'An Execrable Business'
Jan. 13th, 2009 05:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dwgmYet another quadruple drabble (400 words exactly - go me!) of An Execrable Business, using ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
blackpearlsails' 'Last Minute' prompt of a few weeks ago. Thanks go once more to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hereswith for looking it over.
1. Tortuga
2. Happiness
3. Festive
4. Last Minute
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Jack turned to his ‘acquaintance’. “What’s your name?”
“Nell. I mean, Helen. Smith.”
“Smith, eh?” Jack sniffed. “I’m a Smith, too, from time to time. When it’s expedient.”
Nell flushed, but said, “Are you really a ship’s captain?”
“Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, though not particularly at your service.” He made an ironical little bow.
“But you are!” she said, unsteadily. “I mean… anyone else would have beaten me, or had me arrested. I am greatly in your debt.”
“I may still beat you, you never know,” Jack said, somewhat testily. “What the devil’s brought you to such a pass, Smith? It had better be Smith for now, by the way – Martha might take it into her head that my intentions are less than pure were she to know you’re a female.”
“Yes, very well. But… it’s a long story. May I tell you over dinner?”
Jack’s lips twitched at the hopeful, almost wheedling tone. “All right. Miscreant brat.”
To his surprise she smiled up at him for the first time. “My grandmother used to call me that.”
He gave a bark of laughter at this fond recollection. “Did she?” He looked her over again. “How old are you, Smith? I want the truth now.”
“Almost eighteen,” she stated, standing very straight.
She barely reached his chin. “’Almost’? What does that mean, precisely?”
“Well… next September.”
“Five months! That ain’t ‘almost’.”
“It’s… I… there are certain people who feel it’s old enough to marry!” she said, rather bitterly.
This was food for thought, a veritable banquet, but Jack was prevented from commenting by the reappearance of their hostess.
“Here you are, and you had best hurry!” Martha said, carefully descending the steps. “I didn’t realize it had got so late! Sally’s setting a table for you and I’ve saved out the last of the stew and bread, and there’s a fruit pie for after, if you’re so inclined. Make haste, now, and I’ll see you inside.”
Jack took the cloth and towel and, as Martha bustled away, handed them to Nell. He watched in silence as she awkwardly wet the cloth at the pump and wiped her face and hands.
Finished, she turned to him. “Is it all right?”
“Good God,” he muttered. Far, far too pretty.
“What?” she asked, dismayed.
“Nothing. You’ve missed a spot or two, is all.” And he took the wet cloth from her.
TBC…
blackpearlsails' 'Last Minute' prompt of a few weeks ago. Thanks go once more to hereswith for looking it over.1. Tortuga
2. Happiness
3. Festive
4. Last Minute
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Jack turned to his ‘acquaintance’. “What’s your name?”
“Nell. I mean, Helen. Smith.”
“Smith, eh?” Jack sniffed. “I’m a Smith, too, from time to time. When it’s expedient.”
Nell flushed, but said, “Are you really a ship’s captain?”
“Captain Jack Sparrow of the Black Pearl, though not particularly at your service.” He made an ironical little bow.
“But you are!” she said, unsteadily. “I mean… anyone else would have beaten me, or had me arrested. I am greatly in your debt.”
“I may still beat you, you never know,” Jack said, somewhat testily. “What the devil’s brought you to such a pass, Smith? It had better be Smith for now, by the way – Martha might take it into her head that my intentions are less than pure were she to know you’re a female.”
“Yes, very well. But… it’s a long story. May I tell you over dinner?”
Jack’s lips twitched at the hopeful, almost wheedling tone. “All right. Miscreant brat.”
To his surprise she smiled up at him for the first time. “My grandmother used to call me that.”
He gave a bark of laughter at this fond recollection. “Did she?” He looked her over again. “How old are you, Smith? I want the truth now.”
“Almost eighteen,” she stated, standing very straight.
She barely reached his chin. “’Almost’? What does that mean, precisely?”
“Well… next September.”
“Five months! That ain’t ‘almost’.”
“It’s… I… there are certain people who feel it’s old enough to marry!” she said, rather bitterly.
This was food for thought, a veritable banquet, but Jack was prevented from commenting by the reappearance of their hostess.
“Here you are, and you had best hurry!” Martha said, carefully descending the steps. “I didn’t realize it had got so late! Sally’s setting a table for you and I’ve saved out the last of the stew and bread, and there’s a fruit pie for after, if you’re so inclined. Make haste, now, and I’ll see you inside.”
Jack took the cloth and towel and, as Martha bustled away, handed them to Nell. He watched in silence as she awkwardly wet the cloth at the pump and wiped her face and hands.
Finished, she turned to him. “Is it all right?”
“Good God,” he muttered. Far, far too pretty.
“What?” she asked, dismayed.
“Nothing. You’ve missed a spot or two, is all.” And he took the wet cloth from her.
TBC…
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Date: 2009-01-14 02:37 pm (UTC)