Usual disclaimers... woe is me!
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Chapter 10 - Rogues Return
Jack had not intended being away from Port Royal for so long. First he had been chased by the Commodore and had barely escaped. The HMS Dauntless had pursued the Black Pearl half-way to Trinidad before eventually turning back. Then there had been the storm which had nearly beached them, causing them to spend over a fortnight simply making his precious lady sea-worthy again. Oh, and not forgetting that delightful little French sloop that had such a profitable cargo... and then having to return to Tortuga to dispose of said cargo... well, it had been a busy six months. But now at least he had the time to devote to his pet project - the search for Horace Masters' treasure map and his interesting daughter. He grinned to himself, his gold teeth glinting in the moonlight, anticipating a home-cooked meal and, hopefully, a willing woman in his bed. He had brought some wine as well though, just in case.
He waited quietly in the shadows for her outside of the Governor's Mansion, but the day staff left and Bessie did not emerge. Frowning he went to her home above the chandler's shop, but the light was not on. For a moment he feared that she had left and gone to another island again, so he jimmied the window at the back and climbed in. Daffodil twined herself around his legs, a grey shadow in the darkness, causing him to stumble against the table. He swore, but realised that at least it meant that Bessie had not left - there was no way she would go without the cat. Guessing that whatever she was doing she would be home soon, he sat on the bed in the darkness and waited, scratching Daffodil around the ears as she sat in his lap purring.
At last he heard the key turning in the lock and the door slowly opened. He stayed silent, watching her as she took off his coat, hanging it on the peg behind the door.
"Yer took yer time," he drawled. "I was just about t' give up on yer! I brought some food," he tempted.
"Get out!" Bessie hissed, shaking with fright. "Get out now you bastard and don't ever come back!" Jack ducked as she threw one of her shoes at him, reaching for the other.
"Bessie?" Jack frowned at her change in demeanour - the mouse had clearly gone. "What's th' matter?" This was definitely not the welcome he had been hoping for. He wandered carefully across to the kitchen area, lighting the stub of the candle that he had noticed earlier.
"Put that out!" she cried, desperately trying to stop the flickering light revealing her shame to him.
"Bessie?" Jack put his arm out to stop her, remembering the last time she had lunged near a lighted candle. A fire here would mean more than just a hut up in flames - it would probably mean the loss of the whole docks. "Bessie!" Jack's eyes widened with shock, holding her at arm's length as he looked at her. "Jesus!" he gasped, surprised when she wrenched herself from his grasp and ran for the open door. "Bessie!" Desperately he blocked her path, slamming the door shut and bolting it. He turned the key, locking it and putting the key in his waistcoat pocket. "Dammit Bessie!" he cursed. "Wha... when... is it mine?"
Her slap nearly took his head off. "You..." she hissed. "You have utterly ruined my life! I hope you are bloody satisfied!" She took some pleasure from the shock in his chocolate-brown eyes.
"I guess I deserved that," he shrugged, rubbing his stinging face, still stunned by her obvious pregnancy.
"I have only ever lain with one man - with you - the once!" Bessie turned from him and sat on the bed, bursting into tears. "Why don't you just shoot me? You cannot do any worse than you've already done!"
"Whoa, Bessie! Isn't that a bit melodramatic like..." His hands waved in protest, at a loss to say anything.
"Melodramatic!" she cried bitterly. "Melodramatic is when I am out of a job in a few months time with no money and a babe to raise!"
Jack frowned. "Surely th' Governor won't dismiss yer?"
"He already has!" Bessie said bitterly. "There's no place in his household for a disgraced maid!" She spat out the word disgraced with such venom that it shocked him. "I've been working in a tavern for two months just to earn enough to eat!"
"I'll support yer..." he offered cautiously, sitting on the bed next to her, worried in case she tried to throw something else at him. She looked tired, her stretched stomach making her look thinner than ever. "Yer been eatin' properly? I brought some food..."
"Do you honestly think I want anything from you? Haven't you done enough already?" she sobbed, pushing him away although she eyed the sack hopefully.
"I think yer need help Bessie..." Jack offered, thinking that the only way he was going to figure his way out of this one was with the help of another woman - and the only other woman he knew in Port Royal was Elizabeth. What the hell he was going to say to Elizabeth was an entirely different matter though.
Bessie looked up at him miserably. "I don't need your help!" she cried, tears running down her face. "I want you to leave! Go! Sod off!"
"Bessie, I have some friends here in Port Royal..." he began. Working in a tavern had definitely expanded her vocabulary.
"Friends?" she snorted derisively. "Who the hell would want to be your friend? You're a pirate - you wreck, ruin and destroy all that you touch - including people and their lives!"
"I seem t' have created one at least," he sighed, crouching down before her and resting his hand on her stomach. "I can't turn back th' clock Bessie, but at least give me a chance t' try t' do somethin' right... t' make this right."
She sighed resignedly. "What have I to lose?" she said dejectedly, beyond worrying about his morals as long as he fed her. "I've lost everything else... even my God!"
Jack took his coat down from the peg, noticing her small cross was missing as he wrapped it around her shoulders. "God hasn't turned his face from yer just because of this," he smiled. "Come on," he said, offering her his hand, relieved when she shakily took it.
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Chapter 10 - Rogues Return
Jack had not intended being away from Port Royal for so long. First he had been chased by the Commodore and had barely escaped. The HMS Dauntless had pursued the Black Pearl half-way to Trinidad before eventually turning back. Then there had been the storm which had nearly beached them, causing them to spend over a fortnight simply making his precious lady sea-worthy again. Oh, and not forgetting that delightful little French sloop that had such a profitable cargo... and then having to return to Tortuga to dispose of said cargo... well, it had been a busy six months. But now at least he had the time to devote to his pet project - the search for Horace Masters' treasure map and his interesting daughter. He grinned to himself, his gold teeth glinting in the moonlight, anticipating a home-cooked meal and, hopefully, a willing woman in his bed. He had brought some wine as well though, just in case.
He waited quietly in the shadows for her outside of the Governor's Mansion, but the day staff left and Bessie did not emerge. Frowning he went to her home above the chandler's shop, but the light was not on. For a moment he feared that she had left and gone to another island again, so he jimmied the window at the back and climbed in. Daffodil twined herself around his legs, a grey shadow in the darkness, causing him to stumble against the table. He swore, but realised that at least it meant that Bessie had not left - there was no way she would go without the cat. Guessing that whatever she was doing she would be home soon, he sat on the bed in the darkness and waited, scratching Daffodil around the ears as she sat in his lap purring.
At last he heard the key turning in the lock and the door slowly opened. He stayed silent, watching her as she took off his coat, hanging it on the peg behind the door.
"Yer took yer time," he drawled. "I was just about t' give up on yer! I brought some food," he tempted.
"Get out!" Bessie hissed, shaking with fright. "Get out now you bastard and don't ever come back!" Jack ducked as she threw one of her shoes at him, reaching for the other.
"Bessie?" Jack frowned at her change in demeanour - the mouse had clearly gone. "What's th' matter?" This was definitely not the welcome he had been hoping for. He wandered carefully across to the kitchen area, lighting the stub of the candle that he had noticed earlier.
"Put that out!" she cried, desperately trying to stop the flickering light revealing her shame to him.
"Bessie?" Jack put his arm out to stop her, remembering the last time she had lunged near a lighted candle. A fire here would mean more than just a hut up in flames - it would probably mean the loss of the whole docks. "Bessie!" Jack's eyes widened with shock, holding her at arm's length as he looked at her. "Jesus!" he gasped, surprised when she wrenched herself from his grasp and ran for the open door. "Bessie!" Desperately he blocked her path, slamming the door shut and bolting it. He turned the key, locking it and putting the key in his waistcoat pocket. "Dammit Bessie!" he cursed. "Wha... when... is it mine?"
Her slap nearly took his head off. "You..." she hissed. "You have utterly ruined my life! I hope you are bloody satisfied!" She took some pleasure from the shock in his chocolate-brown eyes.
"I guess I deserved that," he shrugged, rubbing his stinging face, still stunned by her obvious pregnancy.
"I have only ever lain with one man - with you - the once!" Bessie turned from him and sat on the bed, bursting into tears. "Why don't you just shoot me? You cannot do any worse than you've already done!"
"Whoa, Bessie! Isn't that a bit melodramatic like..." His hands waved in protest, at a loss to say anything.
"Melodramatic!" she cried bitterly. "Melodramatic is when I am out of a job in a few months time with no money and a babe to raise!"
Jack frowned. "Surely th' Governor won't dismiss yer?"
"He already has!" Bessie said bitterly. "There's no place in his household for a disgraced maid!" She spat out the word disgraced with such venom that it shocked him. "I've been working in a tavern for two months just to earn enough to eat!"
"I'll support yer..." he offered cautiously, sitting on the bed next to her, worried in case she tried to throw something else at him. She looked tired, her stretched stomach making her look thinner than ever. "Yer been eatin' properly? I brought some food..."
"Do you honestly think I want anything from you? Haven't you done enough already?" she sobbed, pushing him away although she eyed the sack hopefully.
"I think yer need help Bessie..." Jack offered, thinking that the only way he was going to figure his way out of this one was with the help of another woman - and the only other woman he knew in Port Royal was Elizabeth. What the hell he was going to say to Elizabeth was an entirely different matter though.
Bessie looked up at him miserably. "I don't need your help!" she cried, tears running down her face. "I want you to leave! Go! Sod off!"
"Bessie, I have some friends here in Port Royal..." he began. Working in a tavern had definitely expanded her vocabulary.
"Friends?" she snorted derisively. "Who the hell would want to be your friend? You're a pirate - you wreck, ruin and destroy all that you touch - including people and their lives!"
"I seem t' have created one at least," he sighed, crouching down before her and resting his hand on her stomach. "I can't turn back th' clock Bessie, but at least give me a chance t' try t' do somethin' right... t' make this right."
She sighed resignedly. "What have I to lose?" she said dejectedly, beyond worrying about his morals as long as he fed her. "I've lost everything else... even my God!"
Jack took his coat down from the peg, noticing her small cross was missing as he wrapped it around her shoulders. "God hasn't turned his face from yer just because of this," he smiled. "Come on," he said, offering her his hand, relieved when she shakily took it.