Passage to St. Kitts
Chapter 10
"Gillette, I don't know exactly what it is you want me to do about it," said Jack in exasperation. "You don't know where the Spaniard was headed, you don't know where she's likely to be now, and may I remind you, we didn't expect an additional two dozen men aboard when we took on supplies."
Gillette paced around the cabin like a caged tiger. "You can't just leave the Commodore in Spanish hands!"
Jack rolled his eyes and looked at Will. "I suppose you think we ought to drop everything and rush to Norrington's rescue too, eh?"
Will sat calmly in his chair. "Well, Jack, hunting down Spanish ships is what you do, isn't it? Besides," he said as he got to his feet and moved to the door. "Don't you owe him a good turn after what he did for you a year ago?" Will stepped from the cabin and closed the door behind him.
Jack glared at the door, then at Gillette (who very wisely remained silent.), then muttered to himself. "I hate it when he's right."
--
Antonia sat at the Captain's table for dinner, her eyes downcast. These meals were an ordeal. It had been made abundantly clear to her that Senor Tomas and Senora Lucia were resentful of her. When Rodrigo Valera's first wife had passed away three years previously, they had felt sure that Tomas would inherit Rodrigo's wealth, since the couple had been childless. Now, Rodrigo was marrying a young girl, who might well provide Rodrigo with an heir.
Lucia was a stern woman of middle years with graying hair and matronly figure. She wore a dark red gown, severely high to the throat, with a jeweled cross on a gold chain around her neck. She cast a glance at Antonia's fashionably low cut gown and sniffed.
One of the sailors served the meal, setting the platters down on the table and lighting the candles. Before leaving, he said quietly to Antonia, "Cook wanted me to tell you the prisoner's meal is ready for you to take down whenever you desire, Senorita."
"It isn't seemly for you to deliver food to an enemy prisoner," said Lucia disapprovingly. "I do not understand why you do it."
"I have very few duties, ma'am," said Antonia, "and it is helpful to the crew for me to take this responsibility."
"Senorita de Salazar also speaks English," said the Captain. "Therefore she is able to relay any messages that the prisoner has for me. I am grateful for the Senorita's assistance."
Unable to forbid it because of the Captain's approval, Lucia bit her lip. "I daresay your intended husband would not approve," was the best she could do.
Antonia cast about for some neutral comment she could make. "Senor Tomas, could you tell me some more about your home in Santo Domingo? I look forward to seeing it." Tomas launched into a tedious description of the plantation on Hispaniola. He and his wife also lived in the plantation house, a fact that filled Antonia with dread. Lucia had already announced that since Antonia was so young and inexperienced, that she would continue to act as mistress of the house. Antonia was grimly certain that she would spend the rest of her days being made to feel as if she was an upper servant or a poor relation in a house where she should have been mistress. She stared down at her hands folded in her lap, and rubbed the gold swan ring with her thumb. Wouldn't Senora Lucia be shocked if she knew what this signified?
--
Annamaria stood at the helm as the Pearl sliced swiftly through the waves. Joseph came up next to her. "We've set a new course for St. Thomas," she said. "It's a bit closer than St. Kitts."
"Why are we doing that?" asked Joseph.
Annamaria shrugged. "I think Jack has decided to hunt down the Aldonza, but he wants to get rid of the Defender's crew first.
"It is much more crowded now," agreed Joseph. Not only were there now two dozen extra people aboard, but also the former pirates and the regular military sailors didn't mix well. There had been a few altercations and some heated words exchanged, which kept Gibbs and Gillette busy keeping the peace.
"Mr. Carey," called Gwen as she came up on deck. A large man in a bedraggled red coat turned at her voice. "I have that ointment for your sunburn. Please step into the shade," she said, gesturing him to a sheltered area of the deck, out of sight of most of the ship. "Hold still a moment." Reaching out, she applied the cream to his cheeks and nose. "There." She smiled. "The next time you spend two days adrift in a small boat you must be sure to keep track of your hat."
"Many thanks, ma'am," said the soldier, taking her hand. "I am much indebted to your kindness." He lowered his head and pressed a kiss on her hand.
Gwen pulled gently, but the soldier hung on. "Think nothing of it, sir," she said a touch nervously. "I am the ship's physician after all." She stepped back as far as she could and attempted again to pull her hand from his grasp. "If you will excuse me, sir, I have other duties I need to see to."
"Why the hurry?" purred Carey, pulling her closer to him. "Why not spend some time with me, lass?"
Gwen shoved at him without result. "Sir, release me at once. Captain Sparrow will."
Carey interrupted her, "Captain Sparrow can share, I daresay." He pinned her against the bulkhead and lowered his head to kiss her. Turning her head at the last moment, Gwen cried out. "Shut up, you stupid wench," he snapped, slapping her soundly across the face.
At Gwen's cry, Joseph's head swung around. Catching sight of the edge of Gwen's skirt around the corner, he strode toward it. Seeing Gwen struggling in the man's arms, Joseph grabbed the soldier by the arm and hauled him away from Gwen into the main area of the deck, then bunching his fist, slammed it into the Carey's mouth. Carey went down in a heap. The other redcoats, seeing one of their number felled by a black man, leapt to their fellow's defense. The Pearl's crew, seeing several of the soldiers jump Joseph, ran to his aid. Annamaria abandoned the helm and ran forward, pulling out her pistol as she did so. Firing it into the air, she shouted, "Hold! Everyone hold!"
Hearing the gunshot, Jack hurried out of his cabin, followed closely by Gillette, Will and Elizabeth. "What is going on here," he thundered.
Carey struggled to his feet. "That darky hit me!" he declared. "I demand to see him punished!"
Will moved forward and helped Joseph to his feet. "What on earth happened?"
Joseph got up, wiping blood from a cut above his eye. "That man attacked Miss Tracy."
All eyes swung to Gwen, who was leaning against the bulkhead, dabbing blood from her own mouth.
"She's just a doxy," blustered Carey. "Laying down with a pirate! What is all the fuss about?"
Jack became deadly still, his hand gripping his sword hilt so hard his knuckles turned white. Elizabeth, seeing this, grasped his sword arm and held it as tightly as she could. "Captain Gillette," she said quickly. "Get your man out of here."
Gillette, seeing the murderous look on Jack's face, grabbed Carey by the arm and hustled him from the deck. "I'll lock him in your brig, shall I?" he called over his shoulder. "We'll discuss this later."
Gwen pushed between two men and ran from the deck, disappearing into the Captain's cabin. Jack yanked his arm from Elizabeth's hold and strode after her.
"Cotton, take the helm," ordered Annamaria. "Put us back on course." She looked around at the gathered crowd. "Everyone, back to work!" She went to Joseph and checked him over quickly. "Superficial," she stated. "Gwen probably has something for the headache you probably have, but I don't dare go in there now and see."
Will clapped him on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Joseph," he said.
Joseph looked uneasily at the Captain's cabin. "She'll be all right, won't she?"
"He won't hurt her, if that's what you mean," Annamaria said. "In fact it'll probably be good to clear the air a bit. It's about time he learned what she's been putting up with. Come down to my cabin, Joseph. I may have something there to put on this cut."
--
Jack marched into the cabin and slammed the door behind him. Gwen eyed him cautiously, holding a damp cloth to her lip. He threw his hat at a chair, and then dropped his coat and sword belt onto it. Leaning on the back of the chair he said in a carefully level voice. "Please explain to me what happened just now."
Gwen sank into a chair and spoke quietly, her eyes downcast. "You may not have noticed, but Mr. Carey has very fair skin. He lost his hat when he abandoned ship, and after two days adrift on the ocean he had a dreadful sunburn on his face. I told him I had something that would help, and I got some cream to put on it. I asked him to step into the shade, and I applied the cream to his face. He took my hand to thank me, but when I tried to pull away, he wouldn't let me go. He tried to kiss me, and when I tried to scream he hit me. Joseph heard. And the rest you know."
"Did he not know that you are my woman?"
Gwen bit her lip and answered reluctantly. "He seemed to feel you wouldn't mind sharing."
Abruptly Jack turned away and started pacing. Grabbing a ceramic goblet off the table he flung it against the wall so hard that it shattered. "I'll kill him," he muttered.
"Jack, no," said Gwen, rising and going to him. "You can't kill him because of me, I won't let you."
"You can't stop me," he snapped. "You're mine, Gwen. And I WON'T share. Not with him, not with anyone, do you understand that?'
Gwen bit back her own rising temper. "Jack, calm down. Don't lose control because some idiot thinks that because I'm willing to be with you, that I'm willing to be with anyone." He turned his head away from her. "You don't think I encouraged him, do you?' He was silent. "Jack, you don't really think.." Gwen turned away. "So. You think I'm a whore as well."
"What?" At that Jack turned around. "No, love, of course not."
"You do. I can't believe it." Gwen pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks. "I've endured insult after insult because of our relationship, and I've shrugged it off because I thought that deep down, you really did love me."
"Gwen, listen to me," Jack began, but Gwen cut him off.
"Don't touch me," she said backing away. "I won't be your whore anymore, Jack Sparrow." She rushed for the door, but he beat her to it, turning the key and removing it from the lock.
"You're not going anywhere, lass. Like I said a moment ago, you're mine and you'll stay with me."
"I won't stay with a man who thinks me a whore."
"You're not a whore, love."
"Then what am I?"
"You're my woman, Gwen. Mine and mine alone. I know whores, luv. Before I met you I knew quite a few of them. Believe me, I can compare. I can't let you go, love, not now that I know what it's like to be with a woman who really cares for me. It would be like losing half of myself." He drew her against him. "I'm sorry, darling. I have a filthy temper."
Chapter 10
"Gillette, I don't know exactly what it is you want me to do about it," said Jack in exasperation. "You don't know where the Spaniard was headed, you don't know where she's likely to be now, and may I remind you, we didn't expect an additional two dozen men aboard when we took on supplies."
Gillette paced around the cabin like a caged tiger. "You can't just leave the Commodore in Spanish hands!"
Jack rolled his eyes and looked at Will. "I suppose you think we ought to drop everything and rush to Norrington's rescue too, eh?"
Will sat calmly in his chair. "Well, Jack, hunting down Spanish ships is what you do, isn't it? Besides," he said as he got to his feet and moved to the door. "Don't you owe him a good turn after what he did for you a year ago?" Will stepped from the cabin and closed the door behind him.
Jack glared at the door, then at Gillette (who very wisely remained silent.), then muttered to himself. "I hate it when he's right."
--
Antonia sat at the Captain's table for dinner, her eyes downcast. These meals were an ordeal. It had been made abundantly clear to her that Senor Tomas and Senora Lucia were resentful of her. When Rodrigo Valera's first wife had passed away three years previously, they had felt sure that Tomas would inherit Rodrigo's wealth, since the couple had been childless. Now, Rodrigo was marrying a young girl, who might well provide Rodrigo with an heir.
Lucia was a stern woman of middle years with graying hair and matronly figure. She wore a dark red gown, severely high to the throat, with a jeweled cross on a gold chain around her neck. She cast a glance at Antonia's fashionably low cut gown and sniffed.
One of the sailors served the meal, setting the platters down on the table and lighting the candles. Before leaving, he said quietly to Antonia, "Cook wanted me to tell you the prisoner's meal is ready for you to take down whenever you desire, Senorita."
"It isn't seemly for you to deliver food to an enemy prisoner," said Lucia disapprovingly. "I do not understand why you do it."
"I have very few duties, ma'am," said Antonia, "and it is helpful to the crew for me to take this responsibility."
"Senorita de Salazar also speaks English," said the Captain. "Therefore she is able to relay any messages that the prisoner has for me. I am grateful for the Senorita's assistance."
Unable to forbid it because of the Captain's approval, Lucia bit her lip. "I daresay your intended husband would not approve," was the best she could do.
Antonia cast about for some neutral comment she could make. "Senor Tomas, could you tell me some more about your home in Santo Domingo? I look forward to seeing it." Tomas launched into a tedious description of the plantation on Hispaniola. He and his wife also lived in the plantation house, a fact that filled Antonia with dread. Lucia had already announced that since Antonia was so young and inexperienced, that she would continue to act as mistress of the house. Antonia was grimly certain that she would spend the rest of her days being made to feel as if she was an upper servant or a poor relation in a house where she should have been mistress. She stared down at her hands folded in her lap, and rubbed the gold swan ring with her thumb. Wouldn't Senora Lucia be shocked if she knew what this signified?
--
Annamaria stood at the helm as the Pearl sliced swiftly through the waves. Joseph came up next to her. "We've set a new course for St. Thomas," she said. "It's a bit closer than St. Kitts."
"Why are we doing that?" asked Joseph.
Annamaria shrugged. "I think Jack has decided to hunt down the Aldonza, but he wants to get rid of the Defender's crew first.
"It is much more crowded now," agreed Joseph. Not only were there now two dozen extra people aboard, but also the former pirates and the regular military sailors didn't mix well. There had been a few altercations and some heated words exchanged, which kept Gibbs and Gillette busy keeping the peace.
"Mr. Carey," called Gwen as she came up on deck. A large man in a bedraggled red coat turned at her voice. "I have that ointment for your sunburn. Please step into the shade," she said, gesturing him to a sheltered area of the deck, out of sight of most of the ship. "Hold still a moment." Reaching out, she applied the cream to his cheeks and nose. "There." She smiled. "The next time you spend two days adrift in a small boat you must be sure to keep track of your hat."
"Many thanks, ma'am," said the soldier, taking her hand. "I am much indebted to your kindness." He lowered his head and pressed a kiss on her hand.
Gwen pulled gently, but the soldier hung on. "Think nothing of it, sir," she said a touch nervously. "I am the ship's physician after all." She stepped back as far as she could and attempted again to pull her hand from his grasp. "If you will excuse me, sir, I have other duties I need to see to."
"Why the hurry?" purred Carey, pulling her closer to him. "Why not spend some time with me, lass?"
Gwen shoved at him without result. "Sir, release me at once. Captain Sparrow will."
Carey interrupted her, "Captain Sparrow can share, I daresay." He pinned her against the bulkhead and lowered his head to kiss her. Turning her head at the last moment, Gwen cried out. "Shut up, you stupid wench," he snapped, slapping her soundly across the face.
At Gwen's cry, Joseph's head swung around. Catching sight of the edge of Gwen's skirt around the corner, he strode toward it. Seeing Gwen struggling in the man's arms, Joseph grabbed the soldier by the arm and hauled him away from Gwen into the main area of the deck, then bunching his fist, slammed it into the Carey's mouth. Carey went down in a heap. The other redcoats, seeing one of their number felled by a black man, leapt to their fellow's defense. The Pearl's crew, seeing several of the soldiers jump Joseph, ran to his aid. Annamaria abandoned the helm and ran forward, pulling out her pistol as she did so. Firing it into the air, she shouted, "Hold! Everyone hold!"
Hearing the gunshot, Jack hurried out of his cabin, followed closely by Gillette, Will and Elizabeth. "What is going on here," he thundered.
Carey struggled to his feet. "That darky hit me!" he declared. "I demand to see him punished!"
Will moved forward and helped Joseph to his feet. "What on earth happened?"
Joseph got up, wiping blood from a cut above his eye. "That man attacked Miss Tracy."
All eyes swung to Gwen, who was leaning against the bulkhead, dabbing blood from her own mouth.
"She's just a doxy," blustered Carey. "Laying down with a pirate! What is all the fuss about?"
Jack became deadly still, his hand gripping his sword hilt so hard his knuckles turned white. Elizabeth, seeing this, grasped his sword arm and held it as tightly as she could. "Captain Gillette," she said quickly. "Get your man out of here."
Gillette, seeing the murderous look on Jack's face, grabbed Carey by the arm and hustled him from the deck. "I'll lock him in your brig, shall I?" he called over his shoulder. "We'll discuss this later."
Gwen pushed between two men and ran from the deck, disappearing into the Captain's cabin. Jack yanked his arm from Elizabeth's hold and strode after her.
"Cotton, take the helm," ordered Annamaria. "Put us back on course." She looked around at the gathered crowd. "Everyone, back to work!" She went to Joseph and checked him over quickly. "Superficial," she stated. "Gwen probably has something for the headache you probably have, but I don't dare go in there now and see."
Will clapped him on the shoulder. "You're a good man, Joseph," he said.
Joseph looked uneasily at the Captain's cabin. "She'll be all right, won't she?"
"He won't hurt her, if that's what you mean," Annamaria said. "In fact it'll probably be good to clear the air a bit. It's about time he learned what she's been putting up with. Come down to my cabin, Joseph. I may have something there to put on this cut."
--
Jack marched into the cabin and slammed the door behind him. Gwen eyed him cautiously, holding a damp cloth to her lip. He threw his hat at a chair, and then dropped his coat and sword belt onto it. Leaning on the back of the chair he said in a carefully level voice. "Please explain to me what happened just now."
Gwen sank into a chair and spoke quietly, her eyes downcast. "You may not have noticed, but Mr. Carey has very fair skin. He lost his hat when he abandoned ship, and after two days adrift on the ocean he had a dreadful sunburn on his face. I told him I had something that would help, and I got some cream to put on it. I asked him to step into the shade, and I applied the cream to his face. He took my hand to thank me, but when I tried to pull away, he wouldn't let me go. He tried to kiss me, and when I tried to scream he hit me. Joseph heard. And the rest you know."
"Did he not know that you are my woman?"
Gwen bit her lip and answered reluctantly. "He seemed to feel you wouldn't mind sharing."
Abruptly Jack turned away and started pacing. Grabbing a ceramic goblet off the table he flung it against the wall so hard that it shattered. "I'll kill him," he muttered.
"Jack, no," said Gwen, rising and going to him. "You can't kill him because of me, I won't let you."
"You can't stop me," he snapped. "You're mine, Gwen. And I WON'T share. Not with him, not with anyone, do you understand that?'
Gwen bit back her own rising temper. "Jack, calm down. Don't lose control because some idiot thinks that because I'm willing to be with you, that I'm willing to be with anyone." He turned his head away from her. "You don't think I encouraged him, do you?' He was silent. "Jack, you don't really think.." Gwen turned away. "So. You think I'm a whore as well."
"What?" At that Jack turned around. "No, love, of course not."
"You do. I can't believe it." Gwen pressed her hands to her flaming cheeks. "I've endured insult after insult because of our relationship, and I've shrugged it off because I thought that deep down, you really did love me."
"Gwen, listen to me," Jack began, but Gwen cut him off.
"Don't touch me," she said backing away. "I won't be your whore anymore, Jack Sparrow." She rushed for the door, but he beat her to it, turning the key and removing it from the lock.
"You're not going anywhere, lass. Like I said a moment ago, you're mine and you'll stay with me."
"I won't stay with a man who thinks me a whore."
"You're not a whore, love."
"Then what am I?"
"You're my woman, Gwen. Mine and mine alone. I know whores, luv. Before I met you I knew quite a few of them. Believe me, I can compare. I can't let you go, love, not now that I know what it's like to be with a woman who really cares for me. It would be like losing half of myself." He drew her against him. "I'm sorry, darling. I have a filthy temper."