Saints and Sinners
Chapter sixteen
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“I’ve
tried. He won’t tell me.”
“Ah!”
he laughed. “We’ve even tried gettin’
th’cap’n blind drunk an’ he still won’t say.”
“I’m
starting to think that you can’t get Jack Sparrow drunk,” she
observed. “He always seems…”
“Drunk
when he’s sober an’ sober when he’s drunk,” Oliver quipped, winking broadly at
her. “Here, this should do.”
the light from the torch shine through the glass bottle.
“Come
on then,” Celia urged, wanting to get away from the deep recesses of the Black
Pearl, but not wanting to hurry back to the cabin.
guessed how she felt about him.
“Aye.
stepped forward to do the same thing and his hand closed over hers on the knob.
and into his arms, pressing his lips against hers and kissing her deeply.
“Until
he’s had me and I’m no longer a virgin?” she snapped, her voice betraying the
hurt she felt inside. “But surely I
won’t be half as desirable then, hmm?”
“No
longer a virgin?” Oliver echoed, frowning at her in the dim light.
“He
hasn’t picked my cherry? No – he
hasn’t! Oh, let me guess, I’m suddenly
even more desirable…”
“I-I…”
the Irishman stammered, running his hand through his thick, wavy hair in
confusion. “I don’t want yer fer that,
surely yer must know. I thought
th’cap’n had already…”
“No,”
Celia sighed, closing her eyes as turmoil raced through her head.
“I’m
sorry, darlin’. Please forgive me.”
“Oh,
Oliver… I’d like to go back up now, please.”
“Of
course,” the Irishman sighed, pulling the door open and leading the way along
the corridor with a small degree of difficulty as Celia had the torch and she
was behind him.
“I
do forgive you,” came her voice in the near darkness. “It’s just…”
“I
know. Forget it ever happened, eh?” he
replied curtly.
‘I
don’t believe this,’ Celia lamented as she concentrated on picking her way
along the narrow corridor. ‘First I
think I’m starting to fall in love with Jack, and now Oliver goes and kisses me…’
herself as she stumbled over something, giving a small shriek as a pair of
beady eyes gleamed back up at her.
“Bloody
vermin!” Oliver spat, aiming a hefty kick at the rat which went scurrying away,
squeaking as it went.
“T-thank
you. Oliver, I’m sorry…”
“It’s
me who’s sorry. I shouldn’t have done
that, especially with th’cap’n’s woman.
He really will hang me from th’yardarm now.”
“I’m
not going to tell him!” she gasped, horrified at the thought.
“I
don’t know,” Oliver shrugged. “I don’t
think I’d want ter risk findin’ out, either.”
He turned to face the young woman once more, cupping her face in his
hand. “Do yer want him?”
“I-I
d-don’t know,” Celia whispered, trying to damp down the urge to kiss him
again. “B-but whether I do or not, it
would be wrong to… you’re married,” she fretted.
a fallen woman.”
“If
yer give yourself ter him, you’ll be fallen – what’s th’difference?” he urged,
leaning to kiss her and frowning as she backed away.
“No!
already going down. I-I like you,
Oliver, but I’m not prepared to be an even bigger sinner by giving myself to
you, not that I’ll be giving myself to Jack,” she stated, ignoring the
questioning voice inside her head.
“Bugger!”
the Irishman cursed quietly as voices approached them and he moved quickly away
from the young woman, wishing he could have more time to try and persuade her
to change her mind.
“Who’s
that, then?” Noah Trinity called from along the dark corridor.
“Mouse
an’ Miss Celia,” Oliver replied. “Just
fetchin’ th’cap’n a bottle of wine from th’store.”
“Well
yer’d best hurry,” Jacob Sumner put in.
“Toby’s dishin’ up soon.”
“Aye.”
her the bottle before leading the way once more, nodding at his crewmates as
they passed them.
‘Stupid,
stupid, stupid,’ Celia reprimanded herself, keeping her eyes downcast, not
daring to look the other men in the eyes lest they discover what she and the
Irishman had been doing merely by looking at her. ‘How on earth did I manage to get myself into that position?
let alone a married man’s,’ she fretted as she and Oliver made their way up
through the ship in silence.
…