As Delicate as a Rose
By: Raven in Red
Lorynn Benedict enters courtship with Commodore Norrington. Soon after the two are married, James must go to sea in pursuit of the pirates that have been attacking Port Royal. NorringtonOC
Chapter One: The Unusual Ball
The day I met him was like any other summer day in Port Royal, Jamaica. My lady's maid dressed me in a fine white gown with blue ribbon trim and lace, I got into my father's carriage along with my two older sisters, and we all went for a walk down on the docks. I felt safe with my family. With them, I could completely ignore all my fears. However, everything changed in less than five minutes.
We were just walking as we normally do when someone suddenly bumped into me. My straw hat was knocked clear off my head and into the water. "Oh, my goodness, I'm terribly sorry!" said the man who had bumped into me. He bent down to grab my hat, but I grabbed his hand.
"Don't worry about it," I said simply. When he stood up, I gave a tiny gasp. He was handsome. He wore a perfectly ironed officer's uniform and a white powdered wig. I winced a little when I saw the beautiful but sharp sword at his belt.
"What is it?" he asked. I shook my head.
"You're handsome," I blurted out in a whisper. When I realized what I had just said, I began to laugh nervously. I could feel myself blushing. The man took my hand and gently kissed it.
"Why, thank you, miss. I am Commodore James Norrington," he gave me a perfectly handsome smile. I gave him a nervous curtsy. "I am Lorynn Benedict, sir," I managed to say without stuttering. He took my arm gently.
"Will you take a walk with me, Miss Benedict?" he asked politely.
"Oh, I don't know," I looked down, blushing again.
"Lorynn!" I heard my sister Annabelle shout my name. I turned around quickly.
"Yes, Annabelle!" I answered.
"We're heading home!" When she noticed James at my side, she smirked. "You can stay longer if you would like!"
"But-!" I started to protest, but she had already turned and gotten back into the carriage. I sighed and turned back to face James. "My sister can really be a pain sometimes." James laughed a bit before taking my arm again.
"Now will you take a walk with me?" he smiled handsomely.
"I suppose," I managed to give him a smile.
With a small smiled, he began to walk. We walked slowly. I kept my head down most of the time. "Miss Benedict?" he said quietly.
"Yes, Mr. Norrington?" I answered equally as quietly.
"My neighbor is hosting a ball tonight, and he has allowed me to bring a guest. Would you like to accompany me?" he stopped and turned so that we faced each other. I blushed a tiny bit. I had never been to a ball before, especially not with a man. I didn't quite know how to reply. "Please say yes," he gently angled my head back up to meet his eyes. He gently took one of my hands.
"Alright, Mr. Norrington, I'll be there," I said with a shy smile.
"42 Willow Street at 8 o clock," he said with a delicate smile. "I'll be waiting." He gave my hand a tiny squeeze before stepping back. "I'm afraid I must go now, but I will be looking forward to tonight." He bowed politely and kissed the back of my hand. I was thoroughly impressed by his politeness. I gave him a small smile just before he departed. Seeing as how my father and sisters had already left in the carriage, I had to walk home. I didn't mind, though. It gave me plenty of time to think about James.
My heart was in a rush. I wasn't even one hundred percent sure what had just happened. I had met a handsome and polite man named James Norrington, and he had asked me to a ball! He was much more polite and dignified than all of the other men I had met. Most of them were too rough or frivolous. James was a pleasant change for me.
When I got home, I ran straight to Annabelle's room to spread the news. "Annabelle!" I greeted my sister happily. "I have wonderful news!" Annabelle sat me down on the edge of her bed. "Tell me everything," she ordered with a smirk on her face. I took a deep breath and said calmly, "Commodore James Norrington, the man you saw me talking to at the docks, has asked me to come to a ball with him tonight!" Annabelle squealed in delight and hugged me. I was a little surprised, but I hugged her in return.
"Lorynn, that's wonderful!" Annabelle gasped happily. "Rachel and I would be delighted to get you ready!"
Later that evening, Annabelle and Rachel got me dressed for the ball. They dressed me in a mint green gown trimmed with fancy white lace. The inner skirt was embroidered with a white lacy pattern. The outer skirt, which wrapped halfway around my waist, was a shinier version of the same mint green color. Rachel swept my dark brown hair into a classy updo while Annabelle dusted makeup onto my cheeks and attached pearl earrings to my lobes. When I was finally finished, Rachel shouted, "Father! She's ready!"
- - - - - - -
"Miss Benedict, it's a delight to see you!" James swept into a deep bow as I crossed the threshold of the house where the ball was taking place. He kissed my hand and led me into the main ballroom. I smiled at how well he was dressed. He wore a dark blue frock coat, black pants, and a pressed white shirt. His wig was dressed perfectly, with not a single hair out of place.
"Would you honor me with a dance, Miss Benedict?" He asked politely. I took both of his hands.
"Only if you would call me Lorynn instead of Miss Benedict," I answered. I could almost feel my shyness melting away. He smiled and placed one hand on my waist.
"I could do that…Lorynn," he said in a whisper as he led me into a slow and beautiful waltz.
James and I made small talk and danced six or seven waltzes before we were both tired. He then handed me one of the two glasses of champagne he had picked up from a passing waiter. "Thank you, James," I said gratefully.
"You're very welcome, Lorynn," he smiled as we both took small sips. I stepped closer and gently wound my arm around his. All of a sudden, I heard a booming sound in the distance. "What was that?" I asked suspiciously. "I don't know," James said with slight fear in his voice. He took my hand protectively. Before I knew it, I heard the sound of breaking glass. A cannonball crashed through the window on the far end of the ballroom. I screamed, along with many of the other women. I was so startled that I dropped my champagne glass. It crashed to the floor and splashed all over my skirt. James put his down and pulled me into his arms. With shaking hands, he rubbed my back.
All of a sudden, he shouted, "Get down!" Before I knew what was going on, he grabbed me by my waist and pulled me down to the floor. Another cannonball crashed through the wall right over us. I was too scared to cry. All I could do was hold onto James and pray that it would all end soon. Soon, James pulled me to my feet.
"Come on, Lorynn!" he pulled on my hand, but I was too scared to move. "Lorynn, please come with me! I need to get you somewhere safe!" It took another cannonball to crash through the wall before I let James lead me away. We ran as fast as we could out of the ballroom and into the street. I didn't care that my shoes and dress were getting soaked with mud. I was surprised at how well I could run in high heels.
We didn't stop running until we had reached Fort Charles. James took a quick look over the wall at the harbor before pulling me down a flight of stairs. He brought me into a well decorated office. "Lorynn, I need you to stay here until the attack is over. I have to go out and direct the cannoneers." I grabbed his hand.
"No, I can't just let you leave like that!" I protested.
"Please, Lorynn, you must!" he pleaded with me. When I still held onto his hand, he knelt in front of me. "We've known each other for only a short while, Lorynn. Please, just let me do my job. I'll come back for you."
With tears in my eyes, I gave a slow nod. "Alright," I said shakily. He stood up and placed a hesitant kiss on my cheek. "I'll be back!" he said while squeezing my hand. With that, he was gone. I spent what felt like forever cowering in fear in the back of the office. With every cannon blast, scream, or shout I felt a stab of fear for James. I had only shared a few dances with him and I already felt protective of him. The tiny kiss he had given me had comforted me at least a little.
I just about screamed in happiness when James came back into the room. He knelt in front of me and gently held my hands. "Are you alright?" I asked fearfully.
"Not a scratch," he replied happily. "And I have something to ask you."
"Anything," I said eagerly. He pulled me to my feet.
"Let's find a better place to talk," he instructed. I nodded in agreement. I held onto his arm while he led me out of the office and up the stairs. We passed the cannoneers on the wall of the fort, who saluted the Commodore as he walked by. He led me quickly out of the fort and down to a secluded pier. In the distance, I could see a ship sailing off into the night. James gently touched my face. "I was thinking about you during the attack." His words made me smile. He smiled in return and continued, "I'd like to get to know you better, Lorynn." He lifted my hand and placed a gentle kiss on it. "May I have the honor of courting you?"
I instantly blushed. "I would be delighted," I said with a shy smile. "My father will talk it over with you tomorrow."
"Excellent!" James said in a delighted whisper.
"If it were up to me, I would court you right away. My father, however, worries too much about me. He will have to talk everything over with you first before he makes the final decision. I certainly hope everything works out in our favor," I sighed. He took my hand again.
"So do I, but it's getting late, Lorynn. Let me walk you home."
I willingly took hold of his arm. He led me in a leisurely paced walk. We were in hurry. Along the way, we talked.
"We've had an interesting first day knowing each other, haven't we, Lorynn?" James asked with a slight laugh. I laughed along with him.
"Yes, we certainly have!" I declared happily. "But everything is working out well." Then I said in a quieter voice, "Thank you for saving me, James." He tightened his hold on me.
"I couldn't let you get hurt," he whispered delicately. He was getting a little emotional. "I'm glad I asked you to the ball, even if it didn't turn out the way I had planned."
"Thank you," I said plainly, with a smile. James sighed. "What's wrong?" I asked.
"Tomorrow I'll have to investigate the pirates that attacked Port Royal," he said sadly. "I may even have to go out to sea in pursuit."
"Then I'll go with you," I declared.
"Lorynn…" he began. "It would be dangerous. You could very easily get hurt."
"As easily as you could," I said, slightly annoyed.
"But I can fight with a sword and a pistol," he pointed out.
"You could teach me," I said, glad that I had thought of that.
"You don't take no for an answer, do you?" James said with a slight laugh.
"Please, James, please," I begged. "I want to spend more time with you."
James sighed and laughed. "I guess I can't say no to someone like you. Alright, you can come with me."
"Thank you!" I nearly hugged him, but stopped myself just in time.
"But…" James held up a finger. "Only if your parents agree." I lowered my head a little.
"My father probably won't agree to something like that. He's too scared for my safety. He has trouble even letting me out of the house alone. I know I can be shy, and often scared, but I think he's just a little to overprotective." I complained.
"He's your father, Lorynn. He cares about you. He loves you," James added. We walked in silence until we reached my house.
"Thank you, James," I said politely. He kissed my hand, equally as politely. Sighing, I pulled him to me and kissed his cheek. "You will have to come by tomorrow to talk to my father. I would truly love to enter courtship with you." He smiled.
"I'm glad you feel that way. Good night, Lorynn," with one more kiss on my hand, he departed into the night.
