Chapter One
Evangeline Bright stared miserably out the carriage window, longing to be elsewhere than where she was.
"To be out on the beach," she thought to herself, "and to be rid of this ridiculous corset and dress." It would seem far more desirable to let the grass tickle her bare feet rather than to have heels on.
Yes, this was all her Aunt Josephine's idea, to be so dressed up. Evangeline felt unimpressed at the ensemble and was sure that she would stand out in the crowds they would soon be in- and not in the good way. "Tis' not so overpowering," Josephine remarked as she stepped out of the dressing room, "you look wonderful!" Yes.. Wonderfully disastrous. She had to fake a smile, not knowing what to say, when really, she wanted to let her Aunt hear the curse words she heard down in the slums once. She'd only used them once before. She said it was "completely, utterly barbaric, totally unladylike," but she felt she should somehow rebel against her Aunt's strict rules.
But Evangeline could not lose herself in her imaginings for any longer. The carriage bounced along the cobblestone road from their mansion, to the Admiral's promotion celebration, where she would walk with the man she was set to married to soon. His name was Edward Archer, and he was said to be very dark and mysterious.. That was all she knew about him. Well, that wasn't entirely true either. He was the son of a Lord, which she didn't care to remember, but he was very wealthy and proved a "worthy suitor" by her dreaded Aunt. She would meet him for the first time at the celebration, she would be meeting the man she would spend the rest of her life with, meeting the man she would marry.
The thought of marriage made her nervous. She was 22 years old, and should have been married at this time, only it was the intoxicating idea of adventure that lured her away from marriage. Marriage was synonymous with confinement.
"Don't look so subdued!" Josephine remarked, her embroidery needles ticking away.
"Subdued would be a pretty stand-in for what I'm really feeling," she replied, keeping her eyes out the window for she knew her words were sharp and deserved reprimand.
She scoffed but said nothing to it, "Just look brighter for young Archer."
Evangeline smiled to herself. She'd been snippy, and gotten no rebuke, what else was next? Ah yes, marriage. Perhaps her Aunt was letting her off the hook somehow since she was to leave her care soon, to be with that strange man in his strange house. Often, she'd avoid thoughts of it, but now as it was drawing nearer and nearer, time to really consider it would be needed.
The carriage rolled into the beginnings of Port Royal, the town's sounds more erratic since the celebration was made open to the public. It would be a grand occasion, they said. The Admiral Norrington would be made to Commodore Norrington, and it was said that he was a very diminished man. Evangeline looked forward to going to town, because they lived outside and did not regularly make trips otherwise. She liked the busy-ness of it, the people milling about, the sights to see, though they weren't especially exceptional, it was a different scene than the books and dull walls of her Aunt's home.
Above the heads of the people also going, she saw the town square, already set up and prepared for the occasion. Her stomach roiled, and her heartbeat accelerated. Somewhere in those crowds, stood her husband-to-be.
She knew it was not proper to think so in an arranged marriage, but her feminine mind wondered if he was attractive. Would he be tall and limber, or short and heavy-footed? Was he kindred in spirit as her, or was he stiff and stoic like her Aunt? What sort of things did he like? What sort of thoughts did he think? Her wondering of his thoughts trailed elsewhere.. Sharing a bed. Her stomach squirmed, and she felt as if her corset would let loose. They'd exchanged letters before, but it was only the customary greetings read by their chaperones, so there was no real personal findings. His writing was heavy and purposeful- he was assertive, but to what degree? A shiver danced up and down her spine as she figured assertiveness would be equal to her Aunt's assertiveness.
Soon, the carriage came to a stop and the door swung open. With a small smile, Aunt Josephine lifted herself from her spot, and climbed out first, then Evangeline did so herself. A wave of nausea washed over her as the sun hit her face.
"Please.. Help me." She whispered to her Aunt, who nodded in reply and offered her her arm.
Everything moved around her in slow motion, and sometime, Josephine took out an umbrella to offer some rescue from the hot beating sun. They found a nice place in the shade to watch the occasion, which felt like it had no end to Evangeline. Did the Commodore really have to be so flamboyant with everything? In the crowds, she would search through the young faces, imagining one of them being her husband. The whole ordeal only lasted an hour or so, and soon, conservation and livelihood returned to the gathering.
The two women moved about the crowds from the place they stood, the older muttering to herself about the whereabouts of the party they were set to meet.
"The North Pavilion, the wretched fool, the North Pavilion he said we should meet, at precisely 2PM and it is now 2:10PM!" She grumbled to herself, "we are here at the North Pavilion!"
Evangeline looked up at the painted sign and smiled.
"Aunt, we're at the East."
"No we aren't.. Heavens forbid! East Pavilion! Let us make haste, child!"
The older woman could move fast for a woman in heels and full skirts, and in spite of her aching feet, Evangeline kept up with the little woman. They must have looked strange to others, but Evangeline could not think much for her reputation right now. They finally slowed down a bit, and stopped at the corner below the sign that read the right way they meant to go to. Likely, her husband-to-be stood on the other side of the wall.
"Okay!" Josephine said with a breathlessness, "you look proper enough despite us running along like ruffians.. Fix your curls, don't look the part of a ruffian."
Hastily, Evangeline smoothed her curls that had become tousled in the flight from the East to the North Pavilion and tried to slow her racing heartbeat. Oh, a mirror would help right now. Normally, she wasn't vain and didn't obsess over her image, but she wanted to look presentable just this once.
"Are you ready?"
"Yes." No.
"You look wonderful, don't fret.. You'll get wrinkles," she gently chided her as they rounded the bend at a normal pace. "Look graceful."
"Graceful hasn't always been my expertise, Aunt."
"It's going to be now.. Now, where are they?.. Oh I hope they don't think we have reconsidered, that would indeed be catastrophic.. Oh! Oh, Evangeline, the little party of three by the flag.. Don't look so fast now, just a glance.. We'll approach after you've had your girlish little sneak peeks."
Evangeline ignored her Aunt's impish remarks, and peered inconspicuously in the general direction of the flags.. Yes, the party of three. Her heart pattered furiously now, as she first looked at the adults; well-dressed, expensive fabrics, shoulders held back and chins high- obvious confidence, but leads to overconfidence which only ends up in selfishness, unless of course, they were already selfish.
Don't make assumptions, now Vange, give them a chance.
From the two people who appeared to be also looking about, she gave a quick look at the young man. In the hot weather, her hands grew clammy. Silk breeches, clean waistcoat and clean hair, with a shaven face. Thank goodness he had some form of cleanliness. She looked away, and as she did, she realized that she did not even look at his looks.
"Okay, we're going over now, don't be clumsy."
Suddenly, Evangeline did not feel so social as she had felt. She planned to show them the bright side of her personality through intelligent conversation, but now she felt as if she could not grasp any word in the English dictionary. Despair flooded her as they neared them, then, as they locked eyes with them.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Bright," the older man greeted with a smile, "so good to see you!"
The woman beside him had a sullen look to her face, sour with an even less appealing tone. "So good to finally see you."
"Ah yes, our apologies. We had gotten lost in which pavilion we were to meet at."
"All in good nature," the man gave his wife a weary look, then turned to address Evangeline. "Miss. Bright, you look absolutely ravishing. It is good to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine," she replied, wondering if she should curtsey, but he had already turned back to her Aunt. It was too late to curtsey now.
Nervous, Evangeline stole a glance at the young man who stood beside the two. He was tall, with wide shoulders and a broad chest. He was not fat, no not at all. His complexion was fair, with stubble beneath his bottom lip, and otherwise clean shaven up to his sideburns, which lead up to blonde boyish curls. He had dark, serious eyebrows that sheltered bright eyes, and his jawline was cut finely. Not unhandsome.
The adults floated away slowly, absorbed in their own conversation about business, marriage contracts and agreements- all things Evangeline wanted to be involved in also, but it was not custom. But also, it was not customary for two set to be married people to meet in a public place, and it was not customary to have the chaperones drift away.
He had his hands behind his back, and with a small smile, he approached her after giving one last look at their chaperones.
"Seeing as they are distracted and we are in silence," his voice was deep, and smooth. "I am Edward Archer."
"Evangeline Bright," her voice came out calm, collected.
Politely, he took her hand and raised it to his lips and kissed it.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you."
"It is the same for me."
Only it wasn't.
He gave her a smile, and was about to say something, when a sharp voice cut the air.
"Elizabeth!"