Usual disclaimers... wail!
Alright – last chapter for today... make the most of it!
###
Chapter 12 - Acceptance
Jack cautiously led Bessie back to her home, unlocking the door and ushering her through before the watch came by. "I can't stay fer long," he apologised. "Th' men will take it ill if I ask them t' sit an' do nothing on th' Pearl for weeks... I must leave b'fore first light." He was surprised to see her sit on a stool start to prepare a meal.
"I haven't eaten yet tonight," Bessie explained, noticing his stare. "Do I assume you want some food too Captain?"
He smiled, walking over to her. "P'raps yer should start callin' me Jack?" he suggested, "Seein' as..." he touched her stomach, still amazed that one night of pleasure had resulted in Bessie becoming pregnant. He wrapped his arms about her as she worked, nuzzling her neck, delighted that she did not tell him to stop. He frowned, noticing how bare the larder was again. "I thought I said t' keep th' larder stocked?" he puzzled seeing her only preparing vegetables before remembering the sack of food he had brought with him..
"With what?" Bessie sighed heavily. "The wages at the Grey Mare aren't high, and I've been saving every shilling I could for when I won't be able to work..."
"Well yer not workin' there now!" Jack growled. "That place is such a dive even I won't drink there!"
She nodded, placing the vegetables into the pot, gratefully taking extra items from the sack. "Thank you," she murmured. She had been tired before being dragged across town to the Turners, now she was simply exhausted. "Whatever you say," she said tiredly, reaching across to stir the small pot.
"Whatever happened t' m' little mouse?" Jack nuzzled her neck, his hand reaching round to caress her breast.
"Even a mouse will bite if it feels it has nothing to lose," Bessie smiled sadly, pushing his hand away. "You cannot scare me anymore because nothing you can possibly do is worse than you have already done..."
"Is that what yer feel Bessie?" Jack asked, shocked by her words, crouching down beside her, his hands resting on her stomach.
"Respectable people cross the street from me, some shops refuse to serve me..." She turned to face him, tears in her eyes. "I cannot even attend church - the priest ordered me to leave! All I ever wanted was an ordinary life, perhaps one day a husband and a family of my own, and even that you have denied me... no man will want me now!" Tears quietly trickled down her face.
"Bessie... I..." he began, wishing she would not cry. He hated it when women cried - he could never handle it.
"You have damned me for eternity! For better or worse I am tied to you now - your cook, your laundress, your whore..." Jack grinned briefly at the word. "To refuse you now would be like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted..." She rose, trying to reach for two plates in the cupboard and cursing as her stomach got in the way. Jack reached round her, handing her the plates. "Thank you," she sighed. "But I still hate you - I'll always hate you."
###
Captain Archibald Hughes sat watching the Grey Mare Tavern, grinning to himself as he saw the woman walk along the dockside. He had been right the night before... she had to be Masters' daughter. That pale blonde hair was identical to Horace's wife and she looked the right age. He shrugged on realising how heavily pregnant she was - all the easier to threaten for she would put up no fight. He trailed her as she made her way through the market, her small basket filling slowly with food as she made her way home. He grinned as she walked through a narrow doorway leading to a set of rooms above a chandlers shop, sitting quietly to watch in case she had company. He could afford to wait a while - what was a day or so when he had been searching for years?
###
Bessie hummed happily to herself, smiling as Daffodil ate the fish that she had bought. Jack had left her enough money to see her fed and clothed for number of months and had promised to leave more with the Turners for safety, reasoning it did not do to keep all her money in one place. She placed the small bunch of flowers she had bought in one of the tumblers on the table, unable to remember the last time she had money to waste on such a luxury. Things would be better now, she knew it. Even though he was a pirate, he appeared decent enough... if you overlooked the incident that got her in this mess.
She opened the windows wide, airing the rooms and letting the bright Caribbean sunshine stream in. Sighing with pleasure she loosened her dress, giving her stomach room to breathe as she lay down on the bed. The sun was warm and she sleepily batted Daffodil's fishy attentions away. "Go play cat!" she yawned, She had gone to the tavern and told them she would not be returning. It would take some getting used to, not sleeping in the day, but for now she was content just to lie there and relax, for the first time in ages not worrying about money.
###
Captain Hughes kept watching, following her whenever she went out. Sometimes a small tabby cat would trail her a short distance before returning to wait on the windowsill. It hissed at him as he passed. He had never liked cats. The woman clearly lived alone and, from the look on some people's faces when she passed, was not well thought of. Few, if any, would miss her when she vanished he reasoned. Early each morning she would leave for the market to buy fresh produce at a similar time, and that predictability would be her downfall. He crept through the outer door, climbing the stairs and waited for her to unlock the door as she went out. She would not know what hit her!
###
Oh no... .I'm a cow! Ending it on a cliffhanger! Darn! And you won't know what happens for a fortnight!
Teehee!
Alright – last chapter for today... make the most of it!
###
Chapter 12 - Acceptance
Jack cautiously led Bessie back to her home, unlocking the door and ushering her through before the watch came by. "I can't stay fer long," he apologised. "Th' men will take it ill if I ask them t' sit an' do nothing on th' Pearl for weeks... I must leave b'fore first light." He was surprised to see her sit on a stool start to prepare a meal.
"I haven't eaten yet tonight," Bessie explained, noticing his stare. "Do I assume you want some food too Captain?"
He smiled, walking over to her. "P'raps yer should start callin' me Jack?" he suggested, "Seein' as..." he touched her stomach, still amazed that one night of pleasure had resulted in Bessie becoming pregnant. He wrapped his arms about her as she worked, nuzzling her neck, delighted that she did not tell him to stop. He frowned, noticing how bare the larder was again. "I thought I said t' keep th' larder stocked?" he puzzled seeing her only preparing vegetables before remembering the sack of food he had brought with him..
"With what?" Bessie sighed heavily. "The wages at the Grey Mare aren't high, and I've been saving every shilling I could for when I won't be able to work..."
"Well yer not workin' there now!" Jack growled. "That place is such a dive even I won't drink there!"
She nodded, placing the vegetables into the pot, gratefully taking extra items from the sack. "Thank you," she murmured. She had been tired before being dragged across town to the Turners, now she was simply exhausted. "Whatever you say," she said tiredly, reaching across to stir the small pot.
"Whatever happened t' m' little mouse?" Jack nuzzled her neck, his hand reaching round to caress her breast.
"Even a mouse will bite if it feels it has nothing to lose," Bessie smiled sadly, pushing his hand away. "You cannot scare me anymore because nothing you can possibly do is worse than you have already done..."
"Is that what yer feel Bessie?" Jack asked, shocked by her words, crouching down beside her, his hands resting on her stomach.
"Respectable people cross the street from me, some shops refuse to serve me..." She turned to face him, tears in her eyes. "I cannot even attend church - the priest ordered me to leave! All I ever wanted was an ordinary life, perhaps one day a husband and a family of my own, and even that you have denied me... no man will want me now!" Tears quietly trickled down her face.
"Bessie... I..." he began, wishing she would not cry. He hated it when women cried - he could never handle it.
"You have damned me for eternity! For better or worse I am tied to you now - your cook, your laundress, your whore..." Jack grinned briefly at the word. "To refuse you now would be like shutting the stable door after the horse has bolted..." She rose, trying to reach for two plates in the cupboard and cursing as her stomach got in the way. Jack reached round her, handing her the plates. "Thank you," she sighed. "But I still hate you - I'll always hate you."
###
Captain Archibald Hughes sat watching the Grey Mare Tavern, grinning to himself as he saw the woman walk along the dockside. He had been right the night before... she had to be Masters' daughter. That pale blonde hair was identical to Horace's wife and she looked the right age. He shrugged on realising how heavily pregnant she was - all the easier to threaten for she would put up no fight. He trailed her as she made her way through the market, her small basket filling slowly with food as she made her way home. He grinned as she walked through a narrow doorway leading to a set of rooms above a chandlers shop, sitting quietly to watch in case she had company. He could afford to wait a while - what was a day or so when he had been searching for years?
###
Bessie hummed happily to herself, smiling as Daffodil ate the fish that she had bought. Jack had left her enough money to see her fed and clothed for number of months and had promised to leave more with the Turners for safety, reasoning it did not do to keep all her money in one place. She placed the small bunch of flowers she had bought in one of the tumblers on the table, unable to remember the last time she had money to waste on such a luxury. Things would be better now, she knew it. Even though he was a pirate, he appeared decent enough... if you overlooked the incident that got her in this mess.
She opened the windows wide, airing the rooms and letting the bright Caribbean sunshine stream in. Sighing with pleasure she loosened her dress, giving her stomach room to breathe as she lay down on the bed. The sun was warm and she sleepily batted Daffodil's fishy attentions away. "Go play cat!" she yawned, She had gone to the tavern and told them she would not be returning. It would take some getting used to, not sleeping in the day, but for now she was content just to lie there and relax, for the first time in ages not worrying about money.
###
Captain Hughes kept watching, following her whenever she went out. Sometimes a small tabby cat would trail her a short distance before returning to wait on the windowsill. It hissed at him as he passed. He had never liked cats. The woman clearly lived alone and, from the look on some people's faces when she passed, was not well thought of. Few, if any, would miss her when she vanished he reasoned. Early each morning she would leave for the market to buy fresh produce at a similar time, and that predictability would be her downfall. He crept through the outer door, climbing the stairs and waited for her to unlock the door as she went out. She would not know what hit her!
###
Oh no... .I'm a cow! Ending it on a cliffhanger! Darn! And you won't know what happens for a fortnight!
Teehee!