"I envy you." Anamaria was almost asleep when her lover whispered the words into the silence that had descended on the small room.

The dark-skinned woman blinked and lifted her head to stare at the other. "You envy me? What do I have that you don't?"

"Freedom," her lover answered simply. "You can come and go as you please, sail wherever you like."

Anamaria snorted indelicately, shifting to lie on her side. "Provided I won't get my neck stretched for going where I like."

"You're clever enough to avoid hanging, though." A smile curved the other's lips, long, slender fingers combing through the mulatto woman's dark hair.

She shrugged modestly, brushing sun-lightened hair back from her lover's face. "Not daft enough to risk having my neck stretched."

"Not daft like Jack?" Amusement danced in brown eyes.

She scowled and shook her head, her answer curt, "No."

"What do you have against him?" A brown eyebrow arched inquisitively.

"He stole my boat," she grumbled, rolling onto her back and glaring at the shabby ceiling.

Her lover sat up, smiling playfully down at her. "He's a pirate. Did you expect anything else?"

"No." Anamaria reluctantly had to admit that the other woman had a good point. "He did find me another boat after Barbossa sank the one he promised me."

Her lover's playful smile widened as she leaned over the mulatto woman, the ends of her hair trailing ticklishly across dark skin. "So you agree that a pirate can be a good man? Or woman?"

"Aye, but most are scoundrels who can't be trusted." She reached up to cup a sun-tanned cheek, stroking her thumb across the arch of a cheekbone, brown eyes serious as they met the other woman's playful ones. "Don't envy me, Lizzie. No one is completely free. I'm a pirate because it's better than the life I had before."

Elizabeth turned her head to kiss Anamaria's palm. "I'm beginning to realise that."

"Good." Sliding her hand to the back of Elizabeth's elegant neck, she drew her head down for a proper kiss.

Her lover moaned softly as she deepened the kiss, tangling her hand in long, dark hair. Anamaria responded eagerly, no longer tired.