I clambered aboard, the cool wind that now blew did nothing to calm my
temper and I pushed through a swath of pirates, cooing over treasure till I
reached Jack – still wearing the crown and bracelets.
"Cathy, my love!" He cried on my approach, sounding drunker than he ever had done after a night of rum. I wondered which kind of intoxication Jack really preferred. "Cathy we are rich as bloody lords! Come 'ere!" He pulled me roughly towards him and grinned at me, brushing some hair off my forehead and running a hand down my corseted body "Now, where were we?" I pulled back, still brimming over with anger and now embarrassment – I was acutely aware of the crew's eyes on us. Anamaria turned and walked off sharply, pushing one lad nearly overboard as she left.
"Jack, you are a lying, thieving scoundrel! You have made me a promise - which you have repeatedly failed to honour. Are we truly to set sail for Tortuga! Do you expect me to frequent the filthy heart of piracy of me own free will? Do the one honest thing in your life and take me home!" I finished, tears in my eyes, so furious was I.
"Don't worry love." He brushed my tears away and planted an absent-minded kiss on my cheek "Wiv' this swag I'll make yer a rich woman, Cathy."
"But I already am one!"
"Well, I..." The bumbling fool floundered, hands clasped together in his characteristic begging stance. "Please come to Tortuga."
"No." He squinted and re-clasped his hands.
"Please ?" I stared at him, open-mouthed, amazing at his shameless audacity – that man was impossible!
"No!"
"Just – bear wiv' me. Yer'll love it."
****
We arrived at Tortuga two days later, as dusk settled over the hellish town. Sounds of drunken carousing could already be heard, though we had only just entered the bay.
I was in my cabin, coverlet slung over my shoulders as I stared out at the lights scattered over the barren hillside. Jack may have convinced me to come to this awful place, but I was determined not to come ashore. I would be safer on any ship than in that lawless place.
"You comin' Miss Barbrook?" Billy cautiously peeped round the door. I smiled tersely at him.
"No thank you Billy."
"Aww, come on, Miss. I knows yer soft on Cap'n Sparrer." I snorted imperiously "An' 'e's soft on yer an' all. 'E'd be 'appy as a sandman if yer came ashore. I 'eard 'im say as much to Mr. Gibbs, Miss." I turned my head to the window to hide my blush from Billy.
"Well then, perhaps I'd better accompany him, I've heard the most dreadful things about Tortuga. I'm sure Jack would fair better with me looking after him."
"Awww, get on wiv' yer, Miss Barbrook." Billy grinned from ear to ear and scampered out of my room like a child. It was only later I took in the significance of the coins I heard clinking in his pockets.
I thought of Jack's gentlemanly ways at Mr. Smythe's house and considered whether all that rough and tumble wasn't saved for the ships alone. Maybe pirates behaved altogether better on dry land.
"Oi, Oi Darlin'!" Shouted a rough voice, spilling grog down my dress in an over zealous toast. "Need sum 'un to show ye around?"
"She's fine, thank yer mate." Jack laid a steady hand on the man's shoulder.
"Beggin' yer pardon mister Sparrer – I din't know she were wiv' you." To my surprise the fifteen stone man shuffled off – hanging his great head and clasping hands as big as hams apologetically.
The crew quickly dispersed, young eyes shining like moons at the opportunities for debauchery that lay before them. Ana, Gibbs and Jack were more cautious but I could tell all three were eager for some drink. We entered a tavern called the three turtles. I could not describe its interior to you, other than to say any distinguishing features of sight, smell or sound were covered up by thick clouds of tobacco smoke, an overpowering odour of grog and the shouts and laughs of the drunk.
We sat at a table, somewhat out of the way of the other customers and Jack quickly procured four pints. Ana, Gibbs and Jack drank deeply, but I left mine untouched – the memory of vomiting overboard was still too strong. Feeling out of my depth in this raucous place, I kept my head down as the others entered into conversation. I must have been more tired than I thought because the next thing I was aware of was Jack calling out for another pint across the empty tavern. The fire burning in the corner was glowing deep red and my three companions were talking in hushed voices.
"I'm telling ye Jack, its over for us; pirates're bein' cornered like rabbits in a run. No where's safe, it's only a matter o' time. Why don't we make off wiv' the treasure while the goin's good?"
"Yer could be a merchant sailor, join the Navy if yer wanted to stay on the sea, Jack. But this life is over for us."
"Yer've got money enough Jack, whot more is there?"
I looked up through my eyelashes, not wanting them to know I was listening. Jack was slumped over the table; he looked tired and, in the low light of the fire – surprisingly old. Ana and Gibbs leaned towards him, but he didn't meet their gaze, instead his eyes were fixed on a roughly finished oil painting of a ship riding on white-tipped waves that hung above the fireplace.
"Whot d'yer say, mate?" Gibbs spoke soothingly, and slightly fearfully, it seemed to me. Anamaria laid a hand on his folded arms.
"Do yer not think its time fer yer to settle down?" She tried to touch his face, but he turned away "Do yer remember, we said we'd always..."
"I'm off to bed." Jack interrupted her question in a husky tone. "Tomorrer we gotta get the ship careened an' caulked, so be up bright an' early."
Gibbs and Ana sat silently, finishing their drinks. Then Ana made to wake me and I made a pretence of yawning and rubbing my eyes. She took me up to a damp room in the loft of the tavern and I laid beside her on a narrow pallet bed, pretending not to hear her sobs.
"Cathy, my love!" He cried on my approach, sounding drunker than he ever had done after a night of rum. I wondered which kind of intoxication Jack really preferred. "Cathy we are rich as bloody lords! Come 'ere!" He pulled me roughly towards him and grinned at me, brushing some hair off my forehead and running a hand down my corseted body "Now, where were we?" I pulled back, still brimming over with anger and now embarrassment – I was acutely aware of the crew's eyes on us. Anamaria turned and walked off sharply, pushing one lad nearly overboard as she left.
"Jack, you are a lying, thieving scoundrel! You have made me a promise - which you have repeatedly failed to honour. Are we truly to set sail for Tortuga! Do you expect me to frequent the filthy heart of piracy of me own free will? Do the one honest thing in your life and take me home!" I finished, tears in my eyes, so furious was I.
"Don't worry love." He brushed my tears away and planted an absent-minded kiss on my cheek "Wiv' this swag I'll make yer a rich woman, Cathy."
"But I already am one!"
"Well, I..." The bumbling fool floundered, hands clasped together in his characteristic begging stance. "Please come to Tortuga."
"No." He squinted and re-clasped his hands.
"Please ?" I stared at him, open-mouthed, amazing at his shameless audacity – that man was impossible!
"No!"
"Just – bear wiv' me. Yer'll love it."
****
We arrived at Tortuga two days later, as dusk settled over the hellish town. Sounds of drunken carousing could already be heard, though we had only just entered the bay.
I was in my cabin, coverlet slung over my shoulders as I stared out at the lights scattered over the barren hillside. Jack may have convinced me to come to this awful place, but I was determined not to come ashore. I would be safer on any ship than in that lawless place.
"You comin' Miss Barbrook?" Billy cautiously peeped round the door. I smiled tersely at him.
"No thank you Billy."
"Aww, come on, Miss. I knows yer soft on Cap'n Sparrer." I snorted imperiously "An' 'e's soft on yer an' all. 'E'd be 'appy as a sandman if yer came ashore. I 'eard 'im say as much to Mr. Gibbs, Miss." I turned my head to the window to hide my blush from Billy.
"Well then, perhaps I'd better accompany him, I've heard the most dreadful things about Tortuga. I'm sure Jack would fair better with me looking after him."
"Awww, get on wiv' yer, Miss Barbrook." Billy grinned from ear to ear and scampered out of my room like a child. It was only later I took in the significance of the coins I heard clinking in his pockets.
I thought of Jack's gentlemanly ways at Mr. Smythe's house and considered whether all that rough and tumble wasn't saved for the ships alone. Maybe pirates behaved altogether better on dry land.
"Oi, Oi Darlin'!" Shouted a rough voice, spilling grog down my dress in an over zealous toast. "Need sum 'un to show ye around?"
"She's fine, thank yer mate." Jack laid a steady hand on the man's shoulder.
"Beggin' yer pardon mister Sparrer – I din't know she were wiv' you." To my surprise the fifteen stone man shuffled off – hanging his great head and clasping hands as big as hams apologetically.
The crew quickly dispersed, young eyes shining like moons at the opportunities for debauchery that lay before them. Ana, Gibbs and Jack were more cautious but I could tell all three were eager for some drink. We entered a tavern called the three turtles. I could not describe its interior to you, other than to say any distinguishing features of sight, smell or sound were covered up by thick clouds of tobacco smoke, an overpowering odour of grog and the shouts and laughs of the drunk.
We sat at a table, somewhat out of the way of the other customers and Jack quickly procured four pints. Ana, Gibbs and Jack drank deeply, but I left mine untouched – the memory of vomiting overboard was still too strong. Feeling out of my depth in this raucous place, I kept my head down as the others entered into conversation. I must have been more tired than I thought because the next thing I was aware of was Jack calling out for another pint across the empty tavern. The fire burning in the corner was glowing deep red and my three companions were talking in hushed voices.
"I'm telling ye Jack, its over for us; pirates're bein' cornered like rabbits in a run. No where's safe, it's only a matter o' time. Why don't we make off wiv' the treasure while the goin's good?"
"Yer could be a merchant sailor, join the Navy if yer wanted to stay on the sea, Jack. But this life is over for us."
"Yer've got money enough Jack, whot more is there?"
I looked up through my eyelashes, not wanting them to know I was listening. Jack was slumped over the table; he looked tired and, in the low light of the fire – surprisingly old. Ana and Gibbs leaned towards him, but he didn't meet their gaze, instead his eyes were fixed on a roughly finished oil painting of a ship riding on white-tipped waves that hung above the fireplace.
"Whot d'yer say, mate?" Gibbs spoke soothingly, and slightly fearfully, it seemed to me. Anamaria laid a hand on his folded arms.
"Do yer not think its time fer yer to settle down?" She tried to touch his face, but he turned away "Do yer remember, we said we'd always..."
"I'm off to bed." Jack interrupted her question in a husky tone. "Tomorrer we gotta get the ship careened an' caulked, so be up bright an' early."
Gibbs and Ana sat silently, finishing their drinks. Then Ana made to wake me and I made a pretence of yawning and rubbing my eyes. She took me up to a damp room in the loft of the tavern and I laid beside her on a narrow pallet bed, pretending not to hear her sobs.