Bouncing on the spot in the thick snow, she watched anxiously as Sparrow slid the latch on the mansion's window with the edge of his sword. Not a lamp or a candle shone from inside but still Jade was less than comfortable.
"Are yeh sure they en't in?" she mumbled.
"Quite certain. Gone off to some elaborate to-do in town and will in all likeli'ood not be around to see us in or out 'til well past the witching hours." He pushed the window open and climbed into a small study. "The servant quarters are in the north wing. Should 'ave enough things to accommodate them. If we're lucky, 'alf the 'ouse is free to roam." He beckoned for her to follow. "Cam' on, you're lettin' a draft in."
Once inside, they closed the window to and crept out into dark hallways.
"Where're we goin'?" Jade whispered, surprised at how well he was able to keep quiet despite his erratic movements and his tendency to touch even the most precarious ornaments he passed.
"First to the cellar, or a cellar, and then, if they be unoccupied, the kitchens. You an' me, love, we're goin' to 'ave us an indoor picnic."
Muttering quietly about how he was sure to get them both killed, she tagged along behind the pirate captain as he wandered the great house. She waited for him to surface from a murky basement, a couple of bottles of brandy in hand. A distinct pout displayed on his features. "'ave to do," he said.
Jade rolled her eyes and continued on after him, wincing every time the bottles clinked. To her dismay, he shoved them into her grasp upon discovering the kitchens and left her to keep watch. She peered in through the doorway and watched him rifle through the cupboards, larders and pots with unrivalled speed. The dexterity that came with decades of practice loaded up a platter to the brim and then he light-footed back into the hall.
Avoiding the late-to-bed butler, the two of them crept back to the safety of the east wing and sought out a place to settle. They came across a snug drawing room with a small, yet opulent, array of seating. The little banquet of cold meats; fruit; bread; and slices of plum pudding, was placed upon the central sofa table, a few candles were lit and one of the chairs was shoved firmly under the door handle as a barricade. Jade slumped sideways into an armchair and hooked her legs over an arm, dangling her purple boots. Not caring that her position was awkward, she enjoyed the soft cushions beneath.
"I c'd get used t' this. Can' yeh get the Pearl fitted wi' this sort'f thin'?"
Jack had located a couple of snifters from a cabinet and began pouring brandy. "Saltwater and upholstery tend to 'ave a somewhat acrimonious correlation." He sat on the carpeted floor and offered her a glass. She wrinkled her nose before taking it, proceeding to eye him with suspicion.
"Tryin' t' get meh drunk?"
The pirate tipped a good half of his liquor down then uttered in a blasé voice, "To try is to achieve. Can I not be trusted to present a drink merely for your intended warmth after escapin' the cold?"
"Nah," she said, but gulped a mouthful anyway. She scrunched her eyes up as the liquid burned her throat and felt its stinging warmth sink.
Jack smiled to himself and peeled pieces of cold goose meat from the platter. The action drew the young woman's attention to her hunger and she sat upright, reaching out to scavenge as much as she could. He chuckled at her hurried manner of consumption, receiving a glare in response. "Take your time, missy. No one's cammin' in to take it back. At your ease."
"I've seen women at their ease with yeh, an' it en't a pretty sight," she hissed after she had swallowed her latest mouthful.
"Does one not have to pass through the door of the seedy ruin to find it is a palace? How do you know I wouldn't surprise you?"
"F'r one yeh like t' pretend yeh set in y' ways, an' woss more I never was fond'f surprises."
Sparrow grinned. He downed the last of his brandy, placed the snifter on the table and then dove onto a settee directly across from her. He reclined, one arm behind his head and the other brought up to allow the intermittent examining of fingernails and general bouncing activity.
Jade became conscious of the sounds of her chewing and sulkily engaged in admiring the room to avoid any unwanted looks from Jack. The fireplace was old and beautifully worked into the wall. Shining ornaments clustered upon its mantel: bells; a gentleman tipping his hat and a pair of entwined songbirds. She swallowed a piece of apple just as an eerie, discordant melody reached her senses. Her attention whirled to Jack.
"Wha' -?" She saw the wooden pipes pull away from his mouth, identical to those belonging to the bloodsucking creatures they had come across out on the ocean. "What're yeh doin' wi' those?"
"Apparently nothing. Can't get a bloody sound out'f it."
"Ye' y' did."
Jack tried to play them again.
"Stop it!" Jade snapped, covering her ears. "Yeh playin' it wrong. 'S awful."
The pirate studied the instrument for a moment, repositioning his hold upon it. He cupped his hand about the top to mask his mouth and blew across its surface. At the onset of the produced note, Jade dropped her brandy glass and gave a faint whimper.
Sparrow glanced up to see the young woman staring dazedly in his direction. "Jade?"
"Aye, Cap'n?" Her voice sounded far away.
"Is everything…all right?" His eyes narrowed inquisitively.
"Perfec', Cap'n…" she answered dreamily.
Jack played another note. He watched her clasp the tips of her fingers until her knuckles whitened, attention completely riveted to him. The pirate sat up, still playing the sounds he could not hear. He leaned left; Jade swayed to her right to match. He moved right; she drifted left. Unwilling to drop the discovery too soon, the Captain rose from his seat. "Walk to me." To his astonishment, Miss Starfall got up and started toward him. He fought back a laugh and began to step backwards, edging around the sofa table, breathing into the pipes every few seconds. She followed, hardly blinking. Jack completed a round of the table and arrived back in front of the settee, where he stopped. His playing, however, continued and Jade approached him in her trance. She drew close, her nose almost brushing against the instrument that was dancing her into fairyland. In between his occasional soundings, the pirate spoke quietly, provokingly.
"Ask me to keep playing."
"Please keep playin'."
He grinned and played as he considered the possibilities. An artful gleam shone in his eyes.
"Say I'm the most brilliant, most fascinating man you've ever laid eyes on…"
"Yeh th' most brilliant, mos' fascinatin' man I've ever laid eyes on."
"…an' that you can't get enough o' me…"
"I can' get enough of yeh…" she intoned.
"You would do anything for me…"
"I would do anythin' f'r yeh…"
Jack bit his lip to hold back his mirth, desperate not to spoil his own fun. "Tell me you tremble at the thought of me." She repeated, and he continued for a good few minutes, verging on crudity with his demands of flattery.
"Say this is the best Christmas you've ever 'ad."
"'S th' bes' Chris'mas I ever 'ad."
"Call me Captain…"
"Cap…tain…" Jade's eyes closed.
Sparrow dropped the pipes onto the settee and put his hands at her waist. He smirked, revelling in the feeling of control. He drew her closer and brought his face toward hers.
A crash sounded somewhere outside. Jade blinked out of her stupor.
"What was -," Jack began, but was interrupted by a fist connecting with his jaw. He grimaced. "I s'pose I deserved that."
Before anything further could be said, a grey, shaggy form exploded through the window at the opposite end of the room. It shook off the glass from its pelt and pulled its lips back from its teeth in an enduring snarl.
"W-wolf…" Jade murmured.
"'ho the bloody 'ell keeps wolves?" Jack blurted.
They shoved aside the barricade as the rest of the pack leapt in through the broken entryway. The two humans slammed the door behind them and fled down the hallway, marking the start of the hunt.
