Tara looked up the wide Tortuga street in distaste. Early though it was, drunk men littered the floor everywhere, out cold. Whores walked slowly around the place, casting Tara worried glances, as though worried about new competition. Not that Tara looked like them. She was wearing big pirate boots, tight black trousers and a tight white shirt with swishy sleeves, all Ben's. Her hair was pulled back from her bruised face. She had tied a pistol to one leg with an old rag.
Now to find Jack. Tara walked forward slowly, her wide hazel eyes taking in every sidestreet she passed. It didn't take long to find him. But Tara gasped as she saw him.
He was at the top of an alley, sitting on an empty barrel. He looked even more gorgeous than the last time she had seen him. But that wasn't what made her gasp. He was looking, with those big, kohl-rimmed chocolate eyes, at a skinny, curly-haired blonde woman, who was dressed in a tight, frilly blue dress, leaning on the barrel and stroking his knee.
Tara didn't bother announcing her presence. She didn't want him to notice her. She ran off quickly, her vision blurred by the tears in her eyes.
&&&&
"Tara? Is that you, Tara?"
Tara opened her eyes. Everything seemed blurry. It took her a few moments to realise that she was slouched against an empty rum keg behind an inn. A woman was squating down beside her. She had curly, dark red hair piled up on her head, bright, friendly green eyes and a pretty face.
"Rosemary?" Tara breathed.
"Tara, it is you!" Rosemary smiled. "I hardly recognised you underneath all them bruises. Gracious, what happened? Come on inside, honey."
Tara allowed herself to be pulled into a clean, respectable inn. It was empty. Rosemary sat Tara at one of the tables, then sat down opposite her.
"Are you going to tell me how your mission wi' Jack Sparrow went, then?" she asked.
Tara sighed. "It went fine," she said, tears falling down her cheeks. "We were... engaged. We were engaged, Rosemary!"
Tara was crying her heart out now. She buried her face in her hands. Rosemary let her finish this, then cleared her throat.
"So, what happened?" she asked.
Tara sniffed. "H-he confessed to killing my mother. By accident. But I left. I got home fine and everything, I was all set to marry a navy officer, but I told him what I really thought. Then... then my father.... He beat me, Rosemary. Really bad. I can't breathe properly anymore. So I left. Ben Rogers brought me over here. And I went to find Jack... but he was... with another lass."
"Oh, Tara," Rosemary said, clearly lost for words. "Go upstairs, have a lie down, honey."
Now to find Jack. Tara walked forward slowly, her wide hazel eyes taking in every sidestreet she passed. It didn't take long to find him. But Tara gasped as she saw him.
He was at the top of an alley, sitting on an empty barrel. He looked even more gorgeous than the last time she had seen him. But that wasn't what made her gasp. He was looking, with those big, kohl-rimmed chocolate eyes, at a skinny, curly-haired blonde woman, who was dressed in a tight, frilly blue dress, leaning on the barrel and stroking his knee.
Tara didn't bother announcing her presence. She didn't want him to notice her. She ran off quickly, her vision blurred by the tears in her eyes.
&&&&
"Tara? Is that you, Tara?"
Tara opened her eyes. Everything seemed blurry. It took her a few moments to realise that she was slouched against an empty rum keg behind an inn. A woman was squating down beside her. She had curly, dark red hair piled up on her head, bright, friendly green eyes and a pretty face.
"Rosemary?" Tara breathed.
"Tara, it is you!" Rosemary smiled. "I hardly recognised you underneath all them bruises. Gracious, what happened? Come on inside, honey."
Tara allowed herself to be pulled into a clean, respectable inn. It was empty. Rosemary sat Tara at one of the tables, then sat down opposite her.
"Are you going to tell me how your mission wi' Jack Sparrow went, then?" she asked.
Tara sighed. "It went fine," she said, tears falling down her cheeks. "We were... engaged. We were engaged, Rosemary!"
Tara was crying her heart out now. She buried her face in her hands. Rosemary let her finish this, then cleared her throat.
"So, what happened?" she asked.
Tara sniffed. "H-he confessed to killing my mother. By accident. But I left. I got home fine and everything, I was all set to marry a navy officer, but I told him what I really thought. Then... then my father.... He beat me, Rosemary. Really bad. I can't breathe properly anymore. So I left. Ben Rogers brought me over here. And I went to find Jack... but he was... with another lass."
"Oh, Tara," Rosemary said, clearly lost for words. "Go upstairs, have a lie down, honey."