This seemed to please the girl because the tips of her cheeks flushed and she smiled almost shyly.
Unbeknownst to the two of them, Aaron was watching the exchange between the two from the opened doorway with an amused smile etched onto his face. It was then that Belle spotted him. The way his eyes looked just then caused her cheeks to color and she looked away. She should have spotted the opened door, should have been more wary of her surroundings rather than let herself get distracted by some girl. However, what was done was done, and she couldn't do anything to change it. Instead, she knelt down and whispered something in the young girl's ear before standing upright and walking over to Aaron.
"What did you tell her?" he asked the young woman as he watched the girl crawl into her bed.
"I told her she should get to bed," Belle replied, glancing over her shoulder at the young girl as well. "And that when she woke up in the morning, it would be all over."
"You would make a good mother," Aaron stated, his eyes returning to look at Belle.
The statement caught Belle by surprise, and her flush only deepened. "Well," she said, trying not to notice the effect his words seemed to have on her. "Do you want any children?"
Aaron paused for a moment, pursing his lips a bit as his eyes found the ceiling, looking for answers there. "I understand that my life might end rather abruptly, entailing a swift but honorable death," he began finally, "but I do want one or two boys."
"I have always wanted four children," Belle admitted, though she wasn't quite sure what compelled her to reveal such a thing. Aaron openly gaped at the notion of having four children, causing Belle to get somewhat defensive. "What?" she asked. "I have never had a big family, and though I love my sister very much, I wouldn't have minded more siblings." Aaron opened his mouth, about to respond, but shut it. He had not yet digested what Belle had said. Belle was clearly offended by his disbelief, for she swept an errant strand of hair behind her ear and murmured, "Well, it is a good thing there is no way we would ever have children together." With that, she headed down the hallway, not exactly sure where she was going, but with every intention to temporarily distance herself from the pirate captain.
Aaron watched her walk off, still allowing Belle's words to enter his consciousness. "Apparently not," he agreed in a low mumble.
27
The next two weeks seemed to fly by, at least in the case of both Belle and Brylee. The crew had collected a great deal of wealth from unsuspecting plantation owners and merchants, who either didn't appreciate the good fortune they had or treated their employees and their slaves with disdain and even contempt. Belle and Aaron made quite a good team, whether it was their turn to pretend they were married and distract the couple, or if they were searching the house for valuables. However, it was usually Rick and Brylee who were the distraction, only because Aaron's face became more and more recognizable.
Brylee continued to find the escapades quite annoying and even somewhat frightening. She did not want to be arrested for piracy. What would society think of her? What would her parents think of her? She would never find a suitable husband if such a thing was to happen. However, she always found a thrill when working with Rick, and though she would admit it to no one, not even Belle, she found that she looked forward to working with the man.
Rick was unlike any other man she had ever met. His heavy blue eyes contrasted with his chestnut-colored hair, and his face was square-shaped and quite sharp. It was so defined that whenever Rick clenched his jaw, she could see it pop. Not that she noticed things like that about him, of course. She was just very perceptive, and the man did it so often, she couldn't help but notice it.
That was her story, anyways.
Because both women had formal education, Aaron had placed them in charge of counting the wealth they had since accumulated. Aaron and Rick knew how to write, read, and do math as well, but there were more pressing matters that called for their attention, such as captaining a ship and being a first mate to a captain. Neither woman minded the prospect of tallying up the valuables; the sun had risen high in the sky and doing the job they were assigned called for them to go below deck, in a nice, cool, shaded room.
That was their position currently.
Belle would count a portion of the wealth before scrawling down a number. When she was finished, Brylee would count that same portion, write down the number she came up with, and check to see if that was what Belle had gotten. If their numbers matched, they would set the pile aside, and continue on. If not, they would recount the money until they both came up with the same number. Yes, it was a tedious task, but it gave them something to focus on and they were out of the hot sun, so they didn't mind.
"May I ask you a question?" Brylee asked, her voice a tad hesitant, when the two sisters had sorted through at least half of the valuables.
"Of course," Belle agreed, though she did not take her eyes off of her task at hand, and her lips moved silently, as though she was counting.
"Have you ever been attracted to someone you know is absolutely and completely wrong for you, but you cannot seem to help it?" she continued, perking her brow slightly.
The question caused Belle to stop her counting altogether, and instead she focused all of her attention on her sister. She set down her writing utensil and cocked her head to the side slightly, waiting for Brylee to continue, only because it appeared she desperately wanted to explain herself.
"I ask because, for some reason," Brylee went on, her crystal blue eyes on the surface of the wooden table rather than her sister because she felt more comfortable talking to it rather than Belle. At least right now. "I seem to find myself drawn toward Mister Fraser, erm, Rick." This caused Belle's brow to rise up as high as it could possibly go, and the corners of her lips to twitch up. Brylee didn't seem to notice the mischievousness clearly written on her sister's face. "I feel like a moth drawn to a flame. I know that if I reach out and touch it, I will get burned, but even that threat does not deter me from my determination." Her shoulders suddenly slouched and she regarded Belle with utter hopelessness. "I have no idea what I am supposed to do, Belle."
"Well," Belle said, trying to figure out the correct words to say to reassure her sister while simultaneously showing her that it was okay for her to have such an attraction when it came to someone like Rick. Rick had always been a gentleman, and quite charming, especially when he smiled and that dimple would pop up in his cheek. She couldn't exactly say that, of course, because if she did, Brylee might be suspicious that Belle was attracted to him. Which she wasn't. "I believe that everyone should get burned once in a while." She shrugged nonchalantly. "It keeps life interesting, I think."
Brylee glanced over at Belle, a question edging toward the tip of her tongue. "Have you… ever gotten burned since you left Port Royal?" she asked cautiously, not wanting to offend her sister but curious nevertheless.
"Oh, Heavens no," Belle said, her face contorting into one of disbelief at such a thought. She shook her head. Light waves tumbled out of the ribbon that was supposed to hold her hair away from her face, but Belle didn't seem to mind.
"May I ask you another question?" Brylee asked, and Belle nodded in return. "Right, well, I have been wondering a lot, especially since you have known about Captain Donovan since we were both young. Does he match up to your expectations of him? What I mean is, when Papa used to tell us stories about the man, and you had him pictured in your head, is he the same as your fantasy of him?"
The question threw Belle off, and for a long moment, she had to think about the correct answer. Was there even a correct answer in this? She knew Brylee wanted honesty, but Belle hadn't really thought about something like this, so it took a while before she actually answered.
"Aaron Donovan is," she began but stopped short. What was he, exactly? What was he to her, anyways? "Aaron Donovan is probably the most aggravating man I have ever met. In all my fantasies of him, I had never expected him to get on my nerves the way he does. And he always, always
, manages to say the exact thing that will upset me, like he knows the sort of reaction I will have to his words, but he says them anyway just to see that reaction!" Once Belle started, she couldn't seem to stop. "And he doesn't even act like a pirate! He has no trouble with general hygiene and he always shaves so his face is nice and smooth, and he always seems to smell nice. Plus, the clothes he wears are new every day, like he changes every day and they are always clean. Always! And he has no interest in whores. I was with him once and they were all clamoring to get his attention and he didn't pay any of them attention. At all. And he doesn't drink! At least he doesn't drink rum. I think he told me once he liked wine, but what pirate likes wine?" She had been waving her arms dramatically and her face had been getting quite red when she suddenly stopped. "But the reason I abhor him the most?" she began, her voice suddenly quiet, serious. "Even with all of his quirks and his numerous flaws, he still somehow manages to crawl underneath my skin."
Belle suddenly sighed, catching her breath. She felt her face start to cool down, and for a long moment, neither sister spoke.
"You must swear you will not say anything, Brylee," Belle told her, and though her voice was relaxed, Brylee could clearly read the apprehension in it if she did tell Aaron all that her sister had said. "Please."
"As always," Brylee said, offering a friendly smile to her sister, "you have my word, Belle. I would never betray your secrets, and I hope that you know that."
Belle smiled in return, this one in relief. "I do," she assured Brylee. "Of course I do. I just get riled up thinking about… that man…"
Brylee smirked as she continued to regard her sister. "I think I must remind you, however, that it was you who told me that everyone should get burned once in a while," Brylee teased gentle, "because that was one way to keep life interesting."
Belle gave her sister a dry look. "Dear sister," she began. "Admitting such feelings for Aaron Donovan, if I ever choose to admit them aloud again, would be like setting my body on fire for an indefinite amount of time." At first, Belle was going to leave her statement as-is when she suddenly realized how it sounded, and immediately recognized the look currently occupying Brylee's usually innocent features. So she quickly added, "And not in the good way."
28
It was the next day, and loud knocking awoke the women from their slumber. Belle was in nothing but a light nightdress, so she grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around her body as she headed to answer the door. For a moment, she threw a look over her shoulder at her sister, and knew that while Brylee seemed asleep, her sister was really awake. Belle growled tiredly; she should have pretended that she was asleep so Brylee would have to get up and answer it. But no matter.
Belle opened the door slightly, in case it was someone she didn't know very well. Instead of some random member of the crew, familiar brown eyes engulfed her own, and she realized it was Aaron. She tried to fight off a blush currently threatening to litter her cheeks due to the fact that he would see her in some of her intimate dress, but it didn't quite work, and the tips of her cheeks turned pink. She cleared her throat and opened the door more, so they could speak properly.
However, something caught Belle's eyes. Aaron could not quite look her in the eye, and his head was tilted downward. The usually calm pirate continuously shifted his weight from one foot to another, while his hands rubbed together before interlocking and then dropping to his sides.
He was nervous. But why?
"Are you all right, Aaron?" she asked him in a soft tone. It was the first time she’d used his Christian name. It felt right on her tongue.
This question seemed to have been interesting, for it caused Brylee to raise her head and open her eyes so she could concentrate better on the conversation taking place in her room.
"Yes, yes absolutely, I am fine," Aaron said, running his long fingers through his dark hair. "Right. Well, I need to ask both you and your sister a favor. The Governor of New Providence is having a gala of sorts, a coming out debut for his eighteen-year-old daughter." He paused for a moment, rubbing his lips together before continuing. "Right, well the man is absolutely horrible. He makes vast amounts of money while keeping an assortment of slaves and allowing his staff to suffer in poverty."
"Um, excuse me," Brylee said, a blanket wrapped around her body as well as she stood next to her sister and looked at Aaron with a questioning look in her blue eyes. "But what does any of what you are saying have to do with me or my sister?"
"Since the two of you were both raised in an upper class home, I figured that the two of you may help teach Rick and me to dance," he replied. His eyes shifted back over to Belle. "If we are to resemble actual couples from such high prospects, we should know how to dance."
"All right," Belle said after a moment. "May we change first?"
"Of course," Aaron said, sending her a smile of relief. For a moment, Belle forgot to breathe because of it, and it wasn't until Brylee placed a hand on her sister's arm that Belle realized she was still standing motionless.
"Right," she managed to say. "We will be out there shortly."
"Thank you," he said as he placed his hands together, a gesture that went along with his words.
Once Belle closed the door, she turned and leaned her back against it.
"This is brilliant, Belle!" Brylee exclaimed in a hushed tone. Her blue eyes were filled with sparkles, and if it had been for any other reason, Belle would surely be swept up in Brylee's excitement. "Why do you have a frown on your face? This is the perfect excuse to get closer to Aaron Donovan without allowing him knowledge of your true feelings for him."
"Sometimes I do not understand you, Brylee," Belle said as she pushed herself off the door and slowly walked over to a chest that was filled with her clothes. "One day, you are complaining about how this entire ship is filled with pirates, and today, you're excited that you will be teaching the first mate of a pirate ship how to dance."
"I cannot plan where life will take me, Belle," Brylee pointed out, a wise tone to her voice. "And in a few moments, it will take me to the arms of a pirate."
"You do realize that mere days ago you would have balked at such a notion?" Belle asked, the corners of her lips twitching up as she regarded her sister before refocusing her attention back on the clothes in the chest.
"And you would revel in such an idea," Brylee pointed out before walking over to her own chest and sorting through her dresses before pulling out a comfortable blue one. "And besides, this whole notion with Rick… You know it is just a mere infatuation, right? Nothing serious, of course."
"Of course," Belle said, rolling her eyes. "You know Brylee, if it is merely an infatuation because you believe society will welcome you back into their arms after all of this, then you are sorely mistaken. You are a pirate now, whether you like it or not."
"I am not complaining, Belle," Brylee snapped, her eyes staring at the clothes in her hand rather than at her sister. "But I feel that it is safer for me to believe my feelings for Rick are mere infatuation because the idea of marriage to a pirate would be a ridiculous notion, would it not? I cannot hope to ever engage in a marriage with him because he probably does not believe in it, or the prospect of a family."
"I am not certain that is true," Belle said, finally settling on black slacks and a sage green tunic. Her tone had grown softer when she realized what Brylee meant. "Donovan told me that he wanted two little boys. Of course, he never actually said that he wanted to get married, but even to pirates, family seems to be important."
"And how, exactly, did the two of you decide to speak of children?" Brylee asked, deviousness flashing in her crystal eyes.
"It was a couple of weeks ago," Belle said as a blush decided to make another cameo on her face. She started slipping off her nightgown and changing into the clothes she had picked out for herself. "There was a little girl in the manor we were looting. I do not know, exactly, how it came up, but it did, and that was that." She turned to face her sister as she tucked in her tunic.
"Is that a problem?"
"No," Brylee said, hiding a smile as she lifted her own nightgown over her head. "No, there is no problem." When her dress was situated and both sisters were properly dressed, Brylee smiled. "Are you ready then?"
"As ready as I'll ever be, I'm sure," Belle murmured under her breath, but Brylee heard her sister, and her lips arched up.
"May I make a suggestion?" Aaron asked once the two women had come out of their rooms and met up with both him and Rick in the middle of the vacant deck that made up much of the upper ship. Belle and Brylee nodded at him politely, but said nothing. "I believe that Brylee should teach Rick how to dance in order for the two of them to build some sort of rapport with each other. Like I intend to do with Belle. Our chemistry must be believable because this mission is incredibly important."
"Of course," Belle said, nodding once before shifting her eyes to Brylee. "Is that all right with you, sister?"
"Of course," Brylee repeated, and she went to stand over next to Rick.
"Wait a minute," Belle said after a moment. "I am to attend? Are you certain? I do not think I have anything to wear."
Aaron smiled charmingly at her. "I have everything taken care of," he assured her. "Now, shall we start?"
It took a moment, but Belle managed to situate Aaron in the proper dancing position. There was a good distance between the two, maybe a foot, maybe a little less. Belle's left hand was placed firmly on Aaron's broad shoulder, while her other hand was holding onto Aaron's. Aaron's right hand was holding onto Belle's waist.
"You are to lead," Belle informed him. "The steps are quite simple once you get used to them. Here, let me show you."
Over the next hour, Belle attempted to show Aaron the steps again and again. But for whatever reason, the pirate captain seemed distracted by something. He would either have his head down, watching their feet, or he would be stepping on her feet when he tried to look up, or he would forget the steps altogether.
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