Disclaimer: I do not own PotC. I do not own its characters or plots. But
Jesmina and this story (the original parts) are mine. Please do not steal.
Also, please review, but please do not flame. Critique me all you want, but
please do it politely.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Jes, what's wrong?"
Jesmina turned to Elizabeth and managed to grin. "Nothin', young miss."
"But you've been so quiet."
"It's nothin'. Look, porpoises."
Elizabeth leaned over the railing to see the sleek, dark bodies racing through the waves of the ship, and she laughed. Jesmina's smile faded. Governor Swann walked up to the railing. "Be careful, Elizabeth."
The girl straightened. "Father, I'm fine, and Jes won't let me fall."
Governor Swann looked at Jes, his eyes locking with hers. "Of course not." He turned away, still talking to Elizabeth, and Jes turned to watch the porpoises. Her heart pounded, throwing itself against her sternum, and her breath shortened in her throat. "Good day." Governor Swann walked away. Slowly Jes's breathing and heart calmed.
"Jes?"
Jes smiled at Elizabeth. "Come on, young miss. I think I smell food."
* * *
Governor Swann looked out at Jesmina, staring at the sea. The woman's dusky face was lined with wrinkles, especially gathered around her mouth and golden eyes. She pushed back her black hair and adjusted the scarf around her head. Governor Swann squared his shoulders and walked over to her. "Jesmina."
She turned and curtseyed. "Sir?"
"Elizabeth told me about your pirate stories."
"Aye, sir?"
"Why have you been filling her head with such refuse?"
"She is a child, sir, and I thought the stories would do her no harm. Many nurses share fairy stories with their wards."
"And I find those preferable. How do you know so much about pirates, anyway?"
Jesmina's eyes darted to the sails, the deck, the sky-anywhere but his own eyes. "My husband's sister's husband."
"The merchant?"
Jesmina hesitated. "Yes, sir."
"Have you ever met a pirate?"
Jesmina's eyes flew from point to point. Then they locked on the governor's. They dropped to the deck. "Aye, sir," she said quietly.
"How?"
"My husband's sister's husband."
"You met pirates through a merchant?"
"We . . . were on the ship he sailed on."
"And you were attacked?"
Jesmina's shoulders slumped. "No, sir."
"Are there merchants in the habit of dealing with pirates?"
"No, sir. He was a pirate."
Governor Swann's lips pursed, his nostrils flaring. "My daughter has been in the care of a woman who has consorted with pirates? No wonder her head is full of nonsense."
"Sir, my husband's-"
"Silence. I can't believe you didn't tell me, and you deliberately lied about it."
"Who would have hired me if they knew I'd been related to a pirate, even if it was only through two ties of marriage?"
"It is the very reason you should have told. You knew they would not have approved, but you deceived them." Governor Swann shook his head.
"I never said that made it right-"
"But you acted like it did."
Jesmina bowed her head."
"We trusted you, Jesmina. You are now summarily dismissed, and you will not talk to Elizabeth again." He turned away.
"Sir, how am I to avoid the young miss until we reach the Carribean Sea?"
"You won't have to. I'll arrange for you to be taken back on the first ship we cross, and I'll ask the captain to give you another room."
"I would never harm Elizabeth."
Governor Swann whirled around. "But you did." He breathed deeply. "Gather your things. You must be ready to leave as soon as we see another ship."
Jesmina bowed her head. "Yes, sir."
* * *
Jes watched the merchant ship nearing the H.M.S. Fortune. She swallowed.
"Jes."
Jes turned at the small shriek of delight; she scooped Elizabeth into her arms.
"Where have you been? I haven't seen you for days," Elizabeth said. Jes swallowed and tightened her embrace. Elizabeth's arms looped around her. "Jes?"
Jesmina set her ward on the deck and knelt down. "I have to leave, young miss. I need to return to England."
Elizabeth frowned slightly, her clear brow wrinkling. "Why?"
"Because . . . I have to attend to business there."
"Your business is to watch me, isn't it?"
"Yes, it was, but now I have to do somethin' else."
"What?"
Jes blinked. "Don't worry about it, dear."
"Jes, you're not telling me something."
Jes looked at the other ship; the distance was closing too quickly. She turned back to Elizabeth. "Miss, whatever happens, promise me ye won't be mad. All right?"
"I don't understand."
"Promise me."
Elizabeth bit her lip, but she nodded.
"Good lass." Jes smoothed Elizabeth's hair back from her face. "Obey your father, dear heart. He loves ye more than I ever could."
"That's not true."
Jes's lips thinned, her hands tightening slightly on Elizabeth's arms. "It is, young miss. Ye have no idea what love a parent feels for their child," she said. Elizabeth swallowed and nodded. "Neither do I," Jes whispered. She rallied a smile. "Be a good girl. I can see a fine young woman in you. Make sure you let her out."
"Yes, ma'am."
"None of that." Jes's vision blurred. "I'm sorry, young miss." She hugged Elizabeth. "You have no idea how sorry."
"Jes, what's wrong?"
Jesmina turned to Elizabeth and managed to grin. "Nothin', young miss."
"But you've been so quiet."
"It's nothin'. Look, porpoises."
Elizabeth leaned over the railing to see the sleek, dark bodies racing through the waves of the ship, and she laughed. Jesmina's smile faded. Governor Swann walked up to the railing. "Be careful, Elizabeth."
The girl straightened. "Father, I'm fine, and Jes won't let me fall."
Governor Swann looked at Jes, his eyes locking with hers. "Of course not." He turned away, still talking to Elizabeth, and Jes turned to watch the porpoises. Her heart pounded, throwing itself against her sternum, and her breath shortened in her throat. "Good day." Governor Swann walked away. Slowly Jes's breathing and heart calmed.
"Jes?"
Jes smiled at Elizabeth. "Come on, young miss. I think I smell food."
* * *
Governor Swann looked out at Jesmina, staring at the sea. The woman's dusky face was lined with wrinkles, especially gathered around her mouth and golden eyes. She pushed back her black hair and adjusted the scarf around her head. Governor Swann squared his shoulders and walked over to her. "Jesmina."
She turned and curtseyed. "Sir?"
"Elizabeth told me about your pirate stories."
"Aye, sir?"
"Why have you been filling her head with such refuse?"
"She is a child, sir, and I thought the stories would do her no harm. Many nurses share fairy stories with their wards."
"And I find those preferable. How do you know so much about pirates, anyway?"
Jesmina's eyes darted to the sails, the deck, the sky-anywhere but his own eyes. "My husband's sister's husband."
"The merchant?"
Jesmina hesitated. "Yes, sir."
"Have you ever met a pirate?"
Jesmina's eyes flew from point to point. Then they locked on the governor's. They dropped to the deck. "Aye, sir," she said quietly.
"How?"
"My husband's sister's husband."
"You met pirates through a merchant?"
"We . . . were on the ship he sailed on."
"And you were attacked?"
Jesmina's shoulders slumped. "No, sir."
"Are there merchants in the habit of dealing with pirates?"
"No, sir. He was a pirate."
Governor Swann's lips pursed, his nostrils flaring. "My daughter has been in the care of a woman who has consorted with pirates? No wonder her head is full of nonsense."
"Sir, my husband's-"
"Silence. I can't believe you didn't tell me, and you deliberately lied about it."
"Who would have hired me if they knew I'd been related to a pirate, even if it was only through two ties of marriage?"
"It is the very reason you should have told. You knew they would not have approved, but you deceived them." Governor Swann shook his head.
"I never said that made it right-"
"But you acted like it did."
Jesmina bowed her head."
"We trusted you, Jesmina. You are now summarily dismissed, and you will not talk to Elizabeth again." He turned away.
"Sir, how am I to avoid the young miss until we reach the Carribean Sea?"
"You won't have to. I'll arrange for you to be taken back on the first ship we cross, and I'll ask the captain to give you another room."
"I would never harm Elizabeth."
Governor Swann whirled around. "But you did." He breathed deeply. "Gather your things. You must be ready to leave as soon as we see another ship."
Jesmina bowed her head. "Yes, sir."
* * *
Jes watched the merchant ship nearing the H.M.S. Fortune. She swallowed.
"Jes."
Jes turned at the small shriek of delight; she scooped Elizabeth into her arms.
"Where have you been? I haven't seen you for days," Elizabeth said. Jes swallowed and tightened her embrace. Elizabeth's arms looped around her. "Jes?"
Jesmina set her ward on the deck and knelt down. "I have to leave, young miss. I need to return to England."
Elizabeth frowned slightly, her clear brow wrinkling. "Why?"
"Because . . . I have to attend to business there."
"Your business is to watch me, isn't it?"
"Yes, it was, but now I have to do somethin' else."
"What?"
Jes blinked. "Don't worry about it, dear."
"Jes, you're not telling me something."
Jes looked at the other ship; the distance was closing too quickly. She turned back to Elizabeth. "Miss, whatever happens, promise me ye won't be mad. All right?"
"I don't understand."
"Promise me."
Elizabeth bit her lip, but she nodded.
"Good lass." Jes smoothed Elizabeth's hair back from her face. "Obey your father, dear heart. He loves ye more than I ever could."
"That's not true."
Jes's lips thinned, her hands tightening slightly on Elizabeth's arms. "It is, young miss. Ye have no idea what love a parent feels for their child," she said. Elizabeth swallowed and nodded. "Neither do I," Jes whispered. She rallied a smile. "Be a good girl. I can see a fine young woman in you. Make sure you let her out."
"Yes, ma'am."
"None of that." Jes's vision blurred. "I'm sorry, young miss." She hugged Elizabeth. "You have no idea how sorry."