Chapter 2
Gabriel entered his home at around four in the afternoon, after talking with Captain Jack Sparrow about the date they set sail, and such details. He walked around to the parlor, and found his daughter sitting on a chair, reading a book. She was so immersed in the book that she didn't notice when her father entered the hearth. He cleared his throat, and she looked up and smiled. "Oh! How was your meeting?"
Her father smiled. "Good." He put his hands together. "Tess, tonight at 7 'o' clock, we will be having a guest. So, dress in the appropriate manor." Tess smiled. He smiled back at her, and went upstairs. She sat there, and stared at the stairs minutes after he had gone up them. She silently thought of how strange her father had been acting in the past year. After the death of her mother to consumption (tuberculosis), he had acted strange. Even more strange than most people after the death of a loved one. It is no secret in the household that Gabriel had been seeing another women even before her mother's death, but he still loved his wife truly.
Tess sighed and walked up the stairs to get ready for the dinner that night. Her maid held out three dresses for her when she was in her undergarments. One dress was maroon with black trimming, another was yellow with red trimming, and another was light blue with white lace. In the end, she chose the blue one. It brought out the blue in her green-blue eyes. They were mournful, like the sea after a storm. She watched her face as her maid tightened the laces painfully on her corset again. Her delicate, subtle features were put to shame by her eyes and her lips. Her lips were full, and gave her the look like she was longing for something at the oddest moments. But every time she cracked a smile, her sorrowful look was forgotten, and only joy was seen.
Tess sat at her makeup table, and monotonously applied makeup. She hated makeup, so she was sure to add as little as possible. She sighed when she had finished, and looked at her clock. It was almost exactly 7 'o' clock. Tess breathed as much as she could in her restricting corset, and made for the entrance room. She watched her feet peek out from her dress as she walked down the stairs, one hand on the rail, the other holding her dress so she wouldn't rip it. When she finally looked at the door, she saw two men standing there, chatting quietly. Both men's faces lit up when they saw her. One man was her father. She kissed her father's cheek when she stepped onto the floor, and looked at the other man. He had dread locks, and interesting beads hanging from them, and had a red bandana wrapped around his head. Tess also spotted a ragged hat resting on the coat hanger by the door. Tess tried to force back a smile.
"Captain, let me introduce to you my daughter, Tess." Gabriel said, looking from either one to the other. "Tess, this is the Captain Jack Sparrow."
Tess's eyes shot wide open at the sound of that name, and she extended her hand out of courtesy. Jack kissed it, and Tess regained her conscious. She slightly bowed her head, and took back her hand. "How lovely to meet you, Captain."
"Shall we make for the parlor?" Gabriel said. Jack eyed Tess as she walked past him into the parlor, and she sat in an armchair across from Jack and her father. Tess sat straight up, like a lady would be expected to, and politely listened to the two gentlemen make conversation.
"Uh, Tess." Gabriel said. He scooted forward, now looking at Tess. "Tess, I think I need to tell you something." Tess gave her full attention, her eyebrows now relaxed. "The Captain here has agreed to take us to The Lost Island."
Tess sat looking from her father to Jack. Tess could only make a series of sounds. She took a breath, looked down at her fingernails, then back up at her father. "Uh. why. would we be going?"
"I found the map." Gabriel said. "I found it on the hearth. You know the crack that has always been there? Well, somehow, it was a secret compartment. And the map was in it. Along with a few other things of great value." Tess still looked at her father like she didn't understand. Her father continued as to make her understand better. "We're going to try to find the treasure."
Tess exhaled. "But why?"
Gabriel smiled, and both he and Jack exchanged a look. "Darling, why not? We don't have anything better to do. And I daresay that you need a bit of an escape from this house."
"Well." Tess said, trying not to admit it. "I do need a bit of a vacation."
Tess's father smiled and clapped his hands together. "Good!" he said. "Then it's agreed! We set sale for Tortuga on the 15th. We get supplies and such there, stay for a day, then leave for The Lost Island."
Tess took a breath to regain herself, rather unsuccessfully. Her corset was getting tighter by the minute it seemed. "Oh." that would mean that they'd be leaving in five days. "Mr. London sir? Miss London." A servant was in the doorway. "Dinner is served."
Her father escorted Tess to the dining room, Jack a few steps behind her. Gabriel pulled out her chair, and she sat down with her back not touching the back of the chair. Gabriel sat at the head of the table, and Jack sat at his right, Tess at his left. Soon, a servant brought in a bottle fine wine, pouring some into each glass laid out in front of them. Jack took a large swig after Gabriel did, and Tess tentatively swiveled the red wine around in her glass, smelled it, then took a small sip and set it down. All during the dinner, Tess's eyes remained fixed upon her father, occasionally drifting over to Jack's darkly rimmed eyes. Tess could feel Jack's penetrating glaze upon herself. Tess kept blushing, and looking at only who was speaking at the time, finding that her head was getting light. She kept putting her hand to her corset, trying to get a little bit more air, but failing terribly. It only made her look fidgety.
"Tess, darling is there something wrong?" Gabriel said over his beautifully made dinner.
"No, father." Tess said, looking down, then back up. "It's just this corset."
Jack half smiled, and chose that moment to speak. "Aye, I hear corsets can be very difficult. Maybe a breath of air would help you?"
"Yes, thank you Captain, I will step outside into the garden for a moment, if you don't mind father?" Tess looked at her father, standing, not really caring if he said yes. "Of course darling, the captain and I will be speaking about our departure until you return." Her father said, and both men rose when Tess had left the room, leaving the two men to speak alone.
Gabriel entered his home at around four in the afternoon, after talking with Captain Jack Sparrow about the date they set sail, and such details. He walked around to the parlor, and found his daughter sitting on a chair, reading a book. She was so immersed in the book that she didn't notice when her father entered the hearth. He cleared his throat, and she looked up and smiled. "Oh! How was your meeting?"
Her father smiled. "Good." He put his hands together. "Tess, tonight at 7 'o' clock, we will be having a guest. So, dress in the appropriate manor." Tess smiled. He smiled back at her, and went upstairs. She sat there, and stared at the stairs minutes after he had gone up them. She silently thought of how strange her father had been acting in the past year. After the death of her mother to consumption (tuberculosis), he had acted strange. Even more strange than most people after the death of a loved one. It is no secret in the household that Gabriel had been seeing another women even before her mother's death, but he still loved his wife truly.
Tess sighed and walked up the stairs to get ready for the dinner that night. Her maid held out three dresses for her when she was in her undergarments. One dress was maroon with black trimming, another was yellow with red trimming, and another was light blue with white lace. In the end, she chose the blue one. It brought out the blue in her green-blue eyes. They were mournful, like the sea after a storm. She watched her face as her maid tightened the laces painfully on her corset again. Her delicate, subtle features were put to shame by her eyes and her lips. Her lips were full, and gave her the look like she was longing for something at the oddest moments. But every time she cracked a smile, her sorrowful look was forgotten, and only joy was seen.
Tess sat at her makeup table, and monotonously applied makeup. She hated makeup, so she was sure to add as little as possible. She sighed when she had finished, and looked at her clock. It was almost exactly 7 'o' clock. Tess breathed as much as she could in her restricting corset, and made for the entrance room. She watched her feet peek out from her dress as she walked down the stairs, one hand on the rail, the other holding her dress so she wouldn't rip it. When she finally looked at the door, she saw two men standing there, chatting quietly. Both men's faces lit up when they saw her. One man was her father. She kissed her father's cheek when she stepped onto the floor, and looked at the other man. He had dread locks, and interesting beads hanging from them, and had a red bandana wrapped around his head. Tess also spotted a ragged hat resting on the coat hanger by the door. Tess tried to force back a smile.
"Captain, let me introduce to you my daughter, Tess." Gabriel said, looking from either one to the other. "Tess, this is the Captain Jack Sparrow."
Tess's eyes shot wide open at the sound of that name, and she extended her hand out of courtesy. Jack kissed it, and Tess regained her conscious. She slightly bowed her head, and took back her hand. "How lovely to meet you, Captain."
"Shall we make for the parlor?" Gabriel said. Jack eyed Tess as she walked past him into the parlor, and she sat in an armchair across from Jack and her father. Tess sat straight up, like a lady would be expected to, and politely listened to the two gentlemen make conversation.
"Uh, Tess." Gabriel said. He scooted forward, now looking at Tess. "Tess, I think I need to tell you something." Tess gave her full attention, her eyebrows now relaxed. "The Captain here has agreed to take us to The Lost Island."
Tess sat looking from her father to Jack. Tess could only make a series of sounds. She took a breath, looked down at her fingernails, then back up at her father. "Uh. why. would we be going?"
"I found the map." Gabriel said. "I found it on the hearth. You know the crack that has always been there? Well, somehow, it was a secret compartment. And the map was in it. Along with a few other things of great value." Tess still looked at her father like she didn't understand. Her father continued as to make her understand better. "We're going to try to find the treasure."
Tess exhaled. "But why?"
Gabriel smiled, and both he and Jack exchanged a look. "Darling, why not? We don't have anything better to do. And I daresay that you need a bit of an escape from this house."
"Well." Tess said, trying not to admit it. "I do need a bit of a vacation."
Tess's father smiled and clapped his hands together. "Good!" he said. "Then it's agreed! We set sale for Tortuga on the 15th. We get supplies and such there, stay for a day, then leave for The Lost Island."
Tess took a breath to regain herself, rather unsuccessfully. Her corset was getting tighter by the minute it seemed. "Oh." that would mean that they'd be leaving in five days. "Mr. London sir? Miss London." A servant was in the doorway. "Dinner is served."
Her father escorted Tess to the dining room, Jack a few steps behind her. Gabriel pulled out her chair, and she sat down with her back not touching the back of the chair. Gabriel sat at the head of the table, and Jack sat at his right, Tess at his left. Soon, a servant brought in a bottle fine wine, pouring some into each glass laid out in front of them. Jack took a large swig after Gabriel did, and Tess tentatively swiveled the red wine around in her glass, smelled it, then took a small sip and set it down. All during the dinner, Tess's eyes remained fixed upon her father, occasionally drifting over to Jack's darkly rimmed eyes. Tess could feel Jack's penetrating glaze upon herself. Tess kept blushing, and looking at only who was speaking at the time, finding that her head was getting light. She kept putting her hand to her corset, trying to get a little bit more air, but failing terribly. It only made her look fidgety.
"Tess, darling is there something wrong?" Gabriel said over his beautifully made dinner.
"No, father." Tess said, looking down, then back up. "It's just this corset."
Jack half smiled, and chose that moment to speak. "Aye, I hear corsets can be very difficult. Maybe a breath of air would help you?"
"Yes, thank you Captain, I will step outside into the garden for a moment, if you don't mind father?" Tess looked at her father, standing, not really caring if he said yes. "Of course darling, the captain and I will be speaking about our departure until you return." Her father said, and both men rose when Tess had left the room, leaving the two men to speak alone.