She rolled over, opening her eyes to reveal Lily´s face right net to her. "AAH!" Elizabeth screamed, falling off her bed.
"Sorry!" Lily squeaked. She tried to help her up but Elizabeth pushed her away.
"Leave me alone." She laid on the floor until she was sure Lily was gone. She got up and looked at her armoire displaying her wedding dress.
She closed it.
She got back into bed and pulled the covers round. My life is ruined, she thought and felt her eyes begin to fill up. But she would not let herself cry. She had done enough.
A knock came on her door. "Elizabeth? May I come in?" It was Weatherby Swann.
"No," Elizabeth whispered.
He came in. "Darling, what happened? You´re so sad, suddenly." His eyes grew fierce. "What did that pirate do?"
"His friend Annamaria ran off- he says we can´t get married until she comes back." Elizabeth looked at her father with dead eyes.
The governor looked hopeful.
"Stop it, Father." Elizabeth turned onto her side. "He still loves me and wants to be my husband."
Swann frowned. "How old is Captain Jack Sparrow, anyway?"
"How old was Norrington?" Elizabeth shot back.
"James Norrington is dead, Elizabeth- your point is moot. So kindly answer my question."
"How old were you when you married Mother?" Elizabeth said, refusing to answer, partly because she did not know. Jack seemed ageless to her.
Governor Swann and walked around to face her. "Daughter, your mother is useless to this argument. I assume this pirate captain is at least thirty?"
"Maybe," Elizabeth mumbled.
Her father walked out on her widow´s walk, and said, "Maybe this is a blessing in disguise, dear. He IS a pirate."
That was it. "Daddy!" Elizabeth cried, pushing back her covers. "Jack has never once strayed from me since we have been together. He loves me! He will marry me!"
"Then why is he waiting for this friend? Was he involved with this woman?" Weatherby wanted to know.
Elizabeth flopped on her bed. "Yes. . ." She could not see him, but she knew her father was smiling smugly.
"I´m tired, Daddy. Please leave."
He complied.
"I can´t leave Elizabeth like this," Jack told Marcella, Will, Mick, Layla, and Gibbs.
"Let´s go visit her," Will suggested. "She´ll be cheerful if we stay with her for a bit."
"Aye," Gibbs agreed. He toasted Will. "Fabulous idea, Will- let´s go now!"
They got two rowboats: Jack, Marcella, and Layla in one, and Will, Mick, and Gibbs in the other. Working quickly, they all jumped in and rappelled down to the water and started to row.
Pausing for a moment, Jack took Marcella´s and Layla´s hands and said, "M´dears, please help me get my Liz back."
They both nodded. Layla kissed Jack´s palm. "Cher, bien sur."
Jack picked up each oar and continued rowing, not even trying to suppress the grin on his face.
Will pumped steadily, leaving Mick and Gibbs to talk among themselves. He hated thinking that Annamaria could be dead somewhere near Hispaniola, or that Elizabeth was depressed. BUt soon the boats hit sand and the six people marched towards Elizabeth´s house.
Her butler answered. "Captains Sparrow and Castilla- what can I do for you?"
"May we see Elizabeth?" Will pushed forward.
"The lady of the house is in her chamber. She requests no visitors." He smirked maddeningly.
"All righ´." Jack turned away and the butler shut the door. Jack looked up. Elizabeth's widow's walk was a few feet above him.
"Chums, I´m breakin´ in," he said in a low voice. and with that, he jumped on the wall, clutching the scaffolding. Not unlike a monkey, he scaled the side of the house in a matter of minutes. "C'mon!" he hissed triumphantly. He jumped into Liz´s room.
Elizabeth, who was truly napping, was still wearing her slip. She was sleeping on her left arm, all her hair swept over. She was lying on her side and Jack thought she was an angel. The others clambered up and filled Elizabeth´s room, quieting when they realized she was asleep.
Jack smoothed Elizabeth´s hair, and she slowly opened her eyes. She smiled sweetly, presumably because she forgot she was mad at him for a minute. Jack smiled back uncertainly.
"Darling, wake up- I´ve got some visitors fer ya."
It was "visitors" that sparked her memory. Her expression hardened. "Get out! I told Alexander I don´t want people seeing me!"
"But Liz-" Jack said. "We want to explain."
She sighed, leaning back against her pillows. "Make it good- I just want to prove my father wrong about you."
Jack kneeled by her bed and clasped her hand in his. "I love you- I hope you know that by now. And I still have every intention of marrying ya. But Annamaria must have a reason fer sailing to ´er childhood home- we can´t marry without all of our friends."
"Home? Where's that?" Elizabeth asked.
"Isla Vache," Marcella said quietly. "It´s an island off of Hispaniola."
Elizabeth´s heart skipped a beat. Isla Vache. She had heard that name before. . .
As she slipped into her former self, she heard people saying faintly, "Elizabeth? Are you all right?"
She was three. She was still in England, with her parents Weatherby and Victoria. Happy as could be, she was well-kept. In truth, her nanny Camille tended to her than flighty nineteen-year-old Victoria, but Elizabeth did not mind.
One day she and Camille were playing her house's hallway. Outside her parent's bedroom, Elizabeth played with Camille and her stuffed rabbit Osgood. Then she heard raised voices. "I have to, Weatherby- he loves me and treats me right!"
"You no-good slag! I never should have married you! Go on, live on Isla Vache and throw away the good life!"
"Antonio WILL keep me in the good life!" And the door swung open and Victoria stormed out.
Five days later, Victoria died. Elizabeth was heartbroken but didn´t fully understand. Her father grieved for about a week and then quickly got over it.
Elizabeth was rustled back to the present. Everyone looked nervous.
"Are ya feelin´ all righ´, Lizzie?" Jack said.
"Marcella-" Elizabeth said drowsily.
"Yes?"
"Was there a man named Antonio living on Isla Vache?"
Marcella twitched. "Antonio Rafael."
"That must be him." Elizabeth leaned forward. "But why would Annamaria go? On the day of my wedding?"
The room fell silent. Mick surreptitiously took out a cigar and stuck it in his mouth. "Maybe yer mum isn´ dead after all," he suggested genially.
Everyone gaped at him. Elizabeth looked confused.
"Why would she be? My father. . ." she glared at her hands. Snatching her dressing gown, she put it on and stomped into the hallway.
"FATHER!" she yelled.
He rushed up the stairs. "Elizabeth? What´s wrong?" He followed her back to her room. "Is Mother dead?" Elizabeth barked, choosing not to acknowledge the fact the face that six gruff pirates had invaded her frilly bedroom. Said pirates leaned forward, expecting the governor´s response.
The governor smiled nervously. "She left us when you were three, dear."
"But is she dead?" Elizabeth persisted.
Swann´s face fell. "No," he murmured.