Cutlass Anne

Cutlass Anne - Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-four

A banging on the door sometime later stirred me from sleep. I rolled over hoping I was dreaming and nobody was actually trying to wake me just yet.

"Cap'n?"

"What is it?" I yelled out.

"We're almost to London," the deep voice called from the other side of the door.

"Thank you. We will be out shortly."

The two-week voyage went by much faster with Flynn able to leave the cabin. He was not back to himself completely, but he gained more strength as each day went by. Andrew had resumed his doctoring duties as well as working alongside the crew. Though I did not show it on the outside, I was glad I was wrong about him. He was turning into quite the unique pirate. His pale, gentlemanly pallor had been replaced with a sundried, tan hide. His blonde hair seemed lighter and if I was not mistaken his waist was narrowing and his torso growing.

"Cap'n on deck! Err, cap'ns," Scully shouted from the helm.

The men stopped and saluted Flynn and I as we emerged into the early morning hours. A heavy fog had rolled in and was engulfing the ship like a sailor's lover.

"We can't see two feet in front of us," Scully said as I stood near him at the helm.

"It is a dense fog."

"We must be close to London." He laughed.

"Why is that?" I looked around the ship. The fog was spilling onto the deck and engulfing everything around it.

"They say that London fogs are as thick as pea soup."

"This is definitely pea soup fog," I muttered.

I buttoned the top button of my royal blue jacket. I opted for breeches with my calf-high boots.

"You may want to change before we dock." Scully watched me.

"I suppose the aristocrats would not take kindly to a pirate questioning them. Especially a woman pirate."

"Perhaps they will need the touch of a lady?" he suggested.

"I think you may be right." I descended the stairs.

"Where are you going?" Christopher asked as he tied down a loose rope.

"To turn myself back into a lady."

I headed for my trunk of wonders and sighed heavily. I was really hoping I would never have to wear something so uncomfortable ever again, but duty called. And Jane was worth a few hours of being uncomfortable.

I pushed my jackets, shirts, breeches, and Jane's dresses to the side. Lying on the bottom were two gowns. One was elegant and to be saved for a very special event or if the need arose to have an extravagantly fancy gown. The other was plainer but still would show my station in society. It was a lovely shade of red, which would complement my still pale complexion. The only good thing about the stuffy jacket was that it helped to keep my skin from turning into the same shade of tan as the rest of the crew. I laid the dress along with matching red shoes on the bed and began the process of de-pirating. I stood over the basin and carefully added rose oil to the warm water. It did smell amazing. I washed every inch on my body, letting the waterfall off to the wooden floor below me. My hair was a bit more difficult. It had acquired quite a buildup of salt. It would take a few washings for it to return to the softness it once had.

I sat on the bed drying and carefully braiding my hair. I put a bit of powder on my face before pulling the dress on. I slipped my stocking-covered feet into the shoes. I stood and strode to the mirror that was on the wall across from me. The lady I had once been was still there. She stared back at me, her face sullen and foreign. She was not the same woman I had come to know over the past months. I felt like a stranger in her body.

A light knock came on the door and Flynn entered.

He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of me. "Wow."

"You have never seen the real me, have you?"

"Of course I have. Every day I see the real you. This is just a part you play. You were never a lady. You just didn't know it."

I smiled at him and let out my very ladylike laugh.

"You do look amazingly beautiful."

"Thank you." I turned back to the mirror and frowned at the woman staring back at me.

"You're not happy in all that, are you?"

"Not anymore. It feels so strange wearing this. I am definitely happier in my jacket and breeches."

"How are you still so pale?" he asked, staring at my ivory skin.

"Why do you think I wear those jackets?" I smiled.

"They are awfully heavy."

I nodded. "It would be hard to explain to people why a lady has such a dark complexion. After all, we are delicate."

"You're as delicate as Scully."

I laughed again.

"What are you going to tell people when they ask why you are here alone? And asking so many questions?"

I clasped a string of pearls around my neck and fixed a loose curl. "That my father sent me off on holiday to visit my dear aunt who still lives in London, and I just so happened to get separated from my young sister."

"Do you think they will buy it?"

"I can only hope they will."

"We'll be docking shortly. Wait here while I get things squared away with the harbormaster." He grabbed one of the few jackets he owned that didn't look as though it had been used to scrub out the latrine.

I cocked my head to the side and watched as he tucked in his shirt and slid his toned arms into the sleeves. He quickly buttoned them up to the neck and grabbed his hat off the bedpost.

"I have to look the part of a respectable merchant captain, don't I?" He buttoned the jacket up and pulled his shaggy hair back into a ponytail.

I walked to him and kissed his cheek. "You look dashing."

He bowed low to me. "I'll be back for you, love."

I sat at the table near the window and watched as The Gilded Lady slid up to the dock with such ease. I pushed the window open to get a bit of fresh air. Flynn was on deck shouting orders to the men. He sounded like a respectable captain. I heard the gangplank hit the dock and got up from my perch. I draped the black cloak over my shoulder and fastened it at my collar bone. They were not entirely fashionable, but it was sensible for a delicate lady to wear something to keep warm aboard a ship for such a long journey.

"Are you ready?" Flynn kissed my cheek.

"Yes," I replied nervously.

"You really do look ravishing. Now let's go find Jane."

I nodded again and took his extended arm. It would only be right for the ship's captain to escort me until I had reached my destination. A single lady always had a chaperone to prevent something unfortunate from happening.

Afterall there were so many dangerous pirates about these days. One simply could not be too careful.