Strong arms unsuspectingly wrapped about her waist, bringing her body roughly against a hard, male being. The slight gasp of surprise at the actions, only made Will grin most devilishly that evening as he stood hidden behind the deckhouse, the two lovers out of sight.
"You startled me," Catherine giggled deeply, sinking into his tight embrace as she ran her hands along the breadth of his shoulders, eyeing him naughtily.
With his hands now threading themselves through her hair, pulling the tendrils loose from their confines, Will smirked while eyeing her most luridly. "Couldn't help myself, love," he confessed, not noticing the easy slip of the tongue. "It's been forever since I've had you all to my own."
But Catherine did notice, and it sent a thrill down her spine to hear that endearing word. A thrill like no other she'd experienced in her life. "Captain Turner, then why don't you shut up and kiss me while we have a..."
He did just that, not allowing her to finish her thoughts as he claimed her lips fiercely.
A loud, rather disgruntled clearing of a throat instantly brought the two lovers apart. "Sir, begging your pardon for the intrusion," Stout apologized, obviously still annoyed at the two, "but Red Roof and I were thinking a little music and dancin' would be most welcome tonight."
Will, looking nearly like a schoolboy caught behind the building with his first lass, nodded his head in agreement. "I think it would be more than welcome," he agreed, hearing the other man grunt and mumble under his breath before backing away.
"He really is upset with us," Catherine murmured, watching Stout leave.
Ignoring the remark, ignoring the gnawing in his chest at what Stout obviously was eluding to earlier and then his pensiveness now, Will placed his hand to Catherine's chin, tilting her face to him. "I hope you enjoy dancing, Miss Kent. Because these boys will be most energetic tonight, even in this heat. You do have your dancing shoes on, right?"
Catherine glanced to her feet before he once more tilted her face to him and she noticed the charming smile he gave her. It was in that moment she spied much more than deeply amused dark eyes. In those orbs she saw a man that was no longer just living day by day and he didn't even realize it of yet. What had she gotten herself into?
"Enough, enough!" Catherine laughed in exhaustion as Red Roof twirled her about in time with the music. So fast in fact that she feared that if he let go of her hands, she'd tumble overboard.
Red Roof grinned a toothy grin and slowed down, finally releasing her, but in her drunken haze-from dance and drink, she continued to spin slowly about till Will caught her about the waist. "You dance quite wonderfully when given the right partner," he chuckled, teasing Red Roof who laughed raucously back.
Waving her hand in the hopes of getting more air to herself, Catherine smiled brightly. "It's been a long, long time since I've had this much fun at a dance," she explained, the music slowing to a melody of a sweet, languid tune.
"May I have the honor of this next dance?" Will asked, slowly righting the woman as he stood and bowed most properly in her direction while the men 'whooped' their approval, much to the couples' chagrin.
"I'd love to," she agreed. Then in the starlight and the smattering of lantern light, Will Turner and Catherine Kent danced slowly together for the first time. "You know, I think the last dance I went to was...I can't even remember when it was it's been that long ago."
"Bet you've never been serenaded by a group of ruffians before, nor in a privateers arms while dancing on the deck of a ship. Not that grand or regal, is it?" Will remarked, there was no malice in his words, just fact.
As he slowly spun her about in time to the tune provided by impromptu instruments, Catherine smiled a smile that took the man's breath away. "No governor's ball, or some such could compare to this evening. Tonight is much more grand in my opinion...and the company more lively and warm."
"Is it so?" He cocked his head curiously, a grin upon his face.
"Very much so," she sighed before the two danced in comfortable silence till the tune finally ended and they took a seat along the railing, watching and listening as the other men drank and told tales of outlandish adventures. The laughter about the night air was enchanting, and it's web drifting lazily about those aboard made them forget their circumstances-if but for those hours.
It was while the music played that the wind began to stir and by first light, the tradewinds had returned and the sails unfurled.
Wiping the sleep from her eyes, Catherine slowly sat up, mindful of the men busy about her. They'd let her sleep while readying the boat to sail once again. She had been exhausted the night before and by the end of the evening, was dancing barefoot, no matter if one or two of the men had stepped on her toes and apologized profusely in doing so.
"We were beginning to wonder if you'd sleep all day," Will grinned, standing at the wheel, Catherine nearly at his feet, she'd been curled on the deck, amidst a mass of roping, where she'd dropped the night before.
Blinking to get used to the assault of sunshine after such a cozy sleep, which was well induced by too much dancing and too much rum, she glanced to her lover and yawned. "Too much excitement..."
"And too much drink..." Will teased before being interrupted by Red Roof who was bringing her out a cup of tea, made especially for her by Stout.
"...She'll 'ave to learn to hold her brew like the rest 'o us did. But Miss Cathie sure made us proud o' 'er dancin' skills and 'er beginners tippin' the mug."
Taking the steaming cup of tea from his hands, she nodded her thanks, grinned at Red Roof, smirked teasingly at Will, then took a sip of the blend and sighed contently.
"Thank you," Catherine finally spoke up in reply.
Rolling his eyes, Will looked to the horizon and spotted a lone seagull. "We should be in Isle of Kinset come morning," he remarked.
Catherine's stomach felt as if it was suddenly lead and she stopped sipping her tea. "That's...good news, indeed," she said in monotone, watching the gull glide down to rest upon the water.
"Indeed it is," Will agreed, his features going blank.
Red Roof watched the two and only shook his head before disappearing.
"Miss Kent...Catherine, just who is your buyer on Kinset?" Will asked, the thought had occurred to inquire earlier, but at the time he was still too busy trying to consider what side this beautiful woman was playing upon.
Closing her eyes while thinking, "I believe it's a Mr. George Barnaby."
Nodding his head, Will frowned. "Have you heard of Mr. Barnaby before?"
"No, why?"
"Catherine, let me make the deal."
Getting to her feet, the blonde haired woman considered the request and was taken off guard. "Why? What do you know about Barnaby? All I could find out was that he was a merchant of..."
"...Of high value goods," Will spoke up. "He's a dangerous man, Catherine. He delves in any and all illegal trades...including slaves. I don't want you anywhere near the man."
Furrowing her brow, Catherine considered the request. "If he is this...this...well, if Barnaby is this notorious maybe we should find another buyer for our cargo."
Laughing outright, Will couldn't help but see the annoyance and anger flair in the woman before him. "Love, you don't just make deals with some scoundrel and then change your mind. Barnaby would hunt you down. In his mind, this cargo was his the moment your husband made the deal and you sealed the fate by delivering it. The man would put a knife in your back for reneging on the venture-it's a wonder he hasn't done such of yet," he remarked, then his eyes went dark as more and more pieces of the puzzle in his mind fell slowly into place.
Sighing heavily, Catherine conceded the point. "Catherine, did your husband deal with Barnaby on a regular basis?"
Shrugging her shoulders, the woman looked rather clueless. "I honestly don't know. Charles never told me much of his trade-which has become rather obvious during this trip. But, if you like, I do have some of his account ledgers. I found them stashed in a hidden compartment of the desk."
"And you didn't say anything?" Will asked incredulously.
"Well no, what was I to say? I figured they were just...well, what I have managed to read so far, he took in quite a few high value deals. But seems he'd spent more than he'd made on some things along the way...can't figure out quite what his scribbling means," she informed, watching as Will called Bevins over to man the wheel.
"Take me below, I wish to see these accounts," he said with worry, not noticing the look of concern that she gave him.
"Will, what is going on? There's something you're not telling me. Something that you've not told me for a very long time," she added, much to his apprehension.
Taking the woman by the hand, he led her down below. "Please, Catherine, the ledgers."
Relenting to drop the subject for the time being, she opened her cabin door and as he shut the door behind him, she stepped to the desk, opening a side drawer and pressed a pressure point-a knot in the wood, as a hidden panel opened and she reached inside.
"Here," she acknowledged, taking the three ledgers and placing them to the desk where Will quickly sat. "I happened to stumble upon them quite by mistake the other day."
Within minutes he was totally absorbed in the books and paying no attention to his surroundings. Taking a quick glance at the dark-haired man once more, Catherine decided to wash her hair and dress for the day, keeping busy and out of the way for he looked to already be deeply involved.
tbc