Rutabella Isles

Two

 Captain Eros sauntered closer to me. Now that I could see him better, he looked no younger than fifty. I noted his grimy tunic and trousers that were encrusted with holes and wanted to flee.

But fleeing, of course, wasn't an option. At least not here. Here, my fellow servants would be witness to my cowardice. No. If I wanted to escape, it would have to be somewhere where I was a stranger.

Lord Lunzby remained by the floor lamp, stoic. Perhaps he didn't care what happened to me after all.

"No!" Millie shrieked, but she fell silent when the captain turned to glare at her.

"She's the one, alright. Nice figure. Young, too. That'll come in handy." He smirked at me, odors of raw fish and rum entering my nose, and tugged at my skirts. All I could feel was inward repulsion. "Let's go. And if your good lord refuses the booty, I'll have him dance the hempen jig. You see, I've been hunting for a wife for a good while."

As I followed behind him, the captain tossed the burlap sack at Lord Lunzby's feet. The lord looked at me apologetically, tears streaming down his face. A mutual understanding passed between us.

"Good luck," he whispered.

I could only nod in response, for Captain Eros once again grabbed my skirts and dragged me along and out the door.

The ship was ginormous. Far above us, only the skull and bones of the jolly roger could be detected in the hour's blackness. The deck gleamed, as I noticed when we boarded. Each mast was still; the night was devoid of any wind.

The captain and I stepped onto the quarterdeck, the crew gathering in front of us on the main deck, expectant. I swallowed. Was this a normal silence? Did the captain forbid them from speaking unless he was the one to initiate the conversation?

Then I remembered his words to the man he called "landlubber" and squeezed my eyes shut.

"One of my hands swabbed the deck after we docked. That way, it'd be all clean for my new bride." Captain Eros put his arm around me, and I flinched but didn't pull away. If he was prepared to hang Lord Lunzby for turning down a sack of treasure, what would he do to me if I didn't comply with his wishes?

"Thank you, Captain," I said. "I...that is very kind of you."

He nodded, apparently satisfied, and proceeded to introduce each member of the crew to me. As he did so, I saw that Landlubber was staring directly at me, crying profusely. His mouth was devoid of emotion, so I was unable to tell what sort of feelings were driving his tears. However, Everyone else's eyes were fixed upon the captain.

I quickly followed suit and turned my gaze back to my fiance, smiling at him as he called out the names of his crew and identified their duties. Bilius, the swab. Tom, the sailing master. When he got to Landlubber, he introduced him as Alfie and said nothing more about him.

Following the introductions, the crew scattering off to socialize, Bilius strutted up to me and looked me up and down. "You're a fine wench. That be true."

He yanked at my bodice, pulling me closer to him, and my nostrils were greeted with the welcome aromas of moldy bread and trout. I looked about me. My fiance was conversing with Tom and Edward, one of the boatswains. He would be furious were he to catch Bilius in this act.

"I hope you realize that the good Captain Eros, according to the trade, has my hand. He's...protective of his property, as you well know. Would you care to discuss your feelings with him? Or would you rather be caught attempting to do the bear with me? Either way, you'll likely end up dancing the hempen jig." I maintained a straight posture and narrowed my eyes at him, arching an eyebrow.