Mr. Gibbs had turned Amelia over to the governor when the ship had reached Port Royal, and eight years later, she was like a daughter to him. She had become good friends with James Norrington, and he considered her a confidante. He considered her to be like a sister to him. But she held him in a much higher esteem. She fell in love with him at eighteen, and here, at twenty-two, she was hopeless. The day before Amelia's life was going to change, she was determined to tell him.
Amelia donned a simple blue dress that morning. She pinned up her dark brown hair, and by the time the captain came to the house, she was about to crumble from nervousness.
"Captain Norrington. Miss Amelia is still upstairs. I'll go and fetch her."
"That's alright, Estrella. I'm here now." Amelia descended the stairs.
"Hello, Miss Sparrow."
"Hello, Captain. I thought we might walk in the garden today. Would that be alright?"
"Yes, of course." He took Amelia's arm, and the two walked along the outer walkway among the violets. They were Amelia's favorite. James picked one and gave it to her.
"Thank you." She put it behind her ear. She didn't know how to start to tell him her feelings.
"Captain…James, I…"
"Amelia, I must ask you something very important."
Amelia's heart fluttered and stood still at the same time. Could it be? "James, you can always ask me anything, you know."
"Yes. Amelia. I...I..."
"What?" She stopped, and he with her. He looked nervous.
"I want to ask Miss Elizabeth to marry me."
It hit Amelia like a sharp slap to the face. She looked into the clear emerald eyes of her dear friend. He was serious. "For how long?"
"For...forever."
"No, I mean...how long have you wanted to marry her?"
"I don't know when it started. But she has become a beautiful woman. And now that I am to be promoted, it is high time I took a wife, I think. I've asked the governor, and he has given his permission."
"Yes, that sounds...that sounds reasonable." They heard the bell ring in the house; it was time for lunch. "We should go."
"Amelia."
"Let's go, James." She walked ahead of him. When they sat down at lunch, she couldn't meet his eyes.
"Did you have a nice walk this morning, my dear?"
"Yes, Father."
"What were the two of you discussing?" Elizabeth said. She liked to tease Amelia; she was jealous that her father had taken in an orphan. She tried to behave as though she had more etiquette than her adopted sister, because she had been born into privilege and Amelia had only been taken into it.
"We were…we were talking about…um…"
"Pirates, sir." Captain Norrington jumped in. "We were discussing the growing need for a marine militia, because of pirates."
"Ah, yes. Well, I expect we shall have one soon, at the rate young men are joining the Navy and being sent here."
"Yes. I hope so. Filthy, pillaging, murdering scoundrels, the lot of them."
"Why do you hate pirates so much, Captain?" Elizabeth asked.
"For all the reasons that I just mentioned."
"I still think it would be rather exciting to meet one."
"I trust you would feel differently, if ever you actually did meet one."
"As if you have, Amelia."
"As a matter of fact…"
"Ladies, please. A little civility." The governor laughed. "Heaven forbid you should ever raise two daughters at one time, Captain Norrington."
"Yes, I…" he looked at Elizabeth, "I imagine it would be very…difficult."
"May I be excused, please?" Amelia stood up, and both gentlemen followed.
"Of course. Are you quite well, my dear?"
"I am...I just…I find that I'm not very hungry today."
"I'll have Estrella bring you some tea."
"No, no thank you." Amelia left the dining room. She waited until she was out of sight before she ran up the stairs to her bedroom. It was there that she let out the sobs that she had been holding in since James had told her that he was in love with her sister.
She looked at herself in the mirror. The violet was still behind her ear. She tore it away and threw it into the corner. Her face was tearstained and red.
"Stop crying. He was never yours."
She started to sob more, because she knew it was the truth.