Chapter 30... oooh who thought I would last this long?
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"To us," said Jack, unscrewing the bottle of rum.
Tara looked at him. They were alone on deck- the rest of the crew were sleeping- and they were sitting on the floor with their backs to the wheel platform.
"To us," she replied, taking a deep swig of her own bottle.
He slipped an arm around her slender shoulders. "Who would have thought that we would be sitting here? I mean... us. The odds were always against us."
She fiddled absently with one of the beads in his hair. "It was meant to happen."
"You believe in all that fate and destiny stuff?" asked Jack, holding her tenderly.
She nodded. "It seems stupid."
"Not at all," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Though, with everything against us, maybe we were meant to be."
"What is this- philosophical Jack?" she joked.
He smiled. Then they kissed, completely entwined, until Tara pulled away to have another sip of rum, eying Jack coyly.
"Listen, Tara," said Jack, seriously. "I 'ave a question for ye."
"Oh?" she asked, her heart rate quickening as she realised what it must be.
"Will yer marry me?" he asked.
There was a tense silence. Tara stood up, and walked to the side, looking into the dark water they were moving over.
"I wasn't expecting this," she whispered, gripping the side to stop herself fainting.
He was silent, still waiting for her answer.
"Well..." she muttered.
She thought of her father, Sir Waller, the great rich sailor, who were certainly not appreciate this match. She thought of her mother, dead for too long, who had been against couples so different. She thought of Lieutenant Gillette, waiting for her hand in marriage.
So many reasons not to do it.
So she made her mind up.
"I will," she said.
He ran to her, and scooped her up into his arms, twisting her around and around and around.
Tara opened her eyes. She was in her bed on the ship, warm and safe beneath the covers.
She groaned. She had had such a lovely dream...
Or had it been real?
"I'm getting married," she whispered, excitement filling her.
She sat up, and slipped out of the bed. She saw something glitter on the desk, and on closer inspection, she saw that it was a gold ring, with a tiny diamond. Also there was Jack's golden sparrow.
She smiled, slipping the ring on her finger and the sparrow around her neck. Then she went into the bathroom to dress, and saw a beautiful dress waiting for her. The top was white, with a low neck of white mesh, the arms also of the mesh. The skirt was mid-thigh length and black. There were some black stockings and some cute little boots.
She smiled as she dressed, the feeling that she was floating three feet above ground not fading. She fixed her hair back into a long tail and beamed at her reflection.
The door into her cabin opened, and she stepped out of the bathroom to see Will standing there, his eyes filled with compassion.
"Will!" she exclaimed, flying to him, and hugging him.
"Jack just told us," Will said, holding her tightly. "Congratulations."
"Oh, Will, I've never been so happy," Tara smiled.
He took her arm. "Coming to see your proud fiancé?" he asked.
She nodded.
Jack leaned lazily against the wheel, his mind muddled in its happy mood and the bright hot sunshine. Below him the crew were at work, occasionally grinning up at him. It was typical of them to share his moods- and today they were ecstatic.
He smiled. Life was perfect. Well, almost.
He shook this thought from his head as Tara's cabin door swung open and Will appeared, holding the arm of Jack's fair fiancée.
"Tara!" he shouted, running down to her.
Her face positively lit up at the sight of him. Will grinned as they became knotted together. The crew cheered.
"All right, ye scallywags," grinned Jack, pulling away from Tara. "Back ter work!"
"I love you," whispered Tara.
He kissed her again, more tenderly this time. "I love you too."
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Okay. There is a dark secret to be revealed in the next chapter... or maybe the one after? It depends. Anyway, put it like this... this story will not have a happy ending...
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"To us," said Jack, unscrewing the bottle of rum.
Tara looked at him. They were alone on deck- the rest of the crew were sleeping- and they were sitting on the floor with their backs to the wheel platform.
"To us," she replied, taking a deep swig of her own bottle.
He slipped an arm around her slender shoulders. "Who would have thought that we would be sitting here? I mean... us. The odds were always against us."
She fiddled absently with one of the beads in his hair. "It was meant to happen."
"You believe in all that fate and destiny stuff?" asked Jack, holding her tenderly.
She nodded. "It seems stupid."
"Not at all," he said, his eyes twinkling. "Though, with everything against us, maybe we were meant to be."
"What is this- philosophical Jack?" she joked.
He smiled. Then they kissed, completely entwined, until Tara pulled away to have another sip of rum, eying Jack coyly.
"Listen, Tara," said Jack, seriously. "I 'ave a question for ye."
"Oh?" she asked, her heart rate quickening as she realised what it must be.
"Will yer marry me?" he asked.
There was a tense silence. Tara stood up, and walked to the side, looking into the dark water they were moving over.
"I wasn't expecting this," she whispered, gripping the side to stop herself fainting.
He was silent, still waiting for her answer.
"Well..." she muttered.
She thought of her father, Sir Waller, the great rich sailor, who were certainly not appreciate this match. She thought of her mother, dead for too long, who had been against couples so different. She thought of Lieutenant Gillette, waiting for her hand in marriage.
So many reasons not to do it.
So she made her mind up.
"I will," she said.
He ran to her, and scooped her up into his arms, twisting her around and around and around.
Tara opened her eyes. She was in her bed on the ship, warm and safe beneath the covers.
She groaned. She had had such a lovely dream...
Or had it been real?
"I'm getting married," she whispered, excitement filling her.
She sat up, and slipped out of the bed. She saw something glitter on the desk, and on closer inspection, she saw that it was a gold ring, with a tiny diamond. Also there was Jack's golden sparrow.
She smiled, slipping the ring on her finger and the sparrow around her neck. Then she went into the bathroom to dress, and saw a beautiful dress waiting for her. The top was white, with a low neck of white mesh, the arms also of the mesh. The skirt was mid-thigh length and black. There were some black stockings and some cute little boots.
She smiled as she dressed, the feeling that she was floating three feet above ground not fading. She fixed her hair back into a long tail and beamed at her reflection.
The door into her cabin opened, and she stepped out of the bathroom to see Will standing there, his eyes filled with compassion.
"Will!" she exclaimed, flying to him, and hugging him.
"Jack just told us," Will said, holding her tightly. "Congratulations."
"Oh, Will, I've never been so happy," Tara smiled.
He took her arm. "Coming to see your proud fiancé?" he asked.
She nodded.
Jack leaned lazily against the wheel, his mind muddled in its happy mood and the bright hot sunshine. Below him the crew were at work, occasionally grinning up at him. It was typical of them to share his moods- and today they were ecstatic.
He smiled. Life was perfect. Well, almost.
He shook this thought from his head as Tara's cabin door swung open and Will appeared, holding the arm of Jack's fair fiancée.
"Tara!" he shouted, running down to her.
Her face positively lit up at the sight of him. Will grinned as they became knotted together. The crew cheered.
"All right, ye scallywags," grinned Jack, pulling away from Tara. "Back ter work!"
"I love you," whispered Tara.
He kissed her again, more tenderly this time. "I love you too."
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Okay. There is a dark secret to be revealed in the next chapter... or maybe the one after? It depends. Anyway, put it like this... this story will not have a happy ending...