Ch. 6: Disobeying Thorndyke
"You want me to teach?" Elizabeth could not have been more surprised than if she had just been asked to spout the happenings of her wedding night.
"But I couldn't possibly," she stammered. "I haven't any training. There- there are already plenty of schools in Boston, and besides, Ben won't allow it," she finished lamely.
"Training?" Mary laughed at the notion.
"Fannie and I have had no formal training, yet we are both educated women and from what I've heard of you, I believe you are as well. That's good enough for the children. As for the notion that this city already has enough school, I say that's balderdash! I'm sure most of them are overcrowded, and more and more families with young children are settling here each year. And besides that, we're opening our school to any child who has a desire to learn – poor, rich, boy, or girl."
"My, you've certainly given this some thought," Elizabeth had to admit. "I admire your quest to educate girls as well as boys; it is a firm belief that I share as well."
"Mary is a staunch advocate for the advancement of the rights of women," Fannie piped up. "She's even begun to write a novel about it, with equal education as one of the arguments."
"Are you really?" Elizabeth was awed, not to mention inspired by this woman's desire for equality between the sexse. "It's about time someone did." She grinned in approval and Mary blushed.
"Oh, Fannie does exaggerate so. I've merely penned an outline, that's all."
"Well, I hope that you go through with it," said Elizabeth, meaning every word. "You certainly have a way with words; you've almost persuaded me to agree to your teaching scheme."
"Excellent." Mary's hazel eyes gleamed with excitement as she asked her newfound friend what was stopping her from agreeing totally.
"Ben," Elizabeth sighed, unable to keep the loathing out of her voice. "He'll forbid it. For one, he doesn't believe that a lady of my class should work at all. And if he ever gets wind that you plan on teaching children of less than noble lineage…" she trailed off, letting them infer for themselves what would happen.
"I would not worry about him interfering with you life much from now on," Mary quipped mysteriously. Elizabeth didn't miss the look she exchanged with Fannie.
"What do you mean?" Elizabeth asked with trepidation.
"I mean to say that Ben cannot tell you what to do if he is gone - Ben, as well as my brother, have been summoned to fight in the war," Mary elaborated.
"Wow," Elizabeth whispered softly. "It's unfortunate that my husband's life will be in danger – I would not wish that on anyone – but I cannot deny that the promise of freedom isn't appealing." She gave Mary a tiny grin. "Oh, why not? I'll teach with you." Her teaching partners were quite ecstatic at her ardent declaration.
"Elizabeth, how can we ever thank you?" asked Fannie, clasping her hands together in delight. Elizabeth laughed for the first time since she'd learned of Will's tragic demise.
"I would reserve your judgment until after you have seen how well I teach." The three young women schemed the afternoon away, discussing lesson plans and the merits of teaching. So when Mary's brother and Elizabeth's husband returned to the parlor, Elizabeth begged to go on a walk with her new friends so they could continue their delightful talk.
"Certainly, my dear, you may go," said Ben, although Elizabeth caught the twinge of wariness in his voice. "However, I must ask that you will avoid the Town Square during your trip."
"Oh?" Questioned his wife, her curiosity peaked to the maximum. "And why ever not?" Thorndyke gave his wife a tight-lipped smile.
"I just would prefer that you didn't go there today, alright?" Lying through her teeth, Elizabeth assured him that she trusted his judgment and that she would not frequent the Town Square that day.
"Thank you, my dear," said Thorndyke, looking relieved. He then summoned the butler to bring him a considerable amount of money. "Go buy yourself a new dress," Ben told her, handing her enough funds that were sufficient to buy five new gowns. Pretending to crow in excitement over the idea of new clothes, Elizabeth bid her husband goodbye and led her friend out the front door of the mansion. Once out of earshot, Elizabeth turned to her friends and asked,
"Who is up for visiting the Town Square?" Mary grinned wickedly.
"I thought you'd never ask."
Elizabeth was ashamed to admit that her feet ached from walking the lengthy distance to their destination. But she was glad that she had ventured the distance to the Town Square on this particular day. For she was certain that she'd just saved the lives of two very sweet-natured children…
When Elizabeth, Fannie, and Mary had first arrived at the square, they'd been appalled to witness a tragic event – a slave auction. As she watched the dark-skinned men, women, and children shackled to each other being sold like animals, Elizabeth's heart burned in fury at the injustice of it all. How could this have escaped her attention? She had heard of the abomination of slavery before, but it hadn't occurred to her that it would actually be permitted in the colonies! No wonder Ben had forbidden her from visiting the square – he'd thought that if she witnessed such an event that it would certainly upset her. Which it had – just probably not in the way her husband would have ever guessed.
During the auction, Elizabeth had wanted so badly to run up on the platform and release all those that were being held captive. She knew her friends felt the same – Fannie had turned white with shock, and Mary's fists were clenched at her sides in frustration. It was then that Elizabeth remembered the money that Ben had given her with which to shop. At that moment, the auctioneer was announcing the price for a pair of wide-eyed children. When he mentioned that the siblings were newly orphaned, Elizabeth's heart broke for them, and she knew that she had to buy their freedom. Luckily for all of them, she had been successful. It was only after she had acquired 'ownership' of the children that she learned their names. Jeremy and Jessabelle, as they were called, were afraid of her at first, not really understanding that they wouldn't have to work for her but that they'd be staying at her home as guests. Elizabeth admired the way that Jeremy was fiercely protective of his younger sister.
During the walk back to the Thorndyke residence, Elizabeth and Mary were able to assure the children that no harm would come to them in their new home. Somehow, they also coaxed some personal information out of them – they did not know how old they were, but that they'd been raised on a plantation in the developing colony of Georgia. Elizabeth guessed that Jessabelle were around six years, and that Jeremy was no more than nine. As they approached the mansion, she warned them that her husband would most likely refuse to let them stay at first, but for them not to worry – she would take care of everything.
Just as she predicted, Ben was furious that she not only attended the auction, but that she purchased two slave children with his money. Elizabeth quickly bade the Wollstonecraft siblings and Fannie goodbye, and followed her husband inside with a sinking heart. In a low voice, she asked one of the maids to take the children upstairs and draw them a bath – she didn't want them privy to the upcoming quarrel. As soon as the children had disappeared, Ben let her have it.
"You deliberately disobeyed me!" He thundered, inching closer to her. "What in God's name were you thinking? We don't need slaves here – we already have enough help, and besides, their kind is lazy and incompetent." Elizabeth bristled with anger.
"I didn't buy them to work, I gave them their freedom! Don't tell me you believe that nonsense about ours being the superior race?" She asked him in utter disbelief. I should've known he was a racist pig - it goes along with the rest of his charming personality. He sneered at her, retorting,
"Don't talk about things you don't understand!" Elizabeth stepped away from him, as if struck.
"Will never would've treated me this way," she informed him, tears springing to her eyes. Thorndyke glared at her coldly.
"Your traitorous fiancé was just entertaining your limited views –you are a fool if you believed that he ever took your opinion as a woman seriously." Elizabeth shook her head fiercely, not believing that for a second.
"Will wasn't like that – he was ten times the man you are," she declared proudly. "He was noble and heroic and he certainly never came home drunk every night." Ben seethed in frustration.
"Just tell me this – why did you buy slaves if you knew that I shall not allow them to stay?"
"Because I knew you will be leaving soon," she snapped. Elizabeth gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. She hadn't meant for that to slip out.
"Where did you hear that?" He asked her, his voice a deadly whisper.
"Mary mentioned that you and her brother were being re-dispatched," she explained quietly.
"Of course," he said, dully. "She's right. Tomorrow, we report for duty and I plan on leaving tonight." Elizabeth felt an unexpected rush of pity for him.
"Oh, Ben, I'm so sorry; I didn't mean it like that," she stammered. He sighed, hanging his head with regret.
"Sometimes I wonder if you don't want me to die in this war. Am I truly that disagreeable?" Not really…you're just not Will. Elizabeth was about to answer, but they both heard a snapping noise coming from outside one of the parlor windows. Frowning, Ben strode over to the offending window to see what had caused the commotion.
"I didn't see anything," he relayed, returning to face her. "It must have been an animal." But what the unhappy couple didn't know was that they were being watched closely by one Captain Jack Sparrow.
Jack had taken it upon himself to find out if Elizabeth would want to take Will back. He'd found out from the townspeople that she had indeed married Thorndyke – and so he'd sought out their mansion to do a little spying. After all, besides pirating and drinking rum, spying was what he was best at.
Although he could not hear what they were saying, Jack had been observing the argument for awhile now. Then he'd accidentally stepped on a stick, causing Elizabeth's husband to come to the window. Luckily, Jack had been able to hide directly under the window ledge, and Thorndyke had not spotted him. When he deemed it was safe, Jack crept out from under the ledge and began to spy on Elizabeth and Ben again. The pirate could not believe his eyes – it seemed that she had actually forgiven him for whatever they'd been fighting about. For he had just witnessed Elizabeth ardently throw her arms around her husband.
Jack had seen enough. Disgusted that she had forgotten Will so quickly, he stealthily crept away from the mansion, aiming to make the week's return journey to the army hospital where young Mister Turner was recovering. He could not believe that Elizabeth had actually married the Thorny fellow. And worse – they seemed to be more than getting along. This is going to break the whelp's heart, Jack thought sadly, hating to be the bearer of bad news. It never even crossed the pirate captain's mind that Elizabeth might believe Will to be dead…
Elizabeth pulled away from Ben's embrace – he had seemed so upset about leaving her that she'd decided to give him a farewell hug.
"I'm sorry our marriage has not been what you've wanted, and I'm not trying to replace your William, but I'd rather hoped that when I return that we could become friends," Ben proposed awkwardly. "Or at least end this animosity between us," he added and Elizabeth gave him a tiny smile.
"Alright, Ben. Once you return, I promise to be more open to a friendship between us."
"That's all I ask," he murmured. "You'd better see to your, ahem, charges," Ben reminded her.
"I should," said Elizabeth, turning towards the stairs.
"Goodbye, Elizabeth," he told her somberly, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "Until we meet again." And then he was gone; whisked away by a carriage and out of her life for who knows how long. Elizabeth breathed a sigh of relief once he had finally left – now she was truly alone, save for the company of servants, and Jeremy and Jessabelle. And of course, she couldn't forget her dear father and her newfound friends across the way. Elizabeth knew that she would learn to enjoy this life - that of a married woman whose husband was away at war, never knowing when he would return. And if he ever did return, (although she wished that day would never come) she would cross that bridge when she came to it.
Jack snuck quietly into the visiting ward of the Continental Army hospital – it was after visiting hours, but he felt he had to inform Will what had transpired at the Thorndykes.
"Jack." The pirate heard his best friend whisper his name, and he crept through the semi-darkness over to Will's bed. "Did you find her?" Will's innocent concern for the woman he loved deeply saddened Jack. He winced in the dark; Will was going to hate to hear what he had to report.
"Aye, I saw her, lad." Jack sighed. "She was in his arms; I'd heard that they'd been married a month ago.
"No," Will whispered in anguish. "It can't be true; she doesn't love him, Jack. I know she doesn't. I can't believe you."
"Will -" Jack began, but he was interrupted.
"Are you positive it was Elizabeth that you saw? Couldn't you be mistaken?" Will said in a rush.
"I'm sorry, mate. I know what I saw." Jack tried to comfort the boy, putting his hand on Will's shoulder. Try as he might, Will could not stifle his emotions completely, and a low sob escaped from his throat.
"I never thought she would betray me," Will said, his voice hollow with shock.
"Circumstances change; people change," Jack told him flatly, knowing the truth of that statement all to well himself. "A' least now yeh won't be pining away fer her any longer – yeh can move on."
"Aye," Will said darkly. "I shall have to."
End Ch. 6
A/N: Thanks to all my reviewers! I was pleasantly surprised that I received any feedback after not updating forever. You guys are the best :D And thanks for the positive W/E comments - they really make my day.