Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, situations, or plots. (Except what I made up, I guess, maybe. Bla-bla-bla.)
Prologue
On a sandy beach, a woman sat staring out to sea, enjoying the sunset behind the silhouette of a beautiful, proud ship. Behind her stood a charming house, and in the yard two children- obviously twins about three years of age- played, watched over by a handsome teenager. The two younger boys batted at each other with wooden swords, tossing insults and nautical phrases back and forth. The woman smiled as she listened to them.
She looked no older than twenty, yet her eyes showed years of experiences both sorrowful and joyful. She seemed content, yet a shadow passed over her face as her oldest son, now seventeen, approached her. He looked so much like his father. He sat down wordlessly beside her, smiling at the approaching ship with bright eyes. He didn't notice his mother's thoughtful expression, lost in his excitement as his stepfather's ship approached.
Despite her pleasure at knowing her husband would soon be home, the woman was saddened the similarity this day bore to the day five years ago when she had discovered herself a widow.
Elizabeth sighed at the memory. She smiled as a rowboat cast off from The Beautiful Betrayer, amused at the knowledge of who the ship was named for. Yet the sad memories returned when Willy looked at her questioningly with those light, puppy sad eyes. So much like Will…