A/N: I hope you all enjoy this, review!
"Rest assured Commodore, my daughter would not simply give her word." I could hear my father's muffled voice floating up the staircase and under her bedroom door. I rolled my eyes, he could be completely clueless sometimes; there had been no feelings in my promise save one: fear. It was motivated by the fact that I might never see Will again.
Hearing the front doors thud shut I sigh with relief knowing that James has left, its much easier to hide when one need not worry about the noise they make. I wouldn't be hiding if it weren't for that silly superstition that the groom cannot see the bride before the wedding. The wedding, it should have been the next day, it wouldn't happen though, not while I still had anything to do with it. I was torn from my thoughts as I heard my father's sharp knocks on my door, "Are you decent my dear?"
Quickly I move myself from where I stand, kicking a bag I had opened beneath my bed, I would retrieve it later. Hastily I sat myself in the chair at my vanity and pretended to be staring at my reflection, caught in an imaginary dilemma between a pair of pearl or diamond earrings. "Hmm? Oh, yes." I answer as though distracted. I set the jewelry down as my eyes follow his reflection as he makes his way over to the large window opposite the door, I can see that he is thinking something over, his brow creased with lines deeper than before. Had they always been there or were they a recent product of the past few months?
"Is everything alright father?" I ask turning to him, the rustle of my skirts is the only sound disrupting the tense silence that has settled over the room. He turned to look at me and I could see the tears brimming his eyes. "Papa," I stand suddenly wrapping my arms around his torso like when I was a child. My voice is quiet and broken, to see him like this reminds me of the night my mother died. Leaning my head on his chest I ask him, "What's wrong?"
He stays silent for a moment before speaking, "You remind me so much of your mother, do you know that?" His voice wobbles and I stay silent knowing he didn't truly expect an answer, he takes a step back and my arms drop to my side as I wait for him to continue. "I want you to have this." Reaching inside his coat he withdrew a small box and held it out for me.
Gingerly I took the small box, running my finger over the intricate carvings of the cool wood. I looked up at him in question then open the box, within it lay the most beautiful necklace I have ever seen. I lift it from the box, holding the chain between two fingers I watch as the golden trinket twirls in the light of the lamps. Its long chain ends with a golden pendent, engraved with intricate designs that resemble vines, its oval shaped and catching it with my other hand I see its a locket. "It was your mother's," I jumped at the sound of his voice having forgotten he was still there. He placed his hand over the pendent and opened it, inside was a an inscription, "I hope that you will wear it tomorrow."
Looking back up at him I snap the locket shut, of course that is why he would give me this. "I will," I tell him, my words lack emotion as the spill from my lips. He smiles at me sadly, "You've become such a remarkable young woman Elizabeth, though I'm afraid you will always be just a little girl to me." A tear rolled lazily down his cheek and it was like a knife in my chest. "I'm going to miss you so much," His voice breaks as he speaks, and he pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and dabs his eyes. "I'm being a silly old man, my time with you has past. You need to live your life now." He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my forehead before moving by me to the door, he hesitated before leaving. "I'm so proud of you." With that he opened my door, and left; shutting the door behind him I leaned on it for support.
He wasn't being silly, in all likely hood he would never see me again. Tears flowing now I retrieve my bag from beneath the bed and look it over, inside I had placed what I believed I would need for the journey to come. Tonight would be my last night in Port Royal, the last time I would see my father and the night I would being to live my life. When darkness fell, I would run.
