Again, many many thanks to my favorite reviewer Dimonah Tralon. Standard legal crap applies. Enjoy!
Chapter Three: Broken Hearts Club
Ellie Fly slaved all day in the small kitchen of the Black Pearl. First, she stoked a coal fire in the cookstove and heated a kettle of clean water. When it boiled, she added potatoes. While they simmered, she made a simple cake batter, adding to it dried fruits, nuts, and a splash of rum. The cake baking, Ellie stirred together a soup of canned tomato sauce, dried peas, carrots, and corn, using the cooked potato to add substance and thickness to the soup. After hunting around, she found a hard loaf of bread. She placed it near the cookstove to warm and soften. Exhausted, Ellie sat down only to realize that it was dinnertime. She cut a hunk of bread and topped it with a wedge of cheese. Quickly, she poured a mug of black coffee from breakfast and, carrying it carefully, she hurried on deck.
"Sorry I'm late," Ellie apologized, handing Jack his dinner. "I've been busy with supper."
"Ah, I see." Jack took a bite of sandwich. His eyes widened and he spat it out.
"OH!" Ellie gasped. "What is it?"
"Moldy." Jack threw the bread and cheese overboard.
"I'm terribly sorry," Ellie's eyes filled with tears. "Supper will be better. I promise."
Jack swished the cold coffee in his mouth. In an uncharacteristic act of spite he said, "I didn't expect anything better."
Ellie turned bright red. "How...how dare you!"
Angry, she raced down into her hot kitchen where she burst into tears.
"What was the meanin' of that, Jack?" Anamaria asked, putting an elbow on his shoulder.
"Rougher than I meant to be, is all," he muttered. "Females are too emotional. Too..." he waved his arms in the air. "Touchy."
"Yes Jack, we are touchy. Now go tell yer lass yer sorry. I'll hold down ship while you do."
"NO!" his eyes were huge, as if she had suggested he skin himself alive.
"Coward."
"No..."
"Cow-ard."
"Fine. Fine, all right!" Jack stomped down to the kitchen in a huff. "Coward. Oh yes. Jack's a cow-ard. Say sorry to Ellie. Not hard. Just walk in and say 'sorry.'"
Jack stopped at the door. He heard her muffled sobs from within. He opened the door and stepped in quickly.
"Eh, I was harsh, luv. Sorry."
Ellie threw an empty jar at him. It smashed into a thousand crystal pieces on the floor.
"Temper, temper."
"Just shut up, Jack!" Ellie practically screamed shakily through her tears. "I tried so hard and you just...oh!"
Jack's heart melted. Gingerly, he crossed the floor to Ellie's quaking form.
"Please, please don't cry. I'm not very good at this," Jack embraced her, planting a soft kiss on her head. "You've done right well! Smells ruddy good in here. Like...rum!"
Ellie lifted her head. "IT is. I made you a rum cake."
"A lass after me own heart!" Jack held her tighter. "Now, where is it?"
"In the oven. It's for supper. Now get! I've got work to do!" Ellie wiped her tears on her apron, leaving floury streaks on her cheeks. Tenderly, Jack brushed them away. She blushed faintly. "Get I said."
"Aye, aye, cap'n." He departed, leaving Ellie to puzzle out how to make bread without yeast and how to mend a torn heart.
Chapter Three: Broken Hearts Club
Ellie Fly slaved all day in the small kitchen of the Black Pearl. First, she stoked a coal fire in the cookstove and heated a kettle of clean water. When it boiled, she added potatoes. While they simmered, she made a simple cake batter, adding to it dried fruits, nuts, and a splash of rum. The cake baking, Ellie stirred together a soup of canned tomato sauce, dried peas, carrots, and corn, using the cooked potato to add substance and thickness to the soup. After hunting around, she found a hard loaf of bread. She placed it near the cookstove to warm and soften. Exhausted, Ellie sat down only to realize that it was dinnertime. She cut a hunk of bread and topped it with a wedge of cheese. Quickly, she poured a mug of black coffee from breakfast and, carrying it carefully, she hurried on deck.
"Sorry I'm late," Ellie apologized, handing Jack his dinner. "I've been busy with supper."
"Ah, I see." Jack took a bite of sandwich. His eyes widened and he spat it out.
"OH!" Ellie gasped. "What is it?"
"Moldy." Jack threw the bread and cheese overboard.
"I'm terribly sorry," Ellie's eyes filled with tears. "Supper will be better. I promise."
Jack swished the cold coffee in his mouth. In an uncharacteristic act of spite he said, "I didn't expect anything better."
Ellie turned bright red. "How...how dare you!"
Angry, she raced down into her hot kitchen where she burst into tears.
"What was the meanin' of that, Jack?" Anamaria asked, putting an elbow on his shoulder.
"Rougher than I meant to be, is all," he muttered. "Females are too emotional. Too..." he waved his arms in the air. "Touchy."
"Yes Jack, we are touchy. Now go tell yer lass yer sorry. I'll hold down ship while you do."
"NO!" his eyes were huge, as if she had suggested he skin himself alive.
"Coward."
"No..."
"Cow-ard."
"Fine. Fine, all right!" Jack stomped down to the kitchen in a huff. "Coward. Oh yes. Jack's a cow-ard. Say sorry to Ellie. Not hard. Just walk in and say 'sorry.'"
Jack stopped at the door. He heard her muffled sobs from within. He opened the door and stepped in quickly.
"Eh, I was harsh, luv. Sorry."
Ellie threw an empty jar at him. It smashed into a thousand crystal pieces on the floor.
"Temper, temper."
"Just shut up, Jack!" Ellie practically screamed shakily through her tears. "I tried so hard and you just...oh!"
Jack's heart melted. Gingerly, he crossed the floor to Ellie's quaking form.
"Please, please don't cry. I'm not very good at this," Jack embraced her, planting a soft kiss on her head. "You've done right well! Smells ruddy good in here. Like...rum!"
Ellie lifted her head. "IT is. I made you a rum cake."
"A lass after me own heart!" Jack held her tighter. "Now, where is it?"
"In the oven. It's for supper. Now get! I've got work to do!" Ellie wiped her tears on her apron, leaving floury streaks on her cheeks. Tenderly, Jack brushed them away. She blushed faintly. "Get I said."
"Aye, aye, cap'n." He departed, leaving Ellie to puzzle out how to make bread without yeast and how to mend a torn heart.