Chapter Four "Oh, right, the reason I came over here. The crew's loadin the boat, and we're about to set sail. Will if yer comin, I suggest you get your things and meet us at the boat, savvy?" Will laughed. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes." Pearl smiled at him again as she left the shop with her mother and father. “I like him,” Pearl said. Her enigmatic words struck Sally a moment. “Yes, he’s a good lad. Upstanding and kind. Easy on the eyes.” Jack squinted at her. “Is he now?” “In a boyish way,” she said, backtracking quickly. “Not in the manly, cat-like way of my dearest husband.” “That’s true,” Jack said, giving her a peck on the cheek. They reached the ship and boarded as the crew finished their work. “I see crates of flour and dried meat and sealed up vegetables,” Sally said, perusing what Jack had bought. “Very good, love.” Jack was motioning fluidly but frantically for the men to hurry with the rum barrels. Sally turned to him as the barrels were taken below deck. She furrowed her brow at his anxious expression, but he regarded her and calmed quickly. “Ah, yes, thank you,” he said. “Compliment taken gracefully.” She nodded, then waved to Will when he came toward the Black Pearl’s ramp with a satchel thrown over one shoulder. Pearl turned from where she was standing as she saw Will board the ship. She grinned and jogged over to him and her mother. "Will, you can stash your stuff down in the third room from the right," Sally said. "Oh, I'll show you where it is," Pearl chimed and waved for Will to follow her. She took him bellow deck and showed him where his room was. "Yours is here; mine is there," she said, pointing to the one right next to his. She pushed open his door and let him in. She waited for him to throw his things on the bed before they both headed back above deck. Sally smiled and shook her head when she saw the two emerge from below deck. She leaned over toward Jack and quietly said, “that lass has her eye on him.” “Then, I’ll have my eye on him, too,” Jack said. “Oh, she can snog all over Sam, but not Will?” she asked. “Will is the gentle, kind one. Sam is a bumbling, brainless beauty.” “My fatherly instincts have kicked in a little late,” he said, sounding hesitantly apologetic. She glared at him, then nodded to a crewmember who motioned that all the cargo was onboard. “Pull in the anchor!” she called. “We sail!” She turned her attention on her daughter. "Pearl, up to the crow’s nest! You missed your duty this morning," Sally called, and Pearl turned to look at her. "Mom..." she said, nodding her head towards Will, indicating that she wanted to stay where he was. Sally shook her head. "Stop sleepin in in the morning, then. Now scoot." Pearl sighed and shrugged at Will before running toward the crow’s nest and climbing up it, looking back down to be sure Will was watching her. “How long will this journey be?” Will asked, his eyes straying to the young woman who was keeping her eyes peeled in the crow’s nest. “A few days,” Sally answered, watching him gently. “It was Jack’s idea.” “I gathered as much,” Will said, laughing softly. “And, of course, Pearl couldn’t resist jumping in and begging that we go,” Sally said. “She’s so much like her father.” Will nodded. Sally had never been extremely pirate-like. She was brave and adventuresome and an excellent captain. But not in the way Jack was. Will had felt drawn to Sally because of this, but not as a man would be drawn by passion or desire. He related to her. Sally was secretly grateful to have Will along. He was level-headed and courageous. She wouldn’t feel so outnumbered with him aboard. Yet even with Will’s presence, Jack would still do whatever he wanted. Sally sighed soundlessly and gazed out at the sea. “Something on your mind?” he asked. “Nothing unordinary,” she said. She patted him on the back. A few hours later Sam came up and relieved Pearl from her duties. She quickly scrambled back down the ropes and over to where her mother, father, and Will were. She put her arm around her father and mother, but her eyes were on Will. * * * * * "I'm starving," she said. "When are we gonna eat?" Sally laughed. "Yer always hungry." "I can't help it, I do so much work," she said, acting as though it was a tedious job standing in the crow’s nest. Jack laughed. "Aye, standing and staring at the ocean is the worst job in the world." Pearl nodded. "It is!" “And so strenuous,” Sally teased. “It can be,” Pearl said, crossing her arms defiantly. “Then, we’ll eat,” Sally said with a laugh. “I still say it seems like you’re always hungry.” Will smirked at this, and Pearl blushed. “Mom…” “Well, it’s true,” Sally said, taking on her daughters pseudo-innocent tone. The group went down to the galley where they were served soup and bread. Sally raised an eyebrow as she noticed that her daughter’s normal eating habits had been replaced by perfect etiquette. Pearl ate her soup without slurping once, and her bread without dropping a crumb. She would have gotten away clean except for the fact that Jack reached across the table to get something and knocked her drink over. It wound up all down her front. Pearl turned bright red and excused herself to go change. Pearl emerged from her room, clean and dry to see Will near the bow of the boat. His sword was out, and he was twirling it through the air with great ease and skill. Pearl grinned and silently unsheathed her sword and crept forward. Will turned, his sword slicing through the air then stopping suddenly as it clashed with Pearl's. She was grinning at him, and he smiled back. "Shall we have a go? I'd like to see how you are with a sword," Pearl said, pulling her sword away from his and twirling it. Will laughed and nodded, pulling his own sword back and raising it. "First to disarm wins?" Pearl nodded. "Ready? On three." Pearl counted to three, then quickly had to parry to the left as Will came at her in an arch meant to take off her head. Pearl stepped back to the right and brought her sword up and toward Will's. She slammed it into his and took a step forward, forcing him to move back. She grinned and twisted her sword around, meaning to throw his from his hands, but he held fast and twisted along with her. She raised an eyebrow. "Ah, you’re very good. Time to have some fun." Pearl raced forward and moved her body as if her next attack was going to come from the left. Will moved to parry a blow from the left but it came from the right. He had to move his sword just in time to catch it, but it put him off balance, and that’s what Pearl was hoping for. She reacted in a series of quick, hard blows to his sword, loosening his grip on the hilt of his sword. She twisted her sword again, and this time his sword flew from his hands and hers was at his neck. She grinned at him and resheathed her sword. "Good fight. You’re much better than I thought you would be." She offered him a hand, and he took it as she helped him up. Sally watched them without approaching. She saw Will bow to Pearl when he was on his feet again. The lad was as charming as a summer day was long. Pearl waved off his chivalrous gesture, and the two walked each other back to their quarters. “Don’t you want to be sure they go back to their separate rooms?” Jack asked behind her, leaning into her ear. “For once… no,” she answered. “I want to leave them to themselves.” “Why?” Jack asked. “Because I trust Will,” she said. “Now let’s get our rest. Tomorrow’s another day of sailing and hiding the rum from you, and I’d best be rested for it.” Jack grinned and put his arm around her as they walked to their quarters after Pearl and Will. Pearl smiled at Will as they came to their separate rooms. "It was nice meeting you today, and even nicer sharing a duel with you," Will said, smiling. Pearl grinned. "The pleasure was all mine, and maybe we could have another go around. I might just let you win." She winked at him, and he laughed. "Well, goodnight, Pearl. I will see you in the morning." He turned and went into his room. Pearl went into hers and closed the door. She danced over to her bed and flopped down a huge smile in her face as she thought about Will.
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