Chatper 10
Emma sat avidly reading her book, she'd been in her room for hours, and only stopped when the sun started staring right at her through the window. It was then she figured she'd best get ready for dinner. She really thought Jack was...well, she wasn't quite sure what she thought he was. He was a pirate. Then again, he wasn't a pirate. It was more that being a pirate was Jack's occupation, and that otherwise, he was not a pirate; except for when he was pirate through and through. She stopped trying to think about it. There was one thing that was puzzling that she couldn't ignore however, and that was Jack's behavior toward her, he was utterly confusing. If it wasn't for the fact that Jack was a pirate, she would actually think that he was developing feelings for her. But being a pirate made him a dishonest man, and you can't trust a dishonest man to honestly have feelings for anyone but himself, at least no feelings greater than simple camaraderie.
Emma went and found Anna Maria and asked her if she would mind assisting her in putting on one of her dresses. Unfortunately most of Emma's fine gowns now had to be worn with corsets.
"Curse those English who made this blasted contraption fashionable! It's spread all over Europe and now even to the Caribbean!" Emma seethed as Anna Maria tied off the laces and then helped her pull the gown over her head. "Thank you Anna Maria." The woman laughed.
"I'm so glad I'm a pirate."
"If a corset is all I have to complain about, I think I'll do fine. I complain for the sake of complaining," she smiled. Anna Maria left her to finish getting ready. Emma fixed her hair and examined herself in the mirror. She needed something a little more, but she didn't know of anything. She decided to look in the drawers of the vanity anyway, and she was pleasantly surprised to find all of the things that had been in her own vanity at home. Jack had thought of everything. Well, she thought to herself, he is Captain Jack Sparrow. She laughed imagining Jack saying that himself. She'd set her father's journal down on the vanity and now picked it up, the letter falling onto her lap. She opened it with trembling hands. She took a deep breath and then began to read its contents.
Dearest Emma,
My darling daughter, there is so much to tell. The most important thing is that I love you more than anything in this world. I ache when I think of how you've grown up, losing your mother, your brother, and even me. There are no means to justify the way I've made us live our lives. The only thing I can do is explain my actions and pray that someday you may be able to understand, though I would never ask you to forgive my actions.
The man I knew as a father lost everything. He was ruined by pirates. Just before he lost all his wealth, he was going to make me the captain of one of the merchant ships of his trade company. Even after his financial failure, he still insisted upon giving me the Destiny. I was determined from that moment to right the wrongs committed against my surrogate father and to restore to him his former estate. I engaged in a quest to destroy the pirates which had destroyed the lives of so many sailors and their families, to make some good come of what had happened. I only succeeded in destroying my own family.
Through all that happened, all that I had set out to do, I found myself engaging in piracy. I had to learn their ways, having found many a pirate as an enemy. I had to be in the thick of their dealings to know what was going on so as to make sure of my family's safety. This also required that I never let anyone follow me to my home, so I could never risk the chance of being followed. The danger was too high a price to pay.
I did once go foolishly to our home in England. I found your mother extremely ill, and that is when I wrote to your grandfather to come take care of you all. When I went back, to see if you grandfather had come yet, what I saw was more than I could bear. Our house had been burnt to the ground. I learned from our neighbors that, most fortunately, you and your brother had left days before the fire.
I've kept in touch with your grandmother at the inn. No one would suspect anything of my frequenting an inn. She's told me all about the beautiful, intelligent young woman you've become. Don't begrudge your grandmother for never telling you, I made her promise not to. I could never face you after deserting you like I did, and the more time wore on, the harder it was to even think of facing you, my sweet little princess.
I love you with all my heart! Words can't describe how proud I am. Remember that I truly do love you with all my heart. You are my treasure! Once you find your treasure, never let it go as I did. There is always more to everything than what lies at the surface.
All my love,
Father
Emma went out on deck to breathe in the sea air and think about the letter. She stood gazing out across the seemingly endless ocean, and she softly sang the sailor's song from her childhood.
In my heart there always lies
A remembrance of your sweet eyes
And I know that you're watching over me
Even when I'm on the sea
I've this feeling that we'll be
Sharing dreams 'neath the same bright stars
The deck was emptying and she could hear the pirate's bustle below deck, from the galley she suspected. She turned when she heard steps approach her where she stood at the helm.
"You have a beautiful voice," Jack smiled, her heart melting at the look he gave her.
"Thank you," she replied, looking to the ground a little self-conciously.
He offered her his arm, "Shall we dine now?"
Emma sat avidly reading her book, she'd been in her room for hours, and only stopped when the sun started staring right at her through the window. It was then she figured she'd best get ready for dinner. She really thought Jack was...well, she wasn't quite sure what she thought he was. He was a pirate. Then again, he wasn't a pirate. It was more that being a pirate was Jack's occupation, and that otherwise, he was not a pirate; except for when he was pirate through and through. She stopped trying to think about it. There was one thing that was puzzling that she couldn't ignore however, and that was Jack's behavior toward her, he was utterly confusing. If it wasn't for the fact that Jack was a pirate, she would actually think that he was developing feelings for her. But being a pirate made him a dishonest man, and you can't trust a dishonest man to honestly have feelings for anyone but himself, at least no feelings greater than simple camaraderie.
Emma went and found Anna Maria and asked her if she would mind assisting her in putting on one of her dresses. Unfortunately most of Emma's fine gowns now had to be worn with corsets.
"Curse those English who made this blasted contraption fashionable! It's spread all over Europe and now even to the Caribbean!" Emma seethed as Anna Maria tied off the laces and then helped her pull the gown over her head. "Thank you Anna Maria." The woman laughed.
"I'm so glad I'm a pirate."
"If a corset is all I have to complain about, I think I'll do fine. I complain for the sake of complaining," she smiled. Anna Maria left her to finish getting ready. Emma fixed her hair and examined herself in the mirror. She needed something a little more, but she didn't know of anything. She decided to look in the drawers of the vanity anyway, and she was pleasantly surprised to find all of the things that had been in her own vanity at home. Jack had thought of everything. Well, she thought to herself, he is Captain Jack Sparrow. She laughed imagining Jack saying that himself. She'd set her father's journal down on the vanity and now picked it up, the letter falling onto her lap. She opened it with trembling hands. She took a deep breath and then began to read its contents.
Dearest Emma,
My darling daughter, there is so much to tell. The most important thing is that I love you more than anything in this world. I ache when I think of how you've grown up, losing your mother, your brother, and even me. There are no means to justify the way I've made us live our lives. The only thing I can do is explain my actions and pray that someday you may be able to understand, though I would never ask you to forgive my actions.
The man I knew as a father lost everything. He was ruined by pirates. Just before he lost all his wealth, he was going to make me the captain of one of the merchant ships of his trade company. Even after his financial failure, he still insisted upon giving me the Destiny. I was determined from that moment to right the wrongs committed against my surrogate father and to restore to him his former estate. I engaged in a quest to destroy the pirates which had destroyed the lives of so many sailors and their families, to make some good come of what had happened. I only succeeded in destroying my own family.
Through all that happened, all that I had set out to do, I found myself engaging in piracy. I had to learn their ways, having found many a pirate as an enemy. I had to be in the thick of their dealings to know what was going on so as to make sure of my family's safety. This also required that I never let anyone follow me to my home, so I could never risk the chance of being followed. The danger was too high a price to pay.
I did once go foolishly to our home in England. I found your mother extremely ill, and that is when I wrote to your grandfather to come take care of you all. When I went back, to see if you grandfather had come yet, what I saw was more than I could bear. Our house had been burnt to the ground. I learned from our neighbors that, most fortunately, you and your brother had left days before the fire.
I've kept in touch with your grandmother at the inn. No one would suspect anything of my frequenting an inn. She's told me all about the beautiful, intelligent young woman you've become. Don't begrudge your grandmother for never telling you, I made her promise not to. I could never face you after deserting you like I did, and the more time wore on, the harder it was to even think of facing you, my sweet little princess.
I love you with all my heart! Words can't describe how proud I am. Remember that I truly do love you with all my heart. You are my treasure! Once you find your treasure, never let it go as I did. There is always more to everything than what lies at the surface.
All my love,
Father
Emma went out on deck to breathe in the sea air and think about the letter. She stood gazing out across the seemingly endless ocean, and she softly sang the sailor's song from her childhood.
In my heart there always lies
A remembrance of your sweet eyes
And I know that you're watching over me
Even when I'm on the sea
I've this feeling that we'll be
Sharing dreams 'neath the same bright stars
The deck was emptying and she could hear the pirate's bustle below deck, from the galley she suspected. She turned when she heard steps approach her where she stood at the helm.
"You have a beautiful voice," Jack smiled, her heart melting at the look he gave her.
"Thank you," she replied, looking to the ground a little self-conciously.
He offered her his arm, "Shall we dine now?"