The Trouble with Women
Chapter 15
The Unfortunate Three
--
"Any last words before you're tossed from my ship?"
The question was directed to the three men, Beckham, Louis and Bardus. They'd been lined up at the side of the ship to take their punishment, and the whole crew had gathered to watch the event, seemingly very humoured by the three bound and gagged men. Behind them, a long wooden plank had been run out from the side of the Pearl, facing the port on Sainte Marie, where a large pirate town had been built at the edge of the water.
The three men had been hauled up from below decks, dirty and hungry, and were paraded (much to the crew's amusement) across the deck. Jack had insisted Vivien stay to watch during the punishment, and seemed to think the whole thing a great game. She wasn't too sure about that. Running men off the side of ships certainly wasn't something she would have thought to do for fun.
But Jack had persuaded her, giving her no real choice in the manner, and had been forced to stand by Anamaria while the three were ridiculed in front of their crew.
To be sure, Vivien was terrified of the three men, but that didn't mean she couldn't allow them some sort of pity. Especially Bardus, because he seemed entirely too stupid to know what was going on. All brawn and no brains…
At the moment, Jack stood before the three pirates, grinning with a sort of smug satisfaction, the crew backing their captain, smirks of equal proportion on their faces.
Louis seemed to be trying to say something from beneath his gag, but was entirely unable to, which sent a ripple of chuckles through the on-looking crew.
Entirely too pleased, Jack cocked an ear at the three. "What's that mate? I can't hear ya!" he exclaimed with mock concentration, smirking the whole time.
Vivien, meanwhile, observed the dirty men around her with a wary sort of eye. Oh yes, they seemed quite entertained by this show of inhumane barbarianism. Even Anamaria had a grin upon her face! Never had she felt more out of place in her life! Why hadn't Jack allowed herself to hole up in her cabin? It was enough to know the men had been forced off the ship; she didn't have to see it!
Louis had given up and was now glaring silently at his captain.
"What? You've got nothing to say for yourself?" Jack cocked an eyebrow at them, seemingly shocked, before a look of utter realization spread across his face. "Oh, right! You can't very well say anything with socks in your mouths, now can ye?"
The crew laughed.
Beckham looked enraged, as though wanting nothing more than to tear the shorter man to shreds with his bare hands. If they weren't tied behind his back, that is. Louis, on the other hand, seemed a bit calmer, while Bardus seemed more frightened than anything.
"Ah, get on wit' it, Cap'n!" one of the crewmen cried, to which Jack spun around and glared at them for hastening his moment of pure victory. But it only took a few moments for a sly smirk to break through onto his face once more, and heturned with a flourish of hands to eye the three accused pirates. They looked pitiful.
"Aye, we'll get on with it!" he said, and his few golden teeth glinted in the warm sunlight. "Gibbs, Sam, be so kind as to remove those gags from our trio's mouths. I'm sure they're not the best tasting things."
However, as soon as the three were free of their speaking inhibitions, they were spouting various obscenities at Jack, seemingly doing their best insult both captain and crew.
"I hope yer stinkin' ship gets blown to pieces by a navy vessel an' rots in Davy Jones' locker!" Beckham glared at his former Captain, spitting down at Jack's boots.
"Aye, and I tell ye you'd be a better Captain hanging from the short end of a long rope, Sparrow!" Louis snarled like some sort of feral dog.
Bardus, being too stupid, said nothing.
No one but the three saw the momentary darkening of the pirate Captain's face, and even as it flashed there for a moment, it was gone with a dark smile. Now, perhaps, was Jack's favourite part, other than running the men off the end of the plank, that is. He quite enjoyed bringing the men who dared break the Code down to their true height by denouncing them from his Pearl.
Jack grinned. "Very well then, I'll commence with the disembarking of you three slimy weasels from my crew, and enjoy every moment of it," he announced..
Vivien watched, apprehensive, from her spot beside Anamaria. She was jostled in with the rest of the crew, who gave a hearty cry and a chorus of whistles at their Captain's words.
He continued in a jaunty tone, hands waving wildly, enjoying himself completely. "I, Jack Sparrow, as Captain of there 'ere ship, the Black Pearl, hereby declare you three gutless cads, Beckham, Bardus and Louis, forfeit from the ship's articles. You, lads, are no longer under the protection of the Black Pearl and her crew, and if I ever have the misfortune of seein' your three ugly faces again, I'm afraid I may have to run you through with my sword! And, while I'm at it, I think I'll mention that anyone with enough spine to approach our dear Vivien Brideau with anything other than honourable intentions, won't suffer the same as these three!" he declared, and turned to eye the crew. "Nay, they'll receive ten lashes and be thrown into the sea and bleed for the sharks! Savvy?"
Dutifully, the whole of the crew replied with a loud "Aye!" for they knew Jack wouldn't be pleased if they didn't agree. Some eyes turned towards the short Frenchwoman beside Anamaria, trying to shrink into the floor. She still couldn't tell if they had accepted her presence or not, but being under Jack's protection gave her mind a bit of relief. She blushed a deep scarlet, and received a hearty jab in the ribs by Anamaria, who was chuckling to herself.
"Jack's awfully protective of you, lass," she murmured out of the corner of her mouth, grinning.
Vivien stayed silent. Of course, I'm the equivalent of a very valuable treasure map that leads to a very large fortune…
Jack continued, satisfied with the answer from his men. "Now, as a punishment, Gibbs 'ere and I have decided to run you three bastards off the Pearl in nothing but your skivvies!" he pronounced, planting his hands firmly on his hips and smirking devilishly, dark eyes glinting as he stared down his nose at the three culprits. How that was possible would never be known, however, because all three men were at least a few inches taller than Jack. It didn't seem to bother him the slightest, however, and the crew were highly enjoying their Captain's humorous display of authority.
Anamaria spoke to Vivien out of the corner of her mouth. "It's not every day we get to see men run off our plank! I fear Sparrow rather enjoys running mutineers off the ship, despite having it done to him twice!" she grinned.
Vivien cast her a quizzical look, somewhat struck by the thought of Jack being run off the plank into the ocean. Her musing was interrupted, however, by Jack's voice.
He had turned to address his men once more, hands straying to dance about in the air. "Now, I told myself, Jack ol' boy, this couldn't get much better! Until I realized that us pirates don't often wear skivvies!"—at this point Vivien had once again turned beet red—"So, what's better than walking a man off a plank in his underwear when you can run 'em off when they're stark naked?"
The Frenchwoman seemed to cringe away from the rowdy crew as they exploded into what could only be named as guffaws. Loud, raucous, guffaws. The kind of laughter that brought tears to one's eyes. But truth be told, she didn't seem very amused herself. Anamaria seemed to notice her unease, and rolled her eyes in slight exasperation.
Jack, however, seemed quite pleased with crew's reaction.
"I believe everyone agrees on this one, men," he told the three accused as he turned back to them. "So, off with the clothes!"
Beckham snarled. "On your life, Sparrow!" he taunted, holding his head high.
Within seconds, Jack's sword had been drawn and a thin line was slashed down the front of his shirt. It slowly fluttered open in the breeze, showing it to be cut straight through.
Jack grinned smugly. "Not likely, Beckham. Now turn 'round." He motioned for Gibbs to come over. "Cut their bonds, mate."
Muttering to himself, the portly man pulled a short dagger from his belt and set about sawing off the ropes holding the three men's hands behind their backs. When he was done, he turned a critical on all three. "May ye pray the fishes aren't bitin', lads!" he chuckled to himself, and then stood back as Jack took command once more.
The next part Vivien didn't see, for she had turned an almost impossible shade of red and turned away, Anamaria's chuckles behind her.
Jack noticed this, and smiled to himself at her embarrassment. She was obviously an innocent, and he couldn't help but be angered to know that the three fools before him could have taken it away from her. Before I had the chance, he thought to himself slyly, but glared at his captives. "I'll not ask you another time, mates. Off with the clothes," he ordered firmly.
None moved an inch.
So, Jack took matters into his own hands, and with a flick of his sword, Beckham's breeches were a mound of cloth piled around his boots. The crew howled with laughter as he was exposed, naked, for all to see.
Jack cocked an eyebrow at them, swaying forward slightly. "You want me to do it for you?" he mocked.
Without any further protest, and within a mater of minutes, the three men had discarded all their clothes as well as their boots on the deck and stood naked as they day they were born.
"Good, good, now line up nicely, mates," Jack urged, prodding the men in their backs until they were standing before the wooden plank in a line, with Louis in the front. He turned to scowl at Jack.
"I meant what I said, you fool! You'd do better captaining a ship from a noose than at the helm!" he sneered, but the object of his scorn didn't seem to affected.
Jack merely smiled. "And I meant what I said. If I ever see your sorry face in a port where I've docked, the last thing you'll see is my sword in your gut," he shot back, eyes cold. "Get off."
Surprisingly, Louis did so without question, and the crew cheered as he hit the water. He bobbed up moments later and began to swim to shore. Jack called after him, grinning once more, satisfied with the jump. "You'd best keep your nose out of my way when I'm in town, too, Louis!" he hollered over the waters, but the Frenchman made no real sign of hearing him. Jack knew he had, though, because his strokes seemed to come faster.
Bardus was next, who offered no real struggle and got nothing save a sharp jab from Jack's sword to get him running off the plank. He fell into the water in an ungraceful heap, and followed Louis as he swam to shore.
Beckham, however, had to be hauled onto the plank by two crewmembers, and once there stood glaring defiantly at Jack, somehow managing to look imposing despite being naked and unarmed. "This ain't no bloody pirate ship! It's more like a bleedin' hen frigate!"
"I had a feeling you were gonna give me trouble," Jack muttered to himself before stepping up to the side of the ship, one boot on the plank. The whole crew watched in anticipation.
Beckham narrowed his eyes. "You'll get what's comin' to ye, Sparrow," he warned.
Pulling his gun from his belt, Jack ran a lazy finger down the barrel. "Aye, dam right I will! And right now what's comin' to me is a barrel of rum and a woman or two on my arm!" he declared, and many of the crew couldn't help but smile. Stern, he urged the man off the edge of the plank with his gun. "Go on, go on, step back a bit before I shoot ya. Come on, man, I don't have all day! The rum's waitin' for me!"
Beckham scowled, but turned nonetheless, and dived naked from the plank, hitting the water with a loud splash.
The crew burst into cheers, and Jack stepped down from the plank, shouting to be heard over the noise. "Get this mess cleaned up, men!" he waved to the clothes on the deck. "Ready the boats! We're headed for the taverns!" His orders were met with another cheer, and Gibbs patted him heartily on the back as he passed.
Vivien still had her back turned, and Anamaria pulled her around, grinning.
"Come on, lass, I'm sure there's some use to ya. Maybe you can help with the—" she was cut off abruptly by an interrupting voice.
"No need Anamaria. I've already got this sorted out," Jack butted in, standing behind the two women.
They turned, Vivien looking confused. Anamaria folded her arms across her chest, looking expectant.
"She isn't going ashore," he explained lightly, an infuriating half-smile on his lips.
The mulatto woman arched an eyebrow at him. "She's not? I would have thought a few hours off this ship would do her good."
Jack bit back a laugh. "Here? Like dropping a hen in a pen full o' cats—or cocks, whichever you prefer." He gave Anamaria a pointed look, "You, however, are. So go help those bloody fools with the boats while I escort our guest down below."
Anamaria looked to be fighting down saying something nasty, but squashed it and nodded stiffly, offering the Frenchwoman a small smile before marching off towards a group of incompetent pirates tangling the ropes holding the boats above the water, shrieking at the top of her lungs the whole way.
Vivien turned to address the odd captain, only to find herself accosted by said man, he with an arm thrown casually and deliberately over her shoulders and directing her towards the hatch leading down below. She tried hard not to cringe away from his touch, and was led down the set of steps.
"As I said, you'll not set a foot upon Sainte Marie's shore, precisely because this port is a pirate town, with pirates not as friendly as myself," he announced, pulling her along with him as they descended the stairs to the decks below.
Vivien felt the urge to defend herself. "And I never said I'd want to," she retorted, sounding affronted.
This caused Jack to stop, and he slid his arm from her shoulders to stand before her, a smile that showed one golden tooth in the dim light below deck. "I confess I'm starting to enjoy the newfound sharpness of your tongue," he said, and took hold of her wrist this time, tugging her along after him.
They made their way past the gun deck, and he pulled her gently out into the small passageway where the few cabins were, as well as the crew's quarters. The whole time, Vivien subtly attempted to free her wrist from his grasp, still not quite trusting the man. And touching, touching was a no-no. Vivien despised being touched, and being dragged along while being touched was even worse! But, needless to say, her struggles didn't work, and just as unnoticeably, it seemed, Jack's grip tightened around her wrist.
"I hope you don't mind staying down below while we're on shore," he started up again, and Vivien could tell he wasn't the least bit sincere. Anything with this man was rarely heartfelt. It was all a game of sorts, him with his cleverly placed words and mannerisms. She's known him for four days now and she figured she's only gained in learning his name and love for alcohol (rum, in particular).
Stopping suddenly, he turned to face her, wrists flaccid while his hands waved. "I don't want to attract any unwanted attention, and since you seem to believe your guardian…wotsisname?" he pursed his lips, trying to recall if she'd ever told him his name. She had, hadn't she? Maybe he'd been drunk at the time?
"Dorian…Dorian Belfast," was the tentative yet complied answer.
He couldn't help but think how familiar that name sounded. "Dorian Belfast…" he tried it on his own tongue, attempting to jog his memory a bit. "Aye…since you seem to think this Belfast'll be after me for sweeping your fair self from Bourbon, I'd like to be as inconspicuous as possible."
Somehow, Vivien didn't think that was likely…
She was yanked forward again, down the narrow hall with doors on each side. And she suddenly realized that they'd walked right on past her own cabin. They were now headed for his own, the door at the very end of the hallway. "Wait! Wait, Captain Sparrow! We've passed my cabin!" she exclaimed, digging her heels into the floor in an attempt to wrestle herself free.
But Jack Sparrow seemed adamant that he follow her. He was headed for his quarters, and continued on speaking as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "One thing you have to understand, love, is that is a pirate town. And in being a pirate town, there's bound to be a good many pirates running about. The street vendor's a pirate, the baker is a pirate, the bartender's a pirate. I wouldn't be surprised if the bloody strumpets'ave tried their hands at being pirates," he chattered, and pulled Vivien forward, bracing his hands on her shoulders and propelling her into his cabin.
She stumbled forward slightly before whirling about, looking slightly peeved. "Yes, and that's why I'm not allowed ashore, right?"
"Exactly!" he exclaimed, a grin upon his face. "So I suspect you won't have a problem staying in here, to hasten attention from yourself?" he implored, cocking his head.
She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.
Without an answer, Jack gave her a sort of mocking bow before turning about, the hems of his overcoat swaying, before slipping out the door and closing it behind him—on squeaky hinges—all before Vivien could get a word in edgewise.
She might have stood there a good minute or so pondering over the recent happening if she hadn't heard a telltale and fateful click from the door. He wouldn't…he didn't? Did he? He did! Panicked, Vivien flung herself forward, hands latching onto the doorknob and trying to twist it back. It was all in vain, however, as the door didn't budge.
Jack's muffled voice came through the door a moment later. "A man'll be on watch, making sure you don't get out and no one gets in, so I wouldn't try to pick the lock," he announced, and she could hear the smile in his voice.
Pirate bâtard!
She pressed herself to the door, a panicked look crossing her face. "What's the meaning of this? Our accord required a certain amount of trust, Sparrow! I find it disheartening that you're abusing that!" she cried. Whatever spurred this sudden change in attitude, she had no clue, but she did know she didn't like it. Surely safe passage didn't mean being confined below decks? And in his own cabin no less! Entièrement inappropri!
Vivien didn't really expect him to answer, but his voicecame through the wood a moment later.
"Pirate, Vivien, remember that! And it's not a matter of me trusting you, it's a matter of that I don't entirely trust you to keep yourself safe!" he countered, amused.
Oh yes, she knew he was laughing at her…
"I'm no fool! You said so yourself! You expect me to go running headlong into danger?" she beseeched, flustered. She could feel a humiliated blush rising on her cheeks, although there was no one there to see it. Thankfully.
"Aye, but I never said you were bright, either!"
A direct blow to her pride! The nerve of the man! How dare he lock her up and insult her!
"Vaurien!" she shrieked at him. "Sparrow! You-you let me out! N-now!" Oh dear, how could she get the man to take her seriously with a tremble to her voice?
She could hear him chuckle. "I'm terribly sorry, Vivien, but I can't have anyone snatching you from under my nose, now can I? You're very valuable and I suspect word of my journey here has caught some unwanted ears along the way." There it was again, that false sincerity, seemingly meant only to rub her the wrong way and anger her to no end.
"But you cannot keep me in here!" she cried at him.
"But I can. And I swear you'll thank me later, love!" he countered, smugly, and she could almost hear an inevitable grin in his voice.
She let loose a cry of frustration. "You-you! Vous mal petit homme!" she cursed angrily.
"Now, now, there's no need for harsh words. You just settle in and I'll be back in no time at all!" he replied, unfazed by her fury, his voice fading.
Vivien pounded her fists against the hard wood. "Jack Sparrow! Come back here!"
She waited for an answer, but was met with silence. Now, her shoulders sagged, hands slipping from the door as she sighed with defeat. Turning so her back was to the door, she slowly eased herself down to the floor, arms crossed like some petulant child. How dare he?
Jack, meanwhile, bounded up the stairs into the fresh sea air with a grin on his face, a key safe in his pocket, and a Vivien Brideau locked safely in his cabin. His crew, he noticed, had lowered all the boats to the water. The deck was empty, and as he approached the side, saw a good portion of the pirates already on their way to the island.
Leaning over, he spied Gibbs, Cotton and two other men, Thomas Nob and Kamau, a tall, slim black man.
"You seadogs the boat to shore?" he called down.
It was Kamau who answered. "Aye, Captain! Come aboard before we leave you behind! Or would you rather stay with your lady friend?" he teased.
Scowling, Jack grabbed onto a the rope ladder hanging down to the water. He scaled down the side of the Pearl with an effortlessness ease, stepping down into the dinghy boat with a cocked eyebrow. "My lady friend? I'm afraid she's quite peeved with me at the moment."
Three of the four men sniggered good-naturedly.
"Locked her in your cabin, did you?" Gibbs asked wryly as Thomas and Kamau managed the oars and propelled the boat from the side of the Pearl
Jack regarded the men with a smirk. "Oh yes, and I suppose you could here her screamin' from up here?"
Gibbs nodded with a small smile on his lips. "Lungs like banshee, she has."
Thomas, a sailor turned pirate, who still wore a white powdered wig, regarded his captain with grin. "But why your cabin, Cap'n?" he taunted.
He'd known it was coming. "I figured sitting in my cabin for half a day is better than sitting in hers," he stated plainly.
"You be going soft, Jack," Gibbs grumbled ruefully.
The men chuckled, exchanging winks and nudges.
"No I ain't," Jack snapped, good mood ruined. "I suppose you heard her cursing at me? She certainly don't like me much."
The parrot atop Cotton's shoulder must have thought otherwise, for the next moment it was squawking loudly, "Whistling psalms to the taffrail! Whistling psalms to the taffrail!" Flapping its wings impatiently, it took flight from Cotton's shoulder.
Gibbs, joined by remainder of the boat's occupants, broke out into laughter. "Aye, Jack," he agreed with his Captain, but his grin betrayed him.
"Captain," Jack corrected irritably.
"Right."
--
Vivien must have sat on that floor for a good ten minutes before she realized that sulking would get her nowhere. Especially when there was no one around to see her sulk. That effectively took away the reason to sulk, so she settled on sighing dramatically before picking herself up off the floor and staring at the elaborate space around her.
Jack's quarters hadn't changed much the last four days from the time she had first awoken aboard the Black Pearl. Still scattered with dusky, empty bottles of rum with a desk overflowing with papers and maps, as well as a large, luxurious bed that sat unmade, pillows on the floor and sheets hanging off the edges. As well, it still smelt of rum and dust, and sunlight was pouring through the porthole by the bed.
She stood for a moment, her fingers running absently along her dress, glancing about the messy room and wondering what she was to do for the time that he would be gone. And, from his speech earlier while Beckham walked the plank, she decided that would be a long while. He had spoken of rum and women. Willing women, no doubt. Prostitutes…
She huffed to herself and stalked over to the bed, plopping herself down with a scowl upon her face. Really, why must Jack go gallivanting off with whores while she was locked in his cabin? And why did the thought of him doing such...piratical things, make her sick to her stomach and somewhat green? Surely she wasn't envious, because Jack Sparrow was such a scoundrel and a cad for kidnapping her and making her work aboard his ship she couldn't possibly fathom being anything but repulsed by the man!
Sighing once more, Vivien stood up and made her way to the window, a deep frown upon her face. From her spot on the Pearl she had a clear view of L'île Sainte Marie.
She took a moment to stare at the many ships decorating the port, the smaller ones anchored right near the sand while the larger ones had dropped anchor in deeper waters and were crowding each other for at least a mile each way. The myriad of rickety docks led up to a rather large town, clearly prospering well by the number of buildings that had cleared out the surrounding forest. The town rose gently on a small hill, bordered on all sides by green foliage. She could just barely make out the sight of several roads making their way from the town into the thick jungle. No doubt leading to other small coves on the island and other towns just as the one before her.
She longed to be ashore, no matter how dangerous it might be. The ship was confining, smelly, and riddled with stray slivers just waiting to be lodged into unsuspecting feet. She wanted to feel the sand and sol solide beneath her feet, not the swaying of a ship beneath her!
Connard. She was, of course, referring to Jack.
Frustrated, she crossed her arms and cast an eye about for something to occupy her time. Her gaze immediately landed on the large bookshelf along the wall opposite the bed and she found her curiosity got the better of her.
Now, truth be told, she had never imagined Jack to be a stupid man, for he had to be somewhat clever to have kidnapped her from under Belfast's nose, but she hadn't really given a thought to his intelligence. Of course, he was a pirate, and most pirates were uneducated and from a lower class than herself, so she hadn't taken into consideration that Jack might be able to read. According to most, he was lower in stature than a commoner, and commoner's certainly couldn't read—or write.
As Vivien stepped up to survey the many books before her, another thought came to mind. Jack may be a pirate, but he was also a Captain, and a duty of Captaining was being able to read maps, and make maps, was it not?
The first title she read was of Philosophiae Naturalis Principis Mathematica, something that came as a bit of a shock to her. The book was by Issac Newton, an Englishman with a penchant for science. His influence had even spread to Bourbon and she found it a surprise Jack Sparrow would read into science. And even more, she found The Proficience and Advancement of Learning was halfway out of the shelf, a clear sign it had been read recently. She left them be, reasoning that he'd merely found them by coincidence, perhaps while raiding.
Unnerved, she moved on, skimming the titles in a bit of a stupor. Romances, comedies and tragedies. From King John to Hamlet. There was Julius Caesar, and The Taming of the Shrew. Bonduca, The Tamer Tamed and The Two Noble Kinsmen, all titles she was somewhat familiar with.
She'd never in her life figured Jack for Shakespeare, so it was an even bigger surprise when she stumbled upon Don Quijote, a book she had read herself. But this one was printed in Spanish, and when she tugged it out from the tightly packed shelf she noticed the pages were creased at the edges and well read. But Vivien didn't know Spanish, and marveled that Jack did, or might, and tucked it back away. Too bad he hadn't bothered to seek out an English print.
Cautiously, Vivien crouched down and ran her finger along another row of books, eyes wide at the sheer immensity of Jack's collection. No doubt being a pirate paid well. She would bet every book sitting on that shelf was either stolen or looted from ships he had raided over the years. And by a smaller collection of books towards the bottom of the shelf, she could tell he'd had no shortage of French ships on his raids.
Descartes and Jean Baptiste Rancine were shelved beside Molière and, surprisingly, Marie de la Fayette. She looked over the familiar titles, searching for a particular book. Something to keep her occupied. Something that wasn't full of pessimistic points of view and love-struck ladies stabbing themselves to death over love. Much to her chagrin, none of the French books were to her tastes. Instead, she backtracked to a large volume, Comedies, Tragedies and Histories, by Shakespeare.
She pulled the dusty volume from its place, held it tightly, and straightened up, her eyes once more skimming over the many titles.
Maybe Jack Sparrow had as many, if not more, secrets as herself.
Shaking her head, she made her way back over to Jack's large bed, and smoothing the covers over slightly (she wouldn't be caught dead making the man's bed!) she lay down in his pillows and cracked open the book to A Midsummer Night's Dream. Nothing too melodramatic.
Green eyes read the first few lines, frustration already seeping away as the story took hold of her…
Now, fair Hippolyta, our nuptial hour
Draws on apace; four happy days bring in
Another moon; but, oh, methinks, how slow
This old moon wanes! she lingers my desires,
Like to a step-dame or a dowager,
Long withering out a young man's revenue…
Several hours later, as the sun sank into the ocean and Vivien was forced to light a lantern. Jack was still not back from the town, and no one save the sentry thatplodded past Jack's door every half hour was aboard.
Vivien fell asleep not much later, the book still open in her hands, light brown hair spread carelessly across the crisp white pillows. The candle within the lantern waned, golden light leaving her freckled face before darkness fell.
--
For anyone who's confused, all of the books and authors mentioned in this chapter are, or were, real.
The Proficience and Advancement of Learning is by Francis Bacon
King John, Hamlet, Julius Caesar, The Taming of the Shrew and A Midsummer Night's Dream are all by Shakespeare
Bonduca, The Tamer Tamed and The Two Noble Kinsmen are by John Fletcher
Don Quijote is Don Quixote, by Don Miguel de Cervantes y Saavedra
French Translations: (Pardon Vivien's French!)
Entièrement inapproprié! – Completely inappropriate!
Pirate bâtard! – Bastard pirate!
Vaurien - scoundrel
Vous mal petite homme! – You evil little man!
Sol solide – soild ground
Connard – jerk
--Cayenne Pepper Powder