Disney own POTC, not me!! =)
A/N Thanks for the reviews. I am trying hard to keep this story in the right time period, so please tell me any suggestions on how I could improve it. By the way to avoid confusion Rosie is Elizabeth's mother.
Chapter Two.
Rosie stepped on to the dock, a wild smirk on her grubby thin face. Her ragged dress was ripped in various places, and one of her shoes was missing a heel. She didn't usually wear shoes, but some occasions demanded it and this was one of them.
She had come ashore to find herself a husband, and prove to the others that she could, she was not going to be a pirate's wench all her life, she was determined to better herself. And as soon as she had got the idea into her head, she had been telling her pirates tales of big houses, clean floors, maids at her beck and call, and comfy feather mattresses.
She wiggled uncomfortably in the restricting shoes as she walked further away from the docks, without looking back. She threw her curly, fiery red hair behind her shoulders, her eyes flashing in the sun. She walked along the docks, thinking to herself, humming a tune as she went.
It was a stupid idea, putting a bet on whether she could get a husband or not, stupid! But now she had done it, she couldn't back down. she had a month to make a man fall madly in love with her, and not just any man, he had to have a big house, clean floors and maids at his beck and call. She sighed as she sat down on the edge of the pier, swinging her bare legs out into the sea.
She was almost thinking about forgetting the bet, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. They'd forget it in like a couple of years, right? She thought miserably.
It was then that the man brushed past her she hardly noticed, until he started running, then she felt in her pocket. Her purse was gone. She jumped up and began to chase after the running man. She was a fast runner, and was gaining on the thief when she collided with a passer by whom sent her tumbling to the ground.
He helped her up shocked. "Oh Miss I am terribly sorry." He spluttered.
She made a display of brushing the dirt of her dress.
"Oh look what I have done to your dress?" He exclaimed with misery. "You must let me pay for a new one."
"That won't be necessary." She replied, her eyes following the man, who was quickly disappearing into the distance.
"And where were you off to in such a hurry?"
"That man has stolen my purse." She said, quickly. She was about to carry on after the thief, but instead her eyes ran over the man who had stalled her.
"I'm Rosie." She said, holding out her slender grubby hand.
He took it. "Mr Swann." He said, with clear disgust at the use of her first name. "What about your purse?"
She shrugged. "Don't suppose it had much in it anyway, more the principal of it." she said, with a smile.
"But of course, I shall alert my father about the thief."
"Your father?"
"Yes, the governor of Port Royal." He said, unable to hide the pride in his voice.
She grinned. Governors were rich people, right? Rich people had big houses, clean floors, and maids answering to their beck and call.
She made more play of brushing the dirt from her dress.
He watched her uneasily. "You really must let me pay you for the damage I have caused."
Rosie didn't say anything, she didn't even look up.
"Er.Miss." He began, but broke off, realising he only knew her first name.
"Rosie, if you please sir. I don't hold with no silly conventions. My name is Rosie and that is what people should call me. It's a nice name is Rosie, I'm not going to hide it behind no Miss Prim." She replied with a smile.
Mr Swann grinned. "Well, if you insist. So would you like me to accompany you home and explain how you got in such a state?"
Rosie shook her head. "No thanks."
"Do you live near here?"
"Here abouts. And you, Sir?"
"Swann Manor."
Manor, that sounded like a big house. "You're lucky to live in such a beautiful place."
He nodded. "Do you come here often? Maybe you would like to call tomorrow at Swann Manor and give me the bill for a new dress? I really do insist."
"Well, if you insist, Mr Swann, how could I possibly refuse?"
"We shall saw about two o'clock then?" He replied.
"Yes, but I should warn you, I don't hold with punctuality either, nothing rules my life, especially not time."
That night Rosie paid for a small dingy room in a pub, she had to share it with another two girls. She ignored them as they giggled through the night, and instead spent her time trying to mend the tares in her dress, and sponging the mud out of the fabric. When she had finished, it looked a lot better, but was still recognisable as the same dress, and surely a lady wouldn't wear the same dress twice, especially two days running? In the end, she put all the money she had together, counting it into the night trying to stretch it as far as she could. The end result was a second hand dress, only slightly better then her own, but at least it was a different.
She even started to worry about the heel on her shoe. She couldn't very well waltz into Swann Manor in her bare feet, but was going with only one heel any better? And she had no money left to buy even a second or third hand pair.
She left the pub in the morning and spent the time until lunch wondering around the docks, gathering information. By the time she settled down to lunch (which was included with the rates for the room) she had gained quite a bit of information on Governor Swann and his son. The clock had chimed two, and was nearer three when she set off. She had got directions from the landlord and half knew where she was going. She finally found the large manor, and walked up the driveway as elegantly as possible in her wonky shoes. She knocked on the door, and stood waiting, patiently.
To her joy, it was opened by a manservant, but to her annoyance he looked down on her with disgust.
"Yes, Miss?" he asked, trying to hide the shock in his voice.
"I am here to see Mr Swann."
"Have you an appointment?" "Not Governor Swann, his son."
The manservant nodded. "Just a moment Miss, I shall see if he'll receive you."
"Of course he will, he invited me."
The manservant's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Invited you Miss? Dear me there must be a mistake."
"No mistake. There you are, Rosie. Well come in, come in." Said a voice from behind the servant. Rosie smiled playfully at the manservant as she stepped over the threshold. "Mr Swann."
"If I am to call you Rosie, please call me Edward." He said. "Let's go through to the drawing room, where we can talk. I shall invite my sister to sit with us."
"Your sister?!" Rosie exclaimed.
"Well, you are not suggesting that we sit by ourselves? That would be frowned on."
"We are not children, Edward. We do not need a babysitter, anyway I am only here on your request that you must pay me for my dress."
"Indeed I must, but Emily should sit with us." He said. "You may leave, Parkinson." He said, to the manservant.
Parkinson seemed almost disappointed as he retreated from the hall way.
Mr Swann led her to the drawing room, where a young and disagreeable woman was sitting, eyeing them beadily.
If that's what money does, Rosie thought, I'm not sure I want it.
Rosie sat down, without waiting to be asked. Mr Swann was surprised but quickly followed suit.
"Who is this then Edward? Another of your 'people'." The woman asked. She turned to Rosie. "He is too kind for his own good. People will take advantage of his generous nature, charity cases, he calls them, beggars degrading our society, I call them." She said.
"Really?" Rosie said. "Well, sorry to disappoint you but I am not a charity case, in fact your brother invited me here to repay me for ruining my dress, yesterday, savvy?" she said.
"Savvy?" The woman sneered.
"Yeah, don't you know what that means? Don't teach nothing at school nowadays do they?" she asked, sarcastically.
Emily turned back to her embroidery with an angry sigh, glancing occasionally at the unwanted visitor. An awkward silence followed, Rosie wasn't use to silence. She glanced around the room, with interest taking in the antique vases, the immaculate china plates displayed behind a glass cover. The dust free furniture, yes it was a very nice room.
"So have you inquired into the price of the dress yet?" Mr Swann asked.
Rosie shook her head. "Honestly, Edward, there is no need."
"Edward? Edward!" Emily looked up shocked. "Didn't know you knew my brother that well." she commented.
Rosie grinned. "Actually I don't, I t'only met him yesterday."
Emily was clearly very annoyed. She got up, threw her embroidery down on the sofa. "Do excuse me." she muttered, leaving the room.
"Alone at last." Rosie said.
Edward however was staring after his sister disturbed. "I do hope we haven't offended her."
"Who cares?" Rosie demanded. "If she is silly enough to live her life by some stupid rules, then it's her own fault."
Edward wasn't sure how to react. A stranger was calling him by his first name, and calling his sister stupid. Rosie saw from his expression that she had crossed a line.
"Sorry, Sir, but that is how we live in my household. I don't give a care bout what people think of me. If they don't like me, then fine, I'm not changing for no one."
Edward smiled. "Good, I like you just the way you are."
Rosie laughed. "I've been awaiting all my life for someone to say that!"
A/N Thanks for the reviews. I am trying hard to keep this story in the right time period, so please tell me any suggestions on how I could improve it. By the way to avoid confusion Rosie is Elizabeth's mother.
Chapter Two.
Rosie stepped on to the dock, a wild smirk on her grubby thin face. Her ragged dress was ripped in various places, and one of her shoes was missing a heel. She didn't usually wear shoes, but some occasions demanded it and this was one of them.
She had come ashore to find herself a husband, and prove to the others that she could, she was not going to be a pirate's wench all her life, she was determined to better herself. And as soon as she had got the idea into her head, she had been telling her pirates tales of big houses, clean floors, maids at her beck and call, and comfy feather mattresses.
She wiggled uncomfortably in the restricting shoes as she walked further away from the docks, without looking back. She threw her curly, fiery red hair behind her shoulders, her eyes flashing in the sun. She walked along the docks, thinking to herself, humming a tune as she went.
It was a stupid idea, putting a bet on whether she could get a husband or not, stupid! But now she had done it, she couldn't back down. she had a month to make a man fall madly in love with her, and not just any man, he had to have a big house, clean floors and maids at his beck and call. She sighed as she sat down on the edge of the pier, swinging her bare legs out into the sea.
She was almost thinking about forgetting the bet, maybe it wouldn't be so bad. They'd forget it in like a couple of years, right? She thought miserably.
It was then that the man brushed past her she hardly noticed, until he started running, then she felt in her pocket. Her purse was gone. She jumped up and began to chase after the running man. She was a fast runner, and was gaining on the thief when she collided with a passer by whom sent her tumbling to the ground.
He helped her up shocked. "Oh Miss I am terribly sorry." He spluttered.
She made a display of brushing the dirt of her dress.
"Oh look what I have done to your dress?" He exclaimed with misery. "You must let me pay for a new one."
"That won't be necessary." She replied, her eyes following the man, who was quickly disappearing into the distance.
"And where were you off to in such a hurry?"
"That man has stolen my purse." She said, quickly. She was about to carry on after the thief, but instead her eyes ran over the man who had stalled her.
"I'm Rosie." She said, holding out her slender grubby hand.
He took it. "Mr Swann." He said, with clear disgust at the use of her first name. "What about your purse?"
She shrugged. "Don't suppose it had much in it anyway, more the principal of it." she said, with a smile.
"But of course, I shall alert my father about the thief."
"Your father?"
"Yes, the governor of Port Royal." He said, unable to hide the pride in his voice.
She grinned. Governors were rich people, right? Rich people had big houses, clean floors, and maids answering to their beck and call.
She made more play of brushing the dirt from her dress.
He watched her uneasily. "You really must let me pay you for the damage I have caused."
Rosie didn't say anything, she didn't even look up.
"Er.Miss." He began, but broke off, realising he only knew her first name.
"Rosie, if you please sir. I don't hold with no silly conventions. My name is Rosie and that is what people should call me. It's a nice name is Rosie, I'm not going to hide it behind no Miss Prim." She replied with a smile.
Mr Swann grinned. "Well, if you insist. So would you like me to accompany you home and explain how you got in such a state?"
Rosie shook her head. "No thanks."
"Do you live near here?"
"Here abouts. And you, Sir?"
"Swann Manor."
Manor, that sounded like a big house. "You're lucky to live in such a beautiful place."
He nodded. "Do you come here often? Maybe you would like to call tomorrow at Swann Manor and give me the bill for a new dress? I really do insist."
"Well, if you insist, Mr Swann, how could I possibly refuse?"
"We shall saw about two o'clock then?" He replied.
"Yes, but I should warn you, I don't hold with punctuality either, nothing rules my life, especially not time."
That night Rosie paid for a small dingy room in a pub, she had to share it with another two girls. She ignored them as they giggled through the night, and instead spent her time trying to mend the tares in her dress, and sponging the mud out of the fabric. When she had finished, it looked a lot better, but was still recognisable as the same dress, and surely a lady wouldn't wear the same dress twice, especially two days running? In the end, she put all the money she had together, counting it into the night trying to stretch it as far as she could. The end result was a second hand dress, only slightly better then her own, but at least it was a different.
She even started to worry about the heel on her shoe. She couldn't very well waltz into Swann Manor in her bare feet, but was going with only one heel any better? And she had no money left to buy even a second or third hand pair.
She left the pub in the morning and spent the time until lunch wondering around the docks, gathering information. By the time she settled down to lunch (which was included with the rates for the room) she had gained quite a bit of information on Governor Swann and his son. The clock had chimed two, and was nearer three when she set off. She had got directions from the landlord and half knew where she was going. She finally found the large manor, and walked up the driveway as elegantly as possible in her wonky shoes. She knocked on the door, and stood waiting, patiently.
To her joy, it was opened by a manservant, but to her annoyance he looked down on her with disgust.
"Yes, Miss?" he asked, trying to hide the shock in his voice.
"I am here to see Mr Swann."
"Have you an appointment?" "Not Governor Swann, his son."
The manservant nodded. "Just a moment Miss, I shall see if he'll receive you."
"Of course he will, he invited me."
The manservant's eyes almost popped out of his head. "Invited you Miss? Dear me there must be a mistake."
"No mistake. There you are, Rosie. Well come in, come in." Said a voice from behind the servant. Rosie smiled playfully at the manservant as she stepped over the threshold. "Mr Swann."
"If I am to call you Rosie, please call me Edward." He said. "Let's go through to the drawing room, where we can talk. I shall invite my sister to sit with us."
"Your sister?!" Rosie exclaimed.
"Well, you are not suggesting that we sit by ourselves? That would be frowned on."
"We are not children, Edward. We do not need a babysitter, anyway I am only here on your request that you must pay me for my dress."
"Indeed I must, but Emily should sit with us." He said. "You may leave, Parkinson." He said, to the manservant.
Parkinson seemed almost disappointed as he retreated from the hall way.
Mr Swann led her to the drawing room, where a young and disagreeable woman was sitting, eyeing them beadily.
If that's what money does, Rosie thought, I'm not sure I want it.
Rosie sat down, without waiting to be asked. Mr Swann was surprised but quickly followed suit.
"Who is this then Edward? Another of your 'people'." The woman asked. She turned to Rosie. "He is too kind for his own good. People will take advantage of his generous nature, charity cases, he calls them, beggars degrading our society, I call them." She said.
"Really?" Rosie said. "Well, sorry to disappoint you but I am not a charity case, in fact your brother invited me here to repay me for ruining my dress, yesterday, savvy?" she said.
"Savvy?" The woman sneered.
"Yeah, don't you know what that means? Don't teach nothing at school nowadays do they?" she asked, sarcastically.
Emily turned back to her embroidery with an angry sigh, glancing occasionally at the unwanted visitor. An awkward silence followed, Rosie wasn't use to silence. She glanced around the room, with interest taking in the antique vases, the immaculate china plates displayed behind a glass cover. The dust free furniture, yes it was a very nice room.
"So have you inquired into the price of the dress yet?" Mr Swann asked.
Rosie shook her head. "Honestly, Edward, there is no need."
"Edward? Edward!" Emily looked up shocked. "Didn't know you knew my brother that well." she commented.
Rosie grinned. "Actually I don't, I t'only met him yesterday."
Emily was clearly very annoyed. She got up, threw her embroidery down on the sofa. "Do excuse me." she muttered, leaving the room.
"Alone at last." Rosie said.
Edward however was staring after his sister disturbed. "I do hope we haven't offended her."
"Who cares?" Rosie demanded. "If she is silly enough to live her life by some stupid rules, then it's her own fault."
Edward wasn't sure how to react. A stranger was calling him by his first name, and calling his sister stupid. Rosie saw from his expression that she had crossed a line.
"Sorry, Sir, but that is how we live in my household. I don't give a care bout what people think of me. If they don't like me, then fine, I'm not changing for no one."
Edward smiled. "Good, I like you just the way you are."
Rosie laughed. "I've been awaiting all my life for someone to say that!"