fear of some worse treatment. Trying to hold my breath, I took a step back away from him, and my back slammed up against the thick expanse of the bottom of the broken and splintered mast.
Moving even closer, he pinned me between him and the mast, then placed his hands upon my shoulders.
“I wonder wot yer kiss be like,” he said in a tone little more than a whisper, and I was unable to control the shudder that ran through me. Placing his grimy fingers under my chin, he turned my face toward his. It was all I could do not to vomit at the odor of him and the feted stench of his rotting teeth. Swallowing hard, I forced down the bile rising in my throat.
“Please.” A hoarse whisper managed to escape me.
“Aye, yer Ladyship. I aim to please ye,” he whispered.
“Take yer filthy ‘ands off her!” Mary shrieked. She tried to rush to my aid, but two of the pirates grabbed her and held her back.
Scruffy’s face was so close to mine that nary an inch remained between us. His black eyes burned into my flesh, like a starving man eyeing his next meal. Leaning in closer still, he pressed his filthy body against mine and placing one dirty hand upon my waist, he whispered, “Do ye have any idea how long it’s been since I had a woman?”
The band of miscreants cheered him on, and I realized for the first time that my virtue might indeed be lost. Tears pooled in my eyes and I averted my face away from his, unable to tolerate his closeness a moment longer. His grimy hand moved from my waist and inched up toward the bodice of my gown as he began slobbering kisses upon my neck. The shiver that ran through me was visible to anyone watching.
“And a beauty such as yerself ... aye ... a pleasure it’ll be.”
Just as his hand reached my breast, the sharp sound of an object hurling swiftly toward us rang out. The air stirred beside my head, followed by the vibration of something slamming into the mast very close to my ear. Scruffy jumped back at the sound of the sword still vibrating in the wood only inches from his head.
“Mister Taylor.” A deep and dangerous voice echoed over the vibrating sword and the heads of the men who now fell silent before him. “I believe I gave explicit instructions that the prisoner not be touched.”
“Beggin’ yer pardon, Captain ... I was just havin’ a little feel o’ the girl. No harm done, no harm done,” he stammered as he backed away.
I looked up toward the sound of the dark and dangerous voice, but the owner stood above me, up upon the rail, and with the sun at his back offered only the darkness of his shadow.
“If any man among you cares to disobey my orders, you may feel free to remain here, upon the disabled Tempest . Otherwise, gather the prisoner and make way back to The Lady Victoria . Mister Taylor, bring the Countess to my cabin ... unharmed,” he commanded, and then he turned away.
The scruffy Mister Taylor grabbed hold of my arm, but I tore it from his grasp.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I hissed at him through clenched teeth. He leaned closer, bringing his thin and grimy face within inches of mine.
“Aye, ye be, Countess ... like it or no,” he replied. Grabbing my arm, a little more roughly this time, he dragged me across the deck.
“Captain,” I shouted as loudly as I could.
Every man upon the deck froze, then looked in their Captain’s direction. The Captain turned back to face me, and with the sun in my eyes, I still could not make out his features.
“A request, Milady?” he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Yes, if you please, Sir, kindly permit me to have my maid, Mary, accompany me, for propriety’s sake,” I said in a strong clear voice, resounding with a courage I certainly didn’t feel.
He laughed and said, “Are there any others among you who wish to accompany the Countess?”
Silence filled the air, and I chanced a glance at my father, who cast his eyes downward and said not a word. Coward .
“I am
Moving even closer, he pinned me between him and the mast, then placed his hands upon my shoulders.
“I wonder wot yer kiss be like,” he said in a tone little more than a whisper, and I was unable to control the shudder that ran through me. Placing his grimy fingers under my chin, he turned my face toward his. It was all I could do not to vomit at the odor of him and the feted stench of his rotting teeth. Swallowing hard, I forced down the bile rising in my throat.
“Please.” A hoarse whisper managed to escape me.
“Aye, yer Ladyship. I aim to please ye,” he whispered.
“Take yer filthy ‘ands off her!” Mary shrieked. She tried to rush to my aid, but two of the pirates grabbed her and held her back.
Scruffy’s face was so close to mine that nary an inch remained between us. His black eyes burned into my flesh, like a starving man eyeing his next meal. Leaning in closer still, he pressed his filthy body against mine and placing one dirty hand upon my waist, he whispered, “Do ye have any idea how long it’s been since I had a woman?”
The band of miscreants cheered him on, and I realized for the first time that my virtue might indeed be lost. Tears pooled in my eyes and I averted my face away from his, unable to tolerate his closeness a moment longer. His grimy hand moved from my waist and inched up toward the bodice of my gown as he began slobbering kisses upon my neck. The shiver that ran through me was visible to anyone watching.
“And a beauty such as yerself ... aye ... a pleasure it’ll be.”
Just as his hand reached my breast, the sharp sound of an object hurling swiftly toward us rang out. The air stirred beside my head, followed by the vibration of something slamming into the mast very close to my ear. Scruffy jumped back at the sound of the sword still vibrating in the wood only inches from his head.
“Mister Taylor.” A deep and dangerous voice echoed over the vibrating sword and the heads of the men who now fell silent before him. “I believe I gave explicit instructions that the prisoner not be touched.”
“Beggin’ yer pardon, Captain ... I was just havin’ a little feel o’ the girl. No harm done, no harm done,” he stammered as he backed away.
I looked up toward the sound of the dark and dangerous voice, but the owner stood above me, up upon the rail, and with the sun at his back offered only the darkness of his shadow.
“If any man among you cares to disobey my orders, you may feel free to remain here, upon the disabled Tempest . Otherwise, gather the prisoner and make way back to The Lady Victoria . Mister Taylor, bring the Countess to my cabin ... unharmed,” he commanded, and then he turned away.
The scruffy Mister Taylor grabbed hold of my arm, but I tore it from his grasp.
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” I hissed at him through clenched teeth. He leaned closer, bringing his thin and grimy face within inches of mine.
“Aye, ye be, Countess ... like it or no,” he replied. Grabbing my arm, a little more roughly this time, he dragged me across the deck.
“Captain,” I shouted as loudly as I could.
Every man upon the deck froze, then looked in their Captain’s direction. The Captain turned back to face me, and with the sun in my eyes, I still could not make out his features.
“A request, Milady?” he asked with a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Yes, if you please, Sir, kindly permit me to have my maid, Mary, accompany me, for propriety’s sake,” I said in a strong clear voice, resounding with a courage I certainly didn’t feel.
He laughed and said, “Are there any others among you who wish to accompany the Countess?”
Silence filled the air, and I chanced a glance at my father, who cast his eyes downward and said not a word. Coward .
“I am
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