Saints and Sinners

I hate disclaimers, but I’d
hate it more if I were sued…

Many thanks for the scant
reviews and to Kat for her quicker editing than my uploading!

The is some French in this
chapter with English in brackets. Don’t
blame me if the translation is wrong! :-p

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

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

“Oh, thank goodness that’s
finished!” Celia sighed, flopping down on the stern seat with exhaustion and
casting a critical eye around the cabin, smiling with satisfaction on seeing
that all was as it should be at last.
She sank back, closing her eyes and waiting for the thoughts she had
managed to push to the back of her mind to come flooding to the fore, sighing
again as they did. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Why do I allow Jack to affect me sostyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>? style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>It’s sinful… isn’t it?’
she fretted, groaning out loud. “What
am I going to do?” Celia stood and
walked to the side cabin containing the private head and picked up a looking
glass, staring at her reflection. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>I don’t even recognise you any morestyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>,’ she mused, pondering on how much she had changed
since arriving in the Caribbean, even if her face did look the same.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Mother
Superior was right – I should never have come over here.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> This isn’t the place for me.style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>’ Celia put
the glass down carefully and walked over to the bunk, fingering the ribbon
binding the edges of the blanket. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>I kissed two men, lost my temper and shared a bed with
Jack, all in one day! style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Maybe I
should give myself to Jack – I couldn’t sink any lower,style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>’ she thought despondently, before frowning crossly
and giving herself a shake. “And self
pity is not a sin any longer?” she said out loud.

“Perhaps not, but talkin’ ter
yourself isstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> th’first sign of madness,” came Jack’s amused
drawl from the main cabin.

“Oh!” Celia jumped, placing a
hand against her wildly beating heart.
“I wish you wouldn’t do that!”

“I thought you’d gone ter
bed, it was so quiet,” he grinned as he leaned on the back of his chair.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Do you want a wash an’ change into a dress
before we arrive?”

“Could I?” she asked,
wondering if she dared suggest that style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>hestyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> have a wash as well. “Perhaps I could save the water for you afterwards…?”

“You suggestin’ I’m dirty?”
Jack enquired, his eyes glinting, whether with anger or amusement, Celia could
not tell.

“N-no,” she stammered.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I just thought… oh, never mind.”

“I will if you wash my back
fer me,” he teased, raising his eyebrows hopefully.

“I do not think so,” Celia
snorted. “You can stay mucky…”

“What’s th’point in washin’
if I can’t clean all of myself, eh?” he argued, a seductive smile playing on
his lips.

“I manage to clean my back well
enough,” she sniped, turning so that he could not see her burning cheeks.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Oh,
Lord. Not againstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>…’ she thought as the now familiar sensation of
warm desire started creeping through her blood.

“I still can’t move my arm
that well,” he reasoned, walking slowly and quietly over to her.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “In fact,” he purred in her ear once he had
reached her. “There’s a lot of me that
I can’t wash…”

“S-so get one of the men to
do it, then.”

“Their hands wouldn’t be as
gentle as yours,” he whispered hoarsely, nuzzling her neck.

“Stop it!” Celia gasped,
darting from his reach. “Will you style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>please leave
me alone?”

“I was only teasin’ yer,” he
protested. “But I don’t think, deep
down, that you style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>wantstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> me ter leave you alone…”

“What are you doing to me?”
Celia wailed, throwing her hands up in the air. “I was respectable, decent, and even obedient before you came
into my life. And now…”

“Now, you’re normal,” Jack
shrugged. “You’re yourself an’ not
tryin’ ter be somethin’ that yer not cut out ter be. Why else did you leave th’convent?”

“You know why I left the
convent,” she hissed angrily, rounding on him, her eyes flashing with
anger. “I did not leave the convent to
become a pirate’s whore!”

“I’m not askin’ you ter be a
pirate’s whore.”

“What else would you call a
woman who opens her legs willingly to a man, hmm? Chaste?”

“You could always be a
pirate’s woman. Have some degree of
respectibility.”

“Respectibiltystyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>? Dear
Lord! What difference would it make
what I was called? Whore, woman?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> The meaning is still the same!”

“All right, all right,” Jack
soothed as he backed away, wishing he had never started teasing her.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Yer water’ll be here soon.”style="mso-spacerun: yes">

Celia watched with dismay as
he strode from the cabin, an almost hurt look on his face and she kicked a
nearby trunk, wincing with pain as she did, then hobbled across the cabin, and
yanked the door open. “Jack!” she
called. “Captain…” she belatedly
corrected as she hurried up the quarterdeck steps. “I’m sorry. I’m not
myself.”

“I’d noticed,” he commented,
looking at her crossly. “Yer water’s
ready.”

Celia looked over her
shoulder as Elliot carried a pail into the cabin and turned back to Jack,
beseeching him with her eyes. “A-am I
forgiven?” she asked tentatively, chewing her lip.

“If you like,” Jack shrugged,
taking his spyglass out and peering at the island of Grenada, effectively
dismissing her.

She turned dejectedly and
headed back down the steps, smiling thinly at Oliver who was hovering nearby.

“Yer all right?” he enquired
in a whisper.

Celia nodded and disappeared
into the cabin, wiping away a tear that was trickling down her cheek.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She padded slowly to the side cabin and took
the pail, pouring some of the hot water into a bowl standing on a sturdy table
to the side of the small cabin then undressed herself, glad to be out of the
clothes she had worn since the previous morning. She sighed heavily, realising that she had forgotten to bring a
rag to dry herself with and padded naked across the cabin to a trunk, pulling
it open and delving in.

“Bloody hell!” Jack muttered,
getting an eyeful of her backside as he came back in to the cabin.

“Oh!” Celia screamed, trying
frantically to cover herself with her hands.

“Dunno what you’re doin’ that
for,” Jack mused, chuckling softly to himself as he closed the door quickly.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “It’s not like I haven’t seen you naked
before…”

“I don’t care!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Get out!” Celia demanded, grabbing the rag
and finally preserving her modesty.

“My cabin – you can’t order
me from my own cabin. B’sides, I need a
chart…” He ambled over to the trunk
next to the one Celia had been rummaging in, casting a sideways glance at her
before concentrating on the task in hand.

You know, if yer style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>really don’t
want me ter look at you, you could always go to th’side cabin…”

“I-I am!” she declared,
storming off with as much dignity as she could muster, the sound of Jack’s
laughter ringing in her ears. “Damn!”
she cursed, unconsciously. “Jack…?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Could you bring me the soap?”

“No,” he chortled.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Come an’ fetch it yourself…”

“I knew that would be the
answer,” Celia sighed, tying the large rag around herself and going back to the
main cabin, avoiding his gaze but feeling his eyes on her nonetheless.

“You sure you don’t want me
ter clean your back?” he enquired, his voice deeper than usual.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I have nothin’ else ter do fer th’moment…”

“N-no,” she stuttered.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I-I can m-manage.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Celia squatted down to pick the soap up, not
wanting to bend and maybe give him another eyeful, and jumped when she
straightened, wondering to herself 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'> she was surprised that Jack was right behind her.

“Last chance…” he growled,
his eyes dark and lust filled. “Shan’t
offer again.”

“No,” Celia replied firmly,
turning around even though her knees were trembling and a hot throb had begun
between her legs.

“Ah, well,” Jack sighed, shrugging
his shoulders ruefully. “It was worth a
try.” He kissed the tip of her nose and
swayed back to the table where he had spread the chart, and bent over it,
seemingly scrutinising it carefully and ignoring her as she hurried back to the
side cabin.

‘Oh
my word,’ Celia breathed, leaning against the bulkhead and
closing her eyes, opening them immediately as she saw the pirate captain’s eyes
in her mind. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>I am never going to be able to resist himstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>.’ She
picked up a small rag, dipped it in to the bowl and rubbed the block of grey
soap against it until it lathered. She
let the large rag that had been covering her, drop to her feet and she began
washing herself, trying desperately not to imagine Jack’s hands wandering over
her body instead. Celia hesitated
before pushing the cloth between her legs, moaning as the contact sent a bolt
of fire coursing through her body. To
her astonishment, she found herself rubbing the rag harder and harder against
her slit, groaning and writhing where she stood until she felt she was about to
explode.

“Celia?”

The young woman physically
jumped and let out a yelp as Jack’s voice sounded from the other side of the
drape. “W-what?” she gasped, her throat
feeling too tight to talk.

“You all right, luv?”

“F-fine.”

“I’ve left a dress on th’bunk
fer you. Hope you like it…”

“T-thank y-you,” she wheezed,
sitting down on the head, lest her legs give way on her.

“It’s a pleasure,” Jack
replied, grinning wickedly to himself as he headed to the main cabin doors and
outside.

“He heard…” Celia groaned,
closing her eyes in disbelief. “You
stupid, stupid girl…” She threw the rag
into the bowl and stood slowly, torn between wanting to feel disgust with
herself and wanting to do it again. ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>It was wrong… style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>wasn’t it?’ she
thought. ‘But
if it was wrong, why did it feel so nice – so…style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>?’ Celia sighed resignedly.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Good,” she muttered aloud.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I should pray for forgivenessstyle='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>…,” she mused, reaching for
her rosary beads but then hesitated, feeling as if she would sully them if she
touched them now. She walked in a daze
to the larger side cabin and the bunk, stopping when she saw the beautiful dark
red silk dress, with lace sleeves, which Jack had laid out for her, her eyes
going round and her mouth dropping open as she picked it up, and she forgot her
shame as she stared at it.

“I-I…” she spluttered, looking wildly around.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I can’t possibly wear this!” she exclaimed
to the empty cabin, but even as she said it, she could picture herself in it.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Should I try it on?” Celia wondered aloud, before
going over to the trunk containing her clothes, retrieving an underslip and
knickers that she had bought herself during their last stop in Tortuga,
carrying them back to the side cabin and hasilty pulling them on in her
eagerness to try the gown on. Celia
carefully stepped into it, smoothing down the skirts before realising that it
fastened at the back and she was unable to do it herself.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Never
mind,’ she thought going to fetch the looking glass
from the private head and wishing that it were larger as she admired her
reflection.

“I thought it might suit
you.”

“Oh!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Jack!”

“Aye, Jack.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Who’d you think it’d be, eh?”

“I-it’s beautiful, but I
can’t possibly wear this.”

“Why not?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Got ter make a good impression in a new
place. Can yer speak French?”

“A little, why?”

“Grenada is a French
island. Best you don’t say anythin’
when we’re ashore, then. Unless there’s
no-one else around or someone is about ter stick a dagger in my back,” Jack quipped.

“Urgh!style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Don’t say that!” Celia shuddered, not wanting
to think of horrible things while she was wearing something so beautiful.

“Turn around, I’ll lace
you.” Jack wanted nothing more than to
kiss her milky white shoulders as he pulled the laces tight, but knew that if
he pushed her after teasing her earlier and then catching her pleasuring
herself, he might scupper his chances completely. So he kept quiet and adjusted his breeches where his erection
bulged uncomfortably tight, resisting the urge as he tied the ribbons together
and patting her shoulder when he had finished.

“T-thank you,” Celia smiled,
her face flushed red at the closeness of his contact, and a throb between her
legs reminding her of her earlier indiscretion made her blush even more and she
was eternally grateful for the fact that he could not see.

“I’ll go an’ wash myself,
just fer you… damn!” he muttered as the sound of the anchor chains being
released rattled through the cabin. “No
time – sorry, luv,” Jack shrugged with a grin.
“Guess I’ll just get changed, eh?”

“Oh… all right,” she nodded,
hurrying to the main cabin as he started undoing the buttons on his shirt, not
wanting to see any part of his flesh in case her resolve weakened to the point
of collapse.

‘Bloody
hell,’ Jack mused to himself as he stripped off his
shirt them remembered that he hadn’t brought a change of clothes in with
him. ‘Hmmstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'>,’ he pondered with a wicked grin.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Celia, luv?”

“Yes?” she called from the
main cabin.

“It seems I’ve caught your
forgetfulness… can you bring me my best shirt, th’brown breeches an’ red
waistcoat from th’chest?”

“Are you naked?” Celia asked
in a stern tone.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “You’re not trying to trick me, are you?”

“As if I’d do that…” Jack
chuckled, wondering whether to shed his breeches or not before deciding not to.

“Here,” the young woman
sighed a few minutes later, thrusting a hand through the drapes and handing him
his clothes.

“Cap’n!” Gabriel Jennings
called. “Th’boats are ready.”

“Just comin’,” Jack replied,
adjusting his good breeches over his still hard member.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> ‘style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>Although
not as soon as I’d like,’ he thought wryly.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Can you give me a hand with th’waistcoat?”
he asked Celia as he walked into the main cabin, wearing the breeches and shirt
and nothing else. “It’s a little tight
an’ I can’t bring me arm ‘round ter put it on.”

“Of course,” she smiled,
taking the garment off him and helping him into it. “I can’t believe how quickly you’ve healed – or have you?”

“I’m a quick healer,” Jack
replied evasively. “Could yer do
th’buttons…?” he murmured, inhaling her scent as she stepped closer.

“A-all right,” Celia smiled
breathlessly, chewing her lip as she made a start on the tiny buttons down the
front of the brocade waistcoat whilst trying not to react to the closeness of
him.

“Thank you,” he whispered
huskily in her ear when she had finished, smiling as she shivered and was slow
to move away from him. “Could yer do my
boots as well?”

“Of course,” Celia deferred,
not asking why he was suddenly unable to manage his boots when he had been
putting them on and taking them off for a few days already.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> She fetched his boots and took them to where
he was sitting on his chair and knelt on the deck before him, easing first one
foot and then the other into the battered footwear.

“Ta,” he grinned, standing
and wriggling his toes until he was comfortable. Jack walked to another chest and took out a wide brimmed hat with
a large feather and placed it on his head.
“Right – now we see what sights Saint Georges has ter offer.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Ready, luv?”

“As I’ll ever be,” she
replied, managing a small smile. “There
won’t be trouble, will there?”

“Nah,” Jack assured her with
a wave of his hand. “We never come down
this way – well style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>hardlystyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> ever. They
won’t know who we are.” ‘style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Hopefully,’ he
thought to himself. He offered Celia
his arm and led the way on to the main deck, doffing his hat to the crew as
they jokingly bowed elaborately as he and Celia passed them.

“You look a treat,” Joshamee
beamed at Celia as they reached the bosun’s chair.

“Why, thank you,” Jack
quipped with a wink as he helped her into the contraption and fastened her in.

“I didn’t mean you, as you
well know,” the quartermaster sighed, rolling his eyes at Celia, who giggled in
return.

“Thank you, Joshamee,” she
smiled, gulping as the chair jerked and the men started to lower her down to
the boat, where Gabriel and Elliot were waiting to receive her.

“I’ve got yer,” Elliot
grinned, having shoved his crewmate out of the way so he could be the one to
help Celia from the chair.

“Yer’ll get a dunkin’ in a
minute,” Gabriel sniped, glaring at the younger man.

“Ya’d never row th’boat ter
shore on yer own, old man!” Elliot taunted, taking Celia’s hand and guiding her
to the bench.

“You’ll both go back on deck
an’ I’ll have someone more style='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode"'>capablestyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> if yer not careful,” Jack drawled as he climbed
down, albeit carefully, to the boat.

“Sorry, Cap’n,” both men
chorused, still shooting looks at each other as they sat and took up the oars.

Gabriel smirked as he manoeovered himself opposite Celia.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “What yer goin’ ashore fer, Cap’n?” he
enquired.

“Just ter have a look an’ do
a little askin’,” Jack informed him.
“See if anyone remembers Geoffrey Goodluck an’ where he lived.”

“Maybe there could be family
living in the area?” Celia suggested.
“Perhaps he had children.”

“I hope not,” the captain of
the Black Pearlstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> frowned.
“That means they’d have th’treasure then…”

“There might not style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>be any
treasure,” she reminded him. “If it
hasn’t been found after all these years…”

“Then that means I will be
th’first ter discover it,” Jack chipped in, puffing out his chest and preening.

“What if there is treasure?”
Elliot pondered. “That would mean
havin’ ter get it past th’Frenchies.”

“We’ll deal with that problem
when it arises,” Jack replied, his confidence bording on arrogance.

“Ifstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> it arises…”

“One day, you’ll learn ter
have a little more faith in me, Miss Hammond,” he sighed exaggeratedly.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “There isstyle='font-family:Georgia;mso-bidi-font-family:"Lucida Sans Unicode";
mso-bidi-font-style:italic'> treasure ter be found, I can feel it, savvy?”

“Oh, yes.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Your infamous intuition…” Celia sniped,
smiling sweetly at him.

“She doesn’t believe in it,
lads,” Jack shrugged, pulling a bemused face.

“She will soon enough,
Cap’n,” Gabriel grinned, having total confidence in his captain’s sixth
sense. “When she’s wearin’ gold an’
pearls around her neck, diamonds an’ rubies on her fingers…”

“Oh, enough, already!” Celia
exlcaimed. “I’m not interested in
jewels and suchlike.”

“You will be,” Jack replied
knowingly. “You will be…”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He turned to see who was at the quayside,
taking in a couple of stevedors and someone whom he assumed was the harbourmaster.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “No talkin’ now - apart from you, Jennings.”

“Oui, Capitaine,” the crewman
replied, being one of few crewmen able to speak French.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Bonjour!” he called to a dockhand, tossing
the mooring rope to him.

“Bonjour,” the harbourmaster
greeted as he approached the boat, giving Jack a hand out, who in turn helped
Celia . “Quel est votre bateau?” (what
is your ship)

“Lé style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Perle.” (the style='mso-bidi-font-style:normal'>Pearl).style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Capitaine Jaques Menet, à votre service”
(Captain Jack Menet at your service).

“It is ten livre to berth
your ship. Will your boat be staying?”
the man asked in French, holding out an expectant hand.

“Daylight robbery,” Jack
muttered in English, fishing about in his pocket and retrieving the monies
required. “No, my men will be returning
to the ship. Can you recommend a good
tavern?” he enquired, slipping back into the foreign tongue.

“L’Anchre Bleu,” the master
informed them, pocketing the money and going on his way.

“M-must we?” Celia stammered
once the man was out of earshot, shivering violently. “I-I don’t w-want to g-go there,” she whispered.

“Eh?” Jack frowned until he
remembered that it was the name of the tavern in which Davy Stockton had held
his auction of the captured women.
“Hey,” he chivvied gently, winding his arm around her.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “It’s not th’same place.”

“I-I k-know, but still…”

“We’ll have a look around,
see if we can find somewhere else, eh?
Jennings – hide th’boat so ol’beaky nose doesn’t find it then you two
can come an’ catch us up, savvy?”

“Oui, Capitaine,” he nodded,
speaking in the local tongue even if his captain wasn’t.

“Come on, Madamoiselle,” Jack
drawled. “Let’s find us a tavern.”

…