Douglas knocked on Dinah's door late that afternoon, hoping to tempt her to come out with some food in the galley. He heard some rustling and then the door opened to Dinah's not so pretty face. Her eyes were red and puffy, her nose was red and the rest of her face was white as a ghost.
"Uh…I was hoping to have your company in the galley…Chicken and mashed potatoes for dinner…"
Dinah was touched by his sensitivity and agreed, she told Milton to stay and then she went down to eat dinner with Douglas. While eating Dinah didn't find him as boring as she did the last time they had a meal together. He kept going on and on about how worried he was about her when she was kidnapped by 'those savages'.
Dinah kept quiet through most of the meal until Douglas asked, "Did he…take advantage of you?"
Dinah looked up and gazed into Douglas' eyes, they were full of concern. She could easily say yes and then the whole navy would be after him and hang him, but even though she was hurt, she didn't want him dead.
"No Douglas, he didn't take advantage of me." Visions of her wrist being bruised came into her mind and she looked at it. It was fully healed and back to its natural color.
"Good," Douglas said not noticing that she was thinking about something else, "If he did, we would've gone back to that ship and captured him."
Dinah looked up and said, "Capture Captain Jack Sparrow? Douglas…" Dinah stopped; she wasn't even going to go into that topic. "Never mind, when are we getting home?"
"Early tomorrow morning. Is that alright?"
"Well even if it wasn't, you couldn't change it…"
Douglas nodded. "You look worn out, you should go back to bed."
Dinah sighed, "Yea, your right." Douglas got up and pulled out her chair for her, and she slowly got up and walked up to the deck. She got in her cabin and found Milton waiting for her. She suddenly remembered he hadn't eaten. She opened one of her trunks and got a bottle for him. Katherine told her to feed him on that for at least another two weeks.
Milton went through the bottle and then another one fast, after he was full; he burped, jumped up on the bed and happily fell asleep. Dinah sighed and went looking for her journal. "Omigosh." She said and paused, and then went digging for her harmonica. "Please don't tell me this…" She said as she opened the next trunk. She took out all the contents and still couldn't find it. I left it on that blasted ship! She thought, now I'll never get it back.
Ana Maria shut the door to her cabin and fell on her bed. The drinking game she had played with Jack had been kinda one-sided. He had his mind on other things, and Ana knew what. She sighed and rolled over. She cussed and looked under her to see what had caused her pain. It was Dinah's harmonica, Ana smiled at the memory of this old thing. When they were little kids they went shopping with Dinah's mother. But while her mom was in one store, Dinah and Ana wandering into another one. And there it was, a beautiful harmonica, polished and in tip-top shape. But when Dinah asked for it, her mother said no. So Ana stole it.
Dinah always thought of Ana as a horrible person for doing it, but she still kept it and learned how to play it. Obviously she wasn't that broken up about the whole thing.
Why the blast did Dinah leave it here though? Ana thought. She considered going and telling the Captain but was afraid he would do something stupid like throw it overboard. Ana rolled her eyes at the whole thing. She didn't know the details but she didn't need to. It was all the captain. But she wasn't even going to CONSIDER asking him what happened. He'd blow up and stay in his room for a week. Blasted men. She thought as she played a few bars of a song on her new toy.
"Oh Dinah we were so worried about you!" Dinah's mother said, almost strangling her with a hug.
"Yes mother, can we just back to the house."
"What is that?!" Dinah's mom said pointing to the pig Dinah was holding in her arms.
"Mother, this is Milton."
"Milton?"
Dinah nodded.
"How did you come upon such a…pet?"
Dinah shrugged, hoping her mom wouldn't ask for anything more.
"Okay, well are you sure you don't need anything?"
"Beatrice! She only wants to get home!" Dinah's father called from the carriage.
"Hello papa." Dinah greeted him with a hug. He squeezed back and then let go, still looking at her he said, "We have a surprise for you."
"Chocolate I hope." Dinah answered.
"Dinah Please! That stuff the Spanish makes goes straight to your hips, that's why all the Spanish are-"
"Give me a break mom, most of them are skinny as a rail. Now what's my surprise?"
Her dad opened the carriage door to reveal a little girl. She had chestnut hair like Dinah, blue eyes and freckles. She was wearing a light pink dress and her hair was a tad bit messed up. "Dinah!" she called. She jumped from the carriage and landed in her older sister's arms.
Dinah tried hard to get her breath back from the impact her little sister did to her lungs. Dinah's little sister, Danielle, was twelve years old and absolutely idolized Dinah. She followed her around the house, copied her and to Dinah, was a real nuisance. As if being dumped by a pirate captain wasn't enough, now I have to put up with this one. She let her sister down and Danielle said, "Has he asked you yet?"
"What?"
Beatrice put her arm around her youngest daughter and said, "If he had, I'm sure we'd know. Now get in the carriage." She said sternly. Danielle obeyed and something clicked in Dinah's head. A proposal, she thought.
"Come along Douglas!" Beatrice called to him, he had been standing in the background listening to all this. He obeyed and helped both women into the carriage. Next he and Dinah's father went in, and then finally they were going home.
When dinner rolled around at the Milton house Dinah wasn't that hungry. She washed her face once she got home and packed all her clothes. Danielle kept asking where she had gotten all the new dresses, while playing with Milton. She had giggled at the name and asked where she had gotten the idea for it. Dinah had gotten out of answering the question by telling her that Milton needed to be fed. Danielle immediately jumped at the offer, but that still didn't calm her questions.
"So you were really kidnapped by a pirate?"
Dinah nodded, "Yes, Danny."
"Was it by that one pirate who left you two years ago?" Dinah stopped and looked at her sister. She looked innocent and sweet, but under that Dinah was sure there was something evil.
"How do you know that?"
"Mom."
Dinah rolled her eyes, "If you must know, yes. It was." Not wanting to give out anymore information Dinah stopped the conversation there. But Danielle had other plans.
"Did you see Ana Maria?"
Dinah smiled, "Yes I did…how did you know she was on that ship?"
She shrugged. "I guessed. They're both pirates…"
Dinah nodded and sighed. Everything was out of her trunks, but when she looked to make sure she saw something on the side. She looked closer and saw that there was a hidden pocket which was the color of the lining of the trunk so it wasn't that noticeable. She fingered it and pulled out what was in the pocket. I was a knife, and engraved on it was "To my love". Flashbacks of her dream came to her.
"What's that?" Danielle asked, getting up and walking to her sister. "Whoa! Cool!" She said, grabbing at it, but Dinah pulled it out of her reach.
The first thought that came to her head was Jack, but why would it be in the trunk and why would he engrave that? And who was it supposed to be for? Surely not to her, but to who then? Maybe it's Ana's and she…but why would it be in his trunk? This was too weird for her.
"'To my love'. Who's it to?" Danielle asked.
"Never mind the knife Danielle," Dinah said putting it back in the trunk and then locking the trunk. "Let's go downstairs, dinner is probably almost ready."
Dinner was boring. The only thing that kept Dinah occupied was the idea of that knife. But it was a hard thing to think about because she associated it with Jack. And right now she didn't particularly want to think about him.
After dinner Douglas invited Dinah outside to sit on the porch and talk. She agreed and for a long time they sat out there and watched the sunset. Finally Douglas spoke up, "Dinah, this is hard for me to say, but I need to say it before I burst."
She turned her full attention to him and waited patiently. He went on, "I was so worried when you were kidnapped, that I was about ready to do anything to get you back. So we cam back here, loaded up, and left to find you. When you I saw you on the Pearl I was so happy to see you were alright and okay and not harmed."
He paused. He seemed to be looking for the right words. "Dinah, I've grown to have affectionate feelings for you…and what I'm trying to say is, that you would be a fine wife for me. Will you allow me to take your hand in marriage?"
Dinah froze, yes she was expecting this, but so soon? Of course he didn't know about what had gone on between her and Jack, so for him, it wasn't soon. She somehow thought it would be different. Affectionate feelings? She thought to herself, give me a break. But this is what she wanted right? Security. Love. She had always talked about how Douglas was her safe way out. That she would always have a commitment from him. Something binding him to her. But now that the moment was finally here, she wasn't sure what to say, but she decided quickly.
Two weeks later Ana got a letter from a crew member that the Pearl boarded. She stuck it in her pants until later that night when she could read it. The crewman said it was from Ms. Milton. The letter was burning a hole in her pocket so she was glad when she finally got in her cabin that night after dinner. Jack had been working them like dogs for two weeks straight. No breaks. No stops. Hardly time for meals, even. Ana thought his cranky disposition was due to Dinah leaving, but of course wasn't willing to be dropped from the crew if she asked.
Ana opened the letter and read quickly. It wasn't that long, but she read it over and over. Finally she read it out loud to make sure it was true.
Ana Maria-
Boy do I miss you. I hope you're doing fine and winter seas aren't making your journey a bumpy one. Not like there's really a winter in the Caribbean, but there certainly are winds and rain. But to get to my point! I'm getting married. To Douglas Hall. I would love if you could come. Be my maid of honor? But I highly doubt that I'm going to get you in a dress. My mother is already planning mine. She said something about a ten-foot-train. I have to stop her sooner or later. The wedding is in February, probably around the second week. If you aren't going to be in it, at least come.
Love, Dinah Milton.
Ana got out of bed and ran straight to Jack's quarters. Ana didn't care if Dinah got mad. She was going to make the biggest mistake of her life if she married that man. "What the blast do you want?" Jack asked, opening the door due to Ana pounding on it with her fists.
She held out the letter and Jack snatched it out of her hand, stealing a glance at Ana before reading it. He read it quickly and then looked up. "Where'd you get this?"
"One of the crew men from the boat we raided today."
Jack paused and read the letter over again, when he finished he asked another question, "What's today's date?"
Ana thought and said, "November twelve…I think…yea. November twelve, 1975."
Jack narrowed his eyes. "Where are we?"
"Off the coast of New York, probably."
Jack seemed to be weighing this out in his head but finally he said, "Ana, polish your slippers, you're going to a wedding. Gibbs! Lift the anchor and get us in the direction for Bermuda! Then drop it again. I don't want to loose anytime."