Show Me The Horizon
Chapter 19
Gwen leaned on the rail of the Dauntless, looking out over the sea. She glanced back at the Black Pearl, which was following them. Elizabeth came up beside her. "Miss Tracy," she said, "May I speak to you for a moment?"
"Of course, Mrs. Turner," replied Gwen. "Please call me Gwen."
"And you must call me Elizabeth," said Elizabeth. "I hope you'll come and stay with Will and me when we reach Port Royal."
"Thank you, I will," said Gwen gratefully. "I don't really have anywhere to go. I was a housekeeper in Barbados. Would you be willing to help me find a new position in Jamaica?"
"If that's what you want," said Elizabeth, "although I hope you'll stay with us for a while before looking for a new position."
Gwen shrugged. "I do need to make a new start. It seems silly to put it off."
"Put it off for a few weeks or so," replied Elizabeth. "I'd love for you to keep me company. Will wants to get back to work as soon as we get home. He can't stand the thought of living idly at home." She noticed Gwen glancing back toward the Pearl again. "Gwen, tell me about being marooned with Jack."
Gwen looked at her, slightly startled. "Weren't you marooned with him once as well?"
"Did he tell you about that?"
Gwen smiled. "He told me you'd coaxed him to drink so much he passed out."
Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, I did."
Gwen laughed too. "He told me you didn't need to. If you'd said 'no' firmly enough he'd have listened."
Elizabeth smiled. "I know that now. I didn't know it then. Jack's a decent man, Gwen. He has a strong code of honor despite being a pirate."
Gwen looked back at the Pearl again. "He was very good to me, very kind. Even when I accused him of expecting payment of sorts for rescuing me."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at that. "And did he?"
"No," replied Gwen, flushing slightly. "He'd have been pleased if I'd.but no. Later, aboard the Dauntless he asked me to be with him, but I.I just can't. Not unless I knew it meant as much to him as to me. Not unless it was more than just a brief romance. I just can't, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth smiled again. "I thought as much."
--
Jack stood at the helm, looking ahead toward the Dauntless as he followed her. Annamaria came up behind him. "Captain Sparrow, might I have a word with you?"
Jack glanced at her absently. "Aye, luv. What's the trouble?"
"Tell me about Gwen Tracy," she said.
Startled, Jack snapped his head around to look at her, and then looked forward again. "What's to tell? LeSerre marooned us together; we hiked to the eastern tip of Cuba, stole a boat and were picked up by the Dauntless. There you have it, luv."
Annamaria looked at him levelly. "She said 'no', eh?"
Jack grinned. "Aye, she did."
"So why is it disturbing you?"
"Who says it's disturbing me?" Jack retorted indignantly. Annamaria continued to stare at him without speaking. "Oh blast it," he snapped. "She wanted more than just a casual romance. She wasn't willing to live in the moment. Actually told me she didn't want to be another notch in my sword belt." He looked at Annamaria in exasperation. "Do any of us know what the future will bring?"
Annamaria smirked and ran a finger over the edge of Jack's baldric. "Can't blame her about the sword belt. Poor thing, if it had another notch in it, it wouldn't be strong enough to hold your sword up anymore." Jack glared at her and shrugged her hand away. "Why couldn't you offer her more than a casual romance? It seemed to me that you cared for her very much."
"I do. What does it matter?" Jack replied. "I could be killed the next time I set foot on deck. There's no future in being with me."
Annamaria shrugged. "Now that we're in the privateering business rather than piracy, it seems to me that our risks just went down. Not to mention that we'll be able to be in and out of Port Royal whenever we like. Isn't that a future? You couldn't leave a decent woman to wait for you in Tortuga, but Port Royal is another matter. And doesn't she like the sea? Perhaps she'd like to travel a bit."
Jack glared again. "Isn't it your watch? Here, you take the helm." Turning on his heel, he stalked off.
"Aye, Cap'n." she said with a smirk on her lips.
Chapter 19
Gwen leaned on the rail of the Dauntless, looking out over the sea. She glanced back at the Black Pearl, which was following them. Elizabeth came up beside her. "Miss Tracy," she said, "May I speak to you for a moment?"
"Of course, Mrs. Turner," replied Gwen. "Please call me Gwen."
"And you must call me Elizabeth," said Elizabeth. "I hope you'll come and stay with Will and me when we reach Port Royal."
"Thank you, I will," said Gwen gratefully. "I don't really have anywhere to go. I was a housekeeper in Barbados. Would you be willing to help me find a new position in Jamaica?"
"If that's what you want," said Elizabeth, "although I hope you'll stay with us for a while before looking for a new position."
Gwen shrugged. "I do need to make a new start. It seems silly to put it off."
"Put it off for a few weeks or so," replied Elizabeth. "I'd love for you to keep me company. Will wants to get back to work as soon as we get home. He can't stand the thought of living idly at home." She noticed Gwen glancing back toward the Pearl again. "Gwen, tell me about being marooned with Jack."
Gwen looked at her, slightly startled. "Weren't you marooned with him once as well?"
"Did he tell you about that?"
Gwen smiled. "He told me you'd coaxed him to drink so much he passed out."
Elizabeth laughed. "Yes, I did."
Gwen laughed too. "He told me you didn't need to. If you'd said 'no' firmly enough he'd have listened."
Elizabeth smiled. "I know that now. I didn't know it then. Jack's a decent man, Gwen. He has a strong code of honor despite being a pirate."
Gwen looked back at the Pearl again. "He was very good to me, very kind. Even when I accused him of expecting payment of sorts for rescuing me."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows at that. "And did he?"
"No," replied Gwen, flushing slightly. "He'd have been pleased if I'd.but no. Later, aboard the Dauntless he asked me to be with him, but I.I just can't. Not unless I knew it meant as much to him as to me. Not unless it was more than just a brief romance. I just can't, Elizabeth."
Elizabeth smiled again. "I thought as much."
--
Jack stood at the helm, looking ahead toward the Dauntless as he followed her. Annamaria came up behind him. "Captain Sparrow, might I have a word with you?"
Jack glanced at her absently. "Aye, luv. What's the trouble?"
"Tell me about Gwen Tracy," she said.
Startled, Jack snapped his head around to look at her, and then looked forward again. "What's to tell? LeSerre marooned us together; we hiked to the eastern tip of Cuba, stole a boat and were picked up by the Dauntless. There you have it, luv."
Annamaria looked at him levelly. "She said 'no', eh?"
Jack grinned. "Aye, she did."
"So why is it disturbing you?"
"Who says it's disturbing me?" Jack retorted indignantly. Annamaria continued to stare at him without speaking. "Oh blast it," he snapped. "She wanted more than just a casual romance. She wasn't willing to live in the moment. Actually told me she didn't want to be another notch in my sword belt." He looked at Annamaria in exasperation. "Do any of us know what the future will bring?"
Annamaria smirked and ran a finger over the edge of Jack's baldric. "Can't blame her about the sword belt. Poor thing, if it had another notch in it, it wouldn't be strong enough to hold your sword up anymore." Jack glared at her and shrugged her hand away. "Why couldn't you offer her more than a casual romance? It seemed to me that you cared for her very much."
"I do. What does it matter?" Jack replied. "I could be killed the next time I set foot on deck. There's no future in being with me."
Annamaria shrugged. "Now that we're in the privateering business rather than piracy, it seems to me that our risks just went down. Not to mention that we'll be able to be in and out of Port Royal whenever we like. Isn't that a future? You couldn't leave a decent woman to wait for you in Tortuga, but Port Royal is another matter. And doesn't she like the sea? Perhaps she'd like to travel a bit."
Jack glared again. "Isn't it your watch? Here, you take the helm." Turning on his heel, he stalked off.
"Aye, Cap'n." she said with a smirk on her lips.