Hello! Thank you to America Liberty for your helpful review - I agree with you!

So here we see that Scarlett is in a bit of trouble, how will she cope with it?

Chapter 3

It had been a long day, Scarlett thought as she slipped her chemise on and brushed out her unruly curls, what with Tom's distasteful advances and the boy, not to mention Long John just generally. She tied her log hair into a plait and tied it loosely with a red ribbon as she crossed to the window to blow out the candle perched on the sill. As the room was plunged into darkness a noise from outside made her press her hand to her heart, pressing closer to the window she could hear low voices. Carlotta stood in the middle of the room flitting between two courses of action: Wake Silver and have him deal with it or go and look herself. A memory came of John's bad temper that morning and she made up her mind – better to go and see herself than risk it being something silly and facing Silver's wrath, she decided.

Stumbling in the darkness she groped for her robe and pulled it over her shoulders and started to carefully make her way downstairs, as she passed the kitchen she crossed to where she knew the fire poker was and gripped it tightly- just in case. The voices were louder now and very obviously male, Lottie gulped but continued stealthily through the door. Framed in the moonlight were four men of large build and they were all looking up towards the window of her chamber, Scarlett bit back a gasp and drew back further into the shadows.

One of the men mumbled something and they all laughed quietly, a low, menacing rumble that sent chills chasing down Scarlett's spine, making up her mind to wake Long John she took a step backwards but backed into a table making a loud clattering noise as the chairs on top of it crashed into each other then onto the floor, the heads of all four men snapped towards her and as she saw the whites of their eyes glinting ominously she knew she had to run.

Carlotta dashed through the door and onto the surrounding streets, running as fast as she could, feeling her breath get shorter and shorter and her muscles protest at the unusual exertion. She could hear them pursuing her and gaining on her and tried to run faster but found she was at a dead end – of course! The gate to the docks...she was trapped, the dark had tricked her and now there was nowhere to go, she shrank back against the wall as the men slowed to a walk and advanced – the moonlight chose that moment to shed some light on the proceedings and she groaned inwardly at the irony. The men were frighteningly tall and broad; each could crush her with his little finger, and she dreaded their purpose with her.

"What do you want with me?" She asked, trying to stay calm and looking the one who stood a pace in front of the others squarely in the eyes. At a nod from the man (she assumed he was the leader) the four splayed out in a semi-circle, blocking her in even more and she pressed her back further still against the wall. The men advanced and the man to her left grabbed her around the middle, she thrashed against his hold but he lifted her off her feet and carried her forcefully to where a cart of some sort was waiting in the shadows – she'd played right into their hands. Scarlett attacked the man's ham-steak arms with her fists, pummeling and punching, but he kept right on walking and she resorted to trying to twist out of his grip.

Carlotta screamed as a shot rang out and the man dropped her, as she landed hard against the ground she tried to gather her thoughts, rolled over to run and found herself staring into a lifeless face – the face of the leader lying dead on the ground.

She scrambled to her feet then dropped again, curling into a tight ball with her hands wrapped around her head as more shots cut into the night air and more men ran in and began to fight with the three remaining snatchers. Scarlett recognized Silver's voice and felt relieved despite herself, though she had her reasons for disliking the man she knew for a fact no-one stood a chance against him.

Soon it was over – the men who had chased her lay still on the ground. Scarlett got shakily to her feet and looked at Long John,

"Thank you." She mumbled, dropping her head and to her surprise she felt a hand on her shoulder, not to withhold or contain her but to comfort her, she looked up into Silver's sombre face and he nodded once before turning around to thank and congratulate the men who'd helped him, she added her smiles to his thanks and they set off, back to the inn.

Lottie found herself shivering in the cold night air, everything had happened so fast she'd forgotten she was clad in nothing but her chemise! Flushing a deep red worthy of her nickname Scarlett hastily wrapped her arms around herself,

"What did they want – those men?" She asked to distract herself.

"Yer Father owes some money lass." Silver grunted, "They figured the best way to get it's through you." He finished, attacking the cobbles with his crutch. Lottie's eyes widened,

"Through me?" She asked incredulously ,"Father won't pay money for me!" She said, almost laughing at the ridiculous assumption that he actually cared for her.

"No he won't as it happens, he died four years ago." Silver said, avoiding her eyes. Carlotta stopped dead in her tracks...dead? Her instinctive reaction was still, after all that had passed, one of grief but she knew she would not mourn him, in fact to her he had been dead for a long time. She merely nodded and fell back in step with Silver.

"So...if he's...well how did they expect to get the money then?" She asked, trying to make sense of everything in her head.

"To their way of thinkin' that would be yer place to pay." Silver told her then held up his hand as she started to respond heatedly "BUT! They know you ain't got it so they were lookin' to get it from me." He said, rolling his eyes at the stupidity of thugs.

"From you?" Lottie clarified – this got more and more odd.

"Aye, from me." Silver confirmed as they reached the inn, Lottie shook her head in disbelief.

"What am I going to do?" She asked in a small voice.

"Well ye can't stay here – they'll likely get nasty." Silver mused, "I've an idea but I'll run it by ye in the mornin'." He told her as thoughts and plans began to bombard him. Lottie just nodded – she hoped to God it was a good idea. It would have to be.

Morning woke Carlotta slowly and carried with it no memory of the happenings of the previous night, she stretched and dozed as usual, curled up in a comforting ball with her pillow in her arms and under her head. As more and more light began to decorate the room she uncurled and groaned as her muscles and joints protested, the ache brought back a memory – dropped from a man's arms onto the hard ground. With that everything came rushing back and she pressed a hand to her throbbing head, gunshot after gunshot rang out in her mind and she flinched at each one, then the conversation with John...his idea...he was going to tell her today! She jumped out of bed, ignoring the pain in her body, and hurriedly dressed in a dark blue dress with a white sash, piling her unruly hair into a bun she clattered down the stairs and burst into the kitchen to be greeted not only by Silver but by Israel Hands and George as well, all three sat around the table deep in conversation.

"Um...good morning." She greeted them hesitantly and they nodded in a surly and preoccupied manner before looking sharply at Silver.

"Sit down." Silver said, looking at Carlotta – she looked tired, the shadows under her eyes standing out sharply against her pale skin. She took the chair he'd indicated and arranged her dress nervously.

"You remember the sea voyage I told ye about?" He asked slowly and she nodded her head, seeming confused.

"The boys and I think that the best thing to do is to take ye with us." He said bluntly and her eyes widened.

"Take me with you?" she repeated.

"Aye. As my helper, I'm to be ship's cook as ye know. Doubt the cap'n will have a problem – ye can do the mending and all." He explained and Scarlett narrowed her eyes, mending indeed.

"Why is the situation so drastic?" She asked, realizing there was more to this than she knew. This voyage, if she remembered right was one for treasure and mutiny – she would not be going unless something was really wrong. Long John propped up his head with his hands and heaved a sigh,

"The men who want the money are planning on taking you by force and selling you out to earn their share of the money." He said rather callously and Scarlett gave a tense jolt of her head – selling out meant being a whore, she knew. Under no circumstances would she be a whore, she would die first.

Israel and George stood up, and left leaving Silver and Scarlett in silence – the former wary and the latter in shock.

"So I will accompany you to this island." She stated, trying not to show the panic that was racing through her.

"Aye, that ye will. I'll clear it with Squire Trelawney today." Silver said, then he leaned in, "But mark me, no funny stuff or I'll have no qualms in tossing you overboard to have done with it. This here's important – a lot's at stake. You mess that up and ye won't be on the return journey." He warned, watching in satisfaction as she caught her breath and cast her eyes to the floor. She was good and scared of him, he knew, he doubted she'd try anything now. With that comforting thought he took his leave and went to find that fool of a Squire he had under his belt.

Once left alone Lottie put her head in her hands, this was too much by far for her to take in – her Father was dead, she was going to sea, there was a plan underfoot to sell her as a whore and if she put a toe out of line on board she'd be killed in cold blood.

An awful lot to process.

She'd manage, she supposed, she always seemed to. But as Long John had pointed out...

There was an awful lot at stake.