Usual disclaimers. blah!
***
Elizabeth sighed in disappointment as yet again she was turned away from the Fort. It seemed that the Governor was determined to allow no civilians within whilst the unrest flared throughout Port Royal. She sighed as she heard yet another angry crowd approaching, the raucous laughter and hoots of derision marking the progress of another patrol of marines. Slipping down a side street she avoided them and headed quietly back to her house. Will had been right - Port Royal was no longer a safe place for her and the children and she realised sadly that they would have to accept Jack's offer to relocate them to another island.
Since the visit to Tabitha she had learned the full extent of Catherine's injuries and, like the rest of the town, had been outraged. She had been shocked to hear of the death of a number of marines in retaliation, but the town's mood was ugly and it did not look as if it was going to improve. Jean Claude and Isaac had been keeping the unrest going whilst trying to get a grip on the violence - it would do them no good if the troops started to open fire on their own people.
Elizabeth opened the kitchen door cautiously for Will had still not fixed the hinge. There seemed little point asking him now that she had realised they would be leaving. She blinked in surprise to find Jean Claude minding the children whilst preparing a small lunch for them.
"Ah, Madame Elizabeth," he smiled. "Will and Isaac had to go out..." He indicated the food he had prepared. "I hope you do not mind, but they were hungry..."
"No... that is quite alright," she stuttered still in shock from seeing one of the most wanted pirates in the Caribbean calmly cooking in her kitchen. "Did they say where they were going?"
"To the docks - something about a surprise for tomorrow night..." he grinned darkly as he handed her several slices of freshly baked bread liberally spread with butter and then placed more of the same before the children who ate eagerly. He looked at her, frowning. "When are you leaving?"
"How did you..." she gasped.
"Your eyes were saying goodbye to your house," he explained. "I can keep the children out of trouble while you pack and then we will help you to the Pearl once it is dark. Once we are clear of the town we should be able to risk a small lantern..."
"Thank you," she smiled. "I had better start then..."
"Are we taking James?" Richael asked. "We cannot leave him - he'll be lonely and nobody will feed him!"
"James?" Jean Claude puzzled.
"Our donkey," Elizabeth explained.
Jean Claude raised one eyebrow, unable to envisage Jack allowing the beast on the Black Pearl. "I am sure he will," he assured Richael. Elizabeth looked at Jean Claude in disbelief, laughing when he shrugged. "It will take his mind off his worries if nothing else," he smiled.
***
James Norrington realised he need not have worried about his appearance when he saw Catherine. She was curled up asleep in the straw on the floor, not even a blanket to cover her. Her leg had obviously been broken and the splints had been bound with what looked like torn shirts. But it was her face that drew the biggest gasp from him for the left side of her face was covered in dried blood apparently from a cut to her head, the blood stains on her shirt evidence of the force of the blow. Thin streaks of clearer skin marked tear tracks down her face - a face he suddenly realised was looking at him.
"Mistress Sparrow..." he began.
"Sod off Norrington!" she cursed. "You can go to lowest depths of hell with all the other betrayers in this place!"
"Damn you!" he shouted. "Will you please tell me what is going on in this town?"
"How do you expect me to know?" she glared, eyes narrowing with hatred. "I've been assaulted, arrested, watched my friends hanged and been assured that I will follow them as soon as I can walk!" she shouted. "Why don't you ask the bloody Governor because I sure as hell don't know!" She turned to face the wall, the movement clearly causing her a great deal of pain.
"Have you received any medical attention?" he asked shocked at the barbarity of the Governor in withholding care and making her watch the hangings. His eyes fell on bruises around her wrists - had she been manacled as well?
"Does it look like it?" she sneered. "At least Joshamee was able to set my leg!"
"Joshamee?" he frowned. "Joshamee Gibbs?"
"Yes, the late and recently departed Joshamee Gibbs thanks to the Governor." She spat. "Now, if you don't mind I was trying to sleep!"
Sighing he opened the cell door and crouched down beside her. "Catherine... please. I do not want to hang you but at the moment the Governor is holding all the cards. Unless you help me there is nothing I can do!"
She turned over again to look at him, wincing in pain.
"Here, let me look at that for you," he offered.
"Don't touch me!" she hissed. "You're no better than the rest of them even if you are politer!"
He rocked back on his heels, crouching there as he looked at her. "Believe what you will," he said, "but I did not join His Majesty's Navy to serve petty tyrants like the Governor." She snorted in disbelief. "I do not believe you are guilty, but whatever my feelings, I must uphold the law. I have a signed statement from a man who was found floating on some wreckage who claims the Black Pearl attacked the English merchant ship he was on. He also claims that a dark haired man with a red bandana and a red haired woman led the attack..."
"That's a lie!" she protested. "We've not taken any English ship - hell, we haven't taken any ship in the last month!" She looked up at him earnestly. "And any of the crew will tell you that I have only ever defended the Black Pearl against attack and have never boarded a merchant ship - ever!"
"Then help me disprove this statement," he urged. "Do you know the man who made it? Davit Lucon?" His eyes widened as she gasped in shock.
"Lucon?" she asked. "The name was definitely Lucon?" He nodded. "Aye, I know a Davit Lucon - a slimey piece of work if ever I saw one."
"What is his connection to you?" James Norrington pressed, hoping to eventually be able to make sense of the situation.
Catherine sighed heavily, realising that she would have to reveal things she would rather have kept private to him in order to have any hope of clearing her name.
"Catherine?" he frowned, realising she was reluctant to talk.
"It stretches back to when I was in New Orleans looking for Jack," she explained quietly. "One of the crew of the Swallow was a thug called Arnaud Lucon who thought it would be fun to rape and nearly kill me." She sighed. "I still bear the scar from his blade."
"What happened?" he asked softly, ensuring that they could not be overheard.
"Jean Claude hanged him..."
"Even though you were Jack's wife?" James Norrington puzzled.
"He didn't know I was Jack's wife - he thought I was married to Oran. Anyway, later when we were searching for the Swallow, Davit Lucon appears at the Bride.."
"The Bride?" he frowned.
"The Faithful Bride - it's a tavern in Tortuga. He betrayed Jean Claude and the Swallow to us in order to be avenged for what had happened to his brother..."
"And I assume he did not know who you were?"
"No. He could simply be after us for not killing Jean Claude..." She looked up at the Commodore worriedly. "But if he knows I am the woman his brother was killed over then he has much more cause for revenge..."
James Norrington frowned as he rose, events gradually making more sense to him even if it did not give him the power to free Catherine. "I will see what I can do," he assured her as he shut the cell door behind him.
Catherine smiled ruefully as he left, not getting her hopes up for any type of reprieve. "Take care," she warned. "Not all your troops are loyal to you... more than one is in the pocket of the Governor."
He looked at her sharply, nodding as he walked up the stairs, realising the importance of her words. He would have to be careful with his investigations if he could truly not trust his own men. He pondered his options as he walked across the yard, smiling as he suddenly spotted two marines who he could trust to help Catherine - Murtogg and Mullroy. "Mister Murtogg! Mister Mullroy!" he smiled. "Kindly join me in my office immediately!"
***
***
Elizabeth sighed in disappointment as yet again she was turned away from the Fort. It seemed that the Governor was determined to allow no civilians within whilst the unrest flared throughout Port Royal. She sighed as she heard yet another angry crowd approaching, the raucous laughter and hoots of derision marking the progress of another patrol of marines. Slipping down a side street she avoided them and headed quietly back to her house. Will had been right - Port Royal was no longer a safe place for her and the children and she realised sadly that they would have to accept Jack's offer to relocate them to another island.
Since the visit to Tabitha she had learned the full extent of Catherine's injuries and, like the rest of the town, had been outraged. She had been shocked to hear of the death of a number of marines in retaliation, but the town's mood was ugly and it did not look as if it was going to improve. Jean Claude and Isaac had been keeping the unrest going whilst trying to get a grip on the violence - it would do them no good if the troops started to open fire on their own people.
Elizabeth opened the kitchen door cautiously for Will had still not fixed the hinge. There seemed little point asking him now that she had realised they would be leaving. She blinked in surprise to find Jean Claude minding the children whilst preparing a small lunch for them.
"Ah, Madame Elizabeth," he smiled. "Will and Isaac had to go out..." He indicated the food he had prepared. "I hope you do not mind, but they were hungry..."
"No... that is quite alright," she stuttered still in shock from seeing one of the most wanted pirates in the Caribbean calmly cooking in her kitchen. "Did they say where they were going?"
"To the docks - something about a surprise for tomorrow night..." he grinned darkly as he handed her several slices of freshly baked bread liberally spread with butter and then placed more of the same before the children who ate eagerly. He looked at her, frowning. "When are you leaving?"
"How did you..." she gasped.
"Your eyes were saying goodbye to your house," he explained. "I can keep the children out of trouble while you pack and then we will help you to the Pearl once it is dark. Once we are clear of the town we should be able to risk a small lantern..."
"Thank you," she smiled. "I had better start then..."
"Are we taking James?" Richael asked. "We cannot leave him - he'll be lonely and nobody will feed him!"
"James?" Jean Claude puzzled.
"Our donkey," Elizabeth explained.
Jean Claude raised one eyebrow, unable to envisage Jack allowing the beast on the Black Pearl. "I am sure he will," he assured Richael. Elizabeth looked at Jean Claude in disbelief, laughing when he shrugged. "It will take his mind off his worries if nothing else," he smiled.
***
James Norrington realised he need not have worried about his appearance when he saw Catherine. She was curled up asleep in the straw on the floor, not even a blanket to cover her. Her leg had obviously been broken and the splints had been bound with what looked like torn shirts. But it was her face that drew the biggest gasp from him for the left side of her face was covered in dried blood apparently from a cut to her head, the blood stains on her shirt evidence of the force of the blow. Thin streaks of clearer skin marked tear tracks down her face - a face he suddenly realised was looking at him.
"Mistress Sparrow..." he began.
"Sod off Norrington!" she cursed. "You can go to lowest depths of hell with all the other betrayers in this place!"
"Damn you!" he shouted. "Will you please tell me what is going on in this town?"
"How do you expect me to know?" she glared, eyes narrowing with hatred. "I've been assaulted, arrested, watched my friends hanged and been assured that I will follow them as soon as I can walk!" she shouted. "Why don't you ask the bloody Governor because I sure as hell don't know!" She turned to face the wall, the movement clearly causing her a great deal of pain.
"Have you received any medical attention?" he asked shocked at the barbarity of the Governor in withholding care and making her watch the hangings. His eyes fell on bruises around her wrists - had she been manacled as well?
"Does it look like it?" she sneered. "At least Joshamee was able to set my leg!"
"Joshamee?" he frowned. "Joshamee Gibbs?"
"Yes, the late and recently departed Joshamee Gibbs thanks to the Governor." She spat. "Now, if you don't mind I was trying to sleep!"
Sighing he opened the cell door and crouched down beside her. "Catherine... please. I do not want to hang you but at the moment the Governor is holding all the cards. Unless you help me there is nothing I can do!"
She turned over again to look at him, wincing in pain.
"Here, let me look at that for you," he offered.
"Don't touch me!" she hissed. "You're no better than the rest of them even if you are politer!"
He rocked back on his heels, crouching there as he looked at her. "Believe what you will," he said, "but I did not join His Majesty's Navy to serve petty tyrants like the Governor." She snorted in disbelief. "I do not believe you are guilty, but whatever my feelings, I must uphold the law. I have a signed statement from a man who was found floating on some wreckage who claims the Black Pearl attacked the English merchant ship he was on. He also claims that a dark haired man with a red bandana and a red haired woman led the attack..."
"That's a lie!" she protested. "We've not taken any English ship - hell, we haven't taken any ship in the last month!" She looked up at him earnestly. "And any of the crew will tell you that I have only ever defended the Black Pearl against attack and have never boarded a merchant ship - ever!"
"Then help me disprove this statement," he urged. "Do you know the man who made it? Davit Lucon?" His eyes widened as she gasped in shock.
"Lucon?" she asked. "The name was definitely Lucon?" He nodded. "Aye, I know a Davit Lucon - a slimey piece of work if ever I saw one."
"What is his connection to you?" James Norrington pressed, hoping to eventually be able to make sense of the situation.
Catherine sighed heavily, realising that she would have to reveal things she would rather have kept private to him in order to have any hope of clearing her name.
"Catherine?" he frowned, realising she was reluctant to talk.
"It stretches back to when I was in New Orleans looking for Jack," she explained quietly. "One of the crew of the Swallow was a thug called Arnaud Lucon who thought it would be fun to rape and nearly kill me." She sighed. "I still bear the scar from his blade."
"What happened?" he asked softly, ensuring that they could not be overheard.
"Jean Claude hanged him..."
"Even though you were Jack's wife?" James Norrington puzzled.
"He didn't know I was Jack's wife - he thought I was married to Oran. Anyway, later when we were searching for the Swallow, Davit Lucon appears at the Bride.."
"The Bride?" he frowned.
"The Faithful Bride - it's a tavern in Tortuga. He betrayed Jean Claude and the Swallow to us in order to be avenged for what had happened to his brother..."
"And I assume he did not know who you were?"
"No. He could simply be after us for not killing Jean Claude..." She looked up at the Commodore worriedly. "But if he knows I am the woman his brother was killed over then he has much more cause for revenge..."
James Norrington frowned as he rose, events gradually making more sense to him even if it did not give him the power to free Catherine. "I will see what I can do," he assured her as he shut the cell door behind him.
Catherine smiled ruefully as he left, not getting her hopes up for any type of reprieve. "Take care," she warned. "Not all your troops are loyal to you... more than one is in the pocket of the Governor."
He looked at her sharply, nodding as he walked up the stairs, realising the importance of her words. He would have to be careful with his investigations if he could truly not trust his own men. He pondered his options as he walked across the yard, smiling as he suddenly spotted two marines who he could trust to help Catherine - Murtogg and Mullroy. "Mister Murtogg! Mister Mullroy!" he smiled. "Kindly join me in my office immediately!"
***