Disclaimer: POTC is not mine.
James had noticed when his mother departed the room. He was grateful that she was going to speak to Katherine. Perhaps a woman to woman chat could help Katherine settle down and accept the inevitable. For certainly their marriage was inevitable. Maybe he had been a touch too imperious in his handling of the matter but that was only because she insisted on fighting him at every turn. He smiled as he acknowledged to himself that it was her feistiness that attracted him and yet at the same time drove him crazy when she refused to see reason. There had to be a happy medium and surely they would find it once married.
The pleasing sound of Katherine's chuckle caused him to look up and see both her and his mother walking arm in arm back into the parlor. From her expression, she was no longer angry about the situation. Good. Relief swept through him as he realized that his mother had soothed the troubled waters.
However, as the day progressed, this relief turned into an uneasy awareness that Katherine was taking the whole thing suspiciously calmly; too calmly. Not only did she not bristle when Governor Swann made clumsy jokes regarding their upcoming nuptials, but she even joined in the laughter. Once or twice James could have sworn that he saw Katherine's mouth begin to tighten in annoyance only to find this expression swiftly replaced with a charming grin.
His instincts as a military man warred with his instincts as a besotted man. The military man warned him that the enemy had decided on a new tactic of battle. The besotted man told him not to be so pessimistic and that Katherine had merely at last accepted the rightness of their match. When late in the evening Katherine moved to his side and lightly placed her hand on his arm while granting him a dazzling smile, the military man's arguments were thrown aside and quickly forgotten. James Norrington left that night feeling himself to be an extremely fortunate fellow and nothing that occurred over the next day and a half changed this impression.
"You look beautiful, my dear," Mrs. Norrington complimented her about to be daughter in law. "That color is excellent on you. How lucky that you had already ordered this dress. Although it is not quite traditional, it suits you."
Katherine anxiously fussed in front of the mirror. She admitted to herself that Clarice was correct and that the light shade of lilac was particularly flattering with her coloring. While a rather unconventional color and design for a wedding gown, the swiftness of their marriage allowed for the departure. She tugged at the bits of lace that had been a last minute addition to the bodice in an attempt to make the gown more appropriate for the church. Even with only two days to prepare, James had insisted on a church wedding and she had not been inclined to argue. Somehow the alternative of getting married at the town hall had seemed cold and impersonal. Though the ceremony would only be witnessed by a few of their friends and family, Katherine had been loath to condemn it to becoming a mere formality and so she had happily acceded to James' request.
A sudden attack of nerves had her seeking reassurance, "Are you certain that this is the right thing to do, Clarice? He still has yet to declare any feelings for me. It could be that he really is only insisting on this out of honor."
"Hush, Katherine. I know my son and I know that he loves you. He just needs more prodding before he sees the wisdom of allowing himself to be vulnerable and declaring his feelings to you instead of merely issuing edicts. James has always tried to have his cake and eat it too. I'm counting on you to help remedy that character fault."
Grimacing wryly Katherine replied, "Somehow I doubt that he will be appreciative of my efforts on his behalf."
With a wicked grin Clarice answered, "Ah yes, he will certainly not be very happy at first but I do believe that in the end he will come to acknowledge the rightness of your actions. James may not yet be aware of it but he has always needed a woman that would stand up to him rather than tolerate his arrogance. He would be bored to tears within a fortnight with a woman who was not his equal."
The words had the desired effect and Katherine calmed. This was the right course of action. She did love James Norrington and deep in her heart she knew that he loved her as well. It was just a matter of getting him to admit it out loud and in no uncertain terms. Surely that could not be too difficult to accomplish? "Just remember that it was partially your plan if I end up on your doorstep bag in hand."
"You would be welcome any time my dear but do not forget that currently my doorstep is James' doorstep. Have the two of you discussed where you will be living? From all that I've heard your house is shaping up to be quite a lovely abode. Will you move there or stay in James' house?"
"I really do not know. We have not discussed the issue. The refurbishment of my house has been rather a sore point between us. Although since it is larger and has the adjacent lands, I suppose that makes the most sense. Meanwhile I assume that we will stay at James'."
"Well then I shall ask the Governor to extend me his hospitality for the next few weeks."
"Clarice, that is not necessary. Please do not feel obligated to move out. I could use your moral support."
"And you shall have it my dear but from a distance. If I am underfoot James will likely continue to maintain his cloak of civility and propriety. For the plan to succeed, he needs to feel free to act on his more uncivilized instincts. Now I must go or I'll be too late to be escorted to my seat by that dashing Lieutenant Gillette." With a last quick hug, the current Mrs. Norrington took her leave of the future Mrs. Norrington.
A few minutes later a soft knock sounded and Katherine's father's voice called through the door, "Katherine, it is time that we departed."
Katherine opened the door to see her father pacing the hall. He paused when he saw her and tears pooled in his eyes. "My darling Kat, you look beautiful."
"Thank you, Father."
Mr. Thompson cleared his throat and then hesitantly offered, "Kat, this is a bit late in coming but I do feel it necessary to ask if this is what you really want? I will support whatever decision you make. Seeing you in an unhappy or unwanted marriage is not what I would wish for you."
His words meant more to her than she could express and she had to blink rapidly to keep the tears from falling. "Father, I am so grateful for your support. I know that you only want what is best for me and I must admit that marriage to James falls under that category."
A now smiling Mr. Thompson hugged his daughter and declared, "Then that Jack fellow was correct. You do love Commodore Norrington."
The mention of Jack's name was unexpected and she sharply asked, "Jack said that? When? Why?"
"The night of the ball, when you had left, I told the Commodore that I would not force you into a loveless marriage. When Jack assured all of us that you did indeed love James, I felt it okay to give my blessing."
A simmering anger filled Katherine. She could not decipher who she was more angry at; Jack or James? How dare Jack give away her secret? How dare James continue on refusing to declare himself when he was already so certain of her feelings? Any last minute qualms she had about her plans for the evening disappeared in a puff of smoke. She was going to take great joy in bringing James Norrington to his knees. Carefully she fixed a placid expression on her face and assured her father, "You did the right thing. Come. Let us leave before I am late and James begins to wonder if I have absconded."
As he stood at the end of the aisle awaiting his bride, James had an attack of conscience. He really had been a tad too unyielding and reserved. It occurred to him that he had never even told Katherine how precious she was to him. Romance was not his forte and he had avoided exerting himself out of fear of looking the fool. Well tonight he would remedy that oversight. Tonight, with the added security of marriage vows, he would first show and then tell her just how much she meant to him.
A small commotion at the entrance of the church informed him that his intended had arrived. He let out a breath that he had been unaware of holding. The sight that greeted his eyes left him stunned. She was more beautiful than he could ever have imagined. As Katherine and her father made their way down the aisle, James had to force a swallow down his suddenly parched throat. He tried to remain composed but from the smirk that he saw cross his mother's face he was aware that he was probably not as successful as he would have wished.
The ceremony passed in a blur and before he knew it they were at their wedding feast. He was unable to believe the depth of his good fortune. Not only was he now husband to the most beautiful enticing creature that he had ever met, but she clung to him and constantly shot him adoring looks from under her lashes. With every small touch that Katherine bestowed upon him, James felt himself grow more and more impatient to have the festivities over and everyone gone home. His mother had informed him that she would be staying at Governor Swann's and he sent a silent prayer heavenwards in thanks of her unusual tact and discretion.
A waltz began and James was overjoyed to once again have a chance to take Katherine fully in his arms. As they circled the floor, his fingers registered the sensuous feel of the raw silk of her dress. This led to thoughts of the soft smooth skin that lay beneath the garment and he felt himself harden in anticipation of slowly peeling away the garment from her later that evening. Her soft gasp informed him that she was aware of his arousal but rather than pull back as he expected she leaned in closer until her breasts were softly pressing against his chest. He could feel the hard pebbles that her nipples had become and hear her shallow rapid breaths. It was all that he could do not to groan out loud. The dance became a slow form of exquisite torture and he was unsure whether or not he wished for it to end.
As the hours passed, James found himself wound tighter and tighter. He could have sworn that Katherine was doing her best to seduce him but that did not make any sense. She was an innocent and unlikely to know what effect her delicate caresses and whispers were having on him. By the time the final toasts were made, he was just short of playing the barbarian and slinging her over his shoulder to take her home and ravish her. Leaning over he softly told her, "It is time for us to take our leave, Mrs. Norrington."
Smiling she reached up to whisper in his ear, "I thought the time would never come, Mr. Norrington," and then she captured his lobe between her teeth and gently nipped.
James choked out, "We are leaving. Now. Say your goodbyes and for God's sake do it quickly." A delighted chuckle was the only reply from Katherine.
After what seemed far too long a time for James they had made their final goodbyes and at last arrived at home. Jensen greeted them at the door and explained that Mrs. Norrington's belongings had been brought up to her suite and unpacked. Rather more curtly than he intended, James thanked the servant and dismissed him for the evening. He congratulated himself on having had the foresight to give the rest of the staff time off. The house would be theirs and theirs alone.
Glancing down at Katherine he saw of wave of consternation cross her face. He berated himself for being so thoughtless. He was being far too obvious in his desire to have her alone and of course this had scared her. Seeking to reassure her, he said, "Let me show you to your rooms. Then I believe that I shall retire to my study for a while and give you a chance to get acquainted with your surroundings."
Silently Katherine accompanied him up the stairs. His dismissal of the servants had been a surprise and not a welcome one. She had counted on having them around as a safety net. Surely he would not behave too outrageously if there were servants around? Well there was no turning back now for the seeds had very definitely been sown. She had set a course and it was best to stick to it. With what she hoped was seductively inviting smile she told him, "Thank you, James. I shall just need a little time to become more comfortable. Do not be too long."
James would have bet that his gulp was actually audible. Not trusting himself to give a coherent reply, he turned and left the room. Once he reached the study, he poured himself a stiff measure of whiskey and noted that his hands were actually shaking with repressed desire. He needed to calm down or he would act like a callow youth and their joining would be over in a matter of moments. Katherine deserved better than that and he intended to see that she got it and more.
Thus it was almost three quarters an hour later that he finally made his way back upstairs. He went to his rooms and removed his dress coat and then crossed to the door that joined their suites. With a deep breath of anticipation, he turned the knob. The door was locked. This development threw him for a moment and then he reasoned that one of the servants had probably left it locked and that Katherine was unlikely to have known to unlock it. He made his way to the hallway and went to the main entrance of her suite. Again he tried to turn the doorknob and again he found it locked.
Flummoxed, he stood there for a moment and debated what he should do. He could knock but that seemed rather silly. Surely she had heard the rattling of the doorknob. The light spilling under the threshold indicated that she was still awake. Slowly his confusion turned to blinding anger. After tantalizing and teasing him all day, she had deliberately locked him out of her rooms for the night! He did not know what she hoped to gain by these antics but he was certain that they were born of her ire that he had effectively forced her hand in regards to matrimony. She was such a stubborn creature. For a moment he considered kicking in the door and ending her game, but that option was not a very good one. The door was solid oak and he was more likely to end up with a broken foot than gain entrance to her chambers. Besides as the rage born of thwarted passion filled him, he was aware that he could not guarantee that he would not react in a completely uncivilized and ungentlemanly manner. No matter how much her behavior galled him, he did not want her first time to be marred with anger and regrets.
Grudgingly he had to admire her tactics. She had strung him along and he had foolishly followed with only a fleeting thought about why she was so acquiescent. He had been too filled with joy by what had seemed to be his good luck to question the sudden about face. Well she had effectively checked him in this game but he would be the one to declare checkmate. He was an expert chess player and strategist. While her physical responses to him may have been calculated, they were also most definitely real. With that satisfying thought, he went back to his study and proceeded to get thoroughly drunk.