Chapter Four: Revelations


"Sea-green?" she asked. "You must be color-blind. My eyes are grey."


"No, missy, they're not. I've been on the sea most of my life. I'd know that color anywhere."


"OK, never mind. I'll worry about all of this later. Right now I'm just so tired." She leaned back into her pillows and groaned. "Oh no, um, Captain? Where would a girl go to . . . um . . . you know? Relieve herself?"


"Yer in luck, luv. Everyone else on board just uses the head, but you are in the Captain's Quarters. I've got my own privy. I'll send Annamaria 'round t'help yeh."


"Thank you, Captain. For everything."


"Don't be thankin' me yet, luv," he replied. "We've still got a lot to talk about, savvy? Get some rest. I'll be back t'have dinner with ye. And maybe I'll bring you a surprise."


Jack closed the door softly behind him, but it wasn't long before there was a soft knock. The door opened and a young mulatto woman entered the room.


"Captain Sparrow said ye needed a bit of a hand," she said


"Yes, please. I can't get up by myself yet," Rachel replied. "If you just give me some support, I think I can make it."


Annamaria helped her to the privy and then settled her back into bed. It really wasn't as bad as she expected. Once she was up, anyway. Getting up and down seemed to be the worst part.


"Thanks for your help," she said. " I didn't realize there were any other women on board."


"I'm the only one. And I wouldn't be here if Mr. Gibbs had his say in't. Says it's unlucky to have a woman aboard."


"Unlucky?", Rachel asked. "Why would that be unlucky?"


"Sailors be a superstitious lot, miss. That just be one of the old tales."


"Well, then. I guess this ship is twice as unlucky, now."


Annamaria smiled. "I guess it be. Ye'd better be gettin' some sleep. The Cap'n says yer not to be disturbed too much. He wants ye well."


"Well, thanks, again. I'll try to sleep, now, I guess."


"That'd be best."


Annamaria closed the door and left her truly alone for the first time since she'd awaken. She had a lot of thinking to do. So many things were amiss. But her exhaustion soon got the best of her and she just couldn't stay awake any longer.


When she awoke, Jack was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at her. / / Wow / / she thought. / / What a way to wake up. / / She started to pull herself to a sitting position but Jack put his hand out to stop her.


"Let me help you, luv. Wouldn't want yeh to hurt yerself." He helped her to sit up and plumped her pillows behind her. "Do you think you might be up to sitting at table this evening?" he asked. "I'd help ye o'course."


"I think so," she replied. "Once I'm actually up, it doesn't really hurt that much. It's just getting there that's the problem."


"Then let's see what we can do about that," he said. He reached down and lifted her in his arms. "Let me know if I hurt you, luv."


"Not at all," she gasped. Looking into his eyes, she didn't care if the pain came or not. She wouldn't feel a thing.


He placed her gently into one of the chairs at the table. She hadn't noticed before, but the meal was already waiting for them. There were soup, bread, and wine. A large bowl of fruit graced the center of the table.


"When yer well, I'll give you a real welcome dinner," he told her. "But fer now, ye'd best be stayin' with soup. Gibbs says it'll be a few days before he'll trust you on anything more."


"This is just fine," she said, picking up her spoon. "I'm just glad to be out of bed for a while."


"A short while," he replied. "Right after yer meal, it's back to bed with you, savvy?"


"Will you stay with me for a while? I'd like to talk some more, if we can."


"Sorry, luv. I'll be back t'the helm," he said. "But I'll be back t'join you later."


"I'll be so glad when this heals. My whole body feels strange."


"Really?" he replied. "Can I feel?" He smiled at her impishly.


She dropped her spoon, splashing soup all over the table. "Oh, Lord, look at this mess," she said.


"It's all right, luv. Me cabin boy will take care of it. But ye didn't answer my question." The impish smile was back.


"I don't think I know you well enough for that," she said.


"But that's not really a no, then, is it? You will get t'know me, lass. It looks like you may be with us for a while."


"I need to watch what I say around you, don't I?" she asked.


"Not at all, luv," he replied. "But you can't expect a man to have a beauty like you sleepin' in his bed, and not have thoughts."


"The key word there is sleeping," she told him. "And, you can have all the thoughts you want, as long as that's all they are is thoughts."


"Don't worry, lass. The thoughts I'll have, in plenty. But I'll not lay a hand on you . . . unless ye want me to." He grinned. "Looks like yer done. Best be putting you back t'bed."


He rose and walked around the table, carefully picking her up in his arms.


"I can walk, you know," she said.


"Aye, lass," he replied. "But then I wouldn't get t'carry you."


He placed her gently back into bed, then sat on the edge and looked at her.


"I brought ye somethin'," he said. He brought out a beautiful silver hand mirror. "Just t'prove I'm not color-blind."


She held the mirror up and gasped in surprise. She'd never seen that girl before in her life.