Chapter 19: Yo ho ho, and a Bottle of Rum
Arianne put the flasks of rum underneath her bunk to be brought out after supper. After doing this, she washed her body and even her hair. Normally she didn't wash her hair more than once a week due to freshwater rationing, but tonight was going to be special. When she was clean, she pulled out what she had bought in one of the cities they had docked in. It was a diaphanous white gown with long sleeves that clung to the torso and flowed nicely around her legs when she walked. It was nice to have money of her own to spend as she wished. Jack paid his crew well with the treasures of the secret grotto.
Once into the dress, she brushed out her hair, which seemed to have grown a couple inches since she'd been on the boat, and decided to leave it down. Finally, she put on the finishing touch: a dab of rose perfume for her wrists and throat. She smiled. Tonight, Will would be hers.
********************************
"Will!" Jack called out. Will stopped, leaning on his mop, and watched Jack approach with a man named Gil following in his wake. "I'm givin' ye a break, Will, Gil here will finish up."
Will stared at Jack warily, wondering what he was up to this time. Wordlessly, he followed Jack to his cabin, where Jack promptly pointed out the water basin, soap, and a fresh set of clothes. "Ye'll be taking dinner in her cabin with Arianne, and I expect you to look like a gentleman!" he explained with a knowing smile and a wink. "And wash your hair, too!" he ordered. With a jaunty wave, he left Will alone in the cabin.
He groaned. Jack was trying to throw him at Arianne, and as much as he would like to crash into her as a wave of fiery passion, he just couldn't do it. He had made a mistake before, and wouldn't do it again. He just had to be sure she loved him like he loved her.
God, what if she only loved him as a brother? That whispered statement so long ago could have meant anything. He sighed, not knowing what he would do if she really did only love him in a platonic manner.Sighing again, he told himself he would just have to wait and see.
********************************
Jack stepped away from the door once he heard water splash (though how he could tell that from the splash of water against the hull was unknown) and headed for Arianne's cabin. When he knocked, she opened the door so fast he almost fell into her. Regaining his balance, he got a good look at her and whistled. He thought she looked even lovelier in the simple gown than she had in any of the complex confections. The white against her tanned skin, the golden waterfall that was her hair, the brilliant blue eyes, she looked rather fey, like a fairy queen.
"If you don't succeed tonight," he started, "by God I'll kill him myself!"
She blushed a deep crimson. Jack grinned at her embarrassment. "Will's bathing himself, under my orders, and he's not clean until every speck of dirt is out from under his fingernails!" he said with a wink. She smiled and nodded a bit nervously. "Don't worry abut a thing, love, this has to work," and with that he was off.
Just before he turned the corner, he heard a "thank you" called out to him.
********************************
She paced about the room. It seemed like it had been forever since Jack had come and gone, and her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. What if it didn't work? What if she got him drunk only to find that he was in love with someone else? She was going mad, she knew it. However, not knowing was driving her positively batty. For better or worse, she would find out tonight.
********************************
Will did his best to make himself look good, in spite of his doubts about what was going to happen. When he heard Jack call out from the other side of the door, he went and opened it for him.
"Alright, looking good, Will!" Jack said, grinning. "Let me look at yer hands..." and without any warning, he grabbed Will's hands and examined them thoroughly for any speck of dirt, so he supposed. Finally Jack nodded and loosed him, and sent him on his way back to his own cabin.
Reaching the door, he took a deep breath and stood there for a minute, composing himself. He ran a hand through his hair, which he had left out of its customary ponytail, and opened the door. She turned around and he felt as though he had been punched in the gut. The white dress set off her skin, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. Her hair hung just to her thighs, and had a gentle wave to it. He longed immediately to touch it.
"Hello," she said, smiling. Her voice had a certain quaver in it that told him she was nervous. He smiled reassuringly, but inwardly he roiled with tension. He no longer had any doubt about what was going on tonight, but he wasn't sure if this was good or bad. He wanted her, and now he was fairly sure that she wanted him as well. He sighed inwardly. He didn't know if he was ready for this, he thought as they sat down and slipped into an awkward silence.
********************************
She had been satisfied with his reaction to her dress, and in fact had been more than satisfied with how he looked as well, but now they were trapped in the doldrums of awkward silence. She had to do something, she didn't know how much longer she could take it, so she reached under her bunk and brought out one of the flasks of rum. "Want a drink to while away the time?" she asked with a nervous smile. He nodded, just as nervous as she was, and she poured them both full cups of rum.
"To Jack Sparrow and his conspiracies!" Will toasted. Arianne laughed, and they drank, probably a little deeper than required. The rest of the rum in the cups followed, and they refilled.
Finally feeling more at ease, conversation flowed. Arianne remembered Jack's warning and only sipped lightly after that first glass. She already felt a little light and buzzy. Will, apparently, felt more than a little light and buzzy. He was the most animated she had ever seen him, and he ranged from topic to topic like a nomad, never staying long in one place. They didn't even notice the light knock on the door signaling that dinner had arrived. Will was in the middle of describing the adventure retrieving the Black Pearl and Elizabeth, acting out the battles with her brush (which she assumed was supposed to be his sword).
As Will drank down his fourth cup, she still on her second, she gathered up her courage and asked, "How do you feel about me?"
********************************
"How do you feel about me?" she asked, and the pleasant warmth that filled him from the liquor deserted him. He finished the cup and refilled it, drinking deeply again to bring back some vestige of the warmth while trying to think of an answer.
"Well," he started, and stopped. "Well," he started again, this time continuing, "I think you are very charming, and beautiful, and intensely alluring, and I hold very much love--and quite a bit of lust--in my heart for you." He slapped himself mentally. That did NOT come out right. He had only meant to say that she was charming and beautiful and any man would be a fool not to love her.
The look on her face, one of amusement, relaxed some of the mortification a bit, and he apologized. She laughingly accepted, holding up her cup for another toast.
"To liquor, and the secrets it reveals!"
He lifted his cup to that as well and they drank again.
Later, she was talking about something--he wasn't quite sure what it was, as his concentration was on the movement of her lips rather than the sound that came forth from them. "You're beautiful," he said. She stopped mid-sentence and looked at him.
By this time they were both laying on the bed, she on her back with her legs dangling off the edge, he on his side staring at her, the second flask of rum completely empty beside them. They had stopped drinking, and were now reveling in the feeling of being heartily drunk.
She was staring at him, still. His mind felt clearer than it had for hours, and he poured out, "I love you, Arianne. Will you marry me?"
*********************************************************************** Hehehe! Oh I'm having fun! Hope I haven't ticked you all off too much!!!!!!!!
Arianne put the flasks of rum underneath her bunk to be brought out after supper. After doing this, she washed her body and even her hair. Normally she didn't wash her hair more than once a week due to freshwater rationing, but tonight was going to be special. When she was clean, she pulled out what she had bought in one of the cities they had docked in. It was a diaphanous white gown with long sleeves that clung to the torso and flowed nicely around her legs when she walked. It was nice to have money of her own to spend as she wished. Jack paid his crew well with the treasures of the secret grotto.
Once into the dress, she brushed out her hair, which seemed to have grown a couple inches since she'd been on the boat, and decided to leave it down. Finally, she put on the finishing touch: a dab of rose perfume for her wrists and throat. She smiled. Tonight, Will would be hers.
********************************
"Will!" Jack called out. Will stopped, leaning on his mop, and watched Jack approach with a man named Gil following in his wake. "I'm givin' ye a break, Will, Gil here will finish up."
Will stared at Jack warily, wondering what he was up to this time. Wordlessly, he followed Jack to his cabin, where Jack promptly pointed out the water basin, soap, and a fresh set of clothes. "Ye'll be taking dinner in her cabin with Arianne, and I expect you to look like a gentleman!" he explained with a knowing smile and a wink. "And wash your hair, too!" he ordered. With a jaunty wave, he left Will alone in the cabin.
He groaned. Jack was trying to throw him at Arianne, and as much as he would like to crash into her as a wave of fiery passion, he just couldn't do it. He had made a mistake before, and wouldn't do it again. He just had to be sure she loved him like he loved her.
God, what if she only loved him as a brother? That whispered statement so long ago could have meant anything. He sighed, not knowing what he would do if she really did only love him in a platonic manner.Sighing again, he told himself he would just have to wait and see.
********************************
Jack stepped away from the door once he heard water splash (though how he could tell that from the splash of water against the hull was unknown) and headed for Arianne's cabin. When he knocked, she opened the door so fast he almost fell into her. Regaining his balance, he got a good look at her and whistled. He thought she looked even lovelier in the simple gown than she had in any of the complex confections. The white against her tanned skin, the golden waterfall that was her hair, the brilliant blue eyes, she looked rather fey, like a fairy queen.
"If you don't succeed tonight," he started, "by God I'll kill him myself!"
She blushed a deep crimson. Jack grinned at her embarrassment. "Will's bathing himself, under my orders, and he's not clean until every speck of dirt is out from under his fingernails!" he said with a wink. She smiled and nodded a bit nervously. "Don't worry abut a thing, love, this has to work," and with that he was off.
Just before he turned the corner, he heard a "thank you" called out to him.
********************************
She paced about the room. It seemed like it had been forever since Jack had come and gone, and her nerves were beginning to get the best of her. What if it didn't work? What if she got him drunk only to find that he was in love with someone else? She was going mad, she knew it. However, not knowing was driving her positively batty. For better or worse, she would find out tonight.
********************************
Will did his best to make himself look good, in spite of his doubts about what was going to happen. When he heard Jack call out from the other side of the door, he went and opened it for him.
"Alright, looking good, Will!" Jack said, grinning. "Let me look at yer hands..." and without any warning, he grabbed Will's hands and examined them thoroughly for any speck of dirt, so he supposed. Finally Jack nodded and loosed him, and sent him on his way back to his own cabin.
Reaching the door, he took a deep breath and stood there for a minute, composing himself. He ran a hand through his hair, which he had left out of its customary ponytail, and opened the door. She turned around and he felt as though he had been punched in the gut. The white dress set off her skin, and her eyes seemed to sparkle. Her hair hung just to her thighs, and had a gentle wave to it. He longed immediately to touch it.
"Hello," she said, smiling. Her voice had a certain quaver in it that told him she was nervous. He smiled reassuringly, but inwardly he roiled with tension. He no longer had any doubt about what was going on tonight, but he wasn't sure if this was good or bad. He wanted her, and now he was fairly sure that she wanted him as well. He sighed inwardly. He didn't know if he was ready for this, he thought as they sat down and slipped into an awkward silence.
********************************
She had been satisfied with his reaction to her dress, and in fact had been more than satisfied with how he looked as well, but now they were trapped in the doldrums of awkward silence. She had to do something, she didn't know how much longer she could take it, so she reached under her bunk and brought out one of the flasks of rum. "Want a drink to while away the time?" she asked with a nervous smile. He nodded, just as nervous as she was, and she poured them both full cups of rum.
"To Jack Sparrow and his conspiracies!" Will toasted. Arianne laughed, and they drank, probably a little deeper than required. The rest of the rum in the cups followed, and they refilled.
Finally feeling more at ease, conversation flowed. Arianne remembered Jack's warning and only sipped lightly after that first glass. She already felt a little light and buzzy. Will, apparently, felt more than a little light and buzzy. He was the most animated she had ever seen him, and he ranged from topic to topic like a nomad, never staying long in one place. They didn't even notice the light knock on the door signaling that dinner had arrived. Will was in the middle of describing the adventure retrieving the Black Pearl and Elizabeth, acting out the battles with her brush (which she assumed was supposed to be his sword).
As Will drank down his fourth cup, she still on her second, she gathered up her courage and asked, "How do you feel about me?"
********************************
"How do you feel about me?" she asked, and the pleasant warmth that filled him from the liquor deserted him. He finished the cup and refilled it, drinking deeply again to bring back some vestige of the warmth while trying to think of an answer.
"Well," he started, and stopped. "Well," he started again, this time continuing, "I think you are very charming, and beautiful, and intensely alluring, and I hold very much love--and quite a bit of lust--in my heart for you." He slapped himself mentally. That did NOT come out right. He had only meant to say that she was charming and beautiful and any man would be a fool not to love her.
The look on her face, one of amusement, relaxed some of the mortification a bit, and he apologized. She laughingly accepted, holding up her cup for another toast.
"To liquor, and the secrets it reveals!"
He lifted his cup to that as well and they drank again.
Later, she was talking about something--he wasn't quite sure what it was, as his concentration was on the movement of her lips rather than the sound that came forth from them. "You're beautiful," he said. She stopped mid-sentence and looked at him.
By this time they were both laying on the bed, she on her back with her legs dangling off the edge, he on his side staring at her, the second flask of rum completely empty beside them. They had stopped drinking, and were now reveling in the feeling of being heartily drunk.
She was staring at him, still. His mind felt clearer than it had for hours, and he poured out, "I love you, Arianne. Will you marry me?"
*********************************************************************** Hehehe! Oh I'm having fun! Hope I haven't ticked you all off too much!!!!!!!!