Passage to St. Kitts
Chapter 17
Jack sat on the deck near the bow of the ship, enjoying the feel of the breeze and the salt spray on his face. It was a beautiful night. A voice called softly in the dark. "Jack, are you out here?"
"I'm here, luv," he said. Gwen appeared out of the shadows, and gathering her skirts, sat down beside him. He draped an arm over her shoulders, and pulled her against his side. "Did you notice that Cotton is on his watch a touch early?"
"I did," said Gwen dryly. "And since I passed Annamaria's cabin on the way back from checking on Tomas Valera's wound, I can figure out why."
"Didn't press your ear to the door, did ye luv? That would be an invasion of privacy, that would." He grinned, waiting for the elbow shot in the ribs. He wasn't disappointed. "Ah, well. 'Tis a night for love. I daresay Norrington and his pretty Spanish girl are mooning over each other as I speak."
"I daresay they are," Gwen answered.
"Ah, with this wind I feel free as a bird. Not a care in the world." He closed his eyes to better enjoy the kiss of the wind.
"Jack," she began. "Do I tie you down?"
His eyes snapped back open. "What do you mean, Gwen?"
"Do you sometimes wish I hadn't come with you, that you were as free to do what you wished without concerning yourself with me?"
"Sometimes," he said slowly, "I feel a yen to spend time in port drinking and gambling, the way I used to. Sometimes I see a pretty maid in a tavern, and wish I was free to do more than look, but I daresay no more so than most men who find themselves married or as good as. Passing fancies. They aren't worth much really." He turned to her, wishing he could read her expression in the dark. "What about you? Does respectable Gwendolyn Tracy wish she'd never run off with a pirate?"
"Not when I'm with you. When I'm in town, and some virtuous matron draws her skirts aside and looks at me like I was no better than the prostitutes that haunt the docks, or when some man like Carey assumes that since I'd give myself to you without marriage that I'd do so with anyone; yes that bothers me. But, it comes down to the fact that I love you, Jack Sparrow. I'll take what you can give me and count myself blessed."
"I've been in love with the sea my whole life," Jack said. "And with the Black Pearl since I first set foot on her many, many years ago. She's a demanding mistress and hasn't left room in me heart for anyone else for the longest time. I wondered some when you first took sail with me, if it could work. If I could split myself between the two of you. Turns out, I needn't have worried. I still have the Pearl, the horizon and the sea. And I have you too. I do love you, Gwen."
Gwen swallowed hard. "That's the first time you've said it."
"Aye, it is. It's the first time I'll ever be saying this too. Will ye marry me?"
Gwen started. "Do you really mean that?"
His gold teeth flashed in the moonlight as he grinned at her. "You aren't going to make me take a knee and get all formal are you? The last time I knelt at your feet you called me an idiot and told me to get up."
"Jack, I don't want to push you into anything you aren't ready for."
"This will make it legal, and it will protect you from those sanctimonious fools who think the less of you for being my mistress."
"Jack, that isn't reason enough."
"No, it isn't. But this is. I meant what I said before - about you belonging to me. You're mine as much as the Black Pearl is. I'd kill anyone who tried to take either from me. I love her, and I love you. I need you to stay with me, darling. Always."
"All right, I accept." Gwen leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He gathered her close to him, and she relaxed against his side. A moment later, however, she raised her head and looked into his face. "What are you doing?"
Jack grinned, his hand sliding further beneath her skirts, stroking the length of her leg. "You've been living with me for a year now and you haven't figured it out yet? Luv, I'm amazed at you."
"Here?"
"Why not?" he said cajolingly, "It's perfect. The sea, the stars, the breeze, a loving woman - what more can a man ask for?"
"We're on deck! Anyone could see us!"
"It's near pitch black, luv, and we're in the shadows. No one will notice, so long as we're quiet."
"You're an idiot, Jack!"
"There you go, calling me names again. I'm a henpecked husband, I am. Still, I notice, luv, you didn't say 'no'."
Chapter 17
Jack sat on the deck near the bow of the ship, enjoying the feel of the breeze and the salt spray on his face. It was a beautiful night. A voice called softly in the dark. "Jack, are you out here?"
"I'm here, luv," he said. Gwen appeared out of the shadows, and gathering her skirts, sat down beside him. He draped an arm over her shoulders, and pulled her against his side. "Did you notice that Cotton is on his watch a touch early?"
"I did," said Gwen dryly. "And since I passed Annamaria's cabin on the way back from checking on Tomas Valera's wound, I can figure out why."
"Didn't press your ear to the door, did ye luv? That would be an invasion of privacy, that would." He grinned, waiting for the elbow shot in the ribs. He wasn't disappointed. "Ah, well. 'Tis a night for love. I daresay Norrington and his pretty Spanish girl are mooning over each other as I speak."
"I daresay they are," Gwen answered.
"Ah, with this wind I feel free as a bird. Not a care in the world." He closed his eyes to better enjoy the kiss of the wind.
"Jack," she began. "Do I tie you down?"
His eyes snapped back open. "What do you mean, Gwen?"
"Do you sometimes wish I hadn't come with you, that you were as free to do what you wished without concerning yourself with me?"
"Sometimes," he said slowly, "I feel a yen to spend time in port drinking and gambling, the way I used to. Sometimes I see a pretty maid in a tavern, and wish I was free to do more than look, but I daresay no more so than most men who find themselves married or as good as. Passing fancies. They aren't worth much really." He turned to her, wishing he could read her expression in the dark. "What about you? Does respectable Gwendolyn Tracy wish she'd never run off with a pirate?"
"Not when I'm with you. When I'm in town, and some virtuous matron draws her skirts aside and looks at me like I was no better than the prostitutes that haunt the docks, or when some man like Carey assumes that since I'd give myself to you without marriage that I'd do so with anyone; yes that bothers me. But, it comes down to the fact that I love you, Jack Sparrow. I'll take what you can give me and count myself blessed."
"I've been in love with the sea my whole life," Jack said. "And with the Black Pearl since I first set foot on her many, many years ago. She's a demanding mistress and hasn't left room in me heart for anyone else for the longest time. I wondered some when you first took sail with me, if it could work. If I could split myself between the two of you. Turns out, I needn't have worried. I still have the Pearl, the horizon and the sea. And I have you too. I do love you, Gwen."
Gwen swallowed hard. "That's the first time you've said it."
"Aye, it is. It's the first time I'll ever be saying this too. Will ye marry me?"
Gwen started. "Do you really mean that?"
His gold teeth flashed in the moonlight as he grinned at her. "You aren't going to make me take a knee and get all formal are you? The last time I knelt at your feet you called me an idiot and told me to get up."
"Jack, I don't want to push you into anything you aren't ready for."
"This will make it legal, and it will protect you from those sanctimonious fools who think the less of you for being my mistress."
"Jack, that isn't reason enough."
"No, it isn't. But this is. I meant what I said before - about you belonging to me. You're mine as much as the Black Pearl is. I'd kill anyone who tried to take either from me. I love her, and I love you. I need you to stay with me, darling. Always."
"All right, I accept." Gwen leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. He gathered her close to him, and she relaxed against his side. A moment later, however, she raised her head and looked into his face. "What are you doing?"
Jack grinned, his hand sliding further beneath her skirts, stroking the length of her leg. "You've been living with me for a year now and you haven't figured it out yet? Luv, I'm amazed at you."
"Here?"
"Why not?" he said cajolingly, "It's perfect. The sea, the stars, the breeze, a loving woman - what more can a man ask for?"
"We're on deck! Anyone could see us!"
"It's near pitch black, luv, and we're in the shadows. No one will notice, so long as we're quiet."
"You're an idiot, Jack!"
"There you go, calling me names again. I'm a henpecked husband, I am. Still, I notice, luv, you didn't say 'no'."