Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

I woke early the following morning to dark skies and rain. My head throbbed and every muscle in my body ached. All I wanted was a decent washing and my warm bed at home. A light knock at the door brought me to my senses.

"Hello?" I called out lightly.

It creaked open and Flynn came in. "I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I," I said.

He tentatively stepped forward but stopped.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Oh, um, nothing."

"Do you want to sit down?"

"Yeah." He sat on the end of my bed; he didn't look up at me and seemed unusually quiet.

"Are you all right?" I asked.

"Yes. I need to warn you though."

"Warn me? About what?"

"Some of the men on the ship are not as tolerant of women as I am. They may not be too kind if they were to find out who you really are. While all of the men are excellent sailors, they take the liberty of indulging in their worst inclinations."

I nodded, trying to digest what I was just told. I knew sailors tended to be an unsavory bunch but to think that they would do something rather sinister scared me to the core.

Flynn grasped my hand. I glanced at him, my expression filled with dismay at the danger I had put myself in.

"I won't let anything happen to you," he said, squeezing my hand.

"But why?" I asked.

"I don't know. There is something about you, Anne Crowley. I barely know you, yet I don't want to see anything bad happen to you. I don't want to even imagine anything bad befalling you."

"Flynn . . ."

"Don't, Anne. You're such a remarkably kind-hearted woman that you would put yourself in harm's way to find your sister. Do you know how many people would do that?" he asked.

I shrugged my shoulders.

"None that I know of."

I didn't know what to say. I tried to swallow the lump in my throat. Flynn slid a bit closer to me. I could smell the sea on his hair and skin. The scent was intoxicating. It was as if he were made from it. He reached up a hand and stroked the side of my face.

"This urge is so strange to me."

"What urge is that?" I asked, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"To help you."

"Oh."

"And to make you mine," he added.

"As you said, we barely know each other. We are nothing but strangers meeting by chance," I said.

"Is it by chance?"

"I don't know, Flynn. I never believed in anything like this. I didn't think feeling like this was possible."

"How do you feel, Anne?"

I reached up and stroked his cheek. This is crazy, Anne.

"I'm not sure. My heart is telling me one thing, but my mind is saying another. Is it crazy, Flynn? Is it impossible to be so drawn to another after such a short time?"

"I suppose anything is possible."

"What do we do? This can lead to nothing but trouble."

"We'll figure something out." He reached up and brushed a stray strand of hair out of my face.

"I can't be with anyone or do anything until I find my sister, Flynn."

"We make berth in the Caribbean in three days' time as long as the weather is cooperative. There will be other ships there, ships heading to Tortuga."

I cocked my head to the side.

"Pirates tend to go to Tortuga." He shrugged at me. "Maybe the pirates who took your sister will be there."

"Do you think I will get answers there?" I queried.

"You are more likely to get answers there than here."

I sighed heavily and pulled the blankets around my shivering body. I suspected I would have to go to Tortuga to find out anything. I didn't think I'd actually find Jane there, but it was probably the best place to start looking.

"Thank you, Flynn," I said, stroking his cheek.

"What happened?" he asked.

"A few days ago Jane and I were swimming right offshore. A black pirate ship with a Jolly Roger flag came into view. We got out of the water, and I told her to run. I ran to the house to tell father. When I got there, I heard him with John Jacks. Apparently, when he was appointed to his position as governor, it was because of something Jacks did. Father promised to give me to him as payment. They never found me, so they took Jane instead."

"And you feel guilty."

I nodded my head while a tear slid down my cheek.

"It wasn't your fault," he said.

"I shouldn't have told her to run. I should have kept her with me. If I had, I would never have left her alone."

"You may have ended up being taken," he asserted.

"I would be able to handle myself. I am older. She is so young and frail. She could never survive in a world outside of what we had. She isn't equipped for a hard life like this, Flynn. We grew up having things done for us. Not having to climb ropes and haul sacks of flour around. Jane hasn't known a hard day in her life. She won't survive in this world," I replied dejectedly.

"If she is so frail, it's possible she was sold."

"Sold! Sold to whom?"

"To anyone who would be willing to pay for her. If she is a virgin and pretty, she would fetch a handsome price."

"Oh, my God," I gasped.

"It's awful, but that's how life is out here. It's eat or be eaten. Your only hope is to find John Jacks."

"I have to find her, Flynn."

"Just promise you won't get yourself killed. All right?"

"I'll try my best." I smiled.

He leaned into me, letting his lips hover a few inches above mine. I could feel his hot breath on my face. I moved in and sealed the gap between us. He tasted delicious. His hand was on my knee and traveling up my thigh. My eyes widened. I didn't know what to do.

Anne, you must stop this! You are a lady. This is not how ladies behave! But I didn't want to act like a lady. I wanted this. I wanted him.

He pulled his hand away. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" I asked.

"Being so forward."

"It's all right," I replied.

"I must go."

He rested his hand on my shoulder briefly before getting up and leaving my quarters. I craved the feeling of his lips on mine before we parted ways. He stirred up desires in me that were so improper. I enjoyed them thoroughly. I lay back down and listened. All was quiet again. Only the sound of the lapping waves and rain hitting the window could be heard. I had no way of knowing what time it was. The sun was nowhere on the horizon. The stars and moon were obscured by the clouds that seemed to hover over the bay.

Could the storm be an omen? Was it fate's way of telling me I was already too late to help little Jane. Was she sold to some sick, depraved individual? What sort of perversion was my little sister enduring? I rolled to my side and pulled the blankets up around my ears. I slowly drifted back to sleep, hoping that I would wake up back in my own bed and this would all be a terrible dream. I would open my eyes and Jane would be lying next to me smiling her sweet smile. The same smile my mother would greet me every morning.