Chapter 1
One particularily humid but clear morning in Port Royale, Mary Turner awoke. It was still fairly early, but she could smell the scent of sizzling sausages wafting into her room from the kitchen, which meant her mother was preparing breakfast. And that meant that soon, her father, the town blacksmith, would be in to wake her.
Will Turner walked down the quiet hallway slowly, buttoning the bottom of his shirt as he crossed the floor to his daughter's room. He rapped his knuckles against her door a few times before stepping into the room. "Mary... darling, it's time to get up. Ah, ahead of me again, I see." He smiled when he found Mary already awake, and walked to her window to draw the curtains back.
Mary sat up, her hair sticking out at all possible angles. She beamed at her father as she slid out of bed, and shuffled over to embrace him in a tight hug. "Good morning, Papa," She murmered, yawning loudly
He smiled and lifted her into his arms. "Good morning yourself, love. Look at this... where did you get such hair?" He tugged on her hair gently, smiling still.
Mary giggled and swatted her father's hand away, shrugging. "Dunno. I'm hungry." Her stomach rumbled, and she blushed, holding it.
He laughed and bounced Mary in his arms a little, moving towards the doorway. "Breakfast first then, and then we attempt to tame this jungle." He smiled, kissing the top of her head gently and walking downstairs towards the kitchen.
Elizabeth hummed to herself as she set the table, her nightgown swishing along the floor as she worked. She was really getting used to taking care of the housework herself, and actually enjoyed the independence. Once everything was ready and on the table, she turned to see her husband and daughter entering the room and smiled. "Good morning!" She greeted, walking over to kiss them, trying to smooth Mary's hair down a little. "My goodness, you always have such knots when you wake up."
Mary smiled widely. "I know. Daddy called it a jungle. Mummy... can I have a pet?" Mary asked, turning her large eyes up to her mother. She asked this every morning, hoping for a different answer. Elizabeth looked at Will, her eyebrows lifted into an 'it's-your-turn' expression.
Will frowned, setting Mary down in her seat, and stroked her head. "I'm sorry, Mary, I wish we could get you a pet, but we really don't have the time or the money to take care of it." He kissed her again when he sat down. "Maybe when you're older."
Mary pouted and looked at the table top. Elizabeth filled Mary's glass with milk and knelt beside her daughter's chair. "Darling, you have to prove to us that you would be able to take care of a pet. An animal isn't like a doll. You'd have to look after it, and feed it, and clean it. When you're older, and you show us that you can do all those things, then maybe we'll talk about it."
Mary sighed, bouncing a little. "Okay," She mumbled as she began to eat breakfast. Will looked at Elizabeth when she finally sat down, and smiled at her when she squeezed his hand affectionately.
"This is going to be a very long day," ::He goaned, massaging his forehead. "I already have seven orders to fill, and all have to be done by at least 3:00."
Elizabeth frowned at him from her place at the table. "Seven?? From whom?" She shook out her napkin and draped it over her lap, giving Mary a stern look, reminding her to do the same. "Would you like me to come and give you a hand, for the morning at least?"
Will shook his head. "No, love, that isnt necessary--you have enough to do around here I am sure, and someone has to look after miss button." He smiled at his daughter. "But three are for Mrs. Barton...she wants a new set of wine glasses made, and two of her horses need new shoes. Mr. Acton wants a new iron door knob, and Gillete's sword broke the other day so I need to replace that."
She pursed her lips a little and shook her head, her hair shimmering in the early morning light. "They work you too hard. You deserve an assistant." She sighed and glanced at Mary, who was watching her parents with great interest. "Eat your breakfast, my sweet."
Mary nodded and went back to her breakfast. She was so proud of her mother and father, not only because they were her parents, but because they were also...pirates! Mary had grown up with stories of pirates, and in fact "piwate" had been her first word...not even "Ma or Da".
"No rest for the weary," Will grumbled, taking a sip of his tea.
Elizabeth pouted, though her eyes were smiling. "Poor Will. So under appreciated." She ducked her head a little, peeking up at him to show she was teasing. Mary giggled around a mouthful of sausage, enjoying it as always when her mother teased her father, as she was the only one who got away with it.
Will yawned as he finished the last of his breakfast, and stood up, stretching. "Well my two dears, I should head over to the shop. The earlier I begin, the earlier I can get home." He went over to Elizabeth, taking her cheeks in his hands, kissing her on the lips.
Mary gagged, shielding her eyes. "Ewwwww! Kissing! Yurgh!"
Elizabeth laughed, blushing gently. "You say that every morning. Say goodbye to your father, cheeky miss." She smiled, sipping her tea slowly. Mary stood on her chair and held her arms out to Will, smiling widely. "Goodbye, father!" she said, with all the dramatics of a playful child.
Will scooped her into his arms and kissed her forehead, twirling her a little. "And goodbye, my precious. Be good for Mummy today. I'll see you both at supper." With a last hair ruffle, he waved, gathering his things and walking out of the house.
Elizabeth looked down at Mary, raising one eyebrow. She grinned and held her hands out, wiggling her fingers in a threatening way. "I'm going to get you, pirate lass!" She cackled, coming towards Mary slowly.
Mary squealed, hiding under the table. "You cant get me!" She stuck out her tongue, nearly falling forward.
"Oh yes I can!" Elizabeth laughed and reached under the table, grabbing Mary and dragging her out. She proceeded to tickle the little girl's tummy and sides ruthlessly.
"EEEEEEE!!!" Mary squealed, doubling over with giggles and trying to escape her mother's wrath. "Haha, Mummy, hee hee!" She managed to squrim out of elizabeth's arms, and dashed for her bedroom "I'm going to get your ship, Mama!"
"Not my ship! You sneaky little pirate!" Elizabeth lifted the skirt of her nightgown and chased after Mary, the sound of her laughter filling the house. "Come back here and fight like a man!"
"I'm not a man, I'm a pirate!" Mary squealed, taking out her fake wooden sword and aiming it at her mother. "And you don't have a weapon, so nyah!"
She gasped and held a hand over her heart, attempting to look afraid. "Oh dear! What are you planning on doing to me?"
"You have to walk the plank! Unless you agree to challenge me to a duel!" she jokingly tapped her mother's stomach with the wood, her eyes sparkling mischeviously::
Elizabeth giggled, but quickly stopped and pasted a firm expression on her face. "But... Miss Pirate... you don't have a plank!" She spoke innocently, her eyes sparkling.
Mary's face fell and she thought for a moment. "So?" She asked. "You have to do as I say."
She laughed and lifted Mary into her arms suddenly, swinging her around. "Oh yeah?" She stopped spinning and planted a kiss on the little girl's nose.
Mary cringed, before smiling. "Mummy? Can I go outside and play?" She asked, looking towards the window. The last thing the little girl wanted was to spend the entire afternoon in a stuffy house.
Elizabeth smiled and set Mary down on the bed. "Yes, if you promise not to wander too far. And stay out of trouble." She picked up the hairbrush off Mary's dresser and started working the tangles out of her hair gently.
"Ow!" Mary yelped every so often when her mother would catch a knot. "I'll be careful, Mummy, I pomise." She insisted.
"Good girl. Now stay still for a moment so I can finish this." She set the brush down and gathered Mary's hair in her hands, braiding it gently. She tied off the braid with a yellow ribbon and gave it an affectionate pull. "There you are. Now, choose a dress. One of your older ones, please. I have no desire to get mud out of your good Sunday dress."
Mary went to her trunk and began to leaf through her small selection, finally deciding on a faded blue one with white flower print. She held it up, hoping her mother approved. "This one!" She announced::
Elizabeth smiled in approval. "A very nice selection, m'lady. Now, off with the nightgown." Quickly and efficently, Elizabeth removed Mary's nightdress and got her into the dress she had picked. She fastened the buttons up the back and smoothed down the skirt. "There we are. You look lovely, my jewel."
Mary grinned, and wrapped her arms around her mother tightly. "Love you, Mama," She told her with a smile. "And I won't go too far."
Elizabeth watched through the window as her daughter skipped outside, before settling into her daily routines.
Mary took a deep breath when she began walking down the dirt path away from the small but cleverly crafted pine wood house. She could hear chickens clucking and cows mooing as she strolled, and seagulls cried overhead. The faint sound of the Caribbean Sea hissed in her ears, and the only comfort from the stuffy weather was the ever so often soft spray that brushed past her cheeks and forehead. Mary decided to go to her favorite hideout, a small cave by the docks near a nest of palm trees.
Even without a companion availible, Mary could play for hours just using her imagination. She practiced her sword fighting using sticks, preparing herself for when Captain Jack Sparrow returned to take them away. "He will come," she told her parents one night, fairly recently, and Elizabeth shared an amused look with her husband. "I just know it!"
Mary sat down when she grew tired, and watched as the water lapped up against the rocks. It occurred to her a short time later, to visit her father at the blacksmith shop. No matter how busy he was, he never objected to her having a go at one of his hammers. With an excited smile on her face, she hoisted the hem of her dress to avoid being soaked from the spray, and dashed back into the village. What caught her eye with mild surprise was a stray tabby cat, wandering around the blacksmith's doorstep. It was actually not a full grown cat, but a baby kitten, and mewed helplessly every so often.
Mary frowned deeply as she bent low, and scooped up the creature in her arms very carefully.
"What are you doing here all alone?" she asked, stroking it's head with her finger tips. The kitten stared at her with large yellow eyes, and let out another pathetic squeak of a meow. Mary could hear her father banging away on whatever project he was working on, and wet her lips. She could stop in and show him the kitten, but did not want to interrupt. Besides, the animal could get hurt amongst the hot coals and the donkey's hooves!
Instead, Mary hurried home with the animal, wondering how on earth she was going to explain it to her mother.
Luckily, Elizabeth was nowhere in sight when Mary entered their two story home, so she dashed upstairs to her bedroom, hiding the kitten there. "I am going to get you some milk," Mary insisted, as the critter began exploring its new surroundings. "You must stay here, and be very quiet!" She tiptoed down to the living room, just as her mother was coming in with a bucket. Her hair was pulled up into a bandanna, which meant cleaning was underway.
"Oh, hello dearest," Elizabeth chuckled warmly. "Did you get tired of playing outside so quickly?"
Mary shuffled one foot along the floor. "Yes," she replied. "I...I would like a glass of milk, please."
Elizabeth smiled with satisfaction, and went to fetch just that for her daughter. "Oh...and can I have a saucer, too? I want to take it up to my room and look at my new picture book from Grandpa."
Elizabeth handed both items to her daughter, warning her to be careful and not to spill any of the liquid on the floor.
"I won't!" Mary insisted, hoping her mother wouldn't hear the kitten as she cleaned upstairs. The kitten was hiding under the bed when Mary arrived, and she had to slide halfway underneath to fetch it. It attempted to nip her fingers in retaliation, but she managed to grab the animal around the middle and pull it out again. "Here now," she whispered, and poured a bit of her milk into the saucer. "This is very good for you."
The kitten eyed the treat suspiciously, before it began to lap up the liquid with it's tiny tongue. Mary giggled; taking care of a pet was easy! She decided right then and there that this would be her very own kitten; she would care for it in secret, and if the kitten grew up big and strong, she would tell her parents what a good job she did.
As the kitten continued enjoying the milk, Mary stretched out on her bed, opening a picture book. Her father would not be home for at least three or four hours yet, and her mother...
Her eyes widened when she heard footsteps on the stairs, and immediately tossed her book aside. She ran to grab the kitten, unsure of where to hide it; so she put it into her dresser drawer, hoping it would be all right for a couple of minutes. It began to squeak with fear, and Mary shusshed it, just as her mother peeped inside to check on her.
"Are you all right, love?" Elizabeth asked, checking the state of the room. "Mew!" The older woman raised an eyebrow, just as Mary pretended to sneeze, echoing the noise. "God bless!" Elizabeth chuckled, and put her hands on her hips. "Did you drink your milk?" she asked, and Mary nodded. "Good. Well, holler if you need anything. Your room looks tidy enough for me." she gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead, before picking up her pail and dust rag, making her way down the hall. Mary let out her breath in relief once her mother was out of earshot, and immediately went to fetch the kitten out of the chest.
"Don't do that!" she scolded, and the animal stared at her curiously. "Mummy and Daddy don't want me to have a pet; I have to prove I can take care of one before they'll say I can! So you have to be very very quiet while you're here, okay?"
The kitten merely licked it's whiskers lazily, and she sighed, placing it on top of her mattress. She lay down to watch it, and eventually her eyes grew heavy so she was soon fast asleep.