Chapter Six
There were few places in Tortuga that didn't specialize in women or alcohol. Most of those were locked up tight by sunset, and this was no exception. Captain Sparrow got to the door just as the sun was dipping below the horizon and just in time to slip in before closing. He looked fierce enough to give the boy working a chill, but the people knew him here. He'd long since been a customer, even though he didn't have much use for freshly baked bread and cakes- such things spoiled quickly and drew rats from the bilge into the habitable parts of the ship. No, he was after something warmer than freshly baked bread and sweeter than cake.
He found her wiping down a long, scarred table in the back. Her black hair was pulled back into a presentable bun, but it was falling down after a day of work. He smiled, eyes running over her caramel skin and soft curves appreciatively.
As though she sensed his presence- which in fact, she might have, he thought with a widening of his smile- she straightened and turned. He took off his hat and said softly, "Isabella."
"Captain." She nodded a greeting, then looked back to her work. When he didn't move, she looked up and sighed. "I heard you have a new ship."
"Yes. The Black Pearl… She's a beauty, though the Pamplona held a more personal appeal…" Bella colored prettily, remembering, and Sparrow smiled. "How go things here?"
"Things are fine… Business has been slow, but it was hard winter. Not much money to be found, especially in a city of scoundrels."
"And how is the girl?"
"She's healthy," Bella replied, not looking him in the eye. "She inquires about you often."
"Tell her I'll be by in the morning. I have a gift for her."
Bella's hand clinched on the rag she held, drops of brownish water falling onto the gleaming surface of the table. "She doesn't need gifts. She needs a father."
"I know that." He paused. "I'll be by in the morning. It's all I can do." He moved to leave, pushing his hat back on his head.
"Wait," she called. "Where are you staying tonight?"
"I thought to go back to the ship, or to the inn."
She sighed, shaking her head. "Just come home with me. It's been too long, Nicholas."
He nodded. "That it has."
*
The men had found their whores. It had taken a bar fight to decide who would be sleeping with who, but once it was decided, Jack's "friends" disappeared into rooms, and the occasional bump or scream from upstairs assured Jack that they, at least, were enjoying themselves. He, on the other hand… Well, he had rum, and with each gulp of it, he liked it more and more.
A flurry of gray skirts announced the arrival of the girl at his table, and Jack glared at her mercilessly. She just grinned. "You look utterly miserable."
"That must make you happy."
She went on as though she hadn't heard him. "A bar fight, a slap, and plenty of rum… Fitting for your first night in Tortuga."
"What makes you say this is my first night here?"
"You stick out like a sore thumb. You're too clean, for one." He shifted in his clean clothes as she laughed. "You're no pirate."
She moved to leave, but he grabbed her wrist. "Give me time," he said, and winked.
*
Noon rolled around. Captain Sparrow walked to the dock leisurely. Despite his warnings, the crew was always late. They were pirates, after all. Most of them had arrived by the time he got to the dock, and Grant had them loading supplies onto the longboats.
Grant approached him shortly after he arrived. "Cap'n." Sparrow acknowledged him with a nod, and continued watching the men load the boats. "How's Isabella?"
"She's well."
"The girl?"
Few people would ask that question. Few people knew enough about Captain Nicholas Sparrow to know to ask it. "The very image of her mother. A beauty already at six." He sighed. "She's six years old and I've seen her a handful of times… I'm surprised she remembers me."
"You're unforgettable," Grant replied with a sympathetic smile.
"Thank you, Thomas." He patted his friend on the shoulder, a signal that the conversation was over. They lapsed into silence until Sparrow noticed something. "Where's Jack?"
Grant shook his head, then called out, "Mr. Killigan! Where be Jack?"
Killigan paused in his work to shake his head. "Last I saw he was in the tavern, Cap'n."
Barbossa- who was far too snide, and a troublemaker to boot- snorted and elbowed Killigan. "Poor boy was making eyes at Kittie Barlow. I don't know if he'll return alive."
Sparrow and Grant exchanged a look and a sigh. "This boy is going to be more trouble than he's worth, isn't he, Cap'n?"
Sparrow shook his head, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. "Seems so, Thomas. It seems so."
There were few places in Tortuga that didn't specialize in women or alcohol. Most of those were locked up tight by sunset, and this was no exception. Captain Sparrow got to the door just as the sun was dipping below the horizon and just in time to slip in before closing. He looked fierce enough to give the boy working a chill, but the people knew him here. He'd long since been a customer, even though he didn't have much use for freshly baked bread and cakes- such things spoiled quickly and drew rats from the bilge into the habitable parts of the ship. No, he was after something warmer than freshly baked bread and sweeter than cake.
He found her wiping down a long, scarred table in the back. Her black hair was pulled back into a presentable bun, but it was falling down after a day of work. He smiled, eyes running over her caramel skin and soft curves appreciatively.
As though she sensed his presence- which in fact, she might have, he thought with a widening of his smile- she straightened and turned. He took off his hat and said softly, "Isabella."
"Captain." She nodded a greeting, then looked back to her work. When he didn't move, she looked up and sighed. "I heard you have a new ship."
"Yes. The Black Pearl… She's a beauty, though the Pamplona held a more personal appeal…" Bella colored prettily, remembering, and Sparrow smiled. "How go things here?"
"Things are fine… Business has been slow, but it was hard winter. Not much money to be found, especially in a city of scoundrels."
"And how is the girl?"
"She's healthy," Bella replied, not looking him in the eye. "She inquires about you often."
"Tell her I'll be by in the morning. I have a gift for her."
Bella's hand clinched on the rag she held, drops of brownish water falling onto the gleaming surface of the table. "She doesn't need gifts. She needs a father."
"I know that." He paused. "I'll be by in the morning. It's all I can do." He moved to leave, pushing his hat back on his head.
"Wait," she called. "Where are you staying tonight?"
"I thought to go back to the ship, or to the inn."
She sighed, shaking her head. "Just come home with me. It's been too long, Nicholas."
He nodded. "That it has."
*
The men had found their whores. It had taken a bar fight to decide who would be sleeping with who, but once it was decided, Jack's "friends" disappeared into rooms, and the occasional bump or scream from upstairs assured Jack that they, at least, were enjoying themselves. He, on the other hand… Well, he had rum, and with each gulp of it, he liked it more and more.
A flurry of gray skirts announced the arrival of the girl at his table, and Jack glared at her mercilessly. She just grinned. "You look utterly miserable."
"That must make you happy."
She went on as though she hadn't heard him. "A bar fight, a slap, and plenty of rum… Fitting for your first night in Tortuga."
"What makes you say this is my first night here?"
"You stick out like a sore thumb. You're too clean, for one." He shifted in his clean clothes as she laughed. "You're no pirate."
She moved to leave, but he grabbed her wrist. "Give me time," he said, and winked.
*
Noon rolled around. Captain Sparrow walked to the dock leisurely. Despite his warnings, the crew was always late. They were pirates, after all. Most of them had arrived by the time he got to the dock, and Grant had them loading supplies onto the longboats.
Grant approached him shortly after he arrived. "Cap'n." Sparrow acknowledged him with a nod, and continued watching the men load the boats. "How's Isabella?"
"She's well."
"The girl?"
Few people would ask that question. Few people knew enough about Captain Nicholas Sparrow to know to ask it. "The very image of her mother. A beauty already at six." He sighed. "She's six years old and I've seen her a handful of times… I'm surprised she remembers me."
"You're unforgettable," Grant replied with a sympathetic smile.
"Thank you, Thomas." He patted his friend on the shoulder, a signal that the conversation was over. They lapsed into silence until Sparrow noticed something. "Where's Jack?"
Grant shook his head, then called out, "Mr. Killigan! Where be Jack?"
Killigan paused in his work to shake his head. "Last I saw he was in the tavern, Cap'n."
Barbossa- who was far too snide, and a troublemaker to boot- snorted and elbowed Killigan. "Poor boy was making eyes at Kittie Barlow. I don't know if he'll return alive."
Sparrow and Grant exchanged a look and a sigh. "This boy is going to be more trouble than he's worth, isn't he, Cap'n?"
Sparrow shook his head, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. "Seems so, Thomas. It seems so."