Drabble Series: 'An Execrable Buiness' (51/?)

[dwgm]

650 words, with many thanks to hereswith for beta reading, editing, and 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 48. Mothers 49. Fathers 50. Rib

And here's today's...

51. Music


~ An Execrable Business, continued...


The pipe and guitar had been joined by a fiddle and drums by the time supper was ready to be served out, and the music continued as night fell and the Black Pearl sailed on, steady under courses and topsails.

"With this weather and the fine haul we had off that Frenchie, this'll go on for hours," said Cook. "The crew's in rare trim and no mistake. You stick close to Jack, or better yet watch from behind the companionway, so you can make a fast retreat into the Great Cabin at need. You never know what daft notion a pirate'll take into his head on a night like this, any pirate, the captain included."

Nell rather liked Jack's daft notions, but she soon saw the wisdom of clandestine observation. Supper had been served out in a very casual manner, accompanied by vast quantities of beer and grog. These milder libations gave way to bottles of straight rum, and the celebration grew louder and livelier as the moon rose and the evening progressed. The drums beat, the fiddle screeched (or occasionally sang with a surprising sweetness, as did the guitar), and the piper knew a seemingly infinite number of tunes that set Nell's feet to tapping. The men didn't bother to resist and danced singly, in pairs, and in groups, to the loud applause of their fellows.

There were songs and stories too, both running the gamut from bawdy to sentimental.

"You'll learn a lot about the lads listening to 'em on nights like this," said Jack. He'd slipped around behind the companionway to join her and now he handed her the wide-bottomed bottle he was holding. "Try it!"

She took a sip, coughing a little as the rum burned its way down her throat. "It's good," she said, eyes watering a little, and grinned at his amusement.

"You're a game one, love," he said approvingly, and taking the bottle from her, he raised it to her in a toast.

She stayed watching a while longer, through a spate of dancing to the pounding beat of the drums alone. Jack joined in this, throwing aside his boots and coat, and then taking off his shirt, to her shocked delight. To be sure, there were many men bare-chested and gleaming in the light of the moon and torches, but none of them like their captain, not one came close to his perfection. He was trim and muscular, his bronzed skin marked with both exotic patterns of ink and with scars, and he was beautiful, there was no other word. Watching him, Nell felt both hot and cold at once, her entire inner being swept into the spirit of the dance with him, and when Giselle appeared and rubbed against her ankle, Nell nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh!" She bent and swept Giselle into her arms. The dance was ending. Jack took a bow to uproarious cheers, but Nell slipped away, into the Great Cabin, and closed the door.

Two minutes later, Jack came in.

She'd let Giselle down, but she'd been standing dazed in the middle of the room. Now she spun to face him. He was still half dressed, and after he dropped his clothes in a heap and secured the door, he turned and she saw that he looked solemn. She said, quickly, "I saw the dance."

"Ah!" His expression lightened. "What did you think?"

He walked slowly toward her, golden in the lamplight, and the closer he came the less coherent were her thoughts. "I don't know what to think," she said, stupidly, putting up her hands, aching to touch him.

But he took them in his own and kissed the fingers of each, and said, "Shall I show you, love?" And then, more hesitantly, "Do you trust me enough to give yourself over to me?"

Breathless, she managed just three words. "Yes. And yes."



TBC...

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I've been lurking all along. No longer! I absolutly love this story, I'm here every day. Nell does seem to be "game". But I don't think she realizes what she's in for!
What a cliff-hanger!
Josette

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for de-lurking! I truly appreciate knowing you've been enjoying this all along. And yes, there are some interesting times ahead for everyone!

[mary684.livejournal.com]

No. And NO! How dare you leave me like this!??

Bwuahaha! Ahh, geekmama, you are a fun one. Teasing us until we can no longer stand it.

Jack dancing! OMG. I'd have never imagined it and now there you've gone and put it in my head and it will NEVER leave. Beautiful sight. There is something so free and fun-loving and innocent in your young Jack, it's wonderful to watch him. Cook is right -- I'm learning a lot about him on a night like this. It's wonderful to see how he responds to his men and they, to him.

And sweet Nell. Again, you've nailed that moment when the butterflies fill your stomach and you can hardly breathe and you are filled with want and need and a crazy kind of fear. Reading Nell makes me feel young again.

One of the best chapters you've written! Thank you!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you for such wonderfully detailed comments! I'm so glad you liked this. Jack dancing is one of the best things in fanfic, I first read a sequence of it in tessabeth's Picaresque (Part the Seventh, if you're interested in reading -- it's slash, but the most perfect slash imaginable), and never got over the picture of it. (And it's a weird thing that dancing seems so natural for Jack in fanfic, yet JD is definitely not one for dancing, from all reports (inclding his own).) I've written Jack dancing a couple of times myself, notably in Dark of the Moon in which another OFC is enthralled by his performance, but I feel they'd have considerable partying going on in the evenings on the Black Pearl so I don't think it's out of line to show another instance. And Jack is well aware how attractive he is in this guise.

Yes, cliffhanger! More tomorrow. ;)

[jillianfish.livejournal.com]

Oh god, Jack dancing. Words fail me.

Can't wait to see how Jack handles Nell's desires, his desires and also his need to preserve her honor and not "ruin" her. Great great imagery and great plot movement.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Jack dancing is quite a picture. Pretty much irresistible.

We move along apace now. I'm hoping to finish up by the 10th, actually. So happy you're enjoying the ride!

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled that your Jack allows JD to dance, if that makes any sense at all. Anticipation of the next dance in this saga is sweet indeed :-)

I love your description of Nell's reaction, and her willingness to trust Jack. Lovely story, and I thank you again ♥

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm thrilled that your Jack allows JD to dance, if that makes any sense at all.

It does to me. I'm sure JD would be fabulous at dancing, if he was so inclined. He's such a guy in some ways, lol! Jack is less inhibited. Pirate.

I'm so happy you enjoyed this! Thank you again for commenting.

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

Well now you've done it Miz Geekmama, I ended up back at The Imp's and thank you and ohmyword and I love how the human mind makes room for delight which fills human hearts. I'm no like those gentlemen and yet I'm convinced I'm in love with love. She tells the bestest slash on the planet I think, or chooses the best subject for such. You have most excellent taste and so, thanks for reminding me to visit this special one's interpretation of what ifs. Agile, twisty minds what a huge blessing on this planet and a sense of humor to boot. Thank you.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Agile, twisty minds what a huge blessing on this planet and a sense of humor to boot.

Holy cats, isn't that the truth? I had to reread that chapter myself, it's too too fabulous.

Thank you for reading and commenting! In love with love, indeed!

[ganeris.livejournal.com]

Augh! You are killing me!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

That's a good thing, right?


*g*

[artaxastra.livejournal.com]

To be sure, there were many men bare-chested and gleaming in the light of the moon and torches, but none of them like their captain, not one came close to his perfection. He was trim and muscular, his bronzed skin marked with both exotic patterns of ink and with scars, and he was beautiful, there was no other word. Watching him, Nell felt both hot and cold at once, her entire inner being swept into the spirit of the dance with him,

WANT! How could one not? Oh the temptation you dangle before us!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Dancing!Jack is quite irresistible. They should definitely put a sequence like that in PotC4. *g*

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

"Jack joined in this, throwing aside his boots and coat, and then taking off his shirt, to her shocked delight." - I really don't know how Nell managed not to faint at that point already! ^^

That was beautiful. The descriptions of how Nell felt were simply perfect, and the descriptions of Jack!...

& The cliffhanger would've killed me if I didn't know that you've already posted the next installment! :) *runs off to read it*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

That's the trouble with WIP's, all those cliffhangers. *g* So happy you enjoyed this! Thank you for commenting!

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. :-) I bet Jack looks awesome when he dances!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

He looks pretty awesome any which way, so yes, I expect he does. *g* Thank you for reading and commenting! I'm so glad you're enjoying the story. :))