Here we go...chapter 3...I'm amazed people actually want to read this...
I dedicate this chapter to Lapsus Calami...cuz' she's such a sweetie and puts up with my bothering her on AIM. Love ya, babe!
"Puh-lease, apple tart!" Tom begged dramatically, looking completely undignified. Jack Aubrey would have surely been ashamed, and Stephen Maturin would've questioned his mental health.
"Thomas, you look utterly idiotic. My answer is no." Hannah looked away, crossing her arms defiantly.
"Please, apple tart, I promise nothing'll happen!"
"No, Thomas Pullings!"
He sighed, exasperated. "Well, come along, at least give me a kiss goodbye." He held him arms out, lips pursed in hopelessness.
She held her indignant stance a moment, thinking about it, before at last making a slight shift in his direction.
When she was within range, however, he gripped her waist, slung her over his shoulder, and walked giddily out the door.
"Thomas Pullings, you put me down this instant!" She shrieked, smacking him on the only place she could reach: his back.
"Thank you for joining me, apple tart," he chirped, walking quite straight for someone with a squirming lass right next to his head.
"THOMAS PULLINGS!" She cried, eventually clinging to him to maintain balance.
"Relax, Hannah..." He lopped her down inside the carriage, then climbed in after her, still smiling while urging on the perturbed driver.
She swung her arm around to smack him, but he caught her wrist.
"Now, apple tart, don't be like that. Here, come along, give me a kiss."
"I most certainly will NOT!" Hannah scooted away, crossing her arms in her classic offended stance.
"Come along, Hannah..."
"NO!"
He moved over to her, wrapping his arms around her as she looked out the opposite window, cranky.
"Pretty apple tart..." He whispered right in her ear.
"Stop that, Thomas!" She snapped. "I can't stay angry at you when you do that!"
"Sweet, lovely, pretty wife..." He toyed with a strand of her hair, allowing his lips to barely touch her ear as he spoke.
"Thomas, please..."
Oh...a polite word. In a somewhat softer voice, too...
"Come now, give me a kiss..." He gently turned her head with a finger under her chin.
Her eyebrows told she was still a bit annoyed, but he could tell he was making progress. Only a little at a time, to be sure, but it was progress nonetheless.
Puckering up, he inched her along into eventually complying with his request, and even managing to practically set her on his lap.
"Thomas, why do you do that?"
"Because I know you don't hate me."
She slipped off his lap with a vaguely jovial sigh.
"There's nothing wrong with loving your husband, apple tart. In fact, I recommend it..."
"You know I love you, Tom."
"And you know I love you. And you do realize that you can, in fact, touch me in public in some affectionate way...it isn't a sin."
"Oh, for pity's sake!" She snorted. "You just lugged me out the door over your shoulder! Which was QUITE undignified, might I add...for both you and myself."
"Really? I was not embarrassed. I had a pretty girl not only on my arm, but clean across my back and chest! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were embarrassed of ME."
She glowered. "Thomas, I'm actually very proud of you. You wouldn't believe the women who come up to me and ask if I'm your SISTER just as a pathetic grasp at hope that you're not taken."
"You do tell them otherwise, right?"
"Of course. 'No, that handsome sailor is my husband, I'm afraid'. At least women speak decently of you. No man has ever spoken kindly of me."
"You've thick skin, I must admit, Hannah, but I have seen the tender heart beneath. I have felt your kiss and heard you say you love me. You're merely a leather pillow. It's alright to be a pillow, you know..."
She grumbled something inaudible.
"You needn't be so stiff, apple tart! It's perfectly sane to be a soft-touched, gentle creature. Here, face that window."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"
"Just...look out the window. Come on, now..." He gently pushed on her shoulders to start her turning.
She narrowed her eyes at him, suspiciously obeying.
With her back now at his disposal, he smiled kindly at her and began to massage her back, a movement at which she at first tensed, but quickly relaxed, her rigid attitude crumbling once again for the soft stroke of her husband's fingers. Biting her lip, she looked guiltily at the floor.
"Oh, Hannah, don't be ashamed. I love the woman I married and forgive her every fault. I only wish you'd calm yourself more. You are rarely in a calm approachable mood, but I find myself quite attracted to you when you are."
The sides of her mouth twitched.
"It's alright to smile, too..."
It was becoming more and more obvious she was trying to force the smile down.
"Yes, do smile, Hannah!" He poked her right under her ribs, where she was most ticklish.
Unable to hold the laugh in, she fell back against him, allowing him to catch her and hold her tightly, giggling with her.
"See, Hannah, you should be like this more often!"
She stared up at him, smiling for a rare moment, but it dropped when she nearly fell off the seat from the carriage stopping suddenly.
Tom grunted as he pushed his feet out in front of him to keep his head from slamming into the front of the carriage.
Hannah only looked at him, somewhat worriedly and expectantly, straightening her arbitrarily mussed skirt. He could only look back for a moment, then said, "I'll see what's going on..." out of protective male instinct as he opened the carriage door.
She peered out the window after him as he rapped on the side of the driver's seat, looking forward.
"Oy, I 'pologize, sir...a little babe done ran out in front of the horses, she did! Must not've been lookin'..."
Tom nodded and trotted to the anterior, stood a moment, then bent over.
"How'd you wind up over here, love? Here, now, don't cry, you've done nothing wrong..."
His wife raised an eyebrow when he rose stiffly, as though burdened by some weight, and walked slowly back with none other than little Ruby Bonden in his arms. She was obviously shaken, sniffling hard and tears welling. She clung to him as though she was being chased by a dragon.
"There, now, it's alright, little one...get lost, did you? Don't fret, little love, you can ride with me and the Mrs...."
Hannah moved to make room as her husband climbed in, settling the startled girl on his lap. She looked wide-eyed at Mrs. Pullings, who offered a slight smile.
"Are your parents headed to the docks?" Tom asked gently, brushing a few strands of Ruby's light brown straight hair behind her delicate ear.
She only nodded, still breathing hard from the shock of nearly being trampled by two hefty draft horses.
"Did you get lost on the way?"
Only bobbing her head once more, she wiped her watery eyes.
"There now, little love, it's alright...we'll have you back with Mummy soon, eh?"
I dedicate this chapter to Lapsus Calami...cuz' she's such a sweetie and puts up with my bothering her on AIM. Love ya, babe!
"Puh-lease, apple tart!" Tom begged dramatically, looking completely undignified. Jack Aubrey would have surely been ashamed, and Stephen Maturin would've questioned his mental health.
"Thomas, you look utterly idiotic. My answer is no." Hannah looked away, crossing her arms defiantly.
"Please, apple tart, I promise nothing'll happen!"
"No, Thomas Pullings!"
He sighed, exasperated. "Well, come along, at least give me a kiss goodbye." He held him arms out, lips pursed in hopelessness.
She held her indignant stance a moment, thinking about it, before at last making a slight shift in his direction.
When she was within range, however, he gripped her waist, slung her over his shoulder, and walked giddily out the door.
"Thomas Pullings, you put me down this instant!" She shrieked, smacking him on the only place she could reach: his back.
"Thank you for joining me, apple tart," he chirped, walking quite straight for someone with a squirming lass right next to his head.
"THOMAS PULLINGS!" She cried, eventually clinging to him to maintain balance.
"Relax, Hannah..." He lopped her down inside the carriage, then climbed in after her, still smiling while urging on the perturbed driver.
She swung her arm around to smack him, but he caught her wrist.
"Now, apple tart, don't be like that. Here, come along, give me a kiss."
"I most certainly will NOT!" Hannah scooted away, crossing her arms in her classic offended stance.
"Come along, Hannah..."
"NO!"
He moved over to her, wrapping his arms around her as she looked out the opposite window, cranky.
"Pretty apple tart..." He whispered right in her ear.
"Stop that, Thomas!" She snapped. "I can't stay angry at you when you do that!"
"Sweet, lovely, pretty wife..." He toyed with a strand of her hair, allowing his lips to barely touch her ear as he spoke.
"Thomas, please..."
Oh...a polite word. In a somewhat softer voice, too...
"Come now, give me a kiss..." He gently turned her head with a finger under her chin.
Her eyebrows told she was still a bit annoyed, but he could tell he was making progress. Only a little at a time, to be sure, but it was progress nonetheless.
Puckering up, he inched her along into eventually complying with his request, and even managing to practically set her on his lap.
"Thomas, why do you do that?"
"Because I know you don't hate me."
She slipped off his lap with a vaguely jovial sigh.
"There's nothing wrong with loving your husband, apple tart. In fact, I recommend it..."
"You know I love you, Tom."
"And you know I love you. And you do realize that you can, in fact, touch me in public in some affectionate way...it isn't a sin."
"Oh, for pity's sake!" She snorted. "You just lugged me out the door over your shoulder! Which was QUITE undignified, might I add...for both you and myself."
"Really? I was not embarrassed. I had a pretty girl not only on my arm, but clean across my back and chest! If I didn't know better, I'd think you were embarrassed of ME."
She glowered. "Thomas, I'm actually very proud of you. You wouldn't believe the women who come up to me and ask if I'm your SISTER just as a pathetic grasp at hope that you're not taken."
"You do tell them otherwise, right?"
"Of course. 'No, that handsome sailor is my husband, I'm afraid'. At least women speak decently of you. No man has ever spoken kindly of me."
"You've thick skin, I must admit, Hannah, but I have seen the tender heart beneath. I have felt your kiss and heard you say you love me. You're merely a leather pillow. It's alright to be a pillow, you know..."
She grumbled something inaudible.
"You needn't be so stiff, apple tart! It's perfectly sane to be a soft-touched, gentle creature. Here, face that window."
She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?"
"Just...look out the window. Come on, now..." He gently pushed on her shoulders to start her turning.
She narrowed her eyes at him, suspiciously obeying.
With her back now at his disposal, he smiled kindly at her and began to massage her back, a movement at which she at first tensed, but quickly relaxed, her rigid attitude crumbling once again for the soft stroke of her husband's fingers. Biting her lip, she looked guiltily at the floor.
"Oh, Hannah, don't be ashamed. I love the woman I married and forgive her every fault. I only wish you'd calm yourself more. You are rarely in a calm approachable mood, but I find myself quite attracted to you when you are."
The sides of her mouth twitched.
"It's alright to smile, too..."
It was becoming more and more obvious she was trying to force the smile down.
"Yes, do smile, Hannah!" He poked her right under her ribs, where she was most ticklish.
Unable to hold the laugh in, she fell back against him, allowing him to catch her and hold her tightly, giggling with her.
"See, Hannah, you should be like this more often!"
She stared up at him, smiling for a rare moment, but it dropped when she nearly fell off the seat from the carriage stopping suddenly.
Tom grunted as he pushed his feet out in front of him to keep his head from slamming into the front of the carriage.
Hannah only looked at him, somewhat worriedly and expectantly, straightening her arbitrarily mussed skirt. He could only look back for a moment, then said, "I'll see what's going on..." out of protective male instinct as he opened the carriage door.
She peered out the window after him as he rapped on the side of the driver's seat, looking forward.
"Oy, I 'pologize, sir...a little babe done ran out in front of the horses, she did! Must not've been lookin'..."
Tom nodded and trotted to the anterior, stood a moment, then bent over.
"How'd you wind up over here, love? Here, now, don't cry, you've done nothing wrong..."
His wife raised an eyebrow when he rose stiffly, as though burdened by some weight, and walked slowly back with none other than little Ruby Bonden in his arms. She was obviously shaken, sniffling hard and tears welling. She clung to him as though she was being chased by a dragon.
"There, now, it's alright, little one...get lost, did you? Don't fret, little love, you can ride with me and the Mrs...."
Hannah moved to make room as her husband climbed in, settling the startled girl on his lap. She looked wide-eyed at Mrs. Pullings, who offered a slight smile.
"Are your parents headed to the docks?" Tom asked gently, brushing a few strands of Ruby's light brown straight hair behind her delicate ear.
She only nodded, still breathing hard from the shock of nearly being trampled by two hefty draft horses.
"Did you get lost on the way?"
Only bobbing her head once more, she wiped her watery eyes.
"There now, little love, it's alright...we'll have you back with Mummy soon, eh?"