Chapter 10

"Disastrous Dinner"

I put my things away in the drawers of the dresser that sat in the large room. Jack had given me the largest of three guest rooms. The room itself was beautiful; it consisted of a large four-poster bed, dressed with a light blue comforter and matching pillows. The dresser sat across from the bed. A small desk sat in the corner beside the balcony doors. Another door sat to the right of the door, which led into the large bathroom. After placing the last of my belongings into the dresser I closed the drawer and sighed. I wore black breeches and a white shirt, my auburn hair hanging down to just above my waist. I looked around with a smile when I heard a knock on the door.

"Aye, what is it?" I asked

The door opened about a crack. "It's time for dinner, miss." I heard a woman's voice say though the crack.

"Thanks." I replied, watching the door close.

I made my way down the huge spiral staircase and into the dining room. Jack stood from his seat at the head of the table. I rolled my eyes and sat down to Jack's right between Lydia and him. He sat down with a noticeable smile. Valerie sat across from me, to Jack's left. She glared at me but then looked at Jack with an innocent smile.

"Dinner is served." He smirked as a woman began to bring in the first course.

"What are we 'avin'?" I asked, trying to make conversation.
"I'm not sure, didn't look at the menu." Jack laughed.

"It's custom not to talk while dinner is being served." Valerie pointed out.

"Says who?" I asked.

"Says me." she said, eyeing me.

"Who died and made ye dinner boss?" I questioned, raising a brow.

"Girls, Girls, no need to argue." Jack said, trying to keep the peace while Lydia giggled.

"She started it." Valerie mumbled

"Oh that's mature." I said, rolling my eyes. "Jack didn't tell me he was engaged to a child. Shame on ye Jack Didn't think ye to be a cradle robber."

"I'm no child." Valerie said. "I'm all woman."

"Really? Wasn't sure due to yer behavior and all." I casually pushed my chair on its two back legs, waiting for the woman to bring out the rest of the food.

"What do you know anyway?"

"I know a lot more than ye think."

"Why don't you just shut up?" Valerie asked.

"Ye shut up."

"Why don't ye both shut up?" Jack shouted.

I eyed him, surprised by his sudden out burst. "Fine. Only cause Jack wants us to."

"Oh I'm sure that's the reason, should have know you're afraid of the mighty Captain Jack Sparrow." Valerie smiled.

"Mighty Captain Jack Sparrow?" I laughed quietly. "What kind of lies 'as 'e been fillin' yer 'ead wit, hmm?"

"He has no need to lie to me. He only tells me the truth." She looked at Jack and smiled, placing her hand on his on the table.

"Oh don't make me throw up all over this nice dinner." I said, rolling my eyes, sickened by the display.

"What do ye say we change the subject and eat?" Lydia suggested, placing her napkin neatly on her lap.

I looked down at my plate of food the peas and cut potatoes in neat little piles. I picked up the napkin that sat on my right under my silverware and picked it up, following Lydia's example, I placed it neatly on my lap.

"Food looks good, lets eat, shall we?" Jack smiled.

"Oh, yes of course." Lydia piped in, gingerly picking up her fork with her right hand. I eyed her and unconsciously sat up straighter in my chair. I picked up my fork and looked to Valerie. She was taking small bites at a time. I cut up the breaded chicken that sat on my plate into small pieces, unaware of someone staring at me.

I looked up to see Jack, Lydia, and Valerie staring at me with wonder.

"What, can't I be proper to?" Feeling a little uneasy as they stared at me. I cleared my throat.

"Anyway." Jack said, clearing his throat and shaking his head. "Did ye 'ave a good day, darlin'?"

"Yes, I had a….." Valerie spoke, gaining a weird look from the three of us.

"I was talkin' to Lydia, dear." Jack said, patting her right hand.

"Oh, right. Sorry, I should have known." She said, continuing to eat. I smirked slightly as my hair fell around my eyes. I brushed it behind my ear.

"Aye, ye should 'ave." Lydia said, shooting a dirty look at Valerie. "And, I 'ad a very nice day sitting in the gardens reading a book."

I pushed all of my food into one large pile in the middle of my plate, and began to eat it.

"How can you eat your food like that?" Valerie asked.

"Easy, like this." I said, shoveling some more of it into my mouth. "It all gets mixed up anyway." I said with a full mouth of food.

"That is disgusting." Valerie commented, sticking her nose in the air.

"If yer nose was anymore in the air, Ye'd be up to the clouds by now." I remarked.

"Well, if your nose got any lower to the ground, you would have certainly reached hell by now." Valerie shot back. "You should really thing about doing something with that rats nest of a hair do also."

I eyed her as a slow smile crept to my face, as I pondered a course of action.

"What are you smiling about?" Valerie asked.

Without another word I stuck my spoon into the pile of food on my plate. I held it up with my left hand, directed at Valerie, My right index finger on the tip of my spoon. "Care to say that again?" I asked.

"We both know you don't have the guts to do it." Valerie stated, eating a bite of her chicken.

"Ravenica, ye better not do what I think yer goin' to do." Jack warned.

"Why not?"

"Cause, this is a dining room table, not a mess hall."

Without thinking I flung the food at Valerie, I watched as it landed in her hair.

"Ohhh.. My god!" she squealed. "You stupid wench!"

I grinned inwardly. Out of nowhere I felt some mash potatoes hit the side of my face, I shot a look at Jack who had a wide grin on his face. "I warned ye."

"Oh is that so?" I stuck my hand onto my food and picked it up, throwing it at Jack. It landed halfway on his face and halfway on his neck. I tossed my head back with a laugh.

"Food fight!" Lydia yelled. We all joined in, laughing and throwing food at each other. Our food landed everywhere in the dinning room, on the floor, the walls, the windows. I spotted the butler at the kitchen door, coming into the dining room. I watched as food flew onto his perfect black suit, along with some on his wrinkled face. I fell off of my chair and was laying on the floor laughing.

&& Later that night &&

After getting cleaned up from our fiasco I stood on the balcony just outside my room. I leaned on the rail, watching the waves of the sea. The moonlight reflected off of the water. I took a deep breath of the fresh air. I wore a long black silk nightgown, my hair pulled up into a bun. I hadn't heard when there was a knock at my door.

"Ravenica?" I heard a voice behind me say, scaring me half to death.

"What the bloody 'ell?" I yelled, turning around, my hand over my heart. "Damn it! Ye scared me half to death!"

"My apologies didn't mean to." Jack said, coming to stand beside me.

"Well, I see ye got all the food out of yer 'air." I laughed.

"Aye, I did." He ran his fingers though his hair. "What are ye doin' out 'ere?"

"Just watching the waves, thinkin' a little."

"Thinkin' about what?"

"Nothin' particular."

"Ah." He sighed. A silence fell between us; we both watched the waves crash onto the beach. "Sorry about Valerie bein' such a bitch."

"It's alright, I got 'er back." I said, smiling. " Honestly, I don't know why ye put up with 'er. Ye could so… so much better."

"Probably. But, to be truthful I got sick of the search."

"So ye went for what was convenient, typical."

He shook his head and looked at me. "I'm really glad yer 'ere."

"I 'ave no where else to go." I remarked.

"I can't say I'm mad at Lydia for what she did."

"That makes one of us." I mumbled.

Jack laughed slightly. "Speakin' of Lydia, we need to talk about 'er."

"She's grown up well, what ever ye did, keeping doing it."

"I didn't do that good of a job."

"Why do ye say that?" I curiously asked, looking over at him.

"Lately she's been distant, she used to tell me everything and now she tells me nothin'." He said sadly.

"She's fifteen almost sixteen Jack, every child goes through that phase." I felt somewhat sorry for him, as he stared at his feet. "She's growing up Jack, that's what children do. Today is clothing and make up, tomorrow it will be boys and parties."

Jack shot a look over to me. "No boys!"

"Aye, boys!" I said, shaking my head vigorously. "Just think Jack, one day, probably soon yer goin' to open yer front door and a boy is goin' to be standin' there, shaking nervously askin' if 'e can take yer baby out for the evenin'."

He continued to shake his head no; not wanting to believe Lydia would soon be dating.

"That's 'ow ye find the right person for ye Jack, ye go out on dates, live a little."

"We never dated."

"Maybe that was our problem." I laughed.

"Could be." He smiled.

My laughter turned into a smile. "She'll be juss fine, ye both will." I said, placing my hand on his shoulder. "Although I still belive ye can do a whole lot better than Valerie. She's not yer type."

"Then who is me type?" he questioned, raising a brow.

"Somebody else?"

He looked back over the railing to the sea, listening to the waves beat on the shore. "Do ye think yer soul mate could be in front of ye and ye don't know it?" he asked, returning his gaze to me. His deep brown eyes searched my green eyes.

I shrugged. "I guess, but I always thought it took work to find that one right person for ye."

"Ye just don't get it, do ye?" he placed his hands on his hips, eyeing me like I should know the answer.

"Get what?" I asked stupidly.

"Never mind." He said, shaking his head.

"Never mind what?" I asked.

"Nothin' forget it. Its late, I'm tired, good night." He quickly exited my suite. I sighed and looked at the garden below the balcony. What did he mean by all of that? Why would he even want to talk about such a thing? I shook my head and reduced it to Jack being well… Jack.