Pirates

Chapter 19

We remained in these sleeping arrangements for the following week, Coras being our only confidante after he had walked into what had been my room only to find the Captain. The weather turned and it started getting much colder at night, I calculated it must have been nearly Christmas. I remembered the warm winter nights besides my father on the settee, the single glass of port I was allowed at christmas, me singing for him as was his request. The balls! Oh how I missed the balls! Seeing all my friends, dressing up in an attempt to astonish the entire party. Instead I was here, but somehow, it wasn't sorrow I felt when regarding my new situation, it was simply different. Whereas at home I would sit and laugh by the fire, I now sit and laugh by the ocean, at home I would go to balls and dance the night away, here I would stand on deck and dance sea chanties. At home I had my future husband and here I had the Captain.
No.
Why had I thought that? What had the Captain to do with me? I couldn't think like that, I just couldn't.
I was laying in bed, thinking all of this, awoken by the sudden cold. I was alright, I had simply gotten a second covering at the end of my bed. I couldn't help but wonder how everyone else was sleeping, they didn't have the massively covered bed I did. Oh the Captain would be freezing and he had given me his bed!
I couldn't leave him freezing in the night, it was my duty to help him after his sacrifice to me, even if he had kidnapped me.
I grabbed what looked to be his coat, I didn't have the energy to fully get dressed, and went to find him. The wind nipped at my hands as I crossed the deck and by the time I got to my old room, I couldn't feel my hands or feet, though they were both bare.
I knocked on the door. "Captain." I whispered harshly. I blew into y hands awaiting a response. I tried again. "Capt-" The door opened and he was stood huddled over, blowing into his hands, his lips pale and looking very tired. His hair was messy, but he was fully dressed, a smart move to sleep in his clothes on cold nights.
"Yes?" He asked sleepily.
"It's too cold here for you. Come with me." He didn't question it, simply grabbed the charcoal he seemed to take everywhere with him and followed. I could audibly hear his teeth chattering from where I walked in front of him.
The chamber where I slept was many degrees warmer than where he slept and he let out a sigh of relief when we entered. I pulled out one of the chairs we both ate dinner sat on.
"What are you doing?" He asked, still shivering a little.
"You can have your bed back and I will sleep on the chair for tonight." I pulled a blanket from the bed and sat in the chair.
"Don't be ridiculous, you can have the bed. Here," He held out his hand to lift me from the chair and I took it, but shrank back from his touch. He was freezing. He looked offended by my movement.
"Sorry. You're just so cold." I said and small sigh of what looked to be relief washed over his face. "Please sleep in your bed, you'll be far warmer."
"I couldn't. It would be wrong." This time he quite forcibly pulled me from the chair and escorted me to the bed.
"Then please take more blankets." I said and pushed them off the bed towards his chair. He smiled and nodded. He then walked over to where his small drawers and pulled out some parchment. He then came up to me and noticed for the first time I was wearing his coat. He chuckled.
"You're getting obsessed with me." He winked then continued grinning. "Don't get too attached, sweatheart." He continued smirking.
I don't know what possessed me, but I kissed him on the cheek and said "Won't be too hard." Leaving him stunned. I turned and got into the bed, ashamed of what I had just done, although I didn't take off the coat until I was under the covers, I was not that kind of a girl.
I folded the double bed-sized covers over to make a thicker cover for me and fell asleep to the sound of charcoal scratching against paper.