Morgan's Gold

"My things!" she exclaimed as she rushed forward to inspect the contents as they laid it down in the center of the room.

So surprised was she to find all of her most precious possessions still intact, Constance never noticed the leers of the two seaman as they looked her over before leaving. That at least one of them could see right down her dress as she bent over was the furthest thing from her mind.

"The Captain would like you to dress for dinner," Maria explained as the door closed behind them, "and thought you would prefer your own clothes to anything else."

The words hardly registered on Constance as she reached down deep into the trunk and pulled out an emerald green gown. Her eyes opened wide as she looked at it again, remembering how wonderful it had felt against her skin the first time she had tried it on at the dressmakers back in England. It was the finest thing that she had ever owned, and not even the fact that it was the dress she was to meet her future husband in could diminish her love of it.

"Dinner you said," Constance said to Maria as the younger girl also admired the fine garment.

"Yes."

"Is there going to be anyone else there?" Constance asked, wondering if perhaps she was being asked to dress finely as to show off the merchandise to some prospective buyer."

"Not that the Captain mentioned to me," Maria answered, using words that told Constance nothing.

"Well, they say the condemned should have a hearty meal," Constance mused out loud, much to Maria's confusion.

-=-=-=-

Using a wooden tub far less grand than the one she had found the Captain using, Constance cleansed herself of several days grime. Previously, she had to make do with a washbasin and a rag. She'd almost forgotten what it felt like to be really clean.

Maria assisted her in dressing as well, and in short order, Constance found herself gazing at the young woman she had almost forgotten herself capable of being. The mirror, like the bathtub, had been quickly produced from somewhere in the pirate stores.

As she had watched the way the fearsome seaman quickly moved to carry out Maria's commands, Constance wondered if she might have underestimated the girl's place in this society. Or what it merely that they knew that she was carrying out the instructions of the Captain and any failure to assist her would quickly make its way back to Morgan the Red. From what she had already seen of the Captain's displeasure, Constance almost pitied anyone on the receiving end of it.

Finally, after making a dozen small alterations, Constance was satisfied with her appearance. Maria complimented her on how beautiful she looked and, taking one last look at her reflection, the blonde had to agree.

Maria led Constance out into the hall, where she was surprised to discover that the guard was now gone. In fact, as they walked down the passageway and up the stairs to the Captain's quarters, they didn't pass a soul. Constance wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Maria paused at the door, then gently tapped against the wood, signaling their presence. She waited another long moment before pulling the right half of the door open. As before, the inner partition prevented Constance from seeing inside. Also as in her previous visit, she was allowed to enter alone.

Stepping around the inner wall, Constance opened her eyes in amazement. In the few hours since she had been there, the room had undergone a total transformation. The floors and walls had been scrubbed spotless, with the stacks of books and maps carefully put away. A large table now sat in the center of the room, laid out for an extravagant dinner. To her relief, Constance saw that there were only two place settings.

Moving over to the table, Constance saw that several meat and fish dishes had already been laid out. Along with the food were several bottles of wine resting in, if all things, ice. She would've wondered where they ever managed to get ice in this climate, if she hadn't been startled by the sudden appearance of Captain Morgan from the other room.

"I wasn't sure exactly what you would like," the Captain said as she stepped into the main room, "So I had my cook prepare a little of ... my God, you are beautiful!" she blurted out as she got her first good look at her guest.

Constance was also stunned by the Captain's appearance, but couldn't find the words. Morgan the Red now wore a black pair of britches, a fine white silk shirt and a royal blue Captain's coat with real gold buttons and embroidery. Her long hair was again tied back in a matching ribbon, but this time in a style more flattering to a woman.

The two women sat down to dinner, and for a time, it was possible to forget the world outside these walls. They talked of everything but the situation at hand. The food and wine, of which both shared a capacious amount of, added to the enjoyment of their conversation. A conversation filled with questions about Constance's life. The answers, which Constance gave freely, seemed to fascinate the older woman.

They talked right up to the midnight hour, at which point the Captain changed both her tone and the subject matter. It was a change that told Constance that the moment she had been dreading was now here.

"I promised my men that I'd make a decision about you today," she said, "and since the new day is upon us, I see no reason to wait any longer."

Constance took a deep breath and looked down at the remnants of the feast they had consumed. It was a pity, she thought, that such a nice night had to come to such an ignoble end.

"I guess I should tell you that I've already had an offer from Captain Sontulli to pay your ransom and save me the trouble of shipping you off to San Marcos," she continued without any sign of emotion in her voice.

"Captain Sontulli?" Constance asked.

"You saw him the day the Falcon's Claw made landfall," came the response. "He's the Captain of the Sea Dog and also the agent I sent to see Mr. Torrungton. Which is why he already knows that no payment will be coming from that quarter."

Constance tried to picture the men she saw waiting for Morgan the Red on the landing that day. She had no real idea of which was Sontulli, but couldn't recall any man that day she would want to willingly give herself to.

"And what would be want me for?" she asked, hoping for an answer other than the one she knew to be true.

"He is a man, with a man's lusts," came the simple reply, giving no doubt that the outcome would be any different than if she was sent to the auction block.

"Then I don't seem to have any other choice," Constance said in resignation.

Whether it was by her father's hand, or this pirate Captain, her fate seemed to have been destined to be the same. To be the sexual plaything of a man she could never care for, to be used only for the pleasures her body might provide.

"I do have another choice, however," the dark haired woman said unexpectedly, "but one which I wasn't sure I wanted to consider until tonight."

She now had Constance's full and undivided attention as the young woman hung on every word that might follow.

"I could pay the price myself."

It was an unexpected answer indeed.

"But why would you do that?" Constance asked after considering the option for a few moments.

Now it was the Captain who hesitated a dozen heartbeats before giving an answer.

"Because it is not only the men in these waters who are in need of companionship."

"Oh," was all Constance could say in response.

Despite her sheltered upbringing, the convent-reared woman more than understood the nature of what the Captain alluded to by companionship. While her knowledge of the intimacies men and women shared in the darkness were limited and theoretical, those that girls might share together were more familiar.

It had not been uncommon, after the Sisters had locked their charges in their dormitory at night, for certain of the older girls to leave their own beds and slip under the sheets of another already occupied. Sometimes, this happened in beds close enough for Constance to lie away and listen to their soft moans as they rubbed their bodies together. Moans and quiet, yet excited cries that left the blonde haired girl with a sense of curiosity about what they were doing.

A curiosity that had been finally satisfied last summer when one of those girls, Charity Nelson, had unexpectedly climbed into her own bed. An action that both surprised and captivated Constance, as she had never before been considered part of their private circle. It would be a few days later that she learned that one of the group had been confined to the infirmary that night, leaving an odd number of participants in the weekly ritual. Rather than forgo her pleasures, Charity, who had noticed Constance more than once paying quite a bit of attention to her activities on other nights, decided to pay her an uninvited visit.

Before Constance could decide if she should complain or let events take their course, Charity was already rubbing their bodies together and placing her hands on places on the younger woman's body that no one save her had ever touched. Curiosity, then pleasure quickly replaced any sense of reluctance, and in no time at all, the brunette girl had brought her to that happy place that she had only visited alone. It was a wondrous experience indeed, Constance remembered thinking.

So wondrous, in fact, that Constance felt a deep measure of disappointment when Charity's usual bedmate returned to their quarters. With the circle complete once more, the blonde haired girl was once more left on the outside.

"So you would take me just as a man would." Constance said as a statement more than a question, surprising herself with her directness. Yet, then again, it was easy to be brave when you had nothing to lose.

"If that was what I wished, who is there on this island to tell me no?" came a quick reply.

Constance knew the answer to that was no one. In fact, she found herself wondering why the Captain hadn't simply taken her and then sold her to Sontulli as well. That did seem to be the kind of thing a pirate would do.

"But," the Pirate said as the tone of her voice again changed to that of Rachel rather than Morgan the Red, "I've long believed that the fruit of the vine is much sweeter when it's freely given, rather than ripped from a tree branch."

Constance wondered how it could be freely given when she was still a captive, but even that consideration seemed to be overwhelmed by the fascination she felt for the woman now only a few feet away from her. Deep in her soul, however wrong it might be to wish it, the Englishwoman knew that she wanted to be in the arms of this Pirate Queen, if only for this night. What Rachel said next, only made Constance want her even more.

"So I've decided to pay your ransom myself and set you free," Rachel said. "Whatever you do from this point on is of your own accord. If you wish it, I will even give orders for a ship to set sail on the dawn to take you to Jamaica and the life you left behind."

It seemed like the answer to her every night's prayer, but not one that Constance was inclined to make this night. Instead she rose to her feet and walked the few steps to where Rachel was still sitting. Her fingers reached behind herself for the top lace of the six that held her tight fitting gown against her body. A body so close that the dark haired woman was only inches from the rich, creamy bounty beneath the emerald green.

"If it is my choice," Constance said as the first restraint came loose, "then my choice is to stay."

"In that case," Rachel countered with a beaming smile as she rose from her chair and stood behind Constance, "let me do that."

Deft fingers quickly worked the remaining laces, exposing Constance's back. Rachel ran an outstretched hand across the pale skin, leaving a faint impression to mark its passage. It was a touch that sent a shiver of excitement through Constance's body, especially between her legs.

The shiver quickly grew to a shudder as Rachel leaned forward and kissed, first the center of Constance's back, then the base of her neck. Constance let out a soft moan as the brunette brought her other hand up and tilted the shorter woman's head back. Realizing her intent, Constance leaned back even further and closed her eyes as their lips met.

The crush of Rachel's mouth against her own was as soft as Constance imagined it might be. Yet, at the same time, it was filled with a passion strong enough to warm her down to her toes. It made the playful kisses she had once shared with other students seem like child's play indeed.

Rachel kissed her again, this time her tongue pressed hard against the inexperienced woman's lips, forcing them apart. Constance instinctively responded, opened her mouth wide to accept the offering, then teasing it with her own. The exchange continued for the longest time as they became more comfortable and their passions grew.

As they continued to kiss, Rachel slid her hands across Constance's bare shoulders until they came to rest against the now loose folds of her dress. Gripping them tightly, she pulled down both the emerald gown and the white undergarment beneath it until Constance could feel the night breeze from the open window wash across her skin. The cool air caused her now bare nipples to grow hard.

Reluctantly letting their lips part, Rachel relaxed her embrace just enough to let Constance slip out of her outfit completely. She did so quickly, and with considerably less concern for the garment than when she had put in on. Before Rachel could take a dozen breaths, the blonde haired woman stood naked in the light of the many candles that filled the room.

Standing there as nude as the day she was born, Constance felt a surge of exhilarating freedom that she had never felt before. All of her life, even when she shared common quarters with several dozen other girls, she had been taught to hide her body in shame. She had even been admonished to always avert her eyes when one of the other girls changed or washed, lest she view their bodies. Even that night Charity had come to her bed, neither of them had completely disrobed.

The candlelight that bathed Constance's body also reflected in Rachel's eyes as the Pirate Captain took in the beauty of her prize. Never, she quickly decided, had she seen such a pleasing image.

Long silky hair, the color of sun-kissed honey, reached down to below her shoulders. Captivating blue eyes one couldn't help but be drawn deep into looked back at her as their eyes met for a brief moment. Her gaze dropped to the sweet pink lips that she had just drank deeply of. From there she moved further downward to breasts as full as her own, with large pink nipples hard and erect. Finally, Rachel focused on the lightly haired, almost translucent, triangle that covered as coveted a prize as any the Freebooter had ever plundered.

Even as her eyes never shifted from Constance's near perfect form, Rachel removed her Captain's coat, dropping it across her chair. Her hands reached up to the collar of her ruffled blouse where she began to undo its buttons.

"No, please let me," Constance implored, echoing Rachel's words of only a few minutes before.

A blissful smile filled Rachel's face as she removed her hands and gestured for Constance to take over. The shorter blonde closed the distance between them and picked up where the brunette left off.

Those blue eyes that Rachel had so admired filled with excitement as more of the bronzed skin beneath the silk blouse became visible, allowing Constance a much better view of that which she had only glimpsed during the Captain's bath. A gasp spilled from her lips as she exposed the second dark mound and saw a long deep scar that ran along one side and almost the length of the valley between. A stark reminder of the difference in their lives.

Rachel took note of the momentary distress on Constance's face. It reminded her of the day she had gotten that scar. Of how deep the wound had been and how lucky she had been to survive. The injury stood as a reminder of how fragile life was and how she would never again let anyone keep her from that which she desired.

Dismissing the harsh half of that memory from her mind, Rachel took Constance's hands in her own and placed them against her rounded globes. She gave her the lightest of kisses and let her younger lover explore the warmth and softness of her mounds.

It was an exploration that caused Constance's heart to race and a feeling of lightheadedness to pass over her as she rubbed her fingers against Rachel's nipples, feeling them grow hard at her caress. Rachel's face filled with delight and a soft moan slipped from her lips, a long, pleasing cry that grew in intensity along with the flames of lust.

It heralded a rising need that Rachel could not long ignore. She had planned to let Constance take her time and ease herself into the situation. But it had only taken the press of their bodies against each other for her to realize that was a hopeless wish. She had been alone for far too long, her hunger too urgent.

She took Constance in her arms and kissed her once more, this time hard and passionately. Then, in a burst of strength fueled by eroticism, she lifted Constance into the air and carried her off in the direction of her bedroom.

Rather than be scared by the sudden movement, Constance felt strangely safe in her arms. Safe, and anxious to feel more of the fires that were also raging within her.

-=-=-=-

Only the light of the full moon spilling through the open window illuminated the small bedroom. In such low lighting, it was quite difficult for Constance to make out her surroundings as they stepped inside. A detail that mattered little at the moment as the only aspect of the room that concerned her was the large bed that occupied half of it. A bed that Rachel dropped her on, then took a few steps back.

Now it was Constance's turn to watch as Rachel divested herself of the open shirt that still hung from her shoulders. The rest of her clothing followed just as rapidly. Unlike the woman on the bed, the pirate leader never wore undergarments, so the largest portion of her time was spent just getting off her boots.

Constance felt like time stood still as she waited for Rachel to join her in bed. For some reason, the words of advice given to her by the old woman her father had sent to her to prepare her for what she should expect on her wedding night came to mind. This wasn't exactly that, but it was the closest thing to it she thought. She found that somewhat strange as she really didn't think the advice to not complain and meekly submit to her husband's desires was really going to be of much use.

Rachel had the opposite reaction, as if time was racing and she had none to waste. Reaching the center of the bed where Constance lay, she reached out and ran her hand up the blonde's outstretched leg. She followed her fingers with her warm lips, planting kisses behind her caress. Both gentle touches sending escalating sparks of electricity through the prone woman.

Reaching the lightly haired mound between Constance's legs, Rachel brushed her fingers back and forth across it, turning those tiny sparks into bolts of lightning. Constance's body jumped as Rachel's fingers rubbed against her clit once, twice, then a third time. It took all Rachel's self-control to abandon that prize so near, but she knew she would return to it soon enough.

The dark haired woman continued upward, leaving a train of kisses across her stomach until she reached the large twin mounds so like her own. The inviting nipples drew her attention, first her hands, then her mouth.

Constance moaned loudly as Rachel's lips closed around her excited tips, her darting tongue adding to the most wonderful sensations she had ever felt. Her hands massaged the supple flesh around them, adding to the magic.