The sun was going down now. Its pink light illuminated the horizon that Elizabeth Swann caught herself staring at, sitting in her room. Her room in her father's house. She smiled, knowing it would not belong before she gazed upon the horizon from a home that she and Will shared. It would be difficult to say goodbye to this room though. Here she had looked out upon a bustling Port Royal. She had memorized people's comings and goings on the street below as a child. Every morning she would see Mrs. Chase scuttle across the street to her job as a seamstress. Soon after Mrs. Chase there was an elderly homeless man whom no one had the heart to shoo out of town as he was blind in one eye and could barely see out the other. Then, after the nearly blind man, came William Turner. He went from the blacksmith's shop to the docks nearly everyday to check if there happened to be supplies coming in. Will never knew that all these years Elizabeth watched him do so. Even now when they were engaged and to be married she didn't tell him. Still he made the trek every morning, and still she watched him. This past morning however must have been the rare day when Will didn't go to the docks. Elizabeth sighed, and turned away from the window. Her pale green dress swished across the floor with her. Elizabeth looked around her room, trying to memorize its contents and shape. Her glances crossed with a clock. It was slightly past six, and supper would be served very soon. Elizabeth turned back to her window and shut the shutters, as it would be dark and possibly a little cold by the time she returned. From there Elizabeth made her way to the dining room. She took her seat across the lengthy mahogany table from her father who was uncharacteristically late. John (a servant) stood in the corner waiting to serve the meal until the Governor arrived.
" John, do you know of anything that would be keeping my father?" Elizabeth asked politely.
"Er… No Miss, I do not." He replied staidly. Elizabeth turned back to her plate, lips pursed with worry. Elizabeth rubbed an arm, trying to shake it off. Surely her father was fine. There was no need to be worried. So, they waited. Elizabeth smelled aromas from the kitchen, and willed her stomach to not grumble. Twenty minutes later the door was opened, and her father came in. Soon he was in the dining room. "Oh, many apologies, Elizabeth. I hate to keep you waiting, but there was… ehm," He sat down," some unexpected business that came up." Elizabeth smiled, "Apology accepted. What business?"
The Governor remained focused on his plate where John was now placing food. "Well…" To John he said," Quite enough, thank you." Back to Elizabeth he replied," Nothing interesting, really. Just unexpected." Still he would not look at her and because of this Elizabeth knew he was hiding something. "Nothing dreadful, I hope?" She asked, gently trying to find out what it was he was hiding. "No! Just unexpected, as I said before. Now, can we talk about something else?" He replied, harsh this time. Elizabeth recoiled slightly and began picking at her food. "I decided on the white orchids for the wedding. Mrs. Miringham said she would deliver them fresh the day before." When Elizabeth looked up her father was staring at her as if he had something to say, but couldn't spit it out. "What?" Elizabeth said, alarmed with her father's unusual behavior tonight. Mr. Swann shook his head and forced a smile," Nothing, nothing. Yes, white orchids sound nice." And so their dinner commenced, mostly in silence. As they were finishing the Governor cleared his throat. "I think it might be best that you stay here tomorrow. There is a nasty bout of influenza running around and I should hate to see you catch it. Elizabeth nodded, "Of course." With that Elizabeth retired to her room. She would see Will in the morning as planned, despite her father's worries. The shop was not too far and she didn't risk much going there and back. Settling the matter in her mind Elizabeth went to sleep.
