My face was bruised from the god-awful bash on the boat bench. My arms were abraded and bruised from the terrible monsters that captured me, and my chest was scratched from the fingernails of the hellfire whore I had fought with. Among all the horrible marks discoloring my tired body, I was detoured by the strange red spots dancing across my breasts. Upon further inspection I became aware that they were from the way Sterling’s had sucked on my skin. At first my heart fluttered at the ardent memory of his caress, but the warmth was quickly washed away by the fury I recalled over his betrayal. The small reminisce of his love hurt me more than any of the other blemishes covering my body.
When I came out to join Derouex at the table, he greeted me with a pleasant smile. I noticed he had a dimple on his right cheek.
“Much better, mon cher.” He spun me around before he reached to perfect the flow of my wet hair. As he smiled at his improvements over my appearance, I noticed his teeth were surprisingly straight. Gently tracing the line of my jaw, he softly lifted my chin with his fingers. “You are a lovely woman.” Brushing his fingertips around the bruise on my cheek, he shook his head. “It is an unbearable shame that those dogs would not know how to treat such a fine piece of art. I cannot apologize enough for their terrible behavior.”
Surveying my chest, he asked, “However did you acquire these she-devil scratches?”
I reluctantly told him I got in a fistfight with a prostitute. The way he shook his head in shame reminded me of the way Lawrence would appear disgraced by my reckless behaviors. Though he obviously eyed the kiss marks Sterling branded me with, I was ever so relieved that he did not mention them.
Without another word on the matter, he led me to the table and pulled a chair out for me. It felt incredibly good to sit down. Sitting in the chair next to mine, Derouex took my hands in his and asked, “Will you behave if I keep you free from these wretched binds? I would prefer for you to be comfortable, but I also have seen the damage you can do. Can I trust you, Charlotte?”
Upon my promise of trust, he released my cuffs and attached them to his belt. As I rubbed my aching wrists I noticed the light of day had begun to illuminate the wooden floor below the heavy curtains. The glow was hazy and I was sure it was still foggy out, but the light reminded me how deprived of sleep I was. It had been a whole day since I’d slept and half a day since I had last eaten. Just as I was wondering if my captor intended to feed me, there was a knock on the door.
Derouex patted my free hands as he said, “Pardon me, cherie, but I must get that.”
It was an old man balancing a tray of food. Derouex introduced him as Jonet. A younger man named Pierre came in behind him carrying a basket with a colorful cloth over the top of it. They greeted me with the proper etiquette of the finest servants, and as they set the table before me, the hearty aroma filled the air. My mouth began to water. There was bacon and warm bread, butter and fruit. Derouex sat down to join me. Jonet filled two ornate chalices with champagne and then added orange juice.
The moment Jonet and Pierre left the room I piled my plate with bacon, but when I went to butter my bread I realized there were no utensils. Looking at the butter, then back to Derouex, I shrugged my shoulders to question the lack. Smiling, he grabbed the knife from his end of the table. While buttering my bread for me, he chuckled, “You think I have no sense at all, mon cher? I know you would stab me in the heart if I left you with anything sharper than a spoon. This coat is far too precious to endure such a staining.”
I snickered to myself about his wise judgment, but I had to agree that his plum colored coat was quite stunning. The moment I finished chewing on the delectable bacon and butter treat, I said, “That is a fine coat, Derouex.”
His thin lips rose with a boastful smile. “I prefer the finest things in life, paupee. As you can see, I have taken my time to acquire this admirable collection, and I do intend to gather many more pieces throughout my journeys.”
I had been talking to him as if I knew him, but as I took in the sight of his terribly handsome face, it became painfully apparent that I had no idea who he was, where I was, or what the hell I was doing there.
“So where do you intend to journey next?” I asked, fully intending to inquire about my future.
“You needn’t worry yourself about that, joli. It is best you just enjoy your time and let me care for the matters at hand.”
Utterly annoyed by the avoidance of his response, I exhaled with irritation. Such was the story of my life, quietly waiting as a proper woman while the men around me planned my future. Then I remembered it was most likely better off that way. For as I learned on Tortuga, I had no place designating my own position in the world.
Continuing to devour my meal, I relished the way the melted butter softened the fluffy bread and was slathered over the savory bacon. I was savagely satisfied by the colorful flavors, until Derouex smirked at the crudeness of my eating. “You must have been starved. It seems as if your lover never fed you.”
Feeling my good spirits dissipate, my shoulders drooped as I said, “I do not have a lover.”
He ran his hand along his perfectly trimmed goatee. “From what my men tell me, it seems you were quite involved with Sterling Bentley behind the tavern.”
I shuddered at the memory. “Involved in a terrible fight, that is.”
“I am so sorry. I hope he did not hurt you.”
He hurt me so much. I wanted to cry just thinking about it. Though I did not want to discuss the matter with the stranger before me, I did want to know what had happened to Sterling. “Did any of your men see what happened to him after I was taken?”
“Oh, one of my men mentioned having a drink with him after you ran off. I am sure he is just fine, paupee.”
He smiled at me as if I should be soothed by learning of Sterling’s wellbeing, but I was devastated by the news. The gut-wrenching vision of him moving along just fine without me made me want to vomit up the tiny pieces of my shattered heart. Since sex was all he wanted anyway, I was sure he found it easy enough after I left. The menacing thoughts spiraled in my weary mind, nauseating my tumbling gut.
As if Derouex could read my thoughts he commented with concern, “I am also quite curious as to why your brave buccaneer did not come to your rescue when these savages took you.”
What little strength I had left escaped me. Laying my head on the table, I hid my face in my arms, but Derouex gently rubbed on my shoulder. “Are you all right, mon cher?”
From my puddle of despair, I mumbled, “I am just so tired, Derouex. I want to go to sleep.”
“Of course. Come then, cherie.” He stood up and reached for my hand. As I gripped onto his, there was another knock at his door. “Ah, the busy life of a captain at sea. Please just sit here and wait for a moment, ange.”
I could hear Lynden’s gravelly voice behind the door as he spoke to the captain, but I could not tell what they were saying to each other. Laying my face on the table again, I huffed to myself, “What does it matter anyway.”
Soon enough, Derouex came over to me and kneeled before my chair. “Listen, my dear. I understand this will be unpleasant, but I need you to trust when I say everything will be fine.”
I know my look was drenched in horror and very well showed my lack of trust as I backed up in my seat. Derouex slowly lifted me from my chair and informed me that I would be waiting with Lynden while he went to handle his business.
My body tensed as I panicked. “No, please don’t leave me with him. Don’t leave me at all.”
Derouex calmly explained, “I am sorry, but he is my best man. He will be sure to keep you safe and he knows I will kill him if he touches you. Please be calm, Mademoiselle. I would rather not have to cuff you again.”
The metal cuffs hung from his belt, clinking together with a harrowing sound, reminding me that he could cuff me again if I did not behave. As I wallowed in my torment Derouex winked with a silly smile. “For the safety of my crewmen.”
Without returning
the grin, I promised to behave.
As Derouex led me to my seat, he pointed at Lynden with a threatening scowl before he left the room. A man named Vernon entered behind him. He had a violin and began to play a pleasant tune while I sat at the table eating my fruit and drinking my flavored champagne. Sitting at the other end of the table, Lynden took it upon himself to finish off the bacon. He ate with his mouth open—chewing along with the hum of the violin.
After a few minutes of awkward tension had passed, Gordy crashed into the room and cackled, “Bring her out.”
Every nerve in my body tensed with horror, but instinct drove me to stand in my defense. Backing against the bulkhead, I held my fists over my chest, ready to fight, but Lynden easily grabbed me by the arms and held me still. Gordy tried to tie a blindfold over my face, but I instantly began to thrash in their clutches. Without damaging my person, Lynden cuffed my hands and then held me stiff as a board as Gordy put the blind fold over my eyes.
I don’t know why in the hell I did it but I screamed for Derouex. Lynden smashed his big dirty hand over my mouth to silence me. I bit him. As he fell back cursing me from the pain. Gordy grabbed me by the throat and slammed me against the bulkhead. I was surprised the sloppy bastard could move so fast. With the blindfold over my eyes and my lungs gasping for air, I was too crippled to fight. Lynden hollered at him to let me go, but Gordy growled, “No. This one’s going to sleep.”
Just as I began to consider my fate, I heard the door fly open. Gordy’s hand flew off my neck. Amidst my gasping and blindness I heard Derouex’s voice. It sounded as if he punched Gordy in the face before he threw him out the door. Lynden yanked me by the arm as he complained about me biting him. During the rumbling chaos, I found myself in Derouex’s arms.
Holding me close to his chest, he carried me out of the room. Suddenly everything was quiet and still. I had my eyes closed to hide from the terror and the blindness, but I felt safe there against his pounding heartbeat. In the moment of solace I rubbed on Derouex’s cheek. “Thank you for rescuing me.”
“You are always safe with me, Charlotte. I am terribly sorry things went the way they did. Now, I know Gordy is a worthless lump, but how did Lynden behave?”
“He was better than Gordy, but not by much.” As much as I didn’t like him, or trust him for that matter, he seemed willing to obey his captain, which meant I was better off in his care than Dirty Jim Flint’s, or anyone else who walked that deck. Then I remembered Kasey. Wondering where he was among the perilous group, I wished he was the one watching over me again. With all those thoughts swirling through my mind, I felt Derouex set me back down. He finally removed my blindfold. We were back in his room where everything was peaceful and still.
X
I slept for most of the day. When I finally awoke, I just stayed in Derouex’s comfortable bed reading from his extensive library of books. For the most part he had Lynden keep watch over me. Though it was rather annoying having him in the room, he was quiet and left me alone.
As evening came, Derouex asked me to prepare for dinner. He insisted upon me surprising him with the dress of my choice, so I sifted through the chest of eccentric clothing to find the one I felt appropriate for the feast. The dresses were all lovely and though it was tough to settle on one, I ended up with a pale green silk dress that was accented with gold embroidery.
Derouex worked on his map while I attempted to style my hair in the mirror. As I wrestled with the flimsy braid, I complained to him about my lack of skill. He insisted that I did indeed deserve a proper servant, and while unraveling my shitten braid, my heart ached for Mary. I missed her friendship as much as her care.
The best style I could manage was a simple pinup on the left. With my hair out of the way, I looked over the tray of makeup Derouex set out for me. There was a tin of rice powder, a rosy red rouge, a dark eye pencil and a stunning red lipstick. As I endeavored to apply my own makeup, we talked about the collection of books in his library. I found myself feeling relaxed as I powdered my face and added the rouge. Somewhat intimidated by the dark liner and lipstick, I only intended to add a meager amount, but found myself enjoying the art as I went along.
When I finished, I was quite pleased by the graceful lady who looked back at me in the gold framed mirror. The powder covered the bruise on my cheek and I even fluffed enough on my chest to hide the hideous she-devil scratch marks left by Holly and suck marks left by Sterling. The dress was stunning, the golden embroidery seemed to accent my eyes, and my hair didn’t look half bad.
For the first time in my life, I saw myself as a woman of my own. I was alone somewhere in the middle of the ocean, and I’d experienced so much since I left home that the young girl I left behind seemed but a fleeting memory.
Feeling confident in my appearance, I walked out to meet with Derouex. He greeted me with an adoring smile and once again spun me around. The silk and lace of the dress swirled out and around my legs before he gracefully dropped me over his arm. Holding me there, he looked into my eyes and hummed, “You are like a wildflower, Charlotte. Oui. This world is but an unkempt field, and in the midst of all the wiry weeds, there was one single flower. As I plucked the weeds away from her, her petals shone brighter in the sunlight. Alas, I had uncovered myself a tulip, fully blooming in the spring.”
Pausing just long enough for me to catch my breath, he then lifted me up and took my hand in his. “I am quite enchanted by your stunning display of beauty, Mademoiselle. Je serais honoré to have you join me for dîner tonight.”
Somehow I managed to whisper, “Well yes, I would love to join you, Derouex.”
It felt as if I left my heart behind as he led me to my chair. Still blushing as I sat down, I tried to hide my flushing cheeks, but he assured, “Your blush only accents your rouge, joli. It works wonders for your eyes. There is no need to hide it.”
As we drank our wine, Jonet served a tray of cheese and shortly after, Pierre came in with salad and warm bread. I felt like I was at The Royal Poinciana having a fine feast with an elegant nobleman. Our conversation was lively and the hors d’oeuvres were delectable. I hardly had room for dinner by the time it was served but Derouex insisted, “Oh, come now, cherie. I hunted the boar myself. You must have at least a taste.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. “I can hardly picture you chasing down a boar, allowing its blood to splatter your precious clothing.”
He raised his glass to concur with my observation. “Oui, I prefer to be well kept, but I am also a man. I will hunt and I will fight when necessary, but I always have a clean coat awaiting me.”
He winked and flashed me an enticing smile.
The boar was tasty. I had more than just one bite. As we ate I asked Derouex questions about his life. I was just as enthralled with his vivacious stories as I was fascinated by the poetic metaphors he lined his tales with, but soon enough he asked about me. After I explained the details of the way I was raised, Derouex squinted with concern. “So then tell me, mon cher, how has a gem like you ended up in such a rough place in the world?”
“Love will carry a heart to unusual places, I guess.” I had a vivid memory of Sterling’s green eyes looking at me and it pained my heart. As I attempted to flush the vision from my mind, Derouex agreed, “That it will, ange. And I am sure Monsieur Bentley added a fair share of adventure to that bubbling potion of love. The sky is the limit when such desires collide.”
I hardly wanted to speak about the man who broke my heart, but I was curious about their relationship. “How is it that you know Sterling?”
“I sailed with him under his father’s flag many years ago. Ah, that Mason Bentley was one hell of a man. I have hardly seen a crew so loyal since I stood on the deck of his ship.” Looking off as he recalled a memory, he sighed, “I was there the day Captain Bentley lost his life. It was a terrible battle and many men died that day. Though we left empty-handed, the young Sterling Bentley managed the remainder of the crew as captain and sailed them to safety. Quite a
heroic gesture for such a young man. But I am sure you have heard that story many times.”
I had never heard the story. Abashed by my lack of that particular knowledge, I inquired with my eyebrow raised, “Sterling never told me he captained a ship.”
“Oh, I am sure he would have told you soon enough. It is quite the tale of honor and esteem.”
My shame must have shown on my face, for Derouex apologized, “Je suis désolé. I don’t mean to upset you, joli. Let us lighten the mood with a toast.” Raising our glasses together, he cheered, “To good company and fine wine.”
I was pleased to ring my glass with his, but my heart skipped a beat when he reached for my hand. “You are quite the trésor, Charlotte. I am honoré to have you at my table tonight. Any man would be considered wealthy to call you his own.”
My heart and my cheeks warmed. He was so charming and so handsome. I could hardly believe he would be interested in me. Needless to say, I was pleased by his admiration. Buzzing from the wine I found my hand rubbing on his. The lacey frill of his cuffed sleeve was soft. I started ruffling it with my fingers. For a moment I wondered why I was doing it but saw no reason to stop.
Then there was a knock on his door.
Looking up from my flirtatious gesture, Derouex bit his bottom lip as if he regretted the interruption. Getting up to answer the door, he informed me, “I forgot to tell you. We are having guests tonight.”
I shuddered at the possibilities.
After a brief hello at the entrance, Derouex welcomed his guests. As they walked in the room I gasped in horror. It was Willard Smith and Paul Redding. I wanted to scream. I almost did. My heartbeat caught in my throat and my face flushed with a rush of blood. I was about to reach across the table and grab Derouex’s steak knife, but when he saw the panic on my face he rushed over to me. “Are you all right, mon cher?”
Tarnished Persuasion (Justified Treason, Book 2): Endless Horizon Pirate Stories Page 13