CHAPTER 4
The blacksmith's was now deserted as Jack jumped down to the floor.
Maggie Redfern. Had to be Margaret Redfern, Bethany's mother! How could pirates possibly know her mother, it just wasn't possible. Bethany remained up on the beam staring off into space.
"Were you thinking of coming down any time soon luv"
Bethany looked down; Jack was stood below his head tilted back to look up at her. She opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out; her expression was one of puzzlement. She kept her gaze on Jack. What on earth was she supposed to say? Supposed to do? It was an impossible situation. It wasn't exactly the type of thing they taught you in finishing school - the proper etiquette when confronted by a helpful pirate.
Bethany sighed then eased herself down, on the ground she steadied herself and found herself face to face with Jack. Refusing to let her eyes waver she stared him straight in the eye. His brown eyes stared right back.
Jack stepped forward and Bethany took a step backward.
"What are you doing?" she asked as Jack's footing wavered precariously.
"Since you asked, it is my intention to carry you to my ship. Although I have to confess it is somewhat in violation of a resolution of mine against acquiring ladies of your class. . . you wouldn't happen to dislike rum would you?" His eyes narrowed as he eyed her with caution.
Bethany arched one eyebrow - Rum?
"Well it would be a terrible shame to be held accountable for breaking your resolution, so I'll just be going" she limped in the direction of the door disregarding the rum comment.
"Not very far though" Jacks eyes travelled down to her feet; he half laughed the light of the fires burning outside glinting off his gold teeth.
Bethany cringed she'd been wondering when he'd notice that. She turned away and carried on limping towards the door.
"Maggie Redfern was your mother" Jack shouted out, Bethany stopped in her tracks and Jack grinned; his shot in the dark had paid off. "I'll help you find out why they're after her. . . and you"
Jack came up behind her and swiftly picked up Bethany and slung her over his shoulder.
"I didn't even agree!" she cried out struggling against Jack.
"No. But you were about to"
* * * * * * * * *
The commotion on the streets of Port Royal seemed to be subsiding from her upside down view of the world; she was starting to feel light headed. Suddenly she was being placed on her feet at the docks, Jack turned her seaward
"Welcome to the Black Pearl"
Jack and Bethany boarded the Black Pearl; presumably Jack's ship. Bethany clambered onto the deck first, stood there open mouthed. She gulped as she took in her surroundings; she'd never seen such a magnificent ship in her entire life. It didn't even compare to her father's little boat and she couldn't help but smile. She quickly wiped the smile from her face as she felt Jack's presence by her side.
"What exactly is it you want?" Bethany asked her eyes trained on the horizon where the first rays of the sun were now visible.
"To help a damsel in distress"
Bethany didn't dignify that with a reply.
"On deck you scabrous dogs!" Jack yelled out causing Bethany to visibly jump; she silently cursed his name. Immediately the deck was amok with activity; pirate activity.
"Friends of yours?" she said feigning a sweet smile in Jack's direction.
Jack laughed; she was certainly entertaining company. There weren't many people eager to go up against the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow these days; not since the Isla de muerta incident. It made a welcome change. Plus the scenery had just vastly improved; he looked down at Bethany a grin spreading across his face.
Jack suddenly breezed past Bethany stepping up to the helm. Bethany lifted her skirts and followed him wincing at the pain from her feet.
"And . . . and that's it? You take me from my home, sail off without so much as a word of explanation?"
"Firstly; I didn't take you, I saved you and secondly you want an explanation, we're making for Tortuga, savvy?" Jack left the helm and walked the length of the ship; Bethany followed him.
"No. No. Not Bloody Savvy!" she followed him into one of the cabins he dropped his hat onto the bed and turned to face Bethany, "What about me?"
He turned away from her and began rummaging through some of the drawers; he turned around a few moments later pushing some clothes into her arms. Bethany looked down at the shirt and pants in her arms. Jack grinned at her.
"Make yourself comfortable; it's a long journey" he left the cabin and Bethany stood there glowering.
She looked over her shoulder and saw Jack cavorting with his crew feeling the heat rush to her face in a violent blush. Suddenly her pathetic rule governed life back at Port Royal was actually looking appealing. She stormed out of the cabin to find herself a cabin as far away from Captain Jack Sparrow as humanly possible.
* * * * * * * * *
"It be bad luck to have a woman on board cap'n" Gibs said sat in Jack's cabin with a bottle of rum apiece
"Not in this instance mate" Jack placed his feet up on the small wooden table at the side of the cabin where they sat. "Captain Jenkins has an interest in this particular woman"
"Where be your head Jack, going up against the likes of Jenkins"
Jack smiled slyly "If Jenkins is after her; there must be good reason . . . a good profit!"
Gibs contemplated this "Aye" he said.
"Take what you can" Jack raised his bottle of rum
"Give nothing back" they both drank.
* * * * * * * * *
Bethany sat perched on the end of her bed mulling over her situation. She had changed into her new clothes with great difficulty where the corset was concerned. The remnants of her corset lay on the bed having had to use a knife to cut it off; well she was hardly going to ask for assistance in removing her clothes, here of all places!
She must be mad; Bethany laughed to herself. Sailing with a buccaneer crew just because a pirate captain claimed he could help her find out about her mother; it was, ridiculous.
"Ah so she does smile"
Bethany looked up and saw Jack leaning against the doorframe. She wasn't going to laugh, it wasn't funny . . . then why was she still smiling.
"When the occasion calls for it" she shrugged it off.
"Rum?" he held out a bottle.
Bethany began to shake her head, but what the hell. She nodded and accepted the bottle.
"Here steady on luv," Jack said after a few seconds of Bethany drinking "My rum!" he shouted when she still didn't stop, springing forwards to snatch the bottle from her hands sending rum showering all over them.
All of a sudden Bethany was in hysterics, tears were streaming down her face she was laughing so hard.
"Some people, just can't handle their liquor" he sat down on the bed next to her causing Bethany to only laugh harder she collapsed back on the bed in a fit of giggles and remembered no more.
The blacksmith's was now deserted as Jack jumped down to the floor.
Maggie Redfern. Had to be Margaret Redfern, Bethany's mother! How could pirates possibly know her mother, it just wasn't possible. Bethany remained up on the beam staring off into space.
"Were you thinking of coming down any time soon luv"
Bethany looked down; Jack was stood below his head tilted back to look up at her. She opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out; her expression was one of puzzlement. She kept her gaze on Jack. What on earth was she supposed to say? Supposed to do? It was an impossible situation. It wasn't exactly the type of thing they taught you in finishing school - the proper etiquette when confronted by a helpful pirate.
Bethany sighed then eased herself down, on the ground she steadied herself and found herself face to face with Jack. Refusing to let her eyes waver she stared him straight in the eye. His brown eyes stared right back.
Jack stepped forward and Bethany took a step backward.
"What are you doing?" she asked as Jack's footing wavered precariously.
"Since you asked, it is my intention to carry you to my ship. Although I have to confess it is somewhat in violation of a resolution of mine against acquiring ladies of your class. . . you wouldn't happen to dislike rum would you?" His eyes narrowed as he eyed her with caution.
Bethany arched one eyebrow - Rum?
"Well it would be a terrible shame to be held accountable for breaking your resolution, so I'll just be going" she limped in the direction of the door disregarding the rum comment.
"Not very far though" Jacks eyes travelled down to her feet; he half laughed the light of the fires burning outside glinting off his gold teeth.
Bethany cringed she'd been wondering when he'd notice that. She turned away and carried on limping towards the door.
"Maggie Redfern was your mother" Jack shouted out, Bethany stopped in her tracks and Jack grinned; his shot in the dark had paid off. "I'll help you find out why they're after her. . . and you"
Jack came up behind her and swiftly picked up Bethany and slung her over his shoulder.
"I didn't even agree!" she cried out struggling against Jack.
"No. But you were about to"
* * * * * * * * *
The commotion on the streets of Port Royal seemed to be subsiding from her upside down view of the world; she was starting to feel light headed. Suddenly she was being placed on her feet at the docks, Jack turned her seaward
"Welcome to the Black Pearl"
Jack and Bethany boarded the Black Pearl; presumably Jack's ship. Bethany clambered onto the deck first, stood there open mouthed. She gulped as she took in her surroundings; she'd never seen such a magnificent ship in her entire life. It didn't even compare to her father's little boat and she couldn't help but smile. She quickly wiped the smile from her face as she felt Jack's presence by her side.
"What exactly is it you want?" Bethany asked her eyes trained on the horizon where the first rays of the sun were now visible.
"To help a damsel in distress"
Bethany didn't dignify that with a reply.
"On deck you scabrous dogs!" Jack yelled out causing Bethany to visibly jump; she silently cursed his name. Immediately the deck was amok with activity; pirate activity.
"Friends of yours?" she said feigning a sweet smile in Jack's direction.
Jack laughed; she was certainly entertaining company. There weren't many people eager to go up against the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow these days; not since the Isla de muerta incident. It made a welcome change. Plus the scenery had just vastly improved; he looked down at Bethany a grin spreading across his face.
Jack suddenly breezed past Bethany stepping up to the helm. Bethany lifted her skirts and followed him wincing at the pain from her feet.
"And . . . and that's it? You take me from my home, sail off without so much as a word of explanation?"
"Firstly; I didn't take you, I saved you and secondly you want an explanation, we're making for Tortuga, savvy?" Jack left the helm and walked the length of the ship; Bethany followed him.
"No. No. Not Bloody Savvy!" she followed him into one of the cabins he dropped his hat onto the bed and turned to face Bethany, "What about me?"
He turned away from her and began rummaging through some of the drawers; he turned around a few moments later pushing some clothes into her arms. Bethany looked down at the shirt and pants in her arms. Jack grinned at her.
"Make yourself comfortable; it's a long journey" he left the cabin and Bethany stood there glowering.
She looked over her shoulder and saw Jack cavorting with his crew feeling the heat rush to her face in a violent blush. Suddenly her pathetic rule governed life back at Port Royal was actually looking appealing. She stormed out of the cabin to find herself a cabin as far away from Captain Jack Sparrow as humanly possible.
* * * * * * * * *
"It be bad luck to have a woman on board cap'n" Gibs said sat in Jack's cabin with a bottle of rum apiece
"Not in this instance mate" Jack placed his feet up on the small wooden table at the side of the cabin where they sat. "Captain Jenkins has an interest in this particular woman"
"Where be your head Jack, going up against the likes of Jenkins"
Jack smiled slyly "If Jenkins is after her; there must be good reason . . . a good profit!"
Gibs contemplated this "Aye" he said.
"Take what you can" Jack raised his bottle of rum
"Give nothing back" they both drank.
* * * * * * * * *
Bethany sat perched on the end of her bed mulling over her situation. She had changed into her new clothes with great difficulty where the corset was concerned. The remnants of her corset lay on the bed having had to use a knife to cut it off; well she was hardly going to ask for assistance in removing her clothes, here of all places!
She must be mad; Bethany laughed to herself. Sailing with a buccaneer crew just because a pirate captain claimed he could help her find out about her mother; it was, ridiculous.
"Ah so she does smile"
Bethany looked up and saw Jack leaning against the doorframe. She wasn't going to laugh, it wasn't funny . . . then why was she still smiling.
"When the occasion calls for it" she shrugged it off.
"Rum?" he held out a bottle.
Bethany began to shake her head, but what the hell. She nodded and accepted the bottle.
"Here steady on luv," Jack said after a few seconds of Bethany drinking "My rum!" he shouted when she still didn't stop, springing forwards to snatch the bottle from her hands sending rum showering all over them.
All of a sudden Bethany was in hysterics, tears were streaming down her face she was laughing so hard.
"Some people, just can't handle their liquor" he sat down on the bed next to her causing Bethany to only laugh harder she collapsed back on the bed in a fit of giggles and remembered no more.