Second on the Right (45 page)

Smee came running up to James. "Aye Cap'n?"
he asked, while smiling sweetly at Wendy. She ignored him.

"Throw the young lady in the brig," James
ordered with a cold smile.

"Aye, aye Cap'in!" he responded, taking her
arm.

Wendy smiled. "Oh captain, would you have me
in chains as well?" she asked breathlessly.

James' face held a foul look, so much so that
it caused Wendy to shrink back against the bo'sun. "My dear," he
said quietly, but with a harsh coldness. "There are far worse
things than the brig. For instance, I could leave you here, on El
Tiburón, at the mercy of pirates."

"You wouldn't!" she said, a slight quiver to
her voice.

"Oh, but I would, if it meant removing that
which is impeding progress towards reaching my wife!" he said with
a snarl. "Now, Smee!" James turned on his heels and sprinted to the
helm.

Smee escorted Wendy down to the brig. "He, he
has a wife?" she asked him as she cried.

"Yes, dear. Thought she was dead, but he
believes her to be alive now," he replied tenderly. "Do you need
anything? If not, I really should head back up to assist the
cap'n."

“She must be hideous,” she cried, shaking her
head as she sat in the corner of the cell, her arms wrapped around
her knees.

The
Mistral Thief
barreled through the
ocean towards St. Vincent Island. Benedict had been barking out
orders since they left El Tiburón. His voice was now hoarse. The
crew had become irritated at being micromanaged. Plus, they had
begun to think Eileen had special treatment. Most of them knew her
from years ago. She had worked as an equal aboard the
Mistral
Thief
. But now, the captain seemed to guard her from any duties
whatsoever. The bo'sun had worked to maintain crew morale, but even
he was a little disgruntled by the constant barrage from the
captain. He knew it was all because of the woman.

After multiple attempts to encourage the
captain to return to his quarters, the bo'sun finally convinced
Benedict to leave the crew to their work. Benedict was actually
procrastinating, knowing who and what awaited him. Reluctantly, he
opened the door and entered the cabin.

As usual, Eileen stood by the window, staring
out at the horizon. He paused to consider her. Daria had been
right. Eileen meant more to him than any treasure he had ever
found. Benedict never thought he’d reach the point where the love
of a woman held more value than gold.
And like with any
treasure, it must be locked away, only for me. She needs to be
hidden from others. From him.

He had promised her to go ashore once they
reached El Tiburón, but when he caught sight of James, the one man
that would cause Eileen to leave him, he changed his mind. Eileen
was ready to bolt, ignoring his orders, but he knew she had thought
better. If she had left, she believed she would have been on her
own in a town full of pirates. Her family gone, she had no one,
save him.

He sat down at his table, pretending to read
over maps. With an apple in hand, he kicked his feet up. He could
hear her movement from behind. She had turned around and was, no
doubt, glaring at him.

"Would you please stop," she said through
clenched teeth.

"What?" he asked, only giving a brief glance
to her. As he answered, bits of apple spilled from his mouth, down
his clothes, and onto the table. His beard, wet from the juice of
the fruit, glistened in the light. The corners of her mouth curved
downward in disgust.

"Aagggh!" she cried out in frustration.

"Ye got a problem, missy?" he snapped. "Out
with it!"

"Yes. I have a problem,” she answered,
spiraling around to confront him. "With you."

"Ye still goin' on 'bout El Tiburón?" he
scoffed. "Ye will get a chance, when I say. I be the captain o’
this here vessel. I canno’ understand why ye struggle ta obey me
orders!" He waved her off.

"Yes! Robert, you are the captain. But am I
not a crew member? You’re treating me like a prisoner. I can work,
you know I can. Why keep me locked up when I can help the crew? I
don't know what’s happened to you, but you’ve changed," she crossed
her arms. “I thought we were a, a…”

“A what exactly?” he raised an eyebrow,
thinking of how she had shunned him because of the memory of her
husband. He remembered clearly how, though they had been intimate,
she eventually rejected him. "Ye have been allowed to stay aboard
me ship, in me quarters. Ye eat tha food, drink tha wine. And
though we had a time, by your request,” he began in a low, yet
threatening voice. “Ye have remained untouched. Don't. Push.
Me."

"You wouldn't," she replied with a little
less confidence in her voice.

"I’m but a pirate," he said with a grin, arms
opened in display. "If I find somethin', or
someone
, I like,
I take it." He was satisfied he had threatened her enough that she
was back under his control.

“You said you’d give me time. That’s all I
ask,” she said.

"Are we done?" he asked.

She didn’t answer, so he returned to his
charts. He tossed his hat to the side and ran his fingers through
his hair with a loud exhale. When he suddenly decided to leave for
Kingstown, after only just arriving, he could tell she was
confused. And then James had called out to her, but she didn’t
immediately recognize his voice. He only hoped her suspicions would
diminish in time.

James paced the deck, up to the helm and back
down. The closer they drew to St Vincent Island, the more anxious
he felt. He could hardly contain it and tried not to take it out on
his crew. Still, they stayed out of his path, or even his
proximity, for fear of the hook that swayed at his side.

Smee had come up from below deck and walked
hesitantly over to James. "Cap'n?" he asked, unsure of whether he
should bother him.

"Yes?" James asked.

"Beggin' yer pardon, Cap'n, but Miss Wendy is
askin' for you." He gave a slight smile.

James sighed heavily. He had forgotten about
their guest, having ordered her to be placed in the brig and out of
his way. He knew it was cruel treatment, but she was truly becoming
a pest. Still, being a gentleman, he allowed his bo'sun to release
her from the confines of her prison and escort her to his quarters.
There, he would allow her to remain, provided she stayed there.

The sun had set and night fell rapidly,
sweeping over the
Jolly Roger
. James retired to his quarters
to rest before his inevitable confrontation with Benedict. Deep in
thought as how to approach him, he entered his cabin. Light spilled
onto the deck briefly before he shut the door behind him.

He walked over to his bed and sat down on the
edge, rubbing his tired eyes.
Almost there. Just hold on.
He
felt Eileen was just out of his reach, but if he kept pushing,
eventually she would be back in his arms. A smile crept over his
lips. Thinking of Eileen, James pulled his shirt over his head with
his left hand, tossing it over a nearby chair. Unbuckling the
harness, he let it fall down his back and onto the bed. With a tug
of his right arm, it slipped from behind him and lay on his lap. He
stared at the harness and hook for a moment.
How will Eileen
feel about this?
He shook his head at the thought, deciding
there was no point in dwelling on it until that moment. He placed
both items over the chair and inspected the sore areas on his skin
where it had chaffed him from constant wear.

James sat hunched over, the candlelight
reflecting on his skin and muscles that were damp from sweat. Eyes
closed, his breathing grew deeper, his body relaxed while his
thoughts remained on the rescue of his wife. His smile grew as he
imagined he could feel her hands run down his back, over his sides
and up his chest in a hug. The thought of her body, her bare skin,
against his back, was enticing. It had been so long since he had
been with her. "I missed you," he whispered.

James leaned his head back against her
shoulder, feeling her light kisses on his cheek and neck. He sighed
deeply. He ran his fingers through her hair. Stopping at the base
of her neck, he turned to kiss her. He opened his eyes to find the
brown eyes of a young girl staring back at him. Startled it was not
Eileen, he scurried back, falling off the bed and hitting the floor
with a hard thud.

"W-what are you doing?" he snapped at Wendy,
who was naked. "Have you gone mad?"

She frowned, but quickly recovered, trying
her best at a coy smile, "I thought I could help you relax."

James looked at her incredulously. Grabbing
his head in his hand, he paced the room. "You aren’t more
than…than…thirteen. You’re jailbait," he said, exasperated.

“I may be thirteen, but I look much older,
old enough to be married!” she argued, then murmured to herself,
“Will be an old maid by fourteen, thanks to you.”

He growled at the thought he had nearly
kissed her. It wasn’t that she was unattractive. Regardless, James
was focused, and anything that interfered would meet with his
temper. "Put your clothes on!" he snapped and stormed out of the
cabin, not caring he was without both shirt and hook.

Unable to stand Benedict’s company, Eileen
left the cabin. She leaned against the railing at the stern and
watched the waves. She began to daydream of a way of escaping her
reality on board the ship. As she looked out over the ocean, her
eyes imagined the sight of a faint silhouette of a ship in the
distance.

"Eileen!" snapped Benedict from the cabin
door.

Eileen woke from her daydream. She wanted to
stay outside. She was violently pushed towards the captain's
quarters. She turned to find Smythe behind her.

"When the cap'n calls, you
move
!" he
yelled at her, pushing her again. Smythe murmured for only Eileen
to hear, “Sorry miss. Cap’n expects me ta be mean, but I’ll take
good care o’ ye.” He gave her a quick wink.

Surprised, Eileen glanced around the ship to
find other crewmen with unfriendly faces staring back at her.
Are they genuine or is the crew playing the part expected of
them?
Entering the cabin, Eileen grew uneasy, sensing the
hostility from the captain. Realizing that it would be best to
remain silent, she sat down across the table from him.

"Did I say ye could sit?" he said with a
growl.

Raising an eyebrow, Eileen slowly rose from
her chair.

Lowering his voice, he continued, "When I
tell ye where ta go, ye will do as asked. There will be no frettin'
'round the ship. Ye are ta remain in here at all times."

"But Robert," she implored.

"Silence!" he yelled, causing her to jump.
Again lowering his voice, he said, "Ye are mine, wench. Do ye
understand? Ye best be rememberin' that. And ye will be referrin'
ta me as
Captain
. Nothin' else."