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Fic: 'Bath Holiday' - Chapter 1 (4-7/7)
The last four parts of Chapter One of Bath Holiday, which I feel can stand alone to make the deadline for ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
potcfest prompt #9: Jack/Elizabeth, in England. Background info is accessible in the headers of bits 1 & 2.
Many thanks, again, to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hereswith, for editing and helpful suggestions!.
~ Bath Holiday, continued...
4 ~
The night was cold and still and full-moon-bright, redolent of wood smoke and a hint of stable.
Jack wrinkled his nose a bit as he walked.
They were much too far from the sea. Halfway between Portsmouth and Bath. Silly place for a pirate captain -- but Jack wasn't playing that part just now. Gentleman Privateer he was -- his hair ornaments and eyeblack left behind in the Pearl's Great Cabin, a nice selection of purloined finery, the latest stuff from France, in his capacious portmanteau -- and on holiday, providing a suitable escort for Elizabeth on her visit to "Aunt Min" -- Minerva Swann, widow of Weatherby's deceased brother.
Jack frowned. He'd told Swann he'd be glad to do this, but that was months ago. Now that the time was at hand, he found himself fidgeting over the task, and he wasn't sure Elizabeth was entirely happy, either -- though that might have been due to... her situation.
He swore, softly, again. How long had she been feeling poorly? She hadn't said anything, though she hadn't been eating much, these last two weeks, and she'd been awfully quiet when they'd disembarked. Very unlike her.
Vivid pictures of her danced through his brain, her smiles, her laughter, the banked fire in her eyes after they'd made love, the unrepentant twinkle that belied her solemnity when he scolded, that flash when she was angry. She was rare and precious, and a pack of trouble, and he was very much afraid he'd henceforth be dead bored without her.
Nothing for it, then. A bored Sparrow is dangerous thing, James told him once -- he could just hear that wry drawl. And Jack had to admit, it was no more than the truth.
But a child! That had knocked him acock. Elizabeth, too. What the devil had been amiss that she'd never conceived when Will was alive? He'd swear there'd been plenty of opportunity, they'd always been a loving pair, and a girl didn't acquire that kind of enthusiasm through lack of happy experience.
He trained his thoughts on particular instances of her enthusiasm as his feet took him slowly round the yard, then out the gate and onto the road, where he stopped short. The hills stretched away all around the inn, for the bloody place was in the middle of nowhere, seemingly, but there were trees in lines along the post road and in the moonshadows was a slight figure hurrying, a chit of a girl, wrapped in a thin shawl against this bitter cold, carrying a large basket, and weeping -- he could see the silvery tracks of tears on her cheeks as she looked up at him in startlement.
Not good.
5 ~
"You all right?" Jack called out, warily.
The girl gripped the handle of her basket tighter. "Y-yes. Thank you. I'm f-fine." And then was unsuccessful in stifling a convulsive sob.
He sighed with a roll of his eyes. And just then heard another sound. Mewing. From the basket.
"Cats?" he asked with a wave, as she drew closer.
She clutched the basket protectively with her other arm, now. "N-no. K-kittens. My kittens!" She hurried past.
Jack had a shrewd idea what had prompted this vehemence. Life and death, again. He argued with himself briefly, but, as happened all too often, his less logical side won. So he said, before she was out of earshot, "You keeping the lot? I could use a cat. Kitten."
She stopped, turned back, uncertain. "You c-could?"
He walked toward her. "Bein' a sea captain, I like cats, if they earn their keep."
She stood staring as he approached, frightened, but wanting to trust him. Finally she blurted, "My brother was going to drown them! But he shan't!" This last was pretty fierce, but then she dissolved into hiccuping sobs of despair.
Lord.
"Here," he said, taking out his handkerchief and trading her for the basket. She complied with little resistance. The tempest was, thankfully, short-lived. She blew her nose, and as she dabbed at the tears with the edge of the wipe, he said to her, "What you need is a drink."
She peered up, brows rising.
"I daresay the landlady -- or one of her crew, she was busy last time I saw her." He frowned, distracted by reality for a moment. But he pulled himself together. This was real, too, after all. "I daresay someone in this fine establishment would give you a toddy. You can drink it by the fire in the kitchen, and we'll have a bit of a parlay. What say you to that?"
She gaped for a moment, then said, "Thank you! You're very kind!"
He scowled. "Come on." He slung the basket over his arm and led the way.
6 ~
The landlady met them at the door. "There you are! Your lady wife was asking for you, sir," she said, with an accusing look at Jack. Then it was, "Lawks! What've we here? Jane Woodman, what are you doing out at this time of night? Your mother'll be taken with an apoplexy, worrying over you!"
Jack didn't stay to hear the rest of Jane's scold, taking the stairs two at a time and rushing to the closed door of the room. He was wondering whether he should knock, or just go in, when it opened to emit the doctor.
"There you are. She was asking for you. Getting rather upset."
Jack swore.
The doctor went on. "She'll be all right. I've given her some laudanum, to help her rest tonight."
Jack cleared his throat. "She's lost it?"
"Yes, not long after you left." The doctor frowned, looking at Jack through narrowed eyes. "You didn't know, did you?"
"I... no."
The man cracked a slight smile, finally. "Well, well. You new husbands are all alike. Not to worry. She's young and strong, and there'll be others, no doubt. She'll be fit as a fiddle in no time. Only a few weeks along. I've left instructions with her maid. She should be ready to travel again by Thursday, though I don't recommend bedding her for at least a month. I'll come by to check on her tomorrow, but there's nothing to worry about."
Jack nodded, and suddenly bethought him of fees. "What do I owe you?" he said, patting his pockets, and realizing he'd left his purse in the room.
But the doctor said, "We'll settle it tomorrow. Go in now." And he opened the door for Jack.
7 ~
Ana was scowling, but her expression lightened when she saw him. "There you are! I'm glad you're back. She's--"
"--been asking, I know," Jack snapped.
Elizabeth's eyes were closed, and she looked very thin and pale in the big bed.
Ana said, rather gently, "She'll do, Jack. I'll go downstairs and you can sit with her for a while."
Jack nodded, and went to the bed, but said to Ana before she left, "Take care of Jane and the kittens, will you? I'll be down in a bit."
"Jane and the kittens?" Ana repeated, blankly.
"Embryonic ship's cats. You'll see." Jack waved her out.
"Kittens?" Elizabeth was awake. More or less.
Jack came and sat down next to her carefully. "How do you feel?"
"Devilish," she said, and groped for his hand. He took hers up and squeezed it. Tears glistened in her lovely eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Nothing to be sorry for. At least...." But something that felt all too much like grief was scrambling his thoughts, so after a moment he just kissed her hand, and when her tears overflowed, embraced her. "Hush, sweeting, they'll murder me for upsetting you again."
She chuckled, sadly, and he let her go. She sniffed, and then said, "What's this about kittens?"
"Basket of 'em. Jane's brother was going to drown 'em, but he shan't -- or so says Jane. She was running away, I believe. The landlady knows her."
"Drown them! Oh, no. Will you bring me one?"
"Make you feel better?"
Elizabeth nodded, sleepily.
"Wait here, then,” he said. “I'll bring you the best of the lot."
*
Five minutes later, she was drifting off, a plump, gray kitten curled snug asleep against her neck.
"Ship's cat, see?" murmured Jack. "Knows his duty already."
The ghost of a smile touched her lips.
~.~
potcfest prompt #9: Jack/Elizabeth, in England. Background info is accessible in the headers of bits 1 & 2.Many thanks, again, to
hereswith, for editing and helpful suggestions!. ~ Bath Holiday, continued...
4 ~
The night was cold and still and full-moon-bright, redolent of wood smoke and a hint of stable.
Jack wrinkled his nose a bit as he walked.
They were much too far from the sea. Halfway between Portsmouth and Bath. Silly place for a pirate captain -- but Jack wasn't playing that part just now. Gentleman Privateer he was -- his hair ornaments and eyeblack left behind in the Pearl's Great Cabin, a nice selection of purloined finery, the latest stuff from France, in his capacious portmanteau -- and on holiday, providing a suitable escort for Elizabeth on her visit to "Aunt Min" -- Minerva Swann, widow of Weatherby's deceased brother.
Jack frowned. He'd told Swann he'd be glad to do this, but that was months ago. Now that the time was at hand, he found himself fidgeting over the task, and he wasn't sure Elizabeth was entirely happy, either -- though that might have been due to... her situation.
He swore, softly, again. How long had she been feeling poorly? She hadn't said anything, though she hadn't been eating much, these last two weeks, and she'd been awfully quiet when they'd disembarked. Very unlike her.
Vivid pictures of her danced through his brain, her smiles, her laughter, the banked fire in her eyes after they'd made love, the unrepentant twinkle that belied her solemnity when he scolded, that flash when she was angry. She was rare and precious, and a pack of trouble, and he was very much afraid he'd henceforth be dead bored without her.
Nothing for it, then. A bored Sparrow is dangerous thing, James told him once -- he could just hear that wry drawl. And Jack had to admit, it was no more than the truth.
But a child! That had knocked him acock. Elizabeth, too. What the devil had been amiss that she'd never conceived when Will was alive? He'd swear there'd been plenty of opportunity, they'd always been a loving pair, and a girl didn't acquire that kind of enthusiasm through lack of happy experience.
He trained his thoughts on particular instances of her enthusiasm as his feet took him slowly round the yard, then out the gate and onto the road, where he stopped short. The hills stretched away all around the inn, for the bloody place was in the middle of nowhere, seemingly, but there were trees in lines along the post road and in the moonshadows was a slight figure hurrying, a chit of a girl, wrapped in a thin shawl against this bitter cold, carrying a large basket, and weeping -- he could see the silvery tracks of tears on her cheeks as she looked up at him in startlement.
Not good.
5 ~
"You all right?" Jack called out, warily.
The girl gripped the handle of her basket tighter. "Y-yes. Thank you. I'm f-fine." And then was unsuccessful in stifling a convulsive sob.
He sighed with a roll of his eyes. And just then heard another sound. Mewing. From the basket.
"Cats?" he asked with a wave, as she drew closer.
She clutched the basket protectively with her other arm, now. "N-no. K-kittens. My kittens!" She hurried past.
Jack had a shrewd idea what had prompted this vehemence. Life and death, again. He argued with himself briefly, but, as happened all too often, his less logical side won. So he said, before she was out of earshot, "You keeping the lot? I could use a cat. Kitten."
She stopped, turned back, uncertain. "You c-could?"
He walked toward her. "Bein' a sea captain, I like cats, if they earn their keep."
She stood staring as he approached, frightened, but wanting to trust him. Finally she blurted, "My brother was going to drown them! But he shan't!" This last was pretty fierce, but then she dissolved into hiccuping sobs of despair.
Lord.
"Here," he said, taking out his handkerchief and trading her for the basket. She complied with little resistance. The tempest was, thankfully, short-lived. She blew her nose, and as she dabbed at the tears with the edge of the wipe, he said to her, "What you need is a drink."
She peered up, brows rising.
"I daresay the landlady -- or one of her crew, she was busy last time I saw her." He frowned, distracted by reality for a moment. But he pulled himself together. This was real, too, after all. "I daresay someone in this fine establishment would give you a toddy. You can drink it by the fire in the kitchen, and we'll have a bit of a parlay. What say you to that?"
She gaped for a moment, then said, "Thank you! You're very kind!"
He scowled. "Come on." He slung the basket over his arm and led the way.
6 ~
The landlady met them at the door. "There you are! Your lady wife was asking for you, sir," she said, with an accusing look at Jack. Then it was, "Lawks! What've we here? Jane Woodman, what are you doing out at this time of night? Your mother'll be taken with an apoplexy, worrying over you!"
Jack didn't stay to hear the rest of Jane's scold, taking the stairs two at a time and rushing to the closed door of the room. He was wondering whether he should knock, or just go in, when it opened to emit the doctor.
"There you are. She was asking for you. Getting rather upset."
Jack swore.
The doctor went on. "She'll be all right. I've given her some laudanum, to help her rest tonight."
Jack cleared his throat. "She's lost it?"
"Yes, not long after you left." The doctor frowned, looking at Jack through narrowed eyes. "You didn't know, did you?"
"I... no."
The man cracked a slight smile, finally. "Well, well. You new husbands are all alike. Not to worry. She's young and strong, and there'll be others, no doubt. She'll be fit as a fiddle in no time. Only a few weeks along. I've left instructions with her maid. She should be ready to travel again by Thursday, though I don't recommend bedding her for at least a month. I'll come by to check on her tomorrow, but there's nothing to worry about."
Jack nodded, and suddenly bethought him of fees. "What do I owe you?" he said, patting his pockets, and realizing he'd left his purse in the room.
But the doctor said, "We'll settle it tomorrow. Go in now." And he opened the door for Jack.
7 ~
Ana was scowling, but her expression lightened when she saw him. "There you are! I'm glad you're back. She's--"
"--been asking, I know," Jack snapped.
Elizabeth's eyes were closed, and she looked very thin and pale in the big bed.
Ana said, rather gently, "She'll do, Jack. I'll go downstairs and you can sit with her for a while."
Jack nodded, and went to the bed, but said to Ana before she left, "Take care of Jane and the kittens, will you? I'll be down in a bit."
"Jane and the kittens?" Ana repeated, blankly.
"Embryonic ship's cats. You'll see." Jack waved her out.
"Kittens?" Elizabeth was awake. More or less.
Jack came and sat down next to her carefully. "How do you feel?"
"Devilish," she said, and groped for his hand. He took hers up and squeezed it. Tears glistened in her lovely eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
"Nothing to be sorry for. At least...." But something that felt all too much like grief was scrambling his thoughts, so after a moment he just kissed her hand, and when her tears overflowed, embraced her. "Hush, sweeting, they'll murder me for upsetting you again."
She chuckled, sadly, and he let her go. She sniffed, and then said, "What's this about kittens?"
"Basket of 'em. Jane's brother was going to drown 'em, but he shan't -- or so says Jane. She was running away, I believe. The landlady knows her."
"Drown them! Oh, no. Will you bring me one?"
"Make you feel better?"
Elizabeth nodded, sleepily.
"Wait here, then,” he said. “I'll bring you the best of the lot."
*
Five minutes later, she was drifting off, a plump, gray kitten curled snug asleep against her neck.
"Ship's cat, see?" murmured Jack. "Knows his duty already."
The ghost of a smile touched her lips.
~.~