Chapter 11
Rosetta yanked the crossing ties at the back of her dress. She had her back to a mirror in her navigation room so she could see what she was doing.
The new dress she’d bought was a much better quality than the pale-yellow one she’d had. This one actually had boning in it to make it stiffer around the torso and chest. It pushed her breasts up and together, creating a much more obvious line of cleavage.
It also had an additional layer underneath, making it fluff out to the sides more. It was a three-layer dress and should keep her much warmer, especially since it had long sleeves.
She brushed the front of it with her hands once she was done tying it, a smile forming as she looked it over in the mirror.
I love this colour. It was a dark forest green with light-green leaves stitched across it.
It looked rich, and she couldn’t help noticing it made her dark hair stand out even more. It made her appear strong, like a tree that could never be knocked over, no matter how much it was pushed or how hard the elements bashed it.
She felt like it represented her perfectly.
As usual, she’d altered the sides so she could easily reach in to grab her weapons. Sewing it neatly had been one of her tasks this afternoon once she was done shopping.
When she was dressed, she worked on getting her hair into a large braid that eventually ended behind one ear before plaiting over her shoulder.
She gave a sigh. It wasn’t neat – it was a messy, uneven braid – but she didn’t think she could be bothered re-doing it. Sometimes, Naeem helped her do her hair, but he wasn’t here at the moment.
Her new boots were hidden beneath her skirt, and they made heavy clomping noises against the timber of her ship as she made her way off it.
Those of her crew she had been with for the longest were waiting for her on the other side of the gangplank on the pier.
“Hey, Captain!” one of them greeted with a grand smile.
She was thankful they looked refreshed after their stay at Madame Lillian’s brothel.
“Where are we off to?” asked another, his smile just as bright.
It appeared they all wanted to impress; they looked clean, had their best clothes on, and had even brushed their hair.
“Well, don’t you all look dashing!” She giggled, clutching her hands to her chest in appreciation. “What’s the occasion?”
“We still haven’t had a proper celebration for getting the Laughing Siren.”
She noticed a blush heating the cheeks of Keat, the man often in her crow’s nest, as he said, “We thought we should try to look as lovely as you normally do when we’re in port.”
There were eight of them, and Rosetta would trust every single one of them with her life. The fact that they were dishing out fine words and wanting to celebrate with her meant much.
She started walking down the pier with them in tow.
“Well, I was thinking we could go from bar to bar until we find one we like.” Then she clapped her hands together with a squeal of joy. “Ethan knows how to play the piano! We should find a tavern with one.”
“Rosetta!” a loud, boisterous voice called, making her stare further down the boardwalk to see who called her. “My sweet Rose,” Pierre called again, waving his arm in the air like an idiot. “Don’t you just look– Oof!”
He was pushed so hard to the side he almost fell over. She watched Alister chasing him with a finger pointed at his face. He was the one who’d pushed him.
“Not again,” he snapped when Rosetta came upon them.
He quickly turned to her. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, he rubbed the back of his neck and said, “You look nicer than you did last night.”
She raised her brows. Was that supposed to be a compliment?
She realised it was when his lips drew together into an irritated pout.
He pointed at Pierre again. “This is your fault.”
The blond-haired man threw his hands forward in a confused shrug, not sure what he’d done wrong when he was just being himself. Maybe that was the problem.
Needing to save them both, Rosetta grabbed the skirt of the dress and pulled it to the side.
“As much as I like the sea, I miss the colour of forests. I thought I should bring some of it with me.”
“It looks good on you,” Alister grumbled, turning his sight away from her.
She smiled. That’s better.
“I thought I said I’d meet you at The Lazy Mermaid,” she commented, eyeing the different crowd of his men he had with him, besides Glen Darkley and his son Clint, Derek, and Pierre. They must spend most of their time with Alister when he was in port.
His gaze almost seemed to caress over her plaited hair, her face, the way her dress fitted over her torso, all the way down to her skirt hovering just slightly above the ground. There was something more to the appreciative look he gave her, something darker.
“Aye, but I thought this would be easier for you.” He brought his eye up and turned his head to his men. “We didn’t mind waiting, did we, lads?”
A collection of ‘nays’ followed his question.
“But I was going to visit with my crew for a little while first.” She gestured to them behind her. “I haven’t spent much time with them.”
Alister surprised her by coming over and putting his arm around her shoulders, turning her so she was facing her men. Her body stiffened under his arm, as she was still unused to his open attention in front of others.
“She’s drinking with us again tonight, lads. Got it?” Her lips parted in shock at his words. “If you want her, you’ll join us.”
They all looked between themselves but nodded while shrugging. They didn’t seem to mind who they were with or where they were, so long as they were with her.
With a defeated sigh, she nodded. “Looks like that’s the plan now.”
He turned them and took a step forward to start their walk before he removed his arm. Pierre came to take over, putting his arm around her shoulders and forcing her to walk under his heavy weight as he rudely pushed most of it onto her.
“Did you dress him?” He hiked his thumb at Alister. “Never seen him look so nice.”
Alister’s lips thinned tightly, and she tried to stop the snort making its way through her nose.
“He doesn’t need help dressing. He’s been doing it for years, apparently,” she answered with a sly grin of humour.
She had to admit, Alister did look rather splendid tonight.
He was wearing the crisp white tunic she’d picked out.
Rather than buttoning up, it had a deep V-neck tied with strings.
His black breeches weren’t as baggy and shone with newness.
Even his boots sticking out from under the cuffs of his pant legs drew her attention.
With his hair still the way she’d styled it earlier, he looked wealthier. It suited him better with all the jewellery he liked to wear. He looks rather handsome tonight.
Seeing Alister was growing sourer by the minute, when Pierre opened his mouth to comment on it further, she stepped on his toes.
“Ow!” He shied away from her. “Why is it whenever I’m close to you, you hurt me?”
“It’s not my fault you’re so clumsy!”
Both their crews chuckled as they strolled further into town. People made way for them, considering they were a fairly large crowd of rugged, ruthless-looking pirates.
Eventually, they made it to The Lazy Mermaid tavern.
“Get lost, ye lot,” Derek demanded as he barged his way over to a group of men sitting at the end of a long table, pushing them by the shoulders to leave.
The table was more towards the back of the bar than the one they’d occupied the previous night. To accommodate all of them sitting together, they dragged another one to the end.
Pierre and Derek took the end again just as Alister grabbed a single chair and placed it at the head. The person who was about to sit in it fell to the ground.
Just as Rosetta went to sit with her men, he pulled her arm and made her sit on his lap. Her men spread themselves out amongst those of his crew who’d joined them. He eyed the table, seemingly pleased with the collection, then his brows drew tight.
“Where’s Naeem?” He turned his head to her. “Since he isn’t guarding your ship tonight, I expected him with us.”
Rosetta shifted her gaze away to look at the table. “He’s busy relaxing. He’ll be back in the morning to help me make sure the ship is ready.”
“Hmm.” It looked as though he wanted to ask about it, but eventually he just shook his head. “First round’s on me, lads. The rest you can pay for yourselves.”
He told one of them to get their drinks, since there didn’t seem to be any barmaids working in this tavern.
Rosetta squinted at him. “You are so stingy with everything else but paying for booze. Why?”
He gave a laugh when a bottle was placed in his hand, then one was given to her next. “Because if they are having a good time, I’m having a good time.”
“So really, it’s for a selfish reason.”
“Oh aye, got me dead to rights there, lass. If you haven’t noticed, I don’t move from my seat. If I pay, they stay with me.”
“Lazy,” she sassed.
He wrapped his arm around her waist tighter and placed his elbow on the short armrest of his chair, leaning his cheek against his fist.
“I spend most of my time at the helm or checking the stocks of my ship.” He gave a small, disgruntled scowl. “Let me be lazy; I think I’ve earned it.”
She swiftly moved her hand forward to point at him. “I do that too.”
“Aye, but you’re younger than me. You’ve got energy I don’t.”
After last night, she couldn’t help thinking that was the biggest lie that had ever come out of his mouth. I’m still sore.
The night was similar to the previous one. They gambled, but with different games of dice. They spoke of different events they’d shared together. The chatter seemed livelier with her crew present, all of them speaking about achievements before they’d met.
They all get along really well. Since they’d sailed together for so long, they’d all gotten to know each other enough that there wasn’t any tension. His men were speaking about a time quite a few years ago when they had their old sailing vessel.