Drabble Series: 'An Execrable Business', continued... (7/?)

[dwgm]

Another 400 words (exactly!) of the story for potc100's 'Bargain' prompt, kindly and expertly edited by my dear hereswith.

1. Tortuga
2. Happiness
3. Festive
4. Last Minute
5. Calm
6. Truth
7. Bargain


~ An Execrable Business, continued...


The meal that Mistress Whitby proceeded to serve them wafted Nell to a plane of ecstasy she’d seldom achieved in dining, even at the hands of her grandmother’s very superior French cook. These transports seemed to entertain Captain Sparrow, but Nell didn’t mind at all – so much the better, in fact. The stew was rich and delicious, full of good quality meat, fresh vegetables and savory herbs; the bread and butter were absolutely ambrosial; and it had been far too long since Nell had partaken of such a good meal. She had been most unwilling to spend her ill-gotten but desperately needed gains on any but the most basic sustenance, bread and cheese, the occasional apple, hot tea, cold lemonade. And in Harrison Claypool’s house, grief and fear had stolen away her appetite in those last weeks.

When she was almost finished with her first plate, Mistress Whitby brought her another. “Bless you, lad, one would think you were starving. Captain Sparrow! Have you been stinting this youngster, and him a growing boy?”

“Not I. He obviously has a hollow leg.” The captain’s fine eyes twinkled, and Nell couldn’t help smiling back.

But after Mistress Whitby left again, and Nell had embarked on her second helping, the captain’s next words engendered startled dismay.

"Claypool’s wealthy, too, as I recall. Very."

She choked, coughed, and grabbed up her napkin, pressing it to her lips, looking up at him quickly. There was something devious in his expression along with the amusement, and there was no use saying You wouldn’t! when it was quite evident he very well might. A bargain must be struck between them, if at all possible, and the sooner the better.

“I’ve saved nearly enough for my passage home. If you would but loan me the rest of it, I swear I’ll repay you tenfold, as soon as I reach England.”

“Ah. That’s very tempting. And yet, what would Claypool pay to have you back, I wonder?”

He said this teasingly, but Nell felt almost faint at the thought of falling once again into the hands of that man. Panic welling, she quickly glanced around to locate the dining room’s exits, but then gasped in electrified horror. Across the room, over by the wide door leading to the inn’s foyer, Martha Whitby stood, wiping her hands on her apron and speaking, in the friendliest manner, to Harrison Claypool’s agents.



TBC…

Comments

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

Merciful bean soup! Trapped with Jack leaning towards a quick profit for himself....He's going to give her a horrible case of high seas stomach--dadblame!

"The captain’s fine eyes twinkled" if that's not a tell, I'm not in love with a character of a piratical nature! And now, all we have to do is wait for the wheels to fall off, cos Jack, well, sometimes gets ahead of himself. But I'm so GLAD--cos Jack don't give up easily what he considers his. He was probably the kid in the cove with 6 dogs, "mama, they followed me home..." LOL, yea!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

He was probably the kid in the cove with 6 dogs, "mama, they followed me home..."

I expect this relates directly to what he's going to tell Bootstrap and Barbossa, except, of course, he's the captain and all. *g*

And now he knows Nell was telling the truth.

Your comments always make me smile! I'm so glad you're enjoying this. :)

[mary684.livejournal.com]

Okay, pearlseed I can't possibly beat that comment for saying all I wanted to say in a much more better way. So, I'm tagging my kudos onto this one. Really enjoying this story.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!! Miz Pearlseed has a real way with words, and some sharp insights to go along with them, as a rule. *g* So happy you're still enjoying! More soon, and a rather exciting bit, too.

[aravah.livejournal.com]

*gasps*

I'm not sure I can take all these cliffhangers! ;)

Great stuff. I'm loving Jack's devilment.

*waits with bated breath for the next instalment*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! The next bit was fun to write. Fortunately cliffhangers will be resolved pretty quickly if I keep up the pace. I'm so glad you're enjoying it!

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

Oh dear! Now Jack is going to help her just to be contrary!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I expect he might. *g*

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

OH Poor Nell! She will have a hard time trying to figure out Jack's true intentions, especially that his true intentions are probably a subject to on-going change lol

"There was something devious in his expression along with the amusement, and there was no use saying You wouldn’t! when it was quite evident he very well might." - I adore this sentence & this image ^^

Wonderful!!! :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

his true intentions are probably a subject to on-going change lol

Precisely. One can make plans, but other people get in the way. Jack's good at rolling with the punches, even young as he is here.

Thank you for commenting here as well as on ff.net -- I really appreciate it!

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Well... He IS a pirate after all. ;-) Interesting turn of events this. :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

He certainly is. Thank you for commenting!