Secrets of the Sea
Authors Note: This story took longer to get up then we had originally thought. This chapter got depressing after a while, but by sudden inspiration, I knew that I just had to finish the chapter today. And I did. Sorry again for the wait. Enjoy.
Tessi Swann sat in a slightly uncomfortable armchair in her father's library doing nothing except for staring at the desk. It didn't hurt as much as it did to look out at the ocean and know that she had…well she wasn't exactly sure how many more days she had left in the house. She had lost count. She had fallen asleep at her window or in the library and would always think that yet another day had passed, and then later she would realize that only an hour had. So she had stopped counting because she didn't think that she could take waking up again and thinking another day had passed without it actually having passed. Which was why she tried to stay up all night, it was easier to count the nights then the days.
Tessi could hear footsteps in the hallway and she quickly opened the book in her lap to a random page and stared down at it, the door creaked open and her father looked in. She could practically feel him smiling. Ever since Jack got away she had become quiet, she never felt like arguing with him. He thought she was being obedient. She smiled the ghost of a smile thinking about how he would react when all three girls were gone at the end of the two weeks. The door closed with a final creak and Tessi closed the book again. She sighed and got out of the chair moving around to her father's chair. On the way she around the desk, she tripped and dropped the book. As she bent to pick it up she saw a piece of paper lying under the desk, that had been crinkled and folded many times, it was also yellowed slightly with age.
Tessi pulled it out from under the desk and saw that there was an envelope along with it. Not wanting to read one of her father's letters she glanced at the envelope and after seeing who it was addressed to she shoved the folded letter back into it, and held it in her shaking hands. She heard more footsteps in the hall, and quickly grabbed it and shoved it into the back of her book and grabbed it. As she stood up the door opened.
"Alright Tessi," Elizabeth asked as she stuck her head in the door.
"Huh? Oh. I'm fine Elizabeth, I just dropped my book." Tessi said, knowing that wasn't what Elizabeth was asking about.
Elizabeth sighed exasperatedly and walked in and leaned against the now closed door and said, "You know what I'm talking about."
Tessi sighed and sat back down in that same uncomfortable chair and said, "I'm holding up if that's what you're really asking."
Elizabeth nodded and said, "Father wanted me to tell you that you should be getting ready, some more suitors are to be attending dinner for both you and Misty."
Elizabeth was almost back out the door when Tessi suddenly exclaimed, "Wait!" Elizabeth waited patiently for Tessi to continue and Tessi added, "How long has it been?"
"Twelve days," Elizabeth said simply before leaving Tessi to her thoughts. Tessi smiled her first real smile since Jack left, and got out of her chair and walked to her room to change for supper.
Later that night, when Tessi was sure that Misty was asleep, she got the letter out of the book that she took from the library and lit a candle. She stared at the letter unsure of whether to open it or not. She took a deep breath and opened the envelope and read the letter. She couldn't believe her eyes; she could hardly believe what she was reading. She shoved the letter into the book and put the book in the bag she had packed the day Jack left.
Seeing there was nothing left for her to do, she blew out the candle and tried to go to sleep. Tried being the key word, she knew there was no way she would get to sleep, no matter how tired she really was. After an hour she got out of bed and re-lit the candle, she pulled the vanity chair over to the window and set the candle on the sill after sitting down. She laid her head against the cool glass of the window and stared at the inky blackness that was the ocean.
Misty woke up sometime later, the light finally waking her. She saw her sister slumped against the window with a candle burning on the sill. It had burned so low that the wax was close to overflowing. She got out of bed and saw that the sky was starting to lighten. She went to the desk drawer and got another candle out, lit it, and replaced the other. With that she left her sister where she was and returned to bed, after all this had become a nightly experience.
Later that morning two maids came in to rouse the girls from their sleeps. While Misty was getting dressed, another maid was doing Tessi's hair, although all Tessi wanted to do was go to sleep in her bed, so that her stiff neck would go away. After the girls got dressed they went down to breakfast. Misty mumbled a "hello" to her father and Tessi said nothing at all. When Tessi sat down she looked down at her food, so she missed the worried glance her father threw her way.
Elizabeth came in shortly after, and Tessi looked up long enough to send her a small, quick smile before staring at her food again. Not really in the mood to eat, although she hardly ate the night before. At dinner though it was because she was eager to read the letter, and now, it was because she wished she hadn't.
Just as Tessi was going to excuse herself her father decided to speak up, "Tessa, are you alright? You've hardly touched your breakfast and you didn't eat at all last night."
"I…I guess that I'm not feeling very well Father." Tessi replied, wondering why her father chose now to start worrying about her. Though it was true that she wasn't feeling well, she was scared that Jack wasn't going to be able to come back, or that he didn't even want to come back. She also didn't know what to think about that letter. She wasn't even sure if she wanted to believe that it was real or not. "May I be excused?" Tessi added sheepishly.
"Very well, I will send a maid up later to check on you."
Tessi nodded and quickly got up and left the room. As soon as she got to her room she did the best she could with unlacing her corset enough to sleep, although she loathed having to wear one in the first place. As soon as she was out of her dress she got under the covers and fell asleep instantly.
It was mid afternoon when Tessi woke up. It was the best sleep she had had in a while, which wasn't saying all that much. As if on cue, Tessi heard a nock on the door, after putting on a dressing gown, she said clearly, "Come in."
A maid entered and curtsied asking politely, "Are you feeling better ma'am?"
"I am. Thank you." Tessi replied, wondering at why all of the sudden all her fears had ebbed away.
The maid nodded and said, "Your father told me to inform you that later this evening Lieutenants Gillette and Groves shall be attending supper."
Tessi nodded and asked, "Could you inform the stable boys I would like my horse ready. I would like to take a ride."
The maid nodded slightly surprised by Tessi's request seeing as how she hadn't wished to leave the house Jack escaped. She left quickly to do as Tessi asked, and Tessi dressed in one of her more comfortable dresses, pulling her hair up. She left her room and walked past the parlor where, Elizabeth, and their father were having tea. She waved pleasantly as they both looked at her sudden change of attitude.
Tessi passed them all with a wave and went outside and headed towards the stable, she had a good feeling about this, and she didn't know why, but she wasn't complaining because she was tired of being so depressed. One of the stable boys helped her onto her horse and after saying a quick thank you, she took off.
She rode down towards the beach and then along the shore. Suddenly she stopped because she could have sworn she saw a dark ship on the horizon, she blinked and saw that there was indeed a ship. She attempted to look closer but she couldn't tell who was in the ship. She shook her head assuming it was some merchant ship and kept riding.
Half an hour or so later, the ship wouldn't leave her thoughts. It was time to return home anyway to clean up in order to be on time for dinner. She stopped one last time to assure herself that it was a merchant ship. She glanced out looking for the ship and noticed that it was much larger then a merchants ship. She was able to look closer and saw it was The Black Pearl. She smiled happily at that and headed home quickly.
Tessi returned my horse to the stables and hurried up the stairs to her room, Misty was already there with a maid changing. She was putting on a simple but elegant pale yellow dress with long sleeves and a high scalloped neck. Yet the dress looked as if it were a light cotton, perfect for the hot weather of the Caribbean. Misty's hair was pulled into a braid, and she left saying a quick good bye.
Estrella hurried in, Tessi assumed that she had finished readying Elizabeth and she got out her dress for the evening. It was a dark pink dress with flowers and vines sewn into it in a lighter pink thread. It also had long sleeves but with pink lace on the sleeves, and on the bottom of the dress, but none on the square neck. Estrella pulled her hair up into a tight bun, she slipped on shoes that matched her dress perfectly and hurried downstairs.
As she approached the parlor Tessi could see both of the Lieutenants and the Commodore. It seemed so long ago that she called him Puffy Wig, was it really only a little over a month ago. But then again, it seemed longer then two weeks since Jack had left.
"Good Evening Father, Elizabeth, Misty, Lieutenant Gillette, Commodore Norrington, Lieutenant Groves." Tessi said curtsying in the doorway as the men stood. The only seat left was the one next to Gillette so she walked over quickly, not liking the way that he was looking at her, as if she were a piece of meat.
The men spoke of how they were still searching for Nicholas and Sparrow, Nicholas however was their first priority, in order to show the rest of the navy that insubordination would not be tolerated. Tessi, Misty, and Elizabeth all zoned in and out of the conversation, knowing there would be nothing for them to comment on, even though they needed to know whether the Navy had any types of leads at all.
Estrella came in and curtsied and once noticed she said, "I apologize for the interruption sirs, but dinner is ready to be served."
Everyone got up and headed into the dining room, Tessi sat next to the Lieutenant again and waited patiently for the first course to be served, a simple tomato soup. By the time the group got to the end of the main course Gillette spoke up.
"Governor, would you mind terribly if your daughter and I were to take a quick walk?"
At her fathers encouraging glance, Tessi jumped in and said, "I would love to show you our rose gardens." With that they both got up and Tessi grudgingly took the arm extended to her by her suitor.
Once outside he stated, "You have changed in more ways then one since the beginning of your little adventure."
"I suppose I have."
"You are much more subdued and if I may say so," here he stopped Tessi and turned to her and put his hand on her face and said "Forgive me my boldness, but you have turned into a very beautiful woman."
Tessi blushed and turned her face away from him saying, "Lieutenant, I believe that was a little too bold." However she couldn't help but think that if Jack were there, saying the same thing, she wouldn't have turned away.
"I'm sorry that I embarrassed you." He said, sounding remorseful, but Tessi wasn't buying into it, all she wanted to do was go back inside making sure she had all of her clothes together, and check the food supplies yet again.
"It's quite alright." She said and then extended her free hand to show him the roses, "Father has always said that this was our mother's favorite place to think." Tessi almost choked on the word 'mother' remembering the letter tucked away in her bag.
Gillette assumed that it was because of her mother's death and said, "Perhaps we should go back inside if it hurts you to talk about it."
Tessi was relieved that she didn't have to be alone with him for much longer and said, "Thank you, desert will be served soon anyway."
As they were nearing the dinning room, Gillette added, "Forgive me, again, my boldness, but I could tell why your mother was fond of the rose gardens."
Tessi just nodded and sat down in the chair that Gillette had pulled out for her. The rest of the evening passed by in a blur and she remembered how she almost ran back to her room, along with Misty. Their maids helped them retire to bed and blew out the candles. However once the doors were shut the girls changed into pants and cloth shirts, putting their nightgowns in their sacks. They grabbed brushes and everything they hadn't been able to pack before now.
Around midnight, Elizabeth knocked on the door and hurried inside with her bags, she was dressed properly as well. Tessi gestured for Misty and Elizabeth to follow her quietly and then they crept over to the window. She threw her bag out and swung one leg out and grabbed the vines next to the wall and began to climb down. Elizabeth and Misty followed her lead, and Elizabeth shut the drapes and then closed the windows as best as she could from the outside, then continued down the vines.
Once on the ground, they grabbed their bags and crept quickly into town and to the back entrance of the Blacksmith shop, where they had been stowing most of the food since they had come up with the plan, as there was no one to come across it there. Misty knocked on the door and Will opened it ushering them in.