Harry & the Pirate I: Querida
Chapter 27 "Deleted Scene"
Querida
~ 1 ~
With the tiny corner of her mind still capable of coherent thought, Harry knew that, as astonishingly delightful as their several previous unions had been, this one was different. This time Jack had taken her apart, moment by moment, bit by bit, delight transforming, imperceptibly, inexorably to something far more intense. She suspected what it was, where he was taking her. She’d heard rumor of it, told in sly whispers, or ribald jest. But rumor was a pale ghost of this Reality. She was learning better now, under his patient, persuasive tutelage. This was utter need, with an edge of madness, losing control, losing herself, and it was… frightening.
She tried to pull away a little, to lessen it, but he growled, No! and kept her with him, insisting, coaxing, with hands and eyes and murmured seduction until, finally, it was too late, and there was no longer a choice. It was not a simple surrender, nor an easy one, his name and God’s on her lips, prayer and curse, struggling, clutching hard with fingers, then nails, and then the struggle ending with wrenching pleasure that was nearly pain, and sounds that were both shriek and sob torn from her. It was like fire, or no, deep water. Like drowning.
But he was holding her tight, and as she succumbed, suddenly he was there with her, crying out as helplessly as she, consumed, as she was herself. The realization was both comfort and ecstasy, and she clung fiercely, giving him everything, but taking everything, too, and her heart near to breaking with it.
Long, long moments… or perhaps a lifetime?… And then it was nearly over. Coming back to themselves, breathing deep and shuddery, slowly stilling, their need somehow unquenched.
‘Jesus, Harry,” he whispered, trembling.
Only his blessed weight upon her spared her the same.
She felt him brush tears from her cheeks with fingers, then lips. “Oh my God,” she breathed. It was too much, too much; but still she was a little shocked when, overwhelmed by the exquisite joy and anguish of loving him, she began to weep.
Oddly, he didn’t seem to mind.
“Hush, love, ‘s all right. All right. ” He gently withdrew from her (Oh, Loss!) but gathered her against him and held her and soothed her with slow caresses and kisses, and murmured endearments, until at last she grew calmer.
She drew back slightly, brought her hands up to catch his face and hair, making him look. She whispered, “I love you.” A risk, maybe, but it had to be taken. But his face held little of scorn, and that little aimed at himself. Stupid! She kissed him with fresh abandon, groaning, and felt him chuffing with laughter under the kiss, and her heart leapt as he hugged her hard against him.
And then, the momentous words in her ear: “I love you, too.”
“Jack!” she replied, the word a caress.
“Harry!” He pulled his face back from hers and smiled, astonished. He rubbed his nose against hers. “Good God. Do you know how beautiful you look?”
“Yes, for you look the same, “ she smiled, gentling her hand and stroking the beautiful line of his cheek. “Dampish and freshly loved.” She settled against the pillows with a sigh of deep content.
He accepted this, and set to studying her, eyes and fingers memorizing her face. Against the hour she’d be gone: all too soon now. The Dauntless had been sighted that morning, and Jack had given the order, permitting them to approach.
This evening they’d each sleep alone.
“Never met a woman I took to as I have you,” he mused.
“Never?” Harry was pleased, but skeptical.
And sure enough, he gave a crooked grin. “Never. Although there was one…”
“Only one?”
“Only one. A long time ago. She was a bit like you, y’see.”
“Short and brown-haired?”
He smirked at this excess of modesty. “Black hair. A Spanish lass. ‘Twas when I was First Mate on the Pearl, under old Tobias. Only knew her a few hours, but she was one you didn’t forget. Like you.”
Harry’s eyes narrowed, trying to see in her mind’s eye how he must have been then. So young. She smiled. “Tell me of her!”
o-o-o
It was a bloodcurdling shriek that alerted him to her presence.
Prior to that, Jack had considered the raid to have gone extremely well, all things considered. Most of the townsfolk had been quickly subdued and herded into their church, where they were comfortably trussed and, if inclined toward vociferousness, gagged. There were few casualties on either side, though Bootstrap was one, having slipped on a rock as he’d jumped from the longboat, badly wrenching his ankle. Jack, as his friend, had teased him about it, and then, as First, had set him to guard duty in the church, which would save him walking much.
Jack was just considering reporting to the Captain that the town was virtually secured when that shriek came to his ears, issuing from a small house just off the square. It was only the one sound, and cut off rather abruptly, but something about it made his hair stand on end (or it would have, if not for its length and the small mementos of his past that weighted it). Swearing foully, he ran to see what was toward, sword at the ready. As he approached the house, he could hear another voice, one he knew, strained and threatening, yet with an edge of humor and… lust.
He tried the door: unlocked, and he shoved it open. Barbossa, as he’d thought. And a girl, struggling beneath him on the floor, skirts awry, the bastard’s big calloused hand stopping her cries.
Without hesitation (or, indeed, much thought beyond the filthy whoreson!) Jack strode across the room and grabbed the bigger man by the back of his coat, pulling him up by main force. Barbossa, surprised and furious, roared and would have attacked, so Jack felt no compunction in kicking him in the jaw and following it up with a blow to the head with his sword hilt. It was enough: he fell like so much meat, though how long he’d remain that way was the question.
The girl, on the other hand, had scrambled away and got to her feet, and was now preparing to make a dash for it. Her dress was that of a lady, though she seemed just a slip of a thing, barely come to womanhood. Even so, there was as much anger as fear on the youthful countenance. Jack managed to grab her by the arm before she could run out the door and into harm’s way. With a sharp cry, she whipped around and dealt him a resounding slap across the side of his face, open handed.
“Jesus!” he yelped. His grip tightened on her arm and he caught her other wrist as she tried to repeat the assault.
"¡Pirata estúpido, déjame ir!" she spat. Stupid pirate! Let me go! She began to kick uselessly at his booted legs, and struggled furiously.
Jack shook her, hard enough to show he was serious, and snapped, “¡Es usted la que es estúpida, señorita! Ahora estése quieta o a usted le irá muy mal.” It is you who are stupid, Miss! Now stop, or it will go badly for you.
“Malvado!” she hissed, “I am already dishonored! Why should I care what you do?”
Jack, who in subduing Barbossa had noted that great dishonor had certainly been intended but had not been quite accomplished, scolded, “Querida, he is a villain, but you are safe, or will be if you will but cease these theatrics!”
“Are you not one of them? Why should I trust you, Malvado?” She stomped on his foot, hard.
“Ow! Little fool!” Jack yelped, and was considering some judicious retaliation when Captain Tobias and a couple of the men walked in to see what the fuss was about.
John Tobias was a big handsome man, sartorially magnificent, and possessed of eyes that could look straight through a fellow-or a chit of a Spanish lass. The girl gave a start at the sight of him, and stilled, unconsciously shrinking against Jack, though she kept her head high for all that.
Tobias took in Jack and the girl, and the sight of his Second laid out, unconscious. He uttered a disgusted oath. “Is she all right?” he asked Jack.
“She’s right lively,” Jack said, with a short laugh. “I came in time.”
“Mis disculpas, muchacha. Usted puede estar segura de que nos encargaremos de él.” My apologies, girl. I assure you, he’ll be dealt with. The Captain gave her a self-contained bow, only a little ironic.
The girl sniffed, and pulled her arm from Jack’s slackened grasp.
“I wouldn’t try to run, muchacha,” Tobias said. “My men are everywhere, and… well… they are what they are.” He spread his hands.
“¡Piratas malvados - como éste!” Evil pirates-like this one! She turned her head to look daggers at Jack.
He made a face at her, and then grinned as she reddened in renewed fury.
“Jack! That ain’t the way to smooth her feathers, lad!” chided Tobias. He addressed the girl again, more seriously. “What is your name, young lady-for I can tell from your speech you are not lowborn.”
“My name is Juana Theresa Alba, and I am the daughter of Don Enrique Flores y Alba. If I come to harm he will kill you!”
“No doubt, señorita. But where do you live, for this is not the house of a rich man.”
The girl said, “I was visiting my old nurse. She is upstairs, abed, for she is ill, and now she will die knowing I have been dishonored at the hands of that…that bastardo!”
At this she gave an angry sob, and broke away entirely, turning to run up the narrow staircase.
Tobias said sharply to the men who’d come in with him: “Truss my Second and take him back to the ship.”
“The brig, Captain?”
“Aye. Barbossa’d better learn to school his appetites. We’ll be givin’ him a little reminder in the morning.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Jack, with me,” Tobias snapped.
The two pirates went up the stairs, following the little señorita.
They found her in one of the bedrooms, speaking frantically to a much larger, older woman who lay abed, covered with a quilt, looking very ill indeed, and most distressed as she listened to her nursling’s tale. Then, seeing the two men come into the room, she wailed in fear. “¡Ayyyy, Piratas! ¡Madre de Dios, protege a mi pequeña Juana de estos fornicadores y asesinos!”
Captain Tobias said, “No, señora, the little one is safe. You both have only to stay here, to stay hidden.”
Juana said to her nurse, “It is true, ‘Lita, the young one, he did away with the villain.”
“Aieee! He is a murderer!”
There followed a lengthy argument, with Juana’s nurse simultaneously insisting that Jack was el diablo - just look at that face, the face of a fallen angel if ever she had seen one- and that Captain Tobias see that her darling girl was safely escorted away from this pirate-infested town and home to Don Enrique, who assuredly would not rest until the piratas malvados were all quite dead.
“But señora, with the greatest respect, if she stays with you she will be safe, and will be able to care for you as well. Surely you are in need of a helpmeet?” reasoned Tobias.
“No! As she was safe from the evil one that brought you here? Only find my servant, Consuelo and bring her to me-the evil one had her taken away to the church, and then remained behind to ravish my darling! She must not stay! She must not! ¡Madre de Dios! Por favor, señor!”
Tobias, seeing that the woman was close to hysterics, finally sighed, and said to Juana, “Where is your home, Querida?”
The girl stiffened at the endearment, but said only, “My father’s house is to the east, in the hills above Half-moon Bay. An easy ride, but your band of devils chased off our horses! ¡Piratas estúpidos!”
Tobias’s mouth twitched, and he looked at Jack for confirmation.
“It’s true enough,” Jack said. “The lads were most diligent about that.”
“That right? Well, looks like you’re in for a bit of a walk, then, Jack.”
Jack gaped briefly, then blurted. “Me? Why me? I’m of more use here, and you know it!”
“I do know it, but who do you suggest we send?”
Juana spoke up at this, looking contemptuously at her unwilling savior. “I will not have this… gallito for a dueña! It is an absurdity!”
Tobias chuckled at the look on his First Mate’s face, but said to the girl, “You will have him, señorita, for he’s a chivalrous streak that’s lacking in most of the others.”
“Send Bootstrap!” Jack growled. Gallito, indeed! He’d ‘little cock’ her!
“He’s a bad ankle, remember?” Tobias’s brows arched.
Jack groaned. “Bloody hell.”
“Enough!” said Tobias. “Get going, Jack. We’ll be finished loading up the swag in an hour or two, then swing round to pick you up at Half-moon Bay at dawn. You know the signal.”
“Aye, I know it.” Jack threw a look of displeasure at his prospective charge. “Say goodbye to your nurse, then, girl, and we’ll be on our way.”
On to Querida: Chapter Two