Mark The Earth With Ruin

Chapter 4

The Governor's room was dark for the time of day; the curtains were all drawn, making the room stiflingly hot. Jack ran a finger around his collar as he approached the bed where Edmund's huddled figure lay.

He cleared his throat and a bloodshot gray eye opened and looked at him. "What's the meaning of all this, then, you big pansy?" The words were jovial, but Jack's tone was soft.

The ends of Edmund's mouth curled upward slightly. "Hullo, blot."

Jack grinned. "You sent for me, like a serving wench?"

Edmund started to answer, but whatever he was going to say was lost in a spasm of harsh coughing. Jack quickly poured a snifter of brandy and helped his friend to sit up, holding the balloon glass to his bluish lips. After a moment, Edmund nodded. "Thanks." He coughed once more, then cleared his throat. "I asked you to come because I've need of a friend of yours." Jack's dark brows drew together, but he said nothing. "You've possibly heard that I've had to declare a quarantine of Port Royal."

Jack nodded. "Aye, I heard." He hooked an elegantly carved chair with his foot and spun it around to sit backwards on it, facing the bed.

Edmund eyed him. "But you think it was a poor decision."

"Didn't say that."

Edmund snorted. "You didn't have to. I know, any hint of weakness and we are fair game for scum like Nicodemus to set up shop. But I've lost nearly twenty men at the garrison alone, Jack. This fever, whatever it is, must be contained."

"No argument there," Jack conceded. "Still and all, though, Ned, with Nicodemus only a day or two's sail away…"

"I know." Edmund nodded slowly. "And I can't release the men to go after him now. Which is where you come in."

Jack chuckled. "Last I heard you were trying like fire to talk me out of doing anything rash."

Edmund smiled ruefully. "And here I thought I was being so diplomatic."

"Aye, you were, Ned. 'Tis what set up me suspicious nature."

Edmund glanced behind Jack to the door. "Careful, Jack. You sound like him already." As though in response to Edmund's caution, the door swung open, and Annie Palmer came in, bearing a basin and rag. She gave Jack a smile as he got to his feet. Annie bent to kiss Edmund on the forehead, causing Jack's brows to rise to his hairline.

He looked from the dark-haired beauty to his prostrate friend. "Have I missed something?"

The oddest look passed over his friend's face, as though there was something Edmund wanted to say but could not. After a moment the look passed. "I have asked Mrs. Palmer to become my wife, and she has done me the great honor of accepting."

Jack stared, his mouth hanging frankly open. "Ned…"

Edmund grew haughty. "So Will is the only person capable of great passion conceived in a moment? Or do words of congratulation fail you? It's funny… 'John'," and Jack was appalled at the venom dripping from Edmund's voice, "I don't recall you at a loss for words before."

Jack blinked and recovered. " 'Tis only because I've not had such happy news laid at my feet for some time," he lied through his teeth.

The Palmer smiled her serpent's smile, extending her hand for his kiss, and Jack's skin prickled. He took the proffered hand and saluted it quickly, resisting the urge to wipe his lips after. Strange warmth blossomed in the region of his chest, spreading over his skin like a brittle shell.

"When do you do the deed?" Jack said cheerily, to cover his discomfiture.

Annie blushed demurely. "As soon as possible," her alleged lovesick swain replied coldly.

Jack cocked a brow at him. "Will can stand up for you, then, if I'm not back," he said, just as coldly, and a flash of something like hurt appeared briefly in Edmund's gray eyes. "I'm off to do that little commission for you. My felicitations to you both," and he bowed his way out of the stifling room as quickly as he could.

~*~

"Married? After an acquaintance of a few days only? Is he gone daft?" Will asked in candid astonishment.

"You've got me, lad," said Jack, tying his red scarf round his head. "And she's got him, poor bloke. There," he laid down the looking glass and looked up at his friend, his kohl-rimmed eyes atwinkle. "I feel more meself than I have in years."

They sat in a dilapidated shack on the edge of the secret cove where the Pearl sat berthed, bobbing placidly in the deep turquoise water. Jack shoved aside the remains of his hasty meal and contemplated the younger man. "You'll be all right?"

Will gave a nod. "Aye. I don't know about Edmund, though. 'Tis all too sudden. This marriage – I don't mean to seem unkind, but Mrs. Palmer seems to me an uncongenial choice. And to be trying to start a life together now, with so much death about…" He shrugged and let his shoulders drop.

Jack grinned, his teeth glinting gold in the fading sunlight. "Aye, 'tis strange. You are being kind, however. Me, I'd have called her a witch."

~*~

The Black Pearl nosed out toward open water with her captain at her bow, majestically cresting the waves crashing against her hull with ease. The spray she threw up spattered Jack's face, and he grinned at the welcome baptism.

He loved these short-lived forays on the sea. Living on land had its advantages, he mentally acknowledged, picturing that young scamp of a Lizbet. But on the whole no man lived who was better suited to life aboard the rolling deck of a schooner, yawl, or ketch; or, in a pinch, a catboat, even (Jack chuckled in fond remembrance) a rapidly sinking one. Yo ho indeed.

Jack swaggered abaft and swung his way up the companionway to the helm. Gibbs greeted him with a grin. "Anchor's a-trip and aweigh, Cap'n; th' Pearl's heading bluewater wi' a bone 'n 'er fine teeth."

Jack gave him an answering grin as he took a firm grasp on the wheel. "Run up the burgee, Gibbs, my good son, and tell the crew to light the braziers. We sail by the lee to the Venezuelan coast."

"Aye, sir." Gibbs gave a mock-military salute.

Jack chuckled, shaking his head, setting various beads and ornaments to tinkling gaily. "Who've we got on board, mate?"

"Skeleton crew, as ye ordered, Cap'n."

"Arms?" Jack squinted into the distance. He hadn't told Gibbs what they were after, but he'd wager his hat the pirate knew anyway.

"T' the teeth, Jack. Plenty o' powder and shot fer th' long nines, if ye decide t' sink the Seraph 'stead o' takin' her." Gibbs sobered. "Better fer us all if ye do, I reckon. I hear that there Nicodemus is as cruel an' depraved as any man who e'er walked the earth, God save us."

"Aye." Jack gave a nod. "You hear anything else?" he asked casually.

Gibbs thought about it. "That 'e's a blackbirder o' the worst kind, crammin' 'is hull full o' humanity an' chucking upwards o' half overboard on the way to th' slave market." The older pirate shook his grizzled head in disgust. "They say the pong o' the Seraph is strong enough t' smell ten mile away."

Jack raised his brows. "Do they now? That's interesting." He chewed it over again. "That's a very handy piece of information, Gibbs. Very."

Gibbs nodded. "One more thing, Jack."

"Aye?"

Gibbs tapped the side of his nose. "Just this: nobody seems t' know which slave market Nicodemus takes 'is cargo to."

Jack turned that over in his mind. No slave market? "A private enterprise, then?"

Gibbs nodded with the shadow of a grin. "What I'm thinkin'."

~*~

Will turned and took Rose's hand to help her up the small hill that led to the Port Royal cemetery. "All right?" he asked with a sad smile, bending to look into her pretty face.

" 'Twill be, someday, or so the chaplain said," sighed Rose with an attempt at a smile. A tear slid down her cheek. "Oh, dear," she said, trying to make light of it. "I promised myself I wouldn't, for Bill would not want me to."

Will tucked her slim hand into the crook of his elbow. "Come on, little mum," he said, his tone light, his heart heavy.

"Will, lad?"

Will put down his hammer and wiped his brow with his forearm, a smile for his father on his face. "Aye?"

Bill had come into the smithy diffidently, his manner so awkward that Will automatically crossed to the cabinet and poured him a tot of rum. Bill had downed it in a gulp, causing his son to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "I've – I want to – I need t' ask ye summat, Will."

Will hitched up a hip and leaned on his anvil. "Anything, Father. There's nothing wrong, is there?"

Bill rubbed at his upper lip. "Not to say wrong, son. Only I been thinkin' – well, best to just come out with it. What would 'ee think if I were t' go a-wooin'?"

That was easily the last thing a thunderstruck Will had expected. "Wooing? Who?"

Bill became very interested in studying the silver chasing on a decorative dagger Will had hanging in his rack just then. "Miss Rose," he said, clearing his throat.

Will blinked. "Ned's Rose? That Rose?"

"She's not kept by the man," Bill bridled. "They're friends, allus have been nothin' more than."

"Are you sure?"

Bill nodded. "I've her word fer it, 'n' his Lordship's 's well." He shrugged. "Edmund said he'd no idea of wooin' her himself, else the deed would've been done 's soon 's ever we got back from Tortuga that time. But I figgered bein' in the position he's in, he can't look at a maid what's in the position Rose's been in, if you take my meanin'."

Will sifted through that speech. "Meaning Edmund can't afford to woo a – a working girl?" He snorted. "If he loved her 'twould make no difference to him. Look at Jack."

Bill stared at his son, clearly startled. "Meanin' Edmund loves Jack?"

"No," said Will when he could get his breath back after laughing so hard he had to sit down. He wiped his streaming eyes merrily. "Meaning Jack's past doesn't matter to Ned, because they've become friends. Ned's not pining away for Rose and unable to marry her because of her past. If he's said he's not interested, you can take it as written."

Bill heaved a sigh that sounded a lot like relief to Will. "Aye, well, clearly the man's no manner of taste at all. So pretty as she is, and kind. Brave, to be savin' his life. A fine girl, Miss Rose."

Will looked carefully at his father. "And you don't care about… um…?"

Bill could snort too. "Not hardly, lad. I'm an ex-undead pirate. Lucky I am if she don't hold my past against me."

"In that case," Will clapped his father on the shoulder with a smile, "all luck to you, Father. I like Rose a great deal."

He watched the joy dawning on the older man's face and knew he'd been right to say it. "Aye, lad. Rose is a fine lass indeed. Make a man a fine wife someday," Bill had added under his breath, but Will had heard him.

Will had let Rose go ahead to the grave to give her a moment alone with her memories. So caught in his own memory of a happier time was Will that it took a scream from Rose to bring him out of his reverie. He ran the rest of the way up the hill, stopping short with a half-formed epithet on his lips.

The grave and coffin were freshly opened, and completely empty.