Anyways...I must warn you though that these are pieces from the first half of the book, because the second half is not done.
“Do you have a name, sons?” Captain Fletcher looked down at Jane, Alex, and Marty with kindness in his eyes. He seemed to feel sorry for them, believing them to be orphaned boys that stowed away on his ship.
“Yes. Yes I do.” Jane replied, trying to think of a name and avoiding his eyes.
It went quiet for a few seconds. Marty and Alex eyed Jane cautiously waiting anxiously. The captain raised an eye brow again. “Well? What it is?”
“Oh! Ha, ha, yes, yes of course. The name’s Ja-Je-J-Jeffery.” She smiled confidently.
“Jeffery?” He eyed her suspiciously. “All right, Jeffery…you?” He turned to Marty.
“Maart…Mart.” Marty smiled.
“Mart. And you.”
“Uh…Thaddeus?” questioningly, Alex grinned timidly.
“Do you not know?”
“Oh, well, of course I know. It’s Thaddeus.” She smiled more confidently trying to convince him, and herself that she could pull it off.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jane dodged an aggressive man coming to throw her some fists. She picked up a bottle of rum on a table behind her, as another man ran toward her. She threw it at his head knocking him out. She picked up another one, just as the handsome man knocked her next target unconscious with his own fist, after having knocked the scar-faced man unconscious and fighting off some others.
“May I?” He asked eyeing the bottle of rum, as he stood with an off balance sway. She handed him the full bottle. He took it, uncorked it, and drank from it. “Thank you!”
A stout man charged them and the handsome man threw the bottle at his head knocking him out as well.
“Such a waste,” said her rescuer, referring to the spilt rum.
Jane narrowed her eyes at him then grinned forcedly. “Of course.” She hurried away, thinking he was strange, but perhaps in a good way. She found Marty and Alex, and they made their escape from the chaotic tavern.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Walking through without being noticed was so easy. When she got to the place where Alex and Marty had said she would find the kitchen of sorts, it appeared that the cook had already gone off to bed, so she rummaged around for leftovers as quietly as possible, as the ship rocked this way and that. She inwardly groaned, trying to keep her balance in the rocking boat. There must be a storm, otherwise she would not be so wobbly.
“What arr you doing?” a gruff voice said moving closer.
Jane froze. “I…”
“Come on let’s go boy.”
The pirate apparently had no patience, for he grabbed her with strong, harsh hands.
“What? No! You misunderstand me!”
“Stealin’ food is not a misunderstandin’, much less boardin’ wit’out permission,” said he grumpily, dragging her through the dark ship toward the upper deck.
“But…I’m just-”
“Just a what? A thief and a stowaway? Who are you?”
“Aren’t you a thief too?” She looked up at him, avoiding the last question. He was tall and skinny, not what she expected from such a hard grasp.
“Aye…but ye be stealing some ‘o me portion o’ da’ food.”
“Oh, see? You do understand my hunger.”
“No, I don’t.” He dragged her along with his long strides.
“Please!”
“No!”
“I-” She was suddenly silenced by pouring buckets of rain and tough blowing winds that drowned out her argument. He turned her to the right. Heavy rain drops caused her to squint, as he dragged her up a flight of stairs that led to where the captain stood on the poop deck--which acted as a roof over the cabin.
She tripped on a step. He caught her, pulling her up, and mumbling curses. She was not sure which curses he used, but she was certain they were directed toward her. How dare he? She thought.
“Captain, what should we do wit’ tis thief?” The skinny pirate gave her a disgusted look.
The stalwart frame of Crazy Lou turned from steadily looking over his ship and the rain storm, to meet Jane’s eyes. He grinned evilly. “Feed ‘im to the sharks.”
Jane’s eyes got big, as Crazy Lou turned around and started walking away. And then the pirate began moving her along.
“What? No! Wait!” Jane struggled with the pirate. “Are you Lewis Remmington?”
Stopping in his tracks, Crazy Lou turned around, slowly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“No warning shot?” they heard Lou grumble. “Who does he think he is?” Lou then turned from the middle of the ship to face his enemy’s massive galleon of a ship, as they neared them.
“Well, Jane, you might get your revenge after all,” said Crazy Lou.
Jane stared at him with shock, her eyes moving frantically around, as every pirate on his ship stared her.
“Did I just…?” Lou paused looking around at the shocked crew and his embarrassed nieces. He sighed exasperatedly. “Gentlemen, you may as well all know that James, Max, and Thad are actually my nieces, so don’t get any funny ideas. Now back to work ye labbernecks! We have a battle to win!”
“Great!” said Marty. “So much for secret identity.”
~~~~~~~~~~
Jane looked over just in time to see the dark-blond haired pirate she’d knocked down before charging her. He looked around their age.
Before she could block him off, he grabbed her neck with his left hand, shoving her against the railing. “You killed my brother!” He cursed at her and she tried kicking him, struggling to breath between his tight hold around her neck. He then lifted and squeezed so tightly, the air was instantly and more painfully cut off from her lungs. She felt her the tips of her toes barely touch the deck. So instantly she dropped her sword and clawed at the vise grip around her throat, but it was like trying to pry apart jail bars.
He pulled out his pistol and pointed it at her head. Jane thought for sure she was going to die. God! Was the only thing she could think, for she felt herself taken over with fright and her vision clouded with blackness.
“See ye in Davy Jones’ locker!” Tom had a grimaced look set on his face. His cornflower blue eyes glared at her, which could be beautiful if they weren’t so, angry and bitter looking.
Bigger black spots started appearing.
“Leave ‘er be!” said Lou, as Marty and Alex stared in horror and fear for Jane. They felt helpless that they couldn’t do anything.
Tom narrowed his eyes at Lou then at the person between his grip. He finally noticed the rare smoothness that was found only on women. She was a beauty, but he did not care. He said, “No. She killed my brother.”
“So?” a different authoritative voice said. “Drop the girl, Tom. The lass is not what we’re after. Today at least.”
Tom looked up to see his Captain Skullblade. Reluctantly though, he instantly let her drop and brought his pistol to his side. The boats, he noticed, were rocking more roughly than before the fight. The winds had picked up.
Air and life seemed to rush back into Jane, she had come so close to being totally gone, as she thudded roughly on the deck. She knelt on her hands and knees. Little Bosley, Alex and Marty then rushed to her side. “Are ye all right, lass?” asked he, kneeling awkwardly next to her. Jane clutched his arm for support and dragged at gulps of air, as she attempted to focus a glare on the dark-blond haired pirate. Her hand went to her neck in a protective gesture.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
“Marty, I am sending you and your cousins to London to stay there until you’ve learned your lesson,” said he without looking at her.
“What? No! Father, please!” Marty stood up abruptly.
“How could you have done this?” He met her eyes finally. “You knew full well that Addison’s position with the admiral is at an extremely delicate state! Any scandal, any mark upon his name could be fatal!”
Marty’s jaw tightened with rebellion, but she hastily exited and was met by her mother.
“You will be sent to join the court of our queen and stay there until your father has forgiven you,” said she.
Marty narrowed her eyes with a look of frustration and anger.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Sitting next to some of his men, including his friend Darby, Jacob was not mentally present with the conversation his fellows were having, rather he found himself daydreaming about Alex.
“Shh! Have ye heard the rumour mate?” asked a man from behind him.
“Which one? There’s never just one rumour, you bloke!” responded another man.
“The one about the dangerous treasure worth a man’s entire life earnings,” said the first man.
“What’s that? I ain’t heard of ‘dat one yet,” said the second man.
Jacob’s ears perked up. He could help his sister. He could save his sister from needing to rely on a creepy man to live.
“Aye, dat’s right,” said the first man.
“I don’t buh-lieve it!” exclaimed the second man. “Have you been sleepin’ with a gypsy?”
“No, no, no! It’s true and Skullblade aims to find it.”
“Skullblade?”
“Aye, that’s right. You better listen to me now.” The first man lowered his voice even more, Jacob carefully had to lean back to catch all of the words, as he whispered, “He says the map is on a teardrop shaped ruby necklace.”
“Aye, that’s right. You better listen to me now.” The first man lowered his voice even more, Jacob carefully had to lean back to catch all of the words, as he whispered, “He says the map is on a teardrop shaped ruby necklace.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After dancing with Lieutenant Derrick and then talking with him and Uncle Remmington, Alex made her way through the crowd to Marty and Jane.
Mr. Remmington noted Dunlevy’s gaze on the three. “You find her agreeable?” he asked.
“I do,” Derrick said without pulling his eyes away. “She is the most handsome creature my eyes have ever beheld.”
“Ah, yes.” Mr. Remmington narrowed his eyes, trying to decide to which of his nieces he was referring to. “Alexandra would make a fine wife, I’m sure.”
“Indeed she would.” Derrick still seemed in a trance with the girl across the room. He abruptly turned his gaze to Mr. Remmington. “But I was thinking of your other niece, sir.”
Mr. Remmington’s eyes lit up with surprise.
Derrick continued, “Yes, Miss Alexandra is handsome and would make a fine wife, but I feel more strongly for her sister.”
“So you choose Jane?”
“Yes. I daresay, I fancy myself in love with her.”
Mr. Remmington smiled. “Splendid! I am glad we have come to an accord. Now we just need Jane’s consent and that of her father, which I am sure will not be too hard to get.”
“Of course,” said Derrick.
“And I must regretfully remind you that her father and I have agreed that she can choose anyone who proposes to her by the end of August.”
“Yes, I remember.” Derrick had an unemotional look, as his eyes moved to stare at Jane, who was too engrossed in Marty and Alex to even notice.
Mr. Remmington continued, “And if you still find her agreeable, and she has not accepted anyone else’s hand, then she is all your’s.”
Derrick met Remmington’s eyes and with a curt nod, he said, “Thank you.”
Captain Skullblade (the best picture I could find of the captain in my head...)
Lord David Remmington (I thought he fit the description I had for him, though he's not exactly like I imagined but close enough!)
Keep writin', girlie!
ReplyDeleteHighly appreciated, mate! ;)
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