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dwgm600 words (hardly a drabble, but hey! an even number), with thanks to my dear ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hereswith for beta reading, editing, and excellent suggestions.
Previous bits...
And here's today's...
48. Mothers
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Nell had cooled off in the cabin (really, her skin would be brown as Jack’s by the time they reached England, if she didn’t take care), and was just about to return to the afterdeck under the protection of a wide-brimmed straw hat she had found when there came a knock on the door. She opened it and Bootstrap Bill walked in with a sack made from a blanket, and from the way it moved it appeared there was something alive inside!
“Oh, what is it?” She rather nonsensically imagined it must be something horrid, like the iguana she’d once seen Claypool’s men toting off in a sack to be cooked and eaten.
“Close the door and stand back!” said Bill, with a grin.
She did, and stayed by the door in case she needed to make a quick escape. But Bill set the blanket down and spread it, and a huge, beautiful gray cat emerged, darting off the blanket, but then halting on Jack’s Turkey carpet. It gave itself a little shivery shake, looked around briefly, and then sat down and placidly began to groom itself.
“Oh! Where did you get her? Or is it a him?”
“It’s a her – the woman who threw her at Jack’s head called out for her petite Giselle as I was removing her.”
“Threw her!”
“Aye. Wounded with a cat, b’gad, caught him a good one right here.” Bill placed a finger on his cheek, just under his eye.
“Is he all right?” Nell asked, quite appalled on both Jack and Giselle’s account.
“He’ll be fine. Jack said Giselle’s yours, with his compliments. She can keep you company while we finish up.”
“How much longer will you be?”
“Well, it’s a big haul, so maybe a couple of hours. There’ll be a grand old hooley tonight to celebrate.” He winked, gave her a brief salute, and was gone.
Nell put away her hat and went to crouch beside Giselle. The creature sniffed Nell’s hand delicately, then allowed herself to be petted.
“Ah, Giselle! Que vous êtes jolie!” Nell told her, vastly pleased with Jack’s gift.
She was not pleased when Jack and Bill came in two hours later and she saw the claw mark on Jack’s cheek. “You have not even cleaned it!”
“You can help with that. But first….” Jack opened the chest that Nell knew contained physick of various kinds, carefully searched, and found what he was looking for. “Jesuit’s Bark. Just the thing for Pelletier’s ague.”
“D’you think he’ll take it?” Bill asked, worriedly. “I mean, coming from us nasty pirates an’ all?”
“Hope so,” Jack shrugged. He went to the table, sat down, and quickly composed a note. “Give the bark to Récamier with this.” He folded the note and handed it to Bill. “Monsieur might be willing to listen to him.”
Bill left to carry out the task, and Jack turned to Nell, who was sitting on the bed with Giselle beside her. “You liked your gift then?” He got to his feet and slowly walked over, reaching into his pocket.
Giselle eyed him warily, jumped down and retired under the bed.
“She’s a lovely cat,” said Nell, “but she doesn’t seem to like you.”
“I’m not much for cats,” he admitted, sitting down in the spot Giselle had vacated. “Hold out your hands.”
She obeyed with alacrity, more confident now of nice surprises, and her courage was rewarded with a spill of sparkling jewelry set with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and pearls. “Did they belong to Giselle’s maman?”
“They did. So now they should be yours, n’est-ce pas?”
TBC...
hereswith for beta reading, editing, and excellent suggestions.Previous bits...
| 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 | 16. Service 17. Advice 18. Captain 19. Awe 20. Cross 21. Mistake 22. Heroism 23. Gold 24. Echo 25. Greed 26. Advance 27. Challenge 28. Adventure 29. Sentence 30. Treasure | 31. North 32. Coat 33. Good and Evil 34. Sickness & Health 35. Lost 36. Court 37. What if? 38. Island 39. That can't be 40. Prophesy 41. Ten Years Later 42. French 43. Deed 44. Tea 45. Scarlett & Giselle | 46. Link 47. Comedy |
And here's today's...
48. Mothers
~ An Execrable Business, continued...
Nell had cooled off in the cabin (really, her skin would be brown as Jack’s by the time they reached England, if she didn’t take care), and was just about to return to the afterdeck under the protection of a wide-brimmed straw hat she had found when there came a knock on the door. She opened it and Bootstrap Bill walked in with a sack made from a blanket, and from the way it moved it appeared there was something alive inside!
“Oh, what is it?” She rather nonsensically imagined it must be something horrid, like the iguana she’d once seen Claypool’s men toting off in a sack to be cooked and eaten.
“Close the door and stand back!” said Bill, with a grin.
She did, and stayed by the door in case she needed to make a quick escape. But Bill set the blanket down and spread it, and a huge, beautiful gray cat emerged, darting off the blanket, but then halting on Jack’s Turkey carpet. It gave itself a little shivery shake, looked around briefly, and then sat down and placidly began to groom itself.
“Oh! Where did you get her? Or is it a him?”
“It’s a her – the woman who threw her at Jack’s head called out for her petite Giselle as I was removing her.”
“Threw her!”
“Aye. Wounded with a cat, b’gad, caught him a good one right here.” Bill placed a finger on his cheek, just under his eye.
“Is he all right?” Nell asked, quite appalled on both Jack and Giselle’s account.
“He’ll be fine. Jack said Giselle’s yours, with his compliments. She can keep you company while we finish up.”
“How much longer will you be?”
“Well, it’s a big haul, so maybe a couple of hours. There’ll be a grand old hooley tonight to celebrate.” He winked, gave her a brief salute, and was gone.
Nell put away her hat and went to crouch beside Giselle. The creature sniffed Nell’s hand delicately, then allowed herself to be petted.
“Ah, Giselle! Que vous êtes jolie!” Nell told her, vastly pleased with Jack’s gift.
She was not pleased when Jack and Bill came in two hours later and she saw the claw mark on Jack’s cheek. “You have not even cleaned it!”
“You can help with that. But first….” Jack opened the chest that Nell knew contained physick of various kinds, carefully searched, and found what he was looking for. “Jesuit’s Bark. Just the thing for Pelletier’s ague.”
“D’you think he’ll take it?” Bill asked, worriedly. “I mean, coming from us nasty pirates an’ all?”
“Hope so,” Jack shrugged. He went to the table, sat down, and quickly composed a note. “Give the bark to Récamier with this.” He folded the note and handed it to Bill. “Monsieur might be willing to listen to him.”
Bill left to carry out the task, and Jack turned to Nell, who was sitting on the bed with Giselle beside her. “You liked your gift then?” He got to his feet and slowly walked over, reaching into his pocket.
Giselle eyed him warily, jumped down and retired under the bed.
“She’s a lovely cat,” said Nell, “but she doesn’t seem to like you.”
“I’m not much for cats,” he admitted, sitting down in the spot Giselle had vacated. “Hold out your hands.”
She obeyed with alacrity, more confident now of nice surprises, and her courage was rewarded with a spill of sparkling jewelry set with diamonds, sapphires, emeralds and pearls. “Did they belong to Giselle’s maman?”
“They did. So now they should be yours, n’est-ce pas?”
TBC...
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no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 12:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 02:50 pm (UTC)Boy, didn't realize I was dense about the particulars of pirating.
There were undoubtedly ports where they could fence their stolen goods. And the English, being at war off and on with the French, Spanish, etc. wouldn't have objected too much, I think. At least that's the theory I'm going on here.
Thank you for commenting! I'm so happy you're enjoying it.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 12:51 am (UTC)The celebration sounds promising! ;D
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 02:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 01:11 am (UTC)And no worries, I am noticing all the other lovely bits as well, but you know, when he gets to his feet and slowly walks over to her, well, the rest of it just sort of slips out of my brain.
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 02:52 pm (UTC)I'm so happy you're enjoying it! Thank you for commenting!
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 07:41 am (UTC)(I saw the cat and my brain stopped there. Clearly the two I have are not enough. LOL)
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 02:54 pm (UTC)Thank you for commenting, I'm so glad you're enjoying it!
no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 10:02 pm (UTC)bothersit on top ofaccompany me when Frank takes nap, food, and litterbox breaks.no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 10:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-02-27 02:56 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 03:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-03-02 11:52 pm (UTC)