Quick Note From the Author: Thank you for those who read the first chapter.
The first chapter was a little short; I hope this chapter helps to fill you
in a little more. ~~~~~Kristi (Spazz53191)
Chapter 2: The Meeting
"Your niece?" Will asked in disbelief.
"Aye, my niece." Jack replied.
"I didn't know you had a niece!" Elizabeth said.
"Could I get a quick look at the letter?" Will asked.
Jack nodded his head in agreement, while handing over the letter to Will. Will read the letter quietly to himself:
Dear Uncle Jack,
I'm sorry to send you a letter so late at night. I'll be coming to visit you in a couple of hours. I'm sorry for the very short notice. I'll fill you in on everything when I arrive. Again, I'm dreadfully sorry that I'm barging in on your company, I apologize. I better hurry, or I'll never make it to you on time.
Your niece,
Kathrine O'Connell
Elizabeth read over Will's shoulder while Jack looked out the window, almost anticipating his niece's arrival. "Well, it's perfectly fine with me that she stays here for a while" Elizabeth said with a smile.
"How old is she?" asked Will.
"Only 12, almost 13 though" replied Jack.
"Why did she put Mr. Smith on the address?" Elizabeth asked in a curious, "wanting to know what you're up to" voice.
"Elizabeth, you know better than I do that there are still people here in Port Royal that want me out of here, and gone. I told my niece that if she needed me, to send me a letter addressed to Mr. Smith. That way, they don't know where I am, or who I am..savvy?" Jack replied.
"Oh, I see. So, do you suspect that she ran away?" Elizabeth asked.
"She wouldn't have run away if it wasn't an emergency. She's a smart girl, she knows what to do..despite how my sister treats her." Jack replied.
"Your sister?" Will and Elizabeth said at the same time.
"Aye, my sister. She's not such a great mother to her. That's why I visit my niece often, just to see that everything's alright. You see mate, Jennie (my sister), said it was a mistake that Kathrine was born. The day she was born, I came to see that my sister was alright, but I ended up taking a liking to the young gal. After all, when I looked at her, I saw that there was one specific feature that everyone had taken a liking to, her eyes. They're brown, and seeking adventure all the time. For, whenever I visit, she asks that I take her away and raise her me self..." Jack said.
"Well, why didn't you?" Elizabeth asked.
"I couldn't take care of a young child very well. Although, she did make it fairly easy for me, mate." He said with a laugh and continued, "You see she asked me to teach her how to sail when she was very young. She knows everything I know about being captain of a ship, and even how to use a sword." He smiled to himself, feeling a bit proud.
"So, I guess her parents aren't the greatest?" Will asked, feeling sorry for Kathrine.
"Aye, they sit at the table all day, drinking rum. Now, I know what you're thinking, "it runs in the family", not entirely true, mate. Jennie drinks at least 7 bottles a day, while Jonathon drinks 9 bottles a day. Think about it..a day!!! You can see where all of their shillings go to. While they're drinking rum, Kathrine sits in her room all day, teaching herself how to read and write, and I must say again mate, she's very smart." Jack said.
"Elizabeth? Would you like to go with me to get some extra blankets to make a bed for young Kathrine? I'm sure she'll be terribly tired." Will asked.
"Of course. I think she'll be a delight to have here." Elizabeth smiled while turning around to Jack. "You might want to keep a look out for her" she suggested.
"Aye!" Jack replied.
Jack lighted another candle near the window sill, so he could see better through the rain. He thought about what might have happened that had made Kathrine run away so quickly. Could it be something Jennie or Jonathon said or done? He wondered to himself. But, suddenly there was a knock at the door.
Jack immediately got his hat on the table, ready for a little joke. He hid behind the door while opening it. When he heard nothing, he was about to close the door again, thinking that it was just something on the roof that had made the knocking sound, when he heard a playful voice. "What are you doing?"
Out jumped Kathrine almost screaming in delight. "Uncle Jack!!!!!"
She ran into his arms and they hugged, delighted to see each other.
"That was a very nice trick, young lady." Jack said, in a playful tone.
Kathrine smiled and hugged her uncle again. "But what were you doing out in a storm like this, coming for a visit?"
"Mom and Dad didn't want me to stay there, so I decided to come here to visit you!" Kathrine replied. But, then suddenly turned the smile upside down. "You won't make me go back, will you?" she asked her uncle who smiled, liking how her niece wanted to spend time with him so much.
"'Course not Kathrine, what kind of uncle to you think I am? I wouldn't leave my favorite and only niece, walking back in this kind of weather.. Unless of course you want to, mate?" he said in a jokingly voice.
"Very funny Uncle Jack" she said while laughing.
"Now what do you say we get you a towel so you can dry off a bit, savvy? You're hair is even quite a bit drenched. But your eyes, your eyes look lovely." Jack said.
Kathrine smiled, knowing that her Uncle always complimented on how lovely her eyes were every time he visited her. "Well you know I did inherit them from my Uncle Jack!" she said as they smiled at each other. Kathrine took his hat and placed it on her head.
"Very lovely, it suits you love." Jack said in a teasing voice while Kathrine smiled with her head held high.
Just then a voice came from a woman Kathrine had never seen before, "Oh honey! You're absolutely drenched!" the woman said. "Will," her attention turned to a man standing near another room, "could you get another towel for Kathrine?" she asked him. Will nodded in agreement.
"Kathrine, this is my dear friend Elizabeth." Jack introduced them.
"Hello!" Kathrine said in delight, while they shook hands.
"I've heard a lot about you, tonight." Elizabeth said with a smile.
The young man Kathrine had seen near the door way returned with the towel. He gently gave it to Elizabeth to put on Kathrine's shoulder.
"Thank you." Kathrine said in a small voice.
"Kathrine, this is my other good friend, Will." Jack now introduced them.
"Nice to meet you" Will said while shaking Kathrine's hand.
"You too" Kathrine said.
"You've had a long day, love. Let's get you to bed." Jack said to his niece.
"Here, I'll show you to your room." Elizabeth suggested while leading Kathrine to the room.
"Good-night everyone." Kathrine said before turning the corner to her room.
"Your bed is already ready and here are some clothes for now. I could dry the one's you're wearing now, and they'll be ready for tomorrow."
"Thank you so much" Kathrine thanked Elizabeth with a smile.
"You're welcome" Elizabeth smiled, "Oh, and when you're done changing out of your clothes, you can just set them outside the door and I'll pick them up to dry. But, go ahead and get ready, you must be dreadfully tired." Elizabeth said.
"Oh, thank you again!" Kathrine replied.
Elizabeth walked out of the room and shut the door. Kathrine did as Elizabeth suggested and then put her old wet clothes outside the door. She hopped in bed and realized how incredibly soft the mattress was. She grabbed the candle near her bedside drawer and blew it out. Kathrine lay her head against the pillow and almost instantly fell asleep.
Chapter 2: The Meeting
"Your niece?" Will asked in disbelief.
"Aye, my niece." Jack replied.
"I didn't know you had a niece!" Elizabeth said.
"Could I get a quick look at the letter?" Will asked.
Jack nodded his head in agreement, while handing over the letter to Will. Will read the letter quietly to himself:
Dear Uncle Jack,
I'm sorry to send you a letter so late at night. I'll be coming to visit you in a couple of hours. I'm sorry for the very short notice. I'll fill you in on everything when I arrive. Again, I'm dreadfully sorry that I'm barging in on your company, I apologize. I better hurry, or I'll never make it to you on time.
Your niece,
Kathrine O'Connell
Elizabeth read over Will's shoulder while Jack looked out the window, almost anticipating his niece's arrival. "Well, it's perfectly fine with me that she stays here for a while" Elizabeth said with a smile.
"How old is she?" asked Will.
"Only 12, almost 13 though" replied Jack.
"Why did she put Mr. Smith on the address?" Elizabeth asked in a curious, "wanting to know what you're up to" voice.
"Elizabeth, you know better than I do that there are still people here in Port Royal that want me out of here, and gone. I told my niece that if she needed me, to send me a letter addressed to Mr. Smith. That way, they don't know where I am, or who I am..savvy?" Jack replied.
"Oh, I see. So, do you suspect that she ran away?" Elizabeth asked.
"She wouldn't have run away if it wasn't an emergency. She's a smart girl, she knows what to do..despite how my sister treats her." Jack replied.
"Your sister?" Will and Elizabeth said at the same time.
"Aye, my sister. She's not such a great mother to her. That's why I visit my niece often, just to see that everything's alright. You see mate, Jennie (my sister), said it was a mistake that Kathrine was born. The day she was born, I came to see that my sister was alright, but I ended up taking a liking to the young gal. After all, when I looked at her, I saw that there was one specific feature that everyone had taken a liking to, her eyes. They're brown, and seeking adventure all the time. For, whenever I visit, she asks that I take her away and raise her me self..." Jack said.
"Well, why didn't you?" Elizabeth asked.
"I couldn't take care of a young child very well. Although, she did make it fairly easy for me, mate." He said with a laugh and continued, "You see she asked me to teach her how to sail when she was very young. She knows everything I know about being captain of a ship, and even how to use a sword." He smiled to himself, feeling a bit proud.
"So, I guess her parents aren't the greatest?" Will asked, feeling sorry for Kathrine.
"Aye, they sit at the table all day, drinking rum. Now, I know what you're thinking, "it runs in the family", not entirely true, mate. Jennie drinks at least 7 bottles a day, while Jonathon drinks 9 bottles a day. Think about it..a day!!! You can see where all of their shillings go to. While they're drinking rum, Kathrine sits in her room all day, teaching herself how to read and write, and I must say again mate, she's very smart." Jack said.
"Elizabeth? Would you like to go with me to get some extra blankets to make a bed for young Kathrine? I'm sure she'll be terribly tired." Will asked.
"Of course. I think she'll be a delight to have here." Elizabeth smiled while turning around to Jack. "You might want to keep a look out for her" she suggested.
"Aye!" Jack replied.
Jack lighted another candle near the window sill, so he could see better through the rain. He thought about what might have happened that had made Kathrine run away so quickly. Could it be something Jennie or Jonathon said or done? He wondered to himself. But, suddenly there was a knock at the door.
Jack immediately got his hat on the table, ready for a little joke. He hid behind the door while opening it. When he heard nothing, he was about to close the door again, thinking that it was just something on the roof that had made the knocking sound, when he heard a playful voice. "What are you doing?"
Out jumped Kathrine almost screaming in delight. "Uncle Jack!!!!!"
She ran into his arms and they hugged, delighted to see each other.
"That was a very nice trick, young lady." Jack said, in a playful tone.
Kathrine smiled and hugged her uncle again. "But what were you doing out in a storm like this, coming for a visit?"
"Mom and Dad didn't want me to stay there, so I decided to come here to visit you!" Kathrine replied. But, then suddenly turned the smile upside down. "You won't make me go back, will you?" she asked her uncle who smiled, liking how her niece wanted to spend time with him so much.
"'Course not Kathrine, what kind of uncle to you think I am? I wouldn't leave my favorite and only niece, walking back in this kind of weather.. Unless of course you want to, mate?" he said in a jokingly voice.
"Very funny Uncle Jack" she said while laughing.
"Now what do you say we get you a towel so you can dry off a bit, savvy? You're hair is even quite a bit drenched. But your eyes, your eyes look lovely." Jack said.
Kathrine smiled, knowing that her Uncle always complimented on how lovely her eyes were every time he visited her. "Well you know I did inherit them from my Uncle Jack!" she said as they smiled at each other. Kathrine took his hat and placed it on her head.
"Very lovely, it suits you love." Jack said in a teasing voice while Kathrine smiled with her head held high.
Just then a voice came from a woman Kathrine had never seen before, "Oh honey! You're absolutely drenched!" the woman said. "Will," her attention turned to a man standing near another room, "could you get another towel for Kathrine?" she asked him. Will nodded in agreement.
"Kathrine, this is my dear friend Elizabeth." Jack introduced them.
"Hello!" Kathrine said in delight, while they shook hands.
"I've heard a lot about you, tonight." Elizabeth said with a smile.
The young man Kathrine had seen near the door way returned with the towel. He gently gave it to Elizabeth to put on Kathrine's shoulder.
"Thank you." Kathrine said in a small voice.
"Kathrine, this is my other good friend, Will." Jack now introduced them.
"Nice to meet you" Will said while shaking Kathrine's hand.
"You too" Kathrine said.
"You've had a long day, love. Let's get you to bed." Jack said to his niece.
"Here, I'll show you to your room." Elizabeth suggested while leading Kathrine to the room.
"Good-night everyone." Kathrine said before turning the corner to her room.
"Your bed is already ready and here are some clothes for now. I could dry the one's you're wearing now, and they'll be ready for tomorrow."
"Thank you so much" Kathrine thanked Elizabeth with a smile.
"You're welcome" Elizabeth smiled, "Oh, and when you're done changing out of your clothes, you can just set them outside the door and I'll pick them up to dry. But, go ahead and get ready, you must be dreadfully tired." Elizabeth said.
"Oh, thank you again!" Kathrine replied.
Elizabeth walked out of the room and shut the door. Kathrine did as Elizabeth suggested and then put her old wet clothes outside the door. She hopped in bed and realized how incredibly soft the mattress was. She grabbed the candle near her bedside drawer and blew it out. Kathrine lay her head against the pillow and almost instantly fell asleep.