Disclaimer: I don't own anything ok? K!
When Evalyn Henley grows tired of being ordered around like one of her servants, she decides she is in need of her own life, independence and adventure. And where does she go looking for it? On the open seas, of course.
AN: Dun dun dun!
Chapter 9: Change
A cigarette soared out from the window, landing in the salty ocean water. Wesley stared at the glow of the ash until it had hit the water and extinguished itself. He clasped his hands behind his head and propped his feet against the desk behind the wheel.
Englehorn glanced at the boots and tried to resist the urge to smack them back to the floor. He was still angry over the way his friend had treated Eva. Wesley was known almost worldwide for his suave, Casanova ways. He could woe any woman into his spell. And the fact that he was doing it to Eva made Englehorn feel bitter inside. He clutched the pegs on the wheels so tight, his fingers were going numb.
Wesley clutched a small knife and cleaned his fingernails with it as he waited for Captain Englehorn to speak. He knew when someone was mad. It was gift of his to read emotions. Although Thomas was almost the master at hiding his true self, Wesley had been friends with him for too long.
Sighing, the man stood up and crossed to the wheel, clapping his mate on the shoulder. Wesley was a few inches shorter, but made Englehorn look almost invisible next to him. He had always hated the fact that no matter what Wes did, Thomas was always the one being ignored.
"Thomas, my friend. I have to let you in on a tiny secret." The shorter grinned and pointed out to the sea. "All your days as a Captain, what have you done? Ran shipments from one coast, to the other."
"And this is your secret?"
Wes ignored him and tapped the compass above the wheel, making Englehorn turn his attention to it. "A few months ago, a man came to me with a bit of a proposition. The Tempest and I were on our way North when we saw your tiny speck of a ship on the horizon..." He chuckled softly before continuing. "Now, to be perfectly honest, we were intending to rob you. But, once I saw it was indeed a friend, I knew I must tell you. I'm in a new business, Thomas." Wesley's dark eyes gleamed with mischeif.
Englehorn should have known right then that whatever he had in mind, it was stupid. He continued to stare at his friend, not saying anything in case Wes decided to go on and explain further. He picked up the hint and let his lips twist into a grin. "Have you ever captured a live animal, my friend?"
Why had Eva not packed more suitable clothes for a lady? Pants and sailor shirts were most certainly not becoming of her figure. The only thing Eva could even look at without being disgusted was the same outfit she had been wearing the day she climbed aboard this ship. Her knees were exposed beneath the skirt hem, making her frown. Had she grown since running away?
She sure felt different. Shrugging out of her sailor uniform, Eva began rummaging through her bag for a bit of powder for her nose. She didn't even remember packing it, but there it was. Eva thanked God above for stowing it away.
Eva patted her nose and raised an eyebrow. Her skin was darker than the powder in her compact. She looked as though she had taken flour from the kitchen and stuck her nose in it. She quickly wiped it off and pulled her straps onto her shoulders. The summer jacket would have to do to cover her modestly. As her outfit came together, rather haphazardly seeing as how she had no shoes except the pair she practiced tennis in, Eva wondered if Wesley would still even be there.
Shrugging, Eva slipped her feet into the pair of shoes and looked into her mirror. Her hair was just an absolute mess. She twisted it behind her head and secured it with the miniscule amount of pins she had. It held much to Eva's surprise. She smoothed her hands down her blue dress and sighed heavily.
If she had dressed up for nothing, someone was going to suffer the wrath of a hormonal nineteen year old. She practiced a smile quickly before racing up to the deck. Since the Venture and Tempest had stopped to let the crew make friends once more, the deck had grown quite crowded, with some new faces.
The men of the Tempest were a bit more fit, and looked to be more equiped for duties that required much strength. Eva silently wondered if Wesley had picked them out of the prisons. Of course, for all she knew, Englehorn could have picked his own crew out of the prisons as well. Eva gulped and climbed up to the helm of the Venture. She was delighted to see Wesley standing at the wheel, speaking in his native tongue to a man Eva couldn't see.
They were laughing and she found herself reveling in the foreign language. It sounded so exotic in her ears. The second man stepped out, making Eva gasp with wide eyes. It was Englehorn, but in a way Eva had only thought about in her daydreams and fantasies. She didn't think she'd ever get to see the man shirtless ever again. Yet, there he was. Shirtless and dripping wet from either a shower or a swim.
The suspenders of his pants hung loosely around his hips, while his pants themselves seemed to be trying to get as close as possible to Englehorn's skin. Eva's breath disappeared as her mouth started watering at the sight before she realized that both men were staring at her. Wesley had a smirk twisting his mouth upward. He reached forward and took Eva's hand, kissing it the same as he had the night they had first met.
Her cheeks blushed as he did so, making her feel lightheaded. A half naked man, and another kissing her hand. Eva felt as though she were in heaven. Englehorn stared at her, letting his eyes flutter down the length of the girl's body. He hadn't even noticed the way she was gawking at him. All he could think of was how she had never dressed up for him.
"What do we owe the fine pleasure of your company?" Wes said charmingly. He leaned against the door frame and grinned lascivously.
Eva ducked her head and tried to occupy her trembling hands by twisting them behind her back. She smiled softly and gave a slight shrug to her shoulders, only remembering afterwards that it was more polite to speak than to shrug. She lifted her head. "I was just coming to tell Captain Englehorn good morning."
"Oh, of course. What a lovely morning it has been." Wes winked. "The only thing that could've completed it, would have been your presence."
Eva's cheeks flushed once more. If she stayed in that room for another mintue, she was afraid she'd either pass out from the amount of times she blushed, or the fact that Englehorn shirtless was making her head spin. Laughing nervously, Eva fanned her face with her hand and looked out at the sea. "It's so warm out today." The way she spoke almost made her gag.
It was as if she was trying to be someone else, just so these men would either like her, or not see that she very much liked the sight of them. She cleared her throat quickly and turned to make her way out onto the small balcony that lined the helm of the ship. Wes followed her out and leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms over his broad chest. "What brings you here on this ship?"
Eva looked away quickly, wracking her brain for a plausible lie to use. "Nothing really. I just...wanted to be away."
She glanced out of the corner of her eye and noticed the Captain making his way out into the sea air also. He had put on a dark shirt that did nothing to hide his muscles. Eva could almost sigh in delight at the look of his bare chest. Of course, she refrained from doing so at the moment. Wes joined her at the edge of the railing and tilted his face upward. Eva bit the inside of her cheek, unsure of what exactly was coming over her. Here she was, in between two men, who both were beyond handsome.
Just a month ago, she would have probably stomped their toes and called them pigs. But, now...She was trying hard to catch her breath. Maybe back in her southern town she just hadn't seen any men worth seeing. The ones she was introduced to had oodles of money and always promised to buy her things. But, out here, on her own, men were treating her like a crew member. Well, just Englehorn.
The men from both the Tempest and Venture were taking a nice swim in the water while both ship's stayed still in the ocean. Apparently, they had stopped the engines and were simply floating. Eva was unsure of why they were doing so, since the Venture wasn't doing so well from the damages done to the engine. But, she really couldn't find the reason to care.
"But, what did you want to be away from?"
"Oh, does it matter? I'm away and that's all I care about."
The man smiled softly and closed his eyes for a long moment. The shouts and laughter from the men down below filtered up to them. Eva looked down, wishing she didn't have fear of the ocean. A lovely swim sounded wonderful in her mind. "If only you had stowed away on my ship, and not my dear friend's. I would treat you far better than Thomas has." Wes gave a side ways glance to Captain Englehorn, who looked as though he were on the verge of throttling his good friend. "Having her swab the deck? Cook for your men? Honestly, Thomas, I thought you were a gentelman." He teased.
Eva kept her eyes trained on Englehorn's boots. She couldn't help but feel as though an argument was on the verge of erupting. Ever since she came aboard the Venture, she's had more men argue over her than she could have ever imagined. Sighing, Englehorn tried to keep his mouth shut, to keep any foul words from flying out. "I'm only teasing, mein freund."
"Erm, when exactly are we going to...leave, Captain Englehorn?"
"There's been a change of plans, actually." He glanced to Wesley, frowning as the latter man grinned wide and knowingly. "We're following the Tempest north, to England...for repairs."
Eva's eyes widened at the mention of England. She had never been anywhere as exciting before and suddenly, couldn't wait until they started the engines up. Clasping her hands tightly at her chest, Eva took a step toward the Captain. "You're serious? England? Are the damages to the ship bad? I mean, to say, will we make it? Oh, I've never been so excited in my life!"
Wesley laughed loudly and took Eva's hand. "My thoughts exactly. Eva, I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me aboard the Tempest? I promise the food will not be crumbling bread and soup." He winked at Englehorn, who merely rolled his eyes. Thomas was not in the mood to have dinner with Wesley, not in the mood to hear his mindless flirting, either. He was surprised that Eva giggled at every thing Wes said, especially when most of it was rather stupid.
Sighing, Englehorn opened his mouth to protest, but never had the chance. "Of course! That sounds lovely...You'll join us, won't you Captain Englehorn?"
"Oh, no. He wouldn't want to sit down to a formal dinner. These things are a bit under Thomas' tastes."
Eva blinked and glanced toward the man. He stared, abashed that Wes had went that far. And, in front of Eva. She looked almost disappointed to hear that he wouldn't be coming, but quickly masked it with a smile. "Well, anyway. I would be honored. What time shall we meet?"
!i!i!i!
Now that she actually had somewhere to dress up to, Eva regretted wearing her blue dress this afternoon. After a quick shower, she dressed once more in the same clothes and brushed through her hair as best as she could. It wasn't quite seven o'clock yet, the time they agreed to meet. Eva took a seat at her mirror and stared at her reflection for a long moment.
Her face had grown thinner since coming aboard the ship, but it didn't look gaunt. Eva touched her cheek and smiled. It was as if her face elongated in the past weeks. Her skin had grown tawny, and freckles had appeared upon her cheeks. She usually hated the sight of her freckles, but at the moment, they made her smile more.
Eva looked down at her exposed arms and wondered if it would appear immodest to bear them so much. Her mother had always taught her that unmarried women should look conservative, and respectable. But who cares? Eva straighted her shoulders and pushed her chest out a bit, smirking. If she wanted to act like a harlot, then who would stop her?
No mother on board to scold her and force her to wear a jacket. No father to frown and ask if she wanted to resemble a courtesan. "I'll be a tart if I damn well please." Eva muttered, brushing her hair away from her face. She bit her lips to make them swell and redden. With a quick glance at the time, Eva stood and made her way toward the door.
She threw it open, only to find Englehorn on the opposite side. Her eyes widened and Eva took a step back. "Captain Englehorn?"
Thomas opened his mouth and closed it quickly, not sure of the words he had rehearsed in his head during the walk to Eva's door. He glanced down the length of her body and felt his eyes pause on the neckline of her outfit. Quickly, Englehorn returned his gaze to Eva's face and cleared his throat. "I decided to take Wesley up on his offer for dinner. The thought of watery soup and bread didn't sound very appetizing."
Eva laughed and shook her head gently. "No, it doesn't." They stood for a long moment, their feet rooted to the floor. Eva felt as if she should say something, but there were no words that seemed good enough. Englehorn glanced sideways feeling as though he were only fifteen years old, awkward and afraid. Mentally kicking himself for being so dumb, he held his arm out. Eva stared at it with wide eyes before hesitantly looping her hand through.
She had never voluntarily touched him. And the feel of his warmth beneath her hand brought a heated memory of Englehorn's pitiful kiss that night in the helm. Her lips tingled and begged to have another.
Her mind was filled with many things on the short trip across to the Tempest. Mostly of how she could steal a kiss from him again. But, the best she could come up with, was to somehow fall on his mouth. Which was a bit more difficult than she was willing to try. Eva sighed and looked around the deck of the Tempest. It was neat, and not cluttered with crates and ropes like the Venture.
In fact, there was nothing but the floor and railing on the entire deck. Eva looked around, wondering where all the shiply goods were. Were they not a tramp steamer and cargo ship like the Venture?
A man stepped up to them, jerking Eva from her speculations. Wesley stood in front of the two, surprised to see Englehorn, and even more surprised to see Eva's hand around the captain's arm. With a smile sweeping his lips, Wes greeted both with a bow, as if he were some Medieval subject greeting a king. Enlgehorn rolled his eyes, growing tired of his friend's antics. Especially since they were all just to make Eva blush and giggle.
Which is exactly what she did. Eva slipped her hand out from Thomas' arm and allowed Wes to press his lips to her knuckles again. Captain Englehorn clenched his fists at his sides.
All three entered Wesley's private quarters. Thomas and Eva both stood at the door, marveling at how extravagent he made it look. Red curtains hung over the bed, and instead of a desk, there was a dining table and two chairs. Candles placed at the center of the table was the only light being produced. Wes turned on the electric lights and sat down. Both Englehorn and eva stared at the single chair remaining before glancing at each other.
"Oh, terribly sorry, Thomas. Care to sit in my desk's chair?"
"What choice do I have?" He muttered, pulling the chair across the floor until he was seated between Eva and Wesley. As the seconds ticked on, tension spread so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Eva ate her dinner quietly, trying not to let her fork or knife clank against the plate. She wanted nothing less than to draw attention to herself. It was bad enough that she was causing Englehorn to get angry at Wes...but it was possibly worse that she had no idea what she was doing to do so.
Biting her lower lip, Eva glanced up at Wes and smiled politely when she caught him staring. He hadn't even touched his food. And yet, Englehorn hadn't stopped eating the entire time. Perhaps he was trying to get it over with so he could leave. But, Eva surely didn't want to be alone with Wes. It was clear to even her naive eyes what he was trying to do.
She was flattered, of course, yet he was still untrustworthy. Gulping, Eva pushed her plate back, feeling her appetite diminishing. "How long have you been a captain?" She asked for the sake of a conversation. The silence was on the verge of bursting her ear drums. Wes raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "For as long as Thomas has been at it. How long has it been now, Thomas? Ten years? Why...that would make you almost thir--"
"Does it matter?" Englehorn said, looking up from his meal. He too pushed his plate back and stared at Wesley. His blue eyes were icy as they glared hard into Wes' own. The latter man simply smiled and turned to Eva. "How old are you?"
"Nineteen...Twenty in August."
Wes grinned and tilted his head to the side, blinking his dark eyes. "But, still nineteen."
"Yes, I suppose. Doesn't make me any less intelligent. I was just born after you and...and Captain Englehorn."
At the mention of his name, Wes turned quickly toward Thomas and stared. "You make her call you Captain Englehorn? How long have you been on board that peice of shit ship?" Eva's cheeks flushed at his words, but before she could answer Captain Englehorn slammed his hand down on the table. Wes moved his stare casually, as if he were used to little outburts like that.
"If you call my ship a peice of shit one more time, I swear to God above I'll strap you to the bottom of that peice of shit ship."
Silence filled the room. It was almost as horrible to sit through as the first bout of quiet. Eva gave a sigh and looked at Wesley through a curtain of dark lashes. He was smirking, as if he had succeeded at some master plan. "I've been aboard for almost three weeks. I think. I've lost count of days, actually. If you'll both excuse me, I need to go lay down." Without any company to the Venture, Eva all but fled from the dinner, wishing she hadn't even agreed to it in the first place.
It was becoming increasinly clear that Wesley had something up his sleeves. His every feature screamed dangerous, not to mention the way he talks to Captain Englehorn, as if he were a dog. Eva frowned and wondered how they had become such great friends. Despite Wesley's dangerous demeanor, the one thing Eva found most frightening was the way he looked at her. As if he knew everything with one glance. There was hunger in his dark orbs and Eva found herself unable to think of anything but them as she drifted to sleep...
Englehorn paced the floor of Wesley's quarters, his hands on his hips. He was furious with his friend, if he could call him that still, and he wasn't even sure why. Sure he made it seem like he was the better man, and Thomas was treating Eva like a dog, but there was something else that gnawed at Thomas' insides. He stopped in front of Wes and sighed.
"Have you sent word to her parents, yet?" Wes looked up at him slowly, raising an eyebrow.
"What?" Thomas asked, narrowing his eyes. He momentarily forgot that Eva was due back home any day now. It was going to be difficult convincing her parents that the ship had to have repairs before bringing her home.
"Evalyn's parents. Have you told them that their daughter's return will...cost a bit more?"
He had definately forgot about upping the reward price. Thomas stared hard at Wesley, wishing he could turn back time and throw Eva off the ship that night at the docks. It would have saved his life alot of hell. "No, I haven't."
"Well, the wireless is behind you. No better time than the present." Wes pointed a long finger toward the desk to Englehorn's left. He watched as his mate coded a message to the coast gaurd in America. Englehorn was dumb, in Wesley's eyes. He had a woman on his ship, obviously interested in seeing more of his naked body, and he only forced her into chores. Honestly, he was a bit surprised that she was still referring to him as Captain.
Wes figured she'd be calling him Captain of the bedroom by now. If Englehorn wasn't going to reach out and capture this girl for his, how would Wes live with himself, knowing he had a chance to slip in and steal her away, yet didn't?
If Eva was willing, then by all means, so was Wes.
AN- Ooooo...Getting good, eh? I love Wes..I don't know why. He's such a git, but I love him! Thanks to EVERYONE for the reviews...and I know Eva has basically turned a 180...but she's just never felt attraction to a man like she does for Englehorn...and Wes. And, goodness, who could resist Englehorn! Raaawr! But, don't worry...Thomas Englehorn will step up in the upcoming chapters. Don't forget to review!