Chapter One-Port Royal
Catherine looked out her window and gazed over the hustle and bustle of morning in Port Royal. She didn't know what it was about this place, still so strange to her, that caught her eye and entranced her mind every time she stared out over its busy streets so full of life. As she leaned against the railing of the balcony of the room she shared with her younger sister, Elizabeth, her eyes slowly turned to the ships docked in the harbors and on out to the glistening Caribbean waters. All of her life, Catherine had dreamt of sailing the seven seas, of running away on the ship of a fabled adventurer to spend the rest of her days seeing the world and doing exactly as she pleased. Her reality as the child of an ancient line of English nobility and the eldest daughter of the Governor of Jamaica, however, contained none of the adventure and freedom she so ardently wished for. Catherine and Elizabeth had come to Port Royal ten years ago to join their father, Governor Swann, but she had never seen anything of the Jamaica that existed beyond her door.
Catherine loved her tropical home, even though the restrictions placed upon she and Elizabeth were even harsher than they had been back in England. These precious moments which she spent gazing out on the town were what helped her maintain her patience and composure when she and Elizabeth were politely greeting visiting dignitaries or sitting at the dinner table or in their parlor with a throng of maids and governess' breathing down their necks. Elizabeth had always enjoyed, or at least been amused by the stiff necked, corseted life they led as the daughters of nobility. Catherine, however, hated it completely. She longed for nothing more than to walk alone and unsupervised through the streets of beautiful Jamaica, to lift up her skirts and run across its golden beaches, to swim in its glittering blue waters. Her one wish for herself was simple. She wished to be free.
Catherine was jolted back to reality by the sound of Elizabeth's comb being set down upon her dressing table. She turned and looked on her younger sister and best friend. Elizabeth was dainty and fair with her small features, golden hair full of curls and soft amber eyes, quite the opposite of Catherine, whose only physical similarity with her sister was her beautifully fair, rosy skin. Catherine's hair was not blonde and coiled, but perfectly straight and a deep, rich auburn. Where Elizabeth was small, dainty and thin, Catherine was tall, with a wonderfully voluptuous hourglass body, and carried herself with such strength that her presence dominated over those of almost every other person except perhaps her father. Catherine's defining and most striking feature, however, was her eyes. The deep green-grey of a stormy sea, Catherine's eyes held all the fire and passion that was in her spirit. Her every emotion could be seen in her eyes, if the beholder knew how to read them, which few people did. One of these people was coming towards her.
"Good morning Cat."
"It won't be a good morning if Father hears you calling me that. You know how he hates that nickname."
"Oh I don't care what Father thinks about that," said Elizabeth as she threw her long golden hair out of her face to better see her sister, "Calling you Catherine won't make you any more suited to his expectations," she retorted with a grin.
Edward Swann had always wanted the most for his daughters; that is he wanted them to have the most prestige and luxury available to them. Catherine's independent ways had always been bothersome and had completely ruined any and all opportunities for an advantageous marriage that the governor had ever presented her with. She was the difficult child, the wild mare unwilling to be tamed and saddled by marriage with any rich and most likely old suitor that came her way. Elizabeth, however, was more compliant with their father's wishes, though she could be just as tempestuous as her sister when given the opportunity. Once such opportunity existed in the person of the girls' childhood friend, Will Turner.
Will was the first and only child the Swann sisters met upon their arrival in Port Royal ten years ago. Being two girls of ten and thirteen years old, they were quite discontent with their many attendants as playmates. Catherine and Elizabeth were given complete freedom in one area only: they could roam the grounds of the Governor's Mansion freely as long as they were within its protective walls. On their second day in Jamaica, the two sisters discovered the armory where Will's father was the resident blacksmith. Will, a rambunctious fourteen year old, naturally took the first opportunity to chase them away with a horseshoe in each hand. In retaliation, the girls rescued him from the beating he would have most certainly received from his father for these actions. They had been best friends ever since. Elizabeth, however, had begun to see Will as more than a playmate. As the three children grew, so did her feelings. Friendship turned into affection, which matured into romance, which blossomed into love. Will and Elizabeth utilized every secretive and subversive method they could think of to see each other alone, the most successful endeavors naturally having been planned by Catherine. Generally, the two sisters would walk down to the armory together under the pretext of visiting an old friend, which part of the time was quite true. Then Will and Elizabeth would sneak off to some remote corner, leaving Catherine alone to fend for herself, which suited the headstrong girl just fine. Will's old father, quite happy that his son had found so beautiful and worthy a love, had no qualms about keeping the romance a secret. He did, however, refuse to let Catherine wander off through Port Royal alone, which was the first and foremost rule Governor Swann placed upon his daughters. Old Turner would sometimes allow Catherine to accompany him on errands that took him just outside of her boundaries, but never risked going out into the heart of the city that was not carefully patrolled by her father's guards. Still, these hours alone reading, dreaming, or going out with the old blacksmith became an essential part of Catherine's life. She always found the circumstances of Elizabeth and Will's love amusing. It was always assumed that if either of the sisters did anything outside of their father's wishes, it would be Catherine. The fact that Elizabeth, the perfect angelic daughter, had fallen in love with a common blacksmith always gave Catherine great enjoyment. She was nevertheless slightly jealous of Elizabeth. It was ironic that her sister could achieve love, one of the freedoms that Catherine wished and prayed for with all her might, and she with all her spirit could not.
Any jealousy Catherine harbored towards Elizabeth during the lovers' secret rendezvous' quickly vanished when she was back in the presence of her sister. It was hard to dislike Elizabeth.
"Do we go to the armory today, Tess?"
"Sadly no, but I do have a bit of news that I believe you will find exciting," Elizabeth replied. "I assume you have heard of the many attacks made on the wealthy families of Jamaica." Catherine had indeed heard. Someone was attacking and pillaging the homes of anyone who had any sort of treasure or fortune accumulated while in any of the old Spanish colonies. Reputedly, the plunderers were a band of pirates trying to recover a stolen treasure. There were even rumors of ghosts and curses connected with the miscreants. Sure enough, everyone attacked had only had one thing taken: some type of ancient, heathen gold.
"Yes, I believe I know what you're talking about," said Catherine sarcastically, getting herself playfully slapped.
"Well, a pirate captain has been captured, and it is believed that he may be connected with the crimes. He is to go on trial today and Father has given permission for you and I to go watch!" Catherine could hardly believe her luck. Not only were they going far into the city, almost to the harbor, but they were going to see a real live pirate! Only in her dreams had Catherine ever before beheld one of these enemies of law and order. She imagined an old, weather beaten and scarred man with a scruffy beard to his belt, a red and black coat, a parrot on his shoulder and gold coins strung throughout his hair and beard. Elizabeth laughed to see the sharp glint of excitement reflected in her sister's fiery eyes.
Catherine looked out her window and gazed over the hustle and bustle of morning in Port Royal. She didn't know what it was about this place, still so strange to her, that caught her eye and entranced her mind every time she stared out over its busy streets so full of life. As she leaned against the railing of the balcony of the room she shared with her younger sister, Elizabeth, her eyes slowly turned to the ships docked in the harbors and on out to the glistening Caribbean waters. All of her life, Catherine had dreamt of sailing the seven seas, of running away on the ship of a fabled adventurer to spend the rest of her days seeing the world and doing exactly as she pleased. Her reality as the child of an ancient line of English nobility and the eldest daughter of the Governor of Jamaica, however, contained none of the adventure and freedom she so ardently wished for. Catherine and Elizabeth had come to Port Royal ten years ago to join their father, Governor Swann, but she had never seen anything of the Jamaica that existed beyond her door.
Catherine loved her tropical home, even though the restrictions placed upon she and Elizabeth were even harsher than they had been back in England. These precious moments which she spent gazing out on the town were what helped her maintain her patience and composure when she and Elizabeth were politely greeting visiting dignitaries or sitting at the dinner table or in their parlor with a throng of maids and governess' breathing down their necks. Elizabeth had always enjoyed, or at least been amused by the stiff necked, corseted life they led as the daughters of nobility. Catherine, however, hated it completely. She longed for nothing more than to walk alone and unsupervised through the streets of beautiful Jamaica, to lift up her skirts and run across its golden beaches, to swim in its glittering blue waters. Her one wish for herself was simple. She wished to be free.
Catherine was jolted back to reality by the sound of Elizabeth's comb being set down upon her dressing table. She turned and looked on her younger sister and best friend. Elizabeth was dainty and fair with her small features, golden hair full of curls and soft amber eyes, quite the opposite of Catherine, whose only physical similarity with her sister was her beautifully fair, rosy skin. Catherine's hair was not blonde and coiled, but perfectly straight and a deep, rich auburn. Where Elizabeth was small, dainty and thin, Catherine was tall, with a wonderfully voluptuous hourglass body, and carried herself with such strength that her presence dominated over those of almost every other person except perhaps her father. Catherine's defining and most striking feature, however, was her eyes. The deep green-grey of a stormy sea, Catherine's eyes held all the fire and passion that was in her spirit. Her every emotion could be seen in her eyes, if the beholder knew how to read them, which few people did. One of these people was coming towards her.
"Good morning Cat."
"It won't be a good morning if Father hears you calling me that. You know how he hates that nickname."
"Oh I don't care what Father thinks about that," said Elizabeth as she threw her long golden hair out of her face to better see her sister, "Calling you Catherine won't make you any more suited to his expectations," she retorted with a grin.
Edward Swann had always wanted the most for his daughters; that is he wanted them to have the most prestige and luxury available to them. Catherine's independent ways had always been bothersome and had completely ruined any and all opportunities for an advantageous marriage that the governor had ever presented her with. She was the difficult child, the wild mare unwilling to be tamed and saddled by marriage with any rich and most likely old suitor that came her way. Elizabeth, however, was more compliant with their father's wishes, though she could be just as tempestuous as her sister when given the opportunity. Once such opportunity existed in the person of the girls' childhood friend, Will Turner.
Will was the first and only child the Swann sisters met upon their arrival in Port Royal ten years ago. Being two girls of ten and thirteen years old, they were quite discontent with their many attendants as playmates. Catherine and Elizabeth were given complete freedom in one area only: they could roam the grounds of the Governor's Mansion freely as long as they were within its protective walls. On their second day in Jamaica, the two sisters discovered the armory where Will's father was the resident blacksmith. Will, a rambunctious fourteen year old, naturally took the first opportunity to chase them away with a horseshoe in each hand. In retaliation, the girls rescued him from the beating he would have most certainly received from his father for these actions. They had been best friends ever since. Elizabeth, however, had begun to see Will as more than a playmate. As the three children grew, so did her feelings. Friendship turned into affection, which matured into romance, which blossomed into love. Will and Elizabeth utilized every secretive and subversive method they could think of to see each other alone, the most successful endeavors naturally having been planned by Catherine. Generally, the two sisters would walk down to the armory together under the pretext of visiting an old friend, which part of the time was quite true. Then Will and Elizabeth would sneak off to some remote corner, leaving Catherine alone to fend for herself, which suited the headstrong girl just fine. Will's old father, quite happy that his son had found so beautiful and worthy a love, had no qualms about keeping the romance a secret. He did, however, refuse to let Catherine wander off through Port Royal alone, which was the first and foremost rule Governor Swann placed upon his daughters. Old Turner would sometimes allow Catherine to accompany him on errands that took him just outside of her boundaries, but never risked going out into the heart of the city that was not carefully patrolled by her father's guards. Still, these hours alone reading, dreaming, or going out with the old blacksmith became an essential part of Catherine's life. She always found the circumstances of Elizabeth and Will's love amusing. It was always assumed that if either of the sisters did anything outside of their father's wishes, it would be Catherine. The fact that Elizabeth, the perfect angelic daughter, had fallen in love with a common blacksmith always gave Catherine great enjoyment. She was nevertheless slightly jealous of Elizabeth. It was ironic that her sister could achieve love, one of the freedoms that Catherine wished and prayed for with all her might, and she with all her spirit could not.
Any jealousy Catherine harbored towards Elizabeth during the lovers' secret rendezvous' quickly vanished when she was back in the presence of her sister. It was hard to dislike Elizabeth.
"Do we go to the armory today, Tess?"
"Sadly no, but I do have a bit of news that I believe you will find exciting," Elizabeth replied. "I assume you have heard of the many attacks made on the wealthy families of Jamaica." Catherine had indeed heard. Someone was attacking and pillaging the homes of anyone who had any sort of treasure or fortune accumulated while in any of the old Spanish colonies. Reputedly, the plunderers were a band of pirates trying to recover a stolen treasure. There were even rumors of ghosts and curses connected with the miscreants. Sure enough, everyone attacked had only had one thing taken: some type of ancient, heathen gold.
"Yes, I believe I know what you're talking about," said Catherine sarcastically, getting herself playfully slapped.
"Well, a pirate captain has been captured, and it is believed that he may be connected with the crimes. He is to go on trial today and Father has given permission for you and I to go watch!" Catherine could hardly believe her luck. Not only were they going far into the city, almost to the harbor, but they were going to see a real live pirate! Only in her dreams had Catherine ever before beheld one of these enemies of law and order. She imagined an old, weather beaten and scarred man with a scruffy beard to his belt, a red and black coat, a parrot on his shoulder and gold coins strung throughout his hair and beard. Elizabeth laughed to see the sharp glint of excitement reflected in her sister's fiery eyes.