Opera Comes to the Caribbean
Chapter 11
"Is he not the most aggravating person one could ever meet?" Weatherby said with annoyance as he walked into the study and over to the brandy.
"Not if you are including Pirates in your encompassment." James replied dryly as he sipped his brandy.
"Oh yes." Weatherby said with a bit of humor, "I see your point." He poured his own glass and took a seat by the fireplace. "I am not at all sure having a bit of refined entertainment come to Port Royal is worth all this."
"Refined entertainment here having absolutely no relation what so ever to the usually accepted meaning." James replied with a bit of snark.
Weatherby gave a slight frown and nod in agreement, then falling back on his highly developed diplomatic tendencies said, "But since we have him here we shall make the best of it."
"Indeed." James raised an eyebrow and replied as he poured himself another glass of brandy.
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"So Lizzie darlin, tell me a bit about this Majorano fellow." Jack said as the three of them headed for the Governor's house.
"All I know about him is what I read in the dispatch Father received, and heard from some very juicy bits of gossip here and there. He is an opera singer of some renown all over Europe, and seems quite charming." This drawing a snort from William and a censuring look from Elizabeth. "I think he entangled himself in some sort of trouble in England, and was sent off for awhile for things to settle down, ergo his trip here."
"What manner of trouble I'm wonderin." Jack said with a curious expression.
"If I were to judge things from the raised eyebrows, winks, and unfinished sentences of the gossipers I overheard I would say he was caught by a jealous husband or two committing who knows what kind of lascivious acts on their wiv….."
"Elizabeth! You knew all this and still allowed that man to touch you?" William said with horror. "And I don't think it proper at all for you to be listening in on such conversations, or bandying them about later."
"Oh really William! He only took my hand as any gentleman would; he was perfectly mannered and quite charming." Elizabeth said rather scoffingly to William, then looking at Jack continued, "That is only the beginning of what I heard, and not nearly as interesting as the rest of it."
Jack fluttered his hands about and with a wide smile said, "Well by all means do tell dearie."
"Jack, please don't encourage her." William said in a disapproving tone, knowing his objection would be overruled by both of them.
"Oh William, don't be such a stick." Elizabeth retorted. She was about to go on with her gossip but they had reached the Mansion. "I shall have to tell you the rest of it later Jack." She said a bit disappointedly.
Jack looked a bit disappointed as well. With a pouty expression he waved his arms about and said, "We could stay out here on the porch for a bit and you could finish yer story luv."
She smiled as she walked up on the porch, "I'm sure supper is ready by now and Father would not want us to be late. You'll just have to wait on the rest of the story Jack."
Jack stood there continuing to pout for a few moments till he saw Elizabeth was not going to be swayed by his puppy dog look and acquiesce to his request, and then followed along.
As they entered Majorano was just coming down the stairs. As he walked over to Elizabeth and took her hand, garnering a very audible harrumph from William he said, "Ah there is the vision of loveliness that makes this dull little place even barely tolerable."
"Thank you Mr. Majorano." Elizabeth replied, clearly flattered by the man's words.
He straightened up and saw Jack. Dropping Elizabeth's hand rather abruptly he headed over where Jack was examining a rather expensive looking vase. "Ah, it's about time you got here. Now tell me some stories about your pirating." He spoke quite loudly, startling Jack enough he almost dropped the vase. Still clutching the vase he pivoted around to half face Mr. Majorano, rocked back on his heels, and gave the man a bewildered look as he said, "Eh?"
"Stories man, stories. Or tell me about all the paraphernalia in that hair." Mr. Majorano said as he reached out and grabbed a hold of one of the strings of beads and sundry hanging from Jack's hair.
Jack rocked back a bit further, "Eh?"
Mr. Majorano let go of the beads, he gave Jack a frown and said, "I don't think you are going to be nearly as interesting as I thought you would be." Then turned and started to walk away.
Jack stood there a moment, then hastily put the vase down, put his best puppy dog expression on his face, and flopping his hands and arms about as he fluttered and flounced after Mr. Majorano, not wanting to lose the undivided attention and audience the man had been about to favor him with, "Hold on there a minute mate, I might be, or very well could be, or for that matter most likely am the best in any interestin manner of humanity yer likely to come across anywhere near yer present vicinity. Savvy?"
Mr. Majorano paused, looked back over his shoulder at Jack and said, "I doubt it."
"Ya've not even givin me a bit of chance ta be tellin ya the absolutely marvelous tales I'd be in possession of as it were." Jack replied, "And they'd be mostly of the excessively piraty pillagin and plunderin type of tale with bits of fantastical undead pirate fightin parts and staggeringly fanciful beastie-ish battling adventurous parts thrown in kind of tales here mate."
"What about those beads and things you have in that hair?" Mr. Majorano said as he eyed Jack.
"Oh aye mate, there be more 'n a bit of a perilousness and dangersome involvement in the acquirmental nature of some of them as well." Jack said with a glittering smile.
Mr. Majorano turned to face Jack, "Very well, I shall give you a chance to entertain me."
To Be Continued
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