Let's Play a Game
Summary – Elizabeth and Will are friends. She knows they can't ever be together. Kid fic.
Disclaimer – I do not own a thing.
William Turner was a normal eleven year old boy. He loved to do boy things whenever he could. He loved to practice with the swords that had been thrown aside as junk. In fact, the possession he treasured the most was a crusty old sword he found buried in the sand down by the beach.
On Saturdays, William was allowed to do as he liked just as long as he got home by eight o'clock that evening. Elizabeth, however, had to sneak away because she was not allowed to the docks or the beach without an adult.
However, did that stop her? No, in fact, she was there first when William arrived.
"How'd you do it this time?" he asked her.
"I have an imaginary head ache," Elizabeth replied with a smile.
"Won't your father be angry with you if he finds out you have been sneaking out of the house?" Will asked.
"Of course he will, but as long as he doesn't catch me while I am at it…" she trailed off.
"Ah, I see. However, you cannot blame me if you get caught. I did tell you that you shouldn't do things to purposely make him angry at you,"
"I know you have, now, are we going to play?" she asked.
Will nodded and they walked a ways down the beach. Will had omitted his sword this evening, but the two took a trail through the jungle to a near by cove. This cove was called, by Elizabeth, Mystic Cliffs. The jungle hid a rock formation that made this place hard to find. A water fall and jungle birds and monkey's was the back ground to such an imaginary place.
In two tall coconut trees, made out of boards and straw mats was a tree house. A rope ladder led up to the front door. Old lace curtains covered the window and on a sign in nice lettering was the legend: Coconut House. Will had come up with it, though only at the nagging of a certain girl. Elizabeth had liked it.
He started climbing up the ladder and once she was at the top, William followed. The tree house was finely furnished with two old chairs and old table and there were lamps with oil. In an old bed stand was the extra oil for the lamps.
Elizabeth had freed an old rug that would have seen itself in the rot piles. And William had found some old hammocks in the attic of the Browns home. He had kindly asked Mrs. Brown if he could use them and since they were useless to her, she had told him he could do so. She also let him have the bed stand.
"So, what shall we pretend tonight?" Elizabeth asked.
"I don't know, I honestly don't feel like pretending," William said.
"Yes, neither do I, seems as though that's all I do," she sighed.
"I'm too busy to pretend,"
"At least you have something to do,"
"What do you do during the day?" Will asked.
"Oh, just the usual. My Nanny makes me do needle point for two hours after breakfast, then I have to read and do numbers, and then I have to practice my penmanship. Father makes me read histories to him while he works in the office. And Norington asks me a ton of questions that honestly don't make sense," She replied.
"Sounds….well…I'm not exactly sure, but at least you don't have to muck out stables," Will said.
"Whatever do you mean?"
"My day consists of mucking out the donkey's stable, and feeding him. Then Mr. Brown gives me a lesson or two about something around the forge. Then Mrs. Brown has me read and do numbers and she's also helping me with my penmanship. Then I do my chores and go to bed," Will replied.
"Oh, that sounds dirty,"
"I wash!"
"Than how come you always have ash on you?"
"Maybe I spend too much time in the foge,"
"Yes,"
"So, anything interesting happen today?" Will asked.
"Father was talking to Mrs. Dorrens about…"
"Spit it out, you shant feel better till you do," Will advised.
"She was telling him that he should think about arranging a marriage for me,"
"Oh, is that bad?"
"Yes, its positively the worst thing ever!"
"Why so?"
"Have you ever met Clarence? He has got to be the most rotten boy in these parts. I'd rather go sailing with a pirate than marry him!"
"What does he do?"
"Nothing, and he's fat! He looks like a wig that has been put on a pig(1)!" she said.
"I see, I think he came to Mr. Brown the other day, he wanted a special made sword," Will said.
"Well, that shall never do. He'd go around poking the poor horses!"
"Elizabeth, he can't honestly be that bad, can he?"
"Your better than he is, believe me!"
"Oh, all right then,"
The two had to go home soon. Elizabeth successfully returned to her bed room without her father or Nanny knowing. While Will returned to the Brown residence with certain thoughts on his mind.
He had know certain boys back in London who had thought they should get everything. Of course, they stole money from their Mum's purses so that they could buy something to eat. But they always got caught. Now, this boy Clarence, he sounded like the sort of boy who could do anything and get away with it. What if he treated Elizabeth poorly? What if he made her cry?
Will didn't know what he would do if Clarence ever did such a thing.
That next week, while Will was feed the donkey; a knock came to the door and foot men from the Governor's mansion entered the forge. He was tall with a white wig on, he smiled kindly at the boy.
"Are you Mr. Turner?" he asked.
"Yes sir, can I help you?" Will asked.
"I have something for you from Miss Swan," he said and handed the boy the invitation, he gave a polite bow and left. Will stood there puzzled for a few moments before he opened the letter.
Miss Swan courteously invites you to her twelve birthday party on this Saturday the Thirteenth of June. At twelve in the after noon. She hopes to see you there.
Sincerely, Elizabeth Swan
"Well, there is no way I cannot go," Will said. He rushed into the brown home to show Mrs. Brown.
Mrs. Brown was doing some sewing. Coughing every once in a while, sometimes blood would show up on her napkin. However, she took care of her family, and little Will even though technically he wasn't a part of the small family.
"Would it be all right if I go?" Will asked.
"Of course, I know how close you two are," she smiled.
For the rest of the week, Mrs. Brown would give William some pocket money in payment for the chores he did. This was only because he wanted to earn money to buy Elizabeth a present. By the time Friday came, he had half a pound. It would have to be enough to get a nice present.
Mrs. Brown went with William to pick out the present. Since he was sure he wouldn't know what to get for her and he wanted it to be perfect. They decided on a carved jewelry box and Mrs. Brown even added a present of her own, for she bought a locket for three farthings. It had teardrop stone of blue as the pendant on a gold chain.
William felt out of his element. There he was, dressed in his best, brown breeches, brown jacket, gold vest and white shirt. He looked like a peasant next to the others in the room. The boys and girls of the richest families of Port Royal were all there.
The Wallace Family had three, Jennifer, Kimberly and Gerald.
The Lawrence Family had two, Laura and Jeffery.
The Dorrens Family had one, Clarence.
The girls kindly greeted him and Will had to give his name and he bowed to them, they giggled terribly. Then Elizabeth swept into the room. She was wearing a purple dress that matched her birthday cake.
"William! I am so glad you made it," she said. He bowed to her and handed her the present he had brought.
"I cannot wait to open it, thank you!"
"It is my pleasure, Miss Swan,"
"William must you call me that?"
"Only in polite company, miss,"
"Oh, have it your way," she sighed and then she made the rounds. William looked around and saw little Jeffery sitting in the corner with his cup of tea.
"You look lonely,"
"Kind of, I'm too young to join in,"
"How old are you?"
"Nine,"
"You aren't too young, it'll only be three more years before you are twelve," Will said.
"I know,"
"Looks like that tea is cold, lets go get a fresh cup," Will said. He and Jeffery walked over to the table with the refreshments. They loaded up on sweets and tea before going back to the corner. Jeffery was glad to have someone who listened to him.
"We play Navy and Pirates all the time," Jeffery said.
"Oh?"
"Yes, but I'm always the pirate and I always die at the noose," he sighed.
"That doesn't sound fun? What's the fun in it if you cannot get away?" Elizabeth joined them.
"Well, Clarence and Gerald must always win, they are the Navy after all," Jeffery replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Elizabeth giggled at him.
"It's almost time for cake, and then I can open the presents," she announced. She then went over to chat with Laura, Kimberly and Jennifer. They giggled and waved their fans like ladies of society. Elizabeth looked put out by them, before joining in with the game. She waved her fan fast and accidentally spilt some tea on Jennifer's new dress. Will clearly heard her say "Oh bugger" – he blinked and looked away. Sometimes Girls were weird.
All too soon, it was time to open presents.
"Open mine first, Elizabeth!" Jeffery cried, he handed her a package that was nicely wrapped, inside she found an assortment of combs, a mirror and barrettes for her hair. Jennifer and Kimberly's were next, she got a lovely book on the history of Greece. Their Father loved history and always gave anyone he knew a book. Obviously that went for his children's friends as well. She smiled and promised to read it as soon as possible.
Laura added to Jeffery's present by gifting Elizabeth with a pearl bracelet.
Gerald and Clarence got Elizabeth the most expensive present. A diamond crown. It came from one of the venders at the market. They paid five pounds for it. So, William was sure that the diamonds were glass.
"Her is mine at last, Miss Swan," Will said, and handed her the package that Mrs. Brown had wrapped in brown paper, it had a sing bow of purple. Elizabeth thanked him, and more carefully than the others, unwrapped it.
The carved box looked like a pirates treasure chest. It was of dark wood, had a gold clasp and look completely unimaginable. But it was inside that she found the real treasure, The necklace, of which she put on right away.
"Oh, William, I love it! Thank you!"
"It is my pleasure," he replied. He couldn't help but spy Clarence glaring at him.
He was walking towards the tree house. He knew that Elizabeth would not be able to meet him that evening because her father was holding another party for his daughter. But this one was for the grown ups. Apparently, giving party's was a must in the royal society.
However, what did surprise him was the fist that smacked him in the nose.
"You think you can take her from me!" someone yelled.
"What are you talking about?"
"No one like you will ever have a chance with her!" Clarence yelled.
"Is that so?" William asked angrily, surging to his feet he threw a punch at Clarence. Apparently, of the two boys, Will was stronger, even though Clarence was twice his size.
"You prat!"
"And you are a pig, Elizabeth shant ever marry you!"
"Oh? Who say's!"
"She does!"
This upset Clarence considerably and he threw another punch. William dodged it, then he tripped the boy. Clarence fell to his back.
"Now listen here, Elizabeth shant marry you, you are a rotten boy," William said before he started to once again walk down the beach. Clarence got to his feet, but he did not follow William, for deep down inside, he knew that William Turner was right.
"He asked me, today," Elizabeth said. They were in the Browns kitchen. It was left the way it always was since the day Mrs. Brown died.
"Who asked you?"
"Clarence," she shrugged.
"What did you say?"
"I told him to ask Laura, she's infatuated with him, you know,"
"I hadn't,"
"I'm glad I told him no. I don't think I am ready to be married yet,"
"You'll know, at the right time," William said.
THE END