Dark of the Moon (18 & 19/36)
Dark of the Moon continues. Thanks to hereswith for editing!
[18]
Letty arose betimes. She discovered that her own clothing had been cleaned and was waiting for her, laid over Jack’s sea chest. Even slender as she was, however, the binding of the corset was necessary for the dress to fit properly and it was not possible to don that tortuous garment without assistance. Therefore, although she put on her own shift, she again took up the heavy red brocade and white lace dress she’d worn the day before, making an effort to adjust it with sash and shawl so that she did not look a complete quiz. When Jack rapped on the door of the cabin, she was nearly finished.
“Just a moment!” she called, and tried to complete her adjustment of the knot on the shawl so that it covered her bosom adequately, then patted at her hair, which she’d pinned up as best she could.
“Letty!” came his impatient call through the door. He rattled the latch.
“Coming!” It would have to do. Heart thumping, she went to let him in.
“About bloody time!” he growled as she opened the door.
There was a most disconcerting scowl on his face and her tentative smile faltered. “I’m sorry. What is it? Is… is something wrong?”
But, after rapidly assessing her appearance, his eyes returned to hers and his expression softened. “No. Bill put me in a temper is all. Thinks I shouldn’t’ve kissed you.”
“You told him?” Letty blurted, quite horrified.
“He guessed something’d happened. Filthy mind, has Turner.”
“Oh!” Letty put her hands to her burning cheeks.
Jack gave a crooked smile. “I set him straight, but I daresay he’s right. I won’t do it again.”
“Oh.”
“Even though I liked it excessively.”
“Oh!” She reddened further, not least because she felt a most inappropriate urge to say, “I did, too!”
But he seemed to know that without her saying it for his smile broadened and he chucked her lightly under her chin. However, he said only, “The hair’s not quite so bad today, but you’d better let me braid it for you if you’re coming on deck. It’ll be blown to bits if it’s just pinned loosely like that.”
“All right,” Letty agreed mildly, thankful to turn away from his knowing gaze. She stood quietly, enjoying the feel of his fingers gently plucking out the pins, then the long, easy strokes of the brush, followed by the skillful way in which he formed the long plait down her back.
He finished tying off the end.“That’s got it.” He turned her to face him once more and made further adjustments to the shawl. “You need a hat: that bit of a nose’ll get burnt.” He touched the “bit of a nose” lightly with one long finger, which made her blush again. “I’ll set Bill to finding something suitable. That’ll show ‘im. Come on, then. I’ll take you up.”
*
[19]
Bootstrap found a hat for Mrs. Granger in short order, then spent much of the day observing with considerable misgiving Jack’s seduction of his guest.
Not that either of them would’ve put it that way. Bill could hear Jack now: Just doing me job, mate! Never mind that this entailed a whirlwind of activity designed to show off his strength, agility, skill in leadership, and knowledge of all things nautical.
It was true that he was always like that, which is why he’d been made first at the ripe age of twenty-one, wasn’t it? And yet, with Mrs. Granger looking on, his knack for showmanship came out in spades. He seemed to be everywhere at once - the breeze was fickle that day, requiring a great deal of adjustment to the yards and sails. The men on watch took his harrying of them in good part, and were exceptionally deferential to the lass - Jack’d put a bug in their ear about that last night: apparently there’d been some nonsense earlier involving Twigg, who now sported a right nasty bruise on his jaw and had been shifted to the mid and morning watches.
Mrs. Granger sat on a coil of rope in the warm sun and watched Jack’s perambulations with rapt fascination. And when he paused by her side, which was often, Bill could see that she was all pink cheeks and wide blue eyes, stammering over her replies, smiling some, and once or twice even laughing at something he’d said.
And Jack’s own smile was much in evidence during these exchanges, like a shark that scents blood in the water.
Tobias had Jack, Mrs. Granger, Barbossa, and Bill come to the Great Cabin for the midday meal. The lady seemed uncomfortable and ate very little, in spite of Jack’s solicitous attentions. Conversation had rarely been quite so decorous at the captain’s table. Barbossa looked sardonic, and excused himself at the first opportunity.
Mrs. Granger retired to Jack’s cabin for several hours in the afternoon, but when evening brought the winking stars and a golden moon, Jack brought her up to walk the deck with him for a space, his steadying hand under her elbow. The entertainment that night was far more sedate than on the previous, and the Pearl’s edges softened and gilded in the kindly light.
Bill shook his head. That there was an accord being formed between the two was obvious. It was a dangerous business for the lass, though she didn’t seem to suspect there might be shoals ahead. Bill made up his mind to talk to her in the morning.
Mary’d expect it of him.
*
TBC
[18]
Letty arose betimes. She discovered that her own clothing had been cleaned and was waiting for her, laid over Jack’s sea chest. Even slender as she was, however, the binding of the corset was necessary for the dress to fit properly and it was not possible to don that tortuous garment without assistance. Therefore, although she put on her own shift, she again took up the heavy red brocade and white lace dress she’d worn the day before, making an effort to adjust it with sash and shawl so that she did not look a complete quiz. When Jack rapped on the door of the cabin, she was nearly finished.
“Just a moment!” she called, and tried to complete her adjustment of the knot on the shawl so that it covered her bosom adequately, then patted at her hair, which she’d pinned up as best she could.
“Letty!” came his impatient call through the door. He rattled the latch.
“Coming!” It would have to do. Heart thumping, she went to let him in.
“About bloody time!” he growled as she opened the door.
There was a most disconcerting scowl on his face and her tentative smile faltered. “I’m sorry. What is it? Is… is something wrong?”
But, after rapidly assessing her appearance, his eyes returned to hers and his expression softened. “No. Bill put me in a temper is all. Thinks I shouldn’t’ve kissed you.”
“You told him?” Letty blurted, quite horrified.
“He guessed something’d happened. Filthy mind, has Turner.”
“Oh!” Letty put her hands to her burning cheeks.
Jack gave a crooked smile. “I set him straight, but I daresay he’s right. I won’t do it again.”
“Oh.”
“Even though I liked it excessively.”
“Oh!” She reddened further, not least because she felt a most inappropriate urge to say, “I did, too!”
But he seemed to know that without her saying it for his smile broadened and he chucked her lightly under her chin. However, he said only, “The hair’s not quite so bad today, but you’d better let me braid it for you if you’re coming on deck. It’ll be blown to bits if it’s just pinned loosely like that.”
“All right,” Letty agreed mildly, thankful to turn away from his knowing gaze. She stood quietly, enjoying the feel of his fingers gently plucking out the pins, then the long, easy strokes of the brush, followed by the skillful way in which he formed the long plait down her back.
He finished tying off the end.“That’s got it.” He turned her to face him once more and made further adjustments to the shawl. “You need a hat: that bit of a nose’ll get burnt.” He touched the “bit of a nose” lightly with one long finger, which made her blush again. “I’ll set Bill to finding something suitable. That’ll show ‘im. Come on, then. I’ll take you up.”
*
[19]
Bootstrap found a hat for Mrs. Granger in short order, then spent much of the day observing with considerable misgiving Jack’s seduction of his guest.
Not that either of them would’ve put it that way. Bill could hear Jack now: Just doing me job, mate! Never mind that this entailed a whirlwind of activity designed to show off his strength, agility, skill in leadership, and knowledge of all things nautical.
It was true that he was always like that, which is why he’d been made first at the ripe age of twenty-one, wasn’t it? And yet, with Mrs. Granger looking on, his knack for showmanship came out in spades. He seemed to be everywhere at once - the breeze was fickle that day, requiring a great deal of adjustment to the yards and sails. The men on watch took his harrying of them in good part, and were exceptionally deferential to the lass - Jack’d put a bug in their ear about that last night: apparently there’d been some nonsense earlier involving Twigg, who now sported a right nasty bruise on his jaw and had been shifted to the mid and morning watches.
Mrs. Granger sat on a coil of rope in the warm sun and watched Jack’s perambulations with rapt fascination. And when he paused by her side, which was often, Bill could see that she was all pink cheeks and wide blue eyes, stammering over her replies, smiling some, and once or twice even laughing at something he’d said.
And Jack’s own smile was much in evidence during these exchanges, like a shark that scents blood in the water.
Tobias had Jack, Mrs. Granger, Barbossa, and Bill come to the Great Cabin for the midday meal. The lady seemed uncomfortable and ate very little, in spite of Jack’s solicitous attentions. Conversation had rarely been quite so decorous at the captain’s table. Barbossa looked sardonic, and excused himself at the first opportunity.
Mrs. Granger retired to Jack’s cabin for several hours in the afternoon, but when evening brought the winking stars and a golden moon, Jack brought her up to walk the deck with him for a space, his steadying hand under her elbow. The entertainment that night was far more sedate than on the previous, and the Pearl’s edges softened and gilded in the kindly light.
Bill shook his head. That there was an accord being formed between the two was obvious. It was a dangerous business for the lass, though she didn’t seem to suspect there might be shoals ahead. Bill made up his mind to talk to her in the morning.
Mary’d expect it of him.
*
TBC