The Accidental Seduction of Edward Teach by Stede Bonnet, Gentleman Pirate

Chapter 4 - Conspiracy

The incident with Stede had deepened the already-dark mood Ed was starting to slip into. The bouts of frustration, irritation and self-destruction had come and gone like the tides his entire life. Sometimes they came and went with no rhyme or reason, and sometimes they just crashed against him and pulled him under.

This time, there was a trigger - and his name was Stede Bonnet.

Ironically, Stede had also swept away his last dark mood and had let him feel lighter and happier than he could ever remember being.

But basking in the sun made the dark that much colder.

Outwardly, Stede kept up the same sunny disposition to the crew. He nattered on optimistically about pirating. He read them all stories every night. He was still attentive to their needs and provided fun little activities to while away the time.

But with Ed, Stede had all but shut down.

They were still technically co-captains, but Ed did nothing to fill that role. Instead, he hovered at the fringes like a gray-black shadow, a specter haunting the Revenge.

The first night after Stede saw Izzy kissing Ed, the door to the captain's cabin was latched at night.

Ed stopped checking after that.

Stede acknowledged Ed was still there, with fleeting eye contact and occasional requests, but the connection and the intimacy was gone.

—-

It had been awhile since they'd done anything but cruise around the ocean. But after a stop at a small port town, Stede was positively vibrating and had called the crew together for a chat.

"Listen, listen everyone! I have some exciting news. I met a chap in the local tavern who was a bit worse for wear. He told me their ship had run aground and that he and a handful of crewmembers were forced to abandon their ship with all their trade goods on-board!"

There was a murmur through the crowd, partially of interest, and partially of skepticism.

"How do you know he wasn't lying?" Jim asked.

"Yeah, or like the treasure map dealer," added Black Pete.

Intonations of agreement cascaded through the crowd.

"Trust me, I learned my lesson on that little expedition," said Stede.

Ed winced. The man didn't look at him when he said that, but he couldn't help but feel like the lesson he learned wasn't about hunting for buried treasure.

"I appreciate your concern, everyone, but I'm fairly certain he's legit. I did a little dissembling and made him think I had friends in the British who might help un-beach his ship. He had no idea that I am in fact..." Stede extended his arms, "...a pirate."

The little bow-flourish Stede caused the crew to applaud in an awkward, smattering way.

"All right then, everyone. Look lively! We sail for the ship at dawn!"

—-

"Why are you still here?"

Ed was curled up in a quiet corner of the ship, away from where the crew bedded down and also as far from the captain's quarters as he could get and still be on the ship. He'd created a little awning out of scraps of sail in one corner, making a sad, dark little fort.

Lucius stood above him, hands on hips and his foot rabbit-tapping against the deck.

Ed didn't answer the question, just gathered an old dressing gown of Stede's - one that was burgundy with floral and birds - tighter around him. Stede had caught the edge of it on a nail and had discarded it, and Ed had rescued it. When he thought no one was watching, he wrapped himself up in it.