Chap. 5
After breakfast the next day, Stella went to look for Will. She found him, as usual, in the crow's nest, gazing far out at the ocean. Stella ran her fingers over the thickly woven rope that lead up to the crow's nest. Will called down to her.
"Oy there, Stella! Do you want to come up?" Stella smiled and answered back.
"Sure! Do I just climb up?"
"Yeah. Just don't fall and break your neck, no use having a paralyzed hostage!" he said with a mischivious grin. Stella was glad to find Will in a better mood. She reached up and took hold of the net, then began climbing.
Stella was about half way up when she made the mistake of looking down.
"Woah, it's...it's really high up here, isn't it?" Will laughed then climbed down to where Stella hung, clinging for her life.
"Just go one step at a time, don't hurry yourself. That's it, easy does it." Before Stella even realized it, she was at the top. Will's gentle coaxes took her mind away from the height and the push of the wind. He then helped her into the crow's nest and Stella was glad for the feel of solid wood beneath her feet again. Though this didn't mean she could open her eyes.
"Oh Will! It feels so high up here, maybe this was a bad idea." Will chuckled a bit and Stella felt a warm hand on her shoulder that seemed to take away all her fears. She slowly opened her eyes. It took a few moments to grasp what she saw; ocean everywhere, for miles and miles. Stella felt like she was on top of the world and for the first time in a very long while, she felt free. The wind shook her and rammed into her hard, but Stella had no fear, for Will's hand still rested on her shoulder.
"This is so beautiful, Will! Now I know why you spend all your time up here." Will smiled and removed his hand from Stella's shoulder (she tried not to look disappointed) and placed it on the side of the nest.
"Yes, it is wonderful. I come up here to think, to be alone for awhile. Away from the noise and even away from Jack." Stella opened her mouth to speak but Will caught her.
"But of course, it is always nice to have some company!" Stella found it hard to tear herself away from those eyes. She smiled slightely and turned back to the sea. Will sat down in the broad nest.
"Are you sure you're happy here, Stella? I mean you've been kidnapped, you're a hostage, your fate is undecided. Not that I'd be worried, Jack would never kill you."
"To tell you the truth, Will, this is so much better than back at home. When they found and kidnapped me, I wasn't at home. I wasn't even near it. They found me the first night I'd ever been alone, I was alone because I ran away." Will narrowed his eyes, so she continued.
"I couldn't stand it there anymore. It was just me and my father and he..he.he hit me." Stella said in a small voice.
"He was always drunk. I was the person who worked in the house. I washed clothes for sailors coming in from a trip. I was on my feet all day, walking to the docks, then to the market to get more starch and soap, then back to my house to clean the clothes and put them on the line. Doing sailor's laundry was my first taste of the sea. Normally I wasn't allowed down on the docks. Actually, my father didn't like me to leave the house, but he was down at the tavern most of the time as it was. I would watch the sailors leave the ships and then turn around to look at what had been their home for so long. Many headed straight for the tavern, to drink and eat and sleep in a bed for a night before they boarded ship again to head out on a new trip. Some went home to their wives and children though I always felt bad for the wives of sailors. The ones that left the next day asked for a faster service so that they could have clean clothes for tomorrow. Others paid a little extra for my "special service", which meant that I washed their clothes with rose petals ground in." Stella said with a smile.
"It was always so amusing for me to see big gruff men smiling and sighing at the scent of roses. But I was happy for the extra money. My father got most of what I earned, but I managed to keep a little from each job to save for myself. I had my own place underneath a floorboard in the pantry. I was saving it.oh never mind, it's silly."
"No!" Will assured her, "I'm sure it's a very admirable dream."
"Well, I was talking to a captain of a very nice ship and he said that he took passengers on for a fee and take them around the world. I never asked him how much it cost. I was afraid to hear the answer.
"So this is the first time you've been on a ship?" Will asked.
"Yes it is. And I couldn't love it more. I've been meaning to talk to Jack. I mean, I should start earning my keep right? Even if I am a hostage. But no matter, this is still the only place I want to be right now." And so Stella sat there, her and Will's arms touching, which sent electricity through her. Stella felt them touching, did Will?
After breakfast the next day, Stella went to look for Will. She found him, as usual, in the crow's nest, gazing far out at the ocean. Stella ran her fingers over the thickly woven rope that lead up to the crow's nest. Will called down to her.
"Oy there, Stella! Do you want to come up?" Stella smiled and answered back.
"Sure! Do I just climb up?"
"Yeah. Just don't fall and break your neck, no use having a paralyzed hostage!" he said with a mischivious grin. Stella was glad to find Will in a better mood. She reached up and took hold of the net, then began climbing.
Stella was about half way up when she made the mistake of looking down.
"Woah, it's...it's really high up here, isn't it?" Will laughed then climbed down to where Stella hung, clinging for her life.
"Just go one step at a time, don't hurry yourself. That's it, easy does it." Before Stella even realized it, she was at the top. Will's gentle coaxes took her mind away from the height and the push of the wind. He then helped her into the crow's nest and Stella was glad for the feel of solid wood beneath her feet again. Though this didn't mean she could open her eyes.
"Oh Will! It feels so high up here, maybe this was a bad idea." Will chuckled a bit and Stella felt a warm hand on her shoulder that seemed to take away all her fears. She slowly opened her eyes. It took a few moments to grasp what she saw; ocean everywhere, for miles and miles. Stella felt like she was on top of the world and for the first time in a very long while, she felt free. The wind shook her and rammed into her hard, but Stella had no fear, for Will's hand still rested on her shoulder.
"This is so beautiful, Will! Now I know why you spend all your time up here." Will smiled and removed his hand from Stella's shoulder (she tried not to look disappointed) and placed it on the side of the nest.
"Yes, it is wonderful. I come up here to think, to be alone for awhile. Away from the noise and even away from Jack." Stella opened her mouth to speak but Will caught her.
"But of course, it is always nice to have some company!" Stella found it hard to tear herself away from those eyes. She smiled slightely and turned back to the sea. Will sat down in the broad nest.
"Are you sure you're happy here, Stella? I mean you've been kidnapped, you're a hostage, your fate is undecided. Not that I'd be worried, Jack would never kill you."
"To tell you the truth, Will, this is so much better than back at home. When they found and kidnapped me, I wasn't at home. I wasn't even near it. They found me the first night I'd ever been alone, I was alone because I ran away." Will narrowed his eyes, so she continued.
"I couldn't stand it there anymore. It was just me and my father and he..he.he hit me." Stella said in a small voice.
"He was always drunk. I was the person who worked in the house. I washed clothes for sailors coming in from a trip. I was on my feet all day, walking to the docks, then to the market to get more starch and soap, then back to my house to clean the clothes and put them on the line. Doing sailor's laundry was my first taste of the sea. Normally I wasn't allowed down on the docks. Actually, my father didn't like me to leave the house, but he was down at the tavern most of the time as it was. I would watch the sailors leave the ships and then turn around to look at what had been their home for so long. Many headed straight for the tavern, to drink and eat and sleep in a bed for a night before they boarded ship again to head out on a new trip. Some went home to their wives and children though I always felt bad for the wives of sailors. The ones that left the next day asked for a faster service so that they could have clean clothes for tomorrow. Others paid a little extra for my "special service", which meant that I washed their clothes with rose petals ground in." Stella said with a smile.
"It was always so amusing for me to see big gruff men smiling and sighing at the scent of roses. But I was happy for the extra money. My father got most of what I earned, but I managed to keep a little from each job to save for myself. I had my own place underneath a floorboard in the pantry. I was saving it.oh never mind, it's silly."
"No!" Will assured her, "I'm sure it's a very admirable dream."
"Well, I was talking to a captain of a very nice ship and he said that he took passengers on for a fee and take them around the world. I never asked him how much it cost. I was afraid to hear the answer.
"So this is the first time you've been on a ship?" Will asked.
"Yes it is. And I couldn't love it more. I've been meaning to talk to Jack. I mean, I should start earning my keep right? Even if I am a hostage. But no matter, this is still the only place I want to be right now." And so Stella sat there, her and Will's arms touching, which sent electricity through her. Stella felt them touching, did Will?