Lost Time Between Them

Katherine gasped when she caught sight of her brother's house. The stonewalls of the large structure stood out in beautiful contrast to the crisp blue sky. She absently ran her left hand along the tops of the flowers as they passed through the garden. James opened the front door and entered the expanse of the wood-floored foyer, Katherine following eagerly behind. She gazed around her new surroundings and smiled in approval.

"This is a lovely home, James. So quaint," Katherine's words trailed off as she peered into the adjacent rooms. She squealed with delight when she saw the view out of the sitting room window. "How delightful! If that view is not begging to be painted, than I am not sure what is," she said. Katherine had always been a talented artist. She spent much of her time painting when not dodging suitors that her father dutifully – and unfortunately – chose for her. Her gazed wandered from the expansive window to the walls of the sitting room. Katherine paused when she saw two of her paintings on the wall. One was a hunting scene while the other depicted a ship sailing off, surrounded by a bright sunset. Both were gifts to her brother when he departed England eight years ago. Katherine slowly reached out a hand and delicately touched one of the frames.

"I cannot believe you've kept them all this time," she said in wonder, finally taking her eyes off the pieces and turning to James with pride.

James smiled before walking up to her, his hands behind his back in his usual manner. "They are gifts from a very dear friend of mine," he said as he looked down at Katherine. "I would never dream of having them anywhere else."

Katherine looked up at her brother, tears welling in her soft brown eyes. The eight years of loneliness and frustration had finally risen to the surface. Her life in England was a never-ending cycle of repression and expectations – expectations she had no intention to meet. Finally she was with the one person who understood her feelings and what it was to be a Norrington. Katherine fought back the tears, and chuckled at her own struggle before finally succumbing to her emotions and flinging her arms around James. She openly cried on his shoulder. "I've missed you so," she mustered between sobs.

James closed his eyes and held his sister close. He, too, felt more complete and at ease now that Katherine was here. He had built up a wall around him – a wall of strict duty and dignity. Because of his position and his downright meticulous nature, his guard was constantly up and he found it difficult to connect with other people on a personal basis when his duties commanded nearly all of his attention. Most thought him snobbish or cold; Katherine, on the other hand, knew the reason for his character, for she, too, coped with it throughout her life. He could only imagine the pressure she had dealt with. The intolerable ideals of society placed more of a burden on women than most cared to acknowledge. But Norrington knew his sister was strong. He let her cry out her burden in the privacy of his home, as he was sure it was not often she was allowed to do so.

Finally Katherine pulled back and smiled as she wiped the remaining tears from her face. She smiled, partly due to a slight hint of embarrassment, but mostly due to the feeling of her soul being free. She looked up at James, the brother and friend she had waited so long to see. Katherine paused while she searched for the right words to say. She finally flashed one of her mischievous grins and removed James's hat and powdered wig. "Take that damned thing off…you look ridiculous," she said, trying not to laugh.

Norrington merely chuckled at his sister's playful tone. She laughed as if she had not laughed in a great deal of time. Eight years, perhaps? Same for him. He simply did not have time nor cause to laugh. She did not have anyone to laugh with.

James introduced Katherine to his servant, Mr. Decker, several of the staff, and Katherine's maid, Mary. The two then sat down to a long lunch began to talk. James was interested in hearing about the happenings at home; Katherine was more inclined to discuss Port Royale and her future.

"Thomas had his second child just before I left. Another little girl," stated Katherine of their eldest brother.

James looked across the table to Katherine. "I'm sure he is devastated to not yet have a son," he said, somewhat mockingly. Thomas was certainly not the favorite member of the family. His ego was about the size of England itself. "How is the old devil, anyway?" James was only half-interested in the welfare of his eldest brother.

"Pompous as ever," began Katherine, with little emotion. "His head swells so much, he must buy a new hat every two weeks I swear." James chuckled at his sister's sarcasm. It was a trait the two of them shared and demonstrated quite often.

Upon finishing, James and Katherine retreated to the sitting room. She gracefully sat herself down on one of the couches before surrendering to its softness and stretched out, giving a large sigh. "So dear brother, what do you do for pleasure here in the Caribbean?" Katherine asked, tilting her head in James's direction. He merely smiled as he continued reading through some supply lists for the Port Royale fleet.

"I do enjoy spending countless hours either in my office or on ship straightening out the mess that have become of the supply lists," he mocked.

"Mother is inclined to think you're constantly out gallivanting after pirates and heathens. For sometime she thought you had become one yourself," stated Katherine with a slight hint of sarcasm in her tone.

"Yes, well…Mother has not visited the Caribbean recently, so I doubt she would know," established James as he glanced up from the papers. His tone was undoubtedly sarcastic. "I say 'ridding the world of pirate activity' and she always manages to turn it around into 'I've decided I do like pirates after all and wish to join them in their merry ways.'" He sighed and shook his head as he returned to his notes.

Katherine laughed out loud at her brother's comment. Indeed, their Mother had a knack for turning stories around and confusing herself. Katherine smiled as her thoughts returned to her brother's profession and the freedom she felt while on the ocean. "I should like to sail with you one day," she said, gazing up at the ceiling. She suddenly remembered Gillette. "Is Lievtenant Gillette your first officer?" Katherine asked curiously.

"Yes he is, actually. Fine officer indeed, highly dedicated. Misguided at times," James paused as he remembered Gillette's blunders on the dock, "but a good man to have around." His tone seemed to return to more of that of the Commodore than Katherine's brother, and she frowned. James had mentioned Gillette in previous correspondences, but Katherine was delighted to see what he was like in person. He could not have been more than 28, she figured. His character was well meaning and unintentionally comical. She smiled at the thought of Matthieu. He obviously seemed interested in her – she saw it in his eyes. She had seen many suitors and young men look at her as a trophy, a beautiful girl only. All of them had failed to see who she was deep down. Katherine wondered if perhaps Gillette's seemingly kind nature would be right for her.

Katherine glanced over to James and was about to say something about Gillette when she saw him dutifully studying the papers. She paused as she studied him. A hard working, utterly dedicated man such as himself deserved someone. He was nine years her senior and still had not married. She wondered what was to become of him.

Katherine decided to break the silence as she jumped up off the couch and grabbed Norrington's left arm and dragged him out of the chair. "Let us go for a walk, James. It is such a lovely day I would hate to waste it sitting inside. Besides," she paused, a wide smile invading her expression. "You have to give me the grand tour of Fort Charles and Port Royale!"