Dear Elizabeth,
While you are and always have been my beloved, I must do this. I am leaving Port Royal and you. The news that you gave me this morning was just too much to bear. I have to stay away for a while and maybe then I'll just be able to forget. I do not blame you completely for it but you must understand that this is better for you, too. Our marriage wouldn't have been happy if I didn't trust you. And I'm afraid to say that I am incapable of trusting you at the moment. You can keep the ring but it doesn't mean anything anymore. I take back my marriage proposal. I am sorry. If you are lucky, perhaps the Commodore's proposal still stands. It is better than waiting for me because I don't expect to be around for a very long time. I'll never forget what it was like when it lasted.
- William Turner
Elizabeth stared at the letter for a minute and then read it again. Will was gone. There was nothing to live for anymore. She was beyond tears. She pushed her hair but behind her ears, trying to read the letter one last time in the dying fire light. It was well past the time that her father would like her to be in bed but she didn't care. She was in too much grief to sleep.
There was a clutter behind her. Elizabeth whirled around. There was nothing there. Slowly, she approached her window. The next second, she had jumped back because a man had come through it and landed in her room. The decorated black hair was familiar. There was no question about who he was.
"What in the bloody name of Christ are you doing her?" Elizabeth asked him, in a furious whisper, "Not only is this entirely improper as I'm in my nightdress and you are a criminal but...."
"Since when 'ave ya cared for properness, love?" came the slurred voice, "And it's not as though I've never seen ya in yer nightdress."
"Why you...." Elizabeth lashed out at him.
Jack caught her arm. "Now that's not very nice. Easy, love. Ya don't want ta wake up the 'ole house."
"I'll scream. I swear I'll scream. And I hope they take you to the gallows. You deserve it, you bastard!"
This time her hand made contact with his face. He flinched at the blow. "I might 'ave deserved that, love, but why don't we discuss it some other time, savvy?"
"I don't want to discuss anything with you, ever. I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"
She flung herself against him, trying to slap or punch any part of his body that she could reach. But Jack was much stronger than she was. He caught both of her wrists, holding them tightly so that she couldn't keep attacking her. His face had gone seriously for one of the first times since Elizabeth had known him. "Why do ya hate me so? The last time I checked, we were on good terms. What is it?"
Elizabeth kicked him in the leg which caused him to unbalance and fall forward onto Elizabeth's bed with her underneath of him. "Familiar position, love?" he asked.
Elizabeth began sobbing again. She fought against Jack's grip but not as aggressively as before. "Get off of me," she sobbed.
Jack let go of her wrists and stood up. "Is that what it is then?" he asked, "Still sore about our little... er... rumpus on the island?"
"Our little 'rumpus' caused Will to leave," Elizabeth said, with an extremely deadly voice.
There was a minute of silence. Finally Jack spoke, "Ah. Poor dear William. Must 'ave been quite a shock..."
"You are undoubtedly the most vile man I've ever met in my life," Elizabeth said with the same deadly voice, "If you don't leave right this instant, I will implore Commodore Norrington to hang you, and I'm sure he would be happy to oblige."
"Undoubtedly," Jack said, wincing, "But ya've forgotten the fact that I can help ya."
"How could you possibly help me?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, love. Ya appear ta 'ave forgotten that I 'ave a ship," Jack answered, his eyes dancing.
"That doesn't do me any good. Now get out!"
"It does do ya good if ya want to go after young William."
Elizabeth went still. There would be no other person willing to bring her after Will and if there was, she's have to explain everything which she wasn't willing to do. Jack might be her only chance. But if she found Will, what next? How could she make him come back? Worry about that later, she told herself, Try just to find him first.
"Very well, Sparrow," Elizabeth said, "I won't have you hung. But you better bring me to your ship right this moment."
Jack nodded, a grin starting to spread across his face. "Certainly, love. Now, if ya'll just follow me...." he started to climb out the window.
"Wait a moment. Do you expect me to climb out a window?"
"Aye."
"I'll go around and meet me in the front," Elizabeth told him, crisply.
Jack started to climb out the window and Elizabeth started to leave the room. "Oh and one more thing, Sparrow...."
"Aye?"
"If you so much as touch me, I'll have you in much more pain than the Royal Navy possibly could. Understood?"
"Those are awful harsh words fer a lady," Jack told her.
"Good because I mean them," Elizabeth said, and left her room.
While you are and always have been my beloved, I must do this. I am leaving Port Royal and you. The news that you gave me this morning was just too much to bear. I have to stay away for a while and maybe then I'll just be able to forget. I do not blame you completely for it but you must understand that this is better for you, too. Our marriage wouldn't have been happy if I didn't trust you. And I'm afraid to say that I am incapable of trusting you at the moment. You can keep the ring but it doesn't mean anything anymore. I take back my marriage proposal. I am sorry. If you are lucky, perhaps the Commodore's proposal still stands. It is better than waiting for me because I don't expect to be around for a very long time. I'll never forget what it was like when it lasted.
- William Turner
Elizabeth stared at the letter for a minute and then read it again. Will was gone. There was nothing to live for anymore. She was beyond tears. She pushed her hair but behind her ears, trying to read the letter one last time in the dying fire light. It was well past the time that her father would like her to be in bed but she didn't care. She was in too much grief to sleep.
There was a clutter behind her. Elizabeth whirled around. There was nothing there. Slowly, she approached her window. The next second, she had jumped back because a man had come through it and landed in her room. The decorated black hair was familiar. There was no question about who he was.
"What in the bloody name of Christ are you doing her?" Elizabeth asked him, in a furious whisper, "Not only is this entirely improper as I'm in my nightdress and you are a criminal but...."
"Since when 'ave ya cared for properness, love?" came the slurred voice, "And it's not as though I've never seen ya in yer nightdress."
"Why you...." Elizabeth lashed out at him.
Jack caught her arm. "Now that's not very nice. Easy, love. Ya don't want ta wake up the 'ole house."
"I'll scream. I swear I'll scream. And I hope they take you to the gallows. You deserve it, you bastard!"
This time her hand made contact with his face. He flinched at the blow. "I might 'ave deserved that, love, but why don't we discuss it some other time, savvy?"
"I don't want to discuss anything with you, ever. I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"
She flung herself against him, trying to slap or punch any part of his body that she could reach. But Jack was much stronger than she was. He caught both of her wrists, holding them tightly so that she couldn't keep attacking her. His face had gone seriously for one of the first times since Elizabeth had known him. "Why do ya hate me so? The last time I checked, we were on good terms. What is it?"
Elizabeth kicked him in the leg which caused him to unbalance and fall forward onto Elizabeth's bed with her underneath of him. "Familiar position, love?" he asked.
Elizabeth began sobbing again. She fought against Jack's grip but not as aggressively as before. "Get off of me," she sobbed.
Jack let go of her wrists and stood up. "Is that what it is then?" he asked, "Still sore about our little... er... rumpus on the island?"
"Our little 'rumpus' caused Will to leave," Elizabeth said, with an extremely deadly voice.
There was a minute of silence. Finally Jack spoke, "Ah. Poor dear William. Must 'ave been quite a shock..."
"You are undoubtedly the most vile man I've ever met in my life," Elizabeth said with the same deadly voice, "If you don't leave right this instant, I will implore Commodore Norrington to hang you, and I'm sure he would be happy to oblige."
"Undoubtedly," Jack said, wincing, "But ya've forgotten the fact that I can help ya."
"How could you possibly help me?" Elizabeth asked.
"Well, love. Ya appear ta 'ave forgotten that I 'ave a ship," Jack answered, his eyes dancing.
"That doesn't do me any good. Now get out!"
"It does do ya good if ya want to go after young William."
Elizabeth went still. There would be no other person willing to bring her after Will and if there was, she's have to explain everything which she wasn't willing to do. Jack might be her only chance. But if she found Will, what next? How could she make him come back? Worry about that later, she told herself, Try just to find him first.
"Very well, Sparrow," Elizabeth said, "I won't have you hung. But you better bring me to your ship right this moment."
Jack nodded, a grin starting to spread across his face. "Certainly, love. Now, if ya'll just follow me...." he started to climb out the window.
"Wait a moment. Do you expect me to climb out a window?"
"Aye."
"I'll go around and meet me in the front," Elizabeth told him, crisply.
Jack started to climb out the window and Elizabeth started to leave the room. "Oh and one more thing, Sparrow...."
"Aye?"
"If you so much as touch me, I'll have you in much more pain than the Royal Navy possibly could. Understood?"
"Those are awful harsh words fer a lady," Jack told her.
"Good because I mean them," Elizabeth said, and left her room.