The Devil's Hand

--Chapter Twelve--



    Elizabeth looked up from her book when the door burst open and Will appeared, dragging his cousin by one arm. Nicola looked much maligned, and Will was livid.

    "Oh, dear," Elizabeth said as she stood. "What happened?"

    "Roccelli's out of the picture, permanently," Will informed his fiancee. "However, Nicola's managed to get herself into some more trouble, and we're going to rectify that this afternoon. Do you have a dress you'd be willing to loan her or to part with, and anything that can function as a trousseau?"

    Wide brown eyes fixed on Nicola, who turned her own gaze to the ceiling and huffed.

    "Do I want to know?" Elizabeth asked after careful consideration.

    "William thinks I need to marry posthaste," Nicola said. "It seems I've offended his sense of duty and honour as my nearest male relative."

    One corner of Elizabeth's mouth lifted ever so slightly. "Jack?" she inquired.

    "Jack," Will growled. He pushed his cousin towards his intended. "Please make it quick, Elizabeth. I'm tempted to strangle one or the both of them."

    "Wait here. We'll do our best."

    Elizabeth escorted Nicola upstairs, then let out a rather uncharacteristic giggle. "You and Jack? He's making you marry Jack Sparrow?"

    Nicola blushed, managing to look both miserable and excited at once. Her emotions were a confused tumult. "He caught us in a . . . compromising position, and he's furious. But I . . . I love him. Jack, I mean."

    It was a little odd to say the words aloud, but she needed to or she'd burst. "I told him I wasn't looking for marriage, but I find I can't be angry at Will. I love Jack. I know I shouldn't, and I know that Will thinks I'm out of my head, but . . ."

    "But your head doesn't rule your heart," the other woman said. "Yes. And I can see how Jack caught your fancy. But you've only known him a month."

    "Six weeks," the younger woman corrected. "And I've been courted by other men for longer, and they failed to stir any emotion in me."

    Elizabeth instructed her maid to locate anything they could pack for Nicola. It would be an excuse to get new things made, something her father was always willing to indulge her in. Mostly, the hastily-constructed dowry chest consisted of a new shift, a nightrail that Governor Swann had procured and Elizabeth never used because it was entirely too frilly for her tastes, and a pale green taffeta gown with a deep rose under-dress and trim that suited Nicola's colouring perfectly.

    Flora arranged Nicola's hair into a complicated design of curls and ribbons, and Elizabeth, finding the bird necklace in Nicola's bag, decreed that the bride should wear it.

    "It rather looks like a sparrow, doesn't it?" she mused. "How funny. A sparrow holding a black pearl."

    A very impatient Will knocked at the door. He stared at his cousin when he saw her, a smile breaking through his irritation.

    "You look beautiful, cousin," he said. "A lovely bride. Not a very deserving groom, but a lovely bride, nonetheless."

    Nicola smiled and exchanged a look with Elizabeth. Then Will took hold of the chest to which all of Nicola's things, new and old, had been moved, and hauled it out to the waiting carriage.

    "Are you coming?" Nicola asked Elizabeth, suddenly nervous to be all alone on her wedding day.

    "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

 

-----

 

    A goat in the street stopped the carriage. Nicola glanced out the window while Will made noises of frustration, and saw that they lingered near a jeweler's shop.

    "Will. Can we go in?" she asked. "Just for a moment."

    Since she'd behaved so far, Will acquiesced and the trio went inside. Elizabeth distracted her fiance with talk of wedding rings for their own upcoming nuptials, and Nicola found herself alone near the back, looking at the dazzling variety of gems on offer.

    "Ahh. It found you."

    She jumped and whirled, startled by the old woman she hadn't noticed before, sitting in the shadows. The woman stood, one lined hand reaching for the necklace.

    "This is my work," she said. "The last I made. My son now does the work while I design. My old hands aren't up to it any longer, I'm afraid."

    Nicola touched the necklace, the warm gold soothing now when she thought of Jack, instead of frightening in Roccelli's presence. "It was . . . a gift."

    "But not from the one it should have been, yes? No matter." The old woman waved a hand. "It found you anyway. Did it show you the truth?"

    In a way, it had. Reflecting on it, during those hours she'd been Roccelli's prisoner, she had realised that she loved Jack. "Yes," she said slowly. "It did."

    "Good." The woman smiled. "And today is your wedding day. I'm pleased that you're wearing it."

    "How did you know . . .?"

    "I'm old, child. I've seen many brides." She glanced past Nicola to the other couple. "You shouldn't keep Jack waiting."

    Nicola's mouth dropped open. Before she could say anything in response, a younger man came through the back door.

    "Mama, are you pestering the customers?" he asked.

    "Not at all, Phillipe. Just having a nice chat."

    Will pulled Nicola away then. Baffled by the strange conversation, Nicola rode the rest of the way to the docks in silence.

    The crew of the Pearl was in an uproar, excited by the news that their captain was taking a wife. As undesirable as a woman on board was, a wedding was an excuse for songs and drinking and general merriment. Gibbs, as acting captain, had attempted to make himself presentable for the occasion. Jack was, well, Jack, and had done little save for putting on his frock coat and straightening the cuffs.

    "Oooh," one of the men said when Nicola appeared on board. "Blimey!"

    Jack looked completely dumbstruck as Will guided Nicola across the main deck to where he and Gibbs waited. He'd been frustrated at being forced to do this, but seeing his bride flummoxed him and he couldn't, try as he might, find any real reason to fight what was happening. He got to keep her after all. Wasn't that what he'd wanted?

    Will placed Nicola's hand in Jack's, and Gibbs conducted. With an "I do" from both parties and an "I pronounce you man and wife" from the first mate, it was done. The newlyweds eyed each other awkwardly as the crew demanded a kiss.

    Giving in, Jack pulled Nicola into his arms and kissed her thoroughly, to the cheers of the men. Then he declared that it was time for drinking.

    "I think we'll be off," Elizabeth said. "You probably want to get going before the Commodore notices you're in the bay, even if only just."

    "Good thinking, Lizzie," Jack said. "And if we don't make it back for your nuptials, let me congratulate you now."

    Nicola hugged her cousin and his fiancee, and Will and Elizabeth departed.

    "On deck!" Jack bellowed at the crew. He issued his orders and the sails unfurled, dark against the brilliant blues and yellows of the beginning sunset.

    Once in open water, the party began. Jack couldn't begrudge the men some celebrating, even if he felt a bit foul himself. Married, him! And forced into it by an earnest young pup with too many morals.

    Nicola danced with each of the men, laughing merrily as they swung her about. Jack stayed at the wheel, unsure how to proceed from here. Steering the ship was something he knew. It was familiar and comforting.

    Eventually, the celebrating died down and Nicola retired to his-their!--cabin. After a while, Jack turned the wheel over to Gibbs and followed. Sitting at his desk, he pulled out his charts and tried to focus on picking their next destination, now that the threat that had so consumed him was gone.

    He took a swig from his rum bottle and eyed the woman perched on his bed. His wife. He had to admit that he had some pretty tarnished views on marriage, given his home life growing up, and he hadn't ever expected to enter the "blissful state".

    It was his own fault, really, not making sure the door was barred. But Nic didn't seem too bothered, despite her talk of not looking to marry him, and dressed in that frilly nightgown Elizabeth had given her, with her hair spilling around her shoulders, as she read a book by the light of a small lamp hanging by the bed . . .

    Her toes peeked from the hem of the alluring-but-innocent gown, and he felt his interest stir, reminded of what had been interrupted earlier. Jack set the bottle down with a "thunk" and stood. Nic's big eyes lifted to watch him curiously.

    He lurched over to the bed, nearly collapsing as the ship bounced over a particularly large swell. Speaking of large swellings, he had one he needed to deal with and here was his bride, all pretty and soft and his.

    Jack plucked the book from her hands with two fingers, noting with a glance that it was in French. "Didn't you say that you'd only read this if you were desperate for entertainment?"

    "That I did," she said slowly.

    "I can entertain you," he said, and dropped the book on the floor.

    Then he leaned in and kissed her. Suddenly, it could have been a hurricane outside, and he wouldn't have cared. "Door's locked this time, aye?" he murmured against her mouth.

    Nicola let out a wordless little moan that turned him hard as iron. He had to remove her hands from his shirt in order to get it off, and he didn't even bother taking off his breeches, just his boots.

    Jack flopped onto his back, pulling Nick atop him. "I want you, lass," he growled. "Now."

    She just smirked and hiked up the hem of the nightgown, shifting to straddle him. Jack reached for the curls between her legs, spearing two fingers into her while he thumbed her clitoris.

    "Mmm, yes," she said breathily. "More, Jack."

    As he watched her respond in that sweet, inexperienced but eager way, he realised there would be no more visits to Scarlet and Giselle. This was the only woman he wanted now, and there was no way on this earth he was going to let another man touch her. Any man dare lay a finger on her, he'd kill him.

    Jack reached up with his free hand and unlaced the bodice of the gown, pulling her forward so he could catch a nipple with his mouth.

    Above him, Nicola whimpered his name and began, "I- I need-"

    Deciding she was wet enough, Jack withdrew his hand and settled both on her hips. Following his urging, Nicola sank down, squeaking, "Oh!" when he slid in.

    He released her nipple and lay back, using his hands and hips to show her how to move. Jack was a little surprised at how satisfied he suddenly felt, knowing that no other man would teach her this, just him. No other man would make that expression of ecstasy on her face. There was so much he could show her, and he wanted to.

    Nicola's hands flattened on his chest, her eyes fixed on his face as she rode him. Making love this way hadn't occurred to her, but she liked it very much. Jack's hands on her body, in places that he hadn't really touched her before, excited her. She closed her eyes, with a look of pure bliss on her features.

    She came before he did, keening out with her orgasm. Nicola slumped forward, hands on the pillow beneath Jack's head, and kissed him. He pushed up with his hips and groaned as he found release, the sound muffled by her mouth.

    "Ah, Nicky," he said breathlessly.

    His wife grinned and pushed sweaty blonde locks out of her face. "Yes, Jack?"

    "Have I told you how beautiful you are, love?"

    "Mmm. Not to my knowledge."

    Jack rolled her beneath him. "Well, then, let me correct that. Shall I do an inventory . . .?"