Love At Sea: De La en Glässer

Home sweet home

She focused on his lips as they moved slowly but surely, words along the lines 'I will not take long' were spoken to Cockerell and the man nodded while tucking a rusty knife in his pants. She turned with a blush on her cheeks as the captain had caught her staring at him. She needed to remain angry she reminded herself. The captain had called her good for nothing.

The whiff of the soup made her regret her decision of asking for the special again, something she could have sworn made her a laughingstock behind her back. The French chef in all his glory walked out from under the stairs and to one of the men. As she had noticed he had changed his accent for that of an English man and his clothes were his Sunday best. The presence that hovered above her alerted her awareness and it took more will than might not to look up. "Have a kettle of water wating for me Johnny."

Macmillan walked down towards the plunk and his broad back disappeared from view. "Lassy?" She jumped again caught on staring at the captain's disappearing form. Cockerell leaned against the railing of the upper deck and grinned to himself. Maybe he could still bet with Loomy, after all the man was an honest man and was looking for a way to get back his lost coin. "Cockerell, may I help with something?" He looked out towards the small town, anything to be there in a few hours time. He so badly wanted to look, search every corner, every house, but he put his dreams aside. "Need anything lassy? If ye wants, I could give ye some piece o' eight 'n ye could get yourself somethin' but ye would 'ave t' pay me back." Well that was unexpected she thought.

He eyed her worn out clothes and unfitting shoes. "A few clothes." It was only an offer he was doing out of good heart, and he thought the air on land could do her some good. She had as a matter of fact gotten paler. Or was it the unceasing amount of dirt she had insisted on putting on her face? "No I am good." Bernadette was not going to risk her head getting lost in a town she knew not of or worse, having to face her neck being hanged because they were still out to ger her. The man left her to her peace and continued with his work.

Johnny stood still for a few minutes before hurriedly trying to run off to do his master's bidding. "Johnny?" He stopped and then turned so slowly that time ticked by as his hand inched close to his powder gun. Just in case he thought to himself. "I am sorry to bother you but I have seen you are very hardworking. You could use rest and I will get to the water, besides-" She pointed towards his legs and the eye patch on his eye. Johnny sighed out of relief. "How many thanks do I need to you give lassy? You are a god send, thank you so much, thank you Bernadette."

Her name sent a shiver down her spine and in a blink of an eye she remembered the man who had once thought her a street worker, the same man that had attempted at forcefully taking her to his bed. She swallowed then nodded. Anything to be out of his strange presence.

She was down the kitchen within moments and though her stomach hungered she was set on the task of washing her sweat filled body. Maybe she could find something down there to eat but to her astonishment the kitchen had been cleared and not even a single bread crumb could be seen. She heard squeaks and small patter of feet. The noise did not come from above her and neither was it from the stairs. There was a small movement on her feet. She looked down afraid to come face to face with what the devil had decided to gift her.

She jumped hitting on of the pans as a rodent sniffed at the bread- correction her only food till the chef returned. The mouse dragged the hardened dough towards its little hole and Bernadette was not inclined on chasing after it, as a matter of fact she still wondered how she hanged on air. Her feet touched the ground but the rat was not yet done with her. It came out of its hiding place and despite her loud cries the rodent fought for her shoe laces.

It stopped, looked at her then went back to home sweet home. She wondered what on earth could have been going through the rat's head that it called another of its mates, a fatter one at that and they both came rushing for her oversized shoe. Pans and spoons clashed and so did the flour, coating the kitchen in an ugly shade of white. A hot poker was in her hand and try as she may she was just as afraid of the vicious animals as she was afraid of savage men. More footsteps sounded on the deck above her and for a split second prayed anyone would rescue her from the deranged creatures, even the captain sounded reasonable but no, the rodents did not stop their tiresome attacks. "Bloody beasts shoo away from me."