And they're off! And somehow I don't think this journey will be a smooth one!
Chapter 4
Jim fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously as he sat in silence with his Mother – she'd come to see him off.
"I'll miss you." She said gently, cupping the side of his face tenderly and staring at him as if trying to memorize everything about him – almost as if he wouldn't be coming back. Jim sighed and threaded his fingers through her own, patting their clasped hands in what he hoped was a comforting way.
"I'll be back before you know it," He promised, "And we'll be a lot better off!" He added in a whisper. His Mother gave a tired smile – so much had gone wrong of late she had stopped believing in miracles, all she wanted was for her son to be returned to her safe. He was all she had left in the world.
"Jim, m'boy!" Squire Trelawney exclaimed in his normal blustering way, clapping the boy on his shoulders. "Ready for the off?" He asked, nodding his head toward the dock.
"Yes sir, I'll be there in a second." Jim assured him, holding his Mother's hand even tighter as she pressed a handkerchief to her trembling mouth. The Squire gave them a jovial wave and strode away and Jim turned to face his Mother, placing his hands on her shaking shoulders,
"Everything is going to be okay, Mother." He said with a confidence he didn't quite feel. "And I'll return in no time at all."
His Mother drew in a deep breath and gave him a wobbly smile,
"I trust you, Jim. But I will be counting the days, son." She told him, squeezing his hand and going on tip-toes to give him a peck on the cheek. Jim smiled at her and hugged her tight, letting go he gave as confident a wave as possible before turning and walking towards the dock.
Scarlett sat on one of the tables swinging her legs and humming an old folk tune, though she was trying to seem at ease she was nervous. The crew were ragtag and rougher than she'd expected – if Silver was planning a mutiny why not pick a more believable bunch at least? This lot were pirates through and through and they put her ill at ease. Israel Hands in particular she planned to avoid – the way he looked at her made her feel unclothed and it wasn't a comfortable feeling, she had always been mildly nauseated by him and his roving eyes but now, confined to one vessel, she was afraid.
Footsteps clattered down the stairs to the galley where she was sat and she seized a potato hurriedly and began to peel it – the job she had been told to do a half hour ago. Booted feet came into view and she sculpted her face into what she hoped was a devil-may-care expression, however, gradually she stopped peeling as she watched the boy – Jim? - walk into the galley. She had not entertained the thought that he would be on the voyage! She'd thought he was an errands boy! Or a messenger! What was he doing here?
"What are you doing here?" He asked, echoing her thoughts, annoyed that he'd managed to ask first she crossed her arms.
"I'm helping Long John." She supplied somewhat vaguely and Jim narrowed his eyes,
"I'm cabin boy – they told me I was to help him out." He volunteered, Lottie threw up her hands.
"Well feel free!" She exclaimed rather hysterically, snatching up a half-peeled potato and flinging it at him. Happily for him his reflexes were good and he ducked but when he straightened he stared at her disbelievingly.
"...Did you just throw a potato at me?" He asked incredulously and Lottie winced,
"Yes." She replied shortly, putting a hand to her face to cover her mounting embarrassment. Jim looked bemused and she shot a glare at him through her fingers,
"You've no right to march in here, setting me on edge and – and kitchen duties are not included in your job description as cabin boy." She finished rather lamely, returning to attack the potatoes with renewed fervor.
"I have every right as I was told to come down and help out! Instead I've had potatoes thrown at me! That's not in my job description." Jim countered, bemused.
An awkward silence fell in which Scarlett peeled potatoes avidly and Jim fought back his annoyance by clearing his throat repeatedly. Eventually Scarlett dropped the peeler,
"Must you?" She asked exasperatedly. Jim sighed and crossed the room to where she was sat, holding out his right hand.
Scarlett raised an eyebrow approvingly and placed an unpeeled potato into his outstretched palm – she'd thought he'd never ask!
Jim looked at the root vegetable and began to grin,
"Uh, I had meant for us to shake hands...But, this is fine." He told her as he took a seat and grabbed a knife with which to peel the proffered potato. He watched with amusement as her cheeks began to gain color until she stood up and moved to stand by the apple barrel with her back to him. He felt his eyes drawn to her figure as she walked, her red dress clung to her in a hardly decent way...Jim snapped his eyes back to the job at hand, seeing his Mother's face swim before his eyes. She would not approve of Scarlett, he knew, she would consider it a travesty for Jim to be associated with a woman of such...well she wouldn't like her, Jim knew that much.
Scarlett had had to turn away to hide her frustration as best as she could, of course he had meant to shake hands. She had had much experience with men and normally she could read them well but this infuriating boy seemed to trump her every time!
"Lottie!" She heard Silver call from the top of the stairs, she grudgingly turned round, avoiding Jim's eyes completely.
"Yes?" She replied, crossing her arms.
"Show the lad the ropes will ye?" He shouted, "I'll be busy up here awhile."
Scarlett sighed and looked at Jim who was suddenly watching her as one would a wildcat – now this was more what she was used to! She wondered, why the sudden change of heart?
As she moved Jim caught her scent and this irked him – girls of her age shouldn't wear perfume, his Mother said it was crass when they did. Scarlett wasn't crass though, that was the thing...many other things but not crass.
"Jim?" She said,
He jumped and blurted out "Crass?" Instead of "Yes?" - then it was his turn to blush.
"You wash." She said, pointing to the pile of crockery that had already accumulated, he snapped a sarcastic salute and muttered:
"Yes Ma'am." and Scarlett rolled her eyes, grabbing the cloth from the table.
They washed and dried in near silence, broken by Scarlett's soft humming and the slosh of water in the brimming tub, then without warning Scarlett flicked soapy water in Jim's face.
"Hey!" He exclaimed indignantly, rubbing his face with his sleeve.
"That's what we do here, didn't you know?" She questioned innocently and Jim nodded as if agreeing with her, she broke into adorable giggles and Jim discreetly filled the bowl he'd been washing with water and tipped it over her head.
"Agh!" She screamed, pushing her sopping hair back, "You – you idiot!" She spluttered above Jim's laughter. Irked beyond retribution she seized the dripping dish cloth from the side and flung it at him, to her gratification it hit him right in the middle of the face and slid off, leaving him soaking and with potato peel stuck to his forehead.
Jim peeled the disgusting scrap off of his head and glared at her.
He was just about to make a cutting remark when a boot and crutch footfall warned them of Silver's arrival.
The man stared at them in confusion, they were stood facing each other, both giving the other a look that could kill, both sopping and Jim with some potato peel in his hand.
"What in the world?" Silver queried before breaking into peals of laughter, the two gave tight lipped smiles and moved to stand on opposite sides of the room, Lottie wringing out her hair with a pout.
"They're getting ready to weigh anchor up on deck Jimbo." Silver told the boy. Lottie stifled a laugh at the ridiculous nickname and Jim glared at her before grinning at Silver and running up the stairs.
Lottie rolled her eyes, she was stuck with him for the rest of the voyage, but her reverie was cut short by Silver as he seized the sleeve of her dress roughly and jolted her in closer,
"This is no time for muckin' around." He snarled in her ear, "This here's important, you do as I tell you and no funny business."
"Okay, okay." Lottie said hurriedly as he tightened his already-painful grip. He let her go and the jolly smile was back in place.
"Well I'll be off to watch with the crew, you along?" He asked as if nothing had happened.
"No thank you." Lottie said quietly "I've a bit of a head-ache."
The cook nodded and disappeared up the stairs, as soon as he was out of sight Lottie sank into one of the chairs and put her head in her hands; her situation had gone from bad to worse her whole life and now it looked like it had happened again, angrily she held back the tears that threatened to fall and rested her head on the table. Before she could stop herself she was sobbing, she wasn't sure at what exactly but she couldn't seem to stop.
"Scarlett?" She heard Jim's voice at her shoulder and sat up quickly, wiping her eyes hurriedly with the back of her hand.
"Are you -" He started to say but she cut him off.
"I am fine, it is none of your concern." She said as firmly as she could through her tears which still insisted on flowing. She drew in a shuddering breath and turned her head from him,
"We're about to set off, you should watch."
For a moment Jim considered putting his arm round her but the tense posture of her shoulders said that would be unwelcome, unsure of what to do or say he simply took his leave and Lottie remained at the table, staring quietly at nothing for she had no tears left.