Chapter 3 – Swords Clash
"Miss Swann, are you paying attention, I say, Miss Swann!"
Scarlett flinched at the sound of her Governess' thick, brooding accent, and painfully drew her eyes away from the window. "No, Mrs Havisham, I am afraid that I am not listening", she answered balefully. Now nineteen years old, she was a grown woman, but that had done nothing to temperate her daring attitude.
"Arrogant girl!" Mrs Havisham exclaimed angrily, "Shall I report this to your father?"
"If you must", Scarlett smiled mischievously, "Perhaps then he shall realise how I absolutely detest needlework".
Elizabeth laughed quietly beside her, hiding her smirks behind her half-formed cushion piece.
"See what you have done now", Mrs Havisham, "You will inspire devilish behaviour in your younger sister".
"Hardly not I should think", Scarlett cocked an eyebrow, "I am not nearly elder by ten months, Lizzie is more than capable to desire to commit devilish behaviour, without my influence".
"Miss Swann!" she hissed as Scarlett rose from her seat, brushing out her skirts, she wore a dress of deep emerald, with her hair as loose and as maddeningly wild as ever. "Now, if you excuse me", she smirked, "I long for a walk in the sun". With that she exited the room, laughing childishly at her own folly. She knew that she would be scolded something fierce by her father once Mrs Havisham reported her disobedience, but for the moment, she did not care.
"Scar!" her sister called after her, running down the hallway, laughing breathlessly, "Father shall finally murder you for this".
Her sister merely laughed, "I think not, send me to a convent perhaps, but I have far more scandalous concoctions brewing in my mind that might induce him to send me to the hangman's noose".
"Why must you insist on being so daring?" Elizabeth asked.
"And why must you insist on being so boring?" Scarlet countered, "Come Lizzie, let's walk through town, father never lets us leave the manor".
"And for good reason!"
"Lizzie!" her sister begged, clasping her hands in her own, she pouted her pale pink lips, willing her sister to oblige her, just once.
"Oh, alright!" she fakely sighed, "But when we are caught I shall tell Father that this was all your doing!"
"Agreed!" Scarlett laughed joyfully, and the two sisters dashed through the corridors, running quickly to their rooms to fetch their hats and parasols, Scarlett could have easily done without their effects, but Elizabeth insisted.
The beauty of Port Royal never ceased to amaze Scarlett, never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined living in such a paradise. The sun scorched down on them every day, the sand was a golden white and the ocean … she could never tire of looking at the ocean. It was the most beautiful object she had ever beheld, and Scarlett felt such a deep and secret wanting to be a part of its majesty, that it terrified her. She knew Lizzie felt the same, perhaps not about the sea … but of wanting to be a part of something more than simply the life of being one of the Governor's daughters. Who could ever believe that such a luxurious title could carry with it such a burden? Neither free to do as they wanted, not free to roam the world, or to marry whom they loved. No, their lives would always be bound by duty and honour, to place one's family above all else, including selfish desires.
But that did not stop either of the sisters dreaming of a life in which they could.
Most of the commoners who passed them believed that the young women must be older than their appearance would have you believe, and married, for it would be unspeakable for unmarried young women to be walking the streets unaccompanied. They held their heads high as though it was nothing for them to be walking in the sun. In their hushed voices, they constructed make-believe identities, Mrs Edington and Mrs Wallingford, two noble ladies holidaying in the Caribbean. Their husbands, unfortunately, could not attend … for they had murdered them and run away with their fortune! Elizabeth laughed at Scarlet's murderous anecdote, something only her sister would think to add. If only, Scarlett thought, it would be that easy to gain independence. As Scarlett looked up, her eyes caught glimpse of a person she had been hoping to see, and she grinned widely, however, Elizabeth had yet to notice.
"Sister dear", Scarlett smirked, "I do believe there is a dashingly handsome young man staring at you".
"What?" Elizabeth stammered, and her cheeks blushed to a bright shade of pink.
Outside the blacksmith's shop, where Scarlet was hoping he would be, was a young William Turner, shamelessly staring at her sister, however, he quickly averted his gaze upon realising in embarrassment that he had been discovered. "Oh, Will!" Elizabeth gasped, however, this revelation only served in deepening the colour of her cheeks to a crimson red.
"Let's go over and say hello, shall we?" Scarlett proposed.
"Oh, we mustn't Scar, we would never hear the end of it from father", Elizabeth pleaded.
"That's only if father were to find out", Scarlett quipped with a devilish grin plastered across her face. Scarlett grabbed her sister's hand and made a beeline through the busy crowds to the Blacksmith's shop.
"Will! Will over here!" Scarlett called gleefully, waving a daintily gloved hand. Will's face displayed a clear mortification at being singled out by the women, too awkward and too foreign with the situation to know how to properly compose himself.
"Miss Swann, Miss Swann", he bowed gracefully.
"Will!" Scarlett huffed in a feigned annoyance, "How many more times most my sister and I tell you? It is Scarlett and Elizabeth!"
"I know that", he told her, and then added playfully, "Miss Swann".
"May we come in, Will, or you to remain frightfully rude in forcing two ladies of a delicate disposition to remain in this sweltering heat?" Scarlett teased him, although at first Will felt fearful.
"Of, of course, come in, although I fear it will be no improvement", he extended his hand to allow the ladies to enter before him. Elizabeth remaining uncharacteristically quiet, entered first, and Scarlett faulted but a moment to slyly to her friend, "I told you I could get her here".
"And I told you that you mustn't", Will scolded her, and the two went inside.
Elizabeth was never one to turn up her nose at her surroundings, even in the barn-like structure filled with hay, metal and wood it would never cause her to think any less of Will, in fact she was in awe of the hundreds of swords that she saw before her. "These are all so beautiful", she gasped, "Will did you make all of these?" It was the first time she had spoken to him, and Will found himself immediately flustered, "Yes – no, I mean, I help my master in making them".
"He's lying to you dear sister", Scarlett laughed as she strode inside the blacksmith forge, expressing an air that she had been there many times before. "Will makes every single one of these beautiful weapons whilst his master drinks his salary away".
"Miss Swan I beg you desist!" Will pleaded, his humility was too much too hide.
Scarlett found herself in a playful mood, and turned to face her dear friend and her sister, "Tell me Will, which of us do you find the most beautiful?"
Poor William's face flushed an even deeper red than what had been displayed on Elizabeth's cheeks as he gawped like a fish out of water.
"Oh, Scar you are too cruel to him!" Elizabeth chided her, "Oh Will you must not feel you need to answer my foolish sister".
"You must know I jest!" Scarlett laughed, "For we all know plainly that it would be you, dear Lizzie, for you are far the most handsome!"
"Your flattery is undeserving", Elizabeth rolled her eyes, and then turned more gently, "How have you been Will? It must be a month now since I – we have last seen you", Elizabeth quickly corrected herself.
"I have been very well Miss Swann, helping my master with his newest commission, I believe it is to be a gift for Lieutenant Commodore on his upcoming promotion".
Scarlett snorted loudly as she propped herself up on one of the wooden fences of the donkey's pen, "Do not mention his name", she huffed.
"Ah yes", Elizabeth smirked, enjoying her chance to torture her sister, "I do believe the Lieutenant as begun to make his intentions very apparent to you dear sister".
Scarlett rolled her eyes, "Yes, and Father had made it abundantly clear what is to be expected of me on Saturday", and she scrunched her nose, "What shall I do when he asks?"
"Say 'yes', I imagine", Elizabeth smirked.
"I should sooner drown myself", Scarlett hissed.
"Scar do not speak such a way in front of Will!" Elizabeth reminded her, "It is most unlike you to be so desponded".
"That is true dear sister, but it is also unlike me to be so soon near my impending death", she groaned.
"An engagement is not a death", Elizabeth told her firmly.
"It is if you are a woman of position!" Scarlett snapped, a little too seriously for her liking, and found that she was allowing her heart far too dangerously close to the surface. "No handsome pirate for me after all, huh Lizzie?" she joked, however, it was too forced, and only added to the tension that had been building in the forge.
Will looked on at his friend, he could see the wealth of sadness etched into her skin, even if she tried to hide it, for he knew her engagement to Norrington would end many of the things in her life that she enjoyed and loved, including their friendship, and although it thrilled him immensely to have another meeting with Elizabeth, he could not help but share in Scarlett's sadness, and knew he had to elevate it.
"Well", he sighed, "I was intending to wait until I presented your Father with the Lieutenant's sword, but I feel that now is a suitable time to show you", he smiled, and he turned to go to his work station. Both Scarlett and Elizabeth watched him with a quizzical look, neither knowing what on earth he could be doing, until moments later, he turned and walked toward the sisters, holding a large black case in both hands.
Scarlett's eyes went wide, her mouth ajar in shock, "Will", she whispered, "Is that what I think it is?"
"Open it and see, Miss Swann", he grinned, and Scarlett carefully climbed down from the fencing, and slowly, flicked open the latches of the case. The young woman was convinced that her eyes must be deceiving her as she gazed upon the cases' contents, she quickly glanced at her sister to confirm that what she saw was not an allusion, and judging by her sister's same look, it was clear that it was real.
"You, you made me a sword?" she half whispered, half stuttered.
"Aye", he laughed, "So you will forever have your own to practice with, even if I am not there to teach you". Scarlett brushed away the happy tears that were brimming in her eyes, not wanting to look foolish, "Will, you shouldn't have! It's so beautiful – the time it must have taken –
"Is worth the reaction on your face", he laughed, "Try it, feel the weight of it". Scarlett carefully removed the long cutlass from its case, its blade was a brilliant silver, with its handle a gleaming gold, fixed with a deep red tassel. Scarlett flexed it in her hands, and Elizabeth watched in stunned silence as it became more evident that her sister knew exactly what she was doing with the blade.
Scarlett moved quickly, poised like a cat as she practised a few positions, making her footwork precise. "Will, it moves like it's a part of my body!" she gasped in excitement.
"It has been made to your measurements exactly", he informed her, secretly ecstatic at his work being so greatly appreciated by a friend whose opinion he so valued.
"So", Elizabeth sucked in a breath, "All those nights … you've been sneaking out". Scarlett lowered her sword, fearful that it would, in fact, be her sister that would murder her.
"You have snuck out, every two nights … for two years … to learn to swordfight?" Elizabeth demanded.
Both Will and Scarlett looked very terrified of the seething woman before them and shared an anxious glance. "Uh … yes?" Scarlett answered cautiously, half prepared to raise her new sword to defend herself from her sister's wrath. Elizabeth glared at them both in deathly silence, before, two their shared shock and confusion, she burst into fits of laughter.
Scarlet watched fearfully as her sister clutched at her sides, laughing so much she thought she might faint, "Oh, Oh Thank God!" she cried, still whilst throwing her head back in hysterical fits, "I thought … I thought!"
"You, thought what?" Scarlett asked her, worried that she had finally driven her sister to insanity.
"That you had dishonoured yourself and taken a lover!" Elizabeth eventually answered through her tears. Will and Scarlett shared the same look upon their faces, before bursting into laughter as well.
"You must be joking!" Scarlett shrieked, "You honestly thought I had taken, of all things, a lover?"
The two sisters embraced one another, and Will himself could not help but find the humour in the situation.
"Although", Elizabeth commented after their laughter died down, "I am still unsure if this is much better".
"Any boy may learn to fight with a sword", Scarlett defended herself, "Why must it cause such uproar for a girl to desire to do so as well".
"Because it is unladylike", Elizabeth replied with a sigh.
"I never wanted to be a lady", Scarlett remarked.
"Neither did I, Scar".
The two sisters bid Will a long farewell, that Scarlett purposefully drew out so that Will could have more conversation with her sister. She concealed her sword under her skirts, filled with a rush of excitement to be doing something so scandalous.
Their father was waiting for his daughters when they returned home, and just as Elizabeth had predicted, he was less than pleased. Although Elizabeth tried to protest, Scarlett took full blame, and Governor Swann reprimanded her for the 100th time of the responsibility she bore as the elder sister to set a good example, and that she was expected to behave to a much better standard. Still, he forgot about the incident quickly enough, and the sisters were allowed to dine with him at dinner, were the only topic of conversation was Lieutenant Norrington's upcoming promotion, much to Scarlett's despair.
It was not long before the two girls were huddled up in Elizabeth's bed, telling stories and gossiping with one another, long after the lights had been extinguished throughout the manor.
"Lizzie", Scarlett finally found the right opportunity to ask her sister, "Did you really think that I had taken a lover?"
"To be honest with you Scar", her sister murmured in embarrassment, "I thought it was why you were so opposed to engagement with Norrington".
Scarlett laughed lightly, "Trust me sister, if I was to ever dishonour myself so horrifically, you would be the first to know".
"But then, why do you not wish to marry James?" Elizabeth asked, "he is after all a fine man".
"Yes, he is", Scarlett agreed, averting her gaze, "But I do not love him Lizzie".
"If only to love your partner was the only condition of matrimony", Elizabeth attempted to laugh, but Scarlett could see quite clearly that her sister did not believe that.
"I know you do not mean that Lizzie", she told her sister firmly, and then sighed, "Lizzie, I cannot disappoint father, but I also cannot marry a man I do not love – I scarcely believe that I can marry full stop".
"What?" Elizabeth laughed, "Because of the vow that you made when we were eleven?"
"No", Scarlett shook her head, "Because … I do not believe that I will ever be ready, to sacrifice what little freedom I already have".
Elizabeth looked longingly at her sister, knowing full well the burden she bore, for she bore it also, and it was weighing her further down with every day that past. "Perhaps, women such as ourselves were never meant to be free", she muttered sadly, "Perhaps, we are merely to be content with the security, and luxury that our lives provide us".
"That is, one way to look at it, I suppose", Scarlett sighed, raising herself from the bed, and making her way towards the window. "But, to not marry for love? I doubt dear Lizzie that even you could do that".
Elizabeth met her sister's gaze, "But I might just have to Scar", she answered wearily.
Scarlett knew that this conversation was only evoking even more sadness from them, and so she was determined to quit the room before she broke her sister's heart. "Goodnight Lizzie", she mumbled and attempted to make a hasty exit.
"Scar", Elizabeth called, stopping her just before she could reach the door.
"Yes Lizzie?" she replied.
"Did, did Will, ever, ever speak about me? In your lessons?" Scarlett knew the bravery and sacrifice of pride that it took her sister to ask her such a question, and so she replied with the truth, and a sad smile, "Oh Lizzie, he never shut up about you".