Usual disclaimers... but I want him!
Rose and the children walked around the headland, surprised to find the Black Pearl sitting at anchor in the bay. The children had taken her to see the baby turtles hatching a few bays down, helping them to the sea before the gulls could get to them. It had been a fascinating sight, somewhat ruined by Eilis' admission that if the birds ate them now then they could not later.
"Jack's back!" Eilis squealed, dashing off down the beach at breakneck speed despite their long walk, closely followed by Moses. Rose hoped that all were back safely as she and the other children followed at a more sedate pace.
She stopped, seeing Jack sitting on the porch steps, Eilis on his lap and James sitting next to him. She realised he had seen her and was staring at her intently although Jack did not appear to notice. "Richael," he called, evicting Eilis from her perch, "let's take a walk..."
"We've just come back!" she complained. "I'm thirsty!"
"This is important Richael... yer can wait a while fer a drink." Jack said quietly.
Frowning she followed him as he walked away from the house, Eilis clinging to his hand. The rest of the children dashed to the kitchen. "Uncle," James nodded as he walked past.
James Norrington nodded in return. "I'll see you after breakfast," he said, his eyes not leaving Rose. He knew her... but from where. He never forgot a face - as many a pirate found out to his cost in the past - but who was she. He realised they were alone, staring at each other. "I know you... don't I?"
Rose cautiously nodded. "Why don't we take a walk..." she suggested. "Some small people have sharp ears..." She did not notice Jack's startled glance as she took James' offered arm and walked slowly away from the house.
"London... you are from London - aren't you?" James said in realisation. He looked at her still pale skin. "And only recently arrived from the look of you..."
Rose cautiously nodded. "I am," she confirmed.
James remembered Elizabeth saying the name Rose. "Rose..." he muttered. "Rose... Waike!" He looked at her in shock. "My father used to visit your house!" he recalled. "Your maid would take me for walks in the park and buy me sweets!"
"You have a good memory James. It was me - although you are somewhat taller than when I last saw you... you must have been what - five or so?" She smiled but worried what Jack would say when he found out that James not only knew her but had put a name to the face.
"I remember you had a big conservatory, full of plants," James smiled. "Your family were shippers - weren't they?" He frowned, trying to remember. "And your husband... Geoff... no, George! I never met him. Is he here too?"
"No," Rose said quietly. "And I would rather you did not mention that you have seen me if you do chance to meet him." James looked at her in amazement. "I left him at Christmas..."
"How did you... here..." he flustered.
"I cannot tell you," she said apologetically. James stared thoughtfully out across the bay. He had a feeling that he was missing something, but it would come to him eventually.
"You must excuse me," he said, bowing and kissing her hand politely. "I should return to the house for breakfast." He turned, walking back down the beach alone, leaving Rose to her thoughts.
"Alike, but not alike," Rose muttered to herself.
"Like what?" A sleepy voice asked from behind a tree.
Rose gasped. She had not realise that her conversation with James had been overheard - and overheard by Catherine! "I'm sorry," she flustered. "I thought I was alone..."
"Obviously," Catherine drawled, wincing as she sat up. She had been enjoying a nice doze when she had heard voices and had listened in surprise on recognising them. "How do you know James then?" she pressed.
"You're hurt?" Rose gasped, spotting the bandage through her shirt and desperately trying to change the subject.
"Took a shot, that's all," Catherine said dismissively. "Now, how do you know James Norrington?"
"I... I knew his father..." Rose admitted. "Many years ago. James was about five..."
"How long ago was that?" she asked, glancing across to the beach where Eilis had responded to Jack's news by dancing in delight. Both James and Jack stood on the porch, laughing at her. She frowned... something niggling her.
"It must be oh, nearly forty years ago... I'm surprised he recognised me," Rose sighed. "I don't know what Jack will say..."
"You should tell him," Catherine advised. "And tell him everything..." She left her comment hanging, fishing to see what Rose would say. Her shocked, embarrassed expression was enough to confirm the niggle. "He isn't a Waike... is he Rose?" She smiled as things gradually made sense. "Alike but not alike... your comment when we met about him ending up at sea... he is as different to George as a thoroughbred to a shire..."
"I... I don't' know what you are talking about," Rose stuttered, turning scarlet.
"Don't you?" Catherine raised one eyebrow. "Is my guess so far out?"
Rose looked at her feet. "No..." she admitted. "John's father was Edward Norrington... James' father."
Catherine stared at Rose. "You must tell him," she urged.
"How?" Rose looked at her aghast. "How can you ask that of me?"
"I am not asking," Catherine said quietly, her gaze hardening. "James has already placed a noose around Jack's neck... Jack has a right to know as does James!"
"But..." Rose protested.
"Tell him," Catherine threatened. "Or I will..."
Rose looked at her, pleading, but Catherine held her resolve. "Can I have some time..." she begged.
Catherine nodded. "We leave in a week... tell Jack before then!" Rose nodded sadly, worrying what Jack would think of her. Catherine looked up, smiling kindly. "It smells like Elizabeth is cooking breakfast... do you think you could ask Jack to bring me something out?"
"Of course," Rose replied, glad of a reason to escape Catherine's knowing gaze even if it did mean facing Jack. She wandered down the beach in a daze - how was she going to tell him?
You know the routine girls... ta!
Rose and the children walked around the headland, surprised to find the Black Pearl sitting at anchor in the bay. The children had taken her to see the baby turtles hatching a few bays down, helping them to the sea before the gulls could get to them. It had been a fascinating sight, somewhat ruined by Eilis' admission that if the birds ate them now then they could not later.
"Jack's back!" Eilis squealed, dashing off down the beach at breakneck speed despite their long walk, closely followed by Moses. Rose hoped that all were back safely as she and the other children followed at a more sedate pace.
She stopped, seeing Jack sitting on the porch steps, Eilis on his lap and James sitting next to him. She realised he had seen her and was staring at her intently although Jack did not appear to notice. "Richael," he called, evicting Eilis from her perch, "let's take a walk..."
"We've just come back!" she complained. "I'm thirsty!"
"This is important Richael... yer can wait a while fer a drink." Jack said quietly.
Frowning she followed him as he walked away from the house, Eilis clinging to his hand. The rest of the children dashed to the kitchen. "Uncle," James nodded as he walked past.
James Norrington nodded in return. "I'll see you after breakfast," he said, his eyes not leaving Rose. He knew her... but from where. He never forgot a face - as many a pirate found out to his cost in the past - but who was she. He realised they were alone, staring at each other. "I know you... don't I?"
Rose cautiously nodded. "Why don't we take a walk..." she suggested. "Some small people have sharp ears..." She did not notice Jack's startled glance as she took James' offered arm and walked slowly away from the house.
"London... you are from London - aren't you?" James said in realisation. He looked at her still pale skin. "And only recently arrived from the look of you..."
Rose cautiously nodded. "I am," she confirmed.
James remembered Elizabeth saying the name Rose. "Rose..." he muttered. "Rose... Waike!" He looked at her in shock. "My father used to visit your house!" he recalled. "Your maid would take me for walks in the park and buy me sweets!"
"You have a good memory James. It was me - although you are somewhat taller than when I last saw you... you must have been what - five or so?" She smiled but worried what Jack would say when he found out that James not only knew her but had put a name to the face.
"I remember you had a big conservatory, full of plants," James smiled. "Your family were shippers - weren't they?" He frowned, trying to remember. "And your husband... Geoff... no, George! I never met him. Is he here too?"
"No," Rose said quietly. "And I would rather you did not mention that you have seen me if you do chance to meet him." James looked at her in amazement. "I left him at Christmas..."
"How did you... here..." he flustered.
"I cannot tell you," she said apologetically. James stared thoughtfully out across the bay. He had a feeling that he was missing something, but it would come to him eventually.
"You must excuse me," he said, bowing and kissing her hand politely. "I should return to the house for breakfast." He turned, walking back down the beach alone, leaving Rose to her thoughts.
"Alike, but not alike," Rose muttered to herself.
"Like what?" A sleepy voice asked from behind a tree.
Rose gasped. She had not realise that her conversation with James had been overheard - and overheard by Catherine! "I'm sorry," she flustered. "I thought I was alone..."
"Obviously," Catherine drawled, wincing as she sat up. She had been enjoying a nice doze when she had heard voices and had listened in surprise on recognising them. "How do you know James then?" she pressed.
"You're hurt?" Rose gasped, spotting the bandage through her shirt and desperately trying to change the subject.
"Took a shot, that's all," Catherine said dismissively. "Now, how do you know James Norrington?"
"I... I knew his father..." Rose admitted. "Many years ago. James was about five..."
"How long ago was that?" she asked, glancing across to the beach where Eilis had responded to Jack's news by dancing in delight. Both James and Jack stood on the porch, laughing at her. She frowned... something niggling her.
"It must be oh, nearly forty years ago... I'm surprised he recognised me," Rose sighed. "I don't know what Jack will say..."
"You should tell him," Catherine advised. "And tell him everything..." She left her comment hanging, fishing to see what Rose would say. Her shocked, embarrassed expression was enough to confirm the niggle. "He isn't a Waike... is he Rose?" She smiled as things gradually made sense. "Alike but not alike... your comment when we met about him ending up at sea... he is as different to George as a thoroughbred to a shire..."
"I... I don't' know what you are talking about," Rose stuttered, turning scarlet.
"Don't you?" Catherine raised one eyebrow. "Is my guess so far out?"
Rose looked at her feet. "No..." she admitted. "John's father was Edward Norrington... James' father."
Catherine stared at Rose. "You must tell him," she urged.
"How?" Rose looked at her aghast. "How can you ask that of me?"
"I am not asking," Catherine said quietly, her gaze hardening. "James has already placed a noose around Jack's neck... Jack has a right to know as does James!"
"But..." Rose protested.
"Tell him," Catherine threatened. "Or I will..."
Rose looked at her, pleading, but Catherine held her resolve. "Can I have some time..." she begged.
Catherine nodded. "We leave in a week... tell Jack before then!" Rose nodded sadly, worrying what Jack would think of her. Catherine looked up, smiling kindly. "It smells like Elizabeth is cooking breakfast... do you think you could ask Jack to bring me something out?"
"Of course," Rose replied, glad of a reason to escape Catherine's knowing gaze even if it did mean facing Jack. She wandered down the beach in a daze - how was she going to tell him?
You know the routine girls... ta!