Lady Rubina - A Pirates Of The Caribbean Love Story

Chapter Seven

“Ruby,” yelled Hector. “Ruby!”

I was in my cabin, lying on top of my hammock, wondering what my parents were doing. I immediately jumped off the bed and ran on deck, thinking at the very least that we were under attack.

“What it is?” I demanded.

Hector slipped an arm around my shoulder and pointed in the direction of a dark island and thousands of dazzling lights. “That, lass, is Tortuga.”

I nodded, trying to look impressed. To be honest, I had seen much grander places. London, for example, is extremely diverting at this time of year. However, to please Hector, I expressed astonishment at the “grandeur”.

Jack appeared just then, his arm casually draped round Madeleine’s shoulders. “You ready to go ashore, love?” he asked me. I nodded and he smiled at me. “Just stick with me, love, and you’ll be quite safe.”

Madeleine glared at him. “We don’t want her trailing after us, Jack!”

“Don’t we?” Jack asked, his eyes resting on me for a second.

“Can we just go?” Madeleine snapped. “I’m not in the mood to hang around here.” She sauntered elegantly down the gang plank and jumped ashore. I watched her, wishing I had half her poise and style. She turned round, glancing back over her shoulder. Her eyes locked on mine and narrowed into slits of hatred.

“After you, Ruby,” Hector said, gently.

I walked along the gangplank, trying to copy Madeleine. I don’t quite know what happened. Madeleine always says the wood was wet and I just slipped on it. Hector always says Madeleine deliberately wobbled the plank. Either way, I felt my feet slide out from under me. The wind was in my face and I was falling, black water rushing up to meet me…

*

“Are you alright?” gasped Jack.

Hector was hauling me out the water. I was shivering with the cold and dripping wet. He sat me gently down on the stones and tore his coat off. He draped it round my shoulders. “Ye alright?” he asked.

“Of course she isn’t,” snapped Madeleine. “Why you want her aboard, I don’t know. She can’t even walk over a plank!”

Hector turned to glare at her. “Ye knocked the plank,” he said, his voice scarily level and even. “Ye made her fall in.”

Madeleine raised an eyebrow. “Lies. Come on, Jack, let’s go.”

Jack hesitated, shooting me a glance over his shoulder, but then followed Madeleine. I watched them both disappear into the dark streets.

“Ye’d better go back on the Pearl,” Hector said. “I’d stay and look after ye, but I have to see about getting a crew. I need just the right kind of men if we’re to have a chance of finding the Princess and getting the Diamond.”

I nodded. “I understand. I’ll be fine. Thanks.” I stood up, unable to stop shaking with the cold. I waited until Hector was out of sight before slowly climbing back across the gangplank.

I went into my cabin and stripped off my wet clothes, hurriedly changing back into dry ones. I coiled my hair into a neat style, then surveyed my reflection in a puddle. I glared at myself grimly, trying to look fierce and piratey. Then, I decided to go and join the others.

I walked slowly down the streets, occasionally glancing over my shoulder. I could see my shadow dancing behind me, a grotesque, dark shape. And I could feel eyes watching me, though I could never see a person. I told myself I was being fanciful. I told myself there was no one there. I told myself a lot of things. But I told myself lies. As I found out when, after turning a corner into a dark street, someone shoved me up against a wall and held a knife to my throat.

I didn’t have time to react, let alone reach for my sword. I stood, frozen to the spot, feeling the sharp edge of the knife against my skin, watching it sparkle in the dim light.

Slowly, I felt my brain start to function again, and the numbing fear left me. I was able to focus on my attacker. He was a man, with ragged grey hair, bushy eyebrows and an eye patch over one eye. His nose was hooked, like an eagle’s beak, and his smile was pure evil.

“What do you want?” I asked, sharply.

His smile widened. “Come on, love,” he said, his voice thick and raspy. “A pirate’s always got money. And I figure you’ve got more of it that what I have. So hand it over.”

I shook my head. “I don’t have any money.”

He glared at me. “A piece of gold? A doubloon? Anything?” He let the knife dig into me, and I could feel blood starting to trickle from the wound. His free hand roughly ransacked my pockets. “Yer a liar, Miss.” He pulled out something large and gold, but my head was tilted at such an awkward angle (I was trying to relax the pressure of the knife on my throat) I couldn’t see what it was properly. “This should be worth a pretty penny…” he murmured. “Much obliged to you, Miss.” He winked at me, pocketed the gold and his knife and then scurried into the darkness. I leaned against the wall, cursing myself for being so stupid, for not even trying to fight him. And then cursing myself even more when I thought of what Madeleine might say… That gold thing was obviously hers. I sighed. I’d replace the gold with a piece of eight or something. Madeleine would never notice. Right? Right???