The Man with No Past

Kenna sipped her afternoon tea, chatting with two women about the weather. Kenna simply despised small talk. She didn't see the point in it. Why did it matter if it were sunny or rainy? She wanted to discuss something meaningful, something that would make her think. She loved to think, to theorize…

"Kenna? Did you hear me, dear?" asked one of the women. Kenna couldn't recall the names of her two acquaintances.

"I'm sorry, I must be up in the clouds today." Kenna apologized.

"There's a rather rugged-looking man waving at you. I think he wants to talk." said the woman. Kenna looked around. She saw Mr. Turner, standing at the edge of the garden. Kenna stood up.

"If you'll excuse me, ladies." she said. She didn't care that she was being a bit rude to her guests. She was just too desperate to flee the dreadful small talk. She approached John, unable to stop her smile. "Why hello, John." she greeted.

"Hello, love," said John. Kenna raised her eyebrows at John. "I'm sorry, would you like me to call you something different?"

Kenna shook her head. "No, that's quite all right," she said. "How did you sleep?"

John flashed Kenna a unique grin. She noticed some of his teeth were gold. How strange. "Like a baby," John said. He looked thoughtful. "Which isn't saying much, because babies don't usually sleep through the whole night."

Kenna giggled. John soon joined her laughter. Kenna's giggle died down and she eyed John with curiosity. "Do you have children, John?" she asked.

John looked appalled. "Eh? No, I don't have children."

Kenna tilted her head thoughtfully. "I think you would make a good father, John."

John stopped in his tracks and glanced at Kenna and then continued walking. "What makes you say that?"

Kenna shrugged. "You're different," she speculated. "Children need someone different to teach them about life."

John flashed Kenna his strange, golden smile. "Well, you have an interesting insight."

"Lady Bordeaux," called Marcus from afar. Kenna stopped circling the garden with John and looked at her counselor.

"Yes?" she called.

"Your uncle would like a word." said Marcus. Kenna cringed inwardly. She glanced at John.

"I apologize, John. I hope we can talk again soon." she said, trying not to reveal her nervousness. Her uncle wasn't an understanding man. Kenna turned away. John caught her hand.

"Kenna, I…" John trailed off. "I hope we can talk again soon, too."

Kenna offered John a small smile. "Goodbye, John," she whispered. She walked away from him and entered the house. She trekked down the hall and entered the governor's study. Her uncle Ian Bordeaux sat at the desk, looking severe. Kenna tensed and clasped her hands in front of her in a delicate, subservient manner. "Uncle," she greeted, announcing her entrance.

Ian looked at her, his blue eyes cold. "Kenna," said Ian, straightening. "Why have you seen fit to allow a rat to infiltrate our home?"

Kenna pursed her lips. "He's not a rat, uncle," she insisted.

Ian raised an eyebrow. His silver hair was sleeked back and tied into an elegant ponytail. It flashed in the light of the window as he moved a curtain aside. Kenna could see John swaggering through the garden with his odd flamboyance. "He is dressed in tattered clothes, he's covered in dirt, his teeth are gold, he lines his eyes with kohl and his hair hasn't been brushed in decades. He's obviously poor and underprivileged."

Kenna widened her eyes. "Which is exactly my reasoning for showing this man kindness!"

Ian glared at Kenna with such sternness that she looked away, her momentary flash of bravery dispelled. "Hold your tongue, Kenna. Might I remind you why you are here in the first place?"

Kenna averted her uncle's glower. "I'm sorry, uncle."

"You did not hold your tongue while waiting on Queen Charlotte. I would've thought you had learned your lesson. You're lucky the queen was merciful and merely sent you here for the remainder of your pathetic life. Send this man away, or I will." snarled Ian.

Kenna stared at her uncle with disbelief. "Uncle Ian, I beg you! Show this man mercy."

"I am, Kenna. I am sending him away from you." sneered Ian.

Kenna's eyes filled with tears. "Uncle, have you no heart for your own niece?"

Ian softened ever so slightly. "Kenna," he sighed. "You brought shame upon this family. I am showing you my heart, child. You made an enormous mistake, voicing your opinion to the queen. It was not your place to speak. Just like it is not your place to protect this man. I am protecting you from possible shame. You realize that Marcus suspects this man of piracy?"

Kenna rolled her eyes. "Marcus is paranoid," she replied. "Uncle Ian, please. I lost so much. I have no friends. I have no purpose. I could… I could teach this man sophistication. I will stay out of your way. I'll make sure that Mr. Turner does as well. It will give me something to do, and perhaps I can make a friend as well."

Ian scowled. Kenna pleaded him with her eyes, and finally, she saw her uncle's resolve cracking. "All right, Kenna. If he is not sophisticated by the Christmas Ball, I will have to put my foot down. Understand?"

"Yes, uncle!" Kenna cried, bouncing with glee. She dipped her head in farewell to her uncle and exited the room, grinning.

Kenna waited while Estella placed a pearl circlet around Kenna's head. Kenna stood and looked at herself in the mirror. The dress she wore was unlike the binding petticoats and overdresses that women in London enjoyed suffering in. The white dress had a softer silhouette, draping from the cinched waist straight down to her feet. The sleeves were short while the collar was fairly high. Kenna frowned.

"He'll love it, Miss." said Estella.

Kenna looked at the maid, confused. "Who?"

"That Mr. Turner." said Estella. Kenna nodded, understanding. She left the room and journeyed outside, to where John was sitting in the garden.

"John," Kenna called. John looked up. His eyes widened at Kenna. He stood and strutted over to her.

"Kenna," said John, smirking. "Lovely dress."

Kenna smiled. "Thank you," she said. "Care to join me?"

"What am I joining with you, exactly?" John sounded nervous.

"I'm taking you to town," Kenna said. "We're going shopping."

John looked queasy. "Town? I'm not the shopping type,"

Kenna smirked. "Yes, seeing as how you wear the same thing every day, I noticed."

John grinned, but Kenna detected his anxiety. "Well… I, er, remember how I have bad memories in this place?"

Kenna nodded. "I remember you saying that, yes."

"Well, going to town is not the ideal way of… Avoiding those memories." John said.

Kenna frowned. "You can't hide from your past, John."

"Well, perhaps not, but why does it matter if I wear the same outfit every day or not?" retorted John.

Kenna sighed, defeated. "I promised my uncle I'd teach you sophistication, or else he'd send you away."

John stared at her, looking stunned. Kenna waited for him to call her insane, but the man broke into fits of laughter. "Love, if you're going to teach me sophistication, you've got to know me first."

"Then why do I get the feeling that you won't give me the chance to know you?" Kenna challenged.

John shifted, narrowing his eyes. "Because I don't trust women like you." His tone had taken on a coolness that Kenna didn't think she deserved.

"W-women like me?" she stammered.

John blinked, and his sudden coldness vanished. "I'm sorry, love. I told you, this place… Not good for me. But I'm not a project for you to play with."

Kenna shook her head. "I don't mean it like that, John. God, no. I… Come with me. Not to town," Kenna added before John could interrupt, "let's take a walk."

John grinned. "Very well."

Kenna led John away from the house, toward the trails in the forest. She looked back, watching the white mansion fade from view. She turned to John. "Why are you so desperate to get away from here, John? Besides the bad memories," Kenna added when John opened his mouth. John grinned and shook his head.

"I want to start over," he admitted. "Why are you here with your uncle?"

Kenna pressed her lips together and looked away. "I used to live in England," she confessed. "I was a lady in waiting for the queen."

"Why the sudden job change?" asked John.

"I spoke out of turn, and I accidentally insulted the queen." said Kenna.

John widened his eyes. "Oh."

"So, I was basically banished here." Kenna finished bitterly.

John frowned. "That's unfortunate, love."

Kenna shrugged. She looked at John, smiling. "It's not the end of the world. I only wish that I could've been sent home instead."

"Home?" John inquired.

"France," said Kenna.

John looked amused. "You're from France?"

"Paris, to be precise," said Kenna. "You didn't guess from my name?"

"Bordeaux does seem French, now that I think about it," said John. "But you don't sound French."

"I've lived in England for the majority of my life. Sometimes, though, I was allowed to visit my sister, Lilly." said Kenna.

"I've never been to Paris," said John. "Been to London, the New World, several different islands, Singapore…"

"Oh, I'm jealous," said Kenna. John raised his eyebrows at her in askance. "I've always wanted to travel. I've read about places in books, but that is nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand."

John nodded. "Maybe one day we could travel somewhere."

Kenna laughed at the ridiculous idea. "Where on earth would we go?"

"Anywhere," said John. "That's the beauty of a ship. It gives you the freedom to go wherever you want."

Kenna tilted her head, gazing at John with wonder. His dark eyes had taken on a faraway look, glistening with excitement. "You know more about sailing and travel than you've let on." said Kenna, smirking at John.

John looked away. "I did some sailing back in the day," he muttered.

Kenna sensed that John didn't want to talk about his sailing days, so Kenna didn't press him. "My uncle and Marcus suspect you're a pirate."

John looked up sharply. "And what do you think?" he demanded.

Kenna chortled. "I think that you're oddly dressed for someone who isn't," she said. John looked nervous. "And I think you're hiding something. But I've told both of them that they are being ridiculous."

"Is that why they agreed to this plan of yours? Or is that why you want to make me your project in the first place?" John asked, grinning.

Kenna frowned. "My uncle was trying to send you away, actually," she admitted.

"Oh," said John. "And you didn't want to see me go?" he added with a teasing edge.

Kenna slapped John's arm playfully. "No!" she cried. John laughed and skirted away. He wiggled his eyebrows at Kenna, taunting her. Kenna's laughter died. "No, I figured that you needed someone to show you kindness. I didn't want to send you away…" She trailed off. Kenna grinned, sheepish. "And perhaps I insisted you stay for selfish reasons as well."

John raised his eyebrows again. "Oh? What kind of selfish reasons would those be?" He sounded seductive.

Kenna rolled her eyes, not falling for John's flirtatious advances. "I lost my friends when I was banished. And I have nothing to do here," Kenna explained. John laughed, and Kenna couldn't help but giggle with him. "I can't stand the small talk about the weather and today's tea! It's so boring…"

John chuckled. "Fine. Kenna Bordeaux, I will gladly be your plaything, if you promise not ask a lot of questions. I want to start over, and I want to do it my way. Do we have an accord?" He held out his hand, waiting for Kenna to take it.

Her lips twisted into a smile. She had never been treated like an equal when conversing with a man. She took John's hand. "Agreed, Mr. Turner." She shook John's hand, meeting his dark eyes with curiosity. This man was requesting to keep his past hidden, which struck Kenna as a warning. Should she trust him? It didn't seem rational, especially since she had shared some of her past with him. But Kenna knew that logically, John wasn't rotten to his core. Why would he have saved her from drowning when he was trying to get away from Port Royal? It didn't make sense. For now, he would be a man without a past.

...

Wow, thanks for all of the reviews! They were such a joy to read! It's not about the reviews, but they are still awesome to receive.

Maddz2: Hello, again. Lol. I'm glad you like it! She's the governor's niece, by the way. I hope you stay intrigued!

grandprincessanastasiaromanov5: Your name is awesome, by the way. And thank you!

POTC misty potter temple: Thanks, here ya go!

daydream987: I hope Kenna is different. I prefer intellectual women to overly emotional and dramatic ones. I'm glad you like it so far!

Please review!