Chapter 5
Disclaimer: Not mine.
"I don't like this," Will told Elizabeth for what felt like the hundredth time. Although it
was nearly seven o'clock in the evening the residents of Tortuga were only beginning to stumble
about the streets half-drunk. Small scuffles broke out here and there, even around the dock.
Prostitutes were starting to emerge, blowing kisses to the passers by and calling invitations. Dirty
children raced thin, hungry dogs, occasionally trying to sneak hands into pockets.
"Come, William dear," Pearl broke in. "I grew up here. I dare say Elizabeth will survive
one night. You managed well enough. Asides, the more you forbid it the more stubborn she'll
become."
Elizabeth grinned agreement. "Are you glad to be back?"
Pearl shrugged. "I haven't been gone that long. And I do love the sea. But I suppose it's
nice to be home."
"All right, you scurvy dogs, the ship seems secure enough. I want you all back here at
dawn tomorrow."
With cries of joy the men crowded the gangplank to disappear into the twisting spats of
dirt that passed for roads.
"Marcus' shop still in the same place?" Jack asked Pearl, who nodded. "Heading for the
Dancing Maiden?"
"Where else?" Pearl asked.
"Do me a favor and keep an eye on the young 'uns, will you?" he asked, nodding toward
Elizabeth and Will.
"Sure. I'll put them in my mother's charge," she answered with an evil grin.
"Be nice," he ordered as he turned down one of the alleys.
"Never!" Pearl called in return.
"Tell me about your mother," Elizabeth requested.
"Not much to tell, really. She was born here in Tortuga. Diamond is her name. She's a
prostitute, same as her mother was. She's the best dancer in all of Tortuga. If a sweeter woman
ever walked the earth I haven't met her. Um, I have a sister. Ruby. She's a prostitute too."
"Is there a thing with jewels in your family?" Elizabeth asked.
"Yep. Sort of a tradition. My grandmother was Emerald, Emy to those as knew her. And I
had an aunt named Jewel, and another named Opal. My little sister was named Amethyst, Amy
for short."
"What do you mean was?" Elizabeth asked.
"She died. It happens, Especially around here. The fact that my mother still has three alive
is rather astonishing."
"Three?" Will asked.
"I have a brother. Older. Rum-runner."
"So they're all Jack's?" Elizabeth asked.
"Oh, heavens no! Well, I suppose it's possible. Not my brother. He's too old. But no.
No one around here has full brothers and sisters. We're all half. Heaven only knows who their
fathers are. If I didn't look so much like Jack I wouldn't know either. I should warn you that I
look nothing like Ruby."
As she spoke they came to a tavern with a battered sign showing a woman lifting her skirt
high to reveal petticoats. Beneath it was scrawled 'The Dancin Maiden.'
Pearl pushed open the door and walked in as if she owned the place. The tables were
largely uninhabited, and those that were contained people who seemed to be dozing over mugs.
Pearl scanned the room then led them over to a table toward the back with a broad grin. A
woman sat at the table, half dozing as she massaged her brow. Her hair was bright flaming red,
the same color as Pearl's, pulled up in an elaborate up do with golden thread wound through. Her
features were broad and dull in her extremely round face, her nose almost flat. Her face was
covered with a thick mask of makeup. She wore a slightly dirty red gown cut alarmingly low with
some almost indistinguishable pattern on it.
Pearl snuck forward on silent feet to lean forward and yell "Boo!" in her ear.
The woman must have jumped half a foot as she gave a startled cry, nearly falling out of
her chair. Pearl broke into peals of laughter, pausing long enough to dodge whatever lay in the
tankard on the table.
"Pearl, I swear, you're the bloody devil himself. If you were wearin' my head you'd have a
worry for other's feelin's."
"Sorry, Ruby," Pearl said, sounding anything but apologetic as she plunked down in a
chair next to her sister and rested her boots in her sister's lap as she motioned her companions
over to sit.
"Off," Ruby ordered, shoving her boots to the ground. "What are you bloody doing here?
You only just bloody left."
"Ship needs a little fixing," Pearl replied. "We won't be in long."
"Thank heaven for small favors," Ruby replied. "Who's they?"
"Ah, Elizabeth and William Turner. Friends. She's a Lady so you had best be nice to her."
But Ruby's flat gaze had settled on Will. "I should know him."
"Oh, no. You might remember Bootstrap Bill. Jack always brought him in."
"I don't remember all the bloody pirates your bloody pirate father bloody brings in this
bloody place," Ruby shot back at her.
If Pearl was bothered at all by her sister's flagrant cursing she didn't show it. "Well,
regardless, he was Will's father. Will here looks just like him. Hands off, Ruby. He's married."
"She needn't know."
"She's sitting next to him," Pearl told her with a nod toward Elizabeth, who was turning
bright red.
"Aye. If I'd netted one that pretty I'd not let him out o' my sight either," Ruby commented
morosely. "Although I'm sure I could find away around it. I mean, she can't be with him all the
time."
Will drew back slightly as Elizabeth shot daggers at the woman. Seeing trouble forming
Pearl leaned forward. "All right. I'll level with you. He doesn't like people to know, but he's a
eunuch."
"I'm never going to live that down," Will moaned, letting his head drop to the table as
Elizabeth gave him a curious look.
"Now that's a shame," Ruby remarked. "Pretty thing like that ruined while your father
runs free despoiling-"
"Where's ma?" Pearl asked quickly, changing the subject.
"Out runnin' errands. Said she'd be back 'fore long. She'll be bloody glad you're back, I'd
wager. Where's your bloody father? Did he finally get himself bloody stabbed by a bloody
blade?"
"Ruby isn't overly fond o' Jack," Pearl explained to the couple at the table. "He was seein'
to the ship."
"Sounds like him. Can't let anything happen to the bloody ship he named after his bloody
daughter."
"She's a little jealous too. Poor thing doesn't have a father, you know," Pearl added. Ruby
stared into her empty cup as if she hadn't heard.
"Jack named the Black Pearl after you?" Will asked in amazement. He didn't have Jack
pegged for such drama.
"Indeed. On my seventh birthday. First time he took me out sailing. Granted, the ship was named The Black Pearl before, but he renamed it in my honor."
Will blinked at her. "He renamed the ship the same name it had before in your honor?"
Pearl nodded. "Sweet, isn't it?"
"You knew Barbossa then," Elizabeth said as will shook his head in confusion.
"Knew the whole bloody crew, bastards." She spit over her shoulder. "Jack dropped me
off not five days before they mutinied. Too bad they all got themselves caught or killed. Most of
them owed me money. And if Pentell had called me 'Poppet' one more time I would have done
him in myself, curse or no. Ah, here we go," Pearl said when the door opened again.
A woman entered. She had the same bright red hair as the two women at the table, left
long to trail down behind her, bits of grey showing through here and there. She wasn't as painted
as Ruby although her lips were far too red to naturally be that color. She wore a long green dress
that showed less cleavage but accentuated her more rounded curves. Her sharp eyes swept around
the tavern, latching onto Pearl almost immediately.
"Lass!" the woman cried, hurrying across the room to hug the girl close. "'Tis so good to
see you. What're you doin' back so soon?"
"Troubles with the ship. We leave tomorrow. It's good to be home. There's someone I
want you to meet." She motioned toward the Turners.
Diamond turned to them with a brilliant smile that slipped away as she fastened eyes on
Will. With a squawk she jumped behind her daughter. "I thought Bill was dead!" she cried.
"He is," Pearl answered.
"And why is he hauntin' you?"
"He isn't," Pearl answered with a laugh, taking her mother's hand and pulling her back
around.
"This is Will, Bootstrap's son."
"Well, I'll be," she remarked, studying him carefully. "He could be his twin."
"Well, yes, twenty years ago he could have been. And this is Elizabeth, his wife."
"Hullo Elizabeth, dear. It's a pleasure t' meet you," she greeted warmly.
"Which brings me to the favor I need to ask." Her mother turned to regard her with hard
eyes. "Which is actually a favor for Jack so you can go look at him like that."
Diamond rolled her eyes and sat at the table. "What do you need?"
"Elizabeth here is a Lady. A Governor's daughter, to be exact. She'll need a little
watching."
"Hey!" Elizabeth cried.
"That isn't to say that you'll need watching, Elizabeth," Pearl put in quickly. "The men
around you will be another story."
"If she's a Lady she has no business being here," Diamond interrupted.
"She's a woman, mama, which means her business is being wherever she wants," Pearl
told her.
"Well said," Elizabeth remarked.
"Bein' where we want is our business, lass. One o' the advantages o' bein' low born. It ain't
fer the pampered people o' rank."
"Mama, when Jack first wanted t' take me on the ship you said everyone deserved at least
a taste o' freedom. You tellin' me she don't?"
Diamond sighed. "I hate it when you turn me own words 'gainst me. All right, I'll do what
I can. I dare say the lad here will do a fine job all on his own." She then took a moment to look
her daughter over carefully. "Why don't you go change, lassy? Makes me uncomfortable seein'
you all trussed up like a pirate."
"I am a pirate," she returned.
"You look far too much like yer father. You ain't on his boat no more."
"Ship," Pearl told her.
"A leaky tub by any other name still be a leaky tub, lassy," Diamond said with a smile.
"That tub don't leak. And it happens to be named after me."
"Well, Tortuga ain't, and that's where you be now. Skirts, lass. That's an order."
"Yes ma'am," Pearl sighed, leveling herself out of the chair. "I'll be right back. Jack
should be here soon."
"Thanks for the bloody warning," Ruby, who had remained sullenly quiet through the
whole conversation, growled out.
"She'll behave herself," Diamond cut off Pearl's retort. "On with y'." Waiting until her
daughter climbed a set of stairs in the back she turned to her other girl. "You know, most would
be glad for such a privileged sister."
"I'll be glad when she starts sharin' her catch," the girl muttered.
"Your sister is many things, but she ain't selfish. Not in the manner o' most pirates, at
least. I don't doubt she'll keep you afloat if you ever have need of it. Ah, now look what the cat
dragged in," she remarked, her eyes straying toward the door.
Jack had just entered. He caught sight of them and with a cocky grin and familiar swagger
he came over to the table. He approached Diamond's side, stopping before her to bow. "Lovely to
see you again, luv," he said with a flourish of his hand.
Diamond laughed up at him. "Watch who you're sweet talkin', y' charmin' old devil."
"Old?" Jack repeated. "My ears must be mistaken. I thought I just heard you call me old."
Grabbing her hand he drew her to her feet, pulling her close and snaking one arm around her
waist. "That's much better. Now that I'm certain I can hear you maybe you could repeat yourself."
Diamond laughed, pushing him away. "Don't waste your time, Jack. I've gotten a
beautiful daughter from you and that's as much as I care to have. Break someone else's heart why
don't you?"
"You cut me to the quick, Diamond," Jack responded. "Ease my wounds a bit, won't you?
At least admit it was fun."
"That I shall give you," Diamond answered with a laugh. "Now sit down, you scurvy
scoundrel."
"You do me wrong again. I haven't had scurvy in ages," Jack replied as he took his seat.
"Speaking of beautiful daughters, where did mine get off to? She's supposed to be guarding our
charges from attack."
"They're still in one piece," Diamond responded. "She went to change."
"Into what?" Jack asked.
"A proper lass, despite your best efforts to turn her into a scoundrel like yourself,"
Diamond told him.
"Ah, that girl is far too strong to be changed by you or me."
"If truer words have ever been spoken I've yet to hear them," Diamond remarked. "But
that don't change that she be what she be, and that be me daughter."
"Mine too," Jack returned defensively.
"Not in Tortuga she ain't. Here she's mine, and I'll hear no more on it."
A smile twisted Jack's lips. "I believe you know the best way to hush me up, luv."
With a sigh and a roll of her eyes Diamond poked Ruby. "Go get Jack some rum or we'll
never have any peace again."
"That bloody pirate can get his own bloody rum," Ruby answered.
"Ah, Ruby, you can always be counted upon to make me feel loved," Jack replied. "Looks
like you're out too." With a flick of his wrist he sent a gold coin flying her way. "Why don't you
fill us both up?"
She glared at him but eventually stood grudgingly and trudged toward the bar.
"Picking on my sister again, Jack?"
Will had to do a double take to figure out exactly who he was looking at. The flaming red
hair chopped short and endless eyes could only belong to Pearl, but the rest of her seemed
completely changed. He had told himself it was the wig that made Bethany Maltrey and Pearl
Sparrow so distinctive. But having seen both sides of the pirate he still couldn't place this
woman.
She had put a little rouge on her cheeks, accentuating their high line and covering some of
the light freckles that dotted her face. Her lips seemed to have gained a few shades and dark
eyeshadow heightened the similarity between herself and her father.
The most startling change, however, lay in her dress. She wore a simple blue Cotton
gown with thread-of-gold decorating the bodice around the neckline, accentuating the expanse of
bust that rose into view. A gold belt was drawn tight around her waist, accentuating her hips and
offering a warning in the form of several small daggers with golden hilts.
"Now THIS is me daughter!" Diamond proclaimed jovially. Jack tilted back his hat to
glance up at her and shake his head in obvious disapproval.
"Pearl, what on earth are you wearing?" Elizabeth gasped.
"Ah, Elizabeth, I'm back in my native land. Time to don the proper colors," Pearl
answered. She sat in the empty chair between Will and Jack. Letting one leg dangle down she
drew the other up to her chest, foot resting on the chair and wrapping her arm around her knee. It
was a pose Will had seen her take a hundred times on the ship, but never in a skirt. It allowed her
bare foot on the chair and a small amount of her ankle show, as well as a good deal of her leg.
For a woman of the times it was a ridiculous display, and Will had to remind himself not to stare.
"You look like a peacock," Jack muttered.
"Thank you," she returned. "You look like a ragged pirate."
"Thank you," he returned.
"You know, Elizabeth, I have this gorgeous gold-"
"No!" Elizabeth and Will cried at the same time.
"Suit yourself," Pearl said. "I would expect Will to be a little more excited about the
prospect, at least."
"Salvation!" Jack screamed as Ruby returned bearing a two mugs.
"Where's mine?" Pearl cried.
"Sod off. I ain't movin' from this spot again," Ruby told her as she took a seat and buried
herself in her mug.
"Bloody hell. Some sister you are. Want some, mama?" Pearl asked as she moved toward
the bar.
"Not just yet, dear, but thank you all the same," Diamond answered, watching her
daughter head for the bar. "So where are you bound for?" she asked of Jack.
"Lover's Cove, for the newlyweds, then back to Port Royal. Don't want them gone too
long. Beyond that, where the wind takes us. Here's something you'll find interesting." He sat
forward, sweeping his hat off of his head to grin over at Diamond. "Seems your darling daughter
had entrapped a Commodore. He's pursing us across the high seas to save her."
"You shouldna tease me. I think I know me own daughter."
"It's the truth. Ask the young un's if you like."
Will nodded and Elizabeth chuckled. "She was behaving very much like a Lady,"
Elizabeth answered. "I dare say Pearl would send him running given the chance."
"Don't know about that," Jack remarked. "He went after you rightly enough, and you're a
lovely thing to look at. Could be that's what does it for him. Beauty that my daughter is she might
just hold his interest given a chance."
Pearl returned just then, bearing three tankards. Two she plopped down in front of Will
and Elizabeth. "What's this?" Will asked, sniffing at the concoction.
"Salvation. Life."
"I'll pass," Elizabeth said, pushing the tankard away.
"Why?" Pearl asked.
"Because this is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into-"
"Oh, come off it!" Jack cried.
"You're in Tortuga now," Pearl put in. "Old rules don't apply. Besides, who wants a
respectable man?"
"Speaking of which," Diamond broke in, "what is this about you and a Commodore?"
"I danced with him. Waltzed with him. Not even real dancing. I don't know where he got
this silly idea that he loved me from but he can stuff it as far as I'm concerned."
"Just checking," Diamond said. "Can't have you turning respectable on me."
"Never me," Pearl replied. As she spoke she reached into a pocket and pulled out a few
brightly colored beads and began stringing them onto her hair.
"You do that too?" Elizabeth asked, eyeing the beads with interest.
"Too?" Pearl asked. "Ha. I'm the one as got my darling father started on this particular
practice. I usually wear them all the time but they wouldn't fit under the wig so I had to cut them
off."
"And I had to hear about it for nigh unto a week," Jack added.
"You could try it, Elizabeth," Pearl suggested as she began on another twist of hair on the
other side of her face.
"I think I'll pass, thank you all the same," Elizabeth answered.
"Will?" she offered.
Jack laughed at that. "That'd be the day."
"Care to prove him wrong?" Pearl offered. "I'd do it for you."
"No, thank you. I think I can live with Jack being right just this once."
"Don't get used to it," Pearl warned when he displayed a self-satisfied grin.
"I never do with you around, luv," Jack assured her.
"What did you mean by saying waltzing isn't real dancing?" Elizabeth asked.
A grin spread slowly over Pearl's face. "You're going to regret asking that before the
night's out," Jack remarked with a matching grin.
"Why wait?" Pearl asked, thumping the table. She glanced around the tavern that had
filled rather quickly since they came in. "Someone should be playing at the Rustling Reed, and I
haven't been dancing in nearly a week."
"I'm game if Diamond is," Jack said, eyeing the woman next to him. "Making a partner of
the best dancer in Tortuga is too tempting to pass up."
Diamond tilted her head in thought for a moment before nodding. "I suppose I could
handle that. What do you say to an evening off, Ruby?"
"It's certainly been long enough since I had one," Ruby remarked, eyeing Will.
"I don't know if I like this idea," Elizabeth said.
"Well you had better learn to. It was your idea," Pearl told her. "Don't worry, you'll live.
I'd wager you'll even enjoy yourself." She shoved the tankard back toward her. "Drink it. You'll
feel better."
With a sigh Elizabeth sipped the liquid and made a face. "I'm not promising to finish
this."
"Do what you can. You too, Will." Pearl grinned as she settled back, beading finished.
"Do you play the fiddle, Will?"
"No," he answered.
"Now there's a pity," Diamond remarked. "If there ever was a better player than old
Bootstrap I didn't know them. It's sad to think it's finished with."
"Well, he did teach me and I'm not all that bad," Pearl objected.
"My father taught you to play the fiddle?" Will asked.
"Indeed. He knew I wanted to learn and my father wasn't getting around to it very
quickly."
"I'm a Captain, luv. Certain responsibilities come with that."
"Like dallying that wench that bartered her way onboard?"
"Entertaining, luv. I was entertaining 'that wench that bartered her way onboard.'"
"You were fairly 'entertained' yourself."
"Delightful as this conversation is, could we talk about something else, please?" Elizabeth
interrupted.
"I thought we were being very thoughtful, actually," Pearl said, looking slightly hurt. "I
never once said-"
"Hey!" Diamond cried. "That's enough. I find it really amazing that you passed for a Lady
at all."
"It's all about setting. It's easy to do when surrounded by silk and marble. Elizabeth, are
you done with that drink yet?"
"As done as I'm going to get. Let's go."