Usual disclaimers – but I can dream, can't I?

Thanks to Rachel Sparrow, beatlechicksteph, Mirai (don't worry, review when you can), AdeppGirl. SectorLutter, Caitlin, JackSparrowLover, Roxula's Bride, SummerRain (well doen with the new job), betty sue, Katrina, PirateAurora for your reviews. Thanks to Hilary for editing.

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Chapter seven: 'So this is what a pirate's whore looks like?'

Jenny woke with a start as the coach went down a pot hole and she looked out of the window, shocked to see the many buildings of London whizzing past as the coach went on its way.

'We're almost there,' came her fathers voice and she turned and looked at him, not bothering to hide the contempt in her eyes.

The carriage slowed to waking pace and people rushed towards it, trying to sell their wares to the occupants as they went past until Nicholas Boothe pulled down the shutters, plunging the interior into a dark gloom.

'Ere we are,' called the coachman, reining in the horses then jumping down from his bench and opening the door, helping Jenny down the steps with a smile.

She looked about the smelly claustrophobic street then focused on the coaching inn that they had pulled up outside, noting the tatty sign outside depicting a shrub of sorts, thus giving the inn its name, The Bush. She followed her father, her heart starting to pound with anticipation, but her hopes were dashed as Boothe and Hall followed her into the inn.

'What are they doing here?' she enquired, panic starting to set in. With the two of them there, she would have little or no chance of escaping.

'We shall have their company for one more night,' Henry Marston smiled, noting his daughter's distress. 'They shall see us off in the morning.' He looked conspiritally at Boothe, who grinned by return.

'Oh.' Her stomach lurched with fear, wondering what they were up to.

'Now I have some business to attend to. I will be back later,' he addressed Nicholas Boothe, ignoring Jenny who watched him leave the tavern once again, a pensive look on her face.

…

Jenny lay awake for most of the night, listening to the snores of the men as she plotted her escape, deciding to jump from the carriage they would be travelling in before it left London, when it slowed enough for her to do so. There was no point in trying to sneak from the inn. Boothe was sleeping under the window and Hall by the door, blocking off both means of escape and Jenny was not sure she wanted to be out in the streets during the early hours in any case.

…

She was still awake when the men woke one by one but she lay still pretending to be asleep, hoping to overhear something but no-one spoke, save her father who shook her.

'Come on, it is time to go.'

'What about food?'

'Erm… we shall get some on the way,' he evaded, not looking at her.

'No. I am not going anywhere until I have something to eat,' she snapped, realising too late that something was happening behind her. But she was too slow to react and felt a sharp pain at the back of her head at the same time as the world went black.

…

Jenny came to in pitch darkness and panicked before she realised she was in a trunk in a carriage. She tried to move, but found that her hands and feet were bound by rope and she had a gag tied tightly around her mouth. She felt the carriage slow to a stop and muffled voices talk to each other then the truck moved and she felt it sway as it was carried then put down, none too gently.

The lock clicked and Jenny blinked as daylight hit her eyes and she was picked up by Thomas Hall and placed carefully on the floor. She cried out at the pain as Henry Marston undid the rope binding her hands together, but she still lashed out at him, smiling grimly as he stumbled back with the force of the blow. The smile soon vanished as he meted out the same treatment, only harder and because her feet were still bound Jenny fell heavily, crying as her head smacked on the floor.

'You will soon learn some manners my girl,' he warned, wagging a stern finger at her prone figure, hauling her to her feet as he heard voices approaching.

'Henry!'

Jenny looked in shock and horror as Roger Crompton entered the room, leering at her as he approached.

'Well, well, well. The wanderer returns,' he drawled nasily. 'So this is what a pirate's whore looks like? We'll just have to see about turning you back into a lady, won't we Henry?'

'Indeed we will,' replied Henry Marston, looking decidedly pleased with himself. 'Is it all arranged?'

'Is what all arranged?' Jenny demanded, her fear giving rise to her anger. 'Why have you brought me here?'

'Never you mind, Jenny,' sneered Crompton, nodding to Boothe and Hall who approached her with menace in their eyes.

'No!' she cried as they grabbed her arms and dragged her out of the drawing room of Roger Crompton's mansion then up the stairs, ignoring the cries of pain as her ankles knocked against each rung they went up. They took her to a bedchamber and slung her in, slamming the door shut and locking it behind them. Jenny lay on the floor for a few moments, crying tears of pity before untying her feet and rubbing her ankles gingerly then slowly standing up. She made her way to the window, screaming in frustration when she saw the iron bars fixed across them, preventing her escape. She was not stupid, she knew exactly why she was here and Jenny sat on the edge of the bed in despair, wondering how she was going to get out of this mess.

…

'Well Henry, I must admit I really didn't think you would find her, let alone manage to bring her back.'

'Well the allowance you gave certainly helped us to grease a few palms. Now, about our little arrangement…'

'Yes, yes. I will have my solicitor draw up the papers tomorrow afternoon. When will production start?'

Henry Marston smiled a satisfied smile. 'They will start digging out the mine as soon as the papers are signed. It should not take too long before you see a return on your investment.'

'Excellent. I believe a toast is in order.' Roger Crompton walked to his drinks cabinet and poured two generous glasses of whisky and handed one to his associate. 'To successful business relationships.'

'Successful business relationships,' chimed Marston, clinking his glass against Crompton's.

…

Jenny shot off the bed, ready to flee as she heard the door unlock but sank back down when Crompton entered with his two minions behind him. She had realised, to her horror, realised that Boothe and Hall were not the bounty hunters that she had first believed, but his men.

'I do hope you are not thinking about escaping. You won't,' he goaded, standing before her and laughing at her disgust when she saw a bulge in his breeches. 'Oh don't worry, I won't be taking you… yet.'

'Can I at least get cleaned up please?' she asked, feeling dirty and smelly.

'I will send some water up to you, you can wash yourself.'

'Clothes?'

'I will provide you with some tomorrow.' He turned and walked back to the door. 'Goodnight Jenny, sweet dreams,' he laughed, winking at one of the men as he left the room.

Jenny washed herself with the cold water provided, choking back the tears as she looked at the wooden heart and beads still hanging on their lace. She looked around for a hiding place for them before deciding to tie them to the bed springs, where hopefully the maids would not clean.

…

She woke in a panic, feeling hands holding her down and she tried to struggle against them, but there were too many and they were too strong. As her eyes got used to the early morning gloom, she could make out the two men pinning her down and Crompton standing over her holding a beaker in his hand. She clamped her lips together but hard fingers dug into her cheeks then slapped her when she still wouldn't open her mouth. Roger Crompton hit her again and again until she started to lose conciousness and pressed the beaker against her lips, tipping it until it ran down her chin, then, with Thomas Hall's help, he clamped her mouth together and held her nose so Jenny had no choice but to swallow the tincture in order to breathe. They repeated the process twice more, each time being easier than the last as the laudanum started to take effect on her and she felt very, very tired and the world begin float and become strange.

She was aware of the three men lifting her off the bed and undressing her but she could not feel their touch, she could not feel anything. They put her into a pale yellow silk dress which had a generous skirt and long sleeves then put shoes on her feet. Jenny felt as if she was floating as the men carried her from the room and down the stairs to a waiting carriage. The next thing she remembered was standing in front of a man of the cloth who was looking at her as if she were odd. She opened her mouth to say something, but she was not aware of any words coming out, although from the shocked looked on the clergyman's face, she must have said something.

'I-I'm not sure about this Mr. Crompton.' The vicar looked at the wealthy landowner uncertainly. 'It doesn't seem very ethical.'

'Is your parish really so rich it can afford to turn down my generous purse?'

'I-I…'

'Carry on then,' Crompton ordered, smiling cynically as the vicar of one of the poorer parishes of London started the marriage service hesitantly, frowning as the woman in front of him agreed to a marriage she obviously had no control over.

…

Jenny slowly regained her senses in the room that served as her prison and flinched as Roger Crompton approached her, a sneering smile on his face as he unbuckled his belt. She leapt off the bed and raked her nails across his face, trying to push past him but he was too quick for her.

'You little whore!' He backhanded his wife and jumped on top of her as she fell onto the bed. 'You think you can disobey me?'

'I will get this marriage annulled, you bastard,' she spat, trying to hit her head against his face, but he dodged out of the way.

'It's too late for that. Men,' he called, remaining on top of her as the reinforcements came in and grabbed her arms, tying them to the bedposts with some difficulty as she struggled so much. 'Do her legs as well, but make sure they are apart,' he joked, laughing along with the men. He took out a knife and cut her clothes from her body, leaving her exposed.

Jenny bucked her hips again and again so that Crompton could not gain entrance, gasping in shock as Boothe and Hall held her down, both of them laughing lewdly as Crompton took her in front of them and she squirmed and thrashed which only served to turn him on more, so she lay there stock still, bringing back memories of when she first went aboard The Black Pearl.

'Move you little bitch,' he rasped, squeezing her breasts hard.

'Never,' she hissed, crying out as his hand struck her face once more, adding another bruise to those already there.

'Move,' he ordered, raising his hand again.

But she refused to move. Instead, she let her mind drift back to the Caribbean and Jack as he carried on raping and hitting her until she blacked out.

…

Author's notes:

I have no idea what effect laudanum had on people so I took artistic license.

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