"The Ruby Rose" (A "Black Sails" Adventure)

[aSimpleMan4U]

"The Ruby Rose"

(A "Black Sails" Adventure)

(closed: this is for Perplexia and me)​

1715
Port Royal, Carolina
(British Colonies)

The Quartermaster ripped back a canvas tarp to reveal the two kegs of rum. Below him on the deck of the British ketch, the Elizabeth's Pride, the crew called out in anxious excitement.

"Nine long months, men!" Tormay called out. "Nine ... long ... months we have been patrolling these waters. Keeping them safe for those spoiled ... cowardly ... cockless merchant sailors ... who wouldn't know the difference between a cutlass ... and cutlery!"

The men hooted and hollered and shared derisive comments about the British sailing crews that they themselves had been protecting here off the shores of England's most southern American Colonies. Some leaned over the railings to call out at the merchant ships anchored nearby or tied to the docks in the distance. They had lost several shipmates during a recent fight with pirates farther south, nearer the lawless Bahamas. The fight could have been avoided if the captain of the merchant ship had simply obeyed the pirates' command to come to and be boarded. The cargo would have been taken, the ships would have gone their own way, and no one would have died.

At least, that was what typically happened. Most of the pirates raiding the Caribbean and Western Atlantic had no inherent desire to kill. They only wanted the valuables aboard the ships they were attacking. They were just doing their job, albeit theft. Come to, surrender your goods, live to ship another cargo another day. Simple. But, not this time. The merchant ship captain had known that The Pride's patrol zone that day was nearby, and he had fled for it in the hopes of reaching the warship before the pirates reached him. He'd saved his cotton that day, but only because The Pride had had the wind and intercepted the raider. The British had gotten lucky, putting a cannon ball into the other vessel’s powder magazine. The subsequent explosion and fire sent the pirate craft to the bottom, but not before six loyal, brave Englishmen had lost their lives aboard The Pride to a lucky last shot from the sinking ship.

Tormay raised his own cutlass over his head, dangerous end downward, and drove it down hard into the top of one of the kegs. He wrenched it back and forth until a hole was created. It wasn't something he'd needed to do to gain access to the keg's contents: there was, of course, a cork plug right there ready to be pulled. But, this was more dramatic.

"Tomorrow we head for home...!" Again, Tormay's declaration was met with loud excitement. He continued through it, "But tonight...!"

He gestured to a pair of sailors. They tilted the keg onto its side, causing a stream of rum to head downward from the quarterdeck toward the main deck. The sailors below went wild: some raised the flagons they’d brought with them at the news that the hidden kegs had come aboard; while others stood underneath the floor with open mouths and cupped hands, bathing in more than drinking the delicious nectar. It was pure mayhem, and Tormay couldn't help but laugh hysterically.

"Drink up, men!" he called. "Drink today ... for tomorrow ... we go home!"




Captain Jack Richards could hear the excitement from his quarters at the rear of The Pride. He was happy that they were happy about finally getting to go home to England. But of course, not all of them would be. And those who would be, wouldn't be going home in the fashion that they expected.

After the mayhem had continued for quite a while, a knock came at the doors of his quarters. He ordered the visitor in without turning from his view out the aft facing windows. He was looking out upon Carolina’s Port Royal, not to be confused with the port of the same name in another of Britain's colonies, Jamaica. Many merchant ships were at the docks or anchored in the harbor, as were a trio of British warships, based out of the harbor. He'd never wanted to come here. War was raging back in Europe, and Richards had wanted to partake of the fighting there. Instead, he'd found himself out here in the Western Atlantic chasing pirates.

Nine months, and they'd enjoyed just 2 engagements. The pirates generally sailed smaller, faster ships than those of the British fleet. And at sighting an approaching warship, the pirates generally fled. Oh, it wasn't an act of cowardice, of course. They simply had no interest in fighting with the British, French, and Spanish warships patrolling the seas in which they operated. Contrary to the popular belief, most of the pirates weren't nearly as bloodthirsty as they were depicted in the news sent home to England in an effort to cement a hatred for them and, thus, the collection of the funds needed to fight them.

"The men will be ready for culling by dark, Captain," Tormay announced with a hint of delight in his voice.

"How many?" Richards asked cryptically.

"Of the current crew of 34...?" Tormay mused. "I can guarantee the loyalty of a dozen. Another dozen or so ... perhaps. The remainder ... they want to go home. And while they would continue to be loyal to you as subjects of the Crown..."

Richards turned to look at Tormay, whose position was as much First Mate as it was Quartermaster. "They can be counted on to obey my orders ... if I am receiving my orders came from the Admiralty..."

Tormay continued the thought, "...but they can't be counted on to obey your orders when they learn that you are stealing The Pride and fleeing south ... out of the reach of those British ships that will then be sent to either take The Pride back ... or sink her."

Richards turned to look out the windows again. All four of Port Royal's ships -- including The Pride -- were currently in port. Tomorrow, when the other three realized what Richards had done, they'd be sent out to track him down. He would have the advantage of a head start. But they had the numerical advantage. Trying to hide from or flee from one ship was easy, particularly with The Pride: she was smaller, sleeker, and faster than either of the three vessels within Richards’s view. But to evade three…?

"Am I making a mistake?" he asked, turning back to look at his right hand man.

"You have served the Admiralty with loyalty and distinction," Tormay began his answer.

In reality, Richards had been disciplined for his poor record of engaging pirates, but it wasn’t as if he hadn’t tried. The Pride had chased after a dozen and a half pirate craft in her nine months here. And as fast as she was relative to the larger British warships, she simply couldn’t catch the even smaller pirate ones.

“You have risked your life to protect the Empire,” the Quartermaster continued. “And now, because your father and uncle have been charged and sentenced with crimes against the Crown ... treasonous acts in which you had no part, Captain ... now, they want you to return to England."

"To testify," Richards said weakly.

"You know that won't be the end of it, Captain," Tormay interjected. "You will be found guilty by association. You will lose your command. You will lose your rank. They will send you off to some little farm house in the countryside to be spied upon by your neighbors 'til, in your old age, the day comes that you fall over dead ... from disappointment and regret."

Richards raised his gaze to the Quartermaster, smiling. "You talk more like a poet than a sailor, Tormay."

"I was a poet ... before I was a sailor, Captain."

Richards turned back to the windows for a long moment. The fun being had beyond his quarters was continuing. By dark, most of the men would be so drunk they'd have difficulty walking. Most. Not all. The 12 men whose loyalty Tormay was guaranteed were flailing their flagons about but very little of their contents were entering their throats. When it came time to cull the others, these men would be right as rain.

"How many do we need to sail The Pride," he asked. "To be able to successfully flee Port Royal ... to reach Nassau?"

Many a destination had been considered by Richards and Tormay, and the only suitable one had been determined to be the port of Nassau on New Providence in the British Bahamas. Formerly under British control, it was now an open city. The British Governor and his minimal Marine compliment had fled deep into the interior a decade earlier in the face of a Spanish invasion. The Spanish conquerors had still been fighting a British guerrilla action when the famed British admiral-turned-pirate, Captain Harriman "Black Heart" Harker, led 300 pirates and 8 ships against Nassau. The surprise attack began at dusk, and by dawn there wasn't a Spanish sailor or marine left alive on the island.

Harker had had no interest in running Nassau. He'd attacked it for two reasons: his own retirement, and his pirate cohort's safety. He stripped the Spanish ships of their guns and placed them along the forts walls. This had two purposes: to keep the British out of Nassau Harbor, and to let the merchants in the town below know that at any moment he could reduce their businesses and homes to rubble. He declared the city Open -- to merchants of all nations and, particular, to his pirate brethren -- then sat back and enjoyed the monthly tribute paid to him by the town’s leaders for his continued protection.

For a decade, the pirates of the Bahamas had sailed in and out of Nassau at will, selling the goods they looted from merchant ships and coastal ports and spending their profit on resupply, rum, and rolls in the sack.

Tormay contemplated his Captain’s question a moment before answering, “We could operate off the 12 men who already know our plans. But … 8 more would be--”

“Pick 4,” Richards cut in. He turned. “Loyalty over all.”

“Yes, Captain,” Tormay responded. He gestured his respect, turned to leave, and confirmed, "I'll see to it, Captain."

Out on the main deck, Tormay watched the sailors with concern. He would have liked to retain about half of the 34. But, the Captain was right: if just one disloyal man was told of the plan and slipped off to the shore before the plan was instituted, he and Richards would be hanging from yardarm by before the sun had even risen.

Oh, well, they didn't need more than a dozen men to sail the ship. The extra men would only be needed if there was a fight. And, they weren't expecting one. They only had to escape Port Royal and get into the open sea. Then, in the days, weeks, and months to come they would find work on the sea: transporting goods, passengers maybe. Sure, The Pride would be a stolen vessel. They'd have to change the name across the back and do some interesting rigging work to make it look unlike it did now. But then, that was it. Then they could be honest, inconspicuous seafarers. After all: it wasn’t like they were going to become pirates. Right?




As midnight approached, Tormay and his loyal dozen went to work. Their work was aided by a fog that would thicken as the also thickened. They found one drunk man after another who was not making the voyage to Nassau and lowered him to one of the two long boats tied to the seaward side of The Pride, out of sight of the other warships. Occasionally, a man had to be thumped when he resisted. And a couple of men hadn't gotten drunk at all and had to be bound and gagged. But by four bells, the number of men on The Pride was down to the prescribed 18.

As quietly as could be done, the anchor was retrieved and the sails were set. The wind was slight, barely enough to move the ship from its anchorage. But by the time sunrise and the then-lessening fog revealed the absence of The Pride, Richards and his mutineers were beyond the horizon ... lost to the British fleet in Port Royal.



"What do you want to call her, Captain?"

Richards leaned over the aft railing to the main dangling below him in a harness at the end of a pair of ropes. The Elizabeth's Pride was to be The Pride no longer: the wooden letters that had spelled out the ship's identity had been removed with hammer and chisel. Richards could still see the last few of the blocks floating in the relatively smooth sea behind the ketch.

The Captain looked to his Quartermaster. "So, Tormay ... what shall we call her?"

"Are you giving me the opportunity to name her, Captain?"

Richards smiled wide. "So long as you don't name her for that woman ... you know the one, at the Black Raven--"

Tormay erupted in laughter. "Edith! Oh, Edith, I'd nearly forgotten about her."

Now Richards laughed. "No one forgets a woman like Edith!"

They laughed together for a moment, recalling the tavern whore who -- for a lack of any female assistance -- had very nearly satisfied every member of The Pride's crew on their last port call. After a moment, Tormay gave Richards a long knowing look, then leaned over the side.

"Ruby Rose!" he called down to the Carpenter. "R-U-B--"

"I'm not illiterate!" the Carpenter called back up. He looked to Richards, asking, "Ruby Rose, Captain?"

Richards nodded. "Make it so."

As the Carpenter began skillfully marking out the letters -- from inside to out -- to ensure proper placement -- Richards and Tormay turned to look forward. The former told the latter, "We need to make some more changes. Change her look."

They'd left Port Royal three days earlier, and Tormay had already been working on some ideas. "By the time we reach Nassau, Captain, you'll never know she'd once been The Pride."

Tormay headed off to get the men to work. Richards leaned over the rail to demand that the Carpenter spell Ruby Rose aloud, just to be sure, then went down to his quarters. He laid out the records of the merchant ships they'd been protecting over the past months. As he leaned back to stare out at the dangling feet of the Carpenter, Richards contemplated the future. His plan was to find legitimate work for his ship and men. But...

He was a mutineer. He'd stolen an Admiralty ship. He knew the odds of finding honest work and staying out of jail were slim to none.

He knew what the future held for The Pride. For the Ruby Rose...

Piracy.

<<<--->>>​

This is the ship upon which the Elizabeth's Pride is based. (Ignore the US flag flying high, obviously.)

 

[Perplexia]

Henrietta Chavley was the daughter of the man that was meant to run Nassau’s island of questionable ethically business practices. His daughter had been tucked neatly away in England with her mother until her untimely death. With no husband to look after her she went to her father hoping they could form that daughter father relationship. Instead he gave her Nassau to run and make flourish.

Henri had looked at it as a test of her worth to her father. If she could do this he would have no choice but to give her the time of day and kudos that she deserved. She worked hard studying everything and anything that had to do with irrigation, architecture, and business management. In the end, although it didn’t get the love she so desperately was seeking from her father. She did do better then anyone anticipated possible.

Under her care Nassau ran like a well-oiled machine. She had a system in effect to buy the ships cargoes for a set price and had a system set up with different merchants all over to buy the stolen goods no questions asked. For their cargo they got a good price, of which most spent their earnings in the bar she owned, as well as in the brothel.

Each business paid monthly for the upkeep on their buildings. If something went wrong, it was fixed immediately. There was no complaining; only the occasional jackass that tried to step in her way. Being a single woman with means and power often made her the recipient of unwanted affections. She tended to promptly dismiss them, and in some cases had to have one or two go missing.

She wasn’t going to feel bad about it though. Being a woman in a mans world was not easy. Being a business woman in a world of pirates was almost impossible. Luckily she had managed to gain a great amount of respect, regardless of wearing a skirt. She treated everyone as equals and looked down on no one. After all she was enabling them to maintain their lifestyle. Harker may have killed and kicked out the civilized folk to deem himself Lord of the pirates. But she was the one that made this place livable and a home to many that could never go back to the homes they once had.

It always amused her that when men heard that a woman ran things she would have to be quite ugly and plain. As if a pretty woman couldn’t have the education or the ability to have accomplished all that she had. They also considered her weak and unable to delve out the punishments that were required for breaking the few rules they had on this island.

Being a shrewed business woman and being ruthless went hand in hand however. She had proved on several occasions that she would whip a man herself, and only once did she have to take a mans life directly.

As she stood looking out the window ,in her office above the bar, at the waves and ships her solitude was interrupted. “Madam, new unknown ship heading into port” One of her men said to her.

“I’ll be there directly” she advised taking a swig of rum and preparing herself for any possible confrontation.

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Fort Nassau:

"William, has he raised his ensign?"

The boy at the wall of the Fort turned to the now-permanently-land-based-pirate behind him, answering, "None yet, Captain."

"Will he?" Harker asked. His tone was that of a teacher quizzing a student. "Under what conditions will he raise his standard, identifying his nationality?

The two went back and forth for several minutes, discussing when captains identified themselves and when they did not; why they did or did not; and what the fort's proper response was to the lack of an ensign or the raising of an ensign of an enemy.

When he was satisfied with his Watch's responses, Harker laid his head back into the pillow of his padded chair and closed his eyes. He loved it up here, on the roof of the donjon of Fort Nassau. A sun shade large enough to provide him day long protection from the sometimes harsh Caribbean glare flopped above him in the light afternoon wind, reminding him of the long absent sound of the sails of the ships he no longer commanded. For nearly a decade, Harker's command had been this castle. He'd never wanted to be a pirate in the first place. It was something that had simply happened. These days, he spent most of his day sitting here under the shade, sipping at fruity rum laced drinks to which he'd been introduced to by the shapely, black-as-night servant sitting near him.

Ella wasn't Harker's slave, but she was his property, in a manner of speaking. He'd first seen her the day that his forces -- combined with those of dozen other pirate captains -- had captured Nassau from the Spanish, who of course had just captured it from the British just two days earlier. She'd been sitting in a warehouse, shackled to three dozen other slaves, waiting for transport to the sugar plantations of Cuba. He'd fallen in lust with her at first sight and taken her as a consort. Then, he'd fallen in love with her and -- after officially freeing her -- had taken her as his wife.

The boy on the wall was the first of their three sons. Harker watched William with great joy and pride as his wife -- still serving him dutifully after all these years -- fed him small pieces of cheese, meat, and cut fruit whenever he looked her way, smiled, and winked. He reached out to pat her swelling baby, thinking Maybe she will get her little girl this time around.

"British! William suddenly announced. The boy had returned to watching the approaching ship through the telescope cradled in a bag of sand laid atop a pole-mounted platform. It gave the spy scope both stability and flexibility in slight movement, allowing the scout to watch the ever-so-slowly approaching vessel as it neared the harbor. He looked back to the man who was his father but addressed him as if his military superior, "British ensign, Captain."

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Charles LeDuke loved the mayhem of Nassau when the people came out to meet the newly arrived ships. And when there were seven ships in the harbor at the same time, there was certainly a great deal of it.

All four docks capable of serving ocean going sailing vessels were filled. A merchant ship from England was unloading the goods that the people of Nassau needed but couldn't produce for themselves. Another merchant ship was loading goods produced on the island, as well as some looted goods that had been seized on the high seas by pirates, sold to legitimate intermediaries -- such as Henrietta Chavley -- and repackaged for legitimate sale in the Colonies.

Charles studied the other two ships tied up to the piers, shaking his head in disbelief. Only in Nassau could a pirate captain sail his craft right up to a public dock and unload his ill gotten gain. Anywhere else in the civilized world, he would have been boarded, arrested, and hung, all within a single day's sunshine.

Out in the harbor waited one more merchant ship and Charles' own boat, The Raven. He and his crew had had some great success this month, stopping and pillaging the more valuable cargo of three merchant craft sailing between Europe and Cuba. They had arrived in Nassau just after sunrise and would unload later in the day. His Quartermaster had distributed coin from the ship's treasury to give the men something to spend in the town prior to the current cargo's sale. They were now flush with earnings now, and until the crew ran out of money, they'd be in no hurry to go anywhere.

Charles, however, was in very much a hurry. He spent the morning dealing with shipboard issues that had inconveniently popped up, but now he was finally ashore. He pushed through the heavier than normal crowds milling about the shores of Nassau Harbor, heading for a meeting with Madam Henrietta Chavley. It wasn't a scheduled meeting: she wasn't expecting him. Oh, she probably was expecting him, actually. But whether she was excited about Charles showing up at her door was to be debated.

From the moment he'd laid eyes upon the beauty -- what four, five years ago? -- Charles had promised her on every visit to Nassau that one day they would find heaven together ... screaming out in delight with her thighs wrapped around his waist and his sword deep in her scabbard. She'd resisted him with far more determination than any of the merchant captains whose ships he'd boarded. But, he was determined to one day have the woman who was Nassau. It was only a matter of time.

Entering her tavern, Charles found many of his crew already partaking of the offerings. A tavern wench approached him with her breasts hanging out in advertisement. As she pressed them against him, she asked with a suggestive tone, "What can I do for you, m'lord?"

"You can find your Mistress and tell her that Charles LeDuke is here," he told her, groping a large tit before slapping it, causing the woman to cry out in pain. He grasped a handful of hair to control her skull, pressed his mouth hard to hers in a hard kiss that she quickly joined, then released her with a bit of a push. "Go! Find your lady. And bring me food."

He made his way to a corner table on a slight mezzanine, his reputation enough to cause the patrons already there to scatter to other locations. He dropped into a pile of pillows, accepted a flagon of ale provided by another tavern wench, then waited...

...as he would for minutes, hours, or days ... for the arrival of the slit of his dreams.

 

[Perplexia]

Henri was getting ready to come down the stairs that led through the tavern when Millie came bolting up the stairs red in the face. "He's here Ma'am and asking for ya." Henri rolled her eyes. "wait in my office until you see me go down to the street by the back stairs. Then go and tell him you looked everywhere and couldn't find me." she said in almost a whisper to be sure they weren't over heard.

Millie nodded and went to her office window as Henri slipped out the back stairs that led to the street and made her way down to the port. Taking a spy glass she looked out at the ship that was anchored. Some men were boarding a lifeboat and coming preparing to come into port. No doubt to establish relations, she too had spotted the British ensign. Sometimes the British got a hair up their ass and tried to investigate. Generally she paid them off. On very few occasions captains and their entire crew went missing. Diplomacy, then bribery, then there wasn't an option.

As Henri waited she new she'd once again have to face Charles. Over the past years she had learned a lot about herself. He had been her first and only lover, on multiple occasions. She had been extremely vulnerable the first time after having a fight with her father. For months she had been ignoring his lewd remarks and gestures. Then he was there when she needed someone to punch and slap. It quickly escalated into kissing and an epic fuck session.

But when he had come back from sea, she turned him down again. He was under the impression that she needed saving from this place. However, Henri loved it here. She was her own person, and had no one to answer to. He wanted to collar her, and maker her his pet. He thought by occasional fuck sessions that would win her over. It simply reminded her each time that she didn't need him. If anything she could use him to relieve her hunger and frustrations. She was still after all a gentleman's daughter and believed in the sanctity of marriage, and true affection. Not the loathing she felt for Charles.

Henri watched as the boat came in and she was able to search the faces. The Captain she identified was quite handsome. Unfortunately for him he was British and would be soon on his way.

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Two hours earlier:

As the newly christened Ruby Rose closed on Nassau Harbor, Captain Jack Richards was more tense than he'd been even when in hot pursuit of pirates. The crew had spend the last 10 days making small changes to the former Elizabeth's Pride to give her a unique, unfamiliar look. Despite this, she was still a ship of obvious English design sailing into a port that had once been controlled by the English but now was controlled by English-hating pirates.

He knew the important details of the politics of Nassau, yet there was still so much more to be learned. Richards knew that a former pirate named Harker controlled the fort, and that the stone structure rising high above the harbor was fortified with a dozen 24 pounders that had been taken from a Spanish galleon a decade ago. (The fort's guns were massive when compared to the Ruby Rose's 12 pounders.) Little else was known about the Harker: how many men did he have inside the fort? Did he still have a ship or two roaming the seas? Did he have plans for Nassau? The questions outnumbered the answers 10 to 1.

The town's commerce was open to all and many a businessman was reported to be making his fortune here, a lot of it off illicit trade with the pirates who roamed the Caribbean. But if the rumors were true, a single woman -- a Henrietta Chavley -- held the real power in New Providence. She reportedly held sway over all? How? Gold and silver? Guns and swords? Tits and slits? Perhaps she knew where the bodies were buried, figuratively or even literally. Richards couldn't know because, honestly, few outside Nassau even knew.

There was reportedly a well organized miltia that maintained law and order in the streets. But again, no one outside Nassau really knew whether or not that was true. And if it was true, no one knew whether that force was controlled by Harker, Chavley, or some other entity.

Richards didn't like sailing into a situation in which he had so many questions. And, of course, they -- Harker, Chavley, and others -- would have so many questions about the ship sailing into their port. Deciding to answer one of those questions, he looked to Tormay and ordered, "Send up the ensign."

His First Mate gave him a curious expression. "Captain...?"

"We are a English merchant ship sailing into a peaceful harbor with the intention of doing commerce," Richards said, reminding the man of their cover story. "If we do not raise the ensign, we will be assumed to be hiding something. Are we hiding something, Mister Tormay?"

The First Mate contemplated the question for a moment, then answered, "No, Captain. We have nothing to hide."

He snagged a young sailor and passed on Richard's orders. A minute later, the Union Jack rose on a line at the stern of the Ruby Rose. It was a civilian version of the flag, not the Admiralty version that would have identified the ship as a warship. Richards and Tormay watched the wind catch the 8x4 foot flag and flutter it off over the starboard side.

"Anchorage there, Mister Tormay," Richards said, pointing to a spot in the harbor. It was a bit distant from the docks, but it would give the Ruby Rose a quick exit if one was needed; and it kept him from the broadsides of the two ships at anchor, should they came under fire for any reason. "Put a boat in the water as if we are coming to shore, but ... no one leaves the ship until I say."



Now:

Richards had kept the crew busy with the duties typical of pulling into port. He wanted to see if the Port Master would send someone out to meet the ship. When that didn't happen he called his First Mate over.

"I'm going ashore, Mister Tormay ... four man escort," he told the man who, of course, would take the Con' during the Captain's absence. "If anything unexpected should happen, weigh anchor and ... well, you'll figure it out. Load up some items for trade ... and have Mister Carlton disembark."

The Marine had taken suffering periodically from infection, likely due to some shrapnel he'd taken in the leg during the last fight with pirates. Richards hoped to find a doctor, for two reasons: one, Carlton was a good man, and it would be a shame to lose him; and two, it was a good cover for why a ship that had no real business coming to Nassau did just that.

"No uniforms, no insignia, no Admiralty issued weapons," he reminded Tormay. Anything that labeled them as Admiralty sailors and marines had been hidden away in a hold. Ten minutes later, Richards and his escort were on their way toward the docks. As they passed the nearest ship, one of the men at the oars nodded a head toward Richards, whispering that the crew watching them were undoubtedly pirates. "Mind your oar, Mister Hanson. We're just simple merchantmen ... here to enjoy a bit of warm ale ... and a bit of even warmer women."

There was a bit of quiet chatter about booze and boobs, but Richards hardly noticed it. He felt so vulnerable right now. The pirates just fifty yards from them had only to swing a scatter gun the direction of the long boat, and he and his escort would be shark feed. But while they had plenty of pirate eyes upon them, they continued onward unmolested to the dock. A young boy tossed them a line and helped them tie up.

"Look busy," Richards told the men. As the men unloaded the crates of goods and the ailing Mister Carlton, Richard noticed a beautiful young woman standing near the end of the docks. She was watching him just as he was watching him. He caught the arm of a kid barely into the double digits of his life, nodded toward the end of the dock, and asked, "Do you know who that woman is, boy?"

"Oh course I do," the boy said after following Richard's gaze. When the stranger gave him an expectant stare, the boy held out an open palm and smiled broadly. Richard glared more intensely, but the boy knew how things worked here on the docks. After the newly arrived officer-type pulled some copper coins from a pocket and placed one into his hand, the boy said, "That's Madam Chavley, sir."

Richards studied the woman a bit longer, still holding the boy's elbow. Although he already had an idea of who and what Henri was, he asked, "And ... what does this Madam Chavley do?"

The boy's face filled with surprise. He laughed. "Madam Chavley runs Nassau, sir."

The boy reached up in a flash, nabbed two more coins from Richards' hand, wrenched free, and ran off down the dock, disappearing into the crowd. The Captain only laughed before turning to one of his men, formerly a Sergeant in the The Pride's marine detachment. "Cooperton ... locate a doctor for Carlton. Find the Port Master. We'll need water ... fresh food ... other provisions. You know have Mister Tormay's list, yes?"

Once he had the men straight on what they could and couldn't do, he turned to look at the end of the pier ... then headed for the beauty there, knowing that the best place to start was with the person who, as the boy had told him, ran Nassau.

 

[Perplexia]

Henri stood watching the interaction between the man and Lil Joe, with amusement. As usual Lil Joe managed to swindle some coins out of the man before providing information. He was a regular little conman and made them all proud. She watched as walked toward her.

He walked upright like a man with discipline it was obvious he was the captain, but perhaps he had served for the queen at some point. Either way he was certainly a handsome man. He was just simply too clean cut to be a pirate. Nassau's Militia was ready to take fire at a mere signal from her if anything should be array. The original thought was that he could be a spy. But England was already aware of their existence, and no matter how many times they had tried to take control, they were always defeated.

She studied him thoroughly the closer he came to her. Of course they were suspicious of strangers. It was simply their nature. "What's the nature of your business here Captain?" she questioned without bothering to introduce herself.

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

"Medical necessity, madam," Richards responded, deciding to go with the most truthful reason for picking Nassau as a destination. He removed his hat and gave her a slight, respectful bow as he introduced himself, "Captain Jack Jones, of the merchant vessel Ruby Rose, madam."

He and Tormay had had a lengthy discussion about other steps they should take to protect their identities and, therefore, their freedom and quite possibly their very lives. Once the Carolinian Authorities in Port Royal had found the drunken men floating in the long boats, every boat that left the harbor -- whether military or commercial -- would be carrying the news of Richards' treason. The Ruby Rose had a head start, and the Carolinian authorities couldn't know what Richard's destination was. But it was only a matter of time before a ship that did business with Nassau -- maybe even with Henri herself -- came with the news that he and his crew were wanted men. A reward would surely be placed upon his head, possibly on Tormays, maybe even on the sailors under Richards.

"I have a man suffering from infection from a wound, madam," he said, gesturing back toward the sailors carrying a stretcher between them. The carrier hadn't actually been necessary: Carlton could walk just fine. But Tormay had thought it would sell the story better, so Richards has consented to the ploy. Adding more falsehood he continued, "A misfired weapon while hunting seals, madam. I believe he may still have pieces of lead in his leg. I presume the island has a doctor...?"

Richards listened to Henri's response and directed his men as she recommended.

"I have been told that the commerce of Nassau is ... would the proper word be controlled ...?... by a remarkable and stunning woman who goes by the name of Henrietta Chavley."

He smiled broadly, giving her a moment to contemplate his flattery before asking, "Would it be my good fortune to be addressing said woman, madam?"

 

[Perplexia]

Henri listened to what he said and looked to see the wounded man that Jones had described. "Caleb" she called for one of her men. Then told him "show these men to the docs clinic and if he's not there fetch him." "Mr... Jones is it?"she asked without requiring an answer. "We're a bit far south for seals. If you wish to do business on my island, you'll find that being honest with me is the best way to obtain an invitation to sell your wares, and have your men take part in all the benefits of Nassau. We don't care how you got them, or why you're here. Unless of course you are a spy. In which case I would probably hold your tongue about that. These boys, they don't care spies."

She smiled and held out her hand "Henrietta Chavley". After shaking his hand she continued. You may wave your ship on up to the dock for unloading. Don't fret about your man, doc is quite versed in all types of injuries. The Tavern and Brothel are up the hill. You'll have your men take your wares to the building over there to the right." she waved her hand down which dismissed the militia. "If you're in need of consultation or have questions my office is on top of the tavern. By the way Mr. Jones flattery will get you no where with me. Though I do appreciate you trying." she gave him a smirk a light curtsy and headed back up to the Tavern.

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

"We're a bit far south for seals."

The smile on Richards' face began a very slow spread as soon as the statement came from between Henri's beautiful lips. He'd actually meant to say sea lions, but as he listened to her speak with obvious intelligence and knowledge, Richards doubted that she would have believed that tall either.

She continued, speaking of any potential goods -- loot, to be specific -- that Richards and his crew might have to offer, "We don't care how you got them..."

Then the stories were true: Henrietta Chavley did in fact deal in the purchase and subsequent distribution of ill gotten goods. Ten days ago, Richards would have arrested her and taken her back to Port Royal for trial for Conspiracy and Contribution to the Act of Piracy. Today, however, was a far different story. And while he and his men had not come to Nassau to become pirates, it now occurred to Richards that pretending to already be one might be the safest way to hide the truth behind what had brought them here in the first place.

When she mentions spies and spying, Richard assured her that while he flew the Union Jack at the stern of his ship, he was no friend to England, nor did England consider Richards a friend either. He didn't expand on the topic though, and she didn't ask.

Henri introduced herself, then made a gesture to a quartet of attentive, armed men that put them and their weapons at ease. That answered one more question about Henrietta Chavley: she was after all in command of Nassau's militia. As she turned and headed away toward town, Richards watched her with great interest. Even after just two, maybe three minutes in her presence, Richards already knew that she was the remarkable woman he'd flattered her at being. And stunning, too.

"Captain...?"

Richards turned to find the oarsman Hanson staring at him with a hopeful expression. The man looked past him toward a trio of obvious whores standing outside a rundown shack that the independent pleasure providers were apparently using for their quickies with the newly arrived.

"I need you to take the longboat back to the ship, Mister Hanson," he said. Seeing the disappointment in his face, Richards laughed. "Tell Mister Tormay to set a double watch, with double arms, just in case. Then, the rest of you can come ashore."

Hanson and the others still present got excited, but Richards dampened their spirits a bit with, "No rum. I need you all sober and alert until I have a better feel for what we have sailed into."

"But Captain...!" Hanson whined.

"One flagon of ale, dinner, and a woman," Richards clarified. He looked up for the midafternoon sun, saying to all of the men in a louder, firmer voice, "It's not even six bells and you want to get silly with alcohol...? No."

He could see the disappointment, so he conceded, "I want you all back for the Dog Watch at 4 bells. Each man who arrives for watch sober and steady will be allowed back to town at midnight."

Smiled abound, and the men who were left hurried to the long boat to go deliver the word to Mister Tormay. Richards turned to go find the Doctor to feign more concern for Mister Carlton that was actually necessary. Afterward, he would go to the Tavern to get an ale and some food, listen in on any stories that were being told by the patrons, and keep an eye out for the beautiful woman with whom he wanted to do business ... both in and out of bed.



Inside the tavern, Millie had done as her lady ordered, waiting for Henri's escape before making her way down to the mezzanine sitting area where Charles LaDuke was waiting with patience and a flagon of rum. She politely passed on the unfortunate news of Henri's unknown whereabouts.

"You're lying," Charles said softly, almost in a whisper. He smiled, telling Millie, "But that's fine. You're just doing your lady's bidding."

His ship had arrived this morning, which meant that the woman of his lustful dreams had known he'd be coming here to see her. If she'd wanted to see him, she would have been available. Of course, she no longer had the same interest in Charles as he had for Henri. Or ... did she? She surely didn't show that interest in public. But Charles liked to believe that when she laid down at night, she let her fingers wander down to between her thighs as she thought of him.

As Millie politely asked Charles if there was anything she could get him before she went back to her duties, he sat up from the pillows quickly and snagged her by the elbow. He pulled her back atop him, grasping an ass cheek in one powerful hand and pulling their bodies hard together.

"Are you a whore, Millie?" Charles growled at her suggestively. He held her tightly to him with one hand as the other began maneuvering around in an attempt to get under her dress. As she responded in her chosen way, Charles told her, "If your lady has no interest in getting naked with me ... in climbing to great heights against one another's naked bodies..."

He'd been manhandling her well, and suddenly he found wetness between her thighs. She reacted to what was more or less a building rape: he continued to handle her in a way that allowed him to get a finger inside her just a bit.

And then, it was over as quickly as it had begun: Charles caught sight of Henri at the door of the tavern, and he basically rolled Millie off him to the floor, ignoring her entirely. He waited until his lust interest found him with those beautiful sparkling eyes, then gesture her his way with a finger still coated in her assistant's juices.

 

[Perplexia]

Henri walked back into the Tavern forgetting Charles would probably be there waiting. He had Millie in his grasp and was being as lewd as always. His face of course changed seeing her and pushing Millie away. He gestured for her like he was some whore he command with his finger. Rolling her eyes she spoke. "Millie unless he's put coin in your hand first you're not to be letting them touch, taste, or see the goods. Regardless of whom they may think they are."

"Yes ma'am" Millie replied getting up quickly from the floor where Charles had deposited her.

"As for you" she said turning her gaze to Charles. "I am not yours to command to come hither, if I was, I wouldn't be after what I just saw. For someone that claims his affections for me, you fail to realize i'm not some wench that can be swayed with a few pretty words. So unless you have some urgent commerce business, we have nothing that needs to be said to each other. Our 'interactions' are now at a close Mr. LeDuke"

With that she turned and walked up the stairs to her office. Her mind turned to the new captain, he was simply irresistible, there was a story there and she wanted to know what it was. From his mannerisms he wasn't the typical rogue or pirate. No he had a bit of suave to him that she'd missed from the gentleman of England.

She hoped that Charles would go to the brothel and take out his frustrations with her on a whore. Rather then come and confront her. It's not as if she hadn't been clear with him from the start. She was no mans property.

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Hope as she might, Henri wasn't going to get what she wanted from Charles. He caught hold of an elbow just as she was about to ascend the stairs to her office. He pulled her away into a hall out of sight of most of the other patrons and pressed her up against a wall, their bodies hard against one another. It was a familiar feeling for a familiar place: the first time Charles had found pleasure inside Henri was right here! The heat between them had been building for weeks, and multiples abbreviated sessions of kissing and groping finally peaked with the pirate lifting his lust interest's skirts and driving them both to orgasm right here against the wall.

Charles tried to engage Henri in a passionate kiss again here and now, but she wasn't having it. But he had the advantage of brute strength and pinned her against the wall. He attacked her neck with wild, wet kisses, then pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"What do I have to do, Henri?" he asked, the desperation obvious in his tone. He tried to kiss her again, but again she prevented it. He continued, almost begging, "I need you! I need to be in you! Tell me, Henri. What do I have to do?"

Containing her as he was wasn't going to get Charles what he wanted from the woman. He backed away to the opposite wall, his hands up in a surrender gesture. "Please, Henri. Tell me. What do I have to do. Name it. Anything!"

 

[Perplexia]

"There is nothing you can do, and nothing that you can say that is going to change my mind. You have already proven time and time again that the promises you make, the things that you say, they are only means to get you one thing." Her nostrils flared a little at being placed in this position.

"You have no interest in me as a person. If you had any regards for me you wouldn't be trying to molest the whores. You like the way my wet cunt feels around your cock, and that you don't have to shell out gold for it. This conversation is over, there is no negotiation, and no reason to revisit it."

Spinning on her heels she headed up the stairs and to her office. She filled her glass from the decanter and swallowed the contents in one. She hadn''t let him see her tremble, or know how hungry it made her for him when he pushed her against walls. She loved it when he fucked her in that position. But with the amount of whores he went through she was going to catch something. How could a man claim to want to do anything to have you, right after getting fresh with a whore, in her own fucking establishment. Was he that fucking daft?"

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Charles watched Henri's ass swing to and from as she ascended the stairs, yearning to be kneeling behind it as he thrust deep into her. If he wanted, he could stomp his way up to her office and force himself on her. She couldn't stop him. Well, she could always stick a knife into his gut. But would she? Didn't matter, though. Charles would never rape Henri. Another woman, maybe. But never Henri.

He headed back out into the tavern, snatched a bottle of rum from one of his crewmen, snatched a whore right from the lap of yet another, and pulled her behind him to the stairs that ascended to the brothel rooms. He ripped her clothes off, then his own. But he had no interest in being inside any other woman than Henri. Instead, he laid back in a pile of pillows, drinking down the mostly full bottle, more concerned with getting drunk than being satisfied.

In fact, when he awoke the next morning, he wouldn't even remember whether he'd cum or not...



About the same time Charles was passing out upstairs and having his pockets filched by the whore, Richards -- aka Captain Jack "Jones" -- was entering the tavern with Mister Hanson, an older Marine, and a young midshipman. The four made their way to a table occupied by an unconscious local, not-so-gently lifting him and depositing him at a table that was occupied by a passed out pirate.

Richards couldn't help but be amused by the level of intoxication of the tavern's patrons. He was no stranger to port drinking establishments. But it wasn't even yet sundown and most of the men surrounding the trio couldn't have stood without teetering. Most of those who weren't passed out had scantily dressed women sitting in their laps or in adjacent chairs.

"Captain...?"

Richards looked to the youngest of the sailors. His eyes were wide as a shapely, topless whore who was flirting with him from the lap of a pirate who was paying her no attention. Richards couldn't help but smile wide at the barely 18 year old boy's obvious lust. The young sailor, Mister Taylorson -- or Jaimie as Richards called him in private -- had only joined the crew two months before the mutiny. He was the youngest son of one of Richard's friends back in England, and he'd come out to Port Royal specifically to join the crew of Elizabeth's Pride. Richards had felt self conscious about making one of the boy's first professional acts mutiny. But when he'd given the young man an opportunity to stay behind in the long boat, he'd refused.

"I came to the Colonies to serve under you, sir," Jaimie had declared with loyalty and dedication.

"Mister Hanson, if you please," Richards told the older man. Hanson took the hint: he was to ensure that Jaimie and girl had their fun without the midshipman losing his entire coin purse, uniform, boots, and more. Once the two men departed, Richards caught the attention of a bar maid, gestured her over, and told her softly, "I was hoping to have a word with Madam Chavley. Could you tell her Captain Jones is downstairs and would be honored to buy her a drink?"

 

[Perplexia]

Katie the barmaid looked him up and down and gave a smile. "You can buy her all the drinks you like Mr. She ain't gonna spread her thighs for the likes of you. Nope not her. But you buy me a drink if she refuses to see you, I'll give you a hand job." She let out a laugh with a couple of teeth missing and tossed down her rag on the bar and took her time shaking her ass up the stairs. In hope of winning a round with him.

Knocking on Henri's office door she waited for a reply. "Enter" Henri said going through some paperwork with a fresh glass.
"Mr. Jones downstairs asking for ya Ma'am, says he wants to buy you a drink. "Tell Mr. Jones to come to my office. Give him his drink on me, And Katie, try to be sure he is still wearing his clothes when he comes up."
Katie laughed and said "Aww Miss, now that aint no fun, I would take him for a long ride south"
Henri laughed and shook her head going back to her paperwork.

Katie had once raped a man, so it was a long standing joke that she not molest the patrons unless they asked for it. Katie came back down the stairs and said. "She'll see you in her office top of the stairs to the left. Drink is on the house for ya."

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Richards thanked the barmaid and stood. He took another look around the tavern, marveling at it. Even the lowest of dives back in Port Royal didn't hold this much fun for its patrons, making Richards smile as he thought to himself, No wonder the pirates refuse to give Nassau up.

Before he went upstairs, the Captain went to the bar and spoke softly to a woman who appeared to be in charge. She answered his question by pulling a unique looking bottle from underneath the bar and setting it before her. Richards tossed some coins onto the bar, but the woman only stared at him, unimpressed. He tossed double as many coins out this time, and she slid the bottle across to him.

He ascended the stairs, knocked, and when told to do so, entered. He smiled to his hostess, showed her the very expensive bottle of what the bartender had said was Henri's favorite, and said, "I've been told that this is the best to be had in all of Nassau."

He crossed toward Henri, trading pleasantries that he let her lead with. When finally he felt comfortable with broaching the subject, Richards said, "My crew and I are without work at the moment, madam. I have been led to believe that perhaps you could find us something profitable."

 

[Perplexia]

Henri put some of her more private ledgers away and worked on some minuscule things as she awaited Jones to come in her office. "Enter" she had said watching enter. "close the door" she said lightly. With handsome stranger on their island there would be a lot of curiosity as to what he had to say to her.

She looked up from her papers with her eyes as he told her this was suppose to be the best in Nassau. "It should be, it's from my private stock. How much did she charge you for it?" she questioned with a smirk. Making a note to find out who was selling her bourbon.

"Grab a glass from over there." she said pointing to the table they were on. "I have one." she waited for him to take a seat and hand him pour them both some. She listened as he questioned if she knew of any jobs for him and his men. "Well Mr. Jones" she said lightly. "I'm not in the habit of giving away things. On this island I take a cut for the information. You take the risk and get most of the profit. I buy the product from you. you pay me my portion for the information. You still walk away with 60 percent profit."

She sat back in her chair and took the contents of her glass down with one swig. "No offense Mr. Jones. But you and your men don't look to be pirates. I don't know that you have the stomach for that kind of job. But I could be wrong. It's rare, but possible. So since I don't know you, and you don't know me. We will have to build up our relationship slowly. You don't lie to me, I don't cheat you. We'll all be happy with a little more coin then we had when we started. With that said I will give you a job. It's a rather simple harvest of her majesties finest silks. Shouldn't be much resistance at all, they won't be expecting a pirate ship to want them."

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

"How much did she charge you for it?"

Richards smiled at the question. The bartender may have expected Henri to ask that question and charged the price she would later report. But if she hadn't and Richards incidentally finked on her... Well, he didn't really want to burn someone who might in the future be an asset in any of a number of ways. He could tell from Henri's expression that she knew what was going through his head, though, so he just shrugged and answered with an even wider smile, "More than the ale that preceded it."

He listened to her pitch about the work toward which she could point the crew of the Ruby Rose. And all the while, his brain kept reminding him that he and his men hadn't come to Nassau to become pirates. Henri could see in Richards a lack of experience in such work. He reeked of having only recently left the service to the Crown: clean face, clean clothes, clean smell, at least relative to most of the men the floor below him. And yet she assumed that the career about which she spoke was the one that Richards and his men would wish to follow.

"You are correct, madam, that my men and I are not of the ... pirate persuasion," he said with a knowing smirk. He thought back to the story upon which he and Tormay had diligently worked, "I only recently purchased the Ruby Rose with money afforded me by family interests ... however ... my men are all well seasoned sons of the sea. Fishermen ... merchantmen ... a handful of Admiralty sailors or Marines, finished with their period of service."

What he said wasn't a lie, per se. Although all of his men had most recently been Admiralty sailors or Marines, some of them had begun their waterborne careers as merchantmen or fishermen. So, his words did come across with an air of authenticity.

"And ... while I am sure that there would be more profit in ... that trade," he said, not really wanting to even use the word pirate or piracy, "I wonder if perhaps you might have a line on something a bit more ... boring."

He smiled at the use of the word. For nine months, the former Pride has wandered about the Atlantic and Caribbean looking for pirates. The men had become so bored with the lack of activity that they'd often come to fighting amongst one another. Perhaps something a little more exciting was just what they needed. However ... Richards didn't have the right to commit them to that occupation without specifically asking each of them.

"Perhaps something more commercial," he suggested, leaning forward to refill Henri's glass, then his. "I'm sure one of your local merchants has something he needs transported off island...? I've been told they love the Bahamian rum in New Orleans."

Even though he despised the industry, he added, "Or perhaps slaves to the Cuban ports ... to work the sugar plantations?"

He was intentionally attempting to pick a destination that took the Ruby Rose away from the British Colonies, knowing that the closer they got to Carolina or Virginia or other British points north, they more likely the ship was to be spotted and recognized for what it was. But, Richards would take anything Henri had to offer. Anything short of dropping anchor in Port Royal, anyway.

 

[Perplexia]

Henri took a little offense to the idea of slaves herself. "We do not support the trade of human flesh. Even our whores have chosen their path. If you ever do decide to venture into piracy. The slaves are to always be freed and given control of the ship and do what they wish with the survivors that you steal the cargo from." She smiled and nodded a nonverbal thank you for the refill.

"Well the payout isn't nearly as much for carrying cargo. But I do believe there's a couple of loads waiting for the next transport ship to arrive. Let me see.." she dug in her desk for one of her ledgers and placed it on her desk. "This would be a multi stop, I do have rum that needs to go to Louisiana, I have some guns that need to go to mexico, and Mexico will give you tequila that you will log and take to Jamaica which will provide you with fruits, and liquor, and whatever else. I will make you up a book on how to compare prices. For example 50 bottles of tequila is worth one gun in mexico. In Jamaica two bottles of their liquor is worth 1 bottle of tequila. Both will try to get you to renegotiate. But they know there is none. If they sense fear they will be relentless."

She danced her fingers over her ledger as she thought.

"Jamaica tends to offer things for sale that we have no use for. So I'll make you a list of acceptable trade items. You'll need a flag to identify you as one of my carriers. I'll ensure you get one. The way it works is I provide you with enough food and supplies for your journey. I do not include spirits in that, so if you want some you can purchase them from the warehouse. You get 40% of the take from the journey. Are you sure you want boring?" she questioned.

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

"We do not support the trade of human flesh..."

Richards was a bit surprised at Henri's declaration of her stand on slavery. The plantations in the interior of New Providence island relied on slavery, but he couldn't know that such commerce was not accepted her in Nassau. He himself despised the slave trade. But, it was the way of the world ... currently, anyway. But he confirmed with Henri that her feelings about the topic would be honored fully.

Listening to her speak of the extensive trade network in which she was involved impressed Richards. He'd heard stories about her acumen, but hearing her now still stunned him. If it were possible for a woman to do so in what was very much a man's world, Henri would rise to run it all. Of course, that would never happen: men in power always found a way to bring down women who sought it.

"Are you sure you want boring?"

Richards smiled and responded, "For the time being ... yes."

They discussed some more of the details before he stood to leave. He glanced at the still half full bottle, telling her to enjoy it. He gave her one last conspicuous once over look before making his farewells. Downstairs, he passed on imbibing of more alcohol and passed on a woman's generous offer as well. He returned to the ship to discuss the job with his senior staff. Tomorrow, he would explain the job to the entire crew. Each and every man would, of course, back Richard's decision. They hadn't mutinied from the Admiralty just to come to Nassau and jump ship.

They would enjoy shore leave for another two days, during which Henri's people would load the Ruby Rose for the former warship's first venture as a civilian merchant vessel...

They wouldn't be back for almost three months...



The next morning:

Charles LaDuke would awake to a pounding skull, empty pockets, and a broken spirit. He would have been upset about having been robbed if only he could recall which slit he'd brought up to the room with him. Oh well. If he'd been that concerned...

Instead of being mad, Charles made his way down to a back room of the tavern. It was a bathroom for the whores, but they didn't seem to mind too much that he stripped down and stepped into a tub. They knew he was good for the coin. Clean and spritzed with smelly oil, he ventured out into the now relatively quiet tavern and took his place at his regular mezzanine table. Breakfast was before him shortly afterward, and he sat their quietly waiting for the pounding between his ears to subside.

"Tell your mistress I want her to..." he began to the tavern wench serving him. But he paused, looking for the words that might have a better chance of gaining Henri's company. In a softer tone, he continued, "Would you please let Madam Chavley know ... that I would very much like to sit with her for a moment ... if she would oblige me. You can feel free to tell her that I used the words please and forgive in abundance."

The wench smiled, seeing in the pirate's expression how much it must have hurt him to act so unlike himself. He set a coin that he'd had hidden deep in an unseen pocket gently on the table, pushing it her way as he said, "Please."

He would sit there for an hour or two, waiting hopefully for Henri. And, if she didn't come to him, he would slink away, back to his ship. He'd forget about Henri. For a while, anyway...

 

[Perplexia]

Henri was actually quite in need of a new merchant ship to deliver her goods. But she wasn't about to show her thrill that is what Jones wanted. If he wanted to continue on that path it could certainly bring more coin to her and Nassau's pockets.

She did enjoy his quick wit and smile. It was actually refreshing to be around a man that didn't act like a pig. Civilized company was such a rare commodity at Nassau. But she wasn't about to beg him to stay for company. She rose when he did, and offered her his hand to shake at the deal they had come upon. The first thing she noticed was his smile and his eyes. Oh how she hoped he stuck around.

The Next Morning.

Henri had gotten up early to start making arrangements when Katie came to find her advising her that a very humble Charles was sitting in the tavern eating his breakfast and using manors to request her presence.
She nodded to Katie with the understanding he was there and didn't comment whether she would be back to accommodate his request.

'Oh Charles' she mused remembering the feel of his hands over her body. The passion which he took her bringing her to orgasm over and over. It made her ache just remembering his cock thrusting into her. About an hour later she made her way into the tavern to find him still sitting and waiting. Signalling for a drink she walked over to the table and sat across from him. "Speak" she said in a don't bullshit me manner.

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Charles was beginning to think it was time to leave, to preserve what little dignity he had left. It wasn't right for a pirate captain with his brutal, take-no-prisoners, take-what-he-wants reputation to act like this, to act like a whipped puppy. And for what? A piece of pussy?

Of course, Charles wanted far more than just quick fuck from Henri. He just wasn't very good at expressing what he wanted from her. It was his nature. No, what Charles wanted from Henri was far more than a roll in the sack. He wanted it all. Everything! Together, he and Henri could be unstoppable.

The Pirate and the Princess. That was what his First Mate had once called them. It was the morning after the first time Henri had thrown Charles out of her bed. He'd gotten blitzed and begun talking about the future he saw with Henri. With her ruling New Providence and him ruling the seas surrounding it, the pair could do just about anything they wanted. Of course, Charles had a chicken and the egg situation: did he want a relationship with Henri that would lead to him becoming a Pirate King, or did he want to become a Pirate King so that, along the way, he would end up with Henri?

He cursed himself and pushed his mostly still filled breakfast plate away, about to stand to leave when he looked up to find Henri entering the tavern through the front door. Figures, he though to himself. Out running her little Queendom while I sit here jerking off waiting for her. He hadn't been, of course. Jerking off: not waiting. But he might as well have been considering that Henri obviously had no desire to speak with him.

Then, to his surprise and delight, she turned his direction. He waited until her path took her momentarily out of his view, then stood quickly. He waited, unsure of whether she would come to him. And then, she was there, standing before him.

"Speak."

He tried to smile to her but the anxiety was controlling him. He would have loved for Henri to lay with him amongst the pillows on the mezzanine's bed, but instead Charles politely gestured her to the table nearby. He sat, gesturing to a distant tavern wench for the drinks she would know the two of them wanted.

"I want to..." He hesitated, diverting his eyes as he drew a breath. How the hell did he do this? The conflict between who he was and who he wanted to be raged within him. He looked directly into the woman's eyes, losing himself quickly in them. "Tell me what you need from me, Henri. Tell me what you need from me ... to need me. To want me. I need you to want me ... or ... maybe ... maybe I want you to need me. We were good together once. And we could be good together again."

He leaned in closer. "Anything, Henri."

He drew another anxious breath, then leaned back into the chair again, finishing, "Or ... if you won't ... won't want or need me ... tell me to leave. I'll do that ... for you."

 

[Perplexia]

"I will never say that the times we had are something I regret. But you had your chance Charles. You looked me in the eyes and talked of a future with me. But it was a future where you would be bettering yourself by association. Not one that was because you loved me, or wanted to be by my side."

She shook her head. "Still I wanted to give you the benefit of a doubt. I thought maybe I was enough for you." When you returned from sea you stood in my tavern and bragged about the women you shagged, You didn't see me, because I was in the back room. For you it is an acceptable thing to fuck anything that walks, yet you still feel you deserve to be in my bed?"

She held up her hands. "Yesterday I walk in and you're trying to fuck someone, and yet you run after me thinking what that I would just roll over because I love to have your cock shoved in me? Are you really that fucking daft?" Her voice raised a bit but then she brought it back down.

"You think you want me because I don't want you. How dare any simple woman deny the great Charles Laduke. You want me to need you so you can feel validated in spending five years chasing my skirt. What I want and need Charles, you are simply incapable of providing for me. Because it would require you being a completely different person the who you are. There are no more chances, there are no more listening to promises you'll never keep. You may believe you can, and want to, but you won't. Because it is simply not in your character to do so. So Charles. All I want from you.. is to leave. When you're in port, don't seek me out, don't ask for another chance. Just treasure what was and let it go. Leave."

 

[aSimpleMan4U]

Charles sat quietly, holding a steady expression as he listened to Henri cut him down. He deserved all she said to him. He had, in fact, done all of what she accused. Why? Why had he done these things, knowing that they would hurt her? Simple: he hadn't done them to hurt her, he'd done them to pleasure himself. He hadn't been thinking about her and the possible long term future he might one day have with her, if he was the kind of man she wanted. He'd only been thinking about the pleasure he was going to enjoy at that moment. At those moments.

When she told him to leave, Charles did just that. He hesitated a moment, but he stood to stand over her for a moment. He reached out to touch his fingers gently to her face, telling her, "I don't expect you to believe me, Henrietta ... but ... I love you."

He walked past her, then out the exit of her tavern. He'd asked her what she wanted from him -- what she needed from him -- and her answer had been his absence. So, he would give it to her.

Of course, try as he might, he wouldn't be able to give it to her for long...

 

[Perplexia]

Henri sat there for a moment watching the man she thought she had truly loved once walk out the door. The truth was she didn't need him. He wasn't conducive to her state of mind, only the hunger he had set loose between her thighs. She could find someone easy enough to sate it. But that would make her no better then him. The fact was, she was. She deserved to have a man that was loyal to her, that treasured her, and could give her not only satisfaction in bed, but in her heart as well.

Henri was sure that Charles thought he loved her. But in reality she was sure it was simply the thought of her. The thought of what he could become with her. No that wouldn't do. She wanted someone that didn't want anything but her heart body and soul. Not the power she reigned, that was hers and she earned every bit of it.

Her thoughts went to Jones. If he was half of what she thought he was, he would do. But he probably had a wife or someone that had already stolen his heart. Taking one long drink she swallowed the cup full, set it hard on the table and got up to finish the things Jones would need for his journey.

****
3 weeks had passed and it had been productive as it always was without any interference. She wondered how Jones was doing on his first mission. The were making a hell of a profit so far this month even without what Jones would bring in.
From her office she heard the bell ring signalling an approaching ship.