Norrington
Chapter 11
As James paused at the top of the stairs looking down he couldn't keep the smirk off his face at the very visibly uncomfortable Lt. Groves standing with Lord Davenport and his daughter. "Well no use to torture him more than he already has been." James said to himself as he started down the stairs.
"Ah Commodore," Theodore said with a salute and almost palatable relief in his voice as he noticed James approaching. "Lord Davenport, Miss Davenport," he said with a slight bow, "if you will excuse me I will leave you in much more knowledgeable hands." He didn't even wait for James to dismiss him before hurriedly making himself scarce.
Rose turned giving James a seductive smile and an excellent view of her very daringly low cut bodice. "Commodore," she said in a sultry tone as she held her hand out for the Commodore to give the obligatory touch of lips. As he took her hand and bent over to do the same she glanced at her Father and noting his attention was not focused on them she stepped closer to James and almost planted his nose squarely into said bodice. He straightened up with a jerk, dropping her hand like a hot potato, a startled look on his face, followed by a rosy blush that took only seconds to creep up his face. He looked around guiltily to see if anyone else had noticed what had just happened, and then cleared his throat several times, much to Rose's amusement, before he was able to speak, "Uh…Uh…Miss Davenport." He looked at her briefly trying to get some indication from her expression if that had been deliberate or accidental on her part, and unable to come to a conclusion looked away, and then forcing himself to regain his composure continued after a few more throat clearings, "Lord Davenport, I apologize for not meeting you upon your arrival."
Lord Davenport returned his attention from where it had been and said, "Yes, well at least you are here now. I wondered if we were going to be required to endure your Lieutenant's company instead of your own for the entire tour."
James thought to himself 'I can not fault Theodore a bit in this particular situation for feeling as he does. Feeling a bit that way myself right now.' and then out loud as he motioned with his hand, "Shall we start the tour?"
Rose stepped over and wrapping her arm around his said as she leaned into him with a suggestive expression, "Yes by all means. I can't wait to see your office again."
James' face once again began to color as the memories of that particular visit flashed through his mind. He cleared his throat and said uncomfortably, "Yes, well…….."
"Commodore," Lord Davenport said a bit snippily as he redirected his gaze back at James from where it had once again wandered, "I am a busy man, can we get on with this?"
James rolled his eyes towards the ceiling, then at the floor, biting back the retort he would have loved to answer the man with, if he wasn't a Commodore that is. Then with as much of an unforced smile as he could manage at the moment, he took a deep breath and launched into his 'tour of Fort Charles' speech with no where near the usual passion he devoted to it.
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"Jack!" Elizabeth said shaking his shoulder as she spoke, "You should have been up two hours ago."
"Lizzie?" Jack said groggily looking at her through one barely opened eye, "Just got to bed two hours ago. Now be a bonny lass and quit shakin the stuffins out o me." He snuggled back down into the couch he had been sleeping on, pulling the cover over his head.
Elizabeth straightened up, looked at him and said, "Do you intend to lay there all day and sleep?"
"Maybe." Came the muffled reply.
"We'll just see about that." She said as she turned and walked off.
He briefly thought to himself something in that tone should have been a warning, but the rum he had drunk the night before pushed that out of his mind as he fell back asleep………for several minute anyway…….until the cover was jerked from him and he was suddenly drenched in water, cold water at that. "What'd ya go and do that for?" he sputtered through dripping dreadlocks hanging in his face as he jumped up off the couch waving his hands about frantically as he faced a smirking Lizzie and a large pitcher that was now empty of the water….the very cold water it had been in possession of a few moments before.
"I told you it was time to get up Jack." She said still smirking.
He glared at her the best he could through the curtain of hair covering his face. "So ya did." He said peevishly flopping his arms about. "Didn't think ya was gonna do anything so undeserving nor inhumane ta me fer catchin a few extra winks Lizzie." He continued in a pouty voice.
"Should have listened to her Jack." Will said, and Jack could tell without being able to see his face he was smiling.
Jack shoved the hair out of his face petulantly and graced Will with a glare, "Aye, I'll remember the part you played in this as well William."
"Now that you are awake we need to get you ready to meet that………woman. Father is having a small get together for them tonight so we need to get our stories straight before then." Elizabeth said.
"I'd be thinkin a bit o breakfast would be nice afore ya commence ta pummelin me with all the thoughts yer thinkin bout commencin ta pummel me with." Jack said hopefully looking around for the rum bottle he was sure he had left sitting on the floor next to the couch he had fallen asleep on.
"You're more than welcome to breakfast Jack." Elizabeth said with a smile as she watched him looking about, "Just not rum for breakfast."
"Bugger!" Jack mumbled to himself with a grimace realizing she had done something with the bottle and kicking himself mentally for not thinking ahead. He should have known better and hid the bloody bottle from her.
"Come on Jack," Will said with a smile as he slapped Jack on the back, "Let's get you dried out, then you can eat."
"Don't want ta be eatin William, want ta be drinkin." Jack said poutily.
"I wouldn't be pushing things with Elizabeth right now Jack, she is capable of much worse than a pitcher of water." Will said humorously.
"Aye, I've no doubt of that!" Jack answered sulkily as he followed Will out of the room.
"I'll just be getting breakfast ready while you get dried out Jack." Elizabeth called after them in a cheerful tone.
"I'll just be getting breakfast ready while you get dried out Jack." He repeated in a high-pitched sarcastic tone, making a face as he did, his hands flopping about before him.
"Now Jack, you know she really likes you." Will said laughing at Jack's antics.
"Funny way o showin it William." Jack grumbled.
To Be Continued
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