Wow..long time no update. Story is probably 3/4ths over. Lots of more fun stuff to come. I didn't proofread this as much as I should have, so forgive any random mistakes.
It was now May in Port Royal. Flowers bloomed, fruit began to ripen in the tropical sun and Sophia Howard celebrated her 21st birthday. James had luckily not been called away on any patrols in the months since their reconciliation and this allowed for a proper courtship. Each day Sophia and James grew closer, the time they spent only proved to make their love grow.
It was a slightly overcast morning as Sophia sat out on the veranda with Abigail and Thomas. They had been enjoyed a delightful breakfast and were now admiring the view of the grounds and the brief respite from the constant sunshine. From the veranda, a slice of cerulean sea peaked over the treetops and Sophia was reminded of her appointment to meet with James that afternoon. He was to show her around the fort and to take her aboard the Dauntless. She smiled slightly as she thought of the way he had spoken about his work. He was a proud man and diligent in his efforts to protect Port Royal, that in turn made Sophia proud of James.
"What are you smiling about?" Abigail interrupted Sophia's daydream.
She was balancing a bowl of cherries on her now bulging stomach and eating them quite voraciously. The child was expected in late summer, though the midwife had slyly suggested to Sophia that perhaps the child would come as early as the end of June, "The first child can come at any time and all the rest take nine months, you know." the small, wrinkled woman had said with a wink. This caused Sophia to blush and shoot her sister a scandalized look, but all Abbie could do was giggle. There was no point in worrying any longer though, at least Abigail had the good sense to marry before anything had started to show.
"James.." Sophia said coyly, "He is showing me the fort today."
"Ahh, the fort." Thomas broke in, "I would never think a lady to have any interest in such things.."
"Oh, Thomas," Abigail giggled, "Of course she cares not for the fort, all she wishes to see is her dear sweet Commodore."
Thomas looked at his wife lovingly and gently caressed her stomach and Abigail placed her hand on her husband's. Abigail had taken on a certain contented sweetness in her pregnancy that was much unlike her usual cheeky personality, perhaps it was all the cherries she insisted on eating. Sophia smiled, how beautiful it was to see such a couple, it was something she perhaps hoped was in store for her and James one day.
Katherine hummed as she helped the cook prepare a meal for her master in the kitchen. It was now mid morning, James had been up with the sun and broke his fast earlier that day but Katherine always felt better if the Commodore had several chances for nourishment. He was still a young man, to her at least, and needed to eat.
He had taken on such a happy demeanor in the past weeks, it pleased her immensely that he had mended things with the Howard girl. It seemed as though he was on a fast track to a proper married life...though it still plagued her. All this time and he still had not proposed, not that it was her business, of course. She knew he must have a course of action, she just did not know what he was waiting for.
He had told her he was going to be looking over the grounds with Benjamin that morning and she hurried to have everything ready by the time he came back into the house. Indeed, the best thing that ever happened to the Commodore's house was the renovation of the grounds. Benjamin had a magic way with plants and Katherine admired that, though it would not be too bold to say that Katherine had grown to admire many aspects of the gardener's charming personality.
Noises in the main hall alerted Katherine to James' presence and she hurried to greet him.
"Aye, Commodore, are you pleased with the progress Benjamin has made in your garden?"
James smiled warmly, "Yes, very much so Katherine. I suspect Sophia will be very pleased to see everything come to fruition."
"Are ye hungry? I've had cook make up a nice mid morning meal for you, you need your nourishment, Sir."
A small part of James enjoyed the way Katherine fluttered about him, she was a good woman and he was very lucky to have her, even if she was a bit of a worrier. He let her take his coat and he moved to the dining room. Katherine had set out freshly baked bread and an assortment of fresh fruits. As James indulged, Katherine stepped back and pondered whether or not she would entreat on the Commodore's business. She knew he would not mind too much. James Norrington was a good and fair man to his servants. He enjoyed a much closer relationship with them than most, whether this was the result of a lack of a wife, she knew not.
As he bit into an apple she spoke, "What news of that fine young Miss Howard, Commodore?"
James did not turn from his plate, but smiled slightly with a mouth full of food. It pleased him that Katherine was intrigued about Sophia, he hoped she would approve should they ever meet. "I am escorting Miss Howard to the fort today to show her around, do you think she would like to see the Dauntless as well, Katherine?"
"Oh my, I feel she should fancy that very much, Commodore!" she said, clasping her hands in front of her chest. "I hope t'is not over stepping my bounds to say, Sir, but you've been spending a right amount of time with the young Miss. I suspect you plan to propose soon, aye? We could always use another female influence 'round the house and I know it would make you very happy."
His stomach jumped a little at her inquiry. The idea of proposal had been in his mind a long time, to be sure, but the process of actually carrying out the actions left him nervous and James Norrington was not a man that enjoyed being nervous. Still he deferred, "Yes, Katherine, indeed it would. I suspect it may come up in due time." He was not pleased with his answer and he could tell Katherine was not either, but after the debacle with Elizabeth, he could not stand the idea of being turned down. He had a sinking feeling that even if Sophia accepted, his mind and stomach would not settle until they were physically at the alter.
The wind whipped at Sophia's dress as they walked the deck of the Dauntless. She was not nearly as comfortable as she could have been, but when she saw the way James' eyes lit up when he spoke about the sea, she kept her thoughts to herself. He had chosen to show her the ship first, as there looked to be a small squall coming in and he felt it too dangerous to waste time. The sea churned and the ship creaked against the dock and after a short time, James felt it best to move on.
As they walked around the fort, James' offered his arm protectively to her. He was stiffer around her than usual though, guided by propriety. He was among his subordinates and was not about to lose face. Still, each stolen glance sent a tingle of satisfaction down his spine. She was everything he had wished for. Graceful, modest, calm, but beautiful. His eyes followed the line of her jaw, down to her milky neck and finally to the edge of her bodice, where her blonde hair hung around her small breasts in a way that made his jaw tighten. He then damned himself for being such a scoundrel in the presence of a lady and tried to clear his mind of all impure thoughts that might be passing through his head in those moments.
While this had been happening, as if without knowing, James had unintentionally led Sophia to the exact turrets that Elizabeth had fallen from on the day of his proposal, the ones where he let that bastard Sparrow escape and where he watched a blacksmith take the first woman he loved from him in a showy display of affection. He could not turn back now and Sophia broke free from his grasp to walk to the edge and admire the horizon. He inhaled sharply.
She held her hat with one hand to keep it from blowing away. "My, isn't it dark?" She asked, turning to face him "Do you think the storm will last long?" She could see the anxiety in his green eyes. "James?" A strong gust of wind knocked her slightly off balance.
James instinctively moved forward and grasped her waist with both hands to steady her. His heart was pounding, this was not going to happen to him again. Sophia grabbed his forearms for balance. "Oh...I thought I should have fallen. Thank you, James. I'm thankful you were there to catch me!" She smiled up at him, her pink lips seemed to call to him. He said nothing, only looked into her eyes. His grip tightened on her waist and he could not help himself any longer.
Sophia was surprised and slightly frightened by the way he had kissed her. He kissed her deeply and for many moments before breaking away. The raw power in him stirred feelings in her she had not truly felt before. It was different from the kiss in the garden, almost territorial. She did not know what had sparked this outburst, but she craved more from him. Before she knew it, James had pulled away and straightened his clothes. He said nothing, only offered his arm once more. She looked into his eyes and saw nothing apologetic or embarrassed, only some sort of new resolve that was not present before. Sophia did not know it, but he had made up his mind. He must have her.