Chapter 3 - Who Knew?
An hour later, Leigh left the church, feeling slightly better and even a bit inspired. There was a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. The sun helped brighten her mood, and even the thought of how the other women talked about her didn't seem to shake her anymore.
Everything seemed right in the world, and although matters of a different kind still pressed in the back of her mind, Leigh tried hard not to think of them. It wasn't worth getting upset again.
As the Wilcox house appeared in the distance, Leigh quickened her pace. The streets of the large English port town were bustling with people, and even from a distance she could see many men entering the House.
Glancing briefly at the many different faces as she passed them, Leigh almost wished she could hear what they were thinking. A different life, a different perspective.these things never ceased to fascinate her thoughts. She'd always gone through life (since he'd left, anyhow) wishing she was somebody else. And ever since, she'd never stopped thinking about it.
To be someone else was, to Leigh, a great adventure. She would most likely be happy, well dressed, in a good state of mind, heavy with child and joyous with husband. Yet, she knew she would never have those things, for what man would want her now. She was nothing but a wench to most men, and no respectable man wanted anything but a virgin princess.
Hell, even unrespectable men wanted anything but what Leigh was. And this thought brought great sadness to her heart. She may never fall in love again, and no one could ever love her. She supposed it was the price she had to pay for her actions and for her misfortune.
Leigh shuddered in sudden remembrance of the certain instance in her past that no one knew about; not even her adopted mother. She'd never told anyone, and never planned to tell anyone. She'd been tainted, and no man would want her now.
A sudden flashback had Leigh stumbling, causing her to immediately seek shelter in a nearby alleyway. She clutched her head as painful memories covered her in darkness.
He stood there, his smirk perverted and his eyes dangerously drunken. His breath reeked of his liquor, and his own stench wasn't much better. He lifted her chin up to face him as he glared down at her.
"Such a young, pretty face." he'd mused after he'd taken his fill. "It's been a pleasure, my little poppet." He added in disdain, a scowl replacing the smirk as he threw her head back against the stone wall of the building, immediately knocking her unconscious.
Leigh gasped for breath, crying to herself and falling to the ground in the alleyway. The same alleyway where the strange man had attacked and raped her. He'd left her for dead, and it was then that Madam Wilcox found her, huddled outside of the Wilcox house, head bleeding.
She'd been only 14, and it had been only a week after he had left. So it was no surprise to her that she had been walking the streets alone the night, weeping quietly to herself and hoping silently to find him in one of the alleyways, excited to see her. But she never saw him, instead she saw a different man, one who lured her in and attacked her with a malice she'd never known.
It was then that she had decided that she was not worthy of a good husband or family.she wasn't even worthy of the man she'd loved since she was but a child, and he not much older.
Taking a deep breath, Leigh stood up slowly, steadying herself against the wall of the Wilcox House. Feeling anger rise in her once more, she sighed as her bright mood fell away like delicate sand through shaky hands.
Biting her lip to keep from screaming in agony of the past that haunted her, Leigh stalked shakily up the porch and through the doors of the Wilcox House, seeking the shelter of her room.
Madam Wilcox was the first to see her, and one glare from Leigh told her not to intervene in Leigh's mood. Her darkened steel eyes said it all.
Yet, as she was halfway to her room, Leigh closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't just bail on her job, not now. Sunday, surprisingly, was a busy day for the house, and Leigh was needed in the restaurant.
Making her decision, Leigh headed back down the stairs and grabbed an apron off of the hanger on the wall, putting it on and grabbing an order book from one of the various shelves outlining the back of the first floor near the kitchen.
Heading out, she made eye contact with her mother and nodded, silently stating that she was prepared to work. Madam Wilcox smiled and resumed her own entertaining duties.
Leigh watched people flood into the House, the lunch crowd eager for food. Leigh greeted them and seated them at various tables, tending to them herself. Only one other woman was waitressing that day, so Leigh had extra tables to focus on.
She watched as people came and went, and made sure to keep her hidden anger in check. She put on a blank face and a fake smile to everyone she saw, hoping that time would find her happiness that day.
It was then that a very unexpected occurrence would happen; one that would alter Leigh's life as she knew it forever.
That night at the restaurant as Leigh was serving customers, a group of men and one woman walked in. Leigh paid them little attention as she was off to give an order to the cook. But as she came around to take the group's order, her eyes fell upon one of the strangers.
His hat was tilted low onto his face, which was hidden by its dark shadow. His hair fell down to his shoulders in dark brown dreads. Beads were threaded through the matted hair and added color to the man's otherwise not so colorful demeanor.
He had two braided stands of hair on his chin that almost touched his collarbone as he tilted his neck down. His clothes were rather dirty, the yellowed white torn and tattered in a few places and weathered from the outdoors.
From what she could see, this man appeared to be a pirate, and she had no idea why she felt an air about him that seemed somewhat familiar.
As Leigh approached the table, she put on a smile and flipped through her order book to find a blank page.
"What'll ye be havin', gents?" She asked, her voice confident with a touch of anger, not intended for her customers, of course.
One of the many men at the table glanced up at Leigh, his beady eyes scanning her through thick brows and a dirty face. He touched his chin and rubbed it in thought, his bristly beard short and trimmed.
"I think I'll be havin' the lobster tail.it's fresh from the sea, aye?" the man with the beady eyes asked, smiling at her.
"Aye." Leigh replied, grinning.
"What'll you be havin', Cap'n?" the man asked the man at his side, the one with the hat bent over his eyes.
"I think I'll have..." the man began, scanning the menu. Slowly he turned his head up, revealing his face to Leigh, and grinned at her. "The spaghetti."
It was him.
Leigh almost dropped her booklet. Her jaw dropped open and her face turned ghostly white. Her bottom lip began to tremble and she felt every bit of confidence, nerve, or even ambition just spill out of her.
The man's brows furrowed as he saw her reaction, and he squinted his eyes in thought. Leigh's breath became raspy as he kept staring at her. Suddenly everyone in the restaurant became quiet as they all stared at her.
"Jack?" the man next to him asked, looking at Leigh with concerned eyes. "Do you know this lass?"
Jack didn't say anything, but simply stared at her, clearly confused. Leigh couldn't believe her eyes. He didn't recognize her. He had no idea.
Glancing around, she noticed everyone staring at her. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, but to no avail.
"Uh.uh.yes, sir, good- good choice, sir." She replied, her voice very quiet and her chest heaving. She slowly turned around and walked quickly to the back room, running the last half of the way.
Madam Wilcox had spotted her incident, and immediately knew what had happened. Rushing to the back room herself, she found Leigh against one of the walls.
She had stumbled into the back room, half near tears and half scared to death. She'd fallen to the floor and clutched her legs to her chest. He was back.
~
"Darling, darling you need to talk to him." Madam Wilcox whispered to Leigh as she scooped her into her arms. "If he's here why not take advantage of it? Clear things up, free yourself of him!"
"I bloody can't!" Leigh replied harshly, feeling wet tears stream down her face. "He's too close, too soon. I can't! I mean, I had no idea! Jack Sparrow! Of all people for me to be hurt by, why did it have to be him?"
"Be quiet! You must go to him!" Her adopted mother ushered her. "If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. How are you ever going to move on if you don't get closure?"
Leigh's breath was still coming in heavy gasps, and her heart was still beating a million beats a minute. Her head was clouded with wild thoughts and her entire body felt numb with shock. Why did he have to come back now?
Leigh thought for a moment, feeling slightly comforted by her mother's grasp. She could go out and face him, be strong about it. But he didn't even recognize her, and she'd already made a complete fool of herself. She couldn't go back now.
The only other option was to avoid him. To go outside, and to run. Run as far away from the Wilcox house as she could, and just hope that he would be gone by nights end.
Yes, that was what she would do. Leigh decided, standing up and pushing her mother away.
"I'm leaving." She said simply, taking off her apron and setting it on the rack. She grabbed her coat off of the coat rack and stalked the long way around through to the door. She didn't want anyone to see her.
Pushing open the door, Leigh stepped outside and started to run. She neglected to feel the icy chill of the night air on her face. She neglected to notice that she could have just run out on the chance of a lifetime. And she also made a point of neglecting the fact that she would have to come home sometime, and she would just have to hope that he wasn't planning on staying.
~
An hour later, Leigh left the church, feeling slightly better and even a bit inspired. There was a bounce in her step and a smile on her face. The sun helped brighten her mood, and even the thought of how the other women talked about her didn't seem to shake her anymore.
Everything seemed right in the world, and although matters of a different kind still pressed in the back of her mind, Leigh tried hard not to think of them. It wasn't worth getting upset again.
As the Wilcox house appeared in the distance, Leigh quickened her pace. The streets of the large English port town were bustling with people, and even from a distance she could see many men entering the House.
Glancing briefly at the many different faces as she passed them, Leigh almost wished she could hear what they were thinking. A different life, a different perspective.these things never ceased to fascinate her thoughts. She'd always gone through life (since he'd left, anyhow) wishing she was somebody else. And ever since, she'd never stopped thinking about it.
To be someone else was, to Leigh, a great adventure. She would most likely be happy, well dressed, in a good state of mind, heavy with child and joyous with husband. Yet, she knew she would never have those things, for what man would want her now. She was nothing but a wench to most men, and no respectable man wanted anything but a virgin princess.
Hell, even unrespectable men wanted anything but what Leigh was. And this thought brought great sadness to her heart. She may never fall in love again, and no one could ever love her. She supposed it was the price she had to pay for her actions and for her misfortune.
Leigh shuddered in sudden remembrance of the certain instance in her past that no one knew about; not even her adopted mother. She'd never told anyone, and never planned to tell anyone. She'd been tainted, and no man would want her now.
A sudden flashback had Leigh stumbling, causing her to immediately seek shelter in a nearby alleyway. She clutched her head as painful memories covered her in darkness.
He stood there, his smirk perverted and his eyes dangerously drunken. His breath reeked of his liquor, and his own stench wasn't much better. He lifted her chin up to face him as he glared down at her.
"Such a young, pretty face." he'd mused after he'd taken his fill. "It's been a pleasure, my little poppet." He added in disdain, a scowl replacing the smirk as he threw her head back against the stone wall of the building, immediately knocking her unconscious.
Leigh gasped for breath, crying to herself and falling to the ground in the alleyway. The same alleyway where the strange man had attacked and raped her. He'd left her for dead, and it was then that Madam Wilcox found her, huddled outside of the Wilcox house, head bleeding.
She'd been only 14, and it had been only a week after he had left. So it was no surprise to her that she had been walking the streets alone the night, weeping quietly to herself and hoping silently to find him in one of the alleyways, excited to see her. But she never saw him, instead she saw a different man, one who lured her in and attacked her with a malice she'd never known.
It was then that she had decided that she was not worthy of a good husband or family.she wasn't even worthy of the man she'd loved since she was but a child, and he not much older.
Taking a deep breath, Leigh stood up slowly, steadying herself against the wall of the Wilcox House. Feeling anger rise in her once more, she sighed as her bright mood fell away like delicate sand through shaky hands.
Biting her lip to keep from screaming in agony of the past that haunted her, Leigh stalked shakily up the porch and through the doors of the Wilcox House, seeking the shelter of her room.
Madam Wilcox was the first to see her, and one glare from Leigh told her not to intervene in Leigh's mood. Her darkened steel eyes said it all.
Yet, as she was halfway to her room, Leigh closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She couldn't just bail on her job, not now. Sunday, surprisingly, was a busy day for the house, and Leigh was needed in the restaurant.
Making her decision, Leigh headed back down the stairs and grabbed an apron off of the hanger on the wall, putting it on and grabbing an order book from one of the various shelves outlining the back of the first floor near the kitchen.
Heading out, she made eye contact with her mother and nodded, silently stating that she was prepared to work. Madam Wilcox smiled and resumed her own entertaining duties.
Leigh watched people flood into the House, the lunch crowd eager for food. Leigh greeted them and seated them at various tables, tending to them herself. Only one other woman was waitressing that day, so Leigh had extra tables to focus on.
She watched as people came and went, and made sure to keep her hidden anger in check. She put on a blank face and a fake smile to everyone she saw, hoping that time would find her happiness that day.
It was then that a very unexpected occurrence would happen; one that would alter Leigh's life as she knew it forever.
That night at the restaurant as Leigh was serving customers, a group of men and one woman walked in. Leigh paid them little attention as she was off to give an order to the cook. But as she came around to take the group's order, her eyes fell upon one of the strangers.
His hat was tilted low onto his face, which was hidden by its dark shadow. His hair fell down to his shoulders in dark brown dreads. Beads were threaded through the matted hair and added color to the man's otherwise not so colorful demeanor.
He had two braided stands of hair on his chin that almost touched his collarbone as he tilted his neck down. His clothes were rather dirty, the yellowed white torn and tattered in a few places and weathered from the outdoors.
From what she could see, this man appeared to be a pirate, and she had no idea why she felt an air about him that seemed somewhat familiar.
As Leigh approached the table, she put on a smile and flipped through her order book to find a blank page.
"What'll ye be havin', gents?" She asked, her voice confident with a touch of anger, not intended for her customers, of course.
One of the many men at the table glanced up at Leigh, his beady eyes scanning her through thick brows and a dirty face. He touched his chin and rubbed it in thought, his bristly beard short and trimmed.
"I think I'll be havin' the lobster tail.it's fresh from the sea, aye?" the man with the beady eyes asked, smiling at her.
"Aye." Leigh replied, grinning.
"What'll you be havin', Cap'n?" the man asked the man at his side, the one with the hat bent over his eyes.
"I think I'll have..." the man began, scanning the menu. Slowly he turned his head up, revealing his face to Leigh, and grinned at her. "The spaghetti."
It was him.
Leigh almost dropped her booklet. Her jaw dropped open and her face turned ghostly white. Her bottom lip began to tremble and she felt every bit of confidence, nerve, or even ambition just spill out of her.
The man's brows furrowed as he saw her reaction, and he squinted his eyes in thought. Leigh's breath became raspy as he kept staring at her. Suddenly everyone in the restaurant became quiet as they all stared at her.
"Jack?" the man next to him asked, looking at Leigh with concerned eyes. "Do you know this lass?"
Jack didn't say anything, but simply stared at her, clearly confused. Leigh couldn't believe her eyes. He didn't recognize her. He had no idea.
Glancing around, she noticed everyone staring at her. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm herself, but to no avail.
"Uh.uh.yes, sir, good- good choice, sir." She replied, her voice very quiet and her chest heaving. She slowly turned around and walked quickly to the back room, running the last half of the way.
Madam Wilcox had spotted her incident, and immediately knew what had happened. Rushing to the back room herself, she found Leigh against one of the walls.
She had stumbled into the back room, half near tears and half scared to death. She'd fallen to the floor and clutched her legs to her chest. He was back.
~
"Darling, darling you need to talk to him." Madam Wilcox whispered to Leigh as she scooped her into her arms. "If he's here why not take advantage of it? Clear things up, free yourself of him!"
"I bloody can't!" Leigh replied harshly, feeling wet tears stream down her face. "He's too close, too soon. I can't! I mean, I had no idea! Jack Sparrow! Of all people for me to be hurt by, why did it have to be him?"
"Be quiet! You must go to him!" Her adopted mother ushered her. "If you don't, you'll regret it for the rest of your life. How are you ever going to move on if you don't get closure?"
Leigh's breath was still coming in heavy gasps, and her heart was still beating a million beats a minute. Her head was clouded with wild thoughts and her entire body felt numb with shock. Why did he have to come back now?
Leigh thought for a moment, feeling slightly comforted by her mother's grasp. She could go out and face him, be strong about it. But he didn't even recognize her, and she'd already made a complete fool of herself. She couldn't go back now.
The only other option was to avoid him. To go outside, and to run. Run as far away from the Wilcox house as she could, and just hope that he would be gone by nights end.
Yes, that was what she would do. Leigh decided, standing up and pushing her mother away.
"I'm leaving." She said simply, taking off her apron and setting it on the rack. She grabbed her coat off of the coat rack and stalked the long way around through to the door. She didn't want anyone to see her.
Pushing open the door, Leigh stepped outside and started to run. She neglected to feel the icy chill of the night air on her face. She neglected to notice that she could have just run out on the chance of a lifetime. And she also made a point of neglecting the fact that she would have to come home sometime, and she would just have to hope that he wasn't planning on staying.
~