Chapter 18: Never Again
Elizabeth was at her wits' end. Her father wasn't helping matters. He had come over every day for the past week and a half to ask if she needed anything and to look disapprovingly at her, as if to say "I told you so." Also, her former affianced kept appearing at her door to offer his condolences. Not only that, but he was still unmarried and was apparently hoping she would now turn to him. He also made some odd comment about taking care of her child as if it was his own...
This was driving her insane. She longed to scream at everyone, to make them hear her when she said that Will had not kidnapped anyone, he had taken her away of her own consent away from the real danger that was her brother. She had tried repeatedly to tell people what he had done, but no one would believe her. It didn't help that Amos acted so convincingly. How scum like that could possibly come off as utterly charming was beyond her.
Right now she was sitting at the desk with a pen in her hand and a paper in front of her, yet she was writing nothing. Instead, she repeatedly jabbed the pen into the paper, which was now full of holes, and imprints were starting to appear on the desk. She couldn't take it. How on earth was she supposed to make people believe her when she was taken to be the wife in denial of her husband's criminal ways?
Nothing was going right. She hadn't spoken to Amara lately, either. Her missives had gone unanswered. If only she could make someone listen to her...
"Ma'am? The commodore is at the door, wishing to speak with you," came a quiet voice from the doorway.
It was a sign from heaven. She abandoned her jabbing of the paper and desk and ran in a most unseemly way to the door.
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Amara was worried. She had heard nothing from Elizabeth since the first time they had gotten together. She had sent letters, but nothing had come back. To make matters worse, Arthur had expressly ordered her to stay within the house at all times unless he chose to take her out with him. She was chafing under the restrictions. Things like this had never bothered her before, but now it was different. She had to help clear Will and Jack's names while implicating Amos, but how could she do it when she was under house arrest?
She took to pacing. Pacing seemed to be all she did lately, her thoughts running the same path incessantly. Why had Elizabeth not replied? Had she even gotten the letters? Amara had sent one every day, but nothing had come back. She didn't even have the use of Katie anymore, she had been fired by Arthur because Amos complained that she had burned his toast. Now she had a maid that was too shy to even look at her, and so far all of her efforts to befriend the girl had gone unrewarded.
She had to get out. The imprisonment was just too much, but how could she escape?
********************************
Ecstatic, Amos did a mental jump for joy. Most of his minor wounds (nearly all of them self-inflicted) had healed, and now he put all of his effort into two things: discrediting Elizabeth, and intercepting all messages between the two. He was slightly infuriated by the latter. They had been so very careful not to say anything of Arianne, only of the wish to see each other and perhaps have tea.
He had convinced his father not to let Amara out alone, as she was obviously very upset about her daughter's abduction. And that wretched maid, whatever her name was, he had gotten fired, so his mother was without allies. The maid that had been hired was fully under his control, in more than one way, he thought satisfactorily. She was too afraid of him to do anything against his wishes, unlike Arianne, and she satisfied his sadistic and other base desires well.
Fear suited him nicely, yes indeed. Grinning wickedly, he left the house to go to the police headquarters in order to see whether or not they had found his dear, dear sister.
********************************
She watched him leave, cowering in a dark corner and praying he wouldn't see her. She couldn't stand any more of his beatings, couldn't live with how he had defiled her. He had made her take letters addressed to a Mrs. Turner to him, and not only letters to Mrs. Turner, but from her as well. She didn't quite understand why he would want these, but she knew it couldn't be for any good purpose. This would end today.
Making sure he was well and gone, she went into his room and found the letters. She took all of them to the Lady Amara's room and slipped them under the door. She had nothing against Lady Amara, who had only treated her with kindness, and sought to help her in any way that she could.
She hurried away before the lady could open the door and catch her there, hurried to the cellar, where she had hidden a stash of rope. He would never defile her again. After tying the rope to a rafter, she tied it around her neck.
No, he would never touch her again.
********************************
About when the girl was hanging herself, Amara picked up the envelopes that had been stuffed under her door. There were several of them. Half of them she recognized immediately. Her own missives sent to Elizabeth. The other half were...they were letters from Elizabeth! All of them opened, no less. So she had replied! Well, no, she corrected herself. She hadn't replied. None of Amara's letters had left the house.
Sighing, she sat down and began to read.
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"Do you understand?" she asked, looking at him pleadingly.
Norrington sighed, knowing it had been too much to hope for that she had so passionately pulled him inside the house. She was only defending her husband. "I understand what you're saying, but I don't understand where this outrageous story came from!"
She was on the verge of tears, he could see it. "Will did nothing wrong! Why can't you understand?! Jack and Will heard strange sounds coming from the alley next to Will's shop. They went to investigate. Amos Bailey was brutally beating Arianne Bailey, who seemed to be unconscious at the time. Will and Jack DID knock him out, but inflicted no other wounds upon him, and they took Arianne inside the shop and cleaned her up. THEN they brought her here, and did the only thing they could do to take her away from the danger, of her own free will! I saw the bruises! I know she was not afraid when she was here, and doesn't that say something?"
This tirade made him stare blankly at her for a few moments. She was telling the truth, he felt it in his gut. He sighed. "Alright, Elizabeth, I believe you." This made her stop short. He took advantage of her quiet and asked, "What do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to talk to people, make them believe! No one will listen to me. My husband and Jack Sparrow are not criminals! Amos Bailey is the criminal!"
Before she got started again, Norrington stopped her with, "What makes you think anyone will believe me? Everyone knows I have feelings for you--" Then it dawned on him. "It's because I have feelings for you, isn't it?"
She nodded. "Yes, it is, people will believe you because you don't WANT me to have my husband back, but you're such an honorable man you can't bear lie. You would rather have me fair and square, correct?"
He nodded helplessly.
She smiled and led him out the door.
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Elizabeth was at her wits' end. Her father wasn't helping matters. He had come over every day for the past week and a half to ask if she needed anything and to look disapprovingly at her, as if to say "I told you so." Also, her former affianced kept appearing at her door to offer his condolences. Not only that, but he was still unmarried and was apparently hoping she would now turn to him. He also made some odd comment about taking care of her child as if it was his own...
This was driving her insane. She longed to scream at everyone, to make them hear her when she said that Will had not kidnapped anyone, he had taken her away of her own consent away from the real danger that was her brother. She had tried repeatedly to tell people what he had done, but no one would believe her. It didn't help that Amos acted so convincingly. How scum like that could possibly come off as utterly charming was beyond her.
Right now she was sitting at the desk with a pen in her hand and a paper in front of her, yet she was writing nothing. Instead, she repeatedly jabbed the pen into the paper, which was now full of holes, and imprints were starting to appear on the desk. She couldn't take it. How on earth was she supposed to make people believe her when she was taken to be the wife in denial of her husband's criminal ways?
Nothing was going right. She hadn't spoken to Amara lately, either. Her missives had gone unanswered. If only she could make someone listen to her...
"Ma'am? The commodore is at the door, wishing to speak with you," came a quiet voice from the doorway.
It was a sign from heaven. She abandoned her jabbing of the paper and desk and ran in a most unseemly way to the door.
********************************
Amara was worried. She had heard nothing from Elizabeth since the first time they had gotten together. She had sent letters, but nothing had come back. To make matters worse, Arthur had expressly ordered her to stay within the house at all times unless he chose to take her out with him. She was chafing under the restrictions. Things like this had never bothered her before, but now it was different. She had to help clear Will and Jack's names while implicating Amos, but how could she do it when she was under house arrest?
She took to pacing. Pacing seemed to be all she did lately, her thoughts running the same path incessantly. Why had Elizabeth not replied? Had she even gotten the letters? Amara had sent one every day, but nothing had come back. She didn't even have the use of Katie anymore, she had been fired by Arthur because Amos complained that she had burned his toast. Now she had a maid that was too shy to even look at her, and so far all of her efforts to befriend the girl had gone unrewarded.
She had to get out. The imprisonment was just too much, but how could she escape?
********************************
Ecstatic, Amos did a mental jump for joy. Most of his minor wounds (nearly all of them self-inflicted) had healed, and now he put all of his effort into two things: discrediting Elizabeth, and intercepting all messages between the two. He was slightly infuriated by the latter. They had been so very careful not to say anything of Arianne, only of the wish to see each other and perhaps have tea.
He had convinced his father not to let Amara out alone, as she was obviously very upset about her daughter's abduction. And that wretched maid, whatever her name was, he had gotten fired, so his mother was without allies. The maid that had been hired was fully under his control, in more than one way, he thought satisfactorily. She was too afraid of him to do anything against his wishes, unlike Arianne, and she satisfied his sadistic and other base desires well.
Fear suited him nicely, yes indeed. Grinning wickedly, he left the house to go to the police headquarters in order to see whether or not they had found his dear, dear sister.
********************************
She watched him leave, cowering in a dark corner and praying he wouldn't see her. She couldn't stand any more of his beatings, couldn't live with how he had defiled her. He had made her take letters addressed to a Mrs. Turner to him, and not only letters to Mrs. Turner, but from her as well. She didn't quite understand why he would want these, but she knew it couldn't be for any good purpose. This would end today.
Making sure he was well and gone, she went into his room and found the letters. She took all of them to the Lady Amara's room and slipped them under the door. She had nothing against Lady Amara, who had only treated her with kindness, and sought to help her in any way that she could.
She hurried away before the lady could open the door and catch her there, hurried to the cellar, where she had hidden a stash of rope. He would never defile her again. After tying the rope to a rafter, she tied it around her neck.
No, he would never touch her again.
********************************
About when the girl was hanging herself, Amara picked up the envelopes that had been stuffed under her door. There were several of them. Half of them she recognized immediately. Her own missives sent to Elizabeth. The other half were...they were letters from Elizabeth! All of them opened, no less. So she had replied! Well, no, she corrected herself. She hadn't replied. None of Amara's letters had left the house.
Sighing, she sat down and began to read.
********************************
"Do you understand?" she asked, looking at him pleadingly.
Norrington sighed, knowing it had been too much to hope for that she had so passionately pulled him inside the house. She was only defending her husband. "I understand what you're saying, but I don't understand where this outrageous story came from!"
She was on the verge of tears, he could see it. "Will did nothing wrong! Why can't you understand?! Jack and Will heard strange sounds coming from the alley next to Will's shop. They went to investigate. Amos Bailey was brutally beating Arianne Bailey, who seemed to be unconscious at the time. Will and Jack DID knock him out, but inflicted no other wounds upon him, and they took Arianne inside the shop and cleaned her up. THEN they brought her here, and did the only thing they could do to take her away from the danger, of her own free will! I saw the bruises! I know she was not afraid when she was here, and doesn't that say something?"
This tirade made him stare blankly at her for a few moments. She was telling the truth, he felt it in his gut. He sighed. "Alright, Elizabeth, I believe you." This made her stop short. He took advantage of her quiet and asked, "What do you want me to do about it?"
"I want you to talk to people, make them believe! No one will listen to me. My husband and Jack Sparrow are not criminals! Amos Bailey is the criminal!"
Before she got started again, Norrington stopped her with, "What makes you think anyone will believe me? Everyone knows I have feelings for you--" Then it dawned on him. "It's because I have feelings for you, isn't it?"
She nodded. "Yes, it is, people will believe you because you don't WANT me to have my husband back, but you're such an honorable man you can't bear lie. You would rather have me fair and square, correct?"
He nodded helplessly.
She smiled and led him out the door.
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