The Island

There were other attacks, 3 in all but only one ship resisted. The others surrendered and gave up their cargo. Having a full hold it was time for Silas to head to their hideout. He signalled the other ships and they turned westward away from the mainland and the crowded shipping lanes. He had asked her to join him for tea though she also had to serve it to him. He refused the cookies the ship's cook had been saving for him. “We’re going to Seil Island, have you ever heard of it?” He asked then noticed that she was looking at the cookies and appeared to want them. “Oh, go ahead Emma,” he said. “It’s not well known but 112 men have families and spouses there. By her look it appeared that Emma didn’t know the men had spouses...nor families.

“It's quite a nice island and though we’ve had some wish to leave it’s rare. I speak of it now because I want to reiterate that though you are a hostage, you are not a prisoner due to our agreement. You can go wherever you want whenever you want. Your service here is just aboard ship, not there. There everyone is their own person,” he explained.

Emma didn't get used to the attacks. She hated it all, but never said anything to Silas. She continued her work, doing the best job she could under the circumstances. Emma carefully prepared Silas' tea that afternoon and brought the tray to him along with some cookies. He had asked her to have some tea with him and so she had brought two cups. He had never asked her to have tea with him before, but wasn't going to question him. She set the tray down and prepared Silas' tea how she knew he liked it. She then poured some tea for herself and added just a little lemon. Even though she wasn't dressed like a Lady, she sat like one in her chair and held her cup of tea very elegantly. She offered some of the cookies to Silas but he waved them off. She set the plate down on the tray, but couldn't help but eye them herself. She hadn't had anything sweet in a while and the cookies looked quite good. She was therefore grateful when Silas told her she could have one. She gracefully picked one up and took a small bite. Silas began to speak about the island they were going to go to, Seil Island, and Emma couldn't hide the look of surprise on her face when he mentioned that the men had wives and families there. She couldn't imagine any of these men being married or having children. Silas went on to tell her that she was free to explore the island herself if she wished. She was quiet a moment before asking him a question.

"Do you have anyone special there?"

It wasn't immediately apparent to Silas what she meant by then her pause and the context brought him what he had missed. “No...no one special,” he replied and sipped his tea. He didn't want to admit it but he was getting used to Emma. She worked hard he and earned quickly...yes but it was something more. A warmth that settled over him each time she was close to him. Like she was now. She was so young and so...pretty? Beautiful? Downright gorgeous was more like. The thoughts that slipped across his mind right then were so improper that spots of color entered into his cheeks. He wanted to see her breasts, to touch them and touch between her legs. He was a man and she was a beautiful woman. But he had made the bargain. He sighed and let those untoward thoughts drift away.

Silas was impressed on how well she managed to this point. From his experience, nobles didn’t do well in harsh environments. He took credit for some of that, his men saw her as a sexual creature. Something they could have abused but that changed the moment he set her as part of the crew. Now she had acclimated and attributed herself well. He saw her paying attention too to what the sailors were doing. He had asked her to do a few things like raise a hard line or trap out the rigging. She had done it though without having to be told how. He liked intelligent women which made him want her all that much more. She was more in so many ways than just a woman and letting her go...just thinking it made an uncomfortable flutter enter into his heart.

“I will make sure you have accommodation while you are there. Just know that the men....there will be a lax in discipline,” he said judiciously. “So mind yourself and you should be fine,” he said. Men did odd things when they were drunk. He knew that to be sure and she could find herself in trouble if she became too flirtatious with them. That and it would make him insanely jealous too.

Emma slowly nodded when Silas admitted that there was no one special for him on the island. She was inwardly surprised to find herself glad for that. But why was she glad? Because she wanted him? No...no...that couldn't be...could it? This man had stolen from her and had kidnapped her! How could she ever want him? However, as she thought more about it she began to realize that he had been taking care of her, despite the fact that she was being held hostage. He could have just let his men have at her, but he hadn't. He had made sure she was comfortable and had protected her. While she had to work on the ship, it wasn't all bad. She was actually starting to learn things about the ship and how it sailed. She learned quickly and she could tell Silas was impressed by that.

Silas was unlike any man Emma had ever met before. He was incredibly handsome and yet rugged, intelligent, cunning, and always seemed to know exactly what he wanted. Whenever he looked at her, like he was now, she would feel her heartbeat increase and a bit of color appear in her cheeks. Looking up, her eyes met his briefly and she found it more and more difficult to hide her growing feelings of desire for him.

"What will you do while on the island?"

OOC-Just FYI, I'm going to be at my parent's house all day for the eclipse. We have family that's come just for the occasion. I will be back later tonight. I hope everything goes well with your telescope!

Silas smiled and sat back with his cup and saucer in his hand. He held it like he had been taught long ago, hardly like a pirate would. He would never call himself a gentleman but he might look it right then. His hair was tied back and it was tight on his head. Very English too and he wore no finery. No chains or wristlets, just a ring. A silver one with a golden wolf’s head on it. It was exquisitely made and pirates who killed him would use it as proof of it. His men knew that and so did Black Sam when he cut off his hand. That had been brutal. He did that with his dagger, sawed it off while everyone watched. But he had killed Carnin, his former first mate, crushed his throat with that big hand of his. He still had it in a small case on his bookshelf. An eye for an eye…

“What would you like to do besides having a real bath?” he asked and his lips curled into a smile. Partly because he knew women loved baths and they had several made out of wood and copper. The other was he could imagine seeing her naked in one and coming up upon her. He didn’t know why but he saw her swimming just then. A backstroke with her arms going, her body moving quickly as she glided across the water. He raised his eyebrows but then let the memory go.

“And real food? There will be a feast for certain. There are wild boars all over the island and without a proper predator which has apparently died off, there are many on the eastern side which we avoid save hunting them,” he said though he didn’t elaborate.

Looking at Silas just then, Emma would not have thought him a pirate. The way he was holding his cup and saucer and the way he sat made him look more gentlemanly. She could almost see him coming from a wealthy family if it weren't for everything else he did.

She took a small sip of her tea and gently placed her cup back on her saucer as she thought about taking a real bath. Just the thought almost brought her to tears. She had made do on the ship, but it was certainly something she was now looking forward to. And the thought of a feast also peaked her interest.

"Why do you avoid the eastern side of the island?" she asked as she put down her cup on the table beside her.

To her answer Silas only grinned. He wasn’t prepared to speak about that. And it had nothing to do with her anyway right then so he did not answer her that question. He thought of being on top of her right then, her naked body beneath him and she moaned when he made love to her. He sipped his tea and banished the daydream away. Focus...calm, he said over and over in his head. This...thing he has for her it was strong and he didnt understand it at all. Silas normally had control of his feelings, especially with women but not this time. Her scent, a bit herbal from the soap Nels obviously gave her and also an old sweaty, salty smell that was all her and it drove him mad with want for her. To taste her most of all and he had to set his tea cup down.

“There is a fruit there, on the island. 2 in fact,” he said to change the subject. He felt his cheeks go warm with desire...this was not him at all! He cleared his throat. “Pineapple and Coconuts,” he said and smiled. Quite good and used in most everything. They make a rum from the cane sugar that is there to spiced with coconuts. Its very tasty,” he told her. “Sweet and lovely on the tongue,” he said and he had to look away that time.

Emma raised her eyebrow at his grin and waited for him to give her an answer, but he didn't. Instead, he appeared to get a faraway look...like he was thinking about something...and the way he was looking at her made her think it was about her. She knew that all of this was wrong, but she couldn't help but feel her heartbeat increase just knowing that he was thinking of her in some way. Why did she care so much what this man thought of her? That, she just couldn't understand...and yet she did care. However, even deeper inside of her made her almost feel as if she had met him in the past...well before the carriage ride. It was his eyes. They were...familiar to her.

She looked at him as he changed the subject and began to speak of the coconuts and pineapple. She had never heard of these fruits before and listened as Silas told her that the islanders used them quite a lot. During his last comment she spotted the redness in his cheeks and it brought a warmth to her own cheeks.

"I have never heard of either of those fruits and have never had rum before. Is it quite potent?"

He had to try to remember that if anything happened to Emma it could hurt their position with the Duke. But now that he met her, got to know her a little she wasn't a hardened aristocrat that he expected. A young girl trained at birth to be a wife of a noble. What was the Duke doing with her and she him? It didn't make any sense but before he could think more on it he smiled.

“It is stronger than wine, if that is what you mean. We won't stay too long. Just unloading goods and loot and a chance for the men to see their families,” he said as he picked back up his cup.

“Do you like to swim, Emma?” He asked out of the blue. The question had been erroneous in his mind up until he asked it. Though somehow, he knew the question. Long ago, in another life he had been Angus Chapman, son of the Baroness of Arlington. His father was Chapman but in a fit of rage he had killed him when he caught him with a woman who was not his mother. He had left that life behind but some memory of seeing Emma as a young girl kept coming to him. He’d have to sort that out he thought as they both felt the ship slow down. He smiled.

“Well, I guess we should go up top and see what there is to see,” Silas said though he knew what would be there. He stood and gestured toward the door.

Emma looked over at Silas and smiled a little when he asked her if she liked to swim.

"I do," she responded, "although I have not gotten the opportunity to do so for sometime. At my father's home there is a large pond and when I was younger I would go there to swim all the time. It was my mother who taught me to swim. I remember one summer this family came to stay with us briefly. They had a son and, though he was older than me by a few years, he was afraid of the water. I somehow convinced him to get into the water and taught him how to swim. It was wonderful watching his fear change to joy. I never saw him again."

She too felt the ship slow and she stood and made her way up to the main deck.

Silas had heard her and though what she said pulled at his thoughts he heard the men rush toward the bow. The sails had been lowered and as the ship began to slow the sound of a high pitched twill came from the island. It was the women calling out to them. The men were hooting and hollering back excitedly. Two other ships were already there, the Ocean’s Secret and the Courtier’s Fan both had already arrived and unloaded their cargo. The women jumped up and down and the twill that came from them became louder as more and more of them came up onto the dock.

Silas smiled as he leaned up against the main mast pole. He liked this part of coming here and before they could unlash the long boats men jumped off into the water. Some women jumped too off of the docks! As they met another in the water they embraced one another and kissed and hugged each other. The happiness and joy was thick in the air right then and men clamored down to the boats that fell into the water. “Go ahead Emma,” he said above the din and waved her to go and get a spot on one of the first boats. When she looked back she caught a glimpse of Silas as he moved down into the main hold.

The women were of all sorts. Large, small, big, tall, thin and obese. They wore dresses and smocks, robes and skits in all sorts of colors and styles. Some were pale of skin and others darker, some with black skin and others who looked exotic with slanted eyes and long, dark hair. They all had colorful flowers around their necks and in their hair and they waved to them as they approached the docks. She was helped out by a dark skinned beauty with slanted eyes. She kissed her cheeks and set a necklace of flowers around her neck. Another woman did the same, a large pale woman with blonde hair tied in a bun. “Welcome lassy,” she said in a very rough English accent. Men hugged and kissed those that came to greet them. Some did alot more right in plain site but thankfully not many. The excitement was everywhere and children flung themselves at their fathers and tears fell from many as families became whole once more.

Emma stood upon the main deck and looked out at the island as the ship drew closer. Looking out, Emma could see women and children had gathered to watch the ship and she couldn't help but smile at the excitement that was felt all around. Even before the ship fully docked, some of the men jumped off the ship and ran to greet their wives.

Emma took a spot on one of the first boats and as she stepped off and onto the island she found herself in the middle of everything. She was immediately greeted as one of their own and Emma was surprised to suddenly find a necklace of flowers placed upon her. Looking around her, Emma felt overwhelmed by what she was seeing. Before, she had just thought of these men as ruthless pirates who cared about nothing, but seeing the scene that unfolded before her she began to realize more and more that these men were just doing what they could to provide for their families (although she still wasn't sure she agreed with what they were doing). She smiled and stepped away to let the greetings continue. She couldn't imagine Nathan ever greeting her like that. It would be nice to have someone that cared that much about her. She sighed and let that thought go. She began to walk away and slowly explore the island.

There were an abundance of trees further inland and the island rose up quickly as if the entire thing was a hill or mountain. Some areas had rocks but the beach was as far as she could see to the left and right. And it was flat at least and extended fairly far before it began to rise. It turned into a more grassy ground too the further inland she looked. To the right, Southward were small oval huts. Most looked made out of stone and thatch but some were made out of wood. There was a large wood pavilion and smoke billowed up from several fires. Smoke and the smell of meat roasting. It smelled sweet and sharp together and unlike anything she had ever smelled before. People milled about there too and it looked like a small village from this distance. A small village in the sand and grass beyond.

A small girl that couldn’t be more than 6 was looking up at her with one eye closed due to the sunlight. She had a mass of blonde, white hair and green eyes that glittered like emeralds. She smiled up at Emma, a curious look on her face. When Emma looked at her the girl ran, her face flush as she moved quickly down the dock.

She was handed a kind of cup by one of the other women. They had tray after tray of them it seemed. It looked like no cup she had seen before, a hard, brown husk with a layer of white inside and a cloudy liquid inside it. It smelled sweet and when she tasted it she tasted the fruit and the sweetness of the alcohol. It was quite tasty actually. Unlike anything she’d ever had before. Ale was bitter, wine was sweet or dry, this was...delightful. She still hadn’t seen Silas leave the ship and Reggie came up to her.

“He’ll get on Emma, tomorrow perhaps, the Cap’n likes to be alone, sometimes,” he said and smiled brightly at her. He had two women, one under each arm. Both thin, petite and younger. Older than her but not by far.

Emma spent several hours exploring the island. She walked along the beach looking at the different fish she could see in the water. They were brightly colored and quite exotic looking, as were the birds. They were exquisite and their calls were entrancing. As she began to make her way southward she could see small oval huts. Several of them had smoke rising from them and she could smell meat cooking. It was enough to make her mouth water. One of the women from the village approached her and handed her a cup filled with some sort of liquid. The cup was brown in color with little hairs on the outside. Inside there was a white layer and a cloudy white liquid. She took a small sip and was surprised by the sweet taste. It was cool and refreshing and she quite liked it.

As she was sipping her drink she spotted Reggie with a woman under each arm. When he mentioned Silas she realized that she hadn't seen him yet. She looked back towards the ship after Reggie walked off. She decided to go check on him and she walked back to the docks and found someone to row her back over to the ship. She stepped aboard and found it eerily quiet. She walked down to the Captain's quarters and gently knocked on the door.

"It's Emma."

There was no answer but when she opened the door she saw the Captain sleeping. By how his rasp was he was in a deep sleep which was rare. Being so long near him she had come to know when he slept or when he just rested, this was sleeping alright. He had his ledger in his hand and it had fell to the floor it seemed. He had on his brown leather pants that were unbuttoned and his long-sleeves white shirt that was also unbuttoned to show his tanned, bare chest. When Emma entered he didn’t stir a muscle and she knew that he wouldn’t. The book had landed at an odd angle where its pages were going to be creased. Picking it up she couldn’t help but catch her name in amongst the writing. 

Each header had a date, it was a journal she discovered and she noticed his hand was elegant. His grasp on grammar was good too, obviously educated formerly she could tell. 

One entry she read:

    Carnin was a good man, seeing him die like he did enraged me. Black Sam and I dueled for a few moments but it ended quickly and I cut the hand that killed Carnin and took it as my own. Was it to brutal? Am I becoming so jaded that I am losing my humanity? I feel so numb sometimes as if life and death no longer really matters. 

Another Entry.

    The Sea is apart of me now. I stare into the blue sometimes for hours as if I think that I’ll find some purpose to my life in it. What is my purpose? Is this all that I am? Is what I do right or wrong? So many questions and no answers. 

One of the last entries involving Emma.

    I think the Duke is using this Emma to leverage against England’s stance to allow English pirates to continue to operate in English waters. I doubt he cares if she is returned or not but I made the bargain with her and so I will keep it.

And the second to the last betray.

     I can no longer count how often I think of her. Eyes like the sea and hair as dark as night. The bargain...to let her go...to never see her again...it will be like seeing apart of my soul go with her.

And the last entry.

    I was that boy Emma spoke of. Afraid of the water and yet as young as she was she taught me how not to be afraid. I know I can never go back to that life, it is gone forever like the boy I once was. I'm falling for her and I can do nothing to stop it save to keep her at a distance. I am such a fool.

Emma waited a moment for an answer, but did not receive one. She knocked again, but again there was only silence. She slowly opened the door and looked inside. Silas appeared to be asleep on his bed and a closer inspection was enough to tell her that he was deeply asleep. His white shirt was unbuttoned and she couldn't help but look at his bare chest. It was tan and smooth, but with muscular ridges that made her mouth go dry. Looking away, she noticed a ledger beside him. It was partially open and she was able to see her name written inside on one of the pages. Carefully, she picked up the ledger and began to flip through the pages. Silas' hand was elegant and reminded her once again more of a gentleman than a pirate. Slowly, she began to read a few of the entries. As she read them she began to feel guilty and was about to put the ledger back when she saw her name on one of the last entries. As she read the first entry that involved her she found strangely that she was not surprised that the Duke had used her. She had begun to suspect him and this only confirmed her deepest fears. She had been nothing more than a pawn to him. He hadn't cared about her and she had been foolish to think he might have. She felt angry, but the knowledge also freed her in a way. She was no longer constrained by her marriage to him. She was a free woman and could do as she wished. Flipping to the next entry she felt her heart begin to beat a little quicker and her cheeks bloom as she read what he had written about her. She found she couldn't help but smile. She had heard things about Silas and women, but she had not seen any other entries where he wrote about another woman like had about her. Pushing her luck, she then flipped to the last entry and as she read it her eyes nearly doubled in size. Silas was the boy she had taught to swim?! Her mind began to race. How could this be? She had never met anyone named Silas before...unless he changed his name. Slowly, she began to think and suddenly a name came to her...Angus Chapman. That had been his name. She could see him now...that blonde hair...those blue eyes. It all made sense now. The way he held himself, the way he held his tea cup, his mannerisms, his accent...everything.

With her mind reeling, she put the ledger back where she had found it and slowly left his cabin. She then walked up to the main deck and stood there looking out over the water and the island. She hadn't realized it, but she had taken off her diamond ring. Looking down she saw it in her hand and she knew what she needed to do. She looked at it for a moment longer before she threw it overboard and into the water. She watched it sink out of view and breathed out. She then stood there just looking out at the island.

He hadn’t slept for all that long, he just wanted a moment of quiet before he went to the island. It was hardly ever quiet there besides the lagoon. He changed his shirt, put on his boots and set his journal away. He looked over a few maps and decided he might as well go, they were expecting him after all and there would be talk if he didn’t come ashore. It was a surprise to see Emma though, he looked at her backside as he strode up to her left then looked out to see what she was looking at. He hadn’t noticed she had no ring on.

“The island, does not agree with you?” he asked plainly. It was a surprise if it hadn’t. He had hoped she could forget about the real world there for a time. But he had been wrong before.

Emma was deep in thought. Her entire world was suddenly different. She no longer knew where she belonged. For some reason the thought of returning to the life she had led before was unappealing to her. That life had been boring and predictable. This life, whatever it was, was exciting and different. Everyday was something new and the crew was starting to grow on her. And then there was Silas. She knew now that she felt more than just desire for him. There was something deeper and more meaningful. Could it be love? Was that possible?

She was unaware of Silas' presence until he was suddenly standing to her left. She jumped slightly and looked over at him, her face blushing with embarrassment.

"Oh, no it does. I just...I just wanted to check up on you and see if there was anything I could do for you. When I saw you were asleep I came out here. The ship is rather peaceful when its quiet like this."

Her words surprised him. In fact, Emma surprised him alot. She was so young and yet brave and stubborn. Smart and so beautiful it made his heart hurt to look at her for too long. He had thought about telling her how he felt...but...but that wasn’t really fair. Not when he had to let her go. Fair to whom, himself? Her? He couldn’t say, he was getting the feeling she felt something for him that was far deeper than his flesh. He smelled her openly.

“Well, c’mon then...you lady...need a bath,” he said musingly as he held the satchel of books over his shoulder. Silas knew he needed one too. He escorted her down then the oarsmen rowed them to shore.

Nothing much had changed though the docks were now more or less empty. She did see a couple fucking in the sand under a tree though. She thought it was Quint with a woman she had never seen before. Silas ignored it and didn’t even seem to notice it as he led her down the dock toward the pavilion. Reggie ran up to them when they got close. “I’m sorry Captain, she said she wanted to check on you,” he said. “Thats alright Reggie, can you show her to her hut please?” He asked. “Uh...yessir, Emma?” He gestured.

There were several huts, all oval and all with 2 openings, one toward the west and another on the opposite side, no doors. Hers was a bit longer than the others and inside it seemed larger than it looked. She had 2 chairs,a table, a bed, a counter, a wardrobe, a desk and in the corner was a bathtub. Three women carrying buckets came in and poured the contents into the large tub. The water steamed and she smelled jasmine and herbs come from the water as they chuckled and spoke in a language she didn’t know as they left. There was a pale bar of soap near the tub and a pile of towels on the counter. There was another cup of the rum too near it if she wanted to partake while she bathed.

“Enjoy Emma,” Reggie said and left her to it.

Emma looked at Silas and her eyes met his. He leaned in and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her. She felt her heartbeat increase, but she did not pull back. She started to close her eyes, but instead of kissing her she heard him sniff her. She blushed at his comment about her needing a bath, but could not exactly argue with it either. She followed Silas down to the boat and they headed to shore. She spotted Reggie running up to them and glanced over at Silas when he asked Reggie to escort her to a hut. She slowly followed him to one of the huts and took notice that it seemed larger than the others around it. Inside, she was surprised to find more than just a bathtub. There was a table and chairs and a bed as well as a desk and a wardrobe. Looking over, she saw three women enter. They each carried a steaming bucket of water and tears nearly filled her eyes as she watched them pour it into the tub. The water had a floral and herbal scent to it. She waited until Reggie left and then began to undress. She slowly eased herself into the tub and let out a sigh of contentment. Her muscles relaxed instantly and she felt all her worries fade away. She looked over at the cup of rum and picked it up. She sniffed it and could tell it was going to be strong. However, she took a sip anyway. It burned going down but she found it was actually quite good. She took another sip before putting the cup back on the table. She then closed her eyes and rested her head back.

Silas had a hut further down. It was made out of wood and as he took off his hat and coat he sat down in his large, padded chair. So much had happened and it was difficult to know what to do. He had an odd sensation that Emma wanted to kiss him back on the ship but he knew that was just his desire for her talking to him. He began to undress and already he noticed his tub was filled. “Thank you Reggie!” He said happily as he settled down into it. He imagined Emma sitting across from him right then and wanted...well, let's shelve that shall we? He decided. No good was going to come from thinking about what he was never going to have. She was a noblewoman with a husband and a life to go back to. And so he set to getting clean.

He put on a pair of brown boots, khaki pants and a clean, white sleeveless shirt. That was what he often wore here on the island. Here was was just Silas, and thats all he wanted to be right then. He made his way to get some pork and read a little by the firelight.

When Emma finally came to the pavilion it was evening. There was a huge bonfire near it and other fires with whole boars roasting on large spits. There were wooden plates filled with more pork and fruit and cups of juices and bottles of rum and water to drink. She couldn’t find Silas right then though there were alot of people all around her. She knew most of the men, Bale, Jester and Pete, Reggie with two ‘different’ women under his arms and he held up his drink toward her. Men had their wives and women on their laps and children were here and there under foot or nearby. Whole families laughed and talked and sat close in the sand as the large fire raged nearby. And then she saw him. Silas was set back a few paces from the fire and he had a book in his hands that he seemed to be reading. His hair was loose and appeared to be clean and soft. Two young girls brought him what looked to be a try or tea and he smiled and nodded to them in thanks as they stepped away though they looked back at him often and giggled as if wondering which one of them he favored more. He had not given them a second look though, seemingly engrossed into the book he held.

A song broke out while she found a comfortable place to sit, it wasn’t one she knew but it spoke about coming home and the sweetness of the sun and the moon. The men picked it up too and they sang happily with their mugs of rum held high. Silas had seen her then and when she looked his way he smiled, quite approvingly at her then lowered his head to go back to his reading. She might begin to notice how he kept himself separate from everyone else. Not in any obvious way, it was subtle and he looked quite relaxed laying there on his elbow in the sand, his hair glowing from the firelight.

Emma spent a long time in the tub. She used the soap to wash her body and her hair. It felt wonderful to be able to get all of the dirt and grim off. Looking at her hands she could see they were no longer pristine and unblemished. They now showed the tell tale signs of hard work. There were small cuts and callouses forming and her skin was slightly darker from being out in the sun. She got out of the tub and dried herself off. She then was able to dress in some clean clothes. She stayed in her hut for a while, letting her long hair air dry into soft waves.

It was dusk when she finally headed to the pavilion. Even outside she could smell the boar cooking and could hear the laughter. Stepping inside she was surrounded by men with their families having a wonderful evening. Everyone was relaxed and enjoying themselves. Small children ran around and played with one another or sat on their mother's laps. Emma couldn't help but smile when she noticed Reggie with two new women. He appeared to be quite popular on the island. It took her a moment, but she finally spotted Silas. He was sitting off by himself away from the rest of the group. He sat in an oversized chair by the fire with a book in his hands. She watched as two girls brought him a tray with some kind of beverage. The girls smiled and giggled as they walked away and it was clear that they found Silas as handsome as she did.

As everyone began to sing she slowly walked over to where Silas was and sat down in the chair near him. She didn't say anything for a while. She just listened to the song and watched everyone have a good time. Finally, when the song was over she looked at him.

"Why don't you join the others?"

Emma was so beautiful, and now she was clean and her hair looked as soft as feathers. Her light blue smock and silver belt and sandals made Emma look...well other-worldly. He had read about goddesses and angels that took on human form and Emma certainly made him think of them. He shifted to allow her to sit next to him on the chair and he closed up his book and her arrival had not gone unnoticed, many men and women too watched her move and take a seat next to him. It wasn’t clear what surprised them more, her beauty or that he allowed her to sit so close, they knew he enjoyed his space. Her question did surprise him though as the singing paused. He chuckled. “I’m on a ship with 138 men Emma...I enjoy a bit of separation I guess...but,” he began as he saw her shift to stand, and he gestured. “Please, your presence...is soothing to me, please stay,” he said softly as he allowed his eyes to take in the curves of her shape that were sometimes quite visible depending on how she moved.

“You look lovely,” he complimented before he thought not to. He couldn’t take it back now though and he found that he didn’t want to. She did look lovely. “Would you like some tea?” he asked before he took any. He was trying to be polite and even offered her his cup.

Emma found herself blushing at Silas' response to her question. Of course he wanted his space. He was almost never alone. And here she was invading that space to bother him with silly questions. She started to get up but Silas immediately gestured for her to stay. She looked at him and nodded slowly before sitting back down. She could see him taking in her shape and if they weren't in a roomful of men, women, and children she would think the moment starting to turn romantic...particularly when he complimented her. She blushed slightly and found herself looking into his eyes for a moment before he offered her some tea.

"Yes, please."

He smiled as he offered her his cup. The tea smelled like nothing she had ever smelled before. It was flavored with anise and tasted sweet and pungent at the same time. Her odd expression made him chuckle. “I can see it does not agree with you,” he said and saw her blush as another song began. He paused to listen and their eyes seemed to look at one another’s a long time until the last verse ended. She was so...beautiful, and smelled so clean and wonderful right then. He shifted and brought his face closer to hers and he smelled her. Her scent was so alluring his eyes closed a moment. He saw her eyes shift down to his lips and back up again to his eyes and now it was clear to Silas that she wanted him to kiss her. When he leaned in further though the men and women began to chant.

“The reading! The reading!” Over and over. Silas closed his eyes and took in her scent then sighed. “Excuse me Emma,” he said and chuckled as he shifted to stand. They all cheered and he waved them away in an attempt at modesty. As he moved to the center of the pavilion the whole place quieted down and he raised his hands. Then, he drew them to his temples as if he were thinking hard about something.

“A, ok, I have one now,” he said and everyone clapped and cheered then quieted down once more.

As he began it was clear to her that he was reciting a poem and one look around the pavilion told Emma that they hungered for it. Hanging on every verse it seemed.

“My sorrows are too dark for day to know:
The leaves should all be black whereon I write,
And letters where my tears have washed a wannish white.”

It was not a poem she had heard before but it was biblical in nature, she knew that much.

“My spirit some transporting cherub feels,
To bear me where the towers of Salem stood”

Silas was a very good speaker and his voice moved with the timbre of the emotion in the words he recited. That and the pavilion carried his voice wonderfully.

“There doth my soul in holy vision sit
In pensive trance, and anguish, and ecstatic fit.”

It was about the death of Christ she knew now and he spoke the words as if haunted himself by them. He wasn’t a religious man but she knew Milton when she heard it and there were many women and men with unshed tears in their eyes as he finished. And then they applauded and cheered and hooted as he bowed back and stepped off back toward her. He didn't sit though he extended his hand to her. “Come, I want to show you something,” he said.