Chapter Three

Betsy turned her way around the cabin slowly. Why, 'twas lovely, all golden and polished, comfortable, and blessing of all blessings, clean.

The wood surrounding them was polished to a glossy sheen, ceiling to floor, it completely covered the perimeter of the room. This cabin was much larger than any she had previously occupied, on the Seahawk, or even aboard the Green Eyed Lady. The other cabins she had been assigned to, had been serviceable, this was absolutely wonderful.

There was a window open to the bay, she could see the shore, and she could hear the boys above them shouting on the top deck. An oversized, stuffed chair and a small table occupied the corner to the left side of the window. However, it was the window seat itself that called to Betsy. She hoped Vi liked the chair best, as the pillows and cushions in front of the window looked very inviting.

To the right of the window was a fine, simple, square, wooden table. It was pushed into the corner and accompanied by two leather upholstered chairs. To Betsy's immediate right was Vi's desk. A side table against the far wall held charts, maps, and navigational tools. It seemed to be where he kept his 'tools of the trade', as his weapons were displayed on the walls behind his desk and the table. He had quite an array of pistols, some small enough to hold in your palm, four big horse pistols, also a few fancy ones, which she would like to get a better look at later. However, it was his swords that were most impressive.

Beautifully crafted and polished until they shone, there were four of them, two were jeweled at the hilt and the other two were just intimidating. She was awed just looking at them. He also had a small collection of rapiers, these too, were beautiful to look at. Fragile looking pieces, spun metal hilts encrusted with jewels, holding thin, pointed blades. Betsy wondered if Vi would teach her to wield one if she asked. Next was an array of knives. She had never seen so many weapons in one place together before. It was quite an impressive collection. It also served to remind her that her husband was a pirate. She looked at him, finally, as she finished her assessment of the room.

He was crouched on the floor to her left, looking in a trunk that sat close to the wall. She wondered what he was looking for.

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Vi let her acquaint herself with her surroundings as he pulled a trunk away from the wall. He lifted the lid and crouched down before he started moving things around. He found a pair of his old breeches and pulled them out. They were almost identical to the ones he now wore, as his mother had made both pair. He had retired these a few years ago when they had grown thin in the inseam, but he had held onto them for the same reason he kept all his old clothes. He oftentimes came across some poor soul who needed to replace their own threadbare clothing. Violet could never stand to see someone in rags if he could help them out a bit.

He stood and turned to her, the breeches in his hand, and held them out. "You may try to make these fit, if it pleases you, Kitten." He smiled at her, as he realized this was the second time she had asked him for something, and he found that he was happy to provide whatever it was she wanted. It felt good to put someone else's wants before his own. He found that he liked caring for her.

She walked the few steps to him, taking the breeches in hand, she held them up in front of herself. She could make them work. She nodded and folded them, setting them across her arm, she stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. "Thank You." She purred into his ear. He felt the subtle change in his body, that her nearness brought to life.

Then she took a step back. "Would you happen to have a needle and thread?" She asked him, as she walked over and sat the folded item on the window seat. There should be enough light left this afternoon to sew by, if she started soon enough.

He blinked a few times and had to think hard to get his brain to stay on track. It was not easy, as his bedroom was only three meters away, and she was his wife. Which also meant, he knew, he needed to take care and not rush her. Needle and thread. Needle and thread, he said to himself. It finally sank in.

"I do, give me but a moment." Feeling like a genius, in that he could get his brain to work under such trying circumstances, he walked to the far left of the room and opened a door. He went into his sleeping room and found the items she wanted in his personal desk. He used them occasionally. You had to take care of your own when you were a bachelor as he was. Or rather, as he had been.

He took her the supplies she had asked for and gave them into her hand. "I have some things to attend to above deck, I will check in on you after a little while. You will be fine here?" He really need not have asked. She was already curled up on the window seat, comfortable as a kitten, he did not think she would be going anywhere for a while.

"Mmmm hmmmm," she answered distractedly, as she stuck the thread through the needle. "Just fine," she murmured. "And.....Thank you." She held up the threaded needle as she gave him a smile that assured him she meant it.

"You are very welcome. I shall return soon to see if you have all you need, if you have need of a privy it is in the other room. If you have need of me, or anything else, just call up to deck from the window, and I will come." Vi turned and walked to his desk. He opened a drawer and retrieved his scissors. Handing them to her, he bent and kissed her forehead, before he left her to her sewing.

"Thank you, again." He heard her call, as he whistled his way up on deck.

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Betsy was occupied ripping out seams. She could not wait to have clothing that would better suit the activities needed on the ship. She hummed a tune as she worked, happy now that she had nothing to fear belowdecks, as the space that Violet had provided was more than adequate for her needs.

The scissors were helping to get the job done, she ripped out the seams on the inner legs of the garment, trimming the leather of the thin areas, then had to cut quite a bit of length off the legs as Vi's were a lot longer than her own.

The leather was supple and soft, she could tell he had worn the breeches much, however, they were clean and easy to work with. There was a small amount of difficulty, it was hard for her to push the needle through the leather, in spite of the leather's softness. She wondered if he had a thimble amongst his things, as her fingers were becoming sore trying to make a stitch.

She set her project down on the seat and stood up, stretching her back and working her fingers to relieve the small cramps that had developed, she looked at the door he had gone through earlier. He had closed the door again so she felt a little as if she were trespassing, but he had told her to use the privy if she needed to, so she reasoned she had permission to enter.

She opened the door slowly and gasped with pleasure. This was her husband's room, there was no doubt about that, as she breathed in the scent that she associated with Violet. Leather and spices, along with the tang of salt mixed in from the sea.

This room was also floor to ceiling polished wood. A good sized bed was directly in front of her, centered on the wall opposite the door, it was covered with furs and sheepskins and looked extremely comfortable. She wandered in a little further and walked to the far side of the bed, trailing her hand through the furs that covered it as she went, she approached Vi's washstand. There was a pitcher and bowl, a brush and a candle, and also a razor and strap. He had a cup with a small brush for shaving and a bottle of oil was capped and sat at the top right corner. She picked up the bottle and uncorked it.

She had found his spiced oil that made him smell so delicious. She put her finger over the top and swished the bottle. She rubbed a trace of the spicy mixture high on her chest, right below her neck. She could smell the spices wafting up to her nose. She smiled and returned the bottle to its place.

She glanced in the mirror and looked at her reflection. She pulled a few faces, poking fun at herself, then smoothed her hair and continued in her perusal of the room. To the left of the washstand was a curtain, which, when peeked behind, revealed a hip tub and the privy. That was convenient, Betsy thought.

This cabin, combined with the outer one, had all the luxuries Betsy thought she could ever need. What a pleasant surprise this was after her initial assessment of the ship as a whole. She was glad there was somewhere where she could feel at home. And she did indeed, feel comfortable here.

She saw a desk on the other side of the room and moved back past the bed to see if a desk drawer might possibly hold a thimble.

She opened the middle top drawer to find writing implements and correspondence. There were several letters in a pile to the right of the drawer and she noted they were from his mother. Reading the first few lines, she could tell that Violet and his mother were close. Katherine, she had heard Vi say that was his mother's name, she was curious to meet the woman who had raised her gentleman pirate. She hoped Katherine liked her when they met. Betsy was prepared to do anything to be a good wife to Violet Petals.

Elizabeth Dorothy Petals.....Actually, that sounds quite nice. She realized she had not once given a thought to her new name, and now that she had, she was pleased.

There were also a few letters to the left of the drawer, however, these were folded, revealing nothing, and Betsy refused to pry. Even though she picked them up and detected that they had been scented with perfume, she still did not satisfy her curiosity by opening them. She was under no illusions that Violet had not been with other women before, she just hoped he had meant the marriage vows, as she had.

She realized she had better try to find a thimble, or anything that would work in one's place while the sun still illuminated the other room well enough to see her stitches. She closed the center drawer and looked in the drawer to the right of center, finding what she was looking for.

She plucked the thimble from amongst a hodgepodge of items he kept in that drawer, leather cords, coins, and odds and ends she assumed he had collected on his travels. She closed the drawer and went back to the window to resume her sewing.

As she settled herself comfortably, she could hear Violet shouting orders above deck, she could not hear the words, just his tone, and he sounded as to be giving a lot of directions to the crew. She was curious as to what was going on, but not enough to strain to make out his words. She was content to be in her little cocoon of cleanliness, and she needed the breeches if she were going to help get this ship straight.

She returned to her sewing and humming, the thimble did indeed make a difference, she was glad she would accomplish her task that much more quickly, as she needed to put her plan into motion. The rest of the ship needed her help, and from what she had seen, it would take a small army to put it to rights.

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Violet had decided his men needed to earn their keep. Whether they cared or not, he had seen his ship through fresh eyes, Betsy's eyes to be exact, and it was just not fair to ask her to live like this.

He whistled all the way above deck and located Harpy, that being the fastest way to gain the men's attention. Good Lord, that boy could call swine from three islands away, with his voice.

"Harpy, I need all men front and center, if you please." Violet mounted the stairs to the helm deck and waited.

"AAAAAllllllll men front and centerrrrr!" Harpy screeched.

Vi winced, and waited, as his men filed into a group below him on the main deck. When they were assembled and he had their full attention, he began his speech. Diplomatically of course, as he hoped this would not all end in a mutiny.

"As you know men, we now have a lady aboard. I had not really noticed how bad things had become around here until I had no place to set her except on a barrel." The men snickered at that. "There will be no more lazing around the deck napping and gambling if there is work to be done." The men all groaned as one.

The boys, however, were lagging with their response, Vi noticed. "What? No complaints from the peanut gallery?" He asked, directing his inquiry to Harpy.

"Me 'n the boys is tired 'o the fleas." Harpy was scratching, even as he made his announcement, Vi noticed most of his crew were scratching right along with him. The men started nodding, without even realizing they were doing so.

Vi turned back to look at Brutus. His first mate was standing behind his right shoulder, and upon eye contact, Brutus gave Vi a very serious nod. Vi knew Brutus had his back covered and approved of the tack he was taking.

"Well, glad I am to hear it, boys!" Vi decided to start with them, and see if the others would then come around. "If fleas be the trouble we need to eradicate, all linens and clothing must be boiled in water, 'til all the little buggers are dead!" Vi gave his speech, raising his voice at the end, as if they were all going into battle and the fleas were the enemy.

The boys cheered and the men perked up and listened more attentively. "Every surface must be scrubbed down with sand and rinsed with boiling water. It sounds like we need a bloody bonfire boys!" Vi said excitedly.

The boys really cheered when they heard this. They spent most of their lives aboard the Wench, bonfires were not popular in the middle of the ocean, upon a ship's deck.

"Sam, could you find the biggest kettle we have, and ferry it and the boys over to the beach? Boys, you will need buckets to fill it with water, once we get the bonfire going!" Violet tried to keep his voice enthusiastic.

The boys scattered, like the rats had earlier, all of them in search of buckets. The men were looking sheepish now. The fact that the boys were willing to work, and the men were acting like spoiled children, crossed one or two of their minds.

"I need a man to go with Sam and supervise the boys with the wood gathering. There may be animals out there and the boys may need protection. We will also need some larger logs if the boys are to have their bonfire last any time at all. Pete, you and Sam are my strongest men, will you go with him?" Vi asked.

Pete was a young boy in a big man's body. He was nine and a score but you forgot that when you were around him. He acted like a big child, he was silly and fun, a favorite among the boys, as he was usually in on their pranks and antics aboard ship, if not the instigator.

He was a totally different creature in battle, however. His goofy smiles turned to evil grins, his usually big, clumsy body turned into a battering ram, and he morphed from a mischievous teddy bear into a mountain of holy terror.

He reminded Vi of the big, blonde Vikings he had read about. Violet had to hold Pete back in battle, as otherwise, there would be a bloodbath every single time. Pete lost his mind when his adrenaline overtook him. Many a ship's captain had backed down from a fight when they saw Pete grinning that evil grin and brandishing his claymore.

Pete puffed up proudly and stood at attention. "Aye, aye Cap'n!" He went and gathered the buckets from the boys to put in the smaller boat that had been winched up onto the bow deck. He then told the boys they had better get the linens and clothing now, as it would be easy to throw them in the kettle and carry them over, then they would not have to come back for them. Pete then went to help Sam carry the kettle from the galley.

Violet played on his men's strong points and assigned some to carting sand from the beach to the ship, each man was to use his bucket of sand to scrub down a meter square area.

"If we all work together it should not take too long, and then we will hopefully, be flea free." Violet called out to the crew.

Other men were put to shifting the cargo from the hold to the deck, before the deck was scrubbed, as Violet thought it would be a good time to take stock of exactly what they did carry. They had robbed that Spanish ship not too long ago, no fight had occurred worthy to speak of, the Captain had laid down his arms immediately. Violet liked it better that way, some of his men would like nothing more than a vicious fight, but Violet did not see the point of risking injury or death if there was no need.

Not to mention, the cargo hold probably held quite a bit of vermin, and they were ridding themselves of as many of those as they were able. Otherwise, they would be right back in the same boat they were in now. Vi smiled at that thought, as they literally would, still be in the same boat. I am very glad we are finally getting this boat ship shape. He liked that one, too. He started whistling again, he realized he had been doing quite a bit of that since he had acquired his Kitten. So far, she seems to be the spark in my life that produces whistling, and that was a good thing, was it not? Vi grinned, still managing to whistle along, as he went belowdecks, to confront a man he dreaded talking to more than anyone in the whole world. His cook.

Hopefully, his own good mood would be contagious.

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Betsy stood in front of Violet's looking mirror and was aghast. She had been trying the breeches on periodically as she sewed. However, she had only been considering the fit, not how they would look! She had been very happy with the fit as she tied the cord that corseted up the front. They felt comfortable. They felt extremely different, but good. Then she held her skirts aside and turned to get a look at them from behind. And, Oh My Lord!

No wonder she had noticed the nice shape of Violet's bum! She had never really noticed the shape her own before now, as it had never been revealed just so. 'Twas indecent, as if she had two small melons in her drawers, and the supple leather hugged every curve.

She sat on the bed, defeated. There was no way on God's green earth she would wear these in front of a ship full of men. It was too bad, as the rest of the breeches were amazing. The tan leather she had kept close in to her thighs and calves all the way down to her ankles, barely loose, as she wanted boots like Vi's, so they would need to be tapered to her legs somewhat. She heaved a sigh as she stood and dropped her skirts over the breeches.

You could not tell she was wearing them, she noted. They would certainly help when the cold winds blew under her skirts, and they would protect her legs from vermin, but the point had been to lose the cumbersome skirts, and she had yet to achieve that. She had just ruined the only pair of breeches she had been given. She would not ask Violet for another pair, he had been very generous in giving her these. T'was not his fault she had ruined them.

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Vi could hear the angry voice of his cook when he was still ten meters from the galley. He quickened his stride and whistled more loudly as he strolled into the large room. All the men, save one, stopped what they were doing, giving their Captain their full attention.

Vi stopped whistling, and grimaced, as he listened to the foulest language he had ever heard, being spewed from the cook's lips. His cook was bent over, his head in a cupboard, cursing about the men 'stealing' his (censored) pots, and now how was he supposed to cook their (censored) dinner, if he did not have his (censored) pot. The cook started to rise out of the cupboard and clipped his head on the countertop. This elicited an entire new line of cursing, as he included God in his tirade, against the (censored) countertop for hitting his head.

Vi felt bad, he knew he should not do so, but he could not help laughing. He felt the man's pain, but if you went around cursing God..... No good ever came of that.

You would think sooner or later he would learn, but his cook was a stubborn cuss, he did not take advice from anyone, least of all from a young Captain who had not even earned his ship.

Never mind that Violet had made him plenty of coin in the last few years. The cook was the type who focused on the negative and grabbed onto it like a shark, ruthlessly tearing in to it and spreading it all around him. Vi felt pity for the men who had to work with him. The boys avoided him like the plague. It was too bad, the man was just unhappy most of the time, it did not encourage others to like him. What a sad way to live your life, Violet thought.

Vi turned to the man closest to him and asked him for two cups of tea. He then went to his cook and asked if there were any cold stuffs they could use for the poor man's head.

The cook responded to the sympathy and sat on the stool Vi led him to. "You just can not go around cursing God, Paulie, and expect good to come in your life." Vi chided him, as he inspected the man's hairline.

Paulie accepted the ministrations and grumbled, "A'int God never dun nothin' fer me," He snorted, "a God fearin' pirate, is that what ye be now, Cap'n?" Paulie said this sarcastically, then he started laughing, not a very nice laugh either.

"I know I do not go around banging my head on things, is all I am saying, Paulie." Vi patted him lightly on the shoulder. "No blood, you will be fine, a small bump maybe, but that should be all."

Paulie snorted, as his man brought Vi the cups of tea. One of which Vi gave to Paulie, but only after pouring a dram of rum from the bottle sitting on the counter, into it. "The other men are cleaning up the ship and I need the galley scrubbed out as well. 'Twill all need emptied out, as we are ridding ourselves of rats at the same time." Violet walked around the room and realized, this was probably the most important room of all, as it was here that their meals were prepared. "Is there something we can slice up to fortify the men as they go about their duties? I, for one, am feeling my back through my belly, and I would like to take the little Mistress something, as well."

"Made us a batch 'o scones a bit ago, some jam in the larder t'go with 'em if that'll do." Paulie slanted a pained look at Vi, as he rubbed his still sore head.

"That will do fine, if I could just get a tray...." Vi started to say.

One of Paulie's men jumped to get him a tray set up, he had figured out the tea was for the Miss, so he volunteered, "I can bring the tray along, if ye want to take the Miss her tea whilst it's still hot, Cap'n."

"Thank you, Josh, I think I will." He smiled at the man he did not envy, Paulie was behaving himself for the moment, but Vi would not want to have to work with him everyday, as Josh did.

Josh was a good soul though, he had a sweet wife and three little ones on the mainland. He had grown up in the same seaside town with Violet and Brutus. He was one of many young men who had lost their father to the sea. Brutus' father had set them both a fine example of what a husband and father should be.

Now there, Vi remembered fondly, was a good man with a rich soul. Brutus' father had worked hard and loved his family well. He did not drink spirits and he teased his good wife mercilessly. She must like it, as Violet rarely saw her, but that she wore a smile on her pretty face. These were the people Vi and Josh had been drawn to, and they were very good people.

Josh had asked Violet to let him come along on trips here and there, throughout the years, to better provide for his family. Violet truly enjoyed Brutus and Josh's company, he always had, and as long as he could keep them safe he was glad to have them along. There were quite a few people counting on him to bring their men back alive, and also more financially secure after taking them far from home for months at a time. It was one of his more important priorities. And now that he had married, he had to keep his Kitten safe, also.

Vi found that he had not lost his good mood after all, as he went whistling down the hallway, carrying a cup of tea for his Kitten, and all was being put to rights around him.

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