The Bloody Cutlass

Chapter Six

The icy water embraced Violet roughly and she fought hard against the current. She flopped around uselessly; she had never really learned how to swim. Not much opportunity for such activities in the country. Her dress was restricting and heavy as she struggled to keep her head above the water.

The water was so cold that she could hardly breath when she did come up for air. She opened her mouth to scream, hoping someone aboard the ship might hear her; but a wave smothered her, filling her mouth and lungs with water.

She started to sink lower, her arms and legs ached and stars swam across her vision. Resigned to her fate, her eyes drifted closed. Then she felt something pulling her up, clutching her hand. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw him. Her stowaway, her capture, her rescuer. He was fighting the current as well, hauling her towards him. He wrapped his strong arms around her, and she encircled his neck.

Then they were in the air, being pulled to safety. He held her securely against him, like she was precious. She held onto him in turn. Refusing to let go even after they were back on the ship.

A storm was rolling in, the wind whipped wildly around them. Violet shuddered her lips turning the slightest shade of blue from the cold. When he set her feet down onto the deck she swayed. But he caught her scooping her up in his arms and carrying her swiftly from the deck.

He kicked the door to his chambers closed and set her down gently. His hands still on her waist. "Can you stand?" He asked, his voice gravelly.

She nodded meekly, wrapping her arms across her chest to preserve her modesty. He began undoing the laces on his shirt then and Violet blushed furiously, turning her eyes to the floor.

"You have to get out of those wet clothes. We'll be lucky if you don't get catch your death." She heard his wet shirt land in a heap on the floor, and she shook her head not trusting her voice.

He took a slow step towards her as if not to spook her. Then clearing his throat he said, "I'll help you; turn around."

Violets brown eyes snapped up to meet his. He meant for her to undress. He meant to help her undress. It was unthinkable. "No, you can't." She mumbled, the chill in her bones was slowing her thoughts but she managed to get the words out.

He rolled his eyes, "you cannot expect to stay in that dress; and I'm fresh out of lady's maids and chaperones." Violet glared at him, her teeth chattering.

Violet wanted to argue the point, but she could not feel her limbs. She complied, turning slowly to offer him her back. She raised her hands up over her head and gathered the wet mass of her caramel hair, pulling it out of the way.

She could feel the heat radiating from his chest as he stepped closer. He worked quickly undoing the laces; Violet struggled to breathe when on a number of occasions the rough skin of his knuckles brushed against her smooth back.

She found herself wondering briefly how many times the young captain had unlaced a lady's dress but she shook the thought away. "Done." He said softly, before stepping away.

Violet stood frozen, clutching her heavy, cold dress to her front. "There are some clothes for you, on the bed." He informed her, and she held her breath until he had left her alone in his cabin.

Then, she hurried to the large canopy bed and balked at what she found. Men's clothes. A mans shirt and trousers. Not many options for ladies on a pirate ship, she supposed. Violet shivered, once again too numbed by the biting cold to object.

Letting her dress fall the rest of the way to the floor, she pulled the shirt over her head before stepping all the way out of the gown. She knew it was silly. A silly, girlish notion. But it made her feel more like herself. She refused to be naked on this ship, alone or otherwise.