~~*~~
Two days out and there was not the slightest hint of land in sight, something that thrilled Catherine in one breath, and worried her in the next.
Will Turner's crew was small, about six men of various sizes and shapes and accents. They looked the part of pirate, but since coming aboard had treated Catherine with the utmost respect and courtesy. Something that surprised her, for on the voyage to Port Royal, the original crew her husband had always hired for his ship were irked with her presence and showed it quite openly by ignoring the young woman's presence.
There was one hitch though, even Catherine could tell there were tensions between the new crew and the three remaining, especially Ark. His disgruntlement and fury could well be visible by curt looks he shot both the Captain and his employer.
"Ye best be settlin' down for the night, Miss Cathie," Red Roof encouraged upon finding the young woman standing at the rails late one evening, watching the moonlit waters.
Red Roof was so named for his flaming hair that resembled a wild fire. He was Irish, loved the ladies and looked more the altar boy than pirate. But then again, looks could be deceiving. One of his favorite pastimes was sitting about to anyone who would give him the time of day and tell tales of adventure and gore...his exploits so he claimed, though even Will Turner rolled his eyes upon occasion at such disclaimers.
Smiling, looking back over her shoulder, Catherine shook her head in the negative. "I'm not tired. In a little while."
Red Roof looked a bit unpleased by this decision and shifted on his feet while glancing about the ship almost nervously.
"Miss Cathie, we wouldn't want ye to catch yer death of cold," he insisted, making the young woman laugh.
"Thank you for your worry over my health, Red Roof, but I promise you, I'll be fine. After all, it's quite warm out this evening."
Red Roof finally locked eyes with Will who was standing at the opposite gunwall, and could only manage a helpless shrug in the other's direction so that the woman standing before him did not notice. The redhead's only reply from his Captain was a nod of the head urging him to continue.
So continue the lanky man did, but only after a very loud sigh of exasperation which definitely caught the young woman's attention, making her turn about and eye him suspiciously.
"Ye really should go down below, maybe get an early start on yer readin'," he suggested, smiling at his sudden brilliance.
"Tell me, Red Roof, what exactly is going on?" Catherine demanded, taking a step forward, watching as the man who towered over her with his six foot four frame took a cowering step back while swallowing thickly.
"Nothin'..."
Dark green eyes narrowed to slits. "I don't believe you. Why are you trying to get rid of me?"
"No Miss, it's nothin' like that...honest. Cap'n Will just..."
"Oh?" She exclaimed quite loudly and quite surprised.
"Of all the fires in hell...forgiveness, Miss Cathie," Red Roof quickly apologized at his outburst and utterance.
"Just what does Mr. Turner...Captain Will...Captain Turner...whatever the bloody hell he wants to call himself, why does he feel I should go to quarters? Has he now become my keeper?"
Red Roof grinned madly at her outburst then quickly stifled his exuberance at realizing how upset the woman before him was becoming.
"He just wishes for yer safety, 'at is all," he whispered, bending so that he could say such in her ear.
"Oh...oh?" Catherine stammered, unsure if she should be thankful or more worried. "Just what is Mr. Turner supposedly keeping me safe from?"
Red Roof held his arms out in a manner suggesting surrender. "Could possibly just be that 'e wishes to make sure ye don't fall face first overboard," he replied, knowing it was untrue but hoping the woman did not know him well enough yet to realize that when he lied, his ears turned a shocking shade of scarlet.
"Oh," she muttered, daring a glance in the dark-haired man's direction as he looked upon the compass in his hand after turning the wheel over to his first mate, the one they called Bivens-and yes, he was named aptly.
"Please, Miss Cathie, humor me an' go down below an' retire for the evenin'," he urged, realizing that she was still wavering the idea about in her head.
Groaning lowly, the blonde-haired woman brushed by the tall, lanky redhead and made her way to the ladder. "I'll do it, but you just let Will Turner know that it's not because he wishes it to be so, but because I chose to go to quarters," she insisted with a stubborn tone to her voice.
Red Roof actually breathed a sigh of relief at getting the young woman below deck and into the safety of her cabin, and for the fact that momentarily, he thought his charms on women were suddenly moot. "Well enough, Miss, well enough. Just one more thing...lock yer door."
Turning about, Catherine raised a honey blonde brow in his direction, making the pirate quickly take a daring bow then straightening with his hand over his heart. "After all, Miss Cathie, yer on a ship full o' pirates, it'll serve ye well to always keep the latch bolted," he smiled that amazing smile of his, hoping he'd disarmed a potentially disastrous altercation between his Captain and the woman.
"I'll remember that," she remarked, her tone not giving a thing away, but Red Roof knew that as she disappeared from sight, Catherine Kent did not completely buy what he was trying to sell.
"Damnable woman, I should marry one like 'er," Red Roof grinned before going back to tell Will what had just occurred.
~~*~~
Two days out and there was not the slightest hint of land in sight, something that thrilled Catherine in one breath, and worried her in the next.
Will Turner's crew was small, about six men of various sizes and shapes and accents. They looked the part of pirate, but since coming aboard had treated Catherine with the utmost respect and courtesy. Something that surprised her, for on the voyage to Port Royal, the original crew her husband had always hired for his ship were irked with her presence and showed it quite openly by ignoring the young woman's presence.
There was one hitch though, even Catherine could tell there were tensions between the new crew and the three remaining, especially Ark. His disgruntlement and fury could well be visible by curt looks he shot both the Captain and his employer.
"Ye best be settlin' down for the night, Miss Cathie," Red Roof encouraged upon finding the young woman standing at the rails late one evening, watching the moonlit waters.
Red Roof was so named for his flaming hair that resembled a wild fire. He was Irish, loved the ladies and looked more the altar boy than pirate. But then again, looks could be deceiving. One of his favorite pastimes was sitting about to anyone who would give him the time of day and tell tales of adventure and gore...his exploits so he claimed, though even Will Turner rolled his eyes upon occasion at such disclaimers.
Smiling, looking back over her shoulder, Catherine shook her head in the negative. "I'm not tired. In a little while."
Red Roof looked a bit unpleased by this decision and shifted on his feet while glancing about the ship almost nervously.
"Miss Cathie, we wouldn't want ye to catch yer death of cold," he insisted, making the young woman laugh.
"Thank you for your worry over my health, Red Roof, but I promise you, I'll be fine. After all, it's quite warm out this evening."
Red Roof finally locked eyes with Will who was standing at the opposite gunwall, and could only manage a helpless shrug in the other's direction so that the woman standing before him did not notice. The redhead's only reply from his Captain was a nod of the head urging him to continue.
So continue the lanky man did, but only after a very loud sigh of exasperation which definitely caught the young woman's attention, making her turn about and eye him suspiciously.
"Ye really should go down below, maybe get an early start on yer readin'," he suggested, smiling at his sudden brilliance.
"Tell me, Red Roof, what exactly is going on?" Catherine demanded, taking a step forward, watching as the man who towered over her with his six foot four frame took a cowering step back while swallowing thickly.
"Nothin'..."
Dark green eyes narrowed to slits. "I don't believe you. Why are you trying to get rid of me?"
"No Miss, it's nothin' like that...honest. Cap'n Will just..."
"Oh?" She exclaimed quite loudly and quite surprised.
"Of all the fires in hell...forgiveness, Miss Cathie," Red Roof quickly apologized at his outburst and utterance.
"Just what does Mr. Turner...Captain Will...Captain Turner...whatever the bloody hell he wants to call himself, why does he feel I should go to quarters? Has he now become my keeper?"
Red Roof grinned madly at her outburst then quickly stifled his exuberance at realizing how upset the woman before him was becoming.
"He just wishes for yer safety, 'at is all," he whispered, bending so that he could say such in her ear.
"Oh...oh?" Catherine stammered, unsure if she should be thankful or more worried. "Just what is Mr. Turner supposedly keeping me safe from?"
Red Roof held his arms out in a manner suggesting surrender. "Could possibly just be that 'e wishes to make sure ye don't fall face first overboard," he replied, knowing it was untrue but hoping the woman did not know him well enough yet to realize that when he lied, his ears turned a shocking shade of scarlet.
"Oh," she muttered, daring a glance in the dark-haired man's direction as he looked upon the compass in his hand after turning the wheel over to his first mate, the one they called Bivens-and yes, he was named aptly.
"Please, Miss Cathie, humor me an' go down below an' retire for the evenin'," he urged, realizing that she was still wavering the idea about in her head.
Groaning lowly, the blonde-haired woman brushed by the tall, lanky redhead and made her way to the ladder. "I'll do it, but you just let Will Turner know that it's not because he wishes it to be so, but because I chose to go to quarters," she insisted with a stubborn tone to her voice.
Red Roof actually breathed a sigh of relief at getting the young woman below deck and into the safety of her cabin, and for the fact that momentarily, he thought his charms on women were suddenly moot. "Well enough, Miss, well enough. Just one more thing...lock yer door."
Turning about, Catherine raised a honey blonde brow in his direction, making the pirate quickly take a daring bow then straightening with his hand over his heart. "After all, Miss Cathie, yer on a ship full o' pirates, it'll serve ye well to always keep the latch bolted," he smiled that amazing smile of his, hoping he'd disarmed a potentially disastrous altercation between his Captain and the woman.
"I'll remember that," she remarked, her tone not giving a thing away, but Red Roof knew that as she disappeared from sight, Catherine Kent did not completely buy what he was trying to sell.
"Damnable woman, I should marry one like 'er," Red Roof grinned before going back to tell Will what had just occurred.
~~*~~