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Tinkthefairy:What can I say? - Jack's just got a way with women!

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Next Chappie...Enjoy

Chapter 4: Prim and Proper

Jack sat her down on the bed and looked at her, "So seriously Beth, was Bill bothering ye?" He asked

"Look, I've already told you. I was mucking around."

"So ye said."

"Then why don't you believe me?" Beth asked slightly exasperated

"It doesn't seem to fit luv. All the time I've known ye ye've never acted ye way out of a situation."

Beth shook her head, "Is that it? You don't believe I'm capable of it." Jack nodded

"I'm surprised Jack. After all of I told you about upper class life, you still don't understand." Jack merely looked at her in confusion.

"Look Jack, as I've told ye upper class women are practically sold off to the highest bidder. After that they are expected to behave properly and to honour and obey their husband in all matters. So mothers teach their daughters how to smile when they want to cry, how to appear to be happy when they are miserable. Basically how to make their husband see what he wants to see."

"What!" Exclaimed Jack, "Ye're telling me that ye are a slave to the man ye marry?"

"That is exactly what I am telling ye."

Jack thought for a minute. "So what ye're doing now is exactly what ye'd be doing if ye were married." Jack asked slowly, with a mischievous look in his eye.

Beth sighed, "If you do not mind I am really tired and would like to go to sleep."

"Ye know where the bed is luv." Jack said but if anything the mischievous look was even more devious than before.

Beth just got up, took off her boots and climbed into bed and no sooner had her head hit the pillow had she fallen asleep.

Jack looked at her for a while before joining her; she's got some spirit that one he thought as he fell asleep with his arm about her waist.

Beth woke with sun; she had gotten this habit from Jack who always woke her up as he got out of bed – no matter how careful he was.

"Morning luv, sleep well." Inquired Jack as she turned over to face him

"Yes, you?" Beth replied, know used to the familiar question, which would never have been asked of her before.

"Well, ye know luv…" Said Jack grinning, "All the better for ye being ere." Beth joined in the also familiar answer, even coping his accent.

"Ye're making a habit of that luv." Jack stated somewhat amused

"What?"

"Having fun." Jack replied echoing Beth words from the night before.

"What's life if you don't enjoy it? You of all people should know that."

Jack smiled, "Ye're learning."

"I try."

"Talking of that should ye not be sailing this ship?" Jack inquired

"Only if you show me." Beth said adopting his style of answering questions.

"Captain!" The call came across the deck to Jack who was in the middle of showing Beth the ropes.

Jack swung round to the direction of the call. "Aye."

"Coming up on Tortuga now." Shouted Bill

"Tortuga?" Questioned Beth

"Aye Tortuga." Jack echoed before looking down at her face and realising that she had probably never heard of Tortuga. "A pirate port, full of taverns mostly and…" He let the sentence hang not wanting to describe the company found in that place.

"Brothels." Beth filled in. "You needn't be shy about that Captain, I'm well aware of what type company pirates enjoy." Beth said, putting special emphasis on the word company before returning back to the ropes. Jack just looked at her; for once he didn't know what to say. Beth looked up at him and smiled, "You should wipe that look off your face – it isn't very becoming."

At this Jack snapped back to reality and his usual playful self, "Sounds like ye're jealous, luv."

"Jealous of prostitutes?" She shook her head, "Sorry for them but not jealous."

"Sorry for them luv? That sounds like a very high and mighty view." Commented Jack

"What?" Beth almost exploded at the implication that she a noble woman was looking down on these women. "Because I feel sorry for those poor women who have to market themselves for money to any man that comes along; women who often end up being beaten and murdered. Because I feel some compassion for them, I am now a condescending rich little bitch who has no idea what I am talking about and whose idea of pain is pricking her finger on her sewing needle!" Beth said to Jack having trouble keeping her voice even and not raising it to him.

Jack just watched in amazement as Beth practically exploded in front of him and marched off to the cabin. He couldn't believe that a little comment like that could trigger such a change in her; he had never seen her so het-up over something.

Beth burst into the cabin, with tears streaming down her face. Memories flooded back to her. Memories of not being able to move away; not being able to breath; the crushing weight of him on top of her; his probing hands; her muffled screams; his harsh laugh as he took her, again and again and the pain, the excruciating pain. She had her back to the door, with her head in her hands sobbing; when Jack rushed into the cabin.

"Beth, what's wrong?" He asked, his tone markedly concerned but as he reached out to touch her shoulder, her whole body tensed and she jerked her shoulder away from him.

"Beth?" He asked in a softer tone, withdrawing his hand. But she didn't reply, her crying became harder and her breathing more ragged.

"Beth luv, are ye alright – I didn't mean to upset ye. I…" Jack floundered for words; he just didn't know what to say to her. He tried approaching her gain but this time he went around so that she could see him. Her tear stained face looked up at him, she looked as though she would say something but only her sobs were audible.

"Shh luv, tell me bout it. What's wrong?" Jack asked in a soothing tone whilst very slowly reaching out to touch her.

Beth felt his hand touch her arm but this time she did not move away instead she flung her arms around him and cried into his shoulder. Within his embrace she felt safe, there he would protect her. They just stood there in the middle of the cabin in a tight embrace, Jack gentle caressing the back of her head.

Finally Beth stopped crying enough to speak. "It was horrible."

Jack looked down, "What was luv?"

"He was." She replied before looking up at him. "Sir William Hardy." Jack just held onto her giving her all the time she needed to tell him.

Beth took a deep breath and in between small sobs told Jack everything, "About a year ago I was all but married to him. My father saw him as a very rich gentlemen in need of a young wife. To him it all seemed so perfect; he was rich and needed a wife; I was young and, as far as my father was concerned, needed to be married off to a wealthy man – gentleman or otherwise. The fact that he was nearly 3 times my ages didn't seem to matter. But he was shrewd and more than hinted to my father that he wanted to know what he was getting and my father convinced that this was the perfect match agreed. He ordered me to go to Sir William's room…" Here she faltered.

"It's alright luv, ye needn't continue." Jack said, trying hard to conceal his rage for her sake. Beth shook her head and continued.

"After this it was agreed between them that we would be married but just before this could be announced my father discovered that Sir William in fact was almost broke. So he immediately called off the marriage."

"Luv, I'm so sorry – I didn't realise…"

"Don't apologize it wasn't your fault. I tried so hard to bury those memories and for a time I did but they just came flooding back and I couldn't hold them back any longer."

"How could ya father do that to you?" Jack asked barely controlling his anger

"He didn't see anything wrong with it, after all I was going to marry the man and so would be…" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

Jack didn't think he would ever feel worse than he did right then. All of the times during the short time that he had known her that he had hinted at a sexual intimacy came flooding back to him. No wonder she was so frightened, he thought, God I've been a fool – I've almost driven away the only person I care about, for he finally realised then that he did care about her more than anything.

Jack looked down at her and became serious, "Beth I am so sorry, I have acted like a fool – the way I have treated you it is inexcusable."

Beth looked at him, she was so surprised to hear him speak with correct English and being so serious, and she didn't doubt for a second that he meant it. She looked up at him, "It's too late to ask for forgiveness Jack…" Jack looked at her stunned with disbelief. "I gave it to you long before you asked for it."

"Captain we're…" The crewman got no further as he entered the cabin and saw his captain embracing the young lady.

"Sorry sir…" He said turning to walk out

"What is it?" Jack asked turning to face him

"We're in Tortuga." Jack nodded sending the man on his way.

"We don't have to go if ye don't want to."

"No, I want to." And with that they walked out of the cabin.

Sorry its only a short chapter – I'll try and make the next one will be longer I promise!

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