Pearls of a Different Color
Summary: Imagine you go to bed but you wake up in a different century as well as in a different body. You have some question on your mind. What happened? Who and where are you? Most importantly, why are you so drawn towards the pirate who insists you call him Captain Jack Sparrow?
Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own any part of the Disney movie, Pirates of the Caribbean, although I really wouldn't mind owning a certain handsome pirate and an almost equally gorgeous blacksmith.
Author's Note: Words written in italics are thoughts.
Chapter One
Waking Up Confused
It was very late at night and you were sitting at your vanity, looking at your reflection in the mirror. You had always been an old fashioned girl at heart, you were used to your mother brushing your hair one-hundred strokes before you went to bed. It was a tradition that had started when you were very little, so without thinking you pick up your brush and begin brushing your hair.
Once you've begun you wish that you'd turned on your radio so you lean over to flip the switch on before you continue to brush your hair.
The first song that comes on makes you smile. All your friends and family wondered why you enjoyed listening to her music so much but since you were living in your own apartment you decided to turn up the volume and belt out the lyrics yourself. Before you knew it you were dancing in the middle of your room singing Britney Spears and Madonna's song, Me Against the Music, into your hairbrush. You attempted to sing the sultry lines of Madonna while looking at your reflection in the mirror again.
Hey Britney, you say you want to lose control,
Come over here, I've got something to show you.
Sexy lady, I'd rather see you bare your soul,
If you think your so hot, better show me what you got.
Once you finished singing you started laughing. You knew that you weren't that good of a singer and it made you laugh to imagine yourself being such a diva. You decide that you've brushed your hair enough so you drop the hairbrush and move into the bathroom to brush your teeth.
Once you've finished, you move back into your bedroom and turn off your radio and instead turn on your alarm. Next you flipped off the light switch and you slide into bed and pull up the covers.
You awoke the next morning to a noise that was not at all like the music that usually played when your alarm went off. You looked up and noticed that you couldn't actually tell if it was morning or not due to the curtains hanging around your bed. Wait a moment, I don't have any curtains hanging around my bed! Next thing you know, the curtains were pulled back a bright sunlight filtered through the nearby window and it shone straight into your eyes.
"Good morning Miss Watson, how are ye?" a young woman, dressed like a serving maid from the eighteenth century, asked you.
"Um, what's going on? Where am I? Is someone trying to play a joke on me or what?" you ask.
"I figure ye'd be asking such questions Miss. Master Turner found ye last night on the doorstep and it's a good thing he did because ye were found unconscious. It's also very lucky that Miss Elizabeth knew ye were coming to stay or else I don't know what would have happened the ye, Miss Rhiana. Ye don't mind if I call ye that, do ye?" the maid asked timidly.
"Yeah, whatever you want," you responded. Oh my, is this woman crazy? What is she wearing, why is she talking like that, and why does she think I'm this Rhiana woman?
"Thank ye Miss Rhiana," the maid said happily, pulling a dress out of the closet near the foot of the bed.
You see the big, poufy skirted dress and you can't help but speak out. "Am I going to have to wear that? Um, what's your name?" you ask in a very confused voice.
"Considering that ye didn't arrive with a trunk of clothes we assumed that it had gotten lost. Miss Elizabeth has graciously loaned you this dress, which is a good think considering the state of your outfit. By the way, my name is Jacqueline," the girl said.
You stand up and look down to see what it was that you were wearing because through all the confusion of the morning you had forgotten what you had put on. What is she talking about? I almost always wear tight sweat pants and a tank top to bed, guess it is not considered "proper" here.
"Miss, your dress? You are to join Master William, Miss Elizabeth, and their friend Captain Jack Sparrow," the maid (whom you've decided to call Jacqui from now on if she allowed you) told you with a shudder as she said the last name. "Now come over here and tell me if this dress is to your liking."
You walked up and actually looked at the gown, which from far away had looked horribly like your old bed sheets. Once you got close you realized that the ugly material was just covering the dress, the dress itself was actually quite beautiful. It was a deep ruby red color and it had a low dip in the front that you suspected would show just the right amount of cleavage without being trashy. The sleeves were gathered at the elbow and they flared out away from the gather, you figured it would drape elegantly down your arm.
You were already completely hypnotized by the gown even before you had felt the material. You reached out and touched it and you fell even more in love with it, it was made of the softest silk in the world.
"Oh my," you said, looking at Jacqui, "why would Elizabeth loan me a dress like this? If it was mine, I would wear it every chance I could get!"
"Actually Miss, there's this unusual belief here in Port Royal that a married woman shouldn't wear such, um, colors that entrance the men. They say the only woman who should wear such colors should only be trying to ensnare a husband. Of course Miss Elizabeth doesn't listen to such talk and she still wears the dress but she felt that you'd like it," Jacqui said, smiling.
"Okay, now how do I get into this?" you ask, holding the beautiful but bulky dress in front of you.
Jacqui giggled, "That's the point of a maid, Miss. You need help to get into the dress, every girl does. Now please take of your bedclothes."
You feel slightly awkward but you do as she tells you. From her sincerity and from what you've read about the past (which you now assume that you are in) you figure that this was common.
Jacqui slipped an article of clothing over your head and you look down to see a full skirt and a very stiff top in a matching light pink color. As Jacqui laces up the back of your top you realize that the article of clothing must be a corset. Before you notice it the beautiful red gown is being placed on your body as well.
While Jacqui is in the process of getting you clothed, you decide to ask her some of the easier questions that are on your mind.
"Who is this Jack Sparrow that you spoke of? It doesn't sound like you like him very much. By the way, may I call you Jacqui?" you asked, attempting to sound as proper as you could, after all you were(apparently) a woman of high class.
"It's obvious that ye are related to Miss Elizabeth fore she asked me the exact same question when I first arrived here. Now about that Jack Sparrow, whom will most likely tell ye to call him Captain Jack Sparrow, is a pirate. At first I couldn't believe that the quite handsome man was a horrible, disgusting pirate, he had actually looked nice and clean when I saw him. He'll never change his ways though," Jacqui said. "Now let's get your hair done."
When you sat down for Jacqui to do your hair you watched and realized that she mush have been doing hair for a very long time. In moments you had a gorgeous up-do with long, spiraled tendrils hanging down in various places. As you looked at your hair in the mirror, Jacqui disappeared but she came back moments later carrying a pair of shoes, a pair of earrings, and a necklace.
You were grateful when you noticed the shoes were not heeled. They were flat, ballet-like slippers. The necklace and earrings were both gold, the necklace was made of a very fine chain with a dangling ruby and the earrings matched it.
You stared at it all in amazement before you smile and gratefully accept it. You slip on the shoes and put on the jewelry and then you stand up and look at your reflection in the floor length mirror on the closet door.
"The jewelry is a gift from Captain Jack Sparrow. When he arrived here late last night, which was the only reason Master Turner found you last night, he had a rather large bag of jewels with him. He told us that he and his crew had recently acquired them if you understand my meaning. He said we could all look through it and take what we want. I wasn't going to because I really don't like the thought of wearing stolen jewelry but when I saw that you had no jewels I figured I'd try and find some that match your outfit," Jacqui said, smiling.
A bell rang and Jacqui looked at you. "Time for your day on the town," and she led you out of your room and down the grand staircase leading towards the front room.
You look down from the top of the stairs and you look down and see three people standing there. You see an elegantly dressed lady who you assume is Elizabeth, talking to a man with black pants and a white button-up shirt with billowing sleeves. Considering the closeness you figured the man was William (who you believed must be Elizabeth's husband because of what Jacqui had said.)
The other man wore almost the exact same thing as William, except that he wore a black vest he wore over his white shirt. He also had beads in his hair and beard, which made you assume he was Jack because that seemed like something a pirate might wear.
You quickly looked back down at the stairs because you feared you'd trip. At a word from Jacqui you looked back up to find Jack staring straight at you. I didn't think a pirate could be that handsome. With that thought you fell down the stairs.
Note from SweetKitten: Please review, I'd really like to know how you guys feel about this. Feel free to tell me if you wish for anything specific to happen, I'll see if I can work it in. Everyone have a nice New Year and I'll post more as soon as I can!
