Thanks to my reviewers! I hope everybody who reads enjoys this chapter…
Chapter 15
They were still there
Will woke up with a start. It was the small hours, and he remembered reading the letter from Elizabeth aloud to himself earlier in the evening… he must have fallen asleep a couple of hours ago. Rubbing his eyes and blinking, he looked at the letter, which was still in his hand. The oil lamp he had lit had almost burned out, and the room was quite dark. There was still enough light left for Will to see the words on the page, although he barely needed to. He had read it so many times over, trying to come to a decision, that he almost knew it by heart. Blinking hard, he glanced at it again, knowing it would do no good. It was a conclusion that he would have to come to himself. Rubbing his forehead in distress, he tried to think what to do.
Suddenly, his heart skipping a beat, he realized that Elizabeth might be leaving soon, and he jumped up in alarm. Running his hand through his hair and looking around for his waistcoat, he flung down the letter onto the chair. He snatched up his coat from where it was lying by the table leg, and hurried into the shop. However, on his way out, something caught his eye.
It was the bunch of camellias which he had bought for Elizabeth on market day. They had been lying, abandoned, on the work surface for two days and were wilting from the heat. They had also lost most of their delicate pink colouring, and instead were browned and soggy, but they were still there. Snatching them up, Will strode out of the main door. After shutting it hard behind him, he hesitated for a second, before heading straight for Elizabeth's house. He didn't know what he'd do when he got there, he'd have to decide when he arrived. He knew he wanted to see her, if just for one last time.
*****
Elizabeth had fallen asleep, unsure whether it would be appropriate to sleep on the bed with Jack, or rude not to. After all, she had said she would spend her life with him. In the end, she had opted for sleeping on the other side of the bed from him, on top on the bedspread. She had taken off her dress, but left on her bodice. After all, they were not married. Yet.
Would I want to marry Jack? Elizabeth had thought, as she lay down to rest. She had assumed they would, although she didn't imagine Jack was the type to marry. Then again, he had promised to change and leave his pirate life behind him, so maybe this also applied to his intentions to her. Besides, she was already almost twenty, and she couldn't stay a spinster for the rest of her life. Almost all the girls she knew which were her age were either engaged or married. She decided to talk to Jack about her thoughts one day, but couldn't worry about it now. Besides, they would be very busy in the near future, what with the journey to England, and settling down there. With this comforting thought, Elizabeth had allowed herself to drift into an uneasy sleep.
Will was approaching the house with the camellias in his hand. He was unsure whether any of the household staff would still be up at such a ridiculous time, but felt he had to try. The gates were unlocked, which he found very strange as Governor Swann was generally particularly keen on his family's privacy. Nevertheless, it made it easier for Will, who was able to walk directly up to the front door. With another flash of realization of the stupidity of his mission, he knocked on the door firmly but quietly, as he did not want to wake the whole household.
To his surprise, the door was opened quite quickly by a young woman. He recognized her as Anna Clayton, a maid who was a recent addition to the Swanns' household staff. He assumed she had been immediately given the worst jobs, but he still did not expect her to be up at this time. She looked nervous, so he half-smiled at her.
"Hello, I'm here to see Elizabeth Swann."
"At this hour?!" Even though Anna knew she was supposed to treat visitors as superiors, whether they were just a blacksmith or not, but she had been up all day and night. That maid Estrella had told her she had to work during the night because a young man may come at an anti social hour, and she was extremely irritable with fatigue.
"I'm sorry, but it's important," Will apologised, making as if to go inside. Anna pushed the door to a little. She was not supposed to allow guests entry, but he had said it was important and there was nobody else around. Still a little cautious, she let him come into the hall and closed the door gently.
"Wait 'ere," she commanded, and Will nodded. Anna quickly scurried up the tall staircase, feeling uncomfortable. Reaching Elizabeth's bedroom, she tapped lightly on the door, then a little louder when there was no answer.
"Come in!" called a muffled voice. Timidly, she opened the door a crack and looked inside. She visibly blanched at the sight of Miss Swann lying in her undergarments on the bed with an unconscious pirate.
"Yes?!" demanded Elizabeth, annoyed at being woken.
"There's- urm- there's a gentleman to see you, ma'am," Anna whispered, trying to recover from her surprise.
"What?!"
"I'm sorry, Miss Swann, but 'e says it's important. I didn't know what to do," she explained nervously. Elizabeth sat up and sighed in resignation.
"Tell him I'll be down shortly. You may go now." Anna gave a small nod and left the door slightly ajar. She hurried back down the staircase to where Will was pacing up and down the hall.
"Miss Swann won't be long," she told the blacksmith, watching him from the bottom of the stairs. She was curious about the reasons for his visit, and could not resist waiting in case of a chance to overhear any of their conversation. Will's behaviour was very strange, and he seemed extremely pre-occupied. Anna knew the pair of them had called off their engagement, and wondered if a reunion was imminent. Elizabeth Swann has the most interesting life of anybody in Port Royal, she thought enviously. She was interrupted by a voice behind her.
"Will," Elizabeth exclaimed, from part way down the stairs. Running down the rest of the way, she waved to Anna. "You may leave us now, Anna."
"Yes, ma'am," muttered Anna, disappointed, and left the hallway.
The atmosphere between them was tense. Elizabeth was standing at the bottom of the stairs, dressed in her bodice and dressing gown, and stared at the man she loved. Her heart was pounding as she waited to hear his motive for coming. Was he going to take her back? Will was equally nervous, but sure. Clenching the flowers hard, he took a few steps towards her.
"Elizabeth. I made a mistake by giving you up. I love you… will you marry me?"
*****
Thought I'd leave it there! Please review, I'm pretty sure what I'm going to write next, but I'd love to hear your views on what Elizabeth should do!
Thanks for reading!