AN./ I hope you all enjoy the delicious dose of fluff I have in store for you! Now, please, remember to R&R! Thank you!
Sorry about the long wait! It has been a long Marvel marathon over at my house, preparing for the Avengers movie, which I saw today! It was FANTASTIC! Seriously, go see it. It is one of the greatest films I have ever had the privilege of watching! Eye-candy, humor, heart-stopping action, great plot... some more eye-candy... Oh, BTW, does anyone else think that Loki is a sexy beast (when he is in Thor)?! I had a hard time in the theater: Captain America or Loki? Hahaha, toughie! But I ended up rooting for the good guy, as I always do :D Anyway, enough of my ranting! Go see the movie! And if you've already seen it, PM me; I would love to chat about it!
Oh, on another note... I know something I bet none of you know about Jack Davenport… (did you know he has an adorable birthmark on his right arm?)
~ Silvertongued Dreams
Chapter Twenty-Six: No Matter What the Consequences
Our first week in Port Royal remained as dull as any other week in the course of my life. Only, this week, I found that conversation amongst the members of my family were little to none. Jenna would come into my room to talk to me only just before bed, and Steph remained as mysterious and obscure as a ghost: I was fortunate to squeeze a 'good morning' out of her at the breakfast table.
This new home of ours was quickly transforming into a timeless void—devoid of any life, or joy. Oftentimes, I was left to myself, with no one to talk to. Even the one maid that we had been granted from Lord Beckett's staff wanted nothing to do with me.
Although we had not seen him since that day he showed us into this small little cottage, Beckett's hold loomed over us day in and day out: like an invisible snake, choking the life out of us.
Father and I used to be so close, and now, he can barely stand to look at me. Only once this past week have we exchanged words, and that was when I told him that I knew what Beckett had done to him.
Poor Father—he looked so depressed. I could tell that he had been unable to sleep, for his eyes were heavy and careworn. I knew, deep down, that he needed to unburden himself, and so, one day, I approached him, and asked him to tell me everything.
"How much do you owe Lord Beckett?" I asked, which startled him immensely.
"I… I don't know, my love," Father replied with a heavy sigh. "Some £15,000, if memory serves. Oh, God." He sighed yet again: his voice quaking with emotion. "So much debt!"
"What sort of business were you into, Papa?" I asked tenderly.
"Dear child… I dare not tell you for the shame of it!" he exclaimed: his voice choking. "It—it was so wrong!"
"What was so wrong, Father(?)! Surely, it could not have been that terrible!" I encouraged.
It was then that he looked straight at me: a fire burning in his eyes. "Do not ever be so certain about anything, my child. Every one of us is capable of the most heinous sin, and believe me, my sins are plenty."
I swallowed hard: terrified, now, at what I might have to hear. "Are you sure you want to know?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.
I nodded insistently. "Yes, my Father: tell me everything."
My eyes widened with shock as my father relayed to me the horrid facts of business with Lord Beckett. For nearly three years, the two of them had been making an exorbitant amount of money in the slave trade. My eyes welled with tears as father told me of a mother and infant son that had been torn away from a desperately pleading husband. But the slave trade showed no mercy. Thousands of men, women, and children from West Africa all the way to India had been swept away to be sold as chattel to upstanding English families.
… That is, until one ship never made it to London. The ship that had defied all orders, and set free the slaves. That heroic ship that had, ironically, condemned my family's existence, but had saved so many lives. And that ship was named the Wicked Wench.
After father's story was complete, I was almost entirely out of breath.
"Please do not judge me, my dear daughter. I—I know that what I did was wrong… and I wish to God that I could undo what I have done."
"I will not judge you, Father…" I broke off in a choked voice: "But… it disappoints me that you were involved in such underhanded and unethical dealings!"
"My greed became the best of me," Father admitted. He scoffed in an attempt to keep his tears from falling. "I am a fallen man, Ariana! I am not perfect… and God only knows how much I have failed you all."
It was then that he could not hold back anymore, and buried his face in his hands: indulging his sobs.
"Oh, Papa…" I spoke tenderly, holding him close. "You have not failed us all. This is merely a test. A challenge from Fate," I said with a weak smile. "Is that not what you told me, Father? That moving here was a challenge from Fate?"
Father scoffed, and looked at me as he pushed a stray stand of hair behind my ear. "That I did, my dear child. That I did."
"Then that is all that matters," I returned affectionately. "And you may rest assured that I, for one, will stand beside you, no matter what happens."
Father smiled warmly at me: placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "I know you shall, my dear daughter; I know you shall—even though it is not your burden to bear."
"Any burden my father must bear, I must bear as well," I returned with determination. "No matter what the consequences."
"No matter what the consequences," Father returned with a prideful smile as he pressed me to his heart. "Let us never forget that."
Later on that day, I decided to take a walk around town. This would really be the first time I had ventured out on my own, and this new prospect excited me. Perhaps, if I walked past the fort, I would run into James. For shame, Ariana! As I gave myself a mental slap on the face, I could not help but smile. That man had turned my head in a way no other male had ever done before. While I had had a slight crush on Alexander, it was nothing like I was feeling at this moment. What I was feeling for James was deeper. And I knew that it was too soon to be love. Love takes time—it is not spawned on a whim.
With those thoughts coursing through my head, I walked past the smithy where Will was currently hammering a horseshoe. I found it quite curious how a man of his lack of expertise could defeat a man like James in a duel as intense as the one I had witnessed only a week or so earlier.
Ah, that duel! I blushed as I recalled how close I had allowed myself to lean into James. It had been quite wicked of me to take such advantage of him when he was feeling so low, but I could not resist feeling the heat of his perspiring skin and to take in the salty-sweet scent of his sweat.
What was the matter with me? James Norrington was all I could think about, no matter how much I strove to do otherwise.
Poor Alexander, I thought to myself: feeling rather guilty for thinking about the captain in such a manner, when he was not the man to whom I was going to be wed. I only hope that he will forgive me and my wandering eyes.
I tried to convince myself that my infatuation with James was not completely unfounded. The man had saved my life. If it had not been for him, that day on the beach, I might very well have been left for dead: never again to be reunited with my family. If it had not been for him….
My thoughts were unexpectedly cut short as I realized that I had wandered much farther than I had intended. I had been so lost in thought that I really hadn't the faintest idea of where I was.
I scowled as I looked up at the sky, which was now overcast. It would definitely be raining again: it was the storm season, as I had to keep on reminding myself. I could only hope that this storm would not be as harsh as the one that had bombarded Port Royal the past weekend.
I looked around anxiously: I had seen all of Port Royal, but I didn't particularly remember this bit. I was lost, and there was no-one around. Even the shops and pedestrians had all but disappeared.
I was growing frantic. I was all alone, and in a place where no one would think to find me—no one at home even knew that I was missing!
Stay calm, Ariana, stay calm, I told myself: taking in a deep breath to clear out my head. Closing my eyes, then re-opening them in an attempt to regain focus, I realized that I was near the seashore, which meant that Fort Charles was nearby: or, in worst-case scenario, Lord Beckett. Perhaps there were other buildings along the way, but I had no way of knowing. I had only been down this way once, and during half of the jaunt, I was unconscious, being carried by Lieutenant Gillette.
It was then that I caught sight of a building in the distance: it was barely more than a speck from where I was standing, but I figured it was worth a shot—especially since it looked as though this rain would not hold much longer.
Determined to make my way out of this maze, I gathered up my skirts and ran as fast as I could.
After only a few minutes, rain started to come down. Although it was only drizzling at this point, I was drenched within moments, and my hair clung to the sides of my face. With an unladylike squeal, I ran even harder than I had dared to before. Mud splashed up high, staining my petticoats and covering the bottom two-inches of my silk dress with mud. I looked quite a sorry state.
I could not tell you how long it took me to reach my destination: but once I saw what it was, I sighed. The harder I tried to forget Captain Norrington, the more the Fates seemed to throw him at me.
Before me stood an illustrious mansion. And that mansion was none other… than Lordthorne Hall.
Well, now is not the time to complain about where you find yourself, Ariana. The rain is getting heavier and pretty soon it will be pelting far too hard for you to make your way back home tonight!
Despite all the things working against me: my feelings, the weather, and the desperate situation I was in, I found myself turning away from the door. Something was telling me that if I passed through those doors, I would re-emerge an entirely different woman.
As I descended the stairs, the rain seemed to intensify in ferocity. Thunder rumbled, and spindles of lightning shot out of the sky in the distance.
"Oh, my goodness!" I exclaimed in surprise. "I can't do this. I can't go back!"
Slowly clambering back up the stairway, I huddled up in a corner, and, hugging my knees, broke down into a sob. There was no awning, so I was completely exposed, and the torrents of rain showered down upon me mercilessly. I was all alone, and no one knew where I was. And the only person who could possibly help me was the one person I wanted to keep away from. The situation was hopeless. And there was no escaping that fact.
I have no idea how long I was waiting there, but I must have fallen asleep, for when I awoke, James Norrington was standing over me, a bemused expression on his face.
It took me a while to adjust my vision, but when it cleared, I almost didn't recognize him. Soaking wet, he was missing his overcoat, and his transparent white shirt stuck to his finely-sculpted back. Thank God for small favours, I thought with an evil smirk that never made its way to my face.
"How long have you been here?" Norrington asked gently.
I let out a soft moan as I rolled my head towards him, and my sleepy gaze met his. "C—Captain! I… I don't know…." My voice broke off, and I felt myself slipping in and out of consciousness. "I must have fallen asleep. I…."
Before I could say another word, I had slumped over, and James caught me up in his arms. "You have been out here far too long," he murmured into my hair sympathetically: wrapping his arms about me comfortingly as he scooped me into his arms. With a heavy sigh, he looked up into the turbulent sky. "And, from the looks of things, you are going to have to remain at Lordthorne Hall for quite some time yet."
With those last words, he carried me inside: never once expecting how much the events of that afternoon would change both of our lives… forever.
So, what did you think? Please be sure to let me know! Oh… and, the new major plot twist will be coming in shortly, I promise ;D