Chapter 6: Tears
"Lunge!" Jack called. "No luv… move a bit more… that's it." Jack and Beth were practising their sword fighting abilities on the deck of the Pearl. Beth's sailing skills had grown immensely over the last few weeks and she was now at the point where she no longer needed instruction, so Jack had decided to teach her the sword – much to the crews' amusement.
"Right that'll do luv." Jack sighed lowering his sword and checking the sky: the sun was almost setting – they'd been at this for hours but she was improving so it was worth in Jack's eyes.
"God woman – ye wearing me out." He told her.
Beth smiled and moved closer to him, slipping her arm around him and whispered seductively in his ear, "Well if ye're that tired I'll jest hav to put off tonight."
Jack's eyes grew wide but before he could reply Beth walked away into the cabin. Jack stood there in shock for a moment: she couldn't hav jest been implying what I think, could she? He asked himself as he followed her in.
"Changed ye mind hav ye?" She asked slyly when he entered. Nope, she's definitely implying what I was thinking he told himself.
"Beth ye sure about this?" He asked coming over to her; they hadn't talked about this since their first visit to Tortuga.
"Jack would I be saying it if I weren't?"
"Captain."
"Captain."
"Captain."
"If this is not something very important ye'll be dealing with the barrel of me pistol." Jack called out to the door. Bill poked his head around the door, quickly realising why his captain did not want to be disturbed. From the amount of clothes on the floor and the position of the two in bed, he gathered that last night was quite eventful.
"Well Captain we're coming up on Port Millon." Bill informed him.
"Alright I'm coming." Jack told him making to get up, "Prepare the crew for docking."
"Yes sir." Bill said retreating out of the cabin.
Jack looked down on the sleeping form next to him. Last night had been wonderful: they had made love but it was unlike anything Jack had ever experienced before – he felt so whole, like she had filled a gap in him. Beth opened her eyes to find Jack looking down on her and she couldn't help the smile that was spreading over her face.
"I love you."
"What?" Beth was so surprised by this confession that she did not have time to stop the word escaping her lips.
"I love you." Jack repeated the admission that had been slowly coming to the forefront of mind his days for days.
"I love you too Jack." Beth said, realising that that was all she had wanted to do was tell him for a long time but had never had the courage to do it.
"You do?" Jack asked with boyish eagerness
"Yes I do." She said reaching up and pulling him down into a passionate kiss.
"I gotta go luv." Jack mumbled through the kiss.
"Mmm. Well if I'm not good enough for ye." Beth said releasing him.
"Now luv – lets not get started on that again. Ye know ye the only girl for me." This had been a constant point of teasing between the two.
"So ye say." Beth said
"Now…"
"Alright, alright – get going." She shoed him out of the cabin and turned to get dressed herself, dimly wondering what was in Port Millon.
"So this is Port Millon then?" Beth half asked and half stated as she and Jack walked down one of the streets in the outer part of the city: the inner city was crawling with the king's navy.
"Yep."
"So ye dragged me off the Pearl to see this?" She asked, waving her arm about to emphasise her point – she had picked up a lot of Jack's habits.
"No luv."
"Well…" Beth tried to prompt him to telling her but he was being as stubborn as ever.
"What luv?" He asked innocently
"I give up." Jack just grinned at this and then resumed looking down the street.
"Ah, here we are." He announced as they came to an old shop, with a falling down exterior and darkened windows.
"Err – Jack what is this?" Beth asked slightly concerned by its appearance.
"Now Beth what hav I told ye bout judging things by appearances." Jack chided her as he led her into the shop.
Beth gasped as she entered: the shop was filled with the most precious stones and metals, some of which had been made into jewellery. The inside of the shop was the complete opposite to the outside; she could not believe it. Jack watched her reaction with a grin on his face – he thought that this would be her reaction.
"Right then…" He murmured moving away from Beth examining the shelves.
"Jack!" Jack swung around at the sound of his name.
"Tom – how are ye mate?"
"Not to bad but what brings ye ere – I haven't seen ye in an age." The older man asked. "And who might this pretty lass be?" He inquired noticing Beth who had come to stand behind Jack.
"Ah, now that'd be me bonnie lass: Beth. Beth this is Tom an old friend." Jack introduced the two.
"A pleasure to meet ye." Tom told her. "And now Jack ye're ere because…"
"Ah yes – I'm to…" He leaned forward and whispered the second part of the sentence in Tom's ear.
"Really now." Tom said in slight surprise to Jack's statement and looked over at Beth, who was slightly concerned about being left out but held her tongue.
"Well, I never but I'm sure I could… Ah! Yes that'd do nicely." He thought aloud as he retreated into the back of the shop.
"Jack what's going on?" Beth asked as soon as Tom had disappeared from sight.
"Don't worry luv – ye'll see."
"Mmm." Beth was about to retort when Tom emerged and showed something to Jack.
"Perfect – how long?" Jack inquired
"Now."
"Now!" Jack practically exploded
"Yes I thought at sometime or another ye'd ask for something like this: even Sparrows have to fall at sometime." He told him with a grin. "I'll jest be a minute." He added turning around.
"Jack…" But Beth got no further
"Now luv ye can wait a minute can't ye…" Jack was then interrupted by the sound of hammering coming from the back, which only increased her confusion.
"There ye go mate." Tom said presenting a small box to Jack.
"Thanks – how much."
"Well about…."
"Jack why won't you let me see it." Demanded Beth once they were back on the Pearl in their cabin.
"Now jest a minute." Jack told her
"Grrr."
"Now that's not very lady like." Beth merely glared at this statement and then to her great surprise, Jack came over and knelt before.
"Bethany Paris – will you do me the honour of consenting to be my wife." He said slipping a ring on her finger. "I know I do not have much to offer you, nor can I promise to love you for the rest of your life but I will love for the rest of mine."
Beth felt tears welling up in her eyes, "Yes Jack." Was all she managed to get out before the tears started rolling down her face.
"You will!" Jack exclaimed jumping up and picking her up and spinning her around, before kissing her – he had never been so happy. Then they heard a gunshot.
"What?" The both cried looking towards the door.
"Stay here."
"But Jack…"
"Beth luv, I love you more than anything but stay here." Jack ordered as he headed for the door.
"I love you too." Beth told as he went out of the door. No sooner had the door closed did one of the windows behind her open.
"Miss Paris."
"What?" Beth spun around and came face to face with a naval officer, she stood and stared.
"Come on Miss Paris – we must go." He said extending his hand to her. Beth jerked her hand back as her mind started working again.
"One moment." She said turning around towards the desk.
"But Miss…"
"One moment." She cut across him, pulling a sheet of parchment out of the draw and reaching for the pen. A few moments later she let him lead her out of the window and onto a small rowboat.
"What took you so long?" The other officer hissed as they got into the boat and headed towards the shore but Beth wasn't listening – she was watching the Pearl, taking in every detail. A silent tear snaked down her cheek as she tightly clutched her ring; her beautiful wedding ring of a sparrow holding a pearl in its beak.
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