Saints and Sinners

Can’t I even have him for St.
Valentine’s Day? Waaah!

Hmm, not too many reviews
<pouts> Remember, ladies, reviews
are like sex with Jack – you can never have too much! ;)Thanks, as always, to Kat
for editing (and boy did she have some to do this time!) and Hilary for being a
sounding board. Don’t forget to check
Hils’ story (aided and abetted by me) on affnet, entitled Two Gentlemen of
Tortuga.

style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>…

style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'> 

Chapter Seventeenstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>

“There you are!” Joshamee called as
Celia and Oliver appeared from a hatch.
“Th’captain’s goin’ mad, wonderin’ where you’ve got to.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“W-we just w-went and fetch
t-this,” Celia stammered, holding up the bottle of wine which they had
fetched. “I-I’m s-sorry…”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Go on your way,” the quartermaster
urged, shooing her with his hands. “The
food’s already been taken in.”

“A-all right,” Celia nodded.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “T-thank you, Oliver.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“It’s a pleasure,” he smiled,
looking deep in her eyes as she moved past him and hurried along the corridor
and up the hatch.

Celia hesitated when she reached
the main cabin doors, trying to compose herself before facing Jack.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She timidly pushed them open and walked in,
gulping as Jack turned to face her.

“Where have you been?” he demanded,
looking at her accusingly.

“Umm… Oliver thought you might like
some wine with your meal, so w-we went to the s-store for s-some.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“He did, did he?” Jack mused,
frowning at her, then softening his features as he saw what looked like fear in
her eyes and felt a pang of guilt for his anger. “All right, I’m sorry I snapped.
Did he open it fer you?”

“N-no… why?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I can’t quite manage that yet,”
Jack chuckled, indicating his shoulder.
“Unless you’d like me ter smash th’bottle?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Oh, I never thought… I shall go and
ask someone to uncork it…”

“Nah, leave it.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> No doubt Elliot’ll be in just now, he can do
it. Come an’ sit yourself down.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Jack pulled out a chair for her and beckoned
her over. “Don’t want th’food ter get
cold, eh?”

“Don’t you want me to change?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Th’food really would be cold
then,” he chuckled. “Yer look fine as
you are, tight breeches an’ all…”

“They are not tight!” Celia
objected before pulling a rueful face.
“All right, maybe a little… I don’t look indecent, do I?” she
fretted.

“I’ll find you some more ter wear,”
he grinned wolfishly. “Perhaps just
save those fer when you clean th’cabin, eh?”

“Jack Sparrow!” Celia admonished
sternly, turning and glaring at him and instantly regretting it as his dark
eyes bored into her. “Behave yourself,”
she scolded limply, the sting taken from her words by the effect he was having
on her.

“I’m always good,” he growled
huskily in her ear, his smile broadening as he felt her shiver.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “As you will find out some day.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I have told you, it will be a cold
day in hell first,” she retorted without much certainty.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“You’re still not convincing me,”
Jack teased, brushing his lips against her ear and being rewarded with a more
violent shudder. “In fact, I reckon if
it wasn’t fer th’convent instillin’ all sorts of rubbish in your head, I reckon
you’d be mine by now, hmm?”

“N-no…” Celia insisted.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “T-that’s n-not true.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Prove it.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Kiss me an’ I’ll be able ter tell if you
really want me or not.”

“No!” Celia cried, her heart
racing. “I-I can’t d-do that!”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘Oh, Lord, what sort of hussy am I
becoming?’ she worried, biting her lip as she tried to avoid Jack’s eyes.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Why, you afraid of betrayin’
yourself?” Jack teased, his finger tracing a line along her jaw until it
reached her chin which he lifted so she had no choice but to look at him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Eh?”

Celia gulped a couple of times,
wishing she was strong enough to drag her gaze from his, but instead found
herself sinking into his deep pools.
“I-I…” She gasped as she found
herself being pulled to her feet. “I
can’t,” she whispered. “I-it’s wrong…”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Nothin’ wrong with a kiss between
friends, an’ that is what we are at th’moment, isn’t it, Miss
Hammond? Just friends…” Jack purred,
drawing her closer, his eyes still holding hers, glinting with a mixture of
amusement and desire. He ran his tongue
over his lips, smirking as Celia moaned beneath her breath.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Prove you don’t want me…”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“M-my word should be enough,” she
replied, cursing her knees for going weak and her blood for racing through her
body. “I-I shouldn’t have to prove
anything to you.”

“Ah, therein lies a problem, you
see,” he mused, the corners of his mouth twitching with merriment.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I never trust a word anyone says ter
me. I like ter have solid proof.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

‘I can’t!’ she
panicked. ‘I can’t kiss Oliver and then
Jack… he might give you some peace if you do kiss him – it is only a
kiss, after all…’ “All right,”
Celia sighed with resignation. “I’ll
kiss you.”

“A proper kiss,” he warned, wagging
a finger at her. “Not a chaste peck,
savvy?”

“A proper kiss,” Celia
promised. “And then can we eat?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

Jack merely smirked at her as he
pulled her in closer still until their lips were mere inches apart and he could
feel her shallow breath. “You’ve got
ter kiss me, remember.”

Celia gulped and shut her eyes
before closing the minute distance between them and sighing into his mouth as
his soft lips met hers. Without
thinking, her arms automatically wound around him, anchoring him to her as
Jack’s tongue sought entrance to her mouth, which she gave willingly.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

‘Sweet Jesus,’ Jack swore as
he savoured the feel of her body pressing against his and the taste of her
mouth. ‘Don’t know how much longer
my patience can hold out…’ He
cupped the back of her head in his hand, kissing her more forcibly and pressed
himself against her, rubbing his other hand down her back until he reached the
waist of her breeches. ‘Stop!’
he warned himself, knowing he was about to go too far, and reluctantly broke
away from the young woman with a heavy sigh.

Celia shivered and gasped at the loss
of contact and stared wildly at him, knowing that she had indeed betrayed her
innermost feelings. She pulled away and
went to run to the side cabin, crying out as he caught her wrist and stopped
her in her tracks. “L-let me go!” she
wailed, trying unsuccessfully to free her hand. “Please.”

“I’m not goin’ ter force you, luv,”
Jack told her gently. “In fact, nothin’
has changed, savvy?”

“Of course it has!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Everything has changed,” she
cried. “If I let you have your way with
me, will you let me go in Saint Georges?”

“No.” Jack shook his head. “I
want you ter give yourself to me willingly, not as a means to an end.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Besides you’d still have another three
months of yer debt left to repay, even if you did sleep with me
tonight.”

“Three months?” Celia echoed,
looking at him incredulously. “Three
months?! You promised that if I slept
with you, you would halve my debt and being as you have already halved it, that
means I would be free to go, would it not?”

“Ah, no, as a matter of fact…” he
mused, pressing a finger against his lips and cocking his head to one
side. “You saved my life – I halved yer
debt, makin’ it six months that yer had to pay back. Now half of that is three months,” he reasoned with a
smile. “I’m good at my sums, if nothin’
else…”

“Y-you…” Celia spluttered.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “You… bastard!” she shrieked, her
hand going to the table and feeling a pewter tankard which she picked up and
hurled at him. “I hate you!”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Celia, luv…” Jack reasoned,
raising his hands in surrender.
“There’s no need fer this… whoa!” he ducked quickly as the small pot
full of stew came the same way as the tankard, missing his head by inches and
smashed into the bulkhead, leaving a dent in the wood.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Mind my ship!”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I don’t give a damn about your
bloody ship,” Celia swore, picking up the plates and flinging them at him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “You tricked me!”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Did not!” he protested.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Half of six is three, as you should know,
being educated an’ all… should have slept with me when yer term was still a
year – you’d have been worth six months then which would have been halved ter
three months which would have been halved ter six weeks…” he told her as he
ducked and weaved the various objects from the table which were still heading
his way.

“Don’t get smart with me!” she
snarled, looking for something else to throw at him.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I’m not,” he shrugged, taking the
opportunity to straighten up before diving to the deck as she picked up a chair
and chucked it towards him. “Just
tellin’ it as it is.”

“Is everythin’ all right, Cap’n…?”
Elliot Deane enquired as he hovered by the doors, not wanting to enter the
cabin, but wanting to find out what was going on, as did all of his crewmates
gathered around the main deck.

“Get out!” both Jack and Celia
shouted, sending the hapless lad scurrying back out.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Yer coward!” Thomas Frazer taunted
as the crew milled forward to hear the argument still raging in the cabin.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Well, Captain Sparrow,”
Celia mocked sarcastically. “You do not
know your numbers as well as you think.
If I had given myself to you when the terms were still at a year
and you had halved the debt after I saved your life, I would still have
three months left to serve, so I wouldn’t be any better off, would I?” she
sniped, flinging plate after plate at him and smiled evilly as he all but bent
over backwards to dodge them. “Unless
you plan on halving the debt each time I sleep with you, in which case let’s
start now.”

“You’ve got me there,” Jack
admitted with a rueful smile as he fended off a stray bowl with his good
arm. “You were well taught.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“My mother insisted on it.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She said it befitted a lady to know her
letters and numbers.”

“Clever woman,” he commented.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Will you be makin’ that offer when yer in
better humour?”

“What offer?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> To lay in your bunk?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Will you halve the debt each time I do?” she
enquired acerbically.

“No,” Jack admitted.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “It’ll still be three months, an’ I wouldn’t
put you down anywhere but Tortuga. At
least you know th’place an’ have friends there.”

“Then, no.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I will not be making the offer again – ever!”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Never say never,” Jack quipped,
moving around the table, wishing that his shoulder did not hurt so much and he
could tackle her to the deck. He was
not sure how much more damage his cabin could take. “Besides… you do like me…”

“I hate your filthy, lying, weasly
guts!”

“There’s a fine line between love
an’ hate…”

“Love?” Celia shrieked, her
mouth agape. “I do not love you,” she
snorted. “I will never love
you...” She did not have time to react
as Jack flew around the table and grabbed her, pressing his lips fiercely against
hers.

‘You must be mad,’ he
thought wryly to himself, pinning her arms to her side even though it pained
his bad shoulder to do so. ‘Or not,
as th’case may be…’

“Mmpfh! Let me go,” Celia hissed, trying to wriggle from his grasp.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Let me…” her words were cut off again by
his lips and this time she found herself giving in to the desire sweeping her
body once more as she returned the kiss.
“I will never love you,” she murmured as he broke away.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I wasn’t suggestin’ that you do, or
will,” Jack soothed, holding his hands up placatingly as he backed away.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Just makin’ an observation… an’ here’s
another one. You’ve got one hell of a
mess ter clear up before bedtime.”

“Y-you expect me to clear
this up?” she spluttered.

“It’s yer duty, isn’t it?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> An’ besides, you made th’mess… With
hindsight, it’s a good job yer didn’t change fer supper - it would’ve been a
shame ter ruin a good dress.”

“You… you…”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Lovable, incorrigible rogue?” Jack
suggested with an impish grin. style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Not quite the words I was thinking
of, no,” Celia sniped, her anger starting to deflate and her shoulders sagging
as she looked around the cabin in despair at the mess.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I’ll go down th’galley, see if
Toby’s got some more food left fer me,” Jack told her.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I’ll send some hardtack fer you later, eh?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Oh… all right,” she replied,
rubbing her growling stomach as she watched Jack leave the cabin.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Celia sank to the cabin deck as soon as the
door shut and closed her eyes, covering her face with her hands as she struggled
to contain the emotions welling up inside her.
“Damn you,” she sighed, licking her lips and tasting him on them.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Why do you do this to me…?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Cor! Yer escaped with yer life then, Cap’n!” Elliot exclaimed as Jack
strode across the deck. “I thought she
was goin’ ter tear th’cabin apart.”

“It sounded worse than it was,”
Jack lied. “Now get back ter work, yer
scabrous dogs before I make you go in there an’ help her clean up…” he barked,
disappearing down the hatch which lead to the galley.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>…style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'> 

Celia brushed a strand of hair from
her eyes and looked around the cabin, pleased with the progress she was
making. ‘I haven’t lost my temper
like that since…’ she frowned, struggling to remember.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘Since I was a child,’ she realised
with shock. ‘What am I going to do about
him and Oliver?’

“Here you go,” came Jack’s voice,
breaking her reverie. “Luckily Toby had
made extra tonight but it’s only th’dregs.”
He placed a tray on the table and the smell of stew wafted across the
cabin, making Celia’s stomach growl once more.
“Come on, before it gets cold – again.”

“Thank you,” she replied shyly, not
daring to look at him as she moved to the table. “I’m sorry…”

“Apology accepted,” Jack grinned,
sitting in his chair and propping his feet on the table as he pulled the stopper
from a bottle of rum, watching her all the time. “Yer’ve done well cleanin’ up,” he observed.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I bet the crew are all talking
about it, aren’t they?” Celia lamented as she wolfed down the thick, overcooked
broth.

“Aye,” he laughed.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Although they tend ter go a little quiet
when I pass by…”

“Oh, no,” she groaned, closing her
eyes. “I’ll never live it down.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Nope,” Jack agreed, still
grinning. “At least not until th’next
big argument between someone – unless that someone is th’pair of us again.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I hope not,” Celia fretted as she
reached for some hardtack to mop up the remnants of the stew from the bowl.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I dunno,” he mused, stroking his
braids. “I enjoy a good argument –
especially th’makin’ up afterwards…”

Celia glanced at him and then back
down again as his devilish grin sent a shiver down her spine.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “W-what do you expect of me?” she asked, her
eyes fixed on a weevil going around in circles on the table.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Same as I’ve always expected of
you,” he informed her. “An’ I want
th’same as I’ve always wanted… but only if you want th’same.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“And if I don’t?” she whispered,
gulping hard.

“Then you work your six months an’
leave me broken hearted,” he quipped.

“I see… I had better finish off
clearing up – I’ll never get some sleep otherwise.” Celia stood, gathering the bowls and plates together and loading
them on to the tray which Jack had brought up from the galley.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I’ll take these down later, if that’s all right?”
she asked quietly.

“Fine by me,” Jack replied, still
watching her thoughtfully as he drunk from the bottle.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Can I ask you somethin’?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“W-what?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Is it just th’thought of makin’
love that worries you?”

“It’s sinful!” Celia exclaimed,
righting the chair which she had thrown, relieved to see there was no damage to
it. “Only a husband and wife can… you
know.”

“Accordin’ to th’church,” he
reasoned. “What did people do before
there were churches an’ th’like – before there were priests an’ clergymen ter
tell them it was sinful?”

“But… there have always been
churches and priests,” she argued, finally looking him square in the eyes.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “So it’s always been sinful.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Were you never tempted with
Robert?”

“What?” Celia exploded.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “What sort of question is that?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“A reasonable one.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> You were engaged ter be married, so were you
ever tempted or perhaps go further than so called propriety allowed?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“It is none of your business,” she
snapped, turning away from him.

“So I’ll take as a yes then, eh?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“No!” she shouted, turning back to
him. “He wanted to but I refused, so he
left me! There, curiosity satisfied?”
she cried, fleeing to the side cabin.

“Bugger!” Jack cursed, jumping to
his feet and dashing across to the cabin.
“Celia, I’m sorry…” He pulled a
face as he heard sobs coming from within the private head and he pulled the drape
back, frowning as she saw her on the floor with her face buried in her hands,
sobbing. “Hey…” he soothed, squatting
down and placing a hand on her shoulder.
“I’m sorry – me an’ my big mouth, eh?”

“Leave me alone,” she gasped
between sobs, shrugging her shoulder in an effort to move his hand.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I’m not leavin’ you in this
state. Come on, luv,” he crooned,
kneeling on the cabin deck and winding his arms around her, holding her close
as she cried into his chest. “I never
thought…”

“You never do!”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“Guilty as charged,” Jack sighed,
cursing himself silently. “It seems a
bit of an over-reaction, if you ask me,” he mused when her sobs subsided.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “He only had, what, a month ter wait?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“H-he said that if I really l-loved
him, I-I would have…” she hiccupped.

“Th’bastard,” Jack muttered,
stroking her shoulder length hair. “If
he had really loved you, he wouldn’t have tried ter blackmail you.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“I know,” Celia sighed, a final sob
shuddering through her body. “It
doesn’t lessen the pain though.”

“No,” Jack agreed, nuzzling the top
of her head. “I loved someone once,” he
mused. “She was married though, an’ her
husband found out…”

“What happened?”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA'>

“He was a local squire with many
connections. I had ter leave or he
threatened ter ruin my father’s shippin’ company.”style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-fareast-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>

“Shipping
company?” Celia echoed, pulling away and looking at him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I was right about you being a gentleman
then?”

“Aye,” Jack chuckled
quietly. “Yer too damned perceptive fer
your own good, young lady…”

“So why did you turn
pirate? Couldn’t you have found work as
a cartographer?”

“Survival,” he shrugged.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Like most others who turn pirate.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I was in Weymouth, lookin’ fer honest work
but happened ter be in th’wrong place at th’wrong time - a smuggler crew came
in lookin’ fer men, so I volunteered rather than be pressed.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Stayed with them fer a few years, workin’ my
way up ter first mate, an then th’captain brought another ship an’ made me her
captain. But th’authorities were
already onto us an’ were lyin’ in wait one night when both ships returned ter
Weymouth. I managed ter escape by
th’skin of my teeth, but Josiah got captured an’ hanged from what I later
heard. It was too dangerous ter remain
in Weymouth, or even England, come ter that, so we sailed ter Dublin, picked up
supplies an’ then headed out here.”

“Have you always gone for
unattainable women?” Celia remarked, shifting in his arms to a more comfortable
position.

“Aye,” Jack sighed
ruefully. “I suppose I have… come on,
let’s get up before we can’t get up.”
He stood and held out his hand to help Celia to her feet then led the
way back into the main cabin and to the stern seats, automatically wrapping his
good arm around her and pulling her to him, smiling as she nestled against him
once more.

“So how did you get to be a
pirate?”

“Natural progression from
smuggler,” he reflected. “I soon found
I made a good pirate an’ once I acquired th’Pearlstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>, I became one of th’best.”

“And most modest…” Celia
sniped teasingly, starting to recover from her earlier woe.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “So who was this Barbossa?” she asked.

“Bloody hell,” Jack
laughed. “Yer certainly makin’ th’most
of this.”

“You’re the one who says you
have to take the opportune moment,” she smiled, enjoying the feel of his
laughter as it vibrated through her body.

“It’s long story – you sure
yer up to it?”

“I am if you are…”

“All right,” he sighed,
settling himself back. “You asked fer
it…”

…

“Celia…?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> You awake, luv?” Jack smiled as the only answer he got was a gentle snore and
shifted carefully on the seat until he was able to lie her down on it.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “You can’t stay there th’night,” he mused,
padding over to the cabin door and calling for a crewman.

“Yer called, Cap’n?” Oliver
enquired as he stepped into the cabin.

“Pick Celia up an’ carry her
to my bunk,” Jack ordered, shrugging his waistcoat off and untying his sash,
grateful that he had taken his boots off earlier that evening as his arm was
hurting from having the young woman’s weight pressing against it for so long.

“Aye, Cap’n,” Oliver replied
in a surly enough tone to make Jack look at him and frown.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He bent down and picked her up, desperately
wishing he did not have to do this. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>She said he hadn’t had herstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>,’ a voice reminded him. ‘style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>But it
looks as though he will now… style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>don’t be daft – she’s asleepstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>!’ Oliver
gently placed her on top of the bunk and turned on his heel, avoiding Jack’s
eyes as he made his way out. “‘Night,
Cap’n,” he called, almost as an afterthought.

“Goodnight,” Jack murmured
thoughtfully as he hoisted himself up onto the bunk, gently shoving Celia over
to make room for him. “How am I goin’
ter break you down?” he wondered, stroking her hair and sighing as she snuggled
against him. “Guess I can’t complain… I
amstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> making progress,” he smiled as he slid his arm
beneath her and held her close before closing his eyes and drifting off to
sleep.

…

Celia prised open one eye and
then the other and looked in the bright morning light at the sleeping form of
the pirate captain squashed next to her, half smiling to herself as she mused
how guileless he looked. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Guileless, my foot,’
she thought wryly, kissing the tip of his nose quite without thinking.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Devil in
disguise more like…’ She smiled as she thought of how he had opened up to her the
previous night, telling her about himself but the smile turned to a frown as
she remembered her encounter with Oliver in the corridor of the hold.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Oh, what
am I going to do?’ she thought, sighing with
uncertainty. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>I can’t exactly avoid Oliver, can Istyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>? style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Maybe I should tell Jackstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>… style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>nostyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>, style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>he might
punish Oliver – or worse! style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Don’t be
silly, Jack isn’t like that… oh, why can’t my life be simplestyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>?’ She
turned over on to her back and stared up at the ceiling of the cabin, searching
for an answer to her predicament in the gnarled and knotted wood.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Celia started as Jack threw an arm over her
midriff and snuggled up to her, sighing blissfully in his sleep.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Whoever said that those with a clear
conscience sleeps the better, obviously never met you,” she murmured beneath
her breath as she rested her head against his and dozed for a time until she
became aware of someone hovering over her and opened her eyes once more,
arching an eyebrow as she looked at Jack, grinning down at her.

“Mornin’, luv.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Sleep well?”

“Very, thank you,” Celia
replied, pushing away a strand of his hair which was tickling her nose.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Did you?”

“Like a babe,” he chuckled,
lying back down beside her. “Y’know,
when you dostyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> give yourself ter me, I’ll have ter get Orchard
ter make a bigger bunk. Nice though
being this close ter you is, I don’t think it will be comfortable night after
night, eh?”

“That’s one less job for him,
then,” she retorted, trying to extract herself from his arm snaked around her
waist.

“Ah, yer wound me,” Jack
grinned, running his free hand through his loose hair, his bandana having come
off during the night. “One thing,
luv. What I told yer last night stays
within this cabin, savvy?”

“Why?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> What is so important about no-one knowing
your former life?”

“I told you, I like ter keep
an air of mystery about me,” he evaded.
“Obviously, th’crew know all about Barbossa – some of them were around
at th’time.”

“Why do I get the feeling
there’s something you’re not telling me?” Celia mused, turning on her side to
look at him. “Something more about this
woman you loved?”

“Like I said… mystery,” Jack
smiled enigmatically. “Now come on,
young lady, I have a ship ter captain an’ you have a cabin ter finish cleanin’
up.”

“Oh, don’t remind me,” she
groaned, covering her face with her hands.
“At least we provided the crew with their nightly entertainment,” she
chuckled wryly.

“Aye,” Jack agreed with a
laugh. “Keep ‘em goin’ all day, that
will.”

“I think I’ll take my time
with the cabin, so I don’t have to face their jokes and ribbing.”

“You will anyway, yer’ve been
workin’ too hard.”

“Yes, Cap’n,” Celia smiled,
sitting up and waiting for him to move so she could get off the bunk.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Thank you for not throwing me in the brig.”

“You’ll have ter behave a lot
worse than that before I do,” Jack winked as he climbed down and ambled over to
the private head.

Celia smiled to herself as
she padded to the main cabin, but winced when she saw the state it was still
in. She picked up the rest of the bowls
and plates, stacking them onto the tray and sending thanks that nothing was
damaged. She did not want to face Toby
and explain why his utensils were damaged.
‘Don’t be silly,style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>’ she thought.
‘He already knows whystyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>… style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>ohstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>… style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>I’m
going to have to take these to the galley.’style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Celia sighed to herself, jumping as Jack
crept up behind her.

“You comin’ fer breakfast?”

“I was hoping you’d be wanting
it here,” she replied with a rueful smile.

“Got ter face them sometime,”
he shrugged as he sat down and pulled on his boots, trying not to react as his
shoulder protested at the movement.

“I suppose so,” Celia sighed,
picking the tray up and carrying it to the door, waiting for Jack to open it
before taking a deep breath and stepping onto the main deck, squinting in the
sunlight.

“Mornin’ Cap’n, Miss Celia,”
Elliot called from the rigging.
“Beautiful day, ain’t it?”

“Very,” Jack replied as he
weaved and swayed across to the hatch and disappeared into the bowels of his
ship, leaving Celia to struggle with the laden tray down the steep steps.

“Here,” Oliver smiled, taking
the tray from her hands and carrying it down with ease.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Are yer all right?”

“Thank you,” she replied,
forcing a smile as she followed him.
“I’m fine, why wouldn’t I be?”

“I just thought… what
happened last night… yer might not be feelin’ so good.”

“We had an argument, that is
all,” she shrugged, frowning at his over protection. “Why wouldn’t I be all right?”

“I had ter put yer in his
bunk, like,” the Irishman admitted. “I
thought…”

“I see,” she snapped,
snatching the tray back off him. “Well
you have nothing to worry about on that subject, Mister Fernan!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Not that it’s any of your business!”

“Celia!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> No!
That’s not what I meant,” he called as she stormed off along the dimly
lit corridor. “Bugger!” he cursed,
smashing his fist against the bulkhead and wincing as pain shot through his
hand.

“Ya want ter watch yerself,”
Gabriel Jennings warned as he approached his friend. “Th’cap’n won’t take too kindly t’yer makin’ eyes at his woman.”

“It’s none of yer damned
business!” Oliver shouted, pushing past the other man and stomping off in the
opposite direction.

“H-here you a-are, Toby,”
Celia stammered as she careered into the galley, shaken by the encounter with
Oliver. She had been hoping to avoid
him and the realisation that he had been the one to put her in Jack’s bunk made
her heart sink.

“Could yer wash them fer me?”
the burly cook enquired. “I’ll save yer
th’best of th’porridge style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>anstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>’ some bacon, eh?”

“Bacon?” she echoed.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Yes please. What’s the occasion?”

“Yer need feedin’ up – I’ve
seen more flesh on a swab,” he teased.
“B’sides… yer need ter build yer energy back up after last night’s
little performance!”

“I might have known,” Celia
groaned, rolling her eyes, a smile twitching the corners of her lips as she
started washing the dirty bowls.

“An’ if I fatten yer up, we
might get even more shows like that,” Toby laughed. “Perhaps I should sharpen th’knives…?”

“Very funny,” Celia replied,
still trying to suprress a grin.
“Although I think it might be better if you sharpen the edges of the
plates…”

“Now yer talkin’,” the cook
laughed, doling out the porridge into the bowls as Celia handed them to
him. “Can yer take these in, there’s a
love?”

“All right,” she sighed, her
stomach churning at the thought of facing the rest of the crew.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She knew the teasing she got from Tobias
would pale into insignificance compared to what they would say to her and she
hoped that Jack was already in the mess.
Celia wiped her hands dry on her breeches and picked up a tray full of
steaming bowls and carried it to the mess, hesitating for a brief moment before
walking in, looking around briefly for the captain and not finding him.

“Woohoo!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> If it ain’t our very own hellcat!” one of
the men called out as the mess erupted in a volley of whistles and catcalls.

“Yer want me ter improve yer
aim, sweetheart? I didn’t see many
bruises on th’cap’n?”

“They’re well hidden,” came
her riposte and she bobbed a curtsy, drawing more laughter from the crew,
figuring that if you couldn’t beat them, you might as well join them.

“What’s th’noise about?” Jack
enquired, poking his head around the mess door.

“Nothin’, Cap’n,” Gabriel
Jennings replied, the innocent look on his face belied by his impish grin.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Just th’usual fun an’ laughter.”

“Celia…?”

“Nothing, Captain,” she
shrugged with a smile. “Men will be
men, boys will be boys…”

“Y’mean I have style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>men amongst
my crew?” Jack asked teasingly.
“Where?”

“I’m sure you could find one
or two if you looked hard enough,” Celia teased, poking her tongue out at
Gabriel who was doing the same to her.

“Come on,” Adam Butler
grumbled. “Some of us are still waitin’
fer our grub.”

“Sorry,” Celia apologised,
picking up the tray once more and hurrying from the mess to the galley, giving
Jack a brief smile as she passed him.

“Yo should leave her alone,”
Noah hissed, giving his crewmate a surly glance. “Yo’re always on at her.”

“If she don’t like it, she
can leave,” Butler shrugged, making sure his captain could not hear what he was
saying. “Don’t see why she’s on board
anyway – apart from th’obvious.”

“Th’cap’n has his reasons,”
Jacob Sumner put in. “Ours is not ter
question him.”

“Here we go,” Celia smiled, a
little too brightly, as she returned with another tray full.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She placed it down on the trestle table and
handed Jack his first and then walked over to give Butler his oats.

“Should have left him ‘til last,”
Noah muttered under his breath. “He
ain’t worth special treatment.”

“Shut it,” Adam hissed.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Or I’ll be seein’ yer later.”

“I’ll be waitin’,” the black
man assured him, flashing Celia a smile as she handed him his bowl.

“That’s enough, both of yer,”
Myles Burford warned, glancing at his captain who was watching them all
carefully.

Celia carried on giving out
the rest of the bowls, her eyes downcast, her earlier good humour having
diminished with the obvious bad feeling between the men that she felt she had
caused.

“You gettin’style="mso-spacerun: yes"> yours?” Jack enquired, taking his attention
away from his crewmen for a moment to address the young woman.

“I-I’ll have it in the
galley,” she whispered, dashing out of the door.

“Butler!” Jack barked,
frowning angrily at him across the mess.
“Just what exactly did yer say to her?”

“I didn’t say nothin’,
Cap’n!” he protested, looking hurt.
“Alls I did was chivvy her along fer th’rest of th’grub.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Yer heard me yerself.”

“So why is she like this
then?”

“Well, what d’yer expect,
Cap’n? She’s a woman – they’re all
th’same. Nice one minute an’ snappin’
yer head off th’next.”

“Hmm,” Jack mused, making a
mental note to question Celia after breakfast.
He knew Butler had a reputation for being an awkward cuss at times, he
did not want Celia to be a victim of the man’s brusque temperament.

“That’s all of them fed,”
Celia told Toby as she set the tray down, picking up her bowl which he was
holding out to her. “Thank you,” she
smiled.

“Yer gettin’ quite th’little
carer, ain’t yer?” the burly cook chuckled.
“Matt told us how yer managed ter stitch his cut th’other day.”

“Oh, grief, yes!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> I was terrified whilst I was doing it –
thought I was going to sew his skin to his bones!”

“So, yer goin’ ter be helpin’
him, next time we do battle?”

“Y-yes,” Celia shuddered, not
wanting to think about the sheer terror of cannons pounding into the ship and
splinters flying around like daggers seeking a victim.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Do you hit many ships?” she asked, praying
the answer would be negative.

“As many as we come across,”
he told her, a sympathetic smile on his lips.
“Sometimes we can go weeks without findin’ a good target.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Sometimes we can come across one or two in a
week.”

“My compliments ter th’cook,”
Jack drawled as he carried his bowl in to the galley. style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “One or two, what?”

“Ships.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Miss Celia was askin’ if we hit many ships.”

“Ah,” Jack nodded.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I know yer don’t like it,” he shrugged at
her, eyeing her carefully and thinking she looked a little drawn, despite her
earlier joviality. “You all right?”

“Hmm?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Y-yes, I’m fine,” she assured him, avoiding
his intense gaze.

“I’ll see ter th’bacon,” Toby
mused, turning his back on them and tending to the pan filled with the rashers.

“What has Butler said ter
you?” Jack enquired. “Does he give yer
trouble?”

“No!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> No, he doesn’t,” Celia replied quickly,
sighing as Jack continued to regard her closely. “I just get the feeling he doesn’t like me, that’s all.”

“He doesn’t like anyone,
least of all women,” Jack told her.
“Treats them like dirt.”

“Why?” she wondered, pausing
in her eating to finally look at him properly.

“Don’t know,” Jack
shrugged. “He’s been like this since
I’ve known him at least.”

“Longer,” Toby put in, having
know the gruff pirate for many years. “Between
you, me an’ these four walls, he was double crossed by a woman who stole his
share of some treasure, an’ made off with whom he thought was his best mate.”

“Ah,” Jack winced, pulling a
face. “Still no reason ter hate them as
much as he does.”

“Maybe it’s just that you
love women so much, Cap’n,” the cook winked knowingly, chortling to
himself. “Yer find it hard ter
understand a man who doesn’t like ‘em th’same, eh?”

“That’s probably it,” Jack
chuckled, raising his eyebrows as Oliver Fernan came into the galley.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Problem, Mouse?”

“Ah… no, Cap’n,” he replied,
startled at coming upon both Celia and Jack unexpectedly.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Just come fer my grub.”

“I wondered why you weren’t
in th’mess. Whystyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> weren’t you in th’mess?”

“I-I had some business I had
ter sort out,” the Irishman evaded, avoiding Celia’s eyes.

“Don’t be late fer supper,”
his captain warned him, wagging a stern finger. “Toby can’t pander ter everyone who decides they want ter eat
late.”

“I won’t.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Sorry, Cap’n, Toby…” he grabbed a bowl of
the last scrapings of porridge and hurried from the galley.

Celia blushed as Jack turned
his attention to her once more, grateful that she was standing by the galley
stove and could at least blame that.

“What’s th’story with you an’
Mouse?” he asked, folding his arms as he leaned against the bulkhead.

“N-nothing,” she replied,
praying she sounded more convincing than she felt. “We’re friends, that is all.”

“On his part as well?”

Celia baulked, recalling
their kisses the previous day in the hold and she blushed deeper.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “As far as I know, yes,” she replied,
congratulating herself on managing to keep her voice steady.

“All right,” Jack nodded, not
entirely convinced. “Is that bacon
ready yet?” he demanded, changing the subject.

“Just about done, Cap’n,” his
cook assured him, taking out some rashers and putting them on a couple of
plates, along with some stale bread.
“Here yer go.”

“Ta,” Jack grinned, picking a
slice up in his fingers. “Ow!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> It’s bloody hot!”

“It would be,” Toby sighed,
rolling his eyes and grinning at Celia who smiled thinly in return, her mind on
other things. “Eat up then,” he
chivvied, making a mental note to have a word with the tall Irishman.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The last thing he wanted was for his friend
to be drummed off the ship by an irate captain.

“Cap’n! Cap’n!” Thomas Frazer
called as he skidded into the galley, having left his watch post.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Land’s been sighted.”

“Good!” Jack beamed,
following him out, plate still in hand, eating the bacon as he strode along the
corridor. “Made better time than I
thought,” he mumbled through a full mouth.

“Aye – th’weather was fer us,
that’s fer sure,” the master gunner agreed.
“Just style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>whystyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> have we come down here?” He and his crewmates had spent plenty of time during the cruise
south pondering why a privateer’s treasure from years ago was so important that
their captain made haste to Grenada – a place some of them had never even heard
of, let alone been to.

“Followin’ a hunch, Mister
Frazer,” Jack smiled, handing his empty plate to the ship’s lad, Peter Swain,
son of Matthias, before climbing the steps to the main deck then making his way
to the quarterdeck, licking his fingers as he went.

“I still reckon this is
folly,” Joshamee Gibbs commented as his captain joined him.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “We haven’t even come across any ships ter
sweeten th’men if nothin’ comes of this venture…”

“We’ll hit some on th’way
back,” Jack assured him confidently as he took out his spyglass and put it to
his eye, scanning the horizon until the landmass of Grenada loomed large in his
sight. “Stop yer frettin’.”

“Well one of us has to,”
Gibbs muttered darkly, taking his hip flask from his pocket and cursing as he
found it was empty.

“You drink as much as yer
worry,” Jack observed, still looking through the glass.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Mister Sumner. Keep bearin’ south,” he ordered to the stand-in helmsman.

“Bearin’ south, aye, Cap’n,”
Jacob acknowledged, keeping the helm steady.

“Loose as much sail as she’ll
take,” Jack barked. “Peter, get th’rest
of th’men out here – I don’t care if they’ve finished their bacon or not.”

“Aye, Sir,” the young boy
called, already disappearing down the hatch, returning a few minutes later with
the rest of the crew following behind and soon the Black
Pearl was a hive of activity.

Jack watched carefully as
Oliver Fernan raised the French flag up the mast, frowning as the Irishman eyed
Celia as she made her way to the main cabin.
‘I’m goin’ ter have ter have
a word with you…’ he mused, stroking his
braids thoughtfully. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Either that or leave yer in Saint Georgesstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>…’ He
strode down the quarterdeck steps and made his way over to where Oliver was
working, nodding his head as his crewman looked up, indicating for him to
follow.

“Matty, take over will yer?”
he asked, yielding the rope he had been hauling to Matthias Swain.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “What’s wrong, Cap’n?”

“You like Celia.”

Oliver bulked, recognising it
as a statement and not a question and nodded his head, half dreading what was
coming next.

“You know you have no
chance,” Jack drawled. “She’s mine,
savvy? Now I don’t want ter lose you,
yer a damn fine helmsman, as well as a good mate ter these men.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> So if you take it no further, I’m willin’
ter let yer stay on board, eh?”

“Take it no further, Cap’n?”
Oliver puzzled, wondering if Celia had told him about the kisses they had
stolen the previous day, but knowing that he would not be standing on the deck
if his captain had known – he would be locked in the brig, or worse.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I don’t follow…”

“You’re not ter let Celia
know you like her, an’ if she already doesstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> know, then yer to pretend she means nothin’,
savvy?”

“But…” Oliver stopped dead
when he saw the look in his captain’s eyes.
A look that was not seen very often by the crew, but they knew better
than to push him further when they saw it – if they wanted to remain both on
board the ship style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>andstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> in one piece.
“Aye, Cap’n,” he sighed eventually.
“Is that all?”

“That is all, Mister
Fernan. But I style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>shall be
watchin’ you, savvy?”

“Savvy…” Oliver turned on his
heel and stomped over to where the men were continuing to haul on the rope,
glancing at Jack as he took up his position once more.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Bastard,” he muttered darkly beneath his
breath. “She doesn’t want yer.”

“Mouse,” Matthias Swain
hissed. “No woman is worth th’sort of
trouble yer’d get into if ya went after her, eh?”

“Ain’t so sure about that,”
Oliver replied. “She’s just a plaything
ter him – I’d treat her right.”

“Th’cap’n won’t misuse her,
an’ yer know it,” John Orchard put in from behind Oliver.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “B’sides, it’s too late.”

“No it ain’t,” Oliver
chuckled wryly. “He ain’t taken her yet
– she told me herself.”

“Bloody hell!” Swain
exclaimed, looking back at the tall Irishman.
“She could be lyin’…”

“Lyin’?” Oliver snorted.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “She doesn’t have a lyin’ bone in her body.”

“True enough,” the ship’s
doctor agreed, nodding his head. “Just
be careful, eh?”

“I will be,” Oliver
promised. “As quiet as a mouse…”

…