"The way I hear it, she's thinking of wearing her black!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"Widow or not, if she's going to be wearing black, she might as well not come at all! But it is so funny, Governor Swann holding this huge party for his daughter's marriage to a blacksmith!"

"Oh yes! If I were her father, she'd be out on the street by now! Hmph. Blacksmith indeed. The good Commodore won't be pleased."

"What? What's this about the Commodore?"

"Well, according to what I heard from Isabella Groves, the Commodore has received an invitation."

"Fancy that! Is he going?"

"We'll just have to wait and see." A sip of tea. "You know, I don't care much for that Isabella Groves."

"Me neither. Such a frightful gossip."

Commodore James Norrington was pacing his office in Fort Charles, lost in his thoughts. A knock at his door made his jump.

"Come in."

Groves poked his head around the door and nodded. "You wished to see me, sir?"

"Yes, sit down, Groves."

Norrington proceeded to explain everything that had occurred in his study that morning, and his plan to woo Elizabeth away from Will.

"And you came up with this plan while you were drunk, sir?"

"I wasn't drunk, Groves! I might have had a slight hangover, but I was not drunk!"

"…And you were seeing pirates at your window."

"I WASN'T DRUNK! Now, I am asking you if I am going about this the right way."

"Wooing the woman who obviously doesn't love you by pretending to be engaged to another woman, which was handpicked by a drunken pirate that conveniently appeared at your study window this morning after a night of drowning your sorrows in brandy?" Groves gasped for breath.

"…Yes, that sounds about right."

"Well, I think it's wonderfully exciting, sir!"

"You think it's a GOOD idea?"

"It is brilliant, sir! Absolutely brilliant! Oh, I cannot wait to meet the lady!"

"Knowing Sparrow, she should be one of ill-repute."

"Knock-knock?" Groves and Norrington turned to see Jack Sparrow sitting on the windowsill of Norrington's office.

"I TOLD you." Norrington scowled. Groves stared.

"Hello again, Commodore. Lieutenant. I just dropped by to give ye yer lovely lass, savvy?"

"Savvy?" Groves turned questioningly to Norrington.

"Savvy." Norrington sighed.

"May I present… ouch! Easy on the goods, darlin."

A shout from outside the window. "Jack, I'm gonna get ye fer this if it's the last ting I do!"

"Ahem. May I present… Anamaria." With a flourish, he practically threw a young woman with creamy dark skin and mocha eyes into Norrington's office.

Norrington blinked and turned. "Well, maybe I can just resign myself to remaining a bachelor for the rest of my days…"

"Sir, you can't go back now! Besides, you should escort her to the Governor's party tomorrow. It would be perfect! Good afternoon, Miss… Pirate." Groves gallantly extended his hand and attempted to help Anamaria up off the floor. She batted it away with a glare and stood. Groves smiled, reflecting that this would be a good story to tell his wife later.

"I don't need none o' ye Navy idiots helping me with anythin, 'cept maybe killin Jack!"

"Oh come now, Anamaria… you know that the good Commodore, in exchange for yer help, is gonna give ye clemency and all…"

"He is?" Anamaria turned to Groves.

"You are?" Groves turned to Norrington.

"I am?" Norrington shot an angry look at Jack, who raised his eyebrows. "I mean, I am."

Jack smiled. "Well, I'm feelin very good about all this. Ta!" With that, he disappeared from the window. Groves raised an eyebrow.

"That has got to be the best pirate I've ever seen."

"We know, Groves." Norrington rolled his eyes. "Now, what am I going to do with Her?"

"Me name is Anamaria, not 'Her'."

"Do you think Gillette could keep Her at his home for me? Hmm…Probably not." Norrington answered his own question. "Gillette doesn't like pirates or prostitutes."

"I'm right here, ya know." Anamaria scowled.

"Oh, She'd be fine with just a bath and some proper clothes, sir." Groves smiled kindly at Anamaria. "I think Isabella and I could take Her in for you. Just wait, by tomorrow She'll look like a real woman."

Anamaria let out a string of profanities.

"Of course, we'll have to clean up her speech a bit…"