Chapter 12: Manoeuvre

"I don't know if you can do it at all John," Elizabeth shook her head, "no offense, but you seem such a landlubber. I understand this Jocard knows Jack well too, from childhood I guess and although their were some recent differences between them, Jocard is still grateful to him for freeing some slaves. So you need to make a special effort today at the rendezvous to be like Jack," she tugged at John's sash, then frowned and adjusted it again just to jump back and take a big breath turning away, "that amount of rum, that's a good start, there's not too much trouble with the way you're walking on board since you're not used to the waves and you stumble all the time. Oh, that hat! The other way round and you better make sure you keep it safe..."

"I don't like the having clothes on religion," John stepped close to her again, fed up with all the lessons on how to be a pirate. He could remember those very well thank you very much from the times they played that together with Jack in the gardens of their Oxfordshire estate when their father occasionally joined them.

"Clothes are very important to who Jack is," Elizabeth continued, ignoring his look, "he takes pride in how he looks, what he's got and done. He impresses people on arrival. John, you got to talk. A lot. Yourself out of situations, or just talk for the sake of it, it doesn't matter if it makes sense or not. Try it. Talk yourself out of me fussing."

"That should be easy," he took one more little step to close the gap between them, "appearance, stance, impression, that's about the physical. Pathless and dangerous wand'ring ways it takes and reason will be lost."

Elizabeth lifted her chin up daring him to continue with his attempt at seducing her. Wrong choice as she happened to find herself mere inches from staring right into his bold eyes. The same brightness as Jack's, but with some more sadness thrown in, or perhaps he was worse at hiding it. Why didn't she move away from their hold? There were at least two steps in between her and the wall. "That's not what I meant when I said talk yourself out. And use words like lass, quarter or ol' salt."

Once he got hold of her gaze he would keep it. The sadness slowly disappeared from his look and gave to coquetry, "I strive to change your mind. All a lover's wish can reach,
For thy joy my love shall teach cause our sphere of action is life's happiness,
And he that thinks beyond thinks like an ass," he put his hand on the head of the chair she had her hand on and slid it along to draw slow circles on the top of hers. He tilted his head and now his breath was tickling her neck.

"Right vexer. That's nonsense all right, but not the right kind of nonsense Jack speaks. For some purposes though it will do. Oh, did I just speak in rhyme?" She was finally able to draw her eyes away from his deep brown pits of his soul, just to stare down at her hand instead. Not moving away, just like her. Odd. There was too much Jack in him, that was it, only that Jack wasn't that spoiled to take advantage of her. She wouldn't have minded if he did, but she couldn't just initiate such adultery herself, now could she?

"Asking me to talk, bad move Eliza." He had to call her somehow. The name Lizzie was occupied in his heart by the actress with the same name and Elizabeth was his wife.

She bit her lip, "the navigating lesson we should go back to," Elizabeth fought the impulse to turn her hand palm up and move it up sliding to his upper arm. But if he was John, could she not simply enjoy the moment and forget about it later since she's never going to see him again? No, that didn't make sense since it's really Jack she wanted. "Where were we last time on that subject?"

John groaned irritated, but his expression remained unchanged, that of desire and arousal. Just a little move of his upper body meant he was already rubbing against her chest, "freedom? So if love bades you want, why don't you obey?" He whispered into her ear.

Oh, she was going to obey all right, if this kept up. He must've known as well she was hardly able to resist him. It was her last futile effort before she gave in, "why don't you kiss the gunner's daughter?"

However, her prayers got answered as Gibbs burst into the room, apparently oblivious to the small distance between the people in the room, "Jocard's ships are approaching from astern. At first from a distance I thought he acquired a new one, but he didn't. It's the Papyri Kassite. The two lords are rowing over right now," he left just as quickly as he came.

Elizabeth jumped, "it's Barbossa's old ship. You remember me telling you about him?" Close as they still were, she took the chance to grab John by the arm and pull him to the open deck.

John raised his eyebrows a little at the amount of black people on board, all resting their hands at the hilt of their cutlasses, they were supposed to be allies, were they not? And then there was this tall chap with a rather grotesque face and an unfashionable round hat. He only eyed them for a moment though, he had to be in character, it was just like being on stage, "Gangway!" He shrugged Elizabeth off and inched through his crewmen to the visitors, "gentlemen," he greeted them on a light tone, "snooping around me ship won't get ye far Hector! Perturbing isn't it seeing yer favorite possession in somebody else's hands?" He drawled and mastered a shifty pirate smile too at Elizabeth's complete shock, along with some exaggerated hand gestures. She felt like patting him in the back for conforming to her expectations when...

Barbossa leaned his face close, frowning, "who be this fella and where be Jack?"

tbc