Dinah returned from an early morning of laughing and reminiscing in a good mood, but as soon as she walked through the door her mood changed. She heard her mother's heels clack-clacking against the floor and then saw her mother's distraught face.
"Where have you been!?"
Dinah didn't respond because her father then came in with Douglas and Danielle. I hope I'm not blushing, then I'll look REAL incriminating.
"Answer me this minute Dinah!" Her mother said. Dinah noticed that her vain on her forehead was popping out.
"I went for a walk mother..."
"Why did you leave so early?"
"How do you know if I left early or not?"
Her mother didn't answer. Dinah's eyes went directly to her little sister and Danielle started yelling.
"I didn't do anything! Don't look at me like that!"
"Danielle! Stop that horrible noise," Beatrice said turning around and looking at her youngest daughter, but then turning back around she narrowed her eyes at her eldest. "Danielle had nothing to do with it. Isabelle saw you when you came down the stairs."
"Where were you, Dinah?" Douglas asked. Dinah turned and faced her fiancée. She sighed.
"I told you, I went for a walk."
"With Jack Sparrow…" the group turned around and saw James, with Jack next to him. Jack didn't look to happy but it seemed as though James had somewhat forced or bribed him to come.
"What are you doing here!?" Dinah yelled. The two men looked at each other and then at Dinah. "James!"
"Oh, well I'm here for your wedding, Dinah."
She sighed, Yes but did you have to bring Jack into the house?
"Dinah Eileen Milton! You went out this morning with…with him?" Her mother said, spitting out "him" like it was a plague. She looked like she was about to cry. Dinah sighed and rolled her eyes.
"Mother please. What do you think I did?"
Her mom gasped and said, "Why don't you tell me what you did!" At that everyone turned their attention to Dinah. She blushed a little and thought, Well what did they think I did with the man!? I'm a respectful girl whose engaged! I think I'm insulted.
Dinah crossed her arms and stood there looking at her mother. She looked like she wanted to faint and Douglas looked like a ghost. She moved her eyes toward Jack, he was watching her carefully too.
"Dinah, answer my question."
"Mother, it's my business, now if you excuse me, I have so sleep to catch up on." Her mother's mouth dropped open and Dinah turned around. When she did, she saw Ana Maria at the top of the stairs and walked up towards her but then Ana went in her room and slammed the door. Somewhat surprised by the reaction Dinah went to her own room, not really intending on getting any sleep.
"Ana will you please let me in!" Dinah yelled through the door that afternoon when the house seemed to be practically deserted. Even though Dinah had been out with a pirate her mother was still going on with the wedding plans.
"Why?!" Ana yelled back.
"Because I want to know why you're mad at me!"
Ana quickly opened the door and stared at Dinah. "Are you implying that you don't know what I'm mad about?"
"Yes! That's not only what I'm implying, that's what I'm telling you!"
Ana sighed and opened her door wider for her to come in. Dinah walked quickly through and sat on the bed. Ana went and sat next to her and said, "Why didn't you tell everyone what happened this morning?"
"Because nothing did happen…"
"Exactly!"
"Umm…"
"Why did you make them think that something happened when it didn't?"
"Because-"
"And especially Douglas! Who just last night you were telling me that you couldn't do that to his feelings…"
"Well-"
"So now he has this horrid idea that you…you went behind his back with a pirate. That you broke the promise that you said you would keep! And I know that you're not married yet, but you should know that your kind of people take engagements seriously! Dinah…you're not on a pirate ship anymore…you're back home and you're getting married."
Immediately Dinah felt bad. Ana was right, Douglas had feelings and she totally set them aside for her own selfish desires.
"Dinah," Ana said, going on, "You need to figure out who's it gonna be, Jack or Douglas."
"Douglas, I am so sorry for how I acted. Jack and I are old friends and when he offered to go walking with me, I agreed. Nothing but talking about old times happened, I promise." Dinah had found Douglas right after talking with Ana. She knew she had to apologize to him, if no one else.
"Nothing happened?"
Dinah nodded.
"Then why didn't you say that this morning!?"
Dinah sighed. Good point. Why didn't you do that, you big jerk, "Well because it was my mother…I don't really think she needs to be messing in my social affairs."
"But me…"
"I know, and that's why I'm apologizing now. Will you forgive me?"
Douglas sat there looking at her, seeming to be soaking up everything about her. He nodded finally and she smiled. She kissed him on the check and then got up. "Thanks Douglas, but I need to go find someone else, so if you'll excuse me." He got up and smiled.
She quickly left out the back door, intending on going to the Pearl but heard laughs in the back yard. She went towards it and saw something she thought could never happen. There was James, Jack and her mother drinking something that Dinah couldn't quite recognize, they were sitting on chairs, around a table under a large umbrella.
She wiped her hands on her dress, for they had turned sweaty in a moment and then walked towards the group. Jack was facing her and seemed to pause as he watched her walk toward them. The two noticed his expression and looked to see who was coming. "Dinah Darling!" Her mother said, waving a hand at her.
Jack and James stood up as she stopped and Jack pulled out the chair between him and Beatrice. "Mother, what are you doing?"
"Talking to Jack and James, dear. What does it look like?"
"I don't know… I just-"
"Did you know that Jack is a nickname for James?! Isn't that ironic?" Beatrice said in a slurred voice. Dinah stared at her mother as she stared laughing hysterically, she turned toward Jack and he smiled at the sight of Beatrice, then she looked at James, he looked like he was going to throw up.
"James, are you feeling alright?" Dinah asked. He shook his head and then dashed into the house.
"Mother, are you alright? You're not going to…well throw up are you? Do you need help?"
"Stop worrying about it dear! Jack here will take care of me." She smiled at Jack and burped.
"Mother, no offence, but I thought you hated Jack…"
"Well that's before…well I did this morning…but now, he's not that bad…he's still a pirate…but a funny one!"
Dinah stared at Jack and grabbed him by the ear as she yanked him across the yard away from the babbling Beatrice.
"What did you do to my mother?"
"Ol' mum's there is fine, luv!"
"You got my mother DRUNK!" She yelled.
Jack smiled and said, "Only a little."
"What were you thinking? Giving my mother and brother rum! Especially my mother! She's going to kill you tomorrow!"
"No luv, she's…well her and I have reached a new level in our relationship…"
Dinah looked at him and went over to her mother, "C'mon mother, we'll get you to bed…" She helped her up and started going into the house but noticed Jack was following her, "Nope, you're staying here." Jack paused and obeyed.
When Dinah came back she found Jack sitting, with his legs crossed on the table. She sighed and marched towards him. He quickly stood up and offered her the seat next to him but she took the one across from him instead.
"Jack…" she started as he sat down again, "About this morning…"
"Don't worry about it, luv,"
Dinah gritted her teeth at the name and said, "Don't call me that! How many times do I have to remind you?"
Jack smiled, "Everyday."
She rolled her eyes, "When I left…well left the Pearl, after I asked you…that one question…"
"Yes…"
"Jack, did you lie to me?"
"'Bout what?"
"About your feelings toward me."
Jack thought about this, Well if I tell her now, she'll blame it on the rum and so will I… Although the thought sounded appealing to him, he knew that he had only had a glass or two, Jack had never gotten drunk on anything less than fourteen. "Dinah…let me put it this way…to pirates, treasure is the most important thing to them…"
Dinah listened but thought, Oh great, another analogy. Just what I need…But she had noticed that Jack got serious real quick. Maybe he's not as drunk as I thought he was…
"…And well, Dinah, you're my treasure."
Dinah paused and grinned, but then the grin left her face, "Come again?"
"Dinah, treasure is the most important thing to a pirate and you're my treasure…And treasure isn't only silver and gold, it's something that's worth a lot to a certain person." When Dinah did nothing but stare at Jack, he tried putting it another way, "Dinah, you treasure you're friendship with Ana because it's important to you, well…I treasure YOU. You're important to me…"
Dinah thought that if she didn't say something soon the word 'treasure' was going to come out of his mouth at least twenty more times, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. And even if something did, she wasn't sure she knew what it was…How am I supposed to respond to that? She thought.
She knew that there really wasn't any to respond, so she did the thing she knew how to do best. She got up and started walking toward the house, but Jack caught a hold of her arm, "I did lie to you on the Pearl lass."
That got a response. "You…you lied to me? Then that means…that means…" Dinah's head started spinning as she thought about what this meant. She heard Jack's voice fading and felt her hands grabbing on to his shirt as she slowly fell. After that, it was all black.