In the Hollow of the Heart

Chapter 2 - Upon the Black Rocks

Three years into Will's time upon the Dutchman...

*****

He stood behind her, his breath tickling her skin as he bent to place a tender kiss on the nape of her neck. Elizabeth shivered as he gently slipped the silk chemise from her shoulders, and it glided softly down her arms and over her hips to cascade into a shimmering black pool at her feet.

He slid his hands beneath her elbows and lifted her arms above and behind her head, wrapping them around his neck as he nuzzled her ear. As he pressed his body to hers, her back arched and her breasts thrust forward wantonly, her nipples stiff and hot in anticipation of his touch.

The scent of the sea surrounded them...it was in his hair and on his skin, the fragrance enticing and familiar and loved. His bare chest rose and fell against her back in a tidal rhythm, and Elizabeth knew that given a chance, she would lose herself in him completely. His strong, rough fingers smoothed a path over the swell of her hips, making her tremble as he caressed her everywhere but where she wanted it most.

She whimpered and he chuckled at her impatience, finally rewarding her by running his fingers lightly up along her ribs and cupping her breasts delicately in his palms. He circled her nipples with the pads of his thumbs and she gasped sharply, her head lolling back against his shoulder and her eyes squeezing shut against the shock of pleasure that surged through her body.

The hard ridge of his desire pushed against the soft flesh of her buttocks, the promise of unrestrained passion weakening her knees. She wanted more than anything to strip him of his breeches and take him into her hands, fondling him until he was every bit as desperate as she was. “Kiss me,” Elizabeth begged, her lips parting as she fisted his hair in her hand and tugged hard to bring his face closer. “Please...”

“Mama! Maaamaaaaaa!”

Elizabeth startled awake, her heart thudding almost painfully against her ribcage and her body still throbbing with the arousal the dream had awoken. As her son’s wails grew in volume, she kicked off her covers and swung her feet to the cold floor, shaking in frustration and on the verge of crying.

Stumbling barefoot down the short hallway, Elizabeth pushed her arms through the sleeves of her robe as she shook off the remnants of the dream. As exhausted as she was every night, she’d have thought herself past such flights of fancy. It had come to the point where she almost feared falling asleep – far from bringing her relief, the recurring, stunningly intimate dreams of a mysterious lover only served to intensify her loneliness. After each one, her despair deepened and her heart grew heavier.

She pushed open the nursery door to see William standing beside his tiny bed, his mop of golden brown hair tousled, his bottom lip quivering and a sodden nappy drooping halfway down his chubby thighs. It was going to be a blessing when he finally learned to wake up and use his chamber pot when he needed to pass water, but he’d only just turned two and she couldn’t expect too much of the child. “I’m here, sweetheart. It’s all right…Mama’s here,” she sighed, crouching in front of him. William stood before her, sniffling as she tossed aside the soiled bit of cloth and wiped him down quickly with a damp rag from his wash basin.

Before she could get a dry nappy on him, William threw his little arms around her neck and squeezed tightly. Elizabeth’s mouth opened in surprise and she paused for a moment before embracing her little boy with equal fervour. Not a youngster generally prone to impulsive displays of affection, his gesture was startling and touching at the same time. It was almost as though he sensed her misery and sought to comfort her the only way he could, a thought that very nearly moved her to tears.

“Mama stay,” he whispered against her cheek, and she smiled softly as she buried her nose in his baby fine hair. She had no right to allow her spirits to lag. At least she and William had one another…it would just have to be enough, at least for the next seven years.

“Come, darling…you can sleep in my bed, but just for tonight.” His sheets were wet and she simply didn’t have the stamina to strip the linens away and remake his bed altogether. Besides, maybe having her son close by would keep the dreams at bay for the few precious hours left until sunrise. Elizabeth wrapped her arms around William and stood, grabbing a nappy from the chest of drawers before returning to her own room to tuck him in beside her.

*-*-*-*-*-*

Sarah must have noticed that Elizabeth’s nerves were frayed by the end of the day, for her maidservant casually suggested after dinner that she’d very much like to take William over to see the brand new colt at the livery where Sarah’s father worked as a farrier. The girl doted on William and Elizabeth sent them on their way with profuse gratitude, confident that he was in good hands.

With the gift of quiet time, she could have easily caught up on the mending, but as always the softly burning dusk called to her through the windows and she wasn’t inclined to resist it. Elizabeth tugged off her apron and hung it on a hook behind the scullery door. With only one boarder in residence, she decided she wouldn’t be missed for half an hour or so. Grabbing her shawl from the closet, she threw it around her shoulders and slipped out the front door of her rooming house.

The buildings along the main street of Bridgeport cast cool violet shadows across her path, cut through here and there with the warm amber glow of lantern light from windows and doors. As she briskly moved through the cobblestone streets towards the edge of town, she smiled and exchanged polite Yule greetings with other citizens out and about but didn’t stop to talk with anyone.

She knew the people of Bridgeport found her to be pleasant but reserved; although it hurt to isolate herself in such a way, she felt she had no choice but to keep her fellow islanders at arm’s length. The many dark secrets in her past would prove ruinous if they were let slip with a single wrong word. Friendship was a luxury she could ill afford, even though the lack of it made her solitude more difficult to bear.

Finally clearing the last dwellings, she slowed down and waded through the tall grass until she had a clear view of the coral-coloured sunset. Watching the day end had become something of a ritual for her; it marked one less day she’d be alone, one day closer to seeing her husband again and realizing the happiness that had been absent from her life for so long.

The bracing ocean breeze blew around her and she wrapped her shawl more tightly around her arms, seeing the first glimmer of the evening star high in the western sky. The waves set the last rays of the sun dancing and the sleek silhouettes of shore birds were scattered against the blazing orange clouds, their sad cries beckoning her closer to the precipice.

She stopped a few feet short of the edge and stared down at the black rocks in the shallows, watching the deep green waves smash into white foam against the jagged berm. If she didn’t love William as she did, if she didn’t know firsthand how devastating the loss of a parent could be, she might have been tempted to take those final few steps and let herself fall into the sweet oblivion offered by the dark reef. If she flung herself far enough out, perhaps she’d be dragged out to sea as she died and Will would come for her at last, ending her pain and joining her as they sailed together towards an endless sunrise.

Elizabeth choked back a sob and shook her head, closing her eyes as an errant tear tracked over her cheek. She wouldn’t take the coward’s way out...she had been raised better than that. And when compared to so many others, she had countless blessings – a warm home, food to eat, a beautiful child and the love of her husband, absent though he was. Far too much to throw away.

“I’m waiting, Will,” she whispered, impatiently wiping away the tear. “I know I promised...but it’s so hard. If you could come back soon, even for a single day, it would make all the difference.”

She lifted her face and looked out across the water once more. The sun had half disappeared below the ocean and pale stars peered down on her from a navy blue sky. There would be no green flash marking Will’s return tonight, she knew. But she would keep her vigil...she had to. It was the only thought that sustained her now.

Elizabeth was about to turn and make her way back to town when a shadowy shape on the horizon caught her eye. She squinted and was able to make out the outline of a ship, her sails full of wind and moving quickly towards Bridgeport. As the vessel devoured the distance, she gasped in recognition.

No, it couldn’t be. She must be mistaken...

Her heart tripped over itself. The curve of the hull, the jut of the bowsprit and the array of the sails made for an utterly distinct silhouette – there was no other ship like her. And surely it was no coincidence that her captain had chosen Barbados as his destination.

As the ship closed in, she altered course slightly and made for a small western bay rather than the town harbour. Clearly the crew knew better than to drop anchor too close to Bridgeport. The appearance of this particular craft in the marina would send the townspeople into wild panic and bedlam would ensue; that being the case, whoever was coming ashore would likely row over to the small, isolated beach at the bottom of the cliff. Whirling, Elizabeth ran as fast as she could for the meandering foot path leading to the shore, her loneliness forgotten in the midst of her excitement.