Chapter 10 – Traitorous Tongues
It had been some time since the sun set. The first of the two holes had been patched up. The crew had their dinner and have now retreated to their quarters were they would play cards or just go right to sleep. Brennan and Celeste were asleep and Will and Angela were off alone walking along the deck.
Jack and Romi were eating silently together in the mess hall. Usually they would talk about things that were going on during their day but tonight it was quiet. Romi would keep her head down looking at her plate occasionally looking at Jack and forcing a smile. He finally decided he needed to make her talk.
"So how are ye feelin' luv? No more dizzy spells I hope." He cracked a wide smile as he tore a piece of bread in his mouth and began to chew.
"Yes I'm fine thank you. I just have a lot on my mind what with the new baby and all, you know." She tried to give him a genuine smile but he could see right through it.
"No I don't know actually. Ever since this Diego came on board ye've been acting strangely." She stared at her plate a little while longer playing with her food not wanting to answer him.
Jack didn't want to make her upset and he could see she just didn't want to talk about it. But he felt hurt that she wouldn't open up and say what was bothering her.
"I'm sorry luv. If ye don't want to say anything to me, that's fine. I'm sure in ye'r own time ye'll come to me. Let's get some sleep aye?"
Romi could feel the tears in her eyes but she kept them at bay. She knew Jack was hurt that she didn't want to talk about this. But she needed to collect her thoughts first and she knew she would tell him. Eventually. She started to pick up the plates but Jack stopped her.
"No luv, let Sal clean up. Come on." With that he picked her up as though she was light as a feather and carried her to their room.
Diego was out on the deck leaning against the rails and watched them enter their cabin and shut the door. He cocked an eyebrow up as if in thought and then made his way to the crew's quarters.
Once there he went to his bed and lay down. He could hear some of the crew nearby talking quietly amongst themselves.
"I just think, the captain is getting' too soft what wit' the girl and the kid. We need a captain that only thinks 'bout his crew and his ship."
"Aye, things haven't been the same since Sparrow got married."
One of the pirates was not so keen on the current subject. "If I were ye, I'd watch my traitorous tongue before speakin' of such things. I don't agree wit' the wench and child meself, but Sparrow's crew is big and will defend 'im."
The other two looked down in disgust. "He's right. Maybe we should j'est find another ship to join and leave the Pearl."
Diego had been hearing the whole conversation. "Why should you leave the Pearl? I'm sure you've worked hard for the things that Captain Sparrow is enjoying right?"
The other pirates looked at each other before answering him. "Aye we 'ave, but Jack's crew is big and if we get caught bein' traitors, he'll make us walk the plank for sure."
"You're right. But if we were to find others that share the same thinking as you, wouldn't you want to get rid of Sparrow and take on a new Captain?"
"Of course we would. But who would we make captain?"
Diego smiled from ear to ear. "Me of course mates."
The others squinted their eyes at him. "And why ye? We barely know ye."
"Because I have some unfinished business with Sparrow's wife and I would want nothing more than to see him hang from a rope till he be dead." Diego's face suddenly contorted into something awful, so much so that the other pirates flinched at his evil grin.
"Alright then mate, if ye can find a way to get rid of Sparrow, we'll follow ye."
The four men shook hands and Diego lay back down on his dirty bed and closed his eyes.
Romi lay in bed in their cabin with her eyes wide open. Jack had been asleep for some time now. She decided to get up and take a walk around deck and hope the fresh air would calm her down. She tried to get up as quietly as possible so as not to awaken Jack. She lifted herself off the bed and Jack let out a rather loud snore that startled her. She turned her head and saw he was still dead asleep. She grabbed her shawl and walked out of the cabin and made her way onto the deck she reached the bow of the ship and placed her arms on the railing. She stared out into the night and marveled at how many stars she could see. She suddenly felt a presence behind her and she looked to see it was Diego.
"Having trouble sleeping?" He came up next to her and leaned against the railing.
"Sort of. I thought the air would relax me." She felt uncomfortable in his presence and shivered lightly. He noticed this. "To relax you? You wouldn't be feeling nervous because of me now would you?"
She looked at him. "Actually yes, you do make me nervous. What are you doing here?"
He stared at her before replying. He forgot how beautiful she was. "I came to Cuba on a merchant ship. I had been sailing for many years and decided to just stay on land once we arrived here. I got tired of sailing for so long. But I saw Captain Sparrow and decided I wanted to go sailing with him, especially after hearing all the stories about what a great pirate he is. And so he let me join his crew."
Romi looked at him with uncertainty. She wasn't sure if his intentions were honorable or not aboard the Pearl. Especially since she knew the things he was capable of.
He could tell she was trying to analyze him. "I know what you must be thinking. And I am sorry for the things I did to you Romi. I can assure you I am a changed man. Those days are behind me. Can you ever forgive me?"
He did look genuinely sorry, but Romi still held belief that he could not be trusted. "I accept your apology Diego."
He extended his hand and she hesitantly took it. He placed a gentle kiss on her hand, looked up at her and smiled. "I hope you won't be nervous around me anymore."
Romi felt flustered. She forgot how smooth he could be. "Diego, please remember that I am Jack's wife now. Our history together has long been forgotten."
"I know. And you have nothing to worry about I assure you." He leaned back against the railing looking over the deck of the ship. "How long have you been with Jack?"
Romi returned to looking out at the sea. "It has been over 8 years now. Our courtship was rather short and I had Celeste soon after we were married."
"I see. I courted a girl on the ship I sailed out on. She was the daughter of the captain, just like you, except he wasn't a pirate." The last comment made her chuckle out loud.
"What happened with her?"
"I decided I didn't want to be married yet, it would just tie me down and I didn't want that."
"So why did you court me if you never wanted to get married?" She looked at him waiting for his response and his honey brown eyes looked right back into hers.
"You were different Romi. I loved you. I didn't love her in the same way."
Romi felt uncomfortable talking about such things. And felt even more so realizing that she was not only staring at him, but that she was in her nightgown and the fabric was quite sheer. "I think I am going to go get a glass of water and get back to my cabin. I'll see you later Diego." She turned around and left. Diego stared in her direction. "I look forward to it."
Jack was standing nearby and heard the whole conversation. He had awoken shortly after Romi left and had gotten up to find her. He arrived just in time to see Diego approach her. He decided to stand by and see what would happen and was not pleased with what he had heard. He felt furious but decided to go back to the cabin and see if Romi would finally confide in him with who Diego was to her. He reached his cabin and lay back down on the bed. He heard Romi come in. "Where were ye luv? I got worried." He had his arm resting on his forehead as he stared at the ceiling. It was dark and she couldn't really see his expression.
"I was just getting some air and a glass of water. I'm sorry if I worried you." She removed her shawl and lay on the bed next to Jack. She turned over and gave him a light kiss before turning back on her side facing away from him. He looked at the back of her head struggling with himself over whether he should ask her about what had happened between her and Diego. "Is there anything else wrong ye want to talk to me about?"
Romi shut her eyes wishing he would just go back to sleep. "No Jack. Everything is fine. We'll talk tomorrow alright?"
Jack just kept staring at her, his anger increasing. He didn't reply. He just lay there looking at the ceiling. It was an hour or so before he finally fell asleep.
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It had been some time since the sun set. The first of the two holes had been patched up. The crew had their dinner and have now retreated to their quarters were they would play cards or just go right to sleep. Brennan and Celeste were asleep and Will and Angela were off alone walking along the deck.
Jack and Romi were eating silently together in the mess hall. Usually they would talk about things that were going on during their day but tonight it was quiet. Romi would keep her head down looking at her plate occasionally looking at Jack and forcing a smile. He finally decided he needed to make her talk.
"So how are ye feelin' luv? No more dizzy spells I hope." He cracked a wide smile as he tore a piece of bread in his mouth and began to chew.
"Yes I'm fine thank you. I just have a lot on my mind what with the new baby and all, you know." She tried to give him a genuine smile but he could see right through it.
"No I don't know actually. Ever since this Diego came on board ye've been acting strangely." She stared at her plate a little while longer playing with her food not wanting to answer him.
Jack didn't want to make her upset and he could see she just didn't want to talk about it. But he felt hurt that she wouldn't open up and say what was bothering her.
"I'm sorry luv. If ye don't want to say anything to me, that's fine. I'm sure in ye'r own time ye'll come to me. Let's get some sleep aye?"
Romi could feel the tears in her eyes but she kept them at bay. She knew Jack was hurt that she didn't want to talk about this. But she needed to collect her thoughts first and she knew she would tell him. Eventually. She started to pick up the plates but Jack stopped her.
"No luv, let Sal clean up. Come on." With that he picked her up as though she was light as a feather and carried her to their room.
Diego was out on the deck leaning against the rails and watched them enter their cabin and shut the door. He cocked an eyebrow up as if in thought and then made his way to the crew's quarters.
Once there he went to his bed and lay down. He could hear some of the crew nearby talking quietly amongst themselves.
"I just think, the captain is getting' too soft what wit' the girl and the kid. We need a captain that only thinks 'bout his crew and his ship."
"Aye, things haven't been the same since Sparrow got married."
One of the pirates was not so keen on the current subject. "If I were ye, I'd watch my traitorous tongue before speakin' of such things. I don't agree wit' the wench and child meself, but Sparrow's crew is big and will defend 'im."
The other two looked down in disgust. "He's right. Maybe we should j'est find another ship to join and leave the Pearl."
Diego had been hearing the whole conversation. "Why should you leave the Pearl? I'm sure you've worked hard for the things that Captain Sparrow is enjoying right?"
The other pirates looked at each other before answering him. "Aye we 'ave, but Jack's crew is big and if we get caught bein' traitors, he'll make us walk the plank for sure."
"You're right. But if we were to find others that share the same thinking as you, wouldn't you want to get rid of Sparrow and take on a new Captain?"
"Of course we would. But who would we make captain?"
Diego smiled from ear to ear. "Me of course mates."
The others squinted their eyes at him. "And why ye? We barely know ye."
"Because I have some unfinished business with Sparrow's wife and I would want nothing more than to see him hang from a rope till he be dead." Diego's face suddenly contorted into something awful, so much so that the other pirates flinched at his evil grin.
"Alright then mate, if ye can find a way to get rid of Sparrow, we'll follow ye."
The four men shook hands and Diego lay back down on his dirty bed and closed his eyes.
Romi lay in bed in their cabin with her eyes wide open. Jack had been asleep for some time now. She decided to get up and take a walk around deck and hope the fresh air would calm her down. She tried to get up as quietly as possible so as not to awaken Jack. She lifted herself off the bed and Jack let out a rather loud snore that startled her. She turned her head and saw he was still dead asleep. She grabbed her shawl and walked out of the cabin and made her way onto the deck she reached the bow of the ship and placed her arms on the railing. She stared out into the night and marveled at how many stars she could see. She suddenly felt a presence behind her and she looked to see it was Diego.
"Having trouble sleeping?" He came up next to her and leaned against the railing.
"Sort of. I thought the air would relax me." She felt uncomfortable in his presence and shivered lightly. He noticed this. "To relax you? You wouldn't be feeling nervous because of me now would you?"
She looked at him. "Actually yes, you do make me nervous. What are you doing here?"
He stared at her before replying. He forgot how beautiful she was. "I came to Cuba on a merchant ship. I had been sailing for many years and decided to just stay on land once we arrived here. I got tired of sailing for so long. But I saw Captain Sparrow and decided I wanted to go sailing with him, especially after hearing all the stories about what a great pirate he is. And so he let me join his crew."
Romi looked at him with uncertainty. She wasn't sure if his intentions were honorable or not aboard the Pearl. Especially since she knew the things he was capable of.
He could tell she was trying to analyze him. "I know what you must be thinking. And I am sorry for the things I did to you Romi. I can assure you I am a changed man. Those days are behind me. Can you ever forgive me?"
He did look genuinely sorry, but Romi still held belief that he could not be trusted. "I accept your apology Diego."
He extended his hand and she hesitantly took it. He placed a gentle kiss on her hand, looked up at her and smiled. "I hope you won't be nervous around me anymore."
Romi felt flustered. She forgot how smooth he could be. "Diego, please remember that I am Jack's wife now. Our history together has long been forgotten."
"I know. And you have nothing to worry about I assure you." He leaned back against the railing looking over the deck of the ship. "How long have you been with Jack?"
Romi returned to looking out at the sea. "It has been over 8 years now. Our courtship was rather short and I had Celeste soon after we were married."
"I see. I courted a girl on the ship I sailed out on. She was the daughter of the captain, just like you, except he wasn't a pirate." The last comment made her chuckle out loud.
"What happened with her?"
"I decided I didn't want to be married yet, it would just tie me down and I didn't want that."
"So why did you court me if you never wanted to get married?" She looked at him waiting for his response and his honey brown eyes looked right back into hers.
"You were different Romi. I loved you. I didn't love her in the same way."
Romi felt uncomfortable talking about such things. And felt even more so realizing that she was not only staring at him, but that she was in her nightgown and the fabric was quite sheer. "I think I am going to go get a glass of water and get back to my cabin. I'll see you later Diego." She turned around and left. Diego stared in her direction. "I look forward to it."
Jack was standing nearby and heard the whole conversation. He had awoken shortly after Romi left and had gotten up to find her. He arrived just in time to see Diego approach her. He decided to stand by and see what would happen and was not pleased with what he had heard. He felt furious but decided to go back to the cabin and see if Romi would finally confide in him with who Diego was to her. He reached his cabin and lay back down on the bed. He heard Romi come in. "Where were ye luv? I got worried." He had his arm resting on his forehead as he stared at the ceiling. It was dark and she couldn't really see his expression.
"I was just getting some air and a glass of water. I'm sorry if I worried you." She removed her shawl and lay on the bed next to Jack. She turned over and gave him a light kiss before turning back on her side facing away from him. He looked at the back of her head struggling with himself over whether he should ask her about what had happened between her and Diego. "Is there anything else wrong ye want to talk to me about?"
Romi shut her eyes wishing he would just go back to sleep. "No Jack. Everything is fine. We'll talk tomorrow alright?"
Jack just kept staring at her, his anger increasing. He didn't reply. He just lay there looking at the ceiling. It was an hour or so before he finally fell asleep.
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