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dwgmAnother 450 words of the story, utilizing the 'History' theme, with thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hereswith for beta reading!
1. Tortuga
2. Happiness
3. Festive
4. Last Minute
5. Calm
6. Truth
7. Bargain
8. Spook
9. Down
10. Wounds
11. Moon
12. Monsters
13. Beauty
14. Name
15. History
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Nell gaped at Anamaria, then turned to Jack and hissed resentfully, "Why did you call me Paris? It’s a silly name!"
"No, it ain't. It’s a classical allusion," retorted Jack, and continued with a fluttering of hands. "Helen, Paris. They go together. Came to me sudden, like a vision. You’re the one who muffed it. You should’ve been quicker on the uptake. But that’s a female for you."
Nell favored him with an exasperated glare. She then turned to Monsieur Pêcheur and his daughter. "I'm so sorry. It's true, I'm afraid."
"And you're a pickpocket," the little girl said, with evident relish.
"Oh, dear," said Nell, worriedly. Anamaria was distressingly sharp-witted.
But Monsieur Pêcheur said to his daughter, "Peace, Ana. There’s doubtless a fine tale behind it, and so long as she doesn’t pick our pockets she’s welcome here as a friend of the captain’s. They are both hungry. Go fetch some of that good mangú you made, and some of the bread and fruit.”
“And here’s something on account for it,” Jack said with a wink, and flipped Anamaria a coin.
She caught it, deftly, and grinned at him, and even her glance at Nell was more tolerant as she skipped off toward a cluster of palm-shaded houses.
“Come now. Sit down and share this tale with me,” said Monsieur Pêcheur.
Nell felt herself flushing as she sat cross-legged on the sand. “I’m afraid it’s rather sordid.”
Jack sat, too, and said, “Could be worse,” laying a hand briefly on Nell’s knee. “You know old Harrison Claypool, Joe?”
Monsieur Pêcheur frowned. “I do. He comes to Tortuga at times.”
“Took it into his head to marry again. Nell’s mother. Brought the two of ‘em out from England, and when her mother succumbed to the Yellowjack he went after Nell.”
“No!” exclaimed Monsieur Pêcheur, quite shocked.
Nell bit her lip, but said nothing, content to let Jack tell it.
“She lifted some blunt from him and hopped a trader – she’s a grandmother in England, y’see – but it came here and she lost the purse soon as she set foot on the dock. Been picking the pockets of the unwary for what, a month now?” Jack silently quizzed Nell, who nodded. He winked at Joe, “I wasn’t quite so unwary as some.”
Monsieur Pêcheur, though still somewhat shocked, chuckled at this last, and said to Nell, “You are fortunate to have found the capitaine!” He then said to Jack, “So. You will take her home on the Black Pearl? That is most generous of you!”
“Well,” said Jack, slowly. “It ain’t all decided yet. But I was thinking something of that nature could be arranged, if it was to her liking.”
TBC…
hereswith for beta reading!1. Tortuga
2. Happiness
3. Festive
4. Last Minute
5. Calm
6. Truth
7. Bargain
8. Spook
9. Down
10. Wounds
11. Moon
12. Monsters
13. Beauty
14. Name
15. History
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Nell gaped at Anamaria, then turned to Jack and hissed resentfully, "Why did you call me Paris? It’s a silly name!"
"No, it ain't. It’s a classical allusion," retorted Jack, and continued with a fluttering of hands. "Helen, Paris. They go together. Came to me sudden, like a vision. You’re the one who muffed it. You should’ve been quicker on the uptake. But that’s a female for you."
Nell favored him with an exasperated glare. She then turned to Monsieur Pêcheur and his daughter. "I'm so sorry. It's true, I'm afraid."
"And you're a pickpocket," the little girl said, with evident relish.
"Oh, dear," said Nell, worriedly. Anamaria was distressingly sharp-witted.
But Monsieur Pêcheur said to his daughter, "Peace, Ana. There’s doubtless a fine tale behind it, and so long as she doesn’t pick our pockets she’s welcome here as a friend of the captain’s. They are both hungry. Go fetch some of that good mangú you made, and some of the bread and fruit.”
“And here’s something on account for it,” Jack said with a wink, and flipped Anamaria a coin.
She caught it, deftly, and grinned at him, and even her glance at Nell was more tolerant as she skipped off toward a cluster of palm-shaded houses.
“Come now. Sit down and share this tale with me,” said Monsieur Pêcheur.
Nell felt herself flushing as she sat cross-legged on the sand. “I’m afraid it’s rather sordid.”
Jack sat, too, and said, “Could be worse,” laying a hand briefly on Nell’s knee. “You know old Harrison Claypool, Joe?”
Monsieur Pêcheur frowned. “I do. He comes to Tortuga at times.”
“Took it into his head to marry again. Nell’s mother. Brought the two of ‘em out from England, and when her mother succumbed to the Yellowjack he went after Nell.”
“No!” exclaimed Monsieur Pêcheur, quite shocked.
Nell bit her lip, but said nothing, content to let Jack tell it.
“She lifted some blunt from him and hopped a trader – she’s a grandmother in England, y’see – but it came here and she lost the purse soon as she set foot on the dock. Been picking the pockets of the unwary for what, a month now?” Jack silently quizzed Nell, who nodded. He winked at Joe, “I wasn’t quite so unwary as some.”
Monsieur Pêcheur, though still somewhat shocked, chuckled at this last, and said to Nell, “You are fortunate to have found the capitaine!” He then said to Jack, “So. You will take her home on the Black Pearl? That is most generous of you!”
“Well,” said Jack, slowly. “It ain’t all decided yet. But I was thinking something of that nature could be arranged, if it was to her liking.”
TBC…