her. "Now, you see, Barbossa, I...I..."

"Go on," he said in a whisper, as she felt his breath shaming her cheeks.

"What Henrick does si-simply doesn't...doesn't...uh, concern me." The more he came closer, the more she struggled for words in what to say.

"What is it that concerns you then, if I may be too bold to ask, milady," he spoke again.

Was she ever hearing all correctly? Did he just called her 'milady'?

She swallowed hard. "Uh, w-w-what I would be too concern on is...is..."

"Is?"

"Is what...what you simply do. And..."

Whatever she had to say furthermore, had been lost as he claimed her lips in a crushing but careful kiss. Which only lasted a little shorter than she expected it would be.

"O, wilt thou leave me so unsatisfied?" she said almost breathless, using one of Romeo's lines at the balcony scene.

Drawing back, away from her, he simply replied with, "What satisfaction canst thou have to-night?"

Eyebrows shutting high on her forehead with surprise, Olivia couldn't believe what she heard.

"You know that line?" she simply asked the pirate, who in turn only chuckled to her.

"You belittle me greatly, Miss Gale," he said, lightly brushing his thumb under her chin. "I've read Romeo and Juliet once."

"But when? How? And why?" came her questions, still not believing that a man such the one in front of her would read a tragedy about young love. Or even reading any of Shakespeare's works all in all.

"Now, now, there be none of that," he said, dismissing the matter, as he once again kissed her, but this time, just merely brushing his lips on hers. "I'd best be goin' off to now, milady. There be matters on deck that's needin' me attention."

As he turned his back on her, she couldn't help but notice one small thing that he left one out on his quick response with him using Juliet's line as a reply to her using Romeo's line; it wasn't night yet. At the same time, she silently replied to him in her thoughts, where she thought that she'd prefer 'milady' to simply being 'Miss Gale'.

While Marty had no idea why he was even with Pintel and Ragetti (Barbossa already ordered them be freed) in the first place, all that he remembered was it had something to do about Gibbs. They've been looking for the old sailor and was wondering that perhaps said sailor was down at the rum cellars again, probably out having a drink again. It was a fact that made them thought that perhaps Gibbs' love for rum was the reason why Jack Sparrow and him got along well. Then again, who knows what made these two men get along with each other.

As the three of them reached the rum cellars, they were right about two things; that Gibbs was there indeed, and he was indeed drinking rum.

"We was lookin' all over for yah," said Pintel, none so please by the manner of his voice. "Barbossa was, to say the least."

"I was lookin' for a drink, is all," replied Gibbs flippantly with another swig of the rum he held in his hand.

"There's water at the fo'c'sle," said Marty to the friend.

"Pffft! It's not water, it's grog," huffed Pintel. "Only decent drink here is rum for us pirates."

"Ssshh!" hushed Ragetti to his uncle, with a warning. "They'd hear us."

"Is jus' us here," Pintel replied, giving Ragetti a quick glance.

"It's not like they could understand us," added Marty, out of reassuring.

"But there be always three who could," warned Gibbs, referring to the handful of people aboard the Dutch ship that could understand English.

"Neehov's too busy," shrugged Ragetti after reconsidering matters.

"First mate don't even give an eye on us," added Pintel, as he took the bottle of rum from Gibbs to take a swig himself. Gibbs was surprised, scowled a little, but eventually let the balding pirate have a drink.

"What about the cabin boy?" asked Marty, who's question seemed to have gotten the rest in considering matters more closely, as all three men looked back to Gibbs, who had gotten back the rum from Pintel and was having another swig from it.

Only seconds past before Gibbs realized the eyes set on him.

"What might the boy do down here?" he shrugged, giving an air of flippancy on his answer, in which it made the others reassured. "So, Barbossa be lookin' for me, you say?"

"Somethin' to do about poppet," answered Pintel, referring to Elizabeth.

Gibbs almost choke himself with the rum, he realized that he had forgotten something.

"The practice!" he almost shouted, replacing the cork on the bottle of rum and placed it back to the cellars. "Barbossa's to teach Miss Elizabeth to fight two at once today! Hurry, lads! Let's not keep the man waitin'."

As all four of them faced the companionway to go up deck once more, Marty thought he saw one of the barrels rocked slightly, but ignored it along the way.

"Why you?" Pintel was saying to Gibbs. "Why not Turner?"

"Perhaps Barbossa would like to take it easy on the lass," answered Gibbs, waiting patiently for the others to got up before making his first step on the stairs himself.

"But Barbossa doesn't take it easy on anyone," countered Ragetti, quite telling the truth.

"Aye," agreed Gibbs, "Barbossa ain't a pirate lord fer nothin'. But this all be Will's idea, now step to. I've wasted too much time."

After all four had left the rum cellars, just behind the barrel that which Marty had noticed before, came out the cabin boy. He had heard everything that the small group was talking about, and he understood it all too well. But only one word really did caught his attention and made him stay awhile, hidden behind the barrel; the group called themselves 'pirates'. All this time they had pirates with them aboard hiding right under their noses! He just had to tell the captain what he found out. Especially that he just found out that one of the pirates aboard was what they call as a Pirate Lord.

A/N: I know, this is a terribly short one. But I can't help it about the suspense. He he. ;)