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God's teeth, she said what? The little madame....like a naked cherub, you say? The bottle will do nicely, my good man...you're an excellent fellow..have yourself a drink on me...




And so..to bed!

Leave it to me, Biebe. You're more shades of green than an Irishman's waistcoat...I'll hop over to the boat and bring it in. You and Nash meet me back at the jetty. I assure you man, I wil have enough to contend with over there without you vomiting your guts all over the deck and Nash claiming he saw Moby Dick and the Mary Celeste... I love a bit of white water...and a few helpless damsels in distress...

Dash it all, man. She's just a woman after all. A mere slip of girl. Why then do your knees quake so when she gazes at you without so much as a fair thee to blasted Hades? Another drink and another ... and keeping Angel's glass full as well ... before long, the warmth of the inn and the caress of the liquor ease Jack's tongue. He hits his stride as he calls on all the charm he can muster with a lady.

He makes a few allusions that seem to go a bit far afield. He tries another tack by simply moving his hand closer to where Angel's rests on the table.

By the time they're seated inside the restaurant for dinner, Jack is feeling things are going along quite well. He orders more wine and dotes on Angel who for her part seems to find a few of his jokes of immense pleasure. There are few times when she seems a bit nervous but Jack knows this can happen with women. Such fragile creatures they can be when faced with their own desires!

Every so often, Jack scoots his chair a bit closer to Angel's side until he can lean close and talk intimately with her. They talk of this and that; Jack isn't sure he catches it all. It's really more the mood he catches.

He knows when a woman finds him fetching. He sees the glint in Angel's eyes and it's not just from the wine, which he has kept flowing still.

After dinner, he invites her to come see the boat he will call home for the next week or so as he and his small crew it sail to Cabo San Lucas for his new client. It's a beautiful boat and Jack is quite proud of it. Angel seems only a little hesitant. He tells her the truth -- that having her come back into his life without warning has convinced him that the last thing he wants to do is sail off without her -- for fear she may disappear again and take his wounded heart with her. She smiles prettily. Is that a blush he sees? She is so beautiful.

Outside, he hands her into a cab and the ride to the wharf is over almost before he realizes it. In the backseat of the cab, he has had little time to do more than whisper in her ear of how beautiful she is to him, how warm, soft ...

At the harbor, he takes he arm and escorts her to the boat. He unlocks the hatch and goes below to fire up the lights. He takes a last look around to be sure his crew has safely stowed all the supplies he had them get so they'd be ready to leave on the morning tide. On the way out of the cabin, Jack grabs another bottle, this one port, and takes it up with him to where finds Angel sitting prettily at the stern on the cushioned bench. They toast the moon and the stars. He toasts her health. She toasts his journey. He murmurs softly to her of his desire to kiss her. She does not protest.

Before Jack can even believe it, it's morning and the crew has arrived. After a quick inspection of the boat, they cast off lines and the three men motor out of the marina. It's not until they're well clear of the harbor buoys that Jack orders the sails loft. The feel of the wind filling the sheets makes his heart race as it always does. He looks fondly toward shore.

Just then, the cabin hatch is slung open and Angel stumbles up the ladder to fall smack on the deck. Jack rushes to pick her up. "My dear! My dear Angel! Give it another day and you'll have your sea legs for sure!"

Angel stares at him, wide-eyed and then looks around at the sails and the other two men staring at her from the either sides of the boat. She gasps as she turns to look aft and realizes the land is way off and getting further away. "Jack Aubrey! Are you insane? You just turn this boat around and take me home!"

At first, Jack laughs, thinking it's a joke. Then he takes another look at Angel's glare. "Why, Angel! But we certainly cannot return to Monterey, my little dear! The tide would be against us -- besides, you said last night you wanted to come with us. A grand adventure!" He lowers his voice and whispers, "And more time with me, I believe you said, would be most intoxicating."

"No, it's no good fretting over what cannot be undone. It's rather like crying over the cow that jumped over the moon ... er ... I believe I meant to say it's as if the spoon ran away with the cup leaving the farmer's wife without any mice. You fetch it, don't you? It simply can't change the tide, my dear. It certainly cannot. But come, now, Angel! We shall have a bit of lunch shortly and you will see, my girl, you will just see!" Jack takes in a chest full of sea air and blows it out noisily, smiling at Angel with genuine warmth. He sees the worry in her eyes; all he can do is keep his own smile clear of worry -- even if he is worried. The beauty looks almost tortured!

He leads her to the cushioned seat aft. It's near enough the wheel that he can keep an eye on her. She looks pale, almost ethereal. The wind plays with her hair, rippling her red-gold tresses in a way that makes her look freed of any on-shore restraints.

Angel won't meet his eyes; she's far too busy staring at the shore as if pleading with the water to defy all laws of nature and bring the boat to the harbor.

But Jack takes her hand in his and then sweeps his arm toward the far horizon in the other direction. His voice is deep, soft, assured. "Look ahead in life ... and on the sea, my Angel. This is the day to forget the past! We are blessed creatures -- nothing but the wild, the blue -- the wind guiding us, the sea racing beneath us. A sure hand at the wheel, strong backs at the sails. And you -- our masthead, creamy bosom and all, to fetch us to our final port of call."

He looks into her eyes. He blinks. Is she angry with him? Damn his glib tongue! He upset the fair lady yet again. But then her eyes drop from his and he has an answer -- it's simply not an answer he was expecting. Jack stands and looks up at the sails. When he glances back at Angel, she is looking at him again and opens her mouth to speak. But he won't let her. He shakes his head ruefully, his blue eyes clouding over. "Of course, of course. Last night was one thing ... this morning is quite another name. Never fear, my dear. You shall be well quit of me in a few days time. Until then, you shall not be importuned by Jack Aubrey. I am a gentleman above all."