Such Great Heights
Hello there! Welcome to Such Great Heights. Not going to babble too much but this my new PotC story, but not my first wander into this fandom, but issues made me pull down my stories. This one features my undoubtedly favourite character, James Norrington and an OC character, you'll get the gist of the plot line as you read through this chapter… thanks for reading and don't forget to review :D
Commodore James Norrington was rarely shocked. Surprised maybe, but never shocked. It took a lot to shock him and this was surely one of the times he had been completely shocked. He wasn't even shocked when Elizabeth revealed that she was going to stand by Turner, even though she had accepted his proposal days earlier. He had suspected it; as she would not be one to truly back down from a cause she had dedicated herself to, though he was still rather upset and heartbroken when she decided to publicly reject him, in front of basically all of Port Royal. So getting a letter home from his parents was something that shocked him and immediately mad him feel suspicious of what his parents wanted.
James, the letter read.
It has come to your mothers and my attention that you have not married and produced an heir. It is a Norrington tradition for every male in the family to marry and keep the family name honourable and noble. We can acknowledge now that you have achieved the goals you set out for yourself when you, your mother and I last spoke, with becoming Commodore of Port Royal. We must note that you have failed to marry a young woman on the island yet and we must say that simply, time is running out. With the fact that your brother, Anthony, has been struggling to produce a male heir, we now must leave it in your duty to provide the Norrington family another boy to keep the family line strong. And upon your failure to yet marry, we have decided to take matters into our own hands.
The Commodore raised his eyebrows. He was the second born son in his family and expected to go through life without too much pressure on him by his parents. It was his choice to join the navy in the first place as he often dreamed of sailing the high seas and capturing pirates just like his father. The news of being expected to produce the ongoing male heir to the Norrington family was a little bewildering. He hadn't received any news about Anthony not being able to provide an heir so he thought that his parents wouldn't find the need to harass him about marrying and then producing children.
So your mother and I have decided that we must help you to find a suitable partner who will be able to provide the family with an heir. We would normally let you try to find your own wife, but upon your failure to marry earlier this year with the Swann girl rejecting your proposal and your hesitancy to start courting another one of Port Royals lovely young ladies, we will help you find a fiancée. Your mother and I have spoken too many of the families that were of the suitable station and deportment that would suit you and your social status in Port Royal. Many of the families were reluctant to send their daughters over to the Caribbean, but after a great deal of dealing and persistence, we have managed to find you a lovely woman.
If the Commodore was drinking tea, he would have surely spat it out. He was indignant that they were forcing a young woman across the ocean to a place she has never been to before to marry a man who she had never met before. The whole idea was rather repulsing to him. He never really supported arranged marriages and now he was in one. The whole proposal to Elizabeth came down to love, he really did love her. Did, he thought bitterly as his eyes wondered back to the last paragraph that his father had wrote.
The woman in particular is Edith Reynolds, and her family is well known in London as her father runs a successful merchant shop. Her father is rather influential in the business circles of London and their family is very well off. Her dowry is rather large, and she is what most would say, a pretty looking woman. Miss Reynolds is twenty-five, only 4 years your junior and is in great health to bear several healthy children. She will be coming into Port Royal on the next ship that leaves after the one with this letter on board. She will also be accompanied by her parents and maid, who will be taken into your employment after your bride moves into your house. Your mother and I expect to hear of your wedding soon. Miss Reynolds will be carrying gifts from us which should hopefully help in the upcoming wedding.
Mother and Father.
James' eyebrows nearly it the top of his wig, he knew that ship, the Sapphire of the sea was due in Port Royal in a week. He placed the letter among the other letters that he had received that day and removed the wig from the top of his head, running his fingers through his medium length brown hair. If the woman was twenty five, that meant in England she was becoming old enough to either become a spinster or governess and that the marriage was a last ditch effort for her to be tied to someone.
Standing up from the chair he had been sitting on for several hours, he moved towards the large French doors that led to a balcony. James walked through the doors and into the refreshing Caribbean breeze and leaned slightly on the wall as he gazed at the beautiful view that stood before him. The balcony of his offered one of the most beautiful views of the island, you could see the town, as busy as ever, up to the hills that made Port Royal a cove town. Then one could look to their right and gaze at the beautiful beaches, port and clear, blue ocean, which was a sight that always took your breath away. If you looked even more you could stare at the tall and mighty Dauntless and also peer at a tiny island that was uninhabited. It was a view that not many people would take for granted.
Breathing deeply, James assessed what he could do in the situation that he was in. Simply saying 'no' to the woman would not work as she would be stuck in Port Royal until the next boat for England left and then surely, something would happen between them. Another option was to hopefully convince her that there was a better husband out there on the island, a king's official or the owner of a large plantation and try to sway her into becoming involved with them. The next option was to take her as his wife and just ignore her as much as possible, only really trying when it came time for them to have children. The final and most sane sounding option was to marry Miss Reynolds, try to show her as much care and support as possible and then hopefully have them live peacefully together. What was the worst that could happen?
Edith Reynolds, he hoped, was an educated and smart woman. One who when he got home, would not bore him with talk about the latest scandal in town or the latest fashion that was from England but provide sufficient and interesting conversation. He did not care women who only prattled on about their looks and other topics that he held no particular interest in. He held hopes in his first few years, that somewhere on the island he would find a young woman who he would be able to take as his wife when he was lieutenant. But the longer he looked, the more he became disappointed. None of the women suited him, they would loud and wore garish dresses that always revealed far too much more than was proper. They would simper and bat their eyelashes at him until the cows came home and then would talk about their fathers and just how much money they owned. But the worst time was when he had recently become a Captain and he had several women who seemed to follow his every move, always following him from the fort into town or making sure to have a seat a few rows behind him during Sunday church services. It was then that they lost interest when he did not stop and immediately court one of them.
It was then his attention turned to Elizabeth, a beautiful, smart and witty young woman, who suited him, just fine. They spent many days together in the company of the governor and his affection toward the girl grew. He never one being in love before, felt true love towards the young woman and he decided to act upon it. It was soon that he proposed, using his promotion as a perfect time to show her what a perfect couple they would be, her being the governor's daughter and him being one of the youngest Commodores the British Royal Navy had seen. It was then after the 'Sparrow incident', as he liked to call it, that he realised that he was not truly in love with her and that he only felt brotherly affection towards her.
The sound of someone knocking on his office door pulled James from his thoughts and he turned around, walked back into his office, and left his thoughts of his new wife behind him.
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