Carina always got up early. She liked to sit on the shore and work in the fresh sunrise time when the sun had only begun to warm the sand, and the waves lap the shore slowly and softly. This work – translations and calculations - was enjoyable for the girl. Nobody paid her for it. Society disliked girls spending time on such highly intellectual engagements. However, when sometimes somebody asked her for help and advice, she didn't refuse.
Today she had woken up earlier than the others again. Henry loved to nap, especially when his father didn't needed help on the forge. After returning, Will decided to forge swords as many years before. And he did it very professionally like formerly. When rumors about his high quality weapons got around, Will began to get orders from other forts, islands and continents. Finally, now he even forged swords for London's officers.
Carina was very surprised how fast Will could change himself from the captain of the cursed ship to a successful artisan. She liked him very much. Carina respected him as a noble, strong-willed and at the same time simple, yet sincere person. He told her a lot of stories about her father and seafaring. Occasionally Henry joked he was jealous of her.
She became Mrs. Turner six months ago. Henry had made her an offer of his hands and hearts more than once, but she postponed the marriage again and again. She often thought that his feeling to her was just gratitude for help in his father's rescue. But as time went on, he became attached to her and she to him. Henry has changed: he became less frivolous and weak-willed and more judicious and braver. She fell in love with him for good.
Only relations with Elizabeth weren't quite smooth. Carina couldn't unravel her, and her mind and intuition didn't help her. The girl felt that she hasn't found out the real Elizabeth during this two years. It was like Elizabeth always was wearing a mask, which was different depending on the situation: first an intelligent woman who could keep the conversation in the secular society going, then an infinitely loving and loyal wife, then a volitional and imperious mistress. But Carina sensed that none of these roles were suitable for Elizabeth Turner. And last night, during the talk with Jack, her hate, anger and her loud tone were just parts of the mask. Carina knew it. But she didn't know who was hidden under the mask.
Carina wore a daily crimson dress and opened the door to the kitchen silently. Suddenly, she stopped right there in stupor and bewilderment. A young dark-haired girl in the emerald-green dress was sitting at the table. She bent down over the book, that Carina had been translating last few days, and made notes in Turner's notebook.
Henry's sword stood near the bedrooms'door. Carina grabbed it unconsciously when she had seen the stranger, though she couldn't fence, and the guest hadn't a weapon. The sword hit the wall and tinkled loudly. The girl at the table stared frightened at Carina and dropped the pencil.
"Who are you?" Mrs. Turner asked and raised the sword threateningly. The stranger got up from the table and raised her hands up.
"My name is Agnes Thorn, Miss..." Agnes said, wanting to discover the mistress's name.
"Mrs. Turner." Carina informed. She still didn't let down the sword.
"Wait, I know Mrs. Turner... I've met her in the fort."
"You speak about my mother-in-law," the girl answered.
"What's the matter, Carina?" Henry, dressing a vest hastily, appeared behind his wife's back and looked at Agnes.
"Wake up your parents, " Carina said. "This girl broke into the house and declared she knew your mother."
Henry fulfilled the request, and in ten minutes, all three of them went down from the second floor. Elizabeth was splendid in her cream-coloured dress. In contrast, Will was looked untidy and sleepy.
"Miss Thorn? The commandant's bride? What are you doing so early in my house without an invitation?" Elizabeth asked in the voice of the volitional and imperious mistress.
"I got an invitation, but not from you," Agnes replied.
"So from whom?"
This question was answered immediately. The entrance door opened. Jack Sparrow appeared on the threshold.
"Have become acquainted already?" he asked unperturbedly and came into the room.
"Jack, didn't you understand you are not welcome here?" Will said. "It doesn't give me any pleasure to expel you, but you behave..."
"Like Jack Sparrow behaves usually," Elizabeth finished her husband's phrase. "Why are you so insistent, Jack?"
"I planned to float away in the morning. But my plans have been changed because of one ship appearing on the horizon."
"What ship?" Elizabeth asked incredulously. Jack took her arm and led to the window. Others went towards them. They all saw the Rosario.
It seemed the ship was both illusive and absolutely material. The vessel was standing aloof from the fort's ships on which sailors were running fussily. However, the deck of the Rosario was lifeless and deserted.
"Is it the ghost ship which destroyed nine vessels about one hundred years ago?" Henry asked.
"Destroyed?" Will asked again. He didn't realize what his son had said.
"Years ago nine ships were found in the sea with dead crews. Murdered by unknown forces. Some sailors saw the Rosario there in the moment. And they assumed the tragedies happened because of it."
"It is one of those damned sea legends again!" Elizabeth screamed darkly and recoiled from the window.
Suddenly, the sound of many steps were heard from the street. Elizabeth looked at the window again and saw soldiers, going to her home. They were looking for someone and checked every house. It took her breath away. There was no time to catch it. Someone knocked the door right here. The commandant of the fort came in.
"I knew for some reason that you were here. The Turners always were very suspicious," Derek addressed Agnes coldly. Then he ordered,
"Send everyone here to the fort's prison. The pirate will be executed. Miss Thorn will be locked up in the solitary confinement. The others will be placed on trial for abetting these two."
No one had time to resist. The ropes tied their arms, and all six were taken to the fort under escort.
The commandant had gone ahead on horseback. Six escorts stayed with Jack, Agnes and the Turners. Henry and Carina were first, Will and Elizabeth went behind them, and Jack with Agnes ended the procession. The soldier, walking besides Thorn, whispered to her unkindly,
"You witch, you witch! This ship is your trick!"
"So that's the problem," Agnes guessed. "Derek thinks that I'm linked with the Rosario somehow."
The ship-ghost moved, all of a sudden. The soldiers froze and stared at it, horrified. The Rosario was sailing slowly to the Severe like a shark which has seen a victim. Agnes's escort muttered prayers and looked about deliriously, as the bodiless vessel plowed the waves. The girl exchanged glances with Jack.
She started to quickly work with her nimble fingers, untying the weak ropes. Sparrow tried to copy her movements, but he didn't make a lot of progress. When the ropes had finally fallen down from Agnes's hands, Jack had liberated only his left arm. But it was enough for him.
Thorn pulled out a knife at lighting speed, which was tied onto her leg. Sparrow stole and unsheathed the escort's sword. One minute later, the scared soldiers were bleeding. They continued to act in tandem: Jack repelled the escorts' hits, Agnes untied the ropes on the Turners' hands. Soon all six captives were running away. They understood that at any moment, the soldiers would start chasing them.
Jack led them along the road through the forest on the cliff. Leaving the forest, they saw familiar black sails. The Pearl was standing in the low grotto at the opposite side of the bay, as if someone had tried to hide it. Jack explained,
"I had to save the ship from this Rosario!"
"How will you take it out from there?" Will asked. Sparrow shrugged. Meanwhile, the noise of breaking branches and hasty steps increased. The chase grew closer and closer.
The escapees ran fast along the shore to the ship. A few minutes later, soldiers appeared on the coast. They had revolvers. Some of them rushed after Jack and his comrades; some tried to shoot from far away. Sparrow, the Turners and Agnes rounded the bay and approached the Pearl. The mainmast rested near the arch of the grotto. Now there was a one opportunity to get to the vessel – come down the mainmast. Jack was the first who jumped the yard and climbed down the tackle. Will and Henry followed the ladies and climbed down after them. The soldiers were quite close. One of their bullets hit the sail, another touched the yard. Sparrow looked around hectically and decided how to take out the Pearl into the open sea soon and safely.
The top of the mainmast with the flag broke after running into the grotto arch, and hung on the ropes. The Pearl got out of the shelter. As the soldiers climbed on the arch of the grotto, the ship floated away from it. A fair wind touched the dark sails, and the confident Black Pearl sailed away from the fort.