CH 26 A Business Proposition
Juan returned to the Pearl about half an hour later. Elizabeth dropped a rope ladder over the side, and climbed down to join him. He offered her his elbow, just as a proper gentleman should. She took his arm, and he escorted her away from the ship. Despite her dirty clothing and tangled hair, Elizabeth thoroughly enjoyed acting like a lady for a little while.
As they got farther from the plethora of disagreeable aromas that surrounded the ship, she noticed that Juan did not smell like the pirates. He smelled almost clean in comparison. She hadn't realized that she had become accustomed to the odor of unwashed men until she got away from it. She became more self-conscious about how she must look and smell. But Juan didn't seem to notice, or if he did he didn't let on. So she forced it out of her mind and focused on enjoying the evening. Juan was very pleasant company. He chatted amicably about Panama and the jungle as they strolled slowly toward his campsite.
The setting sun still provided enough light to see the jungle clearly. As they walked along, Juan pointed out various beautiful vines and plants, telling her their names in both English and Portuguese. He spotted a maracuyá vine growing up a tree, and deftly plucked some fruit. He presented them to Elizabeth with a deep bow. He reached up into a plant growing on the trunk of another tree and came away with a large magenta orchid. He brushed a loose wisp of her hair aside and placed the flower behind her ear. "Ah, perfection!" Elizabeth blushed shyly at the compliment as any proper lady should.
After a pleasant walk down the stone road, they reached Juan's campsite. Their destination was a small natural clearing near the road. It was surrounded by trees, well away from the rest of his crew's camp. In the clearing, a simple round tent of gauzy white mosquito netting was suspended from a hoop hung below a branch. A small table and two chairs had been set up on a carpet inside the tent. The table was covered with a linen tablecloth. Places for two had been set with linen napkins, silver utensils, beautiful china and crystal goblets. A candle burned inside a cut glass hurricane shade, reflecting a myriad of tiny flames through the facets. Thousands of fireflies flickered like ever-changing constellations in the jungle all around, briefly illuminating the rainbow hues of the orchids that graced the tree trunks. Somewhere nearby, a tiny stream whispered secrets into the night. The lyrical songs of night birds and tree frogs in the distance provided the finishing touch, the ideal background music for the scene.
Elizabeth was enchanted by the setting. Everything was simply, perfectly lovely. She marveled at it all. She had never seen such a beautiful setting. It looked exactly the way she had pictured the land of faeries as a child.
Juan held the netting open for Elizabeth to enter before him. He politely pulled our her chair and seated her before seating himself across from her. She placed the maracuyá fruits on the table next to her plate and daintily folded her hands in her lap.
In seconds a man appeared with a small wooden cask with a tap. He entered the tent, spoke to Juan in a low voice, and placed the cask on a small stand next to the table before leaving.
Juan decanted some of the wine from the cask into a glass carafe and filled each of their glasses. He lifted his glass. "Let me make a toast, to a long and very pleasant friendship!" Elizabeth lifted her glass and touched it lightly against his. The crystal goblets rang gently. She swirled the wine and inhaled its fragrance. The rich bouquet was fruity but unfamiliar to her. The wine glowed a rich deep shade of dark topaz when she held the glass up to the last ray of the fading sunset. She lifted the glass to her lips and took a sip. It was strong, but very sweet. Elizabeth was extremely thirsty after eating only salty foods for so long. Unlike rum that only burned her throat, the sweet wine slaked her thirst and went down smoothly.
"Is called Port wine," Juan answered her question before she could voice it. "It is a Portuguese specialty. Normally it is only a dessert wine, but here in the jungle we have no aperitif, so the Port must suffice for both before and after the meal."
"It is very good," Elizabeth commented before taking another sip. She didn't realize she had taken such a big sip. Her glass was suddenly dry.
"I am so very glad you enjoy it!" Juan smiled, refilling her empty glass "As much as you enjoy the maracuyá, I hope?"
"That is a truly marvelous fruit," Elizabeth breathed. "I've never had anything that tasted so wonderful before."
Juan reached under his chair and pulled out something yellow. "I have promised you the tanned skin of the viper, and you have repaid me by dining with me this evening. This is for you, querida."
He stood, bowed and grandly presented her with the roll of leather. As he sat down, Elizabeth unrolled the leather to look at it. The scales had been removed, leaving the shiny canary yellow skin soft and smooth. The faint cream colored markings of the snake were still visible down the entire length of the skin. Elizabeth knew it would be perfect for the grip of her sword. As she rolled up the leather, she smiled happily and thanked Juan profusely.
"It was nothing, encantadora," he murmured modestly as he refilled her empty wine glass.
Juan's man returned, bearing a tray with serving dishes on it. He entered the tent and began placing the dishes on the table. There was a roasted chicken that smelled aromatically spicy, a bowl of fragrant rice, another bowl of what appeared to be fried bananas, and yet another that held steaming white slices of something which Elizabeth did not recognize at all. The last bowl the man set on the table contained peeled and sliced maracuyá fruits. Juan spoke curtly to the man in Portuguese. The man nodded, turned and left without a word. Juan refilled Elizabeth's empty glass.
He stood to carve the bird. "Minha querida would prefer white meat, or dark?"
"Either would be fine, thank you. Other than the fruits you've brought me, I haven't had anything to eat but salted fish and pork for months! You are very kind to invite me to dinner, Juan. Thank you once again."
Juan tut-tutted his disapproval. "You deserve so much better than ships' rations."
He carved the chicken and served Elizabeth a slice of meat before sitting down again. Placing some meat on his own plate, he gestured toward the bowl of rice with his free hand. "A native dish, this is rice cooked in coconut milk. This", he pointed to the bananas, "is called plantain. Looks like the banana, but is a vegetable, not a fruit. And this is yuca root, much like your English potato. I apologize for the humble peasant meal. We eat much better back at our base near Panama, where we have access to imported foods from the port." He spooned some of each of the foods onto Elizabeth's plate before refilling her empty wine glass.
"Please, don't apologize! This is superb!" Elizabeth tasted each of the foods in turn, and marveled over each one. The chicken was tender and juicy, but quite spicy, more so than she normally would have preferred. But she was thrilled to be eating anything that wasn't dried and preserved with salt. She would have gladly eaten stewed coconut shells if Juan had served them to her. The other foods on the table were all unusual to her palate, but all were equally delicious. She did her best to try to eat politely and not wolf down her meal. She had not acknowleged how very hungry she was until she tasted the food.
Conversation stilled as they ate and drank. Juan watched her reactions to the food with a pleased twinkle in his eyes. Elizabeth demurred from taking second helpings as a well-bred lady should. But Juan put just a little bit more of everything on her plate, and refilled her empty wine glass. "You must eat well while the opportunity is present!"
Elizabeth did not argue that point, and after all, it would be terribly rude for a guest to leave uneaten food on her plate. When they had both finished and laid down their forks, the manservant appeared and took away their plates, leaving two bowls in their places. Juan spooned slices of the maracuyá into them. Then he decanted more wine into the carafe, and replenished her empty glass.
"So, now that we are not chewing", he smiled, "we can get to know one another better, away from your curious comrades who listen to everything. How is it that a beautiful woman came to be dressed like a man and traveling with a band of brigands?"
"It's a very, very long story, Juan. I'm sure it wouldn't interest you at all. I'm hoping to get home soon, that's all that matters."
"Home? Ah, encantadora! Anywhere that you are would be home for the man fortunate enough to have you!"
Elizabeth blushed to her hairline. She was not a woman who required constant flattery. But no one had said anything even remotely complimentary to her, let alone praised her beauty, in a very long time. It felt marvelous to be appreciated and to be treated like a lady again.
Seeing her response emboldened Juan, and he continued. He reached across the table and took Elizabeth's hand in both of his. He felt the calluses on her fingers and palm.
"This is not right!" he exclaimed angrily. "A woman such as you should not have to work with her hands like a common servant! Querida Elisabete!" He pronounced her name with a Portuguese accent. His voice lowered to a sultry purr, and his richly accented words flowed like heady sweet wine over Elizabeth's attention-parched consciousness.
"South America is home to many beautiful women, all of them dark and mysterious as the jaguar. But you, encantadora! You are more beautiful than all of them combined. I have never seen another foreign woman come through the ports who has the fire, the passion that you have. You have a rare beauty. Your skin should not be darkened from the sun like the farmers' women and rough like the sailors'. Your beautiful English skin should be lily white and soft as nature has intended. You are indeed rare like the white jaguar, and you should be treated like the goddess of perfection that you are!" As he spoke, he poured more wine into her empty glass.
Elizabeth was breathless with pleasure. She smiled, perhaps somewhat more encouragingly than a proper lady should, and leaned forward a little. Maybe it was the magical surroundings or the sumptuous food or his sensuous voice that weakened her. She didn't know why and didn't care. Whatever the reason, his words went straight to her head. They made her face flush and her heart race. She very, very much wanted to hear more.
Encouraged, Juan rushed on. "Atraente Elisabete, you could stay with me when the ship leaves. I have a large home atop a cliff in Brazil. It overlooks the ocean. The view of the sunrise from the balcony is magnificent. I would buy for you all the silk gowns you desire, and you could entertain potential business partners for my other endeavors. I would be there with you as soon as this enterprise becomes successful and I dare to leave it in the hands of others. And be assured I would visit you very often until that time."
Elizabeth was jolted back to reality. "Juan, is this a proposal of marriage? We hardly know one another!"
It was Juan's turn to be taken aback. "Marriage proposal? No…." he searched for the right words, suddenly serious. "…is more like a business proposal. You would be a rare asset to a man in my position. I am, how do the French say it, an entrepreneur. I seek new and different ways to make my fortune. Having a beautiful and intelligent woman at my side would impress potential partners and could attract new investors to my ventures."
His voice slipped easily from crisp business tones back to smooth, seductive ones. "And, of course, when there are no clients to entertain, we could always entertain each other…."
He let his voice trail off meaningfully, still holding her hand. His thumb stroked her palm and
his fingers caressed the back of her hand.
A quiet, sleepy little voice inside her head whispered: Run.
She gently but firmly removed her hand from his. "Do I understand you correctly? Are you asking me to come live with you without the blessing of the church?"
Juan shifted in his chair. "Well, something like that. But you would have unlimited access to all my resources—the mansion, the imported gowns…" He refilled her empty wine glass.
Another, giddier voice countered the sleepy one: Juan was just making a business proposal, that's all. There's no need to take offense.
Elizabeth replied evenly, "I have my honor to consider. I would never accept being a 'kept woman' just to have luxuries. I had all of those things in my former life. I chose to have my freedom, even if I must work hard every day, over living my life in a pretty cage. No, thank you. I will stay with the ship." Juan refilled her empty wine glass.
Juan raised his eyebrows briefly at her words, but he was not put off by her negative reply. "You have lived on a ship with many men for who knows how long, and you still maintain your honor! I see….hmm." He refilled her empty wine glass again. "Well then…eat your maracuyá and we will talk of other things."
His voice returned to the deep, silky timbre of moments earlier. "You are a woman of strong passion, Elisabete. You are a bright fire in a dim and mundane world. I am not surprised that you are drawn to the fruit of the maracuyá."
"Why is that?" Elizabeth asked around a dripping bite of the extremely juicy fruit. She unsuccessfully dabbed at her chin with her napkin before reaching for her wine glass.
"In Brazil, is called maracuyá…but you English call it 'passion fruit'. Your people claim that it is because the flowers depict the passions of the Christ. But those with a fiery, sensual disposition such as yours are drawn to the fruit of the maracuyá, the passion fruit. It cools the blood for a little while and helps you to endure the mundane."
He stood and moved to Elizabeth's side. He captured a precarious drip of maracuyá juice from her chin with his forefinger and slowly licked it off, watching her reaction. She distractedly licked her lips ever so slightly as she watched him. He took her hand again, and gently kissed her palm, then continued kissing slowly up the inside of her wrist. Elizabeth gasped and her whole body tingled at the unexpected sensations of his lips and mustache on her skin.
His voice dropped to a soft throaty growl. "But the blood soon boils again when the maracuyá is gone. Since you will have refused my first offer, perhaps you will consider an alternate offer to cool your blood." He leaned slowly toward her, and his mustache gently caressed her ear as he whispered to her.
Elizabeth shot to her feet. The paua handled knife was already in her hand. Before Juan could react, she had the knife at his throat. "I am NOT that kind of woman!" she roared. "If you EVER speak to me like that again, I'll cut your throat! In fact, if you ever speak to me at all I may just kill you anyway!" She rocked unsteadily for a moment as all the wine she had consumed slammed into her veins at once. She recovered enough to pick up the roll of snake skin before she stalked haughtily out of the tent. She missed the opening and got tangled in the net for a moment before angrily slashing herself free with the knife.
She stopped just outside the tent. Weaving gently to and fro, she turned back to Juan. "Despite my outward appearance, I AM a lady, Mister Pardal. And as such I must thank you for the delissish…nice meal. This began as a very pleasant evening." She turned away from him, pitching and yawing in a storm of alcohol and anger down the stone road back to the Black Pearl.
As she swayed out of sight, Juan rubbed his throat. He picked up her unfinished glass of Port and tossed it down in one gulp. "Is just as well," he said to himself, "It would have been difficult to produce a mansion on a cliff if she had agreed. But she is lovely! And fierce! And if she is as she says, still a virgin? Ahhh! What a woman!" He shrugged. "She will be back. What woman can resist me for long? I am, after all, Panama Juan Pardal!" He called for his servants before lifting a large piece of maracuyá and dropping it into his mouth.
It took Elizabeth longer than she thought it should to get back to the ship. She did not recall following so many bends and curves in the road earlier. When she finally reached the Pearl, the rope ladder was still hanging down over the side. As the whole world was already listing hard to starboard, Elizabeth didn't notice that the ladder was swinging wildly. It took her a moment to puzzle out where to put the knife and the roll of leather in order to free up both hands to climb. She stared up the ladder at the ship's rail high above her headt. It seemed to take hours, but she eventually managed to get up the miles of ladder and slid over the rail into a boneless heap on the deck. She could hear muffled snorting, then peals of hysterical laughter coming from behind the door to Jack's cabin.
A muzzy thought shambled across her mind. I didn't know he held parties in there…
She crawled under the stairs and curled up with her head pillowed on her wadded up coat, and her hand on her sword. In seconds she was soundly asleep.
A/N: More Babelfishing in the Portuguese language sea. Forgive me if I misused words.
Atraente: lovely