Commandeering Commodore Chapter 53

Commandeering Commodore

Chapter 53

Elizabeth had directed Will, Teague, Jack and James to cut the boar into chunks so it would cook faster, seeing as the whole crew appeared to be standing around drooling at the thought of having fresh meat.

They were now lounging around the fire, after filling their bellies with the meat and liberal amounts of rum.

She and Will had settled on the opposite side of the fire from most of the crew, James was a short distance away to their left, having taken a bottle of rum and his plate and sat down by himself, Teague was off to their right with his own bottle, and Jack was standing by the fire apparently lost in thought if it were to be judged by the quiet stillness of his person and the lack of his own bottle of rum.

Someone produced a fiddle and began to play, and soon after was joined by various members of the crew singing along. Elizabeth leaned back against Will, who was himself leaned against a palm tree, to enjoy the entertainment. It wasn't long after the fiddle and singing began that several members of the crew, that hadn't yet drunk enough to prohibit a bit of dancing in the soft sand, were doing just that.

"Do you think there is something going on between the three of them?" Elizabeth asked Will as she finished her perusal of the three men and returned her gaze to look up at Will.

"There's always something going on between Jack and the Commodore Elizabeth," Will said with a smile as he wrapped his arms a little tighter around her, "Throw Captain Teague into the mix and the possibilities are endless."

"You are probably right, although I am a little curious……" Elizabeth started and was interrupted by Will.

"Now Elizabeth I'm sure what ever it is it's best left between the three of them." Will said trying to sound a bit cautionary.

"Perhaps." Elizabeth answered unconvincingly, her eyes once again going between the three men.

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James had put a portion of the food on his plate and almost as an afterthought grabbed a bottle of rum, looked around and seeing a comfortable appearing spot a little off from the others headed over and sat down cross-legged. He balanced the plate on his lap, opened the rum, took a good long drink, replaced the cork, hesitated, uncorked it again, took another drink, set it aside and began to eat. He didn't have much of an appetite, he was still trying to rebury most of the memories Teague had managed to dredge up. After a few bites he gave up, all the food seemed to want to do was stick in his throat. He set the plate aside and reopened the rum, settled back a bit against the palm, closed his eyes and started drinking. The rum appeared to be co-operating in going down much smoother.

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Teague sat sipping at the bottle in his hand and watching the others. He had found over the years that most of the time you could learn as much from observance as words. He could see both the Commodore and Jackie were deep in thought, and had a good idea as to what might be on each of their minds. He did feel a little sorry for the Commodore as his intention hadn't been to bring back painful bits of the past to the man. He actually gave a thought to walking over and apologizing to the man, but what was done was done and he figured the man hadn't spent all the years in the Royal Navy and risen to the rank and station he had without being excessively and inordinately disciplined and in full command of himself, and perfectly capable of burying said memories as deeply as he had before. A smile graced his face as his attention was directed towards Jackie. He knew Jackie was busy pondering what it was he was up to, and knew Jackie knew he knew he was pondering that. And therefore Jackie was pondering the fact that he would act as if he was up to something other than what he was really up to, or mayhaps would not act like he was up to something other than what he was really up to hoping Jackie would think he was acting like he was up to something different when he really wasn't. His smile widened as he imagined the thoughts that must be going through his son's mind right now, a regular vicious circle of 'is he- isn't he' which Teague had no intention of relieving, at least not yet. He gave a little chuckle as he took another drink of the rum thoroughly enjoying the man's quandary.

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"Bugger, bugger, bugger!" Jack said to himself over and over again. If he had been dealing with anyone but who he was dealing with he would have some idea of how to deal with it. But knowing the man as he did, and knowing the man knew him as he did he was not at all sure, ergo his dilemma. "Bloody Pirate!" Jack said disgustedly as he looked around for the nearest bottle of rum.

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The revelry was in full swing now; those of the crew who weren't passed out were either singing robustly and most alarmingly off key, or dancing with unbridled and uncoordinated enthusiasm or both. James did his best to ignore them, Elizabeth was entertained to no end, Will was on alert just in case he had to stop Elizabeth from joining in, Teague was still watching, and Jack, after consuming a full bottle of rum and started on another, had decided he had brooded over his problem long enough, and besides who could resist a pirate party? He took his bottle, swayed off towards the revelers, and was soon, at least by appearances, fully enjoying himself. The crew had managed to talk Jack into singing. Actually Jack had every intention of doing just that but it always was a boon to his ego to have the crew beg a bit beforehand. He launched into a bawdy tavern song that soon had everyone, except perhaps the Commodore, hooting, hollering, and clapping their hands with merriment. He traveled around the fire as he put on his show, stopping at various spots along the way for a little extra leering or semi indecent gesturing in pantomime of the words, done with humorous intent towards some of the audience as he sang. Most found it extremely amusing, although as he stopped in front of the Commodore and was met with a cold glare from those deep green eyes, he decided not to tarry and moved on quickly. Elizabeth met his theatrics with a wide grin and much clapping of hands, Will however, seemed slightly less enthusiastic. Teague simply smiled and tipped his bottle to him. The song conveniently came to an end just as Jack was abreast of the rum. Snagging a bottle he turned, bowed with aplomb, and plopped down in the sand. As the attention gravitated away from him he found himself standing up and swaying over to the Commodore, grabbing another bottle on the way past.

He sat down next to the man, started to hand him the full bottle of rum, thought better of it and instead handed him the half full one, and said, "My infinite intuitive intuition tells me you are….troubled."

"Oh does it now?" James answered sarcastically.

"Anything you'd care to talk about mate? Might help ya know, get it out of your system and all that." Then he gave a shrug and said, "Don't see how it could hurt James."

James eyes met Jack's for a moment, he looked down at the bottle in his hand as he replied, "I do not see how it could possibly help either."

"Always helps ta have a mate ta be telling troubles and sundry what nots to James." Jack said as he fluttered his hands about.

"So you are judging yourself to be my confidant now Captain?" James said with a smirk, looking once again at the man seated beside him.

"Could be James, up ta you." Jack said with another flourish of his hands.

James looked once again at the bottle, took a long drink, and said hesitantly, "Have you ever buried something so deep you thought it was surely incapable of coming back to haunt you and then had it most impolitely dredged back up to stare you in the face?"

"I would assume we're not talking bout the buryin of swag nor shiny here Commodore?" Jack asked.

"No Jack, we Commodores usually do not find ourselves in the possession of such, ergo we find we have very little need to be burying such." James said a bit snarkily.

"Aye," Jack said with a look that indicated he felt a bit sorry for James cause he didn't have a bit of swag or shiny buried somewhere, "guess you'd be right about that." Jack did notice the man was starting to talk, and seeing as he was willing to be sarcastic once again as he talked, Jack figured that had to be to the good. Hell it was double good, the man had actually called him by name.

To Be Continued

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