A Teardrop of Treasure
Chapter 1
London's Fine Rain
AToT
It was 1909, a few months had past leaving Edwardian London and its industrial glory drawing close to springtime. The air was sheeted with mist and rain that stuck to ladies shawls and men's waistcoats, the large tower clock struck 6:00PM and the street workers hurried to light oil lamp posts as the night drifted in. Wendy Darling grinned to herself, raising her dress towards her calves and over her ankle boots despite that the hem of the dress was already soaked and moody from the rain water. The eighteen-year old was not unlike any other teenage. Wendy was rebellious and playful yet forced into the latest dress trends and manners that a lady of the twentieth century should follow since she was now, after all, a young woman.
Wendy didn't feel like she was a grown-up though, not in the slightest, especially not when her father, George Darling, would shout at her to 'act her age' and her mother would look down at her as if she were disappointed. The smile left Wendy's face; her parents were probably going to lock away if they saw her in a state like this. Especially today since it was so important to her and her family. It's not that she wanted and tried to embarrass her father, it just seemed to happen. Wendy wanted adventure in her life again and freedom but she was to become a kept woman as she was to say yes to Patrick Foster whether she liked it or not. It wasn't easy to picture her life with this strange man who worked as an accountant at the same bank her father's job was.
Wendy had always thought of romance and marriage so differently than what was happening now. She rounded a corner on the cobbled street, her heel splashing into a puddle and muddy drops wetted her cotton socks. A lone car drove by with a man wearing a top hat safely inside. Looking up to the sky, Wendy could see the many chimneys giving off black puffs of smoke into the bleak, cloudy above. Homesickness seemed to hit her but not for the brick building down the next few streets, for a place she didn't like to think of often now. Never Land.
She wondered what Peter Pan was doing right now. He had never visited her and so she only had the memories to keep her going when she was down, sometimes she couldn't tell whether any of it had been real. But she still had an acorn tied around her neck with a piece of string; in the centre was an indent from the arrow head. The kiss from Peter that had saved her life, even though the thimble she'd given him would never have the same type of power. John didn't talk about it anymore, he had changed and was more and more like her father with each passing day but Michael still spoke of pirates, mermaids, fairy dust and Captain Hook, he didn't pretend it wasn't real.
Raindrops caught on to her eyelashes as she saw them fall from the sky, she came to look back where she was walking when she bumped into someone who made a grunt and stepped back then very kindly steadied Wendy who was about to tip over from the curb.
"I'm sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going," Wendy smiled largely with the apology to show she was sincere, when she looked up at the man in question, the smile from her face was once again lost.
"It's alright Miss," he nodded. That voice, that face that remained passive was so familiar. It couldn't be though, she had watched him die in Never Land, he'd been eaten up by that overgrown crocodile. 'Old, alone, done for.' Everything was the same about him, now he was smirking knowing she was starting to realise, he wasn't wearing his pirate outfit only something very normal. Too normal for Captain James Hook. A plain short a waistcoat, his tie neatly pushed to his collar and blazer falling smartly across his shoulders, trousers and shoes matched the black colour of his outfit. His long, curly hair was tied back but his eyes were the same blue and his moustache still had the same flick at the ends.
"Captain Hook," she squeaked, stumbling back, her dress dropped from her hands and she felt it drag across the floor until she stepped on it with her heel and nearly fell again.
"I beg your pardon?" he stepped towards, his expression seemed to be confused by her words but Wendy shook her head at the lie, she knew it was a lie. "You shouldn't talk to strangers, bad form," Hook laughed then slyly stepped around her, getting close so she'd gasp and press up against the wall. Wendy watched in shock as he walked away from her, never turning but waving at her.
"Goodbye Wendy, I miss Red-handed Jill."
"Bye," she whispered to his back then running away from that road, looking back to see if he had really been there but wherever he had gone, he had gone there fast. Wendy focused on getting home, her heart racing, not even caring to clear herself up when she pulled the cord to ring to doorbell. Mister Darling answered and he looked thunderous especially when he looked her up and down and Wendy remembered that her dress was filthy and ruined with water, her hair was in tatters and she'd taken off her gloves earlier so her fingernails had muck underneath them.
"Look at the state of you," he hissed, gripping her shoulder and pushing her in the house, looking around to make sure no one had seen. "What have you been doing? I'm tired of this disgraceful behaviour Wendy! When are you going learn to act like an adult? You're already ten minutes late. I suggest you get ready, quickly while I call your mother to help," he gave her a hard look and shook his head angrily before turning away and storming down the hall. Wendy tipped her head down and went up the stairs to dry off, clean up and change. She could hear a male's voice from here that wasn't part of the family's. Her future husband. She was dreading this.
AToT
Thanks to my Beta's - April and Jenna for helping me with this. Hope you feel better soon J.
And thanks for reading.