Drabble Series: 'An Execrable Business' (54/?)

[dwgm]

650 words, with many thanks to hereswith for beta reading 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 51. Music 52. Magic 53. Pirate King

And here's today's...

54. Freedom


~ An Execrable Business, continued...


The Black Pearl now settled in for a long stretch of blue water sailing as she made her way across the Atlantic. They met no other ships, and only the occasional bout of messy weather broke the relative placidity of these weeks, yet no one was unhappy with this state of affairs. After nearly eighteen months prowling the Caribbean, during which they had taken no less than two-dozen prizes, the Pearls were ready for some "time out of time", as Jack called it.

The routine of shipboard life was not as strict as it would have been aboard a naval vessel, yet there was a set rhythm to the days. The ebon decks were holystoned, swabbed, and flogged dry first thing each morning in the cool light of dawn, after which breakfast was served. Then all hands were mustered to hear the daily report of the ship's progress and, occasionally, to determine and witness punishments. The latter was hardly a regular occurance on the Pearl, but Nell was thankful that Jack forbade her to attend "in consideration of the men's sensibilities". Several hours of "make and mend" followed, a time to clean, sew, paint, sharpen, or otherwise improve everything from sails to clothing to one's person to the Pearl herself. Nell used this time to tidy Jack's cabin on most days, and he vowed he could readily grow accustomed to having things put in their proper order, though there were one or two times later in the voyage when he loudly refuted this, having searched high and low for some item Nell had stowed rather too well.

Nell helped Cook every day with dinner, served up in the early afternoon. Then there was time for rest before small arms and gunnery practice began. Jack let Bootstrap Bill take the lead in showing Nell the basics of swordplay and the use of knives, but Jack himself was the best shot on the Pearl. Nell didn't much like the noise engendered by firearms and cannon, but Jack insisted she must be broke of this and at least learn the care and use of a pistol. Her stubborn determination not to disappoint him, and his faith that she was a game one, each had their effect, and she was soon able to hit a target with a tolerable degree of accuracy.

She helped Cook at supper, too, and then was free to enjoy the evening. She learned several new card games, and how to "roll the bones" at Hazard, and if she was not quite a "sharp" by the end of the voyage, at least she was no longer a "flat". She absorbed the melodies and words of a great many songs and shanties and, under Jack's watchful eye, participated in some of the rollicking dances the men got up. But perhaps she was happiest when she retired early, safe in the Great Cabin with Giselle, with no need of dissembling and Jack's whole library of books at hand.

She loved every tome, but she was naturally drawn most to those illustrated books of the East in which sexual congress was viewed in a frank and flattering light. Extensive study and subsequent experimentation showed that making love was a skill like any other, and that frequent practice was essential to good health and full satisfaction.

Accordingly, when Jack retired for the evening, Nell would watch him bolt the door, dutifully "swing the hammock", strip in the glow of the lamp, and come to her, and she would welcome him eagerly. Mother, and even Father would have been horrified. That she was playing with fire she knew full well. But it was a time out of time, a dream from which they would soon wake, and it seemed criminal to deny either of them these golden nights of discovery, impossible to ignore the heat, the joy, the love that flashed between them like lightning.




TBC...

Comments

[jillianfish.livejournal.com]

I liked this glimpse of their days at sea. It's nice to see that everyone has settled into a rhythm with her on board and she and Jack get along magnificently.

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

It is like that too, the joyous boring routine where you can be social or antisocial--you have your part to do and time to do it. Feels nice to be in a community such as this.

Then to have a buddy to experiment with, ohmyword!! And a Jackbuddy! There is a heaven! I'm afraid it would be a dicey thang on a good day to keep it on the down low about having such. Lovely chapter for reading twist the lines. Yeah, baby.

[mary684.livejournal.com]

I think I'm about as content as a Pearl with this chapter. Lovely little view of shipboard life and I hope Jack (and Nell) realize there is more than one way to "ruin" a girl. It's a sweet chapter but I'm feeling a little bittersweet about it as well. time out of time is a wonderful thing but, as with all times, these too, come to an end.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

This almost makes pirate life seem like every day life. Routine, and comfortable.

I expect pirate ships were run with some degree of discipline, just to keep everyone busy and the ship afloat. This is an adaptation of the routine on a navel vessel, just a little looser in structure. Glad you're still enjoying, more in the morning. Thank you so much for commenting!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I expect there could be lots more written about those golden days, but in the interest of moving the plot along I'm condensing their voyage to a couple of chapters. More tomorrow, from Jack's pov. I'm glad you're still enjoying it!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

More on the voyage from Jack's pov tomorrow. I'm glad you're still enjoying. Getting down to the last of the story here, but there is still some Plot to write. *g* Thank you for commenting!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I'm feeling a little bittersweet about it as well. time out of time is a wonderful thing but, as with all times, these too, come to an end.

You and me both. I will have been writing this for two whole months as of next week, when it's ending. It's always kind of a downer when one finishes a long story. I hope I'll be able to move on and finish another WIP, perhaps.

I'm glad you enjoyed this look at the voyage from Nell's pov. Tomorrow there will be a slightly less comfortable one from Jack's, and then the Plot marches on. Thank you so much for commenting!

[oasis-herself.livejournal.com]

Hey hi...you know I'm a slasher at heart, but I've been following along on this one. Excellent writing as always.
I hope you don't mind, (and it probably doesn't matter to your plot) but FYI I'd like to offer a bit of a correction to your depiction of shipboard life.
A sailing vessel underway is broken into watches...8-12, 12-4, 4-8, etc around the clock. On some ships, officers don't stand watch...on others, the officers are the watch leaders. The on-coming watch 'musters on' and takes the deck with their watch leader and the off going watch 'musters off' with their watch leader. Meals are served twice...breakfast would be served at 7:30 for the ongoing watch and again at 8 for the off going watch...same with other meals.
Usually a vessel underway is a quiet place as there is always one watch sleeping.
Maintenance is ongoing and varies from ship to ship. (I know of one ship that bakes bread during the 4 - 8 watch others usually do a deck wash on the 8 - 12 watch)
Sailing ships are pretty tradition bound and I would say that the biggest difference between pirate and military would be in the interaction between officers and crew and not in the actual running of the vessel.
Sorry to be so pedantic...overall, I'm enjoying the story and I really like your 'Jack voice'.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Perfectly all right, I did not not quite achieve the nebulous sense of order with a difference I was going for, perhaps. Then again, it's difficult to say how pirate ships would have varied from naval or merchant vessels, or even among their own breed.

Glad to hear you've been enjoying the story, though. Just a few more days to go on this one. Thank you for commenting!

[florencia7.livejournal.com]

I LOVED the descriptions of their routine, I could imagine everything so clearly, you always paint such vivid pictures with your words.

And... OMG: "love"! It can't be good. Especially not when it is in italics LOL But I think I'll allow myself to live in denial for some time yet, hoping that there are no troubles on the horizon...

Fantastic installment! :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

It can't be good. Especially not when it is in italics LOL

Not terrible, but star-crossed for sure. But it is 'An Execrable Business' you know.

Very glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for commenting.

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Wonderful. Absolutly wonderful. :-) I am glad she gets to learn stuff to, so she'll be able to take care of herself a bit better in the company she is in. ;-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Learning new stuff is always an exciting prospect, even the stuff that doesn't involve Jack and his Books of India. *g* I'm so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for letting me know.