The Attainment of Evangeline

Chapter 9

Evangeline stormed angrily into her room, her face flush with embarrassment. Her father had been so different, so much better, when her mother was alive. Now, he treated her as though she were some silly child. She knew better; who else was running the household and taking care of the men in it? She closed the door behind her and rested her head against the wood of the door. He humiliated her in front of a stranger! She knew he would never get help with the way he acted. Well, fine. If he didn't want help, then she would stop caring. If that were even possible.

She heard a soft "amen" behind her, and she turned around to see Jack looking at her, somewhat embarrassed for watching her while she pitied herself, and also slightly amused. She brought her hands to her eyes to wipe away a few tears that had managed to escape. She cleared her throat nervously and smoothed out the skirts of her dress.

"Good morning, Jack," she said, avoiding his eyes as she went to her chest for clean linens for her bed.

"Mornin'. Eh, hope ya don't mind me asking...is something ailing ya?"

She turned to look at him. He had positioned himself so that his hands were behind his head; he looked as if he were lounging about on a hot afternoon, one leg crossed over the other, shirtless. It could not have been comfortable, but he was trying.

"No, everything is fine," she swore, setting the fresh linens on the edge of the bed.

He nodded his head; he didn't want to pry, so they left it at that.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, moving the chair closer to the bed.

"Erm, alright I suppose. Although it hurts like a bleedin' blade wound to the stomach. Oh wait, 'tis! Fancy that!" he said, smirking a bit, trying to lighten the mood.

She gave nothing more than a small lifting of the lips.

"I'll have to change the bandages in a few hours, until then is there anything I can do for you?" she asked, pulling her hair away from her face.

Jack lifted his arms from under his head, then used them to prop himself up, the muscles straining to withstand his weight. He only winced slightly.

"Actually, there is," he said, using his hands for emphasis."Ya see me jacket on the table there?"

She nodded.

"In the front pocket, there should be a little bag."

She stood up, rifled through the jacket until she found the pocket.

"In said bag, there should be several shinnies. Currency. Now, see me shirt?"

She held up his once upon a time white shirt now caked with blood and smartly ripped.

"Aye. That shirt has seen better days. What I need ya to do is take that there bag of shinnies and buy me a new shirt, savvy?" he asked and then several seconds later added a, "Please?"

"I can certainly do that," she confirmed.

"Thank ya kindly, luv. I can't sit here, shirtless, forever," he replied, once more waving his hands about.

Evangeline thought there was absolutely nothing wrong with him being shirtless forever. No matter how much it embarrassed her, she had to admit he had a nice body. The sight of it sparked a heat inside her. She realized she was staring; she sat the shirt down.

"Is there anything else I can do?" she questioned as she sat back in the chair.

"Ya can tell me why yer so bloody quiet all the time," he said, twirling the green stoned ring around his finger.