Will You Teach Me…?
Happy Sunday everyone! Here is the 8th chapter of this fiction!
WARNING: I have been told that some of you didn't receive the update notification for Chapter 7 so if you haven't read the chapter published on February 26th, now is the time to catch up !
Remember, we had left Brianna to her sad fate after a nerve-wracking party, after Bonnet finished the not-so-missed Neil Forbes and ended his busy day consuming their marriage in a very un-romantic way… (Who's surprised?) This event will be a turning point in their relationship (the first of a long series), but this chapter will be much less tense than the previous one. But make no mistake, it won't last (you know me!). Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to comment, say hello, or thank you, it's always a pleasure to hear from you and it motivates me to keep on writing!
Thanks Lumi, Skylarmikaelson, Rath101, NinaBinaBallerina and LykkeF for your comments!
Lumi: thanks! This one won't be as eventful but it's nice and fun, for a change! Ahahah
Skylarmikaelson: lol, no Forbes won't be fed to the sharks. It takes a bit of a stage setting to make a lawyer disappear without raising suspicion, ahaha. Don't worry, Brianna has modern knowledge on her side, she won't get pregnant so easily…. Right? Right? I guess you'll find out soon enough. Thanks for reading and commenting!
Rath101: Jeremiah is 100% sold. He must be, I don't want to hurt the little lad!
NinaBinaBallerina: Thanks for your comment!
LykkeF: Yup we will see Ocracoke at some point, but not in the near future. A LOT will happen until then. Another child would definitely tie Bree up to Stephen and yes, that's what he's trying to achieve… Thanks for your comment!
oOo
8. Cryin' Wolf
Over the years, Brianna had often wondered how her body and mind would react if Stephen Bonnet ever put his hands on her and raped her again. She had pictured herself screaming, sinking into hysteria or madness. Some days, she thought she could defend herself, and others she just imagined leaving her body so that she would not feel anything. She had often thought about the pain... that stinging burn he had left inside her, and she had always been convinced that she would feel it again, as if it was caused by his presence inside her and not by her lost virginity.
She had waited for the pain, she had waited for hysteria, but none of them had come. She had looked at the window, behind which dawn was slowly breaking, wondering if she wanted to jump out of it and permanently escape this new trauma. But she didn't. The only thing Brianna was aware of was the complete and almost disturbing absence of feelings and sensations of any kind. She didn't feel any different from the day before. Even the "incident" with Forbes seemed to have happened in another lifetime. She was neither more nor less traumatized than she had been for the past four years. She didn't even flinch when the pirate stirred behind her back and came to press his warm chest against her naked body.
It was at that moment that Brianna became aware of her own strength. She had come a long way in four years, and although the trauma caused by Bonnet was still very much vivid in her mind, she had managed to stay calm and not let this new invasion get to her. She would need that calm and determination if she was to fool Bonnet and get out of this Hell, as she had vowed the day before when he had taken her against the wall. Then during the night, when he had once again quenched his thirst for flesh.
Perhaps things would have been different if he had forced her to have sex with him on their first night in River Run? Without giving her time to get used to the situation and relieve some of the stress accumulated throughout the trial. Perhaps the significant amount of alcohol ingested the day before had also something to do with it. Not to mention her unexpected fit of violence over Neil Forbes. The late Neil Forbes, she corrected, biting her lower lip. The fact that he was alive and well when she left him and that she never got to see his corpse made it hard to believe he was actually dead. The more she thought about it, the more convinced she was: it was not her who had struck the fatal blow, but Bonnet himself or one of his henchmen. Not that it mattered now anyway: she had no doubt that a man like him would know how to carefully clean up the evidence. And Forbes had deserved his fate. One couldn't expect to associate with criminals like Stephen Bonnet without paying the price one day or another.
Behind her, the object of her thoughts stirred again and she knew from the sound of his breathing that he had just woken up. Brianna closed her eyes and tried to relax. She could not let him think she was pushing him away. His story about fate, his delusion... he was desperate to find them common points, in order to justify what he had done to her and her whole family. It was time for her to start playing along once and for all. The more he was under her spell, the sooner she would be able to manipulate him. Before she could even move, Bonnet's hand grabbed her waist and rolled her onto her back to analyze her. With a shy pout and after a brief glance at the pirate, Brianna voluntarily lowered her eyes as she pulled the sheet up over her naked body. Men like him loved these kinds of goody-goody attitudes and as she expected, Bonnet stopped her hand to press his right palm against hers. Determined to maintain his delusion intact, Brianna intertwined their fingers and smiled weakly. Bonnet's eyes were impenetrable and she couldn't tell if he was about to kiss her or kill her. She realized, however, that this was most likely the first option when the Irishman's lips parted and he leaned over her.
Brianna didn't wait and straightened up to initiate the kiss. She felt Bonnet flinch in surprise, before his hands slipped around her waist. If I can kiss him without him suspecting anything, I'll have won another battle…, she thought, trying twice as hard to be sensual. After about twenty seconds, she pulled away again and dropped back onto the mattress, scanning the pirate's green irises for any trace of doubt or anger. But he was still just as indecipherable.
After more than a minute of staring at each other expectantly, Brianna saw the corners of Bonnet's mouth twitch into a sarcastic smile and he shook his head.
"What is it?", she asked with a nervous smile.
"You think I don't know what you're doin', darlin'?"
A shiver ran through Brianna's spine but she managed to frown in amazement.
"I don't understand…"
"You think that I will let my guard down if you're playing nice? That you can soften me up and betray me later?"
He sneered again, a mischievous gleam in his eyes, and Brianna gulped. "No, I…"
"Shhh… that's all right, sweetheart… If you want to play this game, I shall not disappoint you", he interrupted, putting his index finger across the young woman's mouth. "That's a brilliant idea, even. Just imagine how easier life will be if you become an wonderful wife. For you, for me too obviously… and for Jeremiah."
"I didn't mean to...", Brianna stammered, terrified that she had been so easily figured out.
"Of course you did."
Brianna closed her mouth to keep her lips from trembling, but strangely Bonnet did not seem angry and with a thrust of his hips, he placed himself on top of her, spreading the young woman's legs in the process. He kissed her again but, still reeling from being exposed, Brianna forgot to react and he pulled back with a mocking grin.
"Come on, darlin', you're already givin' up the game? Givin' up… on Jeremiah?"
The situation was definitely turning against her. Her plan to fake attraction and manipulate Stephen Bonnet had backfired, and she was now forced to play by his rules so she wouldn't lose her son. The pirate probably didn't care how she really felt about him. He just wanted her at his disposal, willingly or not. A few inches above her, Bonnet was waiting for her answer – literally gloating.
"You wish", she grunted, glaring at him. Bonnet chuckled and laid down on top of her, ready to take her for the third time of the night. But at that moment, the bedroom door swung open and Brianna yelped.
"Mama! Mama! Look!"
Brianna violently pushed Bonnet back and pulled the sheet up to her chest. When the same thing happened with Roger, an exasperated growl usually rose from the Scotsman's throat, followed by a nasty comment about "that little brat carefully choosing his moment". But Bonnet only chuckled and laid back on the mattress, one hand tucked under his temple. Phaedre appeared on the threshold – looking completely panicked – and chastely lowered her eyes at the sight of the naked spouses.
"Forgive me, Madam, I only turned my back on him for a moment… he wanted to show you what his hound can do..."
"That's all right…", Brianna hastily answered. The kid had literally saved her from yet another twisted situation and she wished she could smother him with kisses. "What do you want to show us, Jem?"
Grinning from ear to ear, Jeremiah turned to Blue and shouted: "Sit!"
The puppy stared at him, tongue hanging out and his butt wriggling, not really understanding what was expected of him. The little boy looked embarrassedly at his mother and repeated his command, while gently pressing his hand on the animal's lower back. This time, Blue seemed to remember what to do and sat down.
"That's very impressive…", Brianna said encouragingly, shivering when Bonnet's hand came to slowly caress her back under the sheet, from the top downwards until he reached her buttocks.
"Not finished!", Jeremiah retorted, turning to his dog again. "Blue? Down!" And to avoid failing again, the child laid face down on the carpet to set an example and the dog imitated him, barking cheerfully. Jeremiah was beaming.
"How amusin'… Jeremiah and I both have wild animals to train…", Bonnet smirked, grinning broadly at the child. Brianna turned her head to glare at him but he ignored her.
"I apologize again for the intrusion, Sir...", Phaedre said, reaching out to Jemmie to get him out of the room.
"Don't. This is my son's home, after all..."
"Jemmy, I already told you to knock before you come in, didn't I?", Brianna scolded him gently. The little boy walked over to the door, clenched his tiny fist and knocked three times on the wooden panel. "That's right, love! Next time, don't forget to do it, all right?"
"Yes, Mama."
Jeremiah left the room, immediately followed by his puppy, and Phaedre glanced one last time at Brianna. There were so many questions in her worried eyes – Are you all right? Are you hurt? Do you need help? – but Brianna just nodded, and the maid closed the door behind her, leaving the young woman alone again with her husband. She expected him to pick up where they left off before Jeremiah arrived, but instead he brought his mouth to her ear.
"You see that, darlin'? A beautiful morning… pleasant moments as a family… We could have this every day of our lives. It only depends on you…"
And before she could answer, he placed a patronizing and sarcastic kiss on Brianna's forehead and rose up to get dressed.
~o~
After this incident, Brianna had thought long and hard about her situation – taking advantage of Bonnet's absence during the day to elaborate various survival plans. The main problem she had to solve was the thorny issue of sex. Or rather, how to prevent Bonnet from touching her during her fertile days, without arousing his suspicions. Brianna had the advantage of modern scientific knowledge: to an eighteenth century man, the female cycle was a mystery, so he wouldn't notice anything if she refused him on specific days. But if she wanted him to leave her alone on those days, she would still have to satisfy him every now and then... Let's not think about that now.
With a notebook and a stick of charcoal she used to draw, she had created a system to never lose sight of her cycle. However, she would have to be meticulous and never spend a day without referring to it so as not to lose track. She couldn't write down actual dates, in case Bonnet found the notebook and she rarely knew the current date anyway – unless the pirate left a copy of the local gazette lying around in the house; it had to be clearly understandable to her and no one else. She would just have to mix the code with a few sketches to dispel any suspicion.
Over the weeks, Bonnet and Brianna had shut themselves away in such a perfect life of make-believe that any outside observer might have thought they were a normal family. When the Irishman returned in the late afternoon, he would first spend an hour playing with Jeremiah or watching some of Blue's new tricks. Then he would join his wife and inquire about her well-being. Brianna always smiled, pretending to be fully satisfied by her daily life (even though she was bored to death most of the time), and made a point of ignoring the blood that sometimes stained Bonnet's sleeves after his "working day". Every once in a while, she went fishing for information and asked innocent questions, but he begged them all carefully. So much so that by early September, after more than a month and a half spent in his company, she still didn't know what he was doing for a living. The only thing she knew – since the party a few weeks earlier – was that Tryon had something to do with it. In other words, she knew nothing. At that rate, she would remain Mrs. Bonnet for another twenty years...
Their perfect couple act, however, had pernicious effects that Brianna had not expected. With his mother smiling and acting normal around Bonnet, Jeremiah had totally welcomed the man into his living space, claiming his attention a little more every day for the pirate's greatest pleasure. Brianna couldn't tell whether he was feigning interest in the child, or if he actually enjoyed spending time with him. Men like him were usually unable to take care of anything weaker than them, but Bonnet played his role as father just right. So much so that when a violent thunderstorm broke out on a hot September night, it wasn't Brianna's name that Jemmy cried from his bedroom, but… his "daddy".
"I'll go look in on him", Brianna muttered, trying not to sound too angry. But Bonnet was literally beaming as he crossed their room and reached for the doorknob.
"It seems to me that Jeremiah is askin' for his father..."
"Yeah, too bad he's in Fraser's Ridge…", Brianna sneered, with a huge – and fake – smile.
Bonnet froze in the doorway – his own smile suddenly gone – and glared at her. It was the first time she dared to make nasty comments since they had started their little game a month earlier. After staring at each other for a few seconds, the pirate shook his head and disappeared down the corridor, returning moments later with Jeremiah in his arms and Blue trotting behind them. The child had huddled up against Bonnet's chest, his cheeks wet with tears, sucking on his thumb and scarf. Once on the mattress, Jeremiah crawled to the center of the bed, patiently waiting for his parents to lie down on each side. Brianna stretched out her arms, inviting her son to snuggle up against her, but another lightning bolt and a loud thunderclap tore the atmosphere and the boy thought it smarter to find shelter against the pirate's massive chest, which would surely protect him better against the raging elements than his mother's frail figure. Bonnet was beside himself with joy and grinned stupidly at his wife.
"Mamaaa?", Jeremiah said with a tiny plaintive voice, unaware of what was happening between his parents.
"Yes, Jemmy?"
"Can you read a story?"
A few days earlier, Bonnet had come home with a whole box of children's stories and Jeremiah had fallen into an obsession for books. She was about to protest, claiming to be tired, when she heard Bonnet's sweet voice rise from the other side of the bed:
"Oh yes pwease, Mama, read us a story…!"
With an exasperated sigh, Brianna climbed out of bed and went to get one of the books in Jeremiah's bedroom. Well, well... Charles Perrault... Little Red Riding Hood... With a mischievous smile, she grabbed the collection of tales, reveling in advance in all the parallels that she would be able to draw between the story and their own situation. When she came back, Jemmy settled comfortably against Bonnet and waited for his mother to start reading.
"Once upon a time there lived in a certain village a little country girl, the prettiest creature who was ever seen. Her mother was excessively fond of her; and her grandmother doted on her still more. This good woman had a little red riding hood made for her. It suited the girl so extremely well that everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood."
Bonnet also settled back on his pillow, a protective arm wrapped around Jemmy's small body, and a smirk hovering over his lips. Brianna couldn't tell if he was still smiling because he had finally achieved his goal (to be called "daddy") or if he was just enjoying the moment. While trying to change her voice with each character, Brianna recounted the misadventures of Little Red Riding Hood, her encounter with the wolf in the woods, then the trap that this same wolf had set to devour her grandmother and take her place in bed. As she read the scene when Little Red Riding Hood sees that her grandmother's physical appearance has changed, Brianna glanced briefly at Jemmy – absolutely enthralled by the story – and Bonnet, who was squinting at her warily. He got the message. Perfect.
"—Grandmother, what big teeth you have got!
—All the better to eat you up with.' And, saying these words, this wicked wolf fell upon Little Red Riding Hood, and..."
Brianna paused. The last words of the sentence were "ate her all up", and that was how the tale ended. Wait... what's that version? Isn't the wolf supposed to be killed by hunters?, she thought, suddenly panicking. It wasn't the kind of ending she wanted her son to hear. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Bonnet raise an eyebrow and she began to stammer.
"And… and…. attacked her! But… Little Red Riding Hood fought back with all her might and managed to scare the big bad wolf away. And no one ever saw him again", she concluded with a determined nod. Bonnet gave her a suspicious look, craned his neck, struggling to read how the tale actually ended,… and chuckled.
"He won't come back? The wolf?", Jeremiah inquired, straightening up slightly.
"No, he won't, and he better not try, because Little Red Riding Hood knows how to defend herself now!" Behind Jemmy, Bonnet groaned and Brianna turned the last page of the book, discovering with tremendous relief that there was indeed a usable moral to this story, produced as a final paragraph.
"Oh, there's more: Children, should never talk to strangers, for if they should do so, they may well provide dinner for a wolf. I say 'wolf', but there are various kinds of wolves. There are also those who are charming, quiet, polite, unassuming, complacent, and sweet, who pursue young children at home and in the streets. And unfortunately, it is these gentle wolves who are the most dangerous ones of all."
She had read the last words without taking her eyes off Bonnet and despite his somewhat annoyed expression, there was a mischievous glow in his green irises. Turning back to Jemmy, she lifted her index finger and waved it under his tiny nose. "That means you shouldn't trust just anyone, even people who seem nice."
"No, it means that when you're a defenseless lassie, you don't walk alone in the woods teasin' all the wolves lurkin' there", Bonnet retorted frivolously.
"Oh, walking in the woods is teasing, now?" There was a hint of exasperation in her voice and anyone over four years old would have understood that the woods had become just another word for "tavern". But Jemmy simply looked at them in turn, frowning.
"Obviously", Bonnet hissed threateningly.
"How is Little Red Riding Hood supposed to walk from her house to her grandmother's, then?"
"Well, maybe Little Red Ridin' Hood should be ridin' instead o' walkin'?" He gave her a big smile, obviously very proud of his bad pun, but Brianna was not done with him.
"I think it would be better to teach the wolf how to behave."
"A wolf is a wolf, darlin', he attacks before he's attacked."
Brianna shook her head in annoyance. "Little Red Riding Hood was no danger to the wolf."
"You're mistaken, love: a wolf always risks bein' coaxed by a pretty face… and endin' up domesticated like a common sheepdog."
The tension in the bedroom was palpable and the couple stared at each other for so long that Jemmy grew impatient.
"Bad wolf!", he declared to put an end to the argument. Brianna instantly smirked, mentally giving Bonnet a one-finger salute.
"You're right, Jemmy, he's a very, very bad wolf."
After one last angry look, Bonnet sighed deeply and snatched the book from Brianna's hands to throw it to the ground. "And Little Red Ridin' Hood is pretty reckless, if you ask me… Or maybe she was tryin' to get eaten…?"
Well, nobody asked, Stephen..., Bree muttered inwardly, lying down on the mattress. She blew out the candle and soon the only light source was the succession of lightning that could be seen through the half-open windows, letting the fresh air in. Bonnet's stare was literally drilling holes in her back and after a few minutes, she couldn't help but turn to look at him. There was still anger in his eyes, but something else was taking over. Something sweeter she couldn't define. A little bit confused, she decided to put an end to it, whatever it was.
"You know I loathe you, right?…", she whispered, her lip trembling.
Against all odds, a smile slowly crept across Bonnet's face and taking care not to roll over Jeremiah – who was still snuggled up against him – he leaned towards Bree and whispered.
"I love you too, darlin'…"
~o~
Despite their disagreement over the tale, on the following day Bonnet had reprised his role as a perfect family man and she had done the same with some relief. After spending part of the night torturing herself and imagining all the possible consequences of their argument, this return to normal could only mean that he forgave her insubordination. Or he's waiting for a better occasion to make me pay…, she thought as he came to the table where she was having breakfast to kiss her on the forehead, as he did every morning before he left.
"Have a lovely day, darlin'..."
The irony in his voice was palpable. He knew full well – from his henchmen stationed in River Run – that she was pacing like a caged lion. One of them had even caught her trying to pick the lock from Bonnet's office once, but she wasn't sure if he had passed the information on to his boss. The pirate was already turning away, when Brianna slammed her cup on the saucer.
"Busy day today? Meeting customers in Cross Creek?", she asked matter-of-factly.
Bonnet froze and slowly turned on his heels. "What makes you think I'm supposed to meet someone in Cross Creek?"
"Nothing… I was just asking", she pouted. "You never tell me anything and I spend hours wondering what you are doing, where you are and with whom..."
The Irishman let out a sarcastic sneer. He was dying to come up with some snappy comeback, but he could not do that when she was only playing his very own game, pretending to be a sweet, loving wife.
"Come on, love. It is not appropriate for a woman in your place to meddle in men's affairs."
A fake smile spread across Brianna's face and she chuckled. "Oh right, I forgot. I am probably too dumb to understand anything about it anyway. I'm only good for wearing dresses, jewelry and parading around on your arm."
Bonnet nodded and waved a finger at her. "Good. You're gettin' it, darlin'."
Brianna's smile immediately fell and he reveled briefly in her angry expression before he left the dining room, whistling a joyful tune. The young woman sighed and picked up her cup of tea, ready to live another useless day. In the evening, the same farce as every other evening was repeated. Bonnet had come home and played with Jeremiah and Blue on the porch, then he had come over to kiss Brianna (not without a sarcastic look, as it reminded him of their morning discussion), and had locked himself in his office with one of his men. She had tried to get close to the door with a tray, a hot teapot and empty cups – determined to spy on them through the wooden panel – but the minion who followed her like a dog had taken the tray from her hands to bring it himself. Message received, loud and clear: she would go no further.
Bummed by this umpteenth setback, she had fed Jeremiah, then put him to bed, before having dinner on her own and heading to their room. She did not want to see his smug face, nor allow him to watch her undress as he usually did when they went to bed at the same time. And he was still locked in his damn office, anyway.
By the time he came out, it was so late that Brianna had actually fallen asleep and Bonnet stealthily crossed the room, took off his clothes and laid down beside her. The bed creaked and Brianna briefly awoke from her slumber, just enough to feel the pirate snuggle up against her body, resting a hand on her left breast. But nothing else. Exhausted and relieved that he was not taking any initiatives, Brianna instantly went back to sleep. Only for a few seconds. Or so she thought.
Her eyelids snapped open and the full moon – that was not yet visible through the open window a few hours earlier – now lit up every corner of the room. She was wondering what had woken her up when she felt Bonnet startle violently behind her back. Brianna turned to look at him, his sweaty forehead and chest, his fingers twisting the bedsheets, the veins and muscles popping in his neck. Unbelievable, he has more nightmares than Jeremiah…
She didn't care that his inner demons tortured him every other night – he definitely deserved it – but she was tired of being disturbed in her own sleep. With an impatient sigh, she reached out and shook Bonnet's shoulder. Without effect. She did it again, a little more violently this time, but the pirate seemed too far gone in his night terrors to be brought back to reality. Oh what the heck, it's now or never. With intense satisfaction, she brutally slapped the Irishman and he woke up with a start, his eyes wild and breathing heavily. Brianna immediately put on a worried expression and tilted her head on one side. "Is everything all right, dear?", she asked, her voice literally seeping with sarcasm.
Trying hard to catch his breath, Bonnet did a quick check-up of the situation and raised a hand to his tingling left cheek. "Did you just… slap me?"
Brianna shook her head and shrugged. "I couldn't get you to wake up..."
She thought for a moment that he was going to make her pay for this unprovoked attack, but instead he brought his knees to his chest, rested his wet forehead on them, and wrapped his arms around his legs. She stared at him curiously for a moment: she did not recall seeing him this vulnerable – sincere, even. Except maybe on that day, in prison, when she had told him about her pregnancy. She might as well take advantage of his vulnerability... Slowly, she reached out to push a few strands of sticky blonde hair behind his ear and he flinched at her touch, eyeing her suspiciously. Brianna jumped as well, smiling reassuringly.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
Bonnet narrowed his eyes. "So that you can use it against me later?"
Of course, Brianna thought, as she shook her head and moved a little closer to the Irishman. "Of course not. I just know that when Jeremiah shares his fears with me, he does feel better afterwards."
"This is stupid", he retorted as he slumped back onto the mattress. "The object of my fears is not going to disappear simply by talking about it."
Oh, so it's something real, then…?, Brianna thought, making sure she didn't seem too interested. She lay down on her side and smiled. "It won't disappear. But an outsider's perspective can help make it less… frightening. Rationalize the fear."
But the green eyes kept staring at the ceiling in silence and she realized that once again, she would not be able to worm any information out of him.
"Alright, as you wish…", she mumbled in annoyance, before turning her back on him. "Just try to have quiet nightmares next time. I'm sick of being woken up all the time."
Silence fell in the room and she sighed, trying to calm down and go back to sleep. But after a minute or two, Bonnet's voice rose again. "I'm drowning."
What? Taken aback, Brianna was about to turn towards him again but he held out a firm hand, preventing her from doing so.
"Don't… look at me."
Is he embarrassed…? Her heart pounding, Brianna waited for him to speak again.
"The sea… It comes for me. Darkness closes in. I cannot move. No one comes. No one ever comes."
Brianna frowned, stunned by what she had just heard. Water? That is Stephen Bonnet's greatest fear? How am I supposed to use that against him? He's got to be kidding me… But judging by Bonnet's slightly faltering voice, he wasn't kidding. She tried to turn around again to see whether or not he was laughing at her, but he wouldn't let her.
"Since I was a lad… I have been plagued by nightmares of drownin' over and over again."
Oh boy, I am the one having a nightmare, right now…, Brianna groaned internally, rolling her eyes. I've spent weeks wondering what scares him so much, and it's just… water? Plain… stupid… water?
"You'd think I'd foresee it and waken...", Bonnet went on, unaware that Brianna was only half listening now. "But I never do. Not till the water's over my head. I know it will be the death of me."
Oh, he's a crystal-gazer, now… I can't believe it… A pirate who is afraid of water… Ah! Why not a cosmonaut who's afraid of space, while we're at it? Like Neil Armstrong, two seconds before setting foot on the moon... "Sorry, guys… I'm too fucking scared, let's go back..."
"Gray waters, dark with mud, things swimmin' blindly in it. Waitin' for the sea to have her way with me. That they might do the same when she's done."
There was a chuckle and Bonnet felt Bree's back jerk under his hand. He blinked in disbelief before realizing it was a laugh. A laugh that was getting louder by every second. Mad with rage, he grabbed Brianna's waist and rolled her onto her back to force her to look at him, but the young woman's nervous laughter only intensified as her eyes teared up. She knew she risked a lot laughing in his face like this, but she couldn't stop. Once again, weeks of tension and creepy role-playing had blown out a fuse in her brain; this time, however, it did not cause any outburst of violence, but an insane… uncontrollable… fit of giggles.
"I… I'm sorry… it's just…", she gasped before laughing again.
"It's the thought of seeing me die that fills you with joy, I suppose?"
Still chortling, Brianna shook her head and took a deep breath. "No, it's just… Sorry… But a sailor who's afraid of water?"
The Irishman's scowl was enough to make her chuckle loudly again. "I shouldn't have mentioned it. Now I feel like a fool..."
Brianna exhaled deeply, finally getting ahold of herself. "I just didn't expect this kind of nightmare. And if you must know, I think you were… quite brave to spend your entire life at sea despite your fears."
Without a word, Bonnet sank back onto the mattress, still staring at her both frustrated and fascinated.
"What?", she finally asked.
"This is the first time you've ever laughed in my presence and it was at my own expense..."
"I'm sorry", she said, but he immediately shook his head.
"Don't be. It was nice to hear. It sounded… real."
Brianna flinched at the words and for a few seconds, she couldn't hide her confusion. She had laughed wholeheartedly as she imagined Neil Armstrong climbing up his ladder three rungs at a time, too scared to walk on the moon. And once it had started, her laughter had broken down every one of her mental barriers. Until she forgot where she was and especially with whom. She cleared her throat embarrassedly, pondering on a way to change the subject. When suddenly, a bell rang in her head.
"There's an apothecary in Wilmington! My mother goes there to buy some plants that she can't grow on her own. I know a few that could help you sleep." And I could build up a stock of sage in case I got pregnant…, she thought gloomily.
To her surprise, Bonnet narrowed his eyes. "Do you think I'm stupid enough to let you poison me, Brianna?"
"Huh?" The young woman frowned. She hadn't even considered blindsiding him like that, but now she thought about it… she raised her eyebrows, as if she was actually considering it.
"By Danu, now I know I should never swallow anything you serve me...", he growled, glaring at her, but Brianna rolled her eyes and sat up on the bed.
"I hadn't even thought about it before you mentioned it! And you won't be the only one to drink, if that's any consolation. I'm tired of waking up every time you jump in the middle of the night." As he kept staring at her skeptically, she chose to play her trump cards and tell the truth. "Also… I need to get out of this house, Stephen. I really do."
As she expected, the pirate's eyes softened. This technique was proving its worth every day: pretend until she had exhausted all the other options, then without warning, say something that he knew was authentic. So that he would have a glimpse of the real Brianna. Let him think she was slowly opening up to him.
"All right, then", he blurted out, while Bree tried not to gloat too much. "It just so happens I have to go to Wilmington for… work." He pursed his lips for a moment, desperately looking for a way to pass over his deliberately evasive answer. "We will take Jeremiah with us. He will be delighted."
"Excellent!" The young woman smiled broadly at him and he immediately eyed her suspiciously. "I swear I wasn't planning on poisoning you." And as he was relaxing again, she put on a mischievous face and whispered: "… until now."
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the pirate sit up angrily on the mattress but didn't wait for his retort and turned her back on him, smiling as she went back to sleep.
oOoOoOoOoOoOoOo
What did you think of this chapter? Brianna discovered a strength that she did not suspect and I must say that it will make her daily life much less stressful. She will have a clear head to plot and try to deceive her opponent... But he has more than one trick up his sleeve! I hope you enjoyed the "sweetness" of this transitional chapter… Because the next one will be everything but sweet! What do you think will happen? River Run might greet a special visitor… but you'll have to wait to find out who s/he is!
Please let me know your thoughts! Chapter 9 should be published a little before mid-April. Until then, have a lovely couple of weeks!
Xérès