Hi! Please review my story whether you like it or not :-) constructive critisicm is the best kind :-)
Will Jim see through Silvers elaborate facade? Just how is Scarlett bound to Silver? And what is the pirate hoping to gain? Read on and find out!
Chapter 2
"Well, Mr Hawkins, I am afraid he is not here." Lottie told the boy, watching as uncertainty colored his cheeks.
Jim was silent – this had not been included in his orders – the absence of Silver or the beautiful girl standing in front of him.
"Well...do you know when he'll be back?" Jim asked, running a hand through his hair, tied back in the customary ponytail. The girl lifted her slender shoulders and let them fall, her expressive dark blue eyes sparkling.
"No, he left in...a bit of a rush." Lottie answered with a smile and the boy turned to go with his head down.
"Mr Hawkins!" She called in puzzlement and he turned to regard her, "What is your business with him? If it is urgent then maybe you can wait for him here" She asked and his brow cleared.
"I'm to see him about a sea voyage we will be undergoing." The boy answered promptly and understanding dawned – this was who she was supposed to make comfortable!
"I see. There's a chair there." Carlotta gestured to the chair and tossed her curls over her shoulder as she busied herself about the customers again. She had no liking for this youth despite his good looks and had been expecting someone older, he was as green as grass that was for sure...maybe that was what irked her? She glanced back at him and stared when she realized he was still standing in exactly the same place she had left him – was he an imbecile?
"That was a hint for you to sit in the chair that I spoke of to you, it was not a throwaway remark." Lottie said, arching an eyebrow and he jumped, startled by her tone and unused to such direct speech from a girl, he sat down stiffly and began toying absentmindedly with something in his pocket.
Carlotta busied herself in her normal manner, humming and bustling to her hearts content and so it took some time to notice Tom's dark eyes on her, she looked back inquiringly and he pushed himself to his feet where he loomed menacingly over her.
"Who's the boy?" He demanded, his rough voice a growl.
"He is -" She started but Tom lurched over to Mr Hawkins and pulled him up by his shirt lapels.
"Well boy? Yer name and business to me if you will." Tom pressed and the youth jerked out of his grip angrily, never flinching, as Carlotta was interested to see, for all Tom's superior age and height.
"I've business with Mr Silver and he alone." was all Jim would say – he did not like this man and didn't trust him as far as he could throw him, which was not far at all – he was of a much bigger build than he.
Tom staggered and Lottie realized he was drunk – he'd been helping himself to the house ale no doubt.
"Tom stop your heckling and do your job." She demanded icily and he swung round to face her,
"Are you my job?" He leered, his reeking breath hot on her neck as he leaned over her. "Because I'll happily..." He trailed off suggestively and she pushed him away only to find her wrists held fast,
"No, I am a girl who would very much like to be released so she can get on." She said, making her voice as cold as she could but Tom just drew her closer, moving hi grip to her upper arms.
"I don't know that that's gonna be the way of it." He whispered and Lottie struggled – his grip was starting to hurt.
"Get off her!" Jim cried, rushing to stand in between the two, "Can you not see she is unwilling?"
Lottie rolled her eyes,
"Never stopped him before." She muttered and Jim's eyes widened.
"You're a rouge sir." He told the other man flatly and Carlotta shoved him out of the way as Tom's fist swung towards his head.
"Idiot! Stop it Tom, you're drunk." She said tiredly and hauled the boy into the kitchen.
Once there he shrugged out of her hold and she crossed her arms.
"That was a stupid thing to do – he could knock you across the room with his little finger, he's a brute even when he's not roaring drunk." She informed him and his eyes narrowed,
"He was less than a gentleman to you I -"
"As I said, he is not a gentleman. And I can take care of myself, Mr Hawkins – I managed quite well in the 17 years before you showed up." She pointed out and Jim let out a sigh of exasperation, clasping his hands behind his neck – she was infuriating!
Carlotta, for her part, was reflecting on the stupidity of men – if left well enough alone she could deal with most situations but always the male intervention that made everything worse. Like that of her Father when he'd sold her to Silver to buy more rum, that was unwise – she didn't like to think of where he must be now and purposely avoided all ditches when she was out and about for fear of happening across him.
"When will Mr Silver return?" Jim asked, having calmed down and decided to be civil.
"I do not know." Carlotta shrugged and went to leave, having decided to be less civil, but she found herself detained by Jim's hand on her wrist.
"It is urgent." He emphasized and Lottie looked down at her wrist pointedly, he let go of her rather sheepishly and she tossed her hair.
"I will go and look for him if it is that important, I only ask that you stay here and keep out of Tom's way." She took her apron off, "I will be back within the half hour, with Silver or without him." She said and took her leave.
The port was a heady rush of noise after the tense silence in the inn as the customers stayed their talk for fear of Tom and his foul mood and Carlotta breathed it in happily, glad for an excuse to be in the fresh air. She greeted the people she knew as they walked past and received pleasantries in return, they meant little to her but she appreciated them all the same, and eventually she came to the place she knew Silver would be and swung the door open after rapping twice on it.
Inside, Silver got to his feet – what was she doing here? Israel and the others stood,
"Reckon we're about done here anyway." Israel said, leaning against the wall and George nodded in agreement which prompted affirmatives from the rest of the assembled group – Silver watched all this with a shrewd eye then smiled a cheery smile that stopped short of his eyes.
"Well I'll be off then – duty calls." He boomed, slapping the youngest of the group on the back and made his way to the door, pushing Scarlett in front of him as he went.
"Get off." She protested, "I can walk."
Silver merely clasped a strong arm around her shoulders in a grip that hurt and steered her towards the inn,
"Aye, you can run too." He said, still with his jovial smile in place.
"There's a boy waiting in the kitchen wanting to speak to you about the voyage." I said and he nodded,
"Thought as much." He acquiesced, tapping her on the rear with the end of his crutch to make her go inside the inn, which she did with a scowl.
"Scarlett! I've missed -"
"Not now Joey." She cut the hopeful boy off in his stride before he could get soppy – that was the last thing she needed. She liked her nickname though – red was bold and daring, beautiful and vivid: all the things she wanted to be.
Silver had been and gone into the kitchen to conduct his business so Scarlett set about serving the customers again, listening to their carefree chat now Tom had gone – he'd left upon Silver's arrival, to get more rum inside of him no doubt. Men.
It seemed like hours but she was sure it was less, then Silver and the boy emerged from the kitchen – Silver was full swing into his jolly cook's role and the boy was drinking it up as they all did. As she watched John clapped him on the back and laughed his booming laugh.
"Bright as paint you are, lad! Bright as paint." He told him and the boy laughed with him as Lottie rolled her eyes then lowered them to the glass she is cleaning.
Jim made his way over to where the girl was standing,
"Um, it was nice to meet you." He said, nodding awkwardly and she gave a half-smile when prompted by Silver.
"A pleasure Mr Hawkins." She said sweetly and he looked startled, obviously unnerved by her transformed character. He was leaf green, she decided as she returned to cleaning the glass.
Jim made his way to the door, smiling at the cooks friendly wave and glancing back only once at the girl, as he went to open the door a boy of about his age rushed over to her,
"Scarlett!" The boy said eagerly and she threw down her cloth with obvious impatience.
"WHAT, Joey?" She demanded and, chuckling, Jim took his leave.