Authors: Lynelle Clark
'What happened to the man?' She could not believe
what she had done. She tried to forget the events of the
previous night but it came back and she had to know.
'He met a watery grave.'
'I've caused a lot of problems for you?'
'No, sooner or later he would have betrayed me, I
never liked him. You did me a favour.' He walked to his
desk to collect some water for her.
'I was so afraid.'
'I know, but you are safe now. The rest of the crew
adores you. They were furious when they heard what the
man tried to do. If you had not killed him one of them
would have.' He handed her the glass which she gratefully
took, drinking the cool water with one gulp. When she was
done she gave it to him. He returned to the table.
'What happen to your sister?' This was the one
question she wanted to ask but avoided so far. He stilled at
the table and answered softly, 'She hung herself after the
rape.' Sorrow filled his face. It was still hard after all these
years. Softly she got to her feet and walked over to him
standing near the window. This time she comforted him,
wrapping her arms around his waist.
'How old was she?'
'Twenty- one.' The stoic reply sent shivers up her
spine.
'She had just learned that she was pregnant with the
man's baby, and then she hung herself.'
'I am so sorry for your loss.'
'It's all right. It was a very long time ago.'
After a few minutes of silence, looking out into the
bright sky, she said, looking at him,
'I am so confused about you. It would be so easy to
love you, but your lifestyle, your choices. I do not
understand. You do not act like a pirate yet you are one.
My father always said we must never judge a book by its
cover. When I open yours it gives me joy, but it is difficult
to look past the cover.' her eyes filled with sincere emotions
of hope. 'Why did you choose this lifestyle?'
He could see genuineness in her posture when she
asked the question.
She is trying very hard to make sense
out of this.
He wrapped her in his arms, thankful for her understanding and acceptance. It could not be easy. He
owed her some answers.
'I did not choose it. It chose me,' he finally
answered.
'Don't you want to tell me?' Enrico knocked and she
quickly took the food from him. She took it over to the
chairs where they sat down. She filled their plates with
food.
'Please, Roberto, tell me so that I can understand,'
she said again, encouraging him after handing him his
plate.
'I am a farmer by birth.' He smiled when he saw
disbelief written on her face and continued.
'My parents have a huge farm on the south coast of
France. We were happy in those days. We loved one
another and the joy of working in the fields made me
content. I loved the land, the smell of breaking ground, the
whole process of planting and waiting, and then the
harvest.' He smiled, his thoughts far away.
'Then, four years in a row we had very bad drought
and no harvests. My father fell into debt and finally it was
time to pay up. The lender who helped my father was the
cousin of the Falcon. My sister and I were given as slaves
to pay off the debt. It was the hardest thing my parents had
to do but we understood.'
She gasped, placing a hand on his arm. 'How old
were you?' The food was forgotten on their plates.
'I was nineteen, my sister twenty-one.'
16
'Veronica was raped on the first night, while we
were still on the ship taking us to the Falcon's lair. Two
months later she became sick with morning sickness. One
slave girl said she was pregnant. She hung herself.
Everyone knew what had happened to her and everyone
made the connection. When I heard about it two days later,
I was bitter and full of rage, seeking the man that had done
this to her. I killed him later. Hence the scar.' Roberto
smirked and Rosa-Lee squeezed his arm. The raw emotions
played over his face as she watched Roberto reliving those
dreadful times. How tragic to not only lose the home you
knew for nineteen years but a beloved sister in such a
barbaric way.
Rosa-Lee reached out to him and grabbed his hand,
holding him to her heart. But she said no words as she
listened to his life story.
'The Falcon was so impressed with me that he took
me under his wing and taught me everything I know about
sailing and piracy. He is a very clever man and I learned a
lot. I was eager to learn everything, and at the age of
twenty-five he adopted me as his son.' He looked at her
with pleading, hoping that she would still love him. She
laid a hand on his cheek, the action solemn and caring. Her
eyes were set unwaveringly on him and he smiled as his
face relaxed in the knowledge that she did not despise him.
He kissed her palm reverently.
She smiled and asked, 'How did you meet Pedro?'
'He was on your father's ship when we captured it.
The cargo was of much importance to the Falcon. After a
long battle and lives lost it was in our hands. I first saw
Pedro as he killed two of our men, and when he was
apprehended and Falcon heard whose son he was, he was
impressed. Your father is well-known. His bravery and
leadership is respected by all on the seven seas, both sailors
and pirates. I have told you that the crew adores you
because of the fact that you are his daughter. They
respected him although they never met him.' he smiled at
her and she returned the smile.
'At night Pedro had to tell us about the adventures
on the sea and in Africa and he talked much about you. I
was intrigued with you and when the Falcon came up with
the plan to ask for a ransom, I volunteered. Your brother's
stories didn't do you justice. You are more impressive in
real life.'
Silence fell between them as they locked gazes
again, seeing each other, the hardship that had moulded
them to become the people they were. Understanding
dawned on Rosa-Lee's heart and she smiled, a smile which
reached the dark brown eyes. Roberto pulled her closer and
kissed her, demanding. She came closer, opening herself to
him.
'I am sorry for the position you are in but not sorry
that I have met you' Roberto said softly as he brushed her
hair from her eyes and she kissed him on the cheek.
'I know what you mean,' She replied. 'We would
have never met if it was not for the ransom.'
'No, although I am sure I would have found another
way. You have captured my mind and my heart swiftly. My
body had no other choice but to follow.'
She chuckled. 'For a pirate you are very romantic.'
Their lips brushed.
'Please don't tell anyone,' he murmured.
'No. It is my secret tucked in my heart. I love you,
Roberto de Ville.'
'I love you, Rosa-Lee de Ville.' He swept her from
her feet and onto the bed in record time.
Later they let go of each other and ate from the food
on the table. He stood up to light more lanterns and sat
down again next to her.
'You had an interesting life, Roberto, and it is true
what my father said, you cannot judge a book by its cover.'
Her smile was shy but her eyes looked at him like he hoped
she would. The last few weeks had been filled with
discovery for him. His recklessness to expose his heart was
a revelation. Usually he kept everything for himself but
with her, he just blurted it out. He wanted her to know him,
to love him and was not ashamed to answer uncomfortable
questions. In the process she opened up as well. He could
still feel her soft skin under his hand, the soft roundness of
her curves as she burned with passion. His body was in
permanent desire for her, to know her intimately. She
opened to him unabashedly, pliant under his coaching.
'One day you must tell me about your parents and
the farm. I would love to hear more.'
'I will do so, but I think we need to go and sleep.
You are still very tired,' Roberto said, standing up. 'Let me
put you in bed.' He held his arm out and she slipped her
arm into his.
As they walked to bed they were both overcome
with the emotions from the previous night, the new
discoveries and melted into each other. There was nothing
that could compare to this bonding.
When he turned to her finally, out of breath, his
eyes were again that dark ochre colour. He wrapped her in
his arms and whispered,
'I love you. Since the moment I saw you, my Rosa,
I've loved you. I want you to know that and I will never get
tired of saying it.' She placed a hand on his chest and kissed
him on the lips. He pulled her closer and demanded her to
open her mouth once again, passion flowing as they kissed.
His mouth was pleading and demanding to let him in, to
love her, his hands burning her skin, setting her heart
racing, like butterflies fluttering and the momentum of their
wings driving her closer to him. It was as if they could not
get enough. All was forgotten except to just live for the
moment.
She moved even closer to him, as desire coursed
through her body, a serene feeling that made her breathless.
She could feel his body reacting to her.
'I want you so much,' The things that this man did to
her were wonderful, intoxicating and she gave him his
heart's desire.
'My Rosa.' His body was trembling with the need to
have her, his lips craving her body, and she responded.
†††
Every day they passed each other on the deck. The
magnitude of their hearts, the passion of their bodies drew
them closer. At times when it became too unbearable he
would open his arms and she would step in, seeking his
closeness, listening to his steady heartbeat.
They would talk and he would open more to her the
things that were important. Her resistance crumbled under
the care and love she received.
Pierre would tell of his bravery on many occasions.
The bond of friendship between the two men was tight,
since they shared many journeys together.
On occasion Pierre would meet up with her when
Roberto was engaged with work and although he was
quieter they had a lot in common. Pierre would tell her
about their journeys in great detail depicting Roberto as a
good leader although a pirate. They were not ashamed of
their vocation and sometimes she would tremble with fear
and then laugh in joy. She always felt safe though, with
Pierre and the rest of the crew.
On occasion when alone her mind would drift to her
parents left behind in Portugal. What would be their
reaction to her sudden marriage to the man that abducted
her from her home? She thought about her brother Manuel
and the man he had become; about Pedro and the path he
had chosen for himself. And of course she thought about
Roberto, her husband, and what life held for them.
Would they have a future?
Here on the open seas he was fairly safe but once on
land he would have to stay hidden. He would always be on
the run from the authorities, living in the shadows, and
where would that put her? How would she go on knowing
that any day he could be arrested and hanged? Because
there would be no mercy once he was caught. Could she
really live a life on the run, with uncertainty her only
constant? What if children were born out of this union?
Where would it put them?
She had so many questions always in the back of
her mind and when she watched him she was terrified of
the life she agreed to live with him. He said she was brave
but she was not. The mere thought of him being killed left
her shaken with fear.
Roberto himself had problems of his own. He
would watch her as she strolled down the deck, deep in
thought. He knew that he had done the right thing to marry
her. She made him happy and he felt content with her being
his wife. But if everything worked out as he hoped could he
continue being happy with her? Would she not regret this
marriage? It was so much for her to trust him without
knowing the truth. She trusted him.
Fear gripped him many times and on occasions like
that Pierre would sweep in and change his thoughts. He
was the only one he could trust with his feelings and his
future. He was the only one that knew what this could cost
him if he failed.