“On what charges?!” Brooke exclaimed, outraged as Charlie was pulled from her and his arms were pulled behind his back.
“Impersonating a member of the Royal Court,” Master Cunningham replied, looking at his daughter. “You were going to marry Charlie Colt? That pirate? I am so disappointed in you, Brooke. What would your mother say?”
“She would be happy that I have found someone that I love,” Brooke snapped, her vision being blurred with tears as she looked at her friend. “You told, Fiona? I trusted you, and you told?”
“It was a good thing she did,” her father said before Fiona could reply. “If you had married that scum, the family name would be tarnished.”
“You cannot do this,” Brooke said, blinking back the tears.
“It is already done,” Master Cunningham said, his voice emotionless. “He will be staying in the town jail tonight, and has a scheduled hanging tomorrow.” He glanced back at the guards. “Take him away.”
“No!” Brooke exclaimed. She reached to keep Charlie standing next to her, but her father grabbed her, preventing her from doing so. Her tears fell freely now as she saw Charlie being taken away from her. They had already been separated once; there was no way she would be able to survive without him again.
Charlie looked at Brooke sadly, hoping to give her a reassuring look, and mouthed the words ‘I love you’ to her. She stopped struggling, just watching him being taken away. Her face had reddened from her frustration, but she managed to return the words to him. She would not take her eyes off of him as he was led down toward town, away from her. When he was out of her sight, she jerked away from her father and proceeded to head in the direction of her house. Charlie would not be going to the gallows on her watch; she would do whatever it took to save him, even if it meant standing right next to him on the gallows herself.
“Brooke, we have a carriage to take us back home!” her father called after her.
“I would rather walk,” she replied throatily, not even bothering to turn around.
Once she got home, she had Liz fetch her a hot bath, and then stayed up in her room for the rest of the night. She would not be swayed by her rumbling stomach to eat dinner with her father after what she went through. When the grandfather clock in her room struck eleven, Brooke crawled out of her bed and walked over to her wardrobe. She had thought of a plan to rescue Charlie on the way home, and was hoping, praying that it would work. After opening her wardrobe, her eyes scanned her dresses for the most revealing dress she could find and slipped it on. Somehow, she managed to tie the corset as tightly as she could muster, although the lace was crooked and awkward. When she finished, she pinned her hair to the top of head, and then walked over to desk where all the powder and rogue and any other makeup one might want to use was. She sighed as she stared at the powder, and then reminded herself that this was for Charlie. After about three quarters of an hour, she was fully made up to look like a woman of the night.
Brooke slipped into incredibly high heels, grimacing at the pain they initially caused her. She practiced walking in them as she quickly could, and then made her way over to her opened window. She hesitated, unsure if her balance was up to par due to the unfamiliar footwear she currently had on her feet. She shook her head, reminding herself that Charlie’s life was at stake, and then walked onto her balcony. She climbed as carefully as she could on the ledge, and then, aiming for a thick branch, jumped over to the tree. Her hands encircled the trunk of the tree, disbelieving the fact that she had made it, and then continued to descend.
Once her feet were firmly on the ground, she quietly snuck off of her father’s grounds and headed into town.
Forty-five minutes later, she could already feel three blisters on her feet. Her muscles ached because had tripped a couple of times, but by the time she reached town, she had gotten somewhat used to the shoes. She breathed in and out, trying to calm herself. She was not used to being blatantly sexual, and was afraid she might be recognized. She just hoped the powder fully masked her face.
After her heart beat returned to its normal speed, she proceeded to walk down the stairs that led to the underground jail. Her heels echoed throughout the hall, and when she reached the foot of the stairs, she took in her surroundings. Cells were on either side of her, and a desk was further down the hall. The prisoners began whistling as she walked down the hall. Again, she hoped that the powder covered her blush. Her eyes tried to scan the cells without meeting any of the men’s eyes, in search of Charlie. Finally, she found him. He was looking at her with an odd look on his face, but he was not participating in the whistling or catcalls.
He doesn’t recognize me, Brooke realized.
“Aren’t you a little far from the streets, missy?” a man at the desk asked, looking up and down Brooke’s body appreciatively.
“Actually,” Brooke said, hoping to steady her voice. “I heard there was a lonely man here who was in need of good company.”
Almost simultaneously, Charlie and the man’s brow rose at the same time. Charlie had recognized her voice, while the man had recognized her insinuation. The man smiled as he got up, and swaggered over to her.
“Well, I could use some company,” he said, standing close to her. She leaned her back on Charlie’s cage, smiling up at the man provocatively. Charlie glared daggers at the man, his breathing deepened, and his nostrils flared.
The man leaned down and captured Brooke’s lips with his, and the catcalls and whistles deepened. Charlie was too shocked for words. Was Brooke over him? Was she showing him that she moved on? He watched as her arms encircled his waist, and was about to holler something when he saw her arm wrap around her back. A key was between her fingers. She was rescuing him! Charlie took the key from her fingers, letting his fingers graze hers tenderly for a moment, before shoving the key in his pocket.
Brooke broke the kiss quickly, and said coyly, “My, my. I think you should show me that private room back there.” Before the man could respond, Brooke walked around him, and moved her hips sensually as she made her way over to the room. The man wasted no time following her.
As quickly as he could, Charlie pulled the key out of his pocket and reached through the bars, unlocking his cage. He hoped that Brooke was doing no more kissing as he stepped out, and then headed up the stairs and out into the night. He pressed up against a building, hoping for the night’s secure camouflage as he waited for Brooke.
After a very long moment of the man, Hector, she found out, explaining the use of handcuffs, he leaned forward to try and kiss her once again. She tilted her head so that he missed, and she slapped his face.
“What kind of girl do you think I am?!” she exclaimed, and sauntered out of the jail, trying to hide an amused smile from her face.
When she made it outside, Charlie grabbed her wrist tightly, and turned her around so that her back hit the building wall. Before she could say anything, he pressed his lips onto hers, kissing her passionately. Her arms reached up and pulled him closer to her, deepening the kiss as she did so. After a moment, the two had to break for air, each of them breathing raggedly.
“Have I… ever told you… you’re brilliant?” Charlie asked, leaning his forehead on hers.
“Not recently, no,” Brooke said with a smile.
Charlie grinned, kissing her chastely on the lips before looking at her with bright eyes.
“I miss your freckles,” he said softly, his fingers caressing her cheek. His lips curled into a smirk. “Although I have to say that I love your dress. Why haven’t you worn this around me before?”
Brooke rolled her eyes. “C’mon Charlie, we have to leave,” she told him.
Charlie stopped her as his face turned serious.
“You realize you can never come back?” he asked her lowly. “You are a pirate now, Brooke. You realize you are losing everything?” He wanted to make sure she was absolutely sure that she wanted to leave, because if she did, there would be no going back.
“Yet I am gaining ev
erything,” she said, looking up at him with a tender smile. She squeezed his hand. “Come now, we must leave before they realize you are gone.”
“I’m sure Kenneth will be missing me,” Charlie murmured as the two began to quietly and quickly make their way through the streets of Port Royal, and back to the docks.
Epilogue
Captain Charlie Colt had never been more nervous in his life. He was currently wearing a silk white tunic, nice black breeches, and a matching black jacket over his tunic. New boots were on his feet, and while his hair was still disheveled, he had shaved. He kept shifting his weight from his left foot to his right foot. His hands were wrapped tightly behind his back, trying to hold on together for dear life. If they weren’t locked together, he would be moving them incessantly, which would just further his nervousness. Charlie was standing by the helm, staring down his ship anxiously. His crew had filled out two sides, all dressed as nicely as they could, making an aisle down the center. Noah and Nora sat in the front row, both with knowing smiles on their faces. Po sat off to the side, a harp between his legs. He was playing calming music while everyone waited. To top it off, Father Barbarey was standing directly in front of the helm, a Bible in his hands.
The island of New Providence was not far off, and row boats were already set up to take the guests to the island once the ceremony was over. The sun was slowly making its way down the sky, leaving a trail of colors behind it. Already, the moon was out, as were a couple of stars, despite the blueness of the sky. The ocean rocked the newly-purchased ship only slightly; it was a perfect June day for a wedding.
The song Po was playing abruptly stopped, and he switched his pace to the famous wedding march. The guests stood, all looking down the aisle, waiting for the bride to make her appearance. Nora was the only person to keep her eyes on her nephew because she wanted to see Charlie’s reaction to his bride. Charlie’s heart pounded quickly and hard, and he brought his hands around to wipe the perspiration on his pants. He licked his lips, his dark eyes staring in front of him, waiting for her arrival with as much patience as he could muster.
Charlie had never been one for marriage until he met Brooke. There was something that had fascinated him about her, and after their first meeting, he could not get her out of his mind. They had made an irrevocable connection, a bond that could never be broken. It was the first time he had wanted to settle down, the first time he wanted to spend the rest of his life with someone. She did not threaten his freedom, nor did she try and change him. He trusted her, he respected her; he felt compassion and desire for her. It was also an added bonus that she was beautiful to him. All the flaws that people saw in her he came to adore, especially her freckles. While there weren’t many, just those that decorated her cheeks, they had darkened in the sunlight. He accepted Brooke for exactly what she was, and loved her because of it. He was excited to make their relationship official, despite the abrupt change in scenery.
After escaping from the island, Charlie and Brooke decided to get married on his new ship, the Crimson Tide. After about a month of preparation, and with help from Noah and Nora, their wedding was to take place. Brooke told Charlie that after accumulating the new ship, he should give Sutherland’s ship to Grace to pay for the boat he had borrowed from her without ever returning it. While Charlie was away, Brooke purchased her dress, with the help of Nora. Now that she had run away from her home, and the people on Port Royal had finally realized she had chosen to do such a thing, she was penniless. However, due to the large sum of treasure they had discovered, she was not totally helpless. She was quite traditional; she would not sleep with Charlie the night before the wedding, choosing only to see him as they were being married. There were a couple of times when she had nearly given in to temptation, but either she or Charlie would pull back just in time to make sure that did not happen. And now, the day had finally come. She would also be wearing white, something many brides chose not to do because of the fashion. However, she liked the purity of the color and decided to damn fashion and wear the color. It was her wedding anyways.
When Charlie first saw Brooke walk down the aisle, his heart stopped for a short moment. She was absolutely beautiful. Her golden hair was curled, and while half of it was pinned up, half of it flowed freely down her back. Her face was completely natural, her sea green eyes shining as bright as the smile that eclipsed her face. A transparent veil covered her face, but her happiness shone through. Her dress was completely exquisite. The cut was heart-shaped and tasteful, revealing only a fraction of her cleavage. It cinched at the waist, and flared out at the hips. The sleeves wrapped around her arm, and then flared out at her wrist. While she was wearing a corset, it was not as tight as it had been in the past.
Kenneth was walking her down the aisle, her left arm looped through his right arm, while her right hand held a bouquet of flowers. Kenneth was dressed quite nicely as well, in a navy blue jacket and an off-white tunic, somewhat wrinkled. His breeches were a dark brown color, and he wore his old boots. His grey hair was combed, and he had a proud smile on his face. In the months that he had known Brooke, he considered her the granddaughter her never had, and was proud that he was the one who was walking her down the aisle. Brooke felt the same way about Kenneth.
Her eyes held Charlie’s as she walked down the aisle. She could not take her eyes off of him. He was so handsome; she felt lucky that she was going to marry this man, and have his children. Just the thought made her heart beat with love for him. If he had never climbed through her window that fateful night, who knew what would be of her at this moment. She would now be marrying the man she considered her other half, that was for sure. She pushed such thoughts in the very back corners of her mind; today was a happy day.
When she reached the helm, Kenneth turned Brooke so that she faced him, and he smiled at her. She returned his smile with one of her own as he pulled the veil over her face and let it flow behind her. He leaned toward her and kissed her cheek tenderly, before turning around and sitting down next to Noah and Nora. Brooke stepped up to the helm, her eyes on Charlie and his eyes on hers. Po ceased his playing as the priest began the ceremony.
“It is my great honor to welcome you to the wedding of Captain Charlie Colt, and Miss Brooke Cunningham,” he began with a warm smile. The guests all burst into applause, and once that ceased, the priest continued the ceremony.
Was it wrong for the two of them to be focused solely on each other? The priest faded into the background as Charlie caressed the back of Brooke’s hands. The two could not stop smiling at each other, and all throughout the ceremony, they mouthed endearments to each other. In reality, the two were anxious to get the ceremony over with so they could their start their life together.
“…and now for the rings,” the priest said.
Hugh brought the two rings over to the couple on a very small royal purple pillow. He stood there as the priest commanded Charlie to take his ring and place it on Brooke’s left ring finger.
“With this ring, I thee wed,” Charlie murmured lowly as he slipped the ring on. It was a simple gold band with tiny emeralds encompassing the ring. On the inside of the ring was an inscription, You wear my heart on your finger.
Brooke did the same thing, taking the platinum band and slipping it on Charlie’s finger, reciting the exact words. Etched along the band were two snakes, wrapped around one another. Brooke picked out Charlie’s ring herself; she did not want it to be too flamboyant, but as he did with her, inscribed something on the inside of it. Like a circle, our love has no end.
“Father,” Charlie said when Brooke was finished. “I have one more thing.”
Brooke looked at Charlie oddly as he reached in his pocket and pulled out the emerald necklace he had taken from her so long ago.
“I stole your heart,” he murmured so that only she could hear, and put it around her neck, “and now I’m giving you mine.”
Father Barbarey smiled and had them each recite their vows before asking them each the most import
ant question they would ever have to answer: Did Charlie take this woman to be his wedded wife, till death do they part? Did Brooke take this man to be her wedded husband, till death do they part?
“I do,” Charlie said surely, his eyes focused in Brooke’s.
“I do,” Brooke said, just as sure.
“Does anyone object this pairing?” Barbarey asked, surveying the audience before him.
“Just marry ‘em already!” Nora exclaimed, causing everyone to chuckle with amusement.
“Well then! With this power invested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife,” Father Barbarey said. “You may now kiss the bride.”
Charlie grinned, and pulled Brooke to him. He wrapped his arm around her waist and cupped her cheek with his other hand. He tilted her head back and pressed his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly. Brooke pushed up to stand on her toes, kissing him back. Her arms wrapped around him, holding him closely. Even through their kiss, they were smiling with happiness. When they broke apart, their eyes were dancing in each other’s.
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, I am honored to be the first to present to you Mister and Misses Charlie Colt!” Father Barbarey finished.
The audience jumped up in applause. Nora was crying with a smile, happy that her nephew had finally found someone he was completely in love with.
Charlie took Brooke’s hand within his own, and the two walked down the aisle, laughing as the crew patted both of them on the back as quickly as they could. Once Charlie and Brooke reached the end of the aisle, Charlie swooped Brooke in his arms. She squealed with surprise, dropping the flowers to wrap her arms around Charlie’s neck. He turned to look at the crew.
“Gents, Aunt Nora,” he began with a grin. “I want to thank you all for coming, but now I want you to get the hell off my ship so I can spend time alone with my new bride!”
The crew burst out into laughter, and began to gather their things to leave. Charlie, on the other hand, began to walk towards the Captain’s Quarters, the door already slightly ajar. Before he entered, he bent down to gaze at Brooke, looking so comfortable in his arms.
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