So did anyone check out the hints on my blog about this chapter? Since I didn't receive not one comment either here or on the blog, that leaves me in the dark as to your thoughts. Remember, I can't read minds! (Though sometimes I wish I could.) Feedback is vital!
And no...this is NOT an April Fool's joke!
Making port in Madagascar was a busy time, as arriving to ports usually were. They weighed anchor, secured the boat and set about supplying the ship first. Some remained behind for maintenance while others went ashore in the longboats.
The water was the brightest and clearest that Elizabeth had ever seen, and cerulean colored waves crashed into a pure white shoreline. The trees, in varying shades of green, reminded her of fresh broccoli florets in a lush garden. Brightly colored parrots, like Cotton's, were perched everywhere while little monkeys with striped tails ran loose.
As Elizabeth walked with the crew towards the noisy market, she was glad that she'd decided to wear – what she called – her king coat and hat, complete with her leather sheath and sword. She was getting some rather lengthy stares from the native men, and while she was not afraid of them, she didn't exactly like it, either. Initially, she'd told the crew not to speak about her being king, but now she wondered if she should amend that.
Barbossa tried not to smirk when he noticed that Elizabeth walked a little closer to him. He couldn't blame her; he'd seen the hungry gazes cast upon her. It was just one reason why he'd argued with her about letting the crew announce her as king upon their arrival. The crew had also been instructed to watch her back – not because she was a woman – but because she was their king. Had she been a man, the crew would still have been instructed to protect her. Elizabeth, however, had refused, saying that she didn't want the attention. Barbossa hoped she wanted his, at least, and he had one last trick up his sleeve that would hopefully be the lit match upon the gunpowder trail that had led them that far.
By late afternoon, all of the acquired supplies had been taken back to the ship and stored away. Everyone – except those charged with guarding the Imperial – were allowed to spend their evening however they wished. Many quickly found dock walkers of their choice and disappeared to satisfy their carnal appetites while others headed to the local tavern to indulge their physical appetites.
Elizabeth was sitting at a table with some of the crew drinking rum when Barbossa finally showed up. He'd disappeared over an hour ago, but she hadn't thought much about it, initially – she knew he had many different business matters to attend to – but as darkness fell, she'd begun to look for him. After all of their carrying on aboard the ship, she'd expected to see a little more of him.
The smile that had started to form on Elizabeth's face at seeing him quickly disappeared when she saw that a woman had followed him in, and it didn't take her but a few moments to figure out who – or what – she was. Elizabeth watched as the quean perched herself in Barbossa's lap when he sat down at a small table, and she had to take a quick drink of rum to hide her disgust. She could tell by the woman's swishy walk and thin clothing that clung to her curves exactly what sort of woman she was. She wasn't sure what disgusted her more – the strumpet's flirting or the captain's flirting.
Elizabeth was hurt, angry and confused all at once. She didn't understand what he was doing. She thought that he wanted her, so why wasn't he talking to her? She knew it was a bit arrogant of her, but shouldn't he be flirting with her instead of the dock walker? She didn't particularly like watching him give his attention to that woman after all of his effort to pursue her.
Oh God, now I'm jealous, she thought. This just gets better and better.
Elizabeth took a long swig of rum, hoping to drown that bitter thought in the alcohol, but it didn't work. She tried to listen to the story that Gibbs was currently telling, his grog blossoms shiny in the lamp-lit tavern, but she couldn't stop glancing over at the captain and his strumpet.
Barbossa had said that he was getting tired of waiting, so perhaps he'd chosen that woman to spend the night with. It didn't make sense, though. A dock walker was exactly what he'd said that he didn't want.
And then it hit Elizabeth. That despicable old pirate was trying to make her jealous! Their recent playfulness hadn't provided what he'd wanted soon enough, so he was showing her that he'd move on without her – that's exactly what he was doing. Elizabeth wanted to be mad – and she was, in a way – but she couldn't argue that he hadn't been successful. She was jealous. She wanted to be the one on his lap flirting with him. Did the past few weeks on the ship mean nothing to him? Do I mean that little to him that his head would turn so easily, so quickly?
What in the blazes was wrong with her? He was a bloody pirate – of course she meant that little to him.
Elizabeth considered going back to the ship. What would she do in a few hours when all the men were drunk and passed out in the tavern or in some wench's bed? There was nothing for her there, including – apparently – the captain. And that hurt so much more than she thought it would. She bit her lip to try to keep her emotion at bay.
Elizabeth noticed the woman whisper in Barbossa's ear then, and they both laughed. Did he even care where she was? Lately, he'd been catching her eye all over the ship, but he hadn't once looked around for her in the tavern. She felt sick. She felt alone. She felt used.
She watched as Barbossa and his wench stood – wait, where are they going? Are they leaving? Elizabeth's heart fell as she watched them walk out of the tavern, his arm wrapped around her bare shoulders. That meant one thing – he had chosen her. She was taking him to her – whatever – to accept his money and let him have his way with her. Bloody scallywag. His idea of special meant waiting for the next port and nothing more. Their talking and flirting had meant absolutely nothing. That bastard. How dare he string her along like that, knowing full well she was vulnerable with her husband gone!
Anger instantly swelled within Elizabeth like the churning waves of the sea during a maelstrom. She had to leave and right then. Maybe she'd get her things from the ship and return to Shipwreck Cove; it's where she belonged, anyway. She felt like a fool.
"Take me back to the ship," Elizabeth announced over the ruckus around her, interrupting whoever had been talking. "Right now." She never used her position to her advantage, but she would, if she had to. And to think that she'd almost given into the captain's charms. She'd been so close. So dangerously close.
Everyone stopped talking and looked at her in confusion.
"I'm serious," Elizabeth stated, looking at each of them with wide eyes. "Now."
The group exchanged glances and shrugs until Ragetti finally stood.
"I'll take yeh back, Mrs. Turner."
Elizabeth was fuming as she rushed out of the tavern with Ragetti struggling to keep up with her. She didn't understand how Barbossa could do that to her. How could he say all that he had and then slink off with that whore? He wasn't even trying to be discreet, as if he'd wanted her to see everything all along.
Pirate, she reminded herself. What did you really expect? He was probably lying about not having been with someone, too.
Once she reached one of their boats, Elizabeth furiously worked on untying the knot until a hand grabbed her wrist and held it tight. She tried to shake it off, thinking it was Ragetti, but when she looked up, it was the smirking face of Barbossa that she saw.
"Get away from me," Elizabeth spat in disgust, fervently trying to dislodge her wrist from his grip.
"Ragetti, secure the rope."
"We're returning to the ship," Elizabeth told him through clenched teeth, still tugging at her wrist; Barbossa's grip was like steel. "In fact, I'm getting my belongings, and I'm returning to Shipwreck Cove."
"No, yer not," Barbossa calmly argued. "Ragetti, secure the rope and return to whatever yeh were doin'; that's an order."
Ragetti did as he was told and quickly left, not wanting to be anywhere near the two of them. He didn't know what was going on, nor did he want to.
"Let go of me," Elizabeth hissed, her eyes narrowed in anger. "Now." She didn't know what he was up to, but she didn't care. She'd seen everything that she'd needed to see. She was done.
"Why are yeh returnin' to the ship?"
"Because I don't want to be around a bunch of drunken pirates later, nor am I going to find a wench to bed. So, if you don't mind, I'm returning to the ship so I can get my things. Feel free to return to your little whore. I wouldn't want to disrupt your evening with her; after all, you've been waiting so long for your special poppet."
That did it for Barbossa. He'd had enough. He was tired of competing with her guilt and being teased by her. She needed to make a choice one way or another. He let go of her wrist and harshly grabbed her upper arms, shaking her once. "Look around, Missy! Do yeh see a whore?" he growled, unconcerned with being gentle.
Elizabeth didn't back down, though his grip hurt her arms. "I saw the one on your lap and the one you left with," she seethed with stormy eyes. "Were there others I missed?" She didn't even care how jealous she sounded. She was furious.
Barbossa pushed Elizabeth backwards a couple steps to one of the tall wooden dock poles and then shoved her against it. "Why do yeh care, Mrs. Turner?" he asked, purposely using her married name. He'd had it with her lollygagging. He wanted her, damn it, and either he was going to have her or he was going to have someone else and leave her be. She could not expect him to wait around forever while she made up her mind. He'd waited too long as it was.
"I don't care!" she yelled.
"Then why are yeh in such a rush to return to the blasted ship?" he roared, shaking her again.
"I'm not!"
"Yeh are!"
Bursting at the seams with frustration and frantic indignation, Elizabeth rapidly beat on Barbossa's chest in an attempt to free herself from his grip. She was more angry and hurt than she'd been in a long time, and it was all his fault.
"Let go of me! How dare you treat me like this! Get your filthy hands off of me! I'm going –"
Barbossa silenced her protests by crashing his mouth against hers in matched fury. Elizabeth whimpered and continued to fight him, but Barbossa refused to relent. He forcibly parted her lips and plunged his tongue deep into her mouth, tossing aside any and all propriety. Initially, she'd continued to fight him, but then she began to match his frantic oral thrusts and was unaware that her hands had stopped beating against him and were clutching the lapels of his coat instead. She was overcome by his power and strength, and she was given no choice but to heed his demand. The weeks of mental torment – the fire of confusion that had burned within her – was doused in a matter of seconds. His kiss was everything that she'd imagined it would be, and it was everything that she'd needed it to be.
Barbossa didn't care what happened from there on. He was entitled to one kiss, and he had no problem taking it from her by force. She deserved it for stringing him along all those weeks. He retreated from her harshly, his own virulence obvious even in the dimly lit dock, and he pushed her hands off of him as if she were diseased.
"So go back to the bloody ship then and return to the cove, if that's what yeh truly want!" Barbossa exclaimed, pointing towards the ocean where the Imperial was anchored. "No one be stoppin' yeh!"
Elizabeth watched in dumbfounded silence as he stomped away from her with no further word and no look back; her lips still swollen and wet from his commanding kiss.
A thousand thoughts swirled in her head. Barbossa had looked hurt just then, and she wasn't used to seeing such raw emotion from him. Did he turn down the wench? Should I return to the ship or the cove? Should I go after him? His kiss had been unlike any other that she'd had, and there had been a few. Did she want more? Would she allow more? What would it mean for her and Will?
Suddenly, she heard Jack's words inside her rattled brain: "You long for freedom. You long to do what you want to do because you want it – to act on selfish impulse".
Next thing she knew, Elizabeth was walking back towards the tavern at a determined pace. She was done worrying; it was time to act. Jack had been right all along.
I'm sorry, Will, she thought. But I can't be something that I'm not. I do love you, but I won't wait around and deny myself for the rest of my life. I just can't live like that. I certainly don't expect you to, either, and I don't want to end up resenting you.
Elizabeth ignored the thumping of her heart and entered the tavern, searching for Barbossa. She was relieved to see that he was sitting alone at the bar, sipping from a large black jack. When she didn't see a wench near him, she took a deep breath. She'd made her decision, and she wasn't going to wait any longer. Trying to act casual – as if that moment in her life was somehow insignificant – she walked over and sat on the stool next to him. Her hands were shaking, and her mouth was dry, but she wasn't leaving.
Barbossa saw Elizabeth from the corner of his eye. He'd assumed that she'd returned to the ship, because she was stubborn like that, so he was pleasantly surprised when she joined him. He hoped it meant that she'd decided to stay because he was more than ready to be with her. He didn't look at her, though, choosing instead to drink more rum.
Elizabeth was unsure of what to do. She was nervous – she'd just made the second biggest decision in her life – and she shifted uncomfortably where she sat, glancing around and feeling rather conspicuous, as if everyone knew her private thoughts. She knew that was a silly notion, but even though she was bold and outspoken, she was still inexperienced when it came to men.
"I'm – uh – not going back to the ship," she finally said, not looking at him.
Barbossa remained silent as both of them were oblivious to the boisterous commotion going on around them. Elizabeth stared into her lap while he took another long swig of rum.
"I've never been kissed like that," she added. Will's kisses were gentle, but uncertain. James' kiss had been desperate, but empty of emotion. Sao Feng's had been forceful and quick. Jack's had been fiery, but her deceit ruined that one from the beginning. Barbossa's kiss had been confident, commanding and full of passion. It had been perfect.
Barbossa snorted at her statement. "Don't doubt it." He wasn't being facetious. Turner was just a boy, and the other men didn't count for varying reasons. Of course she hadn't been kissed like that before.
Elizabeth bit her lip and breathed deeply. That was it. There would be no going back, not that she wanted to. "I've – um – nowhere to stay tonight," she said softly as she lifted her nervous gaze, silently willing him not to make her say anymore.
Barbossa set his mug down and looked at her then – studied her was more like it. Elizabeth's big brown eyes were wide in anticipation, but he saw dormant passion just waiting to be ignited in them, as well. She still had a few reservations, but he knew that her decision had been made or she never would have come back. The anger that had been burning inside him melted away instantly by the thought of being with her. Her statement was enough. She wasn't going back. She was serious.
"You could stay with me tonight," Barbossa offered, lowering his voice and giving her a smoldering look so that there would be no mistake of his intention; he'd waited longer than any sane man would for such pleasures. She was his, if only for the night. They would share more than a bed or he would take her back to the ship himself.
Elizabeth swallowed and nodded, relieved that he would not embarrass her in the tavern. "All right. What do I –"
"Meet me across the road in a couple minutes," Barbossa stated, standing up and quickly leaving the bar to secure a room for them.
Elizabeth glanced around nervously, but no one was paying any attention to them. That was it then. She would be staying the night with the captain. She wondered what would happen once they returned to the ship. Would their unions continue? Her heart was pounding, but she wasn't about to change her mind. She wanted to be with him, wrong or not, and she would deal with tomorrow tomorrow.
Elizabeth stood and slowly walked out of the tavern onto the dimly lit road. Once outside, she looked up and down the storefronts, quickly locating Barbossa. He was standing just outside the entrance of an inn dangling a key.
Elizabeth instantly smiled and crossed the street to join him, her nervousness quickly morphing into excitement. They were finally going to be together after months of dancing around each other. She was ready.
"I have but one request," Barbossa said as she approached him, his tone firm. "That it be just the two of us tonight in our apartment." It was all he would say about Turner, but it was important. He'd not compete with his memory, and she couldn't blame him for wanting her to put her husband aside for a time.
"Aye, Captain," Elizabeth replied with a nod. "Just the two of us it will be." She didn't want to think about Will any more than he did.
Barbossa gazed at Elizabeth for a few moments, sizing up the truth in her words and enjoying the moment of her acquiesce, before proffering his arm and saying, "Shall we, m'lady?" She was not a dock walker; she was a lady, and he would happily treat her as such. When he'd decided to wait for a situation other than a paid woman, he'd never thought that it would be Elizabeth. He hoped he wasn't dreaming again.
Elizabeth took his arm with a smile and followed Barbossa inside the inn, up creaky wooden stairs and down a short hallway. She watched him open the door with the key and then, after a deep breath, followed him in.
The room was certainly not fancy, but it was clean and tidy. The bed was against the far wall with two pillows and covered in a white cotton blanket. A small nightstand with a bowl, pitcher and a kerosene lamp was beside of the bed with one wooden chair in the other corner. A threadbare rug covered the wooden floor.
"There be a wash room downstairs," Barbossa told her. "Why don't yeh go first and enjoy a hot bath?" Being at sea didn't warrant such luxuries, so he thought that she might enjoy it before their activity began. He was anxious, but he'd waited that long – another few minutes wouldn't matter. He wanted her to be relaxed and comfortable.
"Why don't you join me?" If Elizabeth was going to be with him, then the sooner they started the better. She wanted to be close to Barbossa, much more than she'd originally thought, and she saw no reason why they couldn't share the bath.
Barbossa smirked as he gazed at the young woman who'd plagued his dreams for weeks. He should have expected her counter offer. "If yeh wish, m'lady," he replied with a slight head bow. "I'd be honored to join yeh."
First, I need to acknowledge some guest reviews that I keep forgetting about:
To PirateZ203 – thanks for the condolences. Can't believe it was a year on 2/21. I couldn't say thanks for your review via an account, so I wanted to post it here. Hope you're still reading!
Black Heart – Thanks so much for your earlier review & the one you left for the last chapter. I couldn't reply to your account, either, but I wanted to say thanks for thinking of me. You'll love this next chapter (I hope)!
And Conni left a review on chapter 4 that I keep forgetting to acknowledge – Thank you very much for the review; forgive me for being late in responding. I left it in email because I didn't want to forget it, but then it got bogged down with other emails. I really appreciate your well-wishes for me and Mom…I'm sure you've read already that she passed last February. I sure tried hard to help her, though. Hopefully you're still enjoying this story. There are many more chapters to come.
Thanks to these wonderful folks for their reviews for my last chapter - BrunetteAuthorette99, Aelly, Bloodsired and Kate.
Quean – an impudent or ill-behaved girl or woman.
Apartment – not a rental unit like we think of now, but a hotel room back then.
Don't forget - my Twitter is VelvetStormFF and my story blog is here - : / / velvetstormff . blogspot . c o m (just add the regular HT bit at the front of the link.)
I hope to hear from all of you!