Chapter: Reassuring Port Ayuda
-
He walked out of the hospital into the sun, into open air for the first time in months, out of the green-lit rooms that lay like glass in his mind. He stood there breathing everything in, the hurry of everyone. First, he thought, I need shoes with rubber on the bottom. I need gelato.
-- The English Patient, Michael Ondaatje
-
The short time before The Black Pearl docked at Port Ayuda rested sweetly in Sophia's memory, soft and wonderful as skin. The daylight hours were for the most part carefree, with little complaints from the crew concerning Jack's captaining skills now that they knew that the ship was to dock. Sophia was left, for the most part, to herself.
Once the sun disappeared over the horizon the night was captivated completely by an unexpected sexual awakening that encompassed both her mind and body with a fiery passion so intense she had yet to comprehend its depth and ability to imprint itself into her very soul.
Jack was a diligent—not to mention skilled—lover, but left all sentimental aspects of their relationship to dust. Caring was out of the question, and Sophia knew this simply by his attitude and never approached the subject, leaving it to fester. At the beginning, this had not bothered her much, mainly for the reason that she was still basking in the aftermath of their lovemaking in the morning and scarcely noticed his casual stance. After several days, however, she grew tired of being left in his bed with barely a word said between them, let alone a kiss, except for when Jack suggested she mend the sail that tore the week before or scrub the galley floor that some nameless cabin boy had spilt an entire case of rum over.
She was beginning to feel like a whore. A very satisfied and uncharacteristically happy whore, but a whore all the same.
But this she forgot on the morning of their arrival at Port Ayuda as she lay curled on her side, back pressed against the comforting plain of Jack's chest, eyes wide and bloodshot from fatigue, wondering if she would see her family once they docked. The question had been nagging at her since she learned they were to stop at the port, but it was not until this morning that the nag had transformed into a full-fledged molestation.
What would she do? Run, smiling and laughing in relief, into her uncle's arms, begging to be saved from the dreaded pirates? Was she to wait to be taken into their excessively gigantic mansion and return to her life as it was, drab and regular as unsalted bread? She didn't think so, for she was not sure she even wanted to be saved from this "dreaded" ship and its crew. It was not as if Jack would even let her leave; she was still his means to the Fortunes of Ektibar, despite the change in their affiliation. She was a willing captive.
Her thoughts were interrupted as Jack roused, murmuring an incoherent something in a tone gravelly from sleep, his breath hot against the back of her neck. There was silence, and then a soft "ah," said somewhat matter-of-factly, as if it took him a moment to remember where he was and why Sophia was in bed beside him and, when he did, he congratulated himself in the infuriating way the male sex does. Sophia rolled her eyes but a smile quirked at the edge of her lips nonetheless.
Jack knew that Sophia was debating upon a subject much more serious than simply when to roll over and meet him with the warmth of her eyes. The curved lines of her body beneath the thin blanket were hardened in a manner that suggested she had not been sleeping. Edging closer to her, he ran a palm over her bare shoulder, down the length of her waist, and over the delicious swell of her hips that was particularly accentuated as she lay on her side. He rapidly decided that he would work her tense muscles into softness if it killed him, despite the fact that it was morning and they would be docking in several hours. She was unresponsive to his touch for the only time since he'd first bedded her.
Sophia squirmed as Jack began to lay mild but demanding kisses on her shoulders and neck. Regardless of the tremble-inducing contrast between the softness of his lips and his unshaven cheeks, she rolled over to face him and placed her fingertips against his mouth, almost laughing at the wide disbelief in his eyes. Save for their first fiery kiss, she'd never refused him.
"Not now, Jack. I'm sorry, but there's far too much on my mind."
Jack grumbled resentfully at having to calm the lust that caused his blood to race, but did not protest. Much. "But, Sophie, I—"
"No," she declared stubbornly, with an amused smile that she could not quell, much to Jack's annoyance. Deeming her a lost cause, he rose from the bed without a word and hopped carelessly into his trousers, eyeing her all the while.
"Are you thinkin' about yer uncle?" Keeping in mind that it was the day she could possibly see this mysterious family member of which Sophia had told him so little, he could only guess that this was the subject that plagued her.
Sophia had yet to discover how Jack could be so perceptive at times and absolutely thick at others. "Of course I am, you nitwit." Despite the insult, she spoke fondly. "I'm wondering if I should try to escape," she joked, but the smile she shot him did not quite reach her eyes, which remained troubled.
Jack returned her smile with a quick, lop-sided grin, before growing serious. "I'm not goin' t' let you leave, love."
Sophia's stomach lurched.
Jack cursed himself and cringed inwardly as he realized his mistake. He could not care for her more than the way of informal friends. "You're me key to Ektibar," he added quickly and with forced casualness.
Sophia nodded, quietly answering with a meek "Yes," and glancing down at her lap where her hands lay twisted like old rags. Of course.
Jack shrugged on his shirt and patted her cheek in recognition. Then, mutely, he strode out the door like mist.
-
Port Ayuda was very much like Nassau, except, Sophia thought, the section of town intended for the "lower class" contained fewer prostitutes, less obscenely unhygienic pubs/brothels, and a reduced amount of overall filth. In other words, after surviving Tortuga, she found Ayuda to be almost pleasant.
Jack steadfastly insisted that she sleep on the ship while they were docked due to the less gentlemanly sort that would ravage her "into th' mornin' hours if given th' chance," assuring her that he would never stray too far. Sophia had trouble taking his promise too seriously; she knew his reputation with women in each and every town. Nevertheless, she submitted. Her fear of rape was still an occasional menace.
Despite this, she convinced Jack to take her to one of the cleaner lodgings. She wanted a hot bath.
-
The woman at the front desk to one look at Jack and, surprisingly, greeted him warmly with a suffocating hug, her enormous body and fleshy arms almost enveloping his stiff body. "Jack! It's been far too long, dear. Where've you been that's so important that you can't spare a day to come visit your old auntie Nellie?" She questioned, her tone unexplainably motherly. Sophia's jaw dropped.
"'Ello, Nell," Jack replied, grinning widely. "I take it you've missed me."
"She's your aunt?" Sophia interrupted rudely, prodding Jack on the shoulder.
He turned towards her, and she was tremendously amused to see a faint flush coloring his cheeks. "Ah, no. . . not by blood. Nellie's known me since I was a wee cabin boy of eleven."
Sophia raised an eyebrow, her gaze falling upon the older woman with a renewed interest. "Really? How interesting. . ." she drawled slyly, holding a hand out for Nellie to shake and throwing in a curtsey for good measure. "You'll have to tell me a bit about Jack's early years. I'm sure he was a sight to behold." She purposefully ignored Jack's brief but sharp glare in response to her sarcasm. "My name is Sophia Norrington, Jack's. . . ah. . . friend."
Nellie nodded knowingly and shook Sophia's hand with a warm smile. "Oh, Sophia, I can tell you stories that you wouldn't believe! Whenever he came to visit he'd always stir up some new trouble. I'm Nellie Porter, owner of this house of refuge from the bloody mess out there." She motioned over her shoulder towards the door, pulling a face.
Sophia decided she quite liked this Nellie Porter.
Jack watched detachedly as Sophia and Nellie talked. The ease of the two women's conversation was slightly unnerving. Here was Nellie, who he had known most of his life and had lent him more guidance and advice on how to live life than he could ever give. . . and Sophia. He didn't really know what to think of Sophia at the moment. For now, he remained silent and slightly bored, determinedly ignoring their discussion in the way that only men can and fiddling with a spare coin in his pocket. Nellie broke him from his reverie.
"Jack, don't lose this young lady, for God's sake! She's smart as a whip and just as cunning. One to keep, for sure. Now, Sophia, didn't you say you wanted a bath?"
Sophia nodded. "Yes. I've been on a ship for nearly six months and, well. . ."
Nellie exploded into a flurry of movement, grabbing hold of Sophia's hand and towing her along as she headed towards the stairs. "Oh, you poor dear! A ship is a dreadful place for a woman." Raising her voice, she shouted into a back room. "Pierre! Get the good soaps, the ones from England. Le bon savon! No, dear, not those. Ah, merci." She handed a bar of thick, ivory soap smelling deliciously of lavender to Sophia. "All he does is blabber in French all day. Imbecile!" She complained, mumbling quietly. "Now, would you like a bath attendant?"
"That would be divine, Nellie, thank you," Sophia sighed, smiling. She wanted nothing more than to lie in hot water and have someone scrub her back. "Perhaps you can keep him. . ." Sophia motioned to Jack with her eyes, "out of the bathroom. I want to relax, not be pestered by lusting men."
"We'll lock, bolt, and bar the door if we have to, Sophia. You look as if you could use a rest," Nellie said, her eyes shining and great shoulders bouncing as she laughed.
"You have no idea."
Jack narrowed his eyes into slits at that (he had been fully expecting to be able to barge in on Sophia as she was wet and rosy from hot water and be rewarded with yet another session of furious "punishment"), although, inwardly, he was more than slightly amused at the antics of both the women. "I get you two together an' you turn against me! Insolent women," he growled playfully, but frowned when they ignored him completely.
"Jack, go and ask Cookie to make you a proper meal. You're far too thin," Nellie ordered, and Sophia was very surprised to see him obey her command and sulk off to what she assumed was the kitchen.
Sophia turned to Nellie, her eyes wide with surprise. She'd never seen Jack yield to a demand with so little fuss before. "How. . .?"
"Practice."
-
Sophia sank down dangerously deep into the hot water with delight, her hand over her mouth to stifle her giggles. "You must be kidding, Nellie!"
"Good heavens, child! Don't drown." Nellie grabbed Sophia's slippery elbow to pull her head from the water's surface, before continuing. "I'm not, I swear it. Jack had to run down the alley, naked as the day he was born, with the baker girl's father chasing him and waving a rolling pin! Now sit up so I can scrub your back."
Sophia obliged willingly whilst dissolving into yet another fit of laughter. She stretched her legs out in the massive tub, watching their ghostly paleness beneath the water. It felt wonderful to be able to chat lightly with another woman and to be absolutely sure that no rough sailor would barge into the room while she was in the bath. She hadn't realized until now how taxing it was to live among a ship chock full of men. "Oh, Nellie, thank you so much for doing this. I needed some relaxation," she sighed contentedly, smiling at the older woman over her shoulder as Nellie pressed gentle circles into her back with a soft cloth.
"Think nothing of it, dear. I don't know how you survived on that ship with all its men!"
Sophia smiled. "I managed."
-
Jack took one whiff of Sophia's hair when she emerged from the bathroom and said, "You smell like a bloody English garden."
For some reason Jack preferred Sophia's natural scent, with its heady female musk that aroused both his body and senses, to this new flowery perfume. He rubbed his nose.
Sophia smirked slyly. "That, my dear Captain, is not a bad thing at all. Shall we go?" She asked, glancing towards the door. She did not want to leave at all and would have rather spent several more hours talking with Nellie, but she could see Jack's impatient fidgeting.
Nellie let out a cry of protest in response to the hastiness of their planned departure and insisted on feeding them both a generous meal. Jack had already eaten while Sophia was in the bath, but nevertheless consumed his second course with a vigor that amazed her. Her insides nearly melted as she tasted the tenderness of the roast meat and sampled the sharp spices that had been sprinkled liberally over the potatoes; she had been subsisting on dry (and often moldy) bread and bland stews for six months, and the deliciousness of the meal was a pleasant assault to her unaccustomed taste buds.
Before she and Jack left, Nellie pulled Sophia into the back room. The woman's clear eyes met hers, and, for the first time since Sophia had met her, they looked urgent. From a dusty shelf in the back of the room, she retrieved a tawny leather sack tied off with string, dropping it quickly into Sophia's outstretched palm. "These are the seeds of wild carrot," she stated matter-of-factly. Sophia opened the sack to find an abundance of small seeds and a faint oily smell drifted towards her. Before she could ask what in God's name she was to do with seeds, Nellie continued. "You must chew a spoonful of these seeds a day with water. They will keep you from becoming with child."
Sophia felt as if a knife had been jabbed into her ribs and her assailant was now twisting the hilt to cause her additional pain. "I. . . I can't. . ." she stammered, nearly dropping the sack and sending the valuable seeds across the floor.
"You can't have children? You can never be too careful, Sophia. You may find yourself surprised some day," Nellie's eyes were sympathetic but she spoke with such conviction that Sophia begun to believe her. "But for now," she resumed, "I don't think your lifestyle permits the arrival of a baby."
Sophia nodded mutely—she was incapable of speech—and gave Nellie a quick hug before turning to walk out of the door, the soft leather of the sack clutched tightly in her hand.
-
Sophia and Jack traveled immediately to where his assembled crew waited. This would be the last formal address he would give them before allowing them free reign for the remainder of their stay at Port Ayuda, and his place of choice was a seedy sort of tavern with an abundance of rum and absence of eavesdroppers. They would need privacy.
Jack could not completely disregard Sophia's warning about the restlessness of his crew and their disorganized plans to overthrow him if he didn't find the Fortunes. Even he had noticed as the eyes of his men began to stray, their attitude becoming distant and sulky. They huddled in groups and talked in whispers. Despite this, the recent time on land had seemed to do them good; they were smiling and talking openly to one another, but Jack knew that another mere week at sea would remind them of their insecurities.
Sophia sat in the back of the room, quietly assessing the situation. She knew Jack had something up his sleeve and was willing to bet it had something to do with the recent attitude changes of his crew. Once they were all seated and conversing amiably, Jack stood. He did not waste time with petty talk and introduction. "Now, then. I know some of you are havin' doubts about me plan t' find the Fortunes of Ektibar."
The room went very silent.
Jack paused carefully for effect. "Firs' of all, I will tell you that they do exist, an' they are treasures beyond yer wildest dreams. You're probably all thinkin' tha' I don't have any proof of this an' that we're to end up just as the rest of them did if we search for such treasures, but, I assure you, we have somethin', a clue, that they never did. We're not sailing blind. Once we leave this port, there's jus' a three days sail t' our final destination."
A surprised murmur swept over the room, and Sophia watched as Jack's eyes, black in the dim lamplight, flick discreetly to hers before he took another breath to continue in a voice so uncharacteristically earnest that one could not help but believe him. "You all know tha' I would never lie t' you about a matter so serious as this one. You are me crew, an' I would rather give up huntin' treasure forever than put yer lives in jeopardy. Now, does anyone have anythin' they'd like t' say?"
No one said a thing, but Sophia could see their smiles.
-
Every last pirate had left before Jack permitted himself and Sophia to finally depart from the darkened tavern. The period they had spent in town was the longest amount of time they had gone without lying together for nearly a week, and Sophia could see the dark lust shining in Jack's eyes as they stepped into the street. Wickedly, she pressed her hip to his thigh and her breasts against his side as he wrapped one secure arm about her waist and leaned over to lay a steamy kiss on her neck, his breath heavy over her skin. "You're a right evil temptress, you know tha'?" Jack muttered thickly.
Sophia just smirked, her lips curving in the picture of slyness, but she froze as she saw a pair of eyes locked upon her amidst the crowd. Familiar eyes, framed by a face covered in premature wrinkles and bronze skin. The bronze skin of her father's family.
Sophia could see Jack watching her, reproachfully but with desire still dominating his gaze, out of the corner of her eye. "Oh God," She groaned, pushing Jack a respectable distance from her.
The man was fighting his way through the crowd. "Sophia?" He asked with a voice full of confusion. "What—"
Sophia interrupted him quietly. "Hello Uncle."
-
I had forgotten to draw my curtain, which I usually did, and also to let down my window-blind. The consequence was, that when the moon, which was full and bright (for the night was fine), came in her course to that space in the sky opposite my casement, and looked in at me through the unveiled panes, her glorious gaze roused me.
-- Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bront
-
A/N: Viola! I you've all been waiting for this. We've been pretty serious in these past couple of chapters, so I've included some lighter stuff here: comedy, reassuring and invigorating both the crew and Sophia, and Nellie! Let me know how this kind of material compares and rates up to the dramatic aspects of the story.
I absolutely love Nellie. She was kind of a spur of the moment character, but I promise she will be returning, if not later in this story in the sequel (Sequel? What sequel? I never said anything about a sequel! shifty eyes).
Information about wild carrot (Queen Anne's Lace) seeds was found on various internet sites. The seeds are actually still used in India and various other places and have been proven to have some contraceptive effects. HOWEVER, don't think that just because I've mentioned them in this story means that I'm encouraging anyone to try them. Not only are they less reliable than modern day birth control, they can also have some unpleasant (but not life threatening) side effects which I have conveniently decided to bypass in the story for the sake of plot.
Thank you all for being so patient while I was gone. Hawaii was wonderful and soo relaxing. I read seven large books in two weeks and came back inspired, ready to write with fresh ideas. I hope that that shows in the style and quality of this chapter.
Next addition: family troubles, the ALWAYS NECESSARY AND SOMEWHAT TIRING PLOT TWIST INCLUDING MORE SECRETS, CHARACTERS, AND STRANGE IDEAS COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR, and Jack gets distracted by several young ladies. Hmm. . .
