Setting Sail.

[Tera Destre]

The sun had not yet risen and Jean was already out of bed and dressing. He leaned over Des as she lay in bed, and kissed her on the lips. "Time to get up, my love. I've got to get to the ship." He hated the thought of leaving her, yet this was the beginning of their new life together. He would be a businessman and hold a position that she could respect. He sat on the bed and pulled on his boots.

A grumble was his reply as she opened her eyes and saw it was still dark outside. The covers were jerked over her head before she threw them back and stretched then got out of bed herself and threw on some clean clothes. It was an exciting yet sad day for her.

Her beloved French Pirate husband was sailing away on the morning tide for a whole two weeks but when he returned they would be together always and be able to afford to buy themselves a house of their own anywhere they wanted to and she could shop as much as she wanted to and best of all they had decided to start a family of their own.

"I'm moving Babe. Honest I am. See me getting my clothes on? See I'm walking out the door now. I'm headed down the street and I'm almost at the dock." She grinned to him as she hugged him and kissed him again before looking for her hat.

He laughed at her half-asleep responses. She was so dear, so perfect; and he was so much in love with her. He grabbed his gunny sack and walked with Des out of the apartment and down to a wagon he had waiting for him, with a driver that was a member of his crew. "G'morn, Capt'n. It's a fine day for a voyage." The brightest of the stars could still be seen in the sky. It did look like they were going to have good weather for sailing.

Des smiled warmly to the man and tipped her hat to him as she glanced around the nearly empty streets. Only a few people were stirring at this time of the morning. The street sweepers were out and a few pages running early morning errands and even a few finely dressed gentlemen were on their way home and she could just imagine what they had been up to all night. She took note of their faces and grinned to herself as she played the game of guessing which lady's beds they had spent the night in. "Howdy Darlin'!" She greeted the man after taking note of a drunk that appeared lost.

He helped Des into the wagon then climbed in. Soon they were rolling down the cobblestones of an otherwise quiet street. In a few minutes they were at the dock. Jean had his arm around Des, holding her tight. "I'm going to miss you so much, my darling. It's going to be torture to be away from you."

She had both arms wrapped around him and was clinging tightly to his waist with her face buried against his shoulder telling herself over and over not to cry that he would be right back home before she knew it. "I love you so much Babe. I already miss you and you aren't even gone yet!"

The driver stopped the carriage, took Jean's gunny sack and headed up the gang plank of the Adventure Fortune. Jean got out of the carriage and helped Des down. "You can take the carriage back, mon cheri, and use it whenever you want. The carriage and horse belong to the Adventure Fortune." They walked slowly along the dock. A glance to the ship showed that it was already a nest of activity as the crew prepared the ship for departure. The sky was beginning to brighten with a red glow in the east.

Leaning lightly against his side she matched her pace to his. The sound of her boots ringing against the wood of the planks was drowned out by the sounds of the men readying the ship for sailing. Navy eyes wandered over the vessel as though she was making sure they were doing everything right when in reality she didn't have a clue what to look for. Des turned and smiled softly to her husband. "Okay Babe but I really don't like carriages. I'll have it stabled at the Inn. I'm sure it will be safe there for now. You will hurry back right? I will have that special treat I promised you waiting."

He smiled a very handsome smile and his fingers combed through her hair. "I'll get back just as fast as the wind will carry me. I can't wait to find out what that special treat is," he added with a wink. He then took her into his arms and kissed her deeply and would not let her go.

Both slender yet strong arms went completely around him as she surrendered herself into his keeping without hesitation. The cowgirl returned the kiss and luxuriated in each tiny nuance of feeling letting him know with her lips just how deeply she loved him; heart and soul and with every fiber of her being.

Slowly. Very slowy, the kiss ended and the French pirate (or former pirate) cupped her cheek with his hand and just looked into her eyes. He knew that every trip on the ocean came with its own unique dangers, and there was always a chance that the unexpected would happen. "Des, I love you with all my heart, with all my being. Never forget that. Never doubt it. I'll be back with you as soon as it possible."

She leaned her cheek into his touch and smiled lovingly to him as tears gathered in the navy blue eyes that held fast to his chestnut ones. Those words didn't sound very good to her and her heart skipped a beat but her smile didn't faulter as her hand lifted to rest as light as a butterfly over his at her cheek. (q) I love you Jean de La Fontaine and I always will. I'm expecting you to be coming back and don't forget that either. I will miss you but I will see you soon Babe. So you just do what you need to do and get on back home to me."

He gave her that pirate smile, "Just remember, I'm the pirate Jean de La Fontaine! I'm the master of the seas and the fear of other sailors. The Adventure Fortune is the best ship on the sea. There is nothing to worry about." He gave her another kiss and began walking backwards toward the ship.

As she held that kiss to her lips with both hands as a couple of tears slowly make their way down her cheeks. The smile still in place she stood right where she was and watched him leaving her head tipped to the side a little bit. God how she wanted to run after him and drag him back but it was only for two weeks, surely that wasn't that long really. But this was the first time he was going to be gone over night and she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.

He ran up the gang planck and began shouting orders which the men were only too happy to obey, for this meant they were on their way. Thick ropes were released from steel cletes as the jib was unfurled. The Adventure Fortune slowly moved from the dock. More commands were given and the crew worked like a well-oiled machine. The ship pulled further away and Jean stood on the bow of the ship and looked at Des. He waved and blew her a kiss.

Des ran to where the ship had been docked and took her hat off waving it like crazy to him and hollered not caring if he could hear her or not. "I love you Jean!! Be careful and stay safe!! Hurry back!!" Then she ran to where bales and crates were stacked the highest and climbed until she reached the very tip top and sat there watching and crying until she could no longer see even the barest speck of a sail.

Jean watched from the stern of the ship as the top sails of the main and mizzen masts were loaded and caught the morning breeze. He watched until he could no longer see Des on the docks, and he continued to watch until he could no longer see the docks, and the city was little more than a smudge on the horizon. Then he turned and went to work, commanding the ship. He gave headings and had the ship set to fully sail. He wanted to waste no time in getting there and back. One thing bothered him. The holds were overly full with heavy cargo of lumber and steel, and the ship was sitting low in the water. Even if all went well, the journey to St. Ives could take longer than the typical five to six days. He would do all he could to make up the time.

As soon as the sail was out of sight she slid down the pile of crates and bales heedless of the splinters she was gathering in various places and took off running through the streets after yelling out orders to the coachman driving the carriage to take it to the Inn and tell the stableboy that she had sent them.

Running as fast as she could she headed straight for their apartment and the balcony thinking she would be able to still see the ship from there but she hadn't realized how far their current home was from the harbor, not that she was thinking clearly at the moment, and upon finding she could still see nothing she grabbed a box of peach wine coolers and curled up on the hammock they had shared, began drinking, and cried some more feeling utterly at a loss as to what to do next for the first time that she could remember in years.