The door to their temporary accommodations had barely closed when Elizabeth took hold of his wrist and dragged him to the small sofa resting against the wall with firm resolution. Still looking entirely upset.
Her questions did not wait even a second longer. "Now," she started, leaning her body forward with a look of complete concentration "What exactly did you mean by 'not quite'? Tell me what happened. Everything, James" she warned, her eyes glinting with resolve, even as hers shoulders remained rigid with tension, waiting for the bad news.
James´ brows drew together in thought, appeared to be mulling over how to start.
Was it truly that bad?
The silence in the room as she waited for him was causing her fingers to wiggle impatiently but she bit the side of her cheek and made herself hold her tongue in a truly herculean display of control.
Thankfully, even if he was clearly reluctant, James´ lips parted before her anxiety won. "Do you remember the name Cuttler Beckett?" he venture cautiously, looking at her
His question gave her pause. Beckett? she mused with perplexity, lips frowning as her brain struggled to place the face to the unfamiliar name. Until she remembered an arrogant, self-satisfied smirk with painfully sharp clarity.
Hearing James mention that unpleasant man´s name was decidedly not what she had been expecting, so it took her a couple of long seconds of staring at his stiff posture and searching eyes before her brain processed what his words hinted at. But once she did, ire flooded her entire being.
"It was that bastard´s doing!?" she barked incredulously, quite loudly as well. The sudden urge to strike a very specific someone had Elizabeth jumping up from her seat. "What did he do!?"
That petty, little cockroach. How dared he!? She was going to wring that pompous, miserable neck of his until his eyes popped out of his skull.
"Elizabeth" James called to her with a measured tone, grabbing onto her forearm and tugging it firmly. Stopping her before she could try to walk away.
She was ready to start arguing, but when their eyes met this time, he looked wary. Lips pressed in a thin line and expression so controlled it made her feel unsettled instead. It became quite evident he would not take kindly to being disregarded on this occasion, and that he was reconsidering his decision to even talk about the matter.
Of the two of them, he truly was the most stoic one, which usually meant he was the one to concede as to calm her mood; even if that sometimes meant he had to forsaken his own grievances. And she absolutely hated thinking he might regard her as an impulsive child.
So she decided to let herself fall back on her seat obediently without allowing a scowl to show on her face.
Still, he continued looking at her as if undecided whether or not continuing would risk incensing her once more.
Leaning closer and reaching forward, she allowed her hand to land on his thigh, stroking it slowly. Hoping to provide him as much comfort as he always did whenever he offered soft, affectionate caresses. "Tell me what that man has done.. please" she asked again, consciously tempering her tone and keeping their eyes locked so he would see her anger had not been directed at him in the sightless.
He exhaled harshly but his answer was calm and measured "It appears that the man has been considerably occupied here in England after returning from a fruitless expedition to Portugal."
There was some solace to find in the small hints of humour in his features as he said the last part. But, she could still feel his overall despondency. She let her legs leave the ground and move under her as she scooted her body closer to his, moving her palm up to all the way to his chest, where she continued her deliberate strokes. In turn his arm wrapped around her shoulders, keeping her pressed against his side as one of the fingers on his other hand tapped restlessly against the armrest.
"It was insinuated that he was the one to raise the issue of what happened with The Interceptor to his majesty's attention"
Something in his voice confused her. "Are you sceptical he would?"
The faint snort that followed startled her enough to make her palm jolt still.
"No, I am fairly confident he did. None of the other officers would ever admit to such thing in quite so many words, but it was made evident quite sufficiently."
Unsure of what would be the best way to respond, she settled for studying his profile as he lost himself in his own head. His arm was still holding her securely against him but at least the rest of him had relaxed so he could lean back against the backrest, his finger ceased its impatient tapping.
Her hand ended up tracing a path from his collar, up his neck, to the side of his face, feeling every inch of his skin on the way up, pressing with soft fingers until his head turned her way. James appeared to have been arrested mid-thought, as his pupils focused back on the present, when she reclaimed his attention.
"So..." she prompted curiously.
"...So that´s why I was summoned back. The high command deemed it necessary to clarify certain events that took place last year."
As much effort he put into trying to lighten the events, she could discern the situation perfectly clear. He was summoned to be interrogated.
Jaw setting with tension he added "Somehow, some of the officers had the absurd impression that you were involved in the liberation of a certain pirate"
"It was about Jack´s escape then?"
His lips pursued in displeasure at hearing the pirate´s name, but he made no comment about her use of the man´s name. "Amongst other things" he agreed.
Her own features moved to mimic his displeasure. "Why? That issue has already been settled for a long time" she couldn´t help but complain sourly. All of this was a completely ridiculous act.
As the Governor, her father had acquitted James from any direct responsibility over the loss of that bloody ship, and the other matter was witnessed by half of Port Royal. It had not been his fault they escaped. And in any case, he had tried to stop them, it was only thanks to her that they did in the end.
His head finally leaned tiredly against the plush surface of the back rest. "As it is my understanding, that sycophant has been doing a most excellent job of currying the King's favour." Almost impossibly, his expression soured even further "Apparently it was that man's opinion that the unusual circumstances in which a single pirate managed to flee from execution while under my custody needed to be revised and further investigated"
"You chased after The Pearl, for months!" she asserted indignantly. Somehow feeling like that alone should be enough to demonstrate his loyalty to the crown.
Anyone that knew of his achievements would know that such accusation was a completely preposterous notion. The man had been dedicating his life to serving King and country since the time she met him, and he´d been doing a notorious job at it.
How was it even possible that a single incident could put his honour into question in such an unjust manner?
James leaned forward and clasped her flailing hands with his, shaking his head gently. "There is no need to worry about it now, the matter has truly been settled this time" but his lips pulled into a scowl as he continued "I found myself recounting the events that led to untimely loss of The Interceptor... and all the events surrounding your kidnapping"
Her eyebrows met in stupefied disbelief. "You told them about that?" when even her best efforts were not enough to come up with an appropriate term, she tried her best to gesture at what she was referring to. Somehow, in spite of everything that had happened and even after having seen it with her own eyes, using the words 'undead skeleton pirates' still made her feel quite barmy; like an excessively imaginative kid concocting tales of impossible things.
But the hints of a playful smirk finally appeared on his cheeks when he watched her gesticulate wildly.
"Almost everything." he conceded with ease "I am certain losing my rank and commission would definitely not have been my most pressing concern had I started rambling about having encountered a crew of immortal, unkillable pirates... Perhaps ending up relocated to an institution would have given me enough time to ponder over a great deal of things... It would certainly be a novel experience"
As untimely as his joke was, she couldn´t stop the small snigger that bursted out before she taunted him lightly "You lied then?"
"I simply omitted certain parts from the truth that would have been counterproductive to pleading my case" he argued while maintaining a sober expression, sounding entirely proper and reasonable. Still, she could see the mirth hiding in his eyes. But then the corner of his mouth twisted uncomfortably and his gaze dropped down to their clasped hands on his lap, absently fiddling with the tips of her fingers nestled between his "...I also neglected to report that The Interceptor was in fact, stolen from my command. And not quite destroyed during battle; as your father so kindly implied in his own report"
Even his profile denoted the conflict inside him. She knew how grateful he was about her father´s intervention to the King in his behalf. James had even tried to argue against it, but her father had refused to hear any of it, which she was entirely grateful for.
Elizabeth worried her lower lip between her teeth before giving voice to her next question "And what about the escape?"
Surprising her, James simply shrugged while his lips pursed in thought. "You were right. It was only that idiot." Even now, his voice still held an unmistakable hint of malice directed at the name. "I could almost consider it a fortune that the man is such a lunatic. Sparrow has not done anything remotely worthy of being called a pirate in years. Nobody here in England could remember who Captain Jack Sparrow is exactly." James stressed, mocking Jack´s self-proclaimed title.
She could almost admire his senseless commitment to the grudge he nursed against the pirate, although she mostly found it silly.
"There was not much rebuke once I explained that the real Captain of the Black Pearl, along with his crew, have already been properly tried and executed."
"If that´s the case then... there is no reason why you should be punished, right?" she ventured carefully, tightening her grip on him a little too strongly.
When he inhaled deeply and used his free hand to rub his face rather impatiently, her shoulders tensed immediately in preparation, but she held her tongue and waited for him continue this time.
She´d been completely convinced that there was no possible way someone with as an impeccable record as James had, could be held accountable for such an unforeseeable disaster and much less convicted for it, but after learning of that bastard´s role in all of this...
"...It seems that fortune has not yet abandoned me" he said abruptly, reclaiming her focus. "Thankfully, it remains true that we military man do not take kindly to being schooled on how to deal with one of our own by a mere civilian" his eyes unfocused and a true smirk showed on his face for the first time, seeming to be remembering something amusing "No matter how talented he might be at wagging his tail at the King."
An involuntary sigh of relief escaped as her body slumped back onto the sofa, looking at him with a dissatisfied frown. "Couldn't you have just told me that from the beginning?"
His face turned into a light grimace after realizing she was right, offering a gentle "I´m sorry" and brushing aside the hair hindering his view of her face.
"Never mind" she grunted, feeling a little gruff, but still unfolding her defensive posture and wrapping herself around his torso, shuffling closer so her head could rest comfortably against his shoulder. James had probably been under quite some strain if he had overlooked the simplest course of action, so she did not feel like getting staying upset any longer.
Still, he continued his explanation while his fingers played absently with loose curls of her hair. "Not one of the officers involved in the audience denoted particular interest in serving me anything beyond a harsh reprimand. Apparently a result of my past records together with some of the older officers' appreciation for the memory of my late father's reputation were sufficient to lessen the severity of my well deserved punishment on this occasion"
Well, at least his father proved to be worth for something.
But he still looked extremely troubled. Knowing him, James was probably feeling as much relief as he did embarrassment. Avoiding punishment for what he probably somehow truly considered to be his responsibility, definitely would be something that triggered his remorse.
He shouldn´t have to feel guilty about any of it, she thought bitterly. Port Royal had always functioned with general autonomy over its local matters, if not for Beckett´s meddling, she was convinced England would have not intervened and forced James back in the first place.
Distracted as she was, she barely managed to catch the second of hesitation before his next words "Albeit, it was decided that a fine should be paid for the premature loss of the ship under my command"
That was unexpected as well. "How much?"
Thin lips drew into a sardonic smile, followed by a faint snort. "There was a significant amount of reward money placed upon the heads of the crew of The Black Pearl and its captain in the event of their capture, or disposal. About that much." Lifting a single eyebrow he added snidely "Such a magnificent coincidence, truly."
Elizabeth knew better than to voice it out loud, as he was obviously significantly offended by the blatant ploy, but in spite of his dampened spirit, she felt grateful for such a superficial punishment.
"They wanted the money then." she confirmed. "But do you truly care that much about it?" she asked with curious confusion, not considering what her words might have sounded like util after she'd said them. But it truly was impossible not to be perplexed by his reaction. Even while having plenty, money had never been of any particular importance to him, or at least not in the way it was to most other noblemen. He was not greedy, thus, it was hard to guess why he was sounded so upset.
The apology dancing in her tongue was halted by his unexpected mirthful chuckle. His gaze met her and she could see with instant relief that the green in his eyes stared with open warmness.
"It might come as a surprise to the former Lady Swann, but it is a general consensus that losing such a large amount of money is a rather unfortunate occurrence, dear wife."
And then his sincere, playful smile was back as he looked at her with a tilted head that rested leisurely on top of his fist. It was enough to assure her he was not truly upset about the money nor her question.
Then maybe he had simply worried that she would be the one to get upset about it?
If that were to be the case, it would be a completely unnecessary concern for him to have. "Maybe, but you´re not like that"
His eyes shone with unexpected delight at her words. "True, I suppose I really don´t mind that much"
"We have enough" she declared confidently, trying to give him further comfort by moving closer and curling into his side. "My only concern is about you not getting in trouble" she assured him, pushing onto her knees so that she could place a kiss on his cheek.
His large palm captured her nape as she moved away, closing the short distance once more, nuzzling her temple with his nose before giving her a kiss in the same spot she had. "Thank you"
They simply stayed in that position, holding onto the other. James' eyes had closed, but hers kept observing him attentively, even as the light acquired an orange hue and the room started to dim.
Her palm kept lazily running an aimless path up and down his neck while she studied him. He was considerably more serene than she would ever hope to be, and he always fought to maintain his emotions in control, but he could never hide them all. Not from her, not anymore.
"Maybe I really ought to retire young" the words were said so softly that, had she not been as close to him as she was, she would have missed them, but she didn´t.
One of her eyebrows raised at that. "What do you mean by that?"
His lids parted, looking almost disoriented; but then his pupils regained focus when he realized he had spoken out loud.
Uncertain green eyes stared back at her with a twinge of resignation as he declared "Well, I reckon that allowing the woman I love fall of a cliff, having to watch as she was rescued by none other than a pirate because I was incapable to do so myself, failing to apprehend said pirate, letting the port I command be attacked and nearly destroyed, losing one of my valuable ships... All within days of achieving the promotion I so strived for, for the best part of four years... it does not bode well for the future of my career, does it?" he joked, chuckling while shaking his head weakly as he drew slightly away from her and let his head hang over the edge of the backrest "Maybe I am much better off as a simple captain"
How did he find the energy to care about so many thing that were already in the past?
James could be so inconveniently difficult sometimes, but she had almost never heard him speak in such a defeatists manner, and she didn´t like it at all. She much preferred his self-assurance, even if it could border on arrogance sometimes.
Bringing her hand up to hold the side of his face, she brought his gaze back to hers and pronounced her next words with careful composure "Whatever the title, it doesn´t make you any less capable James."
She didn´t say anything more, simply held his gaze as she waited for him to realize she meant them.
And then he did.
His arms enclosed her body securely as he leaned his forehead against hers. "I´m grateful to have you, Elizabeth. Truly" the tender words pronounced with his deep voice, and the way he held her like he was afraid she would leave, made her shiver pleasantly. His loving affections made her feel as grateful for his existence.
"Besides, 'Captain Norrington' sounds appealing enough to me." she added thoughtfully, feeling a mischievous smirk draw on her face as her head nestled deeper in the hollow of his shoulder, holding his neck still so she could kiss the smooth skin under his jaw. "In fact, I rather love it, it sounds very good" she whispered against it, emphasizing the last word with a deliberately slow suck that made him twitch. "So stop brooding already" she ordered, tugging the collar of his shirt playfully and smiling in triumph when she felt him nod and place a kiss on the top of her head.
"Understood"
The comfort of his embrace gave her no desire to move.
"I´m hoping at least one of us managed to have a good day today" he ventured curiously, but when her only response was a noncommittal hum, he asked her directly instead "Did you enjoy your day?"
Elizabeth chuckled. It was impossible for him to know, but considering what had happened earlier that day, his choice of topic was a terrible one for cheering their dampened mood.
Nonetheless, she answered as honestly as she could "It wasn´t terrible" she conceded "But I'm exhausted. Even if the city might be great for exploring, it´s annoyingly crowded, the streets are labyrinthian and I lost my hat. I don´t understand why the other ladies always talk about this place as it was the most amazing place in the world"
Even as she complained, he listened to her in relaxed silence. James knew that while she might not love the city, she enjoyed the opportunity to explore a place that was markedly different from what she already knew. Port Royal was still too small to provide much entertainment for long periods of time.
She felt his slight smile against her temple before he playfully told her "I´ll buy you a new hat"
It made her huff and roll her eyes. "I don´t need one"
He shrugged, still keeping her head securely upon his chest "I´ll still buy you another one" he promised as his fingers toyed with the ends of her curls "Although I fail to understand how you got so distracted you did not noticed it was gone" he quipped lightly.
She really, truly had no desire to, but now she would have to tell him.
"...Have you not learned about the incident from earlier today?"
His weight shifted away from her and when she looked up, she could see in his expression that he had no idea what she was referring to.
"Incident?" he repeated, regarding her with just the smallest amount of suspicion. "Where?"
Everywhere, she was tempted to blurt. Instead her lips pursed, trying to remember any particular landmark, but all she remembered was the chaos "I don´t know exactly. I was on my way back from the park"
"What happened?"
"I came across a rather unexpected sight"
"Which was?" he prodded.
"You truly haven´t heard?" she insisted, a perfectly mischievous smile taking place as she noticed his interest growing.
He didn´t miss the game she was playing by avoiding telling him clearly what she was talking about, nor how much fun she was having with it. But instead of dancing into it, he simply smiled back "I think we´ve already established my ignorance on the subject"
"Sorry, but it just difficult to believe. It was a rather spectacular occurrence"
One of his hands moved into her hair so he could massage her scalp carefully, using the opportunity of her distraction to lean down and kiss her neck. An attractive sigh came out of her when his teeth nipped gently at the hollow connecting her shoulder and neck, continuing with his ministrations as he waited for her.
"Are you not planning to tell me any time soon?" he mumbled against her soft skin, she had felt a little cold before, but now she was radiating inviting heat from all over.
Her response was a disinterested hum. "Why don´t you try guessing?" she offered, using one palm to rub circles into his chest.
"Love" he insisted, running his palm down the delicate contours of her back "Please?" he tried again, adding just a hint of pleading.
When her eyes eventually opened, she looked mildly disoriented as her head leaned to the side in an adorable manner "...tell you what?"
He reigned in his pleasure at her distraction. "About what happened earlier?"
"Ah, yes" she exclaimed, the sly shine returning to her pupils as her gaze refocused. "Truthfully, I'm not entirely certain of what happened nor how it started. I did overhear some people saying it was a chase but I only saw the flames..."
James back immediately straightened stiff, grabbing onto her forearms to pull her slightly away from him, suddenly looking very alert and mildly alarmed. Inspecting her as if looking for an injury he might not have noticed before.
"Flames? What flames?" the concern in his voice was evident.
Blinking a couple of times she ponder of a better way to say it, but finding none she informed him plainly "The street caught on fire"
He stared at her as if unsure he had heard her correctly, so she used the opportunity to finish her explanation "A wagon engulfed in flames rushed past me while I was exploring ...I think some criminals were trying to flee the king´s men."
The alarm had completely settled in his face by that point, so she tried to make light of the entire situation "I can´t be sure how my nerves were able to endure such traumatic experience. The scare was almost too much to bear" she lamented, placing a palm on her chest and fanning her face dramatically with the other, pretending to be a most proper lady. "Thankfully, I came out completely unscathed." she added emphatically, clinging to his uniform with a small pout, all the while keeping her gaze locked on his, willing him to not react negatively.
It seemed to work as he sighed defeatedly and refrained from asking a dozens questions about her health. Grabbing her face, his thumb ran across her cheek bone tenderly, still looking for any sign of her distress. She nuzzled his hand, before shifting forward and clinging to his neck.
"I barely caught a glimpse. I promise." she told him, trying not to sound too disappointed.
James seemed to finally relent to her explanation. "My poor, frail wife. You must have suffered quite the shock" sounding almost entirely serious as he said it.
She grinned enormously at that. "I would like to be consoled" she muttered against the fabric of his shirt.
"And how would you have me do that?" he queried, even as his hand dipped under the hem of her skirts, trailing up the side of her leg.
"I think you have the proper idea, Dear" she assured him, shivering when his fingers tickled the back of her knee.
When he laughed, Elizabeth was unable to control her own laughter any longer.
"Mocking the crown's guard is a grave disrespect, and an entirely foolish thing to do." James noted thoughtfully "Whatever had been the crime committed, they will surely find themselves facing the noose once they're captured" his words were not presumptuous, but there was complete certainty in them, he did not doubt for a moment that would be what would happened in the end.
"But what if they escape?" she challenged.
It made one of his eyebrows raise before he squeezed her hips and pulled her closer to his body. "Then they can thank their lucky star" he whispered over her lips before closing the distance.
His kiss captured her complete attention for a while, but then a tremendous grin took over her face. Pulling away from him just enough that she could see his face, she let out a snigger while declaring "You should have seen it, it was entirely ridiculous."
"I would imagine so" he agreed, keeping a gentle smile on his face, completely unable to resist her happy expression. But then his expression morphed into carefully consideration as he spoked again "Next time, I really would prefer for you to be careful, Love"
Even while his tone was gentle, his words were firm, making both of her eyebrows twist in confusion and mild offence "How was I not careful? It´s not as if orchestrated the thing, I was simply passing by"
"You're trying to convince me you only watched it unfold and nothing else?"
She nodded.
"You didn´t try to fight? or intervened in any way?" he insisted knowingly, with slightly narrowed eyes.
Suddenly, she was feeling very sorry for their future children at that moment. He somehow seemed very capable of differentiating any sort of dishonest intention she might have. It seemed unfair.
The pause she gave while hesitating on how much to tell him, betrayed her.
He groaned with annoyance.
"I just followed for a little bit!" she defended.
"Elizabeth"
"Nothing happened! I wasn´t even close to catching them" she admitted, carefully omitting that she had been curious mostly because she thought it could have been them.
"You were unable to trail after them, weren´t you?"
Her lips pressed, childishly unwilling to admit he had guessed correctly. "I was only doing my civic duty. I am the wife of an officer"
The unamused disbelief of his stare did not cower her, but it did make her answer more seriously "I made you a promise, Didn´t I?"
Her reminder made his gaze soften.
"You only cared about the opportunity to humble a lesser opponent, didn´t you?" he scolded, although there was more acceptance than chiding in the way he looked at her now.
She snorted at his -not so completely inaccurate- assessment, but she would not correct him.
"But I was unarmed, remember?"
"Oh, I believe the one that evidently forgot about such inconsequential detail, was you"
His words made her scowl. "I don´t appreciate the mock, James. I´ll make you sleep on this very sofa. Alone" she threatened, which provoked his mood to change and a very naughty smirk showed on his face.
"I´ll freeze" he warned piteously.
"And I´ll be very sad about it" she promised without sympathy.
"Could I bargain for heartbroken beyond repair instead?" he inquired with a teasing glint in his clever eyes.
He was absolutely not taking her seriously, but she forgot to get offended when she felt his hands move to hold her bottom.
"I don't think you are as enchanting as you seem to believe you are"
Her words did nothing to discourage him "But, you do consider me charming then?"
"...my judgement is not always without its fault" she answered drily while lifting her chin haughtily.
Which only made his smile widen to the point his teeth showed. Looking like not an ounce of his confidence had been affected by her jab.
His conceited expression was a little irritating, so she leaned down and wiped the satisfaction away from his mouth, kissing him strongly until she felt him struggle to keep her rhythm. They were both panting heavily once she let him go.
Holding onto her chin, he pleaded seriously this time "Just please do not chase after criminals, Elizabeth"
"You really do believe I'm always striving to get in trouble, don´t you?" she realized with amusement.
"'Striving' is too strong of a word" he corrected, appearing unashamed by his admittance.
"I will inform you that you are gravely mistaken. Having a sense of adventure doesn´t necessarily mean I would like to get an unwarranted injury" then her head leaned to the side in musing "But it is tremendously dangerous to allow your lady to stroll around the streets in such unprotected manner" she chided "A weapon to defend myself would be a better suited gift than a hat, don´t you think?"
A small frown appeared on his face as he tried to ask "Stroll? What about the..."
Realizing her blunder, she rushed to interrupt him, kissing him again until heat started pooling in her lower belly. "I also met a couple of men that seemed to know you" she panted once her lips parted, quickly starting to forget about the reason why she was trying to distract him.
Her plan worked unexpectedly well as James moved his focus down to her collar, as he mumbled with disinterest "Did you now?"
The brush of his thumb over her pulse point made her heart stutter but she nodded her assent anyway. Quickly realizing he could not see it, she added with a satisfied moan "While I was waiting for you. Some officers." Instantly regretting having continued to babble away stupidities when his mouth stopped sucking so he could raise his face to look at hers.
"Outside The Admiralty?"
Her head shook quickly, trying to concentrate. "On the street, near the park. One of them called himself..." her mind struggled for a moment trying to place a name to the unpleasant blonde that she´d met just that afternoon. Such task was hindered by his dextrous hands still moving over her skin "Scarface?" she guessed, clearly mistaken as James snorted with an amused half-smirk "or something like that. I don´t know" and don´t care, she though; completely unaffected about not remembering their stupid names.
James frowned in concentration, his eyes turning glassy as he tried to remember the person she was talking about.
"What was he like?"
"Arrogant" was her immediate response "A condescending, disagreeable and arrogant blond bastard"
His eyes lit with immediate recognition "Ah. I believe that would be Scarfield, then." he corrected her "I must say, that is quite the perfectly accurate description of that man."
She hummed in agreement, trying to cue him into what she wanted by throwing a leg over his lap, which he caught in his hand much too smoothly.
"And the other one?"
"A short, dark haired rake named Watts"
His amusement disappeared as soon as the name left her mouth "Did he do anything disrespectful to you?"
Her nose scrunched with disgust "No, but he certainly offered to"
James' eyes blazed with anger at that as his grip tightened on her.
"There is no need for you to worry. He didn´t do anything besides act like a mannerless" she assured him, patting his stomach placatingly, not wanting to let his mood sour again "So you do know them."
"Unfortunately" the word was almost a sigh, one filled with reluctant admittance. And then rubbing his temple with a thumb, he offered an "I´m sorry"
"What are you apologizing for? They are not actually your friends ...are they?" she asked unsure, mildly disturbed by the idea that he would enjoy associating with that sort of disagreeable men.
But James looked at her with an almost offended expression "I would not considered them that by any means" he declared tersely.
"How do you know them then?"
"We happened to serve on the same ship for a few years when were were young"
"They seemed to really dislike you"
"The feeling is shared. Although hate is probably a more accurate sentiment" his tone was entirely unconcerned and strangely prideful as he spoke, his expression changing into a pleased one as he smiled at her "I might have introduced their backs to the floorboards on one too many occasions during our scrimmages"
She smiled back conspiratorially but took his face gently into her hands and chided him "Truly James, how can you have such a hard time being friendly?"
"Elizabeth, those two are lazy, abusive and good for nothing men" his nose twisted with distaste as he added "I seriously doubt you would really want me making acquaintance with them"
He was completely correct, she did not want him near them. "Alright, not them. But what about others?"
He simply shrugged with a nonchalant, adorably childish smile. "I´ll consider it"
Considering she didn't have that many friends herself, she knew she should not tease him any further. Besides, him acting anything less than firm around his men would certainly be out of his character, and probably not good for discipline.
"What happened between you and them?" she asked instead, unable to hide her curiosity.
"Nothing really... although, I guess Scarfield did try to kill me once." James had the gall to keep an smirk as he said it.
"Pardon?" she growled with outrage.
"Even that he couldn´t do right. The idiot untied my safety line during a storm. I realized immediately and then reported it to the Lieutenant afterwards. He got flogged quite harshly"
Her mouth dropped open at the indifference with which he talked about such thing. "I hope it left a mark" she spat angrily, feeling unreasonably upset.
The abrupt gust of wind that entered thru the open window made her realized that, even with a lit fireplace, the room temperature had chilled. It was completely dark outside now.
After James stood up to close the window, he extended his hand for her. "Let´s move to bed"
Jumping up from her seat, she grabbed his hand and walked straight for the bed. He followed without a word, obediently falling down on the soft surface when she pushed him down with a small shove, climbing on it immediately after and taking her place back on his lap.
Her dainty hands moved up his chest, making quick work of his cravat with practiced precision as her mouth showered him with affection.
He could not determine whether her actions were currently arising from concern over thinking he might be traumatized by Scarfield's asinine stunt from when they were kids, but her caresses felt magnificent, and he was sincerely appreciative of her efforts to provide him with a distraction from any unnecessary thoughts.
Yet, he couldn't help but have an unnecessary thought. Briefly wondering when exactly had she gotten so skilled at pulling his clothes off, and realizing at the same time that he could not remember when had been the last time he´d taken them off by himself.
"For a while now, I´ve been curious as to why you seem to hold such a particularly strong grudge against my cravat" he joked, indicating to the fact that she would usually dispose of it somewhere before he ever realized it was gone.
His words had a noticeable effect in the colour of her skin, as a lovely shade of pink dusted her cheekbones now. It intrigued him further. So, when instead of answering, her glance darted back down and her hands continue with her task, his face chased hers, staring at her determinedly while holding the back of her neck so she would be unable to escape him again.
Their faces were so near that their noses would brush with each breath they took. And when she let out a soft noise of protest, he kissed the corner of her mouth, moving away when she tried to catch his lips.
"Well, If you truly must know... I actually quite like it" her voice became a bit of a mumble as she admitted quietly "The bow sort of reminds me of when you unwrap a present" her eyes shined with unexpected innocence and shyness, even as her hands continued touching him in a decidedly bold manner.
He had not meant to, but he ended up laughing loudly, with such force that he had to move away from her and lean back against the head of the bed for support.
"I was trying to be romantic" she complained embarrassedly, her skin turning an even darker shade of pink as a grumpy pout decorate her pretty lips.
He knew she´d been serious, but the contrast of her reasoning and her actions was so odd and endearing that he couldn´t refrain himself.
And when he clearly failed to compose himself fast enough, she pounced on him and interrupted his laughter with an entirely unjust kiss. Provoking havoc in his body and rendering his brain's ability to think useless.
As her soft, pliant mouth moulded over his, he completely forgot what exactly he'd found so amusing just before. Surrendering to her whims much too eagerly his eyes closed, only capable of focusing on the weight of her body over his, and on the wandering path of delicate hands to the back of his shoulders; she kneaded the muscles there with such delightful care that his mouth stopped working due to the magnificent grace she decided to bestow upon him.
The sudden sting on his lower lip brought him out of his idleness, forcing his lids to flutter open in question.
He found Elizabeth´s slightly narrowed eyes looking down at him with dissatisfaction. "You stopped." she complained with a rather endearing lack of breath, sounding more than a little affronted. Her hands abandoned his back and tangled into his hair instead, tightening around the short strands with firm determination. "I want you to keep your attention on me."
"Forgive me for the offence, my lady. I was engrossed by how…" he interrupted himself with an involuntary groan of approval when she bit a sensitive spot on the side of his throat "..talented you are at that" he managed to croak.
His praise seemed to be enough to ear her forgiveness as she hummed happily and placed a wet lick to his neck over the spot she had just bitten.
He shifted forward so he could put his lips to her white, soft skin.
"Don´t" she mumbled in a high, breathless pitch.
"Don´t what?" he rasped with bewilderment, separating from her chest while wondering if he had somehow hurt her.
But she didn´t look hurt. The only word that came to his mind to describe her appearance at that moment was mesmerizing. A mermaid's song would not be able to entice him with half the strength those bewitching dark eyes of hers could with one simple look.
Her hands held both sides of his face, but it didn´t matter, he could not move. "Don´t get distracted." her eyes blazed with such determination that he felt unable to do anything but stare back as she drew even closer "Just look at me. Just think of me."
James had to wonder if Elizabeth was conscious of the effect her words had on him. Her possessive nature always managed to arise his lust and heighten his excitement.
Her tongue deterred him from any further attempt to do anything but fumble for the button of her skirts.
...
It wasn´t until lunch the next day that she remembered something important.
"And do they not know colour here? Even the sky is white and grey" she complained, looking out the window. The sky remained unchanged from the white fog that had covered it since their arrival. It wasn´t even the pure white she could associate with the huge clouds of the Caribbean, but more of a murky that kept the sun covered, making everything around look dim.
Her face dropped to rest on her hand as he pointed to the outside with the other "Is it always like this?"
James' hand halted mid movement as he put butter over a biscuit, following her finger. "From what I can remember, I believe it mostly is. It has been a few years from the last time I was here but nothing has changed much"
She grimaced. "Do you like it?"
He gave her a small shrug "I don´t mind the cold."
"Well, I prefer the sun." she informed him, leaning back on her chair as she took a sip from her glass. "I would rather go somewhere warm next time."
He hummed in understanding as he bit into his food.
"And the people here are curt, that man from the last store was eying me strangely"
"That might have had something to do with your unparalleled excitement about acquiring a new weapon. He probably thought you were planning to use it at the earliest opportunity" he teased her.
"You were the one who made me a promise!" she reminded him, reaching down for her fork.
"I distinctly remember saying I would buy you a hat, not a dagger"
"After waiting for you all day yesterday I deserved a good reward." she argued back, before the question she had forgotten to ask crept back into her mind abruptly "Did you report the shipwrecks you found?"
This time, it was his drink that she interrupted. Looking back at her with raised eyebrows, he noted "I must say it took longer than I expected for you to ask me about that, Love"
"I was otherwise engaged last night" she reminded him without shame "But now I´m not."
Finally bringing the glass to his mouth, he drank with deliberate slowness, holding her gaze as he swallowed. "My lack of ability to safeguard my post was not the only subject of discussion during my audience." he admitted, his fingers tapping down on the table a couple of times as he stared at her with the same troubled expression she caught yesterday. "It´s come to my attention that in the past few months, there have been a couple more wrecks of the same nature found all over The Caribbean"
Her mind jolted to attention at the news. "So it really were pirates then" she said, receiving a nod of confirmation. "But why were you not informed much earlier?"
His tapping ceased as he smiled, looking anything but happy "Because as the attacks were not committed against English vessels, they were regarded as unimportant."
Of course, she thought, starting to understand the origin of his dissatisfaction.
His next words took her by surprise. "You are well aware that it´s only been a few years since King George II inherited the throne, aren´t you?"
Yes, she was aware of the new King and of his unfortunate reputation, it would have been difficult not to be. Even if her father refused to engage in gossiping about the King, the rest of the aristocracy didn´t; greedy, cowardly, insecure, glutton, were some of the terms most used to describe him. A rather memorable character.
Rather than making an unsavoury remark, she nodded, waiting to hear where he was going.
"It seems our King has been rather engrossed by the events happening around the Caribbean lately" and her husband did not sound the least bit pleased by it. "He has effectively decided to declare 'war on piracy'"
What did that even mean?
"Piracy is already illegal." she remarked.
And what would a man like that even know about war?
The man was probably merely attempting to salvage his reputation in court, using the problems that pirates posed in order to do so.
"Well, now he wants it all eradicated, all of them absolutely gone. He has just issued several new commands for all officers posted in the colonies. 'Every ship sighted that is suspected of transporting or aiding pirates is to be chased and destroyed, regardless of circumstances.'" he repeated mindlessly. "'Surveillance is to be increased on all trading routes and around all ports, merchant ships are to be safely escorted out of port'" he was grinding his teeth now.
"Why do you sound displeased by that?"
"Because it cannot be done with out current manpower" he explained, pinching his nose with clear exasperation "I just lost The Interceptor and I could barely perform my obligations with two ships. I don´t have the men to do what he´s ordering and I won't be given more... not for the time being. Regardless of the might of The Dauntless, I..." he interrupted himself, looking like he was a little lost on how he should proceed. He probably was.
"James" she called gently, feeling mildly concerned for him.
At the call of his name, his expression dispelled in favour of an incensed glare and a scoff "The best of luck to that endeavour." He almost sounded mocking as he lifted his glass of wine and took another gulp. Head falling back on the headrest.
She could only stare in disbelief. It was nothing short of baffling to realize he had no hope of that happening. But then she realized that it was exactly what James had been fighting for since he arrived in Port Royal. It was probably insulting to hear such a command after all his efforts and sacrifices.
"But you don´t think it´ll work" It wasn´t a question, merely an observation.
He seemed taken aback for a moment before he rearranged his features into a mask of sobriety. "Frankly? If I have realized something by now, it is that pirates are a plague, Elizabeth. A resilient one" he confessed while distractedly stroking the foot of his glass. "No matter how many of them fall, a different one takes his place. I´ll consider myself satisfied if I can continue keeping them away from Jamaica."
Even as he spoke with an even tone, she saw the way he seemed to brace for an unfavourable reaction, which she could not comprehend.
Her hand reached across the small table to settle over his free one, caressing his tense knuckles with light brushes until she felt his grip relax.
"There is nothing wrong with doing that. You can´t guard the entire Caribbean"
She had still been keeping her attention on the hand she was tending to when it suddenly turned to capture hers. Raising her gaze, she found him staring at her with equal parts guilt and conviction "What I care about is protecting you"
A pleased smile appeared on her face without permission. "But what about the everything else then?" she inquired in jest, enjoying the way his hand completely engulfed hers.
"I don´t really care" he confessed with a helpless shrug, looking a little confused by his own words "You are much more valuable to me than that"
"You say it as if it was a bad thing"
"It might be. At least for the part of me that is bounded by duty." his expression was wistful, but resigned "But I truly can´t bring myself to care anymore"
Hot liquid coursed thru every inch of her body at his words, her heart beating in her ears. He spoked so casually, his demeanour completely composed and his words easy; he was simply talking about a fact. He wasn´t making a promise, but merely speaking the truth.
Her thumb stroked the outside of his wrist as her mind struggled to respond. There was no need for him to live caring about everything and everyone else. He had her, and she had him. That was more than enough to make her happy.
"What is the plan then?"
"Plan?" he repeated with a yielding shake of his head. "Find all ships hoisting a skull on its flag and sunk them to the bottom of the sea" he said drily, letting his cheekbone fall on top of his fist with a tired sigh.
That was not an encouraging response, she noted, as her own hands drew into fists.
Note: Hello again! I´m done with my break. Thank you for your wait, please enjoy!