Corsets & Crossbones

by Heather C. Myers

  The noise made both men awaken.

  “Good morning, Thomas,” Charlie greeted, a hint of darkness in his low tone.

  “Colt?” the man named Thomas asked with surprise.

  It was then that both men realized their lives were at risk. Brooke held her cutlass so the point caressed the other man’s, Robert’s, throat.

  “What do you want?” Robert asked, eyeing the blade with worry.

  “Your help,” Charlie said slowly.

  Lord Sutherland did not like to awaken to bad news. In fact, he hated it. But Thomas and Robert both knew they had no choice in the matter. Robert hesitated before he knocked on Sutherland’s bedroom door. Lord Sutherland was currently staying at Governor Radcliffe’s mansion until Brooke was found once again.

  “Come in,” a low voice growled inside.

  The two men looked at each other, and then made their way inside, shutting the door behind themselves. Lord Sutherland narrowed his blue eyes suspiciously at the two of them as they entered his room.

  “Why are you two not at your post?” he asked them.

  “It’s Colt, sir,” Robert said when he realized Thomas was not going to respond. “He’s seized the ship and taken it for himself!”

  “There is only one of him and two of you,” Sutherland drawled as he sat up. He was fully awake now. “How could he possibly seize the ship by himself?”

  “He wasn’t by himself,” Thomas replied. “He had a girl with him.”

  “She had a cutlass to my throat,” Robert cut in. “And Colt was pointing a pistol at Thomas.”

  “They made us help lift anchor and help them set sail,” Thomas said. “In return, they spared us their boat back to sail in.”

  “How thoughtful,” Sutherland spat sarcastically, whipping off his blankets and getting out of bed. “I would rather see you two dead than have that pirate in command of my ship. Wake the men. Hopefully you did not give them too much of a head start!”

  Either Colt had Brooke under some sort of spell or Brooke actually had befriended this pirate. Whatever the situation, it did not matter. He would dispose of the girl when he could. The only thing that mattered to him was one item from her dowry; an ancient treasure map. If he could persuade her father into giving him the dowry without being legally married, then he did not care if Brooke came back here not. In fact, he may even send her to the gallows along with her pirate companion, to die by mere association with a pirate.

  --

  Brooke watched as Charlie hesitated before taking the wheel in his hands. His hands seemed to fit naturally on the rudders of the wheel, and once he held the wheel for a moment, he seemed to be more confident with himself.

  Before they had set sail, Charlie had taken it upon himself to smear charcoal around his eyes.

  “Would you like some, doll?” he had asked her, offering her some of the charcoal.

  “I do not know how to put it on,” she said, peering suspiciously at Charlie’s darkened, opened palm.

  “Here, let me do it,” he said, taking the coal between his finger and thumb.

  Charlie leaned over Brooke’s face and she closed her eyes. The feeling was rather odd as she felt him rub the coal on her eyes. It had a damp sort of feeling, like a quill that had just been dipped in ink. When Charlie was finished, he pulled his head back and peered at her. Slowly, she opened her eyes, and when she did, his heart skipped a beat. Her eyes were incredibly brought out by the shade around them; the green was much more noticeable, and he could not help but stare into them for a long moment. He had never seen eyes quite like hers before.

  Brooke chewed her bottom lip subconsciously as she watched him look at her. Did he see something he did not like? When he finally took a step back and told her he was going to take the wheel, she felt herself release a breath she did not realize she had been holding. Her eyes followed him, and she watched him as he began to direct the ship in the direction they were going to go. He was incredibly handsome, she realized. Of course she always knew he was, but she seemed to feel that now. In fact, he was much more handsome than any gentleman she had been introduced to. She liked that he looked rugged, gritty; that he looked tough and capable. That was incredibly attractive. She sighed and glanced up at the sky as her heart thundered in her ears. Something was changing inside of her, and Brooke had a deep suspicion it had to do with the pirate before her.

  --

  “Where are we going?” Brooke asked Charlie after a few hours on the open sea. She had been keeping an eye out behind their ship, making sure she could not make out any other ships following them.

  “Torro,” Charlie said, keeping his hands on the wheel, and his eyes on the horizon before him. “We need to get ourselves a crew and stock up before we search for the treasure.”

  “We really are going to look for it?” Brooke asked with a smile.

  Charlie nodded. “Of course,” he said.

  A frown eased its way on Brooke’s face, and she walked over to Charlie so she stood a couple feet from the helm.

  “What, exactly, is Torro?” she asked, knitting her brows together. She was holding her hands behind her back, and standing straight; she did not know if the question would make her sound unintelligent, so she was a bit flustered asking it.

  Charlie finally looked at Brooke, his eyes widened and his mouth slightly agape.

  “You’re telling me you’ve never heard of Torro?” he asked her. When she shook her head, he grinned so his gold teeth sparkled in the sunlight. “It’s a pirate haven,” he began. “They have the best rum in the Caribbean. Torro is the most unpredictable town that I have been to, and I have been all over the world, pet. Men come for all sorts of things; drinks and the whores and the supplies. Men and women come to Torro to start a new, adventurous life. It can be great for people who choose to live there… but for people who were born there, it’s not as grand.”

  “How so?” she asked him curiously.

  “Once you’re born in Torro, there’s no escaping it,” Charlie replied. “Well, for one, you’re too poor to leave. Lads usually end up staying around drinking all day, becoming thieves, or pirates. Lasses have the option of being either whores or barmaids. Some stow away onto ships, hoping they’ll never be found. You see, if you were never born in Torro, you can leave with no worries; you always have somewhere to return to. But if you were born in Torro, you simply can’t leave…”

  Brooke sighed, letting all that Charlie said sink in. From what she understood, Torro was an amazing, unpredictable place where anything was bound to happen and usually did. But to anyone who lived there, it was like a prison one could not escape… and even if they could, there would always be a Torron hold on them.

  Charlie glanced at her and saw the pensive look on her face.

  “Don’t worry about it,” Charlie said, standing up straight and smiling slightly. “You were not born in Torro and should not carry the burden for those who were.”

  “Were you born in Torro?” she asked Charlie quietly, walking over to the railing of the ship and leaning on it. She looked at the pirate captain as though she was studying a piece of art, trying to figure out the meaning behind its creation.

  Charlie shook his head. “I was not,” he said after a moment. “I was actually born in England to Michael and Elizabeth Elliott.”

  “Elliot?” Brooke asked, furrowing her brows. “I know that name…” She looked up at Charlie with awe. “The same Elliotts who belonged to the King’s Court?”

  “The very same,” Charlie said with a smile. “I was raised in the Court, knew the Court lifestyle. I was educated by the same tutors who taught princes and princesses, you know. Many people do not expect that; a pirate who can read, write, and do calculations.”

  “You also speak very well,” Brooke told him genuinely.

  “Thank you, darling,” Charlie said, appreciative of the compliment.

  “What happened then?” Brooke asked him. “Why are you where you are now and not married to a wife back in
the Court of England?”

  “I knew Sutherland as David back then,” Charlie said with a smile of remembrance. “This was before he was a captain or a lieutenant or a lord; he was just a sailor when I met him. Very fond of the women at court, if I do say so myself. He and I got along very well, surprising as it may seem, and we both offered our services to the East India Company. David was as fond of power as he was of women, and soon he became promoted. I ended up being a captain of a ship, the Midnight Sea I called her, and would go around trading with different merchants and farmers. When I was twenty-three and was in service for six years, Sutherland was promoted to Lord, in charge of the entire Company’s fleet. He was thirty then. Because of our prior friendship, he always let me get away with things, but he also knew I was good at my job.” Charlie smirked. “You can ask your father for proof of that.”

  “And then he promoted you, and yet you rejected it,” Brooke finished. “And now you are here.” She paused, deep in thought, and then asked, “Are your parents still alive?”

  “No, they’ve passed on,” Charlie said after a moment. “My father died out at sea, and my mother died of grief.”

  “I am sorry to hear that,” Brooke said sincerely.

  Charlie shrugged. “It’s been a while, darling,” he told her.

  “When did you change your name?” Brooke asked after a moment. “You changed it even before you turned pirate because I remember you as Charlie Colt, not Charlie Elliot.”

  “I changed it right before I went into the service,” Charlie replied. “My parents were rather wealthy and had power; I did not want to get special treatment because of who my parents were.” He tilted his head slightly as a gentle sea breeze coursed through his hair. “Sutherland kept his name, and used it to influence. That was why he was promoted so quickly.”

  Brooke smiled brilliantly at him. “I know I have told you this already, Charlie, but you are a very noble person,” she said. “I am honored to know you.”

  Charlie looked at Brooke for a long moment, not quite sure what to make of her words, exactly. He was quite flattered at them, and her sincerity touched him. No one had ever been as genuine, or candid with him before.

  “I feel the same way about you, love,” he told her honestly.

  “Thank you,” she said with a shy smile. She chewed her lip, then, as she played with her fingernails. Finally, she looked up at Charlie, and said, “Sutherland knows about the map, Charlie.”

  Charlie’s eyes snapped into hers. “What?” he asked. “How?”

  Brooke shrugged. “I do not know,” she told him. “My father was speaking to me about my dowry and the contents in it. Apparently the map was part of the deal.” She paused, still nibbling on her bottom lip gently. “I think that is why he was so quick to make the deal with me to release you in exchange for my hand.”

  “That is not good,” Charlie commented. “If he knows about the map…” He let his voice trail on as a thought came to him. “…then other people know your father had the map.” He looked at Brooke. “I believe the attack on Port Royal also had to do with the map.”

  “Why?” Brooke asked, horrified at the thought. “Why would someone destroy a town for one piece of paper?”

  “I do not think you fully understand the value of said piece of paper,” Charlie said seriously. “This is a treasure that has not been found for two centuries, love. And we are in possession of the map, which means we are, or will be, followed by not only Lord Sutherland and his crew, but Captain Diablette and hers.”

  “Who is… Captain Diablette?” Brooke asked.

  “An old acquaintance from my early piratical years,” Charlie explained. Although his voice sounded nonchalant, his eyes darkened drastically. “She and her crew may seem like mere women, but they are incredibly dangerous. Both Sutherland and Diablette will not hesitate to kill anyone who stands in their way of attaining the map.”

  Brooke let the implications of his words sink in silently. There was no turning back now.

  “It’s us against the world, darling,” Charlie said, voicing her thoughts aloud.

  Brooke nodded silently, and turned to stare out at the sea.

  --

  When Charlie made out the small island, his eyes shimmered with excitement and he smiled. He glanced at Brooke and could see the excitement reflecting in her eyes as well. Within an hour, they docked the ship in a secluded place where Charlie knew incoming ships would not see the Lady. Charlie came over to Brooke, grinning like a madman and she could probably guess why. He was about to get the best rum in the Caribbean, load up on supplies and see the colorful whores all in one night.

  “Now,” he said, throwing his arm around the young woman and turned them so they were facing the island. “You will stay as close to me as you possibly can, love. Torro may look exciting and whatnot, but drunks like to grope at anything moving… especially one as young and as pretty as you.”

  Brooke blushed and nodded in response, following him off the ship and into the wooden boat. Charlie followed her, and the two made their way to the island. They docked the boat at the deserted dock; it seemed as though no one used this dock anymore because of its inaccessible and inconvenient location. It creaked and felt slightly unstable but it held Brooke’s weight, and soon, she was on the streets.

  Charlie was right about everything he said about Torro. First, whores of all different shapes, sizes, and color dressed in the brightest possible reds, yellows, greens, and blues decorated the streets, with too much powder on the face and rogue on their lips. Brooke almost felt sorry for some because it was almost like they had no other choice but to go into this business. Drunken men chased after them, their eyes glazed over, a half-full bottle of alcohol in their hands and a goofy smile upon their face. She scrunched her nose in disgust, and glanced down. She wasn’t wearing anything revealing, just relatively tight, so although people could not see her bare flesh, they knew she had some curves.

  “Where are we going?” Brooke asked once the two were on their way.

  “That seems to be a question you ask a lot,” Charlie murmured flatly, giving her a sideways look. “But, to answer your question, I am going to introduce you to the best pub on this whole island; the Skull and Crossbones.” His chocolate eyes filled with excitement. “However, along the way, I am going to show you the heaven that is Torro!”

  Charlie threw an arm around Brooke and led her through the streets. He pointed out the best bars and the worst bars, for both rum and whores. He pointed out where one should buy items and where one should stay away from. Brooke almost laughed at Charlie’s anticipating face, the way his words slurred together because he was so eager. She also noticed the two of them were attracting looks from both men and women. It seemed Charlie was very popular with the ladies, and Brooke, being the newest damsel on his arm, did not please them at all. Also, the men looked at her like a stray dog looked at a chunk of meat. They seemed awed, intrigued, drunk and horny all at the same time, and she felt quite uneasy. Brooke glanced at Charlie, who seemed to be chatting away, not noticing his audience, so she followed his lead, thankful for his protective arm around her shoulder.

  Once they entered the bar, Charlie began introducing Brooke to men left and right so fast that Brooke had trouble matching the names to the faces. It was very homely, where everybody seemed to know everybody. The barmaids all had on old but revealing dresses, and the customers were all pirates. Whores also decorated the inside of Skulls and Crossbones, hoping to have a successful night with a pirate. To Brooke, it seemed entertaining and mystical, almost as if it was an opera while she was an audience member. Suddenly, she felt a hand groping her rear. Brooke turned, staring at an old, greasy man with a slimy smile on his dirty face. She shot him a look that she had hoped would be menacing, but he just laughed and squeezed her.

  “’ello, lass,” he said in a low, gruff voice. “And why would a thing like you be in a place like this?”

  “Why would a thing like you think you could g
et away with touching me?” she snapped. Her heart beat with fear, but her pride overrode it. No one got away with touching her like she was a piece of meat.

  “A spitfire you be,” he said, his dark eyes dancing with amusement. “I like tha’…”

  “Well, I do not like you,” she shot back. “Now get your hand off of me before I cut it off.”

  The man’s eyes darkened and his hand released her rear and grabbed onto her wrist, his long nails seeping into your bare skin. Brooke’s eyes widened in pain but she bit her lip to keep her from screaming. He tugged on her, but something tugged her back, making the man release her and the other to wrap a protective arm around her waist.

  Brooke glanced up and could make out Charlie’s sharp profile through the musky light. His face was rigid and stern, the mischievous spark in his eyes washed away by the darkness of his nearly-back eyes. His arm gripped her waist almost territorially, like a dog protecting his bone. The look on his face would make any man think twice before doing something stupid. The man looked utterly scared as he noticed the infamous pirate captain.

  “Charlie… Colt?” the man asked, his lips quivering.

  “That’s actually Captain Charlie Colt to you, and this lass is mine… ay?” Charlie replied, his voice cold. The man nodded, then quickly turned and ran off. Charlie then looked at Brooke, his face becoming bright but his eyes were still dark. “I told you to stay close,” he snapped, a bit harsher than he originally intended to.

  Brooke shot her eyes to the ceiling, but smiled at Charlie’s over protectiveness. “My hero,” she quipped dryly. “Who knows what would have happened if you had not shown up?”

  Charlie rolled his eyes as well, and put his hands on her shoulders, stepping behind her. He led her to the back of the bar where his usual spot was. Brooke took a seat, and almost immediately after Charlie sat down across from her, whores started to make their way over to the table. Brooke had never seen anything like this happen before, and as they took seats next to Charlie, she could not help but feel slightly jealous. They were touching him and whispering to him while she was alone, allowed to merely watch the scene across from her.