Author's Notes: I hope you are enjoying it so far. Many thanks to Iblis, Jehan's Muse, Arym, Addicted and Calendar for the kind reviews - very encouraging and much appreciated.

Chapter 7: Lies

Jack left Anamaria lazing in his bed the next morning as he went to pick up some fresh bread for their breakfast. Not the sort of thing he would normally bother with, but somehow the thought of her lying there all warm and contented, waiting for him, made it seem worth the bother. Will teased him about that, talking about the reforming influence of a good woman, but somehow he never seemed to say so when Anamaria might overhear.

The docks hadn't really begun to stir yet - all that cheap rum didn't make for early rising, but old Agnes was there in her grubby little shop, setting out the first batch of bread. She'd been running the place for years, God knows how old she was. The old salts' gossip said that once she had been another working girl touting for business on the waterfront, until she had taken up with a Captain, now long-dead, who had been persuaded to part with the capital to set up the shop.

"Morning Agnes my darling, one loaf if you please" he gave her his best gold-toothed grin. Years of living with the ups and downs of pirate finances had given him a strong desire to stay on the good side of every trader in Tortuga.

"Sixpence" she said, baring a fearsome set of gums in what passed for a return smile. She made no move to hand over the bread until he'd shown her the coins - the traders had developed a few survival techniques of there own.

"Ta, love" she said in her cracked voice as she pocketed the money. "I hear you did us all a favour, this last trip."

"Always keen to do my civic duty love" he said automatically. People were always congratulating you after a successful voyage, nothing new in that.

"The Pearl's a good ship, always said so."

"Fastest in the Caribbean" he nodded. It was never hard to persuade him to sing his darling's praises.

"But it must have taken a deal of luck for you to sink the Dauntless" she said, then cackled with laughter. "I'd have given a fair bit to see that bastard Norrington get what was coming to him."

"Where'd you hear about Dauntless?" he asked cautiously. Maybe she was just getting a bit peculiar in the head, the way old folk sometimes did.

"It's all over town love. They say you caught her with a fireboat when she was riding at anchor. That's right ain't it?"

"Thanks for the bread love" he said, and bolted back to the Pearl.

Anamaria was not best pleased when he made her get up and hustled her off the ship. Her plan for the morning had certainly not included a brisk walk up the hill.

"Why can't we stop for breakfast, at least?" she protested, almost having to run to keep up.

"No time. Will and Elizabeth will have something to share anyway" he glanced down and saw that he still had the loaf he'd bought in his hand. "You can have a bit of this if you want."

"Dry bread?" she was looking at him as though he was some nasty crawling insect again. "Six weeks at sea and you offer me dry bread on our first day back in port!"

I should have known it was too good to last, he thought mournfully, contemplating the way this morning should have gone. Hours and hours with nothing that needed to be done, except lazing about and keeping each other company. Very close company, for preference.

Bloody Norrington, I'm sure this is all his fault somehow.

They were within sight of the Turners' house when he saw Will hurrying down the hill towards them, looking worried.

"Morning mate, were you looking for us by any chance?" Jack asked.

Will nodded. "Why is everyone saying that you sank the Dauntless?"

"Look, it's daft. Norrington was there damn it! And we weren't."

The five of them, Jack, Anamaria, Will, Elizabeth and Norrington were sat in the Turners' parlour for this impromptu council. Norrington was withdrawn, staring at the floor; he looked to Jack like a man who couldn't take much more.

"It couldn't be that someone mistook another ship for the Pearl?" asked Elizabeth hopefully. She was trying to be sensible, looking for a nice easy explanation.

"If they couldn't tell the difference between The Black Pearl and a one hundred and fourteen canon First Rate Royal Navy warship, then they must be stone blind as well as stupid." Jack responded. "Anyway, there wasn't anyone to see."

"Except Hollowell and his friends" Anamaria pointed out.

"Yes, but why would he want to start these rumours" Will began.

"Commodore, what would happen if the Navy were told that pirates sank Dauntless and massacred the whole crew?" asked Elizabeth.

Norrington took a moment to rouse himself sufficiently to answer.

"The Navy would respond. Send a fleet to capture the Pearl and any port that allowed her to dock. Every ship that could be spared for hundreds of miles would be diverted to the task and they wouldn't stop until every pirate in the Caribbean was on a gibbet."

Norrington didn't seem overly bothered by this grim prophecy, but then perhaps it was the sort of thing he really wanted to see. His four companions found it a much less pleasant possibility.

"And if they do wipe out every independent buccaneer, our mate Hollowell will have killed off all his competition. Nice plan, for him" concluded Jack glumly.