Title: The Sea Nymph
Author: Rosie Rosen
Summary: Margaret Turner is obsessed with pirates. She loves her Uncle George's stories about Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew of miscreants. But that was ten years ago. Now, she couldn't care less about the old sea dog and is more interested in being a lady of high society. What happens when she has to find her Uncle George to save her parents⦠and is sent in the direction of the pirate village of Tortuga?
Chapter: Chapter Two; Miss Bella Adams
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: Disney owns Pirates of the Caribbean and all its affiliates. I own Margaret Turner, Miss Bella, the Sea Nymph, and the plot. Plagiarists, ye be warned.
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"Margaret, what is it you have there?" Margaret Turner's governess, Miss Bella, peered piercingly over her charge's shoulder. Bella Adams was a striking lady, with raven-black hair pulled into a severe bun and scandalously blue eyes that were forever narrowed in discontentment. She was tall and slender and always wore dark colors. Had she not always been glaring or telling Margaret what to do, she would have been very beautiful.
Margaret quickly hid the silver mirror and brush her Uncle George had given her three years ago. The older woman had never approved of Margaret owning frivolously valuable items. She had already confiscated a fancy brooch, given to Margaret by her mother, Elizabeth, and a gold pen that had been a gift from a favorite former governess.
"Nothing, Miss Bella," she responded, as innocently as possible. She stared up at the governess, who had only been with her for a month thus far. However, since she had come to the Turner house, Margaret had intently focused on being a young woman, instead of a little girl. It was a change that her parents were proud of. Margaret wanted to be sophisticated, with long, fashionable dresses and everything, her hair, her powders and paints, her jewels (what little she was allowed to wear) perfect. She refused to answer to the name "Maggie", only Margaret, and no longer played silly pirate games or was interested in pirate stories.
Miss Bella looked at her sternly, then seemed to dismiss Margaret's treasure hoarding. "Open your French primer, Margaret. And sit correctly; your posture is not at all ladylike." Miss Bella's posture was, as always, perfect.
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The Turner family had hired governesses for Margaret since her baby brother William-George Turner was born. For two and a half years, Margaret had endured private lessons, learning to become a proper lady. Miss Bella was her fourth governess. The other three had left after various pirate attacks on Port Royal. They didn't feel safe, and each had apologized profusely to the Turners before leaving for England.
It was a worry how long Miss Bella would stay. Port Royal was under the constant threat of pirates, being in a choice place on the Spanish Main for raiding. But she seemed as if she was made of tougher stuff than the other three governesses. She more often than not got what she wanted and, if she didn't, she would find a way to either bully or flatter her desires from people.
When Miss Bella finally finished the tedious, but "very necessary," French lesson, Margaret sighed with relief. The governess left the room and Margaret fingered the intricate silver patterns on the back of the brush hidden in her skirt. She held the mirror up and ran the brush through her light brown hair. She paused her gentle strokes and set it down, examining her face in the mirror.
"Too tan to be a lady," she told herself unhappily. "Too many freckles." Margaret was scrutinizing over her eyebrows when Miss Bella's reflection appeared in the mirror behind hers. Margaret spun around, looking guilty.
"I had come in here to remind you of your mother's dinner party tonight, and to tell you to dress accordingly. Hand me those items, Margaret." Miss Bella held out her hand and Margaret clutched the brush and mirror close to her.
"Please, Miss Bella! My Uncle George gave them to me, and he hasn't visited since then." Margaret's features became worried. "If he was killed on his ship, these are my only memories of him." Miss Bella's expression did not waver.
"Perhaps I'll give them back to you when you're older. A young girl will just lose precious things. I will talk to your mother about giving you a plain glass hand mirror and a wooden brush." Miss Bella motioned with her hand, as if to say, "I'm waiting, child." Margaret didn't move.
"I won't give them to you, I won't!" she shouted. "You don't understand! Uncle Georgieā¦" Miss Bella cut Margaret's pleas off sharply with a brisk slap.
"I know much about your 'Uncle Georgie.' He's a rogue, and doesn't deserve to have the good name of Turner! Your mother and father are fine, upstanding people. Surely you want to be like that, instead of a good-for-nothing merchant?" Miss Bella firmly took the brush and mirror out of the girl's hands, leaving Margaret free to gingerly touch her stinging cheek. "You will learn to obey your elders, Margaret, or you will never be a fine lady."
Margaret watched as Miss Bella swept regally out of the room, tears springing into her eyes. She dropped onto her bed and began to sob. How could Miss Bella say such things about Uncle George! But, then, Miss Bella had never been wrong about anything, and Margaret knew fine ladies never lied. She wished Uncle George was there to prove Miss Bella wrong, to comfort Margaret and to make Miss Bella give back what was not hers.
"Oh, Uncle Georgie," Margaret whispered into her pillow, choked with tears. "Where are you?"
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Author's Note: I know, I know, there's no Jack, or Will, or Elizabeth in this chapter! But I promise there will be in the next chapter. At least one of them. ^_~ After all, who knows what happened to Uncle Georgie?
