* * * *
Dulac searched the deck. He had become determined to find out the truth from Jesse. He wanted more than anything to know why the lad had betrayed him. After all, Dulac had offered to help him find his father, not to mention help in saving his neck from swinging from the gallows.
Bonny snuck up from behind and slipped her arms around his waist. She pressed her buxom bosom into his back and whispered in his ear. “Are you still in a mood?”
He managed to keep his shoulders from sagging. He had slipped away from her earlier on the bow of the ship with the pretense of relieving himself. His sail began to furl as her bosom rubbed against him, and he sighed in defeat. “No.”
She slipped her hand in his and pulled him back to the bow of the ship. He knew she was fond of playing games before the actual deed was done. She took special delight in playing those games in plain sight. Everyone knew what they were up to, but he had been so long without a woman he didn’t care. His body was pudding in her hands.
Bonny snuggled close to Dulac. A cloud covered the moon, covering the deck in darkness. He gave in to her teasing hands, despite the fact he knew she’d be trouble down the road.
* * * *
Jesse managed to avoid Dulac for two days. She knew she couldn’t run from him forever, but she did her best. Whenever she spied him bearing down on her, she would turn tail and run. She wanted to apologize but was too scared to face him. His large stature was intimidating to even the most manly of men.
At the moment, she was on her way back from the hold. Cook had sent food down to the guard, who had rewarded her with a coin. She stuck it in her pocket before entering the dark area. She had been too busy inspecting her treasure to notice the man blocking her path until she bumped into him. Startled, she took a step back, but he grabbed her by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall.
“What do you want?” she cried, unable to see his face. Fear laced her words.
“To know why you kept me from that ship,” Dulac whispered.
Instantly, Jesse relaxed. She tried to push past him, but he shoved her back against the wall. Pain shot through her shoulder blades, and she had a flashback to when he had pushed her against the wall at LeBlanc’s plantation.
He wouldn’t have done that if he had known you were a woman.
“Just answer the question, and I’ll never talk to you again.”
Stunned, she tried to make out his features. Shadows clung to Dulac’s face like water against a ship’s hull. Her blood pounded in her ears. It was now or never.
“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “Please don’t hate me.”
“I don’t appreciate being stabbed in the back.” He struggled to keep his voice low. “Just tell me why.”
She bit her lower lip before taking the plunge. “I was afraid, awright? Ya happy now?”
“Afraid of what?”
She leaned closer. “Of hanging, what else? You’re a pirate hunter, or have you forgotten that?”
“I already told ya I’d not let that happen.”
“I’m sorry,” she snapped. “How many times do I have to say it?”
“As many times as I have to tell you I’d watch over you, boy.” Dulac stepped back from her, and silence hung over them. “All ye had to say was you didn’t want to go.”
“But, I still want to find my father.”
And I didn’t want to be without you.
Her thoughts hung on her tongue, and she almost bit through her lower lip to keep from uttering them. He would most definitely run if he thought she really liked him that way. She cursed the day she became a pirate.
Dulac placed his hands on his hips and hung his head. Then he sighed and held out his hand. “Apology accepted. You keep my secret, and I’ll keep you from hanging and find your father as well.”
The burden on her heart lifted as she took his hand. She shook it as firmly as she could. “Thank you.”
* * * *
Jesse took a bite of a pickle and crunched it noisily. She was at the stern of the ship and leaned against the rail. She idly watched the bubbles the ship made in its wake.
All was right in her world at the moment. She couldn’t believe how much lighter her shoulders felt after talking to Dulac. The weight had been heavy, and she took a deep breath, grateful her chest no longer felt constrained.
“Hey, sailor.”
Jesse turned her head, and for some reason, her heart sunk to her stomach. Bonny smiled sweetly at her. Bonny reminded her of a barracuda circling its prey. Her presence did not bode well.
“Hey.”
Jesse turned back toward the water, and Bonny joined her at the rail. “Mind if I ask you a question?”
Jesse shrugged. “Free ship. Do I have to answer?”
Bonny gave a short, throaty laugh. “Only if you want the ship to remain free...for you anyway.”
Jesse slowly turned her head to the right and raised her left eyebrow. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Bonny casually turned around and surveyed the area in an obvious effort to make sure they were alone. Then the buxom blonde leaned her elbows on the rail and looked directly at Jesse. “I know.”
Jesse narrowed her eyes. “Know what?”
“That you’re a Mary.”
Jesse kept her face blank and just stared at her, daring the woman to go further. She wasn’t disappointed.
“That you prefer peters,” Bonny added.
She couldn’t help but smile. If the woman only knew the whole truth of the matter, they wouldn’t be having this conversation. Her guard instantly dropped, and she wondered what the vixen wanted in exchange for her continued secrecy. “Bully for you.”
“I’m going to keep your secret,” Bonny continued. “And I won’t even ask you for anything to keep it.”
Jesse gave a shocked but wary nod. “Thanks.”
“But for Dulac’s secret, I must insist you jump ship at the next port.”
Uh-oh. She tried to play dumb. “Dulac has a secret?”
“Acknowledge the corn, boy. I heard your little conversation in the dark. So he’s pirate hunter, eh?”
Jesse tried her best not to instantly bolt upright. Instead, she slowly straightened up and stood nose to nose with her nemesis. “No use denying it, right?”
Blond ringlets bounced as Bonny shook her head negatively. “Nope.”
Her heart hurt as she thought of being parted from Dulac, but she couldn’t risk exposing him to a lot of pirates. They’d kill him for sure. She stepped back and pushed her response through unwilling lips. “Fine, I’ll jump ship, but why are you so worried about me?”
Bonny frowned, and Jesse could tell she was unwilling to part with the next bit of information. “Because your name has slipped from his lips once or twice during our most intimate conversations.”
Chapter 15
June 13, 1900, mid-morning
St. Thomas, Virgin Islands
Port of Charlotte Amalie, capital of St. Thomas
Jesse stood at the rail and looked over the port. Charlotte Amalie used to be one of the major shipping ports, but in 1896, a hurricane destroyed much of the town. It would be a long time before things returned to normal, if at all.
Captain Jim had said that everybody had to be back on board by the morning tide. Almost everyone was waiting to get off the ship. Jesse knew most wanted to find drink and women. She just wanted to find a place to hide on the ship. She had to find a way to warn Dulac about Bonny. She didn’t trust the vixen.
“Aren’t you anxious to get on dry land?”
Jesse closed her eyes briefly at the voice of her nemesis. She turned her head to the right and looked into Bonny’s venomous eyes. “No need to rush, now, is there?”
Bonny leaned over the railing and watched the other pirates practically pushing each other down the plank. “No, I guess you’ll be gone soon enough. How ‘bout I keep you company until the plank is clear?
Jesse shrugged and looked back at the town. “Sui
t yerself.”
Minutes ticked by with nary a word spoken. Then Jesse asked, “Have you seen Dulac? I’d at least like to tell him I’m leaving.”
“Oh, no, I think he’s already off the ship.” Bonny placed a hand over her eyes and leaned over the rail. “In fact, isn’t that him?”
Jesse strained to see who she was pointing at, but the crowd was too thick. Disappointment sat on her shoulders like a weight. “I dunno. Maybe I’ll run in to him in town.”
“Maybe you will,” Bonny agreed. “And then again, maybe you won’t. If you do see him, make sure you don’t tell him the real reason why you’re not returning. I’d hate to have to tell his secret.”
Jesse glared at the vixen. “Yeah. Don’t worry about that. I won’t.”
Bonny pointed at the plank. “Well, time for you to go, laddy. See ya around.”
“Aren’t you going ashore?”
“In a bit. I’ve got some chores to do afore I can go.”
Jesse didn’t believe her, and she hesitated before making her way off the ship. Once on the dock, she took one last look. Bonny waved cheerfully at her, then crossed her arms and waited for her to leave.
So ’tis like that, eh? The buxom bitch is going to make sure I don’t sneak back onboard.
Jesse sighed and turned on her heel. She shook the change in her pocket. Bonny had even given her some coins to help her on her way but taking the loot had only made her feel worse. Perhaps some food and a soda pop would make her feel better.
Jesse took a left on Veterans Drive and headed toward the taverns. She admired the turquoise water as she looked one more time at their ship. She wondered if Bonny still stood guard. She had to find another ship, hopefully one heading for New Orleans. She pushed troublesome thoughts away. The day was too beautiful to waste.
She had been here before with her first captain. He had told her that Charlotte Amalie was named after the Denmark Queen in 1692. Blackbeard had made his home there among the seventeenth century Danish architecture. It had been a pirate haven back when pirates ran rampant.
Jesse bought an apple from one of the many vendors lining the street. Juice ran down her chin as she thought about today’s pirates. There weren’t many anymore, and those that were stayed mostly in the Orient and Mediterranean Sea. In fact, she had heard Captain Jim say that it was time to head somewhere safe. The waters were too heavily populated with the Lifesaving Service, and it was too risky to continue in the area. So she figured it was best to give up the life and seek service aboard an honest ship. She had no desire to stray far from America.
She passed up several taverns before selecting one. Her stomach actually picked it as a whiff of food reached out from the open door. Jesse entered the smoke-filled den of iniquity, knowing her father and her deceased captain would not approve. A girl had to eat, and she had to find another ship.
Jesse managed to find a small, empty table in a low-lit corner. The tavern wench was curvaceous but not very pretty. The woman made an attempt to flirt with her, but Jesse pulled out her huge knife and set it on the table. The wench got the hint and left her alone except to bring her drink and food.
Jesse searched the room for Dulac. She’d looked on her way here as well but had found nary a sign of him. He must have ducked into the first tavern he saw. It was just as well. She wasn’t very good at farewells.
Three pirates from Captain Jim’s ship took a table next to her. Thankfully, they took no notice of her. Out of boredom, she listened to their conversation, but after one or two lewd remarks about bedding lusty wenches, she decided to tune them out. However, the next sentence made her sit straight up in her chair.
“Dulac is getting what he deserves.” This from a man with more pockmarks on his face than a centipede had legs.
“Dirty rotten pirate hunter. Can’t believe I shared a bottle of rum w’ the likes o’ him,” grumbled one with stringy, black hair. She had avoided this man like he was a shark. She had a feeling he liked his gender a little too well.
“His fate’ll be determined in the morn, mates. Surely Captain Jim will let us have our court once we get out to sea.” This pirate had his back to her, so she couldn’t see who it was.
Jesse’s first instinct was to bolt back to the ship, but she forced her rump to stay seated. Bonny would certainly be guarding the deck. It was no wonder the vixen wanted her gone so badly.
She made quick work of emptying the plate of hot, steaming venison. She had to find a way back onboard, and she knew Zach would help her. All she had to do was find where the scamp had run off to.
* * * *
When the Hell am I going to learn?
Dulac buried his head in his hands before raking them furiously through his hair. Now both eyes were twitching, but he knew his impending death at the hands of pirates was the cause for that. He clamped his eyelids shut and bit down hard on his lower lip. The sharp pain seemed to ease the twitching in his right eye.
I can’t believe I allowed myself to trust that...that...Nancy-boy again. And Bonny...definitely the trickiest, most conniving whore I’ve ever met. I knew I should never have lain with her. I am such an idiot.
Dulac growled in frustration and jumped to his feet in aggravation. Once more, he inspected the bars on his cell for any loose ones before slamming his fist against them. He paced the cage, feeling like one of those lions he had seen at the World’s Fair in New Orleans in 1885. He’d only been six, but the image of the massive, blonde beast growling and snarling still lived vibrantly in his head. He felt like attacking the bars like the lion had done but knew it would do no good.
Reluctantly, he sank to his knees beside the cot and bowed his head in prayer. He was a Christian, but it’d been too long since he had talked to God. He didn’t know where to begin. The Lord’s Prayer fell from his lips as his Lutheran upbringing rose from the depths of his soul.
The next hour he spent repenting of his sins and preparing himself as best as possible for the afterlife. He hoped Heaven would open its gates for one such as him and wanted to cry at the thought of his mother suffering his demise. She would never know what happened to him, but he would make her proud nonetheless. He would not go sniveling to the grave and kept his head bent in fevered prayer for God’s strength.
* * * *
Jesse tread water beside The Mary C. Bones. It was well past midnight and fog had crept over the bay. She knew better than to try and hold on to the side of the ship. The barnacles covering it would have cut her hands to shreds. So she prayed for Zach to hurry up.
The last time she had snuck onto a ship was when she had met Dulac. A lifetime ago. She found it amazing how much things could change in a month’s time. Jesse wondered why she was so concerned about his fate.
She recalled the first time she had seen Dulac’s face. Just the sight of it had stirred something in her soul, not to mention how it had awakened something else she couldn’t quite name.
There was a soft thunk above her head, and Jesse looked to see a rope ladder swinging against the ship. Her heart gave a triumphant jump.
Ha. Whatcha think of that, Bonny?
She made quick time of climbing up and immediately crouched down beside Zach. “Thanks.”
“Shh.”
He looked around, nervous as a fish out of water. He motioned for her to follow him. They kept to the shadows, but instead of going down the main stairway, he led her to the empty galley. He pulled her close to whisper in her ear.
“Cap’n had a secret hatch built for escape purposes.”
Zach stepped back and opened one of the cabinet doors. Jesse crouched down to see there were no shelves. It was just an empty cabinet. She glanced uncertainly at her friend as something akin to foreboding raced up her spine. She had no time to question as the sound of the guard approaching had her scrambling into to hide in the cramped area. With room for only one, Zach crouched beside the opening and silently pointed to the pulley system.
Ah, it’s a dumbwaiter.
She r
ecalled the one her mother and father had and how fun it had been to ride up and down in it. Zach softly shut the door, and she used the pulley to go down. It was well oiled, and she descended in silence. She hit the bottom with a soft plunk. It was still dark, but air rushed in, indicating that there was nothing in front of her. Tentatively, she stretched out her legs and hung them over the ledge. Her feet touched the floor, and she extricated herself from the human dumbwaiter. She looked left, then right.
Okay, where am I?
She realized she was in the black out area. Lanterns weren’t used due to the gun powder room, but now she knew there was another, well-hidden reason.
The light dimmed to her right as a figure entered the passage. She pressed against the wall, hoping to blend with the dark. Her heart pounded in fear as the person approached.
“Jesse.”
The call of her name was so faint she almost didn’t hear it. Relief washed over her like a receding wave. “Zach.”
She reached out and grabbed his outstretched arm, pulling him to her. Their bodies collided, but he didn’t jump away like a frightened rabbit. In fact, he leaned close and whispered in her ear, “Follow me.”
As she did, she compared the differences between Dulac and Zach. Where the younger man lacked in confidence, the older made up for it tenfold. The physical differences were quite obvious as well. Jesse almost stopped as it occurred to her that perhaps she was in love with Dulac, hence her strong feelings for him. As she’d never been in love before, she had nothing to compare it to. All she knew was it killed her heart to think of never seeing him again.
She shook her head and scoffed at the idea. She merely helped him as he’d done for her. That was all. Nothing more. He was too mean to love. That’s what she told herself, anyway.
Jolly Jim did not believe in the selling of slaves, but there was an area at the very bottom of the ship to hold prisoners. Thus, Zach and Jesse made their way down another set of stairs. She prayed the entire time they didn’t run into anybody. They were fortunate, until they stepped from the stairway into the open hallway. Then they came face to face with the very person they were avoiding.
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