“I’m Elwood S-smith. He's Jeremiah Dodds. W-would you know where we can book passage on a fast ship to Santa Catalina?”
Jack laughed. “Iffin you have the price me ship the Finola be taking you there almost fast as a gull flies!” Ellie scooped some golden coins from her pouch, putting them in his hands.
Jack blinked a few times, long black lashes sweeping his bright eyes. “Ah, the sound o’ gold ringing in me pocket has great charms! You gots yourself a ship and a smashing good cap’n.” He stood, tall as Will. He put out a lean brown hand. “Jack O’ Leary, Wild Jack some calls me. We leaves immediate after I gives Alice me attention.”
“Oh, of c-course, ---n-naturally, ---s-sure, --- ah, y-yes!,” Ellie babbled.
Jack rushed into the shack. Jeremiah looked at Ellie, puzzled, as she sat down heavily on the wooden crate, puffing her cheeks. Ellie took a few gulps of ale from the mug that Jack set on the ground . Jeremiah suddenly drew back, his eyes huge. He had seen Ellie’s shirt and jacket gaping for a moment showing the roundness of a breast. “Lord Almighty, you’re a girl!”
Ellie grinned up at him. “Woman.”
“Why are you hiding your pretty self in boy’s clothes?”
“Because it’s safer to travel alone disguised as a boy.”
He rubbed the back of his head. "Your femaleness won‘t matter to Cap‘n O‘Leary considering how rich you be.”
“Not if he’s a pirate and I think he is!”
Jeremiah laughed. Jack came through the doorway, Alice’s arm in his. “Me dearie, give this sailor a final buss, aye?” He pursed his lips comically and leaned down to her. She reached up, throwing her arms around his neck. “Jack, you be the sweetest man!”
“Alice, dinna let anybody destroy your natural beauty o’ spirit, most generous you be.”
“A bit aged. They calls me Ancient Alice.”
Jack frowned. “The old puglouses, that be harsh! The oldest violins plays the most beautious music! You be a tropical Stadivarius.”
Alice kissed his cheek. “Will you be shipping out soon, Jack? I never knowed a handsome rolling stone to stay put.”
“I be leaving today with these gentlemen.” He waved toward Ellie and Jeremiah.
Jeremiah grinned. “Cap’n, look closer at Elwood.”
Jack stepped back a little, pushing up the brim of his hat, grinning “Ha! You be a bit strange and large in the chest for a boy and pretty round lower down. Be you done by some roguish swain and moving along to sweet motherhood, lass?”
Ellie looked at the ground. “Yes.”
Jeremiah backed up a couple of paces, fear in his eyes. “You’re gonna have a baby? When?”
Ellie laughed. “”In about five months.”
“You be big for as far along as you be, lass.”
“Oh, you know so much about it, Jack?”
“I been at more than one woman’s lying in. Could you possible be having twins?”
Ellie gasped. “What?”
“You heard me, lass. Twins runs in some families, like mine for instance.”
Ellie had a sneaking suspicion. “Your family?”
Jack grinned, the sun sparkling furiously off his gold tooth. Ellie noticed gray pearl studs in his ears too. “Aye, me half brother Timmy were a twin, only one o’ them what survived birth, but he died o’ consumption when he were but a tyke. ‘T was shortly after me ma hanged. I heard o’ that, but did nay see it. I been in Newgate set to die meself for stealing a sack o’ potatoes. I escaped though, obvious, for here I stands a man, hale an’ hearty.”
Ellie squinted at him. “Do you have a half brother Will?”
“Aye, me younger brother Will. He been me ma’s legal child, her being married to Clive Burton. I be the son o’ Liam Curry, a by-blow and proud o’ it for me da were a kind man, but that Clive Burton be a wicked old maggot, even with his lordly background. Me ma were a raging beauty, her flashing eyes dark secrets, her hair a shining black river and her skin like buttery toffee. Will went to sea too, must be the wild blood in the whelps o’ the lovely Mary O’Leary!”
Jeremiah looked excited. “You’re a pirate like your brother Black Will!”
“Sure. Say, you dinna look so well, Missy.” Jack grabbed Ellie’s arm as she swayed on her seat.
“I’ll be alright.”
"What be your name?”
“Ellie Strickland.”
“Howdy-do, Miss Ellie.” He bent over her hand. His velvety lips touched the back of it. Just like Will’s, the beautiful eyes were dramatically set over broad and high cheekbones. “Let me help you up,” He put a gentle hand under her elbow. “Sometimes a woman with child faints. Does you want me to carry you?”
Ellie brushed her shirt down over her belly, picked up her jacket. “No, I can walk.”
“You knows me brother well?” His eyes went to her belly.
Ellie lifted her chin proudly. “I do.”
Alice came toward them holding three foaming glasses of ale. Ellie accepted her’s gladly. Jack and Jeremiah drained theirs completely. One taste and Ellie did the same. It was the best ale she’d ever had. Alice grinned. “I makes that. It be how I mostly supports meself, selling it to taverns.”
“It’s delicious, Alice, many thanks!”
“Shaw, Miss, you be too kind. I uses me granny’s recipe. She were from Bavaria where they be genius about beers. I has five sons, no daughters. I could nay help overhearing ye talking about Will.”
Ellie sighed. “Yes, I’m trying to catch up with him. That’s why I need a fast ship.”
Jack picked up a long musket leaning against the shack. “We be going.” He slung it behind his big square shoulders, one knobby wrist hanging over each end. Alice gave him a last kiss and Jack practically galloped off. Ellie and Jeremiah had a hard time keeping up with him, but they saw his broad brimmed hat, it’s mass of colorful feathers bobbing through the open air market.
Soon they were standing in front of Jack’s orange ship. He put his hands on his hips, and laughed. “The color o’ me Finola be a bit original. I had three buckets of paint, nay enough o’ one color so I mixed them together and they covered her just fine!”
Jeremiah's eyes danced as he watched the activity on deck, the bare-chested, barefoot crew swarming all over the Finola.
“Let’s go!” Jack strode up the gangplank. He told his men they’d be leaving soon and some of them went to get extra provisions.
“Our heading, Cap’n?”
“Santa Catalina, Mister Pettigrew. This be Ellie Strickland and Jeremiah Potts.” Jack rubbed his chin. “There be no private quarters for females here. Me crew sleeps under the stars. Being exhausted by the day’s work some will nay bother you, but I can nay guarantee the behavior o’ such rowdy sea dogs. You be welcome to share me cabin.”
Ellie eyed him suspiciously. He chuckled. “I swears I will nay touch you, at least I’ll nay this even.”
Ellie kicked his shin. He jumped back, rubbing his leg. “You dinna had to do that!”
“I did! Keep your place, Captain O’Leary, and I accept your offer of space in your cabin.”
Jack put out both palms as if to fend her off. “Forgive me. And, come this way, queenie.”
Eliie narrowed her eyes at being called ‘queenie’, but she nodded. “Thank you.”
Jeremiah pulled her arm toward him. “You don’t have to stay with him. You can sleep next to me on the deck. I won’t let any pirates get you.”
Ellie was touched. She patted Jeremiah’s shoulder. “You’re a good friend, but I can handle myself.”
Jeremiah looked at Jack’s wide back as he walked away carrying Ellie’s sack. “I hopes so.”
Ellie smiled. “Don’t worry.”
Jack opened the door to his cabin. Ellie stepped inside. It was very different from Will’s elegant quarters on the Sea Wife. There was only a cot with several blankets and a stool nailed to the floor. A journal, pot of ink and a quill were on the floor. A big chest stood upright against the wall, a mug and a wooden board with a few crusts of bread and a stone bottle on it. A tin bucket was in the corner. In a wooden crate were neatly folded clothes.
“I’ll get you a cot, Miss Ellie. The cooks rings a bell fer meals. You can eat your share on deck or bring it here. I has me duties as cap’n now.” Jack gallantly swept his hat off his head and left. Ellie sighed, sitting on the cot.
“AWKK!” A scarlet macaw jumped from behind the chest, strutted across the cot arrogantly, turned and gazed at her with his cold white eyes. “AWKK!” The parrot spread his wings threateningly, bobbing his head up and down. “CLAM BRAIN! COW PIMPLE! RUN HER THROUGH THE GIZZARD, LADS!”
Ellie rushed out the door, slamming it hard. She ran to Jack, grabbed his arm. “There’s a huge parrot in your cabin!”
Jack turned. “Oh, you met Fury. He be me first mate, although since he be avian the crew thought I should make it honorary-like.”
“Maybe Fury could stay on deck while I’m traveling with you.”
Jack rubbed his chin. “Nay, ' t would upset him. Besides, Fury be good company. He talks, does tricks. I been trying to teach him polite things like, thank you and howdy-do, but he nay wants to learn them. Guess he gots a black heart! I picked him up on Martinque, came right down to me hand, sweet boy! The crew thinks he be tamed before because he be so gentle.” Jack laughed.
“Gentle!,” Ellie mumbled. “You actually have a parrot!.”
Jack frowned. “Aye. Where does you think I gets feathers for me hat?”
“From Fury.”
“You think so?”
“Don’t mock me! Do you want me to kick you again?”
“Damn me eyes, you be an evil-tempered wench!” He stepped back. “Me brother Will dinna try to train the obstinate out o’ you?”
“He tried.”
“He was nay too successful.”
“Not very. Jack, does Fury bite?”
“Sure, he bites all sorts o’ things, fruit, seeds, nuts. He be a fool for pineapple and he relishes his morning tea. He nay be tasting fingers usual, but watch your digits around him, even so!” Jack laughed and laughed. Ellie DID want to kick him again!
