(Don't worry, every chapter won't be titled by paraphrasing the last, or
sound like a 'Filmore' title)
~ Ruby Of the Sea ~
Chapter 2
A History Hidden
Ruby had managed to get home, and in bed before the maid had entered with her breakfast, but not long enough to get out of her outfit.
She had slung her boots under the four-poster bed, and jumped under the quilts, drawing them up to her chin so that no one could see her apparel.
"G'day m'lady." The maid greeted her.
"'Morning Hilda." Ruby replied.
"'Ere's your breakfast. 'Urry and eat up. Tha Mister 'UN Missus 'ar go'n 'oo a fancy gather'n, and 'ey want you 'un lil Nicole to join 'em."
Ruby groaned. That meant that she would have to wear her corset all day.
"I'll be 'ack in 'ive minutes 'oo ready 'oo. 'Oo'll be wear'n 'dat maroon 'un dat da Missus 'ot you last 'ear."
Ruby nodded as Hilda left the room, then she jumped up and quickly got out of the clothes she had been wearing, and changed into the bed- clothes that she should have been wearing. Ruby scarfed down the food that had been set for her, then dove back under the quilts to get two or three minutes sleep before Hilda came back in to change her.
Three hours later found Ruby, Nicole, and Mr., and Mrs. Louis sitting in the carriage, and watching in pull up to a large house.
"Now, Mary, I would appreciate it if this time you would stay in the drawing room for more than thirty minutes." Mrs. Louis chided, "How do you ever expect to find a husband if you're never in the same room with a boy your age for more than five minutes."
Ruby smiled and nodded. She'd stay in the room for thirty-one minutes, then find a solitary place.
"You look so pretty in that dress," Mr. Louis teased, "that if I were your age and not married, I'd be your lover!"
Ruby smiled and nodded again. It was terribly difficult to breathe in the corset when she was sitting.
When the carriage finally arrived at the door of the mansion, Ruby was the first to jump out.
A small girl that had been waiting near by next to some trees, jumped up and ran towards the Louises when she saw Nicole get out of the buggy.
"Nicole! Nicole!" She screamed as she ran towards her friend.
"How are you, Joan?" Nicole asked, after a quick embrace.
"My family and I are fine." Joan replied, shrugging. Joan was wearing a pale yellow dress that somehow managed to set her red hair aglow until it seemed to take over her countenance. Nicole had on a low-necked, teal colored dress. "And you?"
"I'm doing alright, I have a bit of fever, but still well enough to attend the party."
"Let us go inside." Mr. Louis suggested, taking Mrs. Louis by the arm, and leading her in.
Once inside, Ruby felt a wave of dread and discomfort sweep over her. She hated these formal things. Everyone was so pretty, and the women looked so frail and made of porcelain, as though they should brake if they took more than three steps. And the men insisted on treating them so. Ruby was strong, however, and her body was not frail. She was not too stout, though, and was not curvy like the other ladies.
Out of the side door, two rambunctious little boys came romping. Each had a wooden sword that he was waving threateningly at the other. Ruby smiled, and wished to be a child again.
Nicole and Joan chatted and giggled for the first ten minutes, then started to drift away from the center of the party. Ruby followed soundlessly, as though she were their nurse. She hoped that if she stayed close to them, that the boys would assume that she were watching them, and not ask her to dance. Already the center of the room was beginning to fill out with couples dancing to the slow waltzes.
"Mary!" Mrs. Louis called. Ruby forced herself not to groan, but plastered a pretty smiled onto her face, and turned to look at the woman.
"Yes, Mother?"
Mrs. Louis, accompanied by a tall, handsome young man with sun- bleached light hair, quickly walked to her, and began talking.
Nicole and Joan left the room, leaving Ruby to her mother and the gentleman.
"Mary, did you know that Mr. Dobson" Mrs. Louis was referring to the man, "is a sailor aboard the Quonqirador?"
Ruby wanted to laugh. This gangling greenhorn? A sailor? Ruby kept her lips turned into a pleasant smile, no matter how ludicrous the idea sounded.
"Have you ever been on a boat, Miss Louis?" Dobson asked.
'Been on a ship?' Ruby almost choked. Of course she had! She'd been sailing as far back as she could remember!
"Once or twice." Ruby replied, trying to keep her answers short.
"Would you like to come aboard the Quonqirador some time?" Mr. Dobson asked.
"No," Ruby replied, blatantly lying through her teeth, "No. I've not much love for boats."
Dobson and Mrs. Louis talked with Ruby for a while more, but Ruby only replied with short, cool answers that dismissed any pretension that she might be mildly interested in the man.
As soon the matchmaker and the man left Ruby, to go seek livelier conversation, Ruby was out the door that led to the park in the back. She had to get away from all of these stuffy people! They were so ungracious and stiff.
Ruby wandered the gardens for a while, enjoying the lack of people. Of course every now and again, she'd run across a pair of lovers who were also enjoying the solitude, but they did not bother her.
Ruby was about to turn back, to perhaps find something to eat back at the mansion, but then she heard a shrill scream for help.
Ruby's blood suddenly turned icy cold, and fear clutched her heart. That was Joan that was screaming!
"Joan!" Ruby shouted, following the direction that the shouting had come from, and hoping that she might find her sister's friend.
"Ruby-" Came a soft cry, that was cut short and followed by a strange sort of gasping that sounded almost like a choke.
'That was Nicole' Ruby's mind spun, and she ran onwards in a daze.
When she finally arrived at the scene, she saw Nicole in a mound on the earth, and Joan was sitting next to her, weeping and wringing her hands. The child looked up at Ruby with pleading eyes. She was at a loss as to what to do.
Ruby kneeled next to Nicole, and picked up her limp sister, and turned her over so that she could see the front of her. Her dress was stained with vomit down the front.
Nicole gasped in that same choking way again, then vomited. Ruby almost gagged, but bit her tongue, set her face into a resolute expression, and put her arm under Nicole's head.
Nicole gasped feebly again and again.
"Joan!" Ruby snapped, "What happened?"
Joan was still wringing her hands and sobbing as she replied "We were walking, and she said that she felt ill, so we stopped, then she threw up, and she fell over and wouldn't get up."
Ruby's mind immediately ran over the previous days' meals. She almost groaned. That morning for breakfast they'd had clam soup.
Nicole gasped again, and again vomited.
"Go get help." Ruby commanded. Joan hesitated, still sobbing, but Ruby picked up a small vine and laid it none too gently across Joan's legs, and with a snapped 'Now' from Ruby, ran off towards her home again.
Ruby looked over her sister again. Why wasn't she breathing normally?
Ruby felt her corset biting into her, and squirmed, trying to make it lower, and—wait! That was it! Nicole's corset was keeping her from breathing!
Ruby turned Nicole over, opened the back of her dress, and busily tried to undo the strings, silently hating herself for not remembering a knife.
By the time Joan returned with help, Nicole was vomiting again, but now breathing normally.
"Mary! Nicole! Are you both alright?!" Mrs. Louis asked frantically.
Ruby stood wearily, Nicole in her arms. "I'm fine, but Nicole should go home and rest."
One of the little boys that had been playing with the wooden swords, cam up behind Ruby, and took up Nicole's corset on his sword.
"What's this?" He asked, holding up the corset like a flag.
Several of the older women blushed, and Mr. Louis snatched it from the lad before taking Nicole in his arms and heading towards the carriage.
As the Louises wound their way back to their carriage, Ruby said "I don't think Nicole should have been wearing it! She is too young for a corset!"
"I'm sorry, dear." Mrs. Louis said, putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder, trying to act as a mother.
"Now I suppose we know better." She tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but even her own laugh seemed halfhearted.
Ruby glared sullenly out the window.
Mrs. Louis looked on, a bit sad, then moved her hand to Ruby's head, and smoothed out her hair.
When Miss Louis's hand reached the hair near her ear, Ruby pulled away with a sudden jerk.
Ruby bit her lip as tears stung her eyes.
"I'm sorry dear..." Mrs. Louis apologized quickly.
"It's alright...I'm worried about Nicole." Ruby continued looking out the window, so Mr. and Mrs. Louis couldn't see her face.
"Of course you are, Mary, of course you are!" Mr. Louis said softly, "I am too, and so is Mrs. Louis."
Ruby nodded, but didn't turn from the window.
----------------------------
Ok, I didn't get five reviews *sob*, but because I'm such a gracious, loving...Ok, no one's believing me now...K, so I'm just posting this chapter even though I didn't get five reviews because I want to continue the fic!
I will now be answering reviews! ^_^
Kirsa: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter! Sorry, can't tell! Can't spoil it, can I? Besides, I like leaving people hanging. *Evil laughter and dramatic music*
Brittany Baker: More Jack later! Now is time for establishing characters, setting up the plot, yadda, yadda, yadda...
PiratePrincess91: It's in the past. ^_^; Hmmm...another person asking me to reveal the plot? Not until the time has come! Sorry! I won't even reveal it to my best friend!
Red1: LOL That's funny! I'll have to look at it sometime! Sorry, I got your review late, and just now got to re-update. 0.o; Sorry if that made no sense.
Thanks again to all who reviewed. Sorry for the lack of Sparrow in this chapter, but he will be making his appearance! So remember, patience is a virtue...or so Mrs. Louis would say! ^_^ I'll post the next chapter soon. I already have it written.
~ Ruby Of the Sea ~
Chapter 2
A History Hidden
Ruby had managed to get home, and in bed before the maid had entered with her breakfast, but not long enough to get out of her outfit.
She had slung her boots under the four-poster bed, and jumped under the quilts, drawing them up to her chin so that no one could see her apparel.
"G'day m'lady." The maid greeted her.
"'Morning Hilda." Ruby replied.
"'Ere's your breakfast. 'Urry and eat up. Tha Mister 'UN Missus 'ar go'n 'oo a fancy gather'n, and 'ey want you 'un lil Nicole to join 'em."
Ruby groaned. That meant that she would have to wear her corset all day.
"I'll be 'ack in 'ive minutes 'oo ready 'oo. 'Oo'll be wear'n 'dat maroon 'un dat da Missus 'ot you last 'ear."
Ruby nodded as Hilda left the room, then she jumped up and quickly got out of the clothes she had been wearing, and changed into the bed- clothes that she should have been wearing. Ruby scarfed down the food that had been set for her, then dove back under the quilts to get two or three minutes sleep before Hilda came back in to change her.
Three hours later found Ruby, Nicole, and Mr., and Mrs. Louis sitting in the carriage, and watching in pull up to a large house.
"Now, Mary, I would appreciate it if this time you would stay in the drawing room for more than thirty minutes." Mrs. Louis chided, "How do you ever expect to find a husband if you're never in the same room with a boy your age for more than five minutes."
Ruby smiled and nodded. She'd stay in the room for thirty-one minutes, then find a solitary place.
"You look so pretty in that dress," Mr. Louis teased, "that if I were your age and not married, I'd be your lover!"
Ruby smiled and nodded again. It was terribly difficult to breathe in the corset when she was sitting.
When the carriage finally arrived at the door of the mansion, Ruby was the first to jump out.
A small girl that had been waiting near by next to some trees, jumped up and ran towards the Louises when she saw Nicole get out of the buggy.
"Nicole! Nicole!" She screamed as she ran towards her friend.
"How are you, Joan?" Nicole asked, after a quick embrace.
"My family and I are fine." Joan replied, shrugging. Joan was wearing a pale yellow dress that somehow managed to set her red hair aglow until it seemed to take over her countenance. Nicole had on a low-necked, teal colored dress. "And you?"
"I'm doing alright, I have a bit of fever, but still well enough to attend the party."
"Let us go inside." Mr. Louis suggested, taking Mrs. Louis by the arm, and leading her in.
Once inside, Ruby felt a wave of dread and discomfort sweep over her. She hated these formal things. Everyone was so pretty, and the women looked so frail and made of porcelain, as though they should brake if they took more than three steps. And the men insisted on treating them so. Ruby was strong, however, and her body was not frail. She was not too stout, though, and was not curvy like the other ladies.
Out of the side door, two rambunctious little boys came romping. Each had a wooden sword that he was waving threateningly at the other. Ruby smiled, and wished to be a child again.
Nicole and Joan chatted and giggled for the first ten minutes, then started to drift away from the center of the party. Ruby followed soundlessly, as though she were their nurse. She hoped that if she stayed close to them, that the boys would assume that she were watching them, and not ask her to dance. Already the center of the room was beginning to fill out with couples dancing to the slow waltzes.
"Mary!" Mrs. Louis called. Ruby forced herself not to groan, but plastered a pretty smiled onto her face, and turned to look at the woman.
"Yes, Mother?"
Mrs. Louis, accompanied by a tall, handsome young man with sun- bleached light hair, quickly walked to her, and began talking.
Nicole and Joan left the room, leaving Ruby to her mother and the gentleman.
"Mary, did you know that Mr. Dobson" Mrs. Louis was referring to the man, "is a sailor aboard the Quonqirador?"
Ruby wanted to laugh. This gangling greenhorn? A sailor? Ruby kept her lips turned into a pleasant smile, no matter how ludicrous the idea sounded.
"Have you ever been on a boat, Miss Louis?" Dobson asked.
'Been on a ship?' Ruby almost choked. Of course she had! She'd been sailing as far back as she could remember!
"Once or twice." Ruby replied, trying to keep her answers short.
"Would you like to come aboard the Quonqirador some time?" Mr. Dobson asked.
"No," Ruby replied, blatantly lying through her teeth, "No. I've not much love for boats."
Dobson and Mrs. Louis talked with Ruby for a while more, but Ruby only replied with short, cool answers that dismissed any pretension that she might be mildly interested in the man.
As soon the matchmaker and the man left Ruby, to go seek livelier conversation, Ruby was out the door that led to the park in the back. She had to get away from all of these stuffy people! They were so ungracious and stiff.
Ruby wandered the gardens for a while, enjoying the lack of people. Of course every now and again, she'd run across a pair of lovers who were also enjoying the solitude, but they did not bother her.
Ruby was about to turn back, to perhaps find something to eat back at the mansion, but then she heard a shrill scream for help.
Ruby's blood suddenly turned icy cold, and fear clutched her heart. That was Joan that was screaming!
"Joan!" Ruby shouted, following the direction that the shouting had come from, and hoping that she might find her sister's friend.
"Ruby-" Came a soft cry, that was cut short and followed by a strange sort of gasping that sounded almost like a choke.
'That was Nicole' Ruby's mind spun, and she ran onwards in a daze.
When she finally arrived at the scene, she saw Nicole in a mound on the earth, and Joan was sitting next to her, weeping and wringing her hands. The child looked up at Ruby with pleading eyes. She was at a loss as to what to do.
Ruby kneeled next to Nicole, and picked up her limp sister, and turned her over so that she could see the front of her. Her dress was stained with vomit down the front.
Nicole gasped in that same choking way again, then vomited. Ruby almost gagged, but bit her tongue, set her face into a resolute expression, and put her arm under Nicole's head.
Nicole gasped feebly again and again.
"Joan!" Ruby snapped, "What happened?"
Joan was still wringing her hands and sobbing as she replied "We were walking, and she said that she felt ill, so we stopped, then she threw up, and she fell over and wouldn't get up."
Ruby's mind immediately ran over the previous days' meals. She almost groaned. That morning for breakfast they'd had clam soup.
Nicole gasped again, and again vomited.
"Go get help." Ruby commanded. Joan hesitated, still sobbing, but Ruby picked up a small vine and laid it none too gently across Joan's legs, and with a snapped 'Now' from Ruby, ran off towards her home again.
Ruby looked over her sister again. Why wasn't she breathing normally?
Ruby felt her corset biting into her, and squirmed, trying to make it lower, and—wait! That was it! Nicole's corset was keeping her from breathing!
Ruby turned Nicole over, opened the back of her dress, and busily tried to undo the strings, silently hating herself for not remembering a knife.
By the time Joan returned with help, Nicole was vomiting again, but now breathing normally.
"Mary! Nicole! Are you both alright?!" Mrs. Louis asked frantically.
Ruby stood wearily, Nicole in her arms. "I'm fine, but Nicole should go home and rest."
One of the little boys that had been playing with the wooden swords, cam up behind Ruby, and took up Nicole's corset on his sword.
"What's this?" He asked, holding up the corset like a flag.
Several of the older women blushed, and Mr. Louis snatched it from the lad before taking Nicole in his arms and heading towards the carriage.
As the Louises wound their way back to their carriage, Ruby said "I don't think Nicole should have been wearing it! She is too young for a corset!"
"I'm sorry, dear." Mrs. Louis said, putting a hand on Ruby's shoulder, trying to act as a mother.
"Now I suppose we know better." She tried to laugh to lighten the mood, but even her own laugh seemed halfhearted.
Ruby glared sullenly out the window.
Mrs. Louis looked on, a bit sad, then moved her hand to Ruby's head, and smoothed out her hair.
When Miss Louis's hand reached the hair near her ear, Ruby pulled away with a sudden jerk.
Ruby bit her lip as tears stung her eyes.
"I'm sorry dear..." Mrs. Louis apologized quickly.
"It's alright...I'm worried about Nicole." Ruby continued looking out the window, so Mr. and Mrs. Louis couldn't see her face.
"Of course you are, Mary, of course you are!" Mr. Louis said softly, "I am too, and so is Mrs. Louis."
Ruby nodded, but didn't turn from the window.
----------------------------
Ok, I didn't get five reviews *sob*, but because I'm such a gracious, loving...Ok, no one's believing me now...K, so I'm just posting this chapter even though I didn't get five reviews because I want to continue the fic!
I will now be answering reviews! ^_^
Kirsa: Thanks! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter! Sorry, can't tell! Can't spoil it, can I? Besides, I like leaving people hanging. *Evil laughter and dramatic music*
Brittany Baker: More Jack later! Now is time for establishing characters, setting up the plot, yadda, yadda, yadda...
PiratePrincess91: It's in the past. ^_^; Hmmm...another person asking me to reveal the plot? Not until the time has come! Sorry! I won't even reveal it to my best friend!
Red1: LOL That's funny! I'll have to look at it sometime! Sorry, I got your review late, and just now got to re-update. 0.o; Sorry if that made no sense.
Thanks again to all who reviewed. Sorry for the lack of Sparrow in this chapter, but he will be making his appearance! So remember, patience is a virtue...or so Mrs. Louis would say! ^_^ I'll post the next chapter soon. I already have it written.