Elizabeth
Over the next four months Elizabeth settled into her new life living in Cagway. Her days consisted of pretending she enjoyed gossiping with Mrs. Taylor, caring for baby Eddie, and argueing with Kennedy about her studies. Even after months of being her governess, Kennedy seemed to have not given up hope that Elizabeth would leave. And with the sickening glances that Mr. Taylor always gave her, she had certainly considered it. But the thought of her and Will's baby kept her going each and every day.
Since she was four months into her pregnancy, her belly had started to show. Elizabeth had been overjoyed when she had first seen the rise in her stomach, but her first instinct had been to tell Will. Once she realized that she would never speak to Will about her pregnancy, sadness crept in.
This particular morning, Kennedy was being extraordinarily stubborn, and Elizabeth's temper was close to overflowing. The child was pointedly ignoring Elizabeth, refusing to even acknowledge that she was there.
"That's it!" Elizabeth finally cried, slamming down the book she had been trying to read to Kennedy. "I've had it with your attitude today! And I've had it with this stuffy room as well. We are going on an outing."
"What?" Kennedy asked, finally acknowledging Elizabeth. "You can't just decide we're going on an outing, you're my governess, you're supposed to be teaching me."
"Yes well it's seems that you're not learning anything, so I will be trying a different method," Elizabeth responded, as she grabbed her hat. "We'll be going to the docks and learning about ships today."
"The docks!" Kennedy cried, sounding scandalized. "That's no place for a lady!"
"I beg to differ," Elizabeth smirked. "In fact, I spent a good portion of my childhood there."
"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Kennedy replied in a presumptuous tone.
"Come on the," Elizabeth said, pulling the girl to her feet, and ignoring the snide comment that she had made.
After a lengthy argument, Kennedy and Elizabeth were finally out the door, and on their way to the docks. As they strolled through town, Elizabeth experienced another thing that she had become accustomed to over the last few months. The stares.
Whenever Elizabeth went into town, the whispers and stares of people all around would follow her. She knew they told rumors, made up stories, but she had already known this would happen. In a small town, people didn't have much to do other than gossip. But knowing and experiencing had been two very different things, and Elizabeth found it hard to stand tall as she strolled through the streets.
"Is it true what they're saying about you?" Kennedy asked.
"And what exactly have they been saying?" Elizabeth questioned in response.
"Well, the maids told me that you lied to my mother," Kennedy said, for once sounding slightly nervous. "They say that you're not really married, and that you had a child…out of wedlock." She whispered the last few words quickly as if, they were dangerous.
"And do you believe them?" Elizabeth asked, gazing curiously down at the girl.
"Well you don't wear a sparkly ring like my mother," Kennedy said.
"So you do believe them."
Elizabeth wasn't sure why she had expected a different answer. Kennedy had showed no signs so far that would indicate that she believed Elizabeth over some house maids.
"I didn't say that I believed them," Kennedy said, breaking Elizabeth out of her thoughts. "If I knew what to believe, I wouldn't have asked you in the first place."
Elizabeth smiled slightly at Kennedy. The girl's cleverness reminded her slightly of her own when she was that age.
"I was wed," Elizabeth said, with a sorrowful glaze in her eye. "I was married on a ship."
"You can't get married on a ship," Kennedy interjected.
"Oh but you can," Elizabeth smiled. "We were married by a captain. It was one of the most exciting moments of my life."
"So the man you married, did he love you?"
Elizabeth was slightly stunned by Kennedy's question. The girl had asked it with utter seriousness, no mocking tones or snide comments. Even Kennedy's face seemed sincere.
"Of course he did," Elizabeth answered. "That's why we got married."
"People who get married don't always love each other," Kennedy whispered. "Like my mother and father."
Elizabeth had of course noticed the lack of love between Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, but she didn't think Kennedy had noticed as well. She felt a pang of sympathy for the girl.
"You're right," she responded. "Not all marriages are made out of love, but mine was. Though my husband, is far away, I keep his heart with me."
She didn't mention that her last statement was very literal. That at this moment, Will's heart was hidden in her bedroom, locked away.
"So," Kennedy said, gazing nervously at Elizabeth, "you're not going to try and steal my father away then? If you love your husband, you wouldn't betray him, right?"
"Of course not!" Elizabeth cried, complete shocked. "Where on earth did you hear that?"
"The maids," Kennedy mumbled, slightly embarrassed. "They said that governesses were supposed to be plain, not pretty like you. They said since you've already had one child out of wedlock, that it wouldn't be long until you got to Father as well."
Elizabeth was absolutely shocked by what she was hearing. She knew that the maids and servants in the Taylor household had never been particularly kind to her, but she was shocked that they would say things like this. Especially in front of young Kennedy.
"And this is why you don't like me?" Elizabeth asked.
Kennedy nodded. "Well, one of the reasons."
Elizabeth sighed. If she had known that this is the way that Kennedy had been viewing her, as some sort of predator towards her father, then she could have done something about it long ago.
"And what are the other reasons you don't like me?"
"I...I'm not sure I want to tell you," Kennedy whispered.
Elizabeth sighed. "Alright then. How about I tell you one of my secrets, and then you can tell me what you don't like about me."
"A secret?" Kennedy asked, her eyes sparkling.
"Yes a very good one," Elizabeth said, her eyes filled with mischievousness as well. "I'll tell you my favorite game that I played when I was younger."
"That's not a secret, that's boring," Kennedy complained.
"On the contrary, this secret would involve telling you how I escaped my governess and ran to play with a boy who was my best friend. It's rather exciting."
"You escaped your governess?" Kennedy asked, her curiosity peaked. "I changed my mind, I do want to here the story."
"Alright then," Elizabeth said, laughing lightly. "My governess rarely ever let me leave the house, for she knew that if I did, I would run straight for the blacksmith's. That's where my friend Will worked. So, I would always tell my governess that I desired to study in the gardens, and when she turned her back on me, I would slip off and make a run for it."
"How improper!" Kennedy cried, but there was no disgust in her voice this time. Only excitement.
"Yes it was," Elizabeth continued with a dreamy smile. "Once I escaped I would go find Will and convince him to play with me. We would run down to the beach and play our favorite game, pirates."
"Aren't pirates bad?" Kennedy asked. "Why would you want to pretend to be a pirate?"
"Not all pirates are bad," Elizabeth replied, trying to contain her laughter. "It's really all a matter of perspective. Besides, you don't have to like pirates to play the game. It's just for fun."
"And the boy?" Kennedy asked. "What happened to him?"
Elizabeth was about to reply, when she noticed that they had made it to the docks.
"That's a story for another time. It seems we're here."
"Oh," Kennedy said, almost sounding disappointed. "Do I have to tell you my secret now?"
"Only if you'd like," Elizabeth replied kindly. "If not, I suppose we could save that for another day as well."
Although she was truly dying to know why else Kennedy despised about her, Elizabeth knew better than to pressure the girl. She was already pleased with the progress they had made that day.
"I would rather not tell you," Kennedy said, a hint of her usual stubbornness peaking through in her tone.
"Alright then," Elizabeth replied. "I suppose we should begin our lesson instead. How much do you already know about ships?"
"I know that they float in water," Kennedy said proudly. "And that they have sails."
"Is that all?" Elizabeth asked, and Kennedy nodded. "Miss Kennedy, have you ever been on a ship?"
"No," the girl replied. "There's never been a need."
"Well we must remedy that!" Elizabeth exclaimed. "Let's go ask one of the merchants if he'll give you a tour."
"No, no!" Kennedy cried. "Mrs. Turner, you know that would be improper. Father would be so disappointed in me!"
"Alright then," Elizabeth sighed. Apparently they hadn't made as much progress as she had thought. "Maybe another time."
Elizabeth spent the next hour or so, telling Kennedy everything she knew about ships. For once, Kennedy actually seemed to be paying attention and actually enjoyed her lesson. When Elizabeth informed her it was time to return back home, the girl was actually disappointed.
"Do you maybe think that we could go to the beach tomorrow?" she asked. "And you could tell me more about how your pirate game works?"
"If you'd like," Elizabeth responded, smiling down at the girl.
She and Kennedy may not have started out on the best possible terms, but Elizabeth felt they could be friends yet. And maybe she could even keep Kennedy from becoming a stuck up lady.
Yes, Elizabeth thought laughing in her own head, I'll turn this girl into a pirate yet.
"Elizabeth!" Mrs. Taylor cried as soon as she and Kennedy walked through the door. "My goodness, where have you two been?"
"No where," Kennedy replied sharply, before Elizabeth could respond. "Just more boring studies."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow at Kennedy's response. She would understand the need to lie if it had been Mr. Taylor who asked the question, but she sincerely felt that Mrs. Taylor wouldn't have minded their afternoon expedition.
"Well it doesn't matter as long as you're back!" Mrs. Taylor cried breathlessly. "Mr. Taylor has decided that we are to throw a ball."
"A ball?" Elizabeth asked. "Whatever for? Miss Kennedy is nowhere near the age for coming out."
She really hoped that wretched man wasn't planning on marrying his own daughter away when she was only eight. It wasn't unheard of, but the likelihood of a good match would be small.
"It's not for Kennedy," Mrs. Taylor clarified, and Elizabeth sighed in relief. "It's for Lord Francis! He's coming here, to Cagway, to discuss business from England with Mr. Taylor. It's of the uttermost importance that we do everything possible to welcome him in the most lavish way. Oh Elizabeth, you must help me plan the whole thing!"
"I...what?" Elizabeth asked.
As a governess, planning a ball was most certainly not a part of Elizabeth's job description. It wasn't that she was unable to do it, when she herself had been a younger girl she had been trained to be a hostess. But when she had become a pirate, she had hoped that her days of parading around a ridiculous parties were over.
"I know it's not usual for the governess to help with sort of thing," Mrs. Taylor said. "But you're more than our governess, you're my friend! Please, we will have so much fun planning this together."
"Alright," Elizabeth sighed, trying not to sound too dejected. "When is this ball?"
"In four days from now," Mrs. Taylor's replied seeming unconcerned.
"Four days!" Elizabeth cried. "Mrs. Taylor, have you ever planned a ball before?"
"Now that you mention it, I don't believe I have," she replied. "Why? What's wrong with four days?"
"Nothing," Elizabeth sighed. "We just have a lot of work to do."
It turned out, that Elizabeth and Kennedy didn't make it to the beach the next day or even the day after that. At the moment, all of Kennedy's usual lessons of writing and arithmetic had been paused in exchange for planning the ball. She was still learning a lot, considering one day she may have to host one herself, but Elizabeth was dissatisfied that she hadn't had anymore breakthroughs with the girl.
Elizabeth rarely saw baby Eddie either, which greatly saddened her. She had grown to enjoy holding the little boy in her arms, but at the moment a maid had been tasked with the job of caring for him. Elizabeth's last few days had been filled with decorations, invitations, and other tiring things.
A large chunk of Cagway would be attending the ball, and Elizabeth was glad, for when she went into town the whispers were no longer about her. They were all about who would be going to the ball, what they would be wearing, and who they would meet. It wasn't very common to invite the common folk, but they really had no other option. They needed someone, other then whoever this Lord Francis was, to be in attendance.
The day before the ball, Elizabeth was finalizing some of the decorations, when Mrs. Taylor came running towards her.
"Elizabeth!" she cried. "We have a huge problem!"
"Oh no, what's happened?" Elizabeth asked. It was rare that Mrs. Taylor had anything other than a cheerful look on her face, which made Elizabeth extremely concerned.
"We...we haven't found you a dress!"
Elizabeth sighed in relief. That wasn't an emergency, just a minor inconvenience.
"Well that's alright, I'll just wear something that I already have," she replied.
After Elizabeth moved in, Mrs. Taylor had a selection of dresses made for her. There weren't as fancy as the ones she used to wear when she was in Port Royal, but they were certainly more than enough.
"No, you can't," Mrs. Taylor complained. "You have nothing fancy enough."
"No offense, Mrs. Taylor, but I don't think you can expect the baker's wife and others like her who were invited to wear the most extravagant dresses," Elizabeth responded. "And as a governess, it's not my place to wear a beautiful dress."
"Oh but I need you to be a hostess with me," Mrs. Taylor said, ignoring all sense of propriety. "I've never done this before, I can't do it alone."
Elizabeth wanted to point out that she too had never hosted a ball, but she didn't think that would help change Mrs. Taylor's mind. Instead, she just nodded and agreed.
Mrs. Taylor immediately had Elizabeth halt her current task, and they went straight to the seamstress to get her fitted for a dress. Mrs. Taylor chose the color, a pretty shade of peach that went well with Elizabeth's tan skin.
Elizabeth silently endured the whole thing knowing it would soon be over. She had the feeling, she would need the same sort of attitude when surviving the ball the next evening.