Darby greeted Katherine with a soft nicker when she entered the barn. "Good morning, sir," she said as she reached for the horse's treat. Soft, grey lips gently held her hostage until she provided them with the succulent offering of apple. Katherine chuckled as the gelding devoured the gift and searched her for more. "My brother would be quite disappointed to see how I spoil you." She stroked Darby's intelligent head for a moment before two grooms entered and asked if they could be of any assistance. She quickly instructed them to saddle Darby and her mount, as Melissa was to be joining her for a morning ride.
Katherine returned to the house to change into her riding habit. She donned the burgundy material and studied herself in the mirror for a moment before turning to her dresser and gingerly opening the top drawer. She carefully removed a fine gold necklace and placed it about her neck. Finally satisfied with her appearance, she returned to the parlor, only to have Mr. Decker approach minutes later and inform her that Miss Reynolds had arrived. Katherine gathered her gloves and crop before making her way into the corridor. "Melissa! How good it is to see you," she declared as she greeted her dear friend. "How is your uncle faring?"
Melissa's wide grin softened some. "You know him, Katherine. He feels it is necessary to worry about everything and nothing all at once, and if he ever sat still for more than one second I think I shall fall over in amazement!" The young women shared in a laugh before Melissa took note of Katherine's gold necklace. She paused momentarily as she studied the fine gold chain and the small figure of an angel from the front. "That is a beautiful necklace, Katherine. It seems somewhat familiar," Melissa noted on the way to the stables.
Katherine turned and absently fingered the necklace. "Oh this, I've had it for a great deal of time. Father gave it to me when I was eight years old. I was his 'angel' back then, I'm not so sure of it now," she said through a slight chuckle.
They rounded the corner and found the two mounts ready and waiting. Melissa paused for a moment at the sight of the big grey nickering at her. She shot Katherine a questioning yet sarcastic glance before softening her voice and addressing the animal. "Darby my good man, is Aunt Katherine taking you out for a ride? Gallivanting perhaps?"
"He especially likes to gallivant," Katherine noted with a smile. "He has not been out all week, and James has been gone since yesterday with the Dauntless, so I did not see any problem with having him go." She pointed over to the chestnut mare. "I had Mango saddled for you; I'm sure you'll find her quite agreeable."
Melissa had to keep her jaw from dropping as she pulled on her gloves. "Mango? Really, Katherine, you find the strangest names for these animals…."
"I could not help it! James called her 'Luna,' and I simply could not allow that to continue."
"Luna is a far better name than Mango, Katherine," Melissa chuckled. Katherine merely sighed as the two mounted and headed off toward bluff at a brisk trot. They rode along the back road and studied the serene fields to the west. Darby eventually provided his own amusement as he stopped suddenly to quell his perpetual hunger, nearly sending Katherine head first into the grass. Melissa nearly fell off because of her uncontrollable laughter. Eventually the two reined their mounts to a halt and took in the brilliant scene overlooking the bay. They were silent for a moment before Miss Reynolds spoke up.
"How is Matthieu, Katherine?"
"Making up for lost time, I'm afraid," Katherine lamented as she gazed out to sea. "He's been dreadfully busy at the Fort of late, but he was kind enough to treat me to dinner last night, much to James's chagrin."
Melissa shook her head. "He still does not approve? My goodness, I shall have to speak with him."
"If you wish to have any chance with him, I advise that you not do that!" Katherine warned through her growing smile. "He approves, he just does not wish to admit it. Probably because of that superior officer complex of his. I can understand why the whole situation is awkward for him – those two have known each other for years. James knows we love each other and he'll come around eventually. Besides, Matthieu is as gentle as a kitten."
"With very sharp teeth!" Melissa jested. They laughed for a moment as the conversation turned to the Governor's last dinner, held only nights before. "James is utterly impossible to talk to at such events," Melissa noted. "Governor Swann is practically attached to his right side, and when he isn't detained and discussing Naval matters, there is a small herd of eligible ladies hovering about. He glanced over them to me several times with this pleading look about him. It had 'Save me from these twits' written all over it!"
"That is exactly why you should take him for yourself," Katherine suggested. She noted Melissa's blush and decided to offer a bit of advice. "The one thing you must understand about James, Melissa, is that he has two sides to him. They are completely separate from each other, like oil and water. There is Commodore Norrington, who is present in official capacity at public functions and while on duty. He is proper at all times, holds the law in the highest regard, is completely immersed in military courtesy and code, and hardly ever thinks about himself. Then there is James Norrington, my brother, who has a sharp tongue, dry sense of humor, is fun to be with, and hardly ever thinks about himself. So one can spend a great deal of time trying to get underneath the uniform, so to speak, to understand what he's thinking."
Melissa paused for a moment as she studied Katherine. "What is it that you are suggesting, Katherine?" she asked curiously.
Katherine straightened slightly and gave a smile. "Merely that appearances can be deceiving," she began. "James very much has this military complex that won't allow him to allude to his emotions. Stone cold and composed on the outside, but that is not necessarily how he is on the inside. He wears the mask quite well."
"Exactly, Katherine…"
"He may be in love with you, but have a hard time letting on," Katherine declared. Melissa only smiled and nodded in acknowledgement. With Katherine's help, she was beginning to see beyond the Commodore's façade. He was always a gentleman to her, and indeed the two had shared some very enjoyable moments together when not barraged by sailors or meddlesome members of Port Royale society looking for something to gossip about. Melissa knew that she had a great deal in common with the Commodore – they were both avid readers of Shakespeare, a topic that had provided for several hours of intense discussion. Perhaps the most interesting similarity was not in their interests, but in their personalities. Melissa was intrigued when she noticed the two distinct sides of the Commodore, for she herself had separate attitudes in and out of the public eye. She also took it upon herself to look out for the welfare of her younger brother, Marcus, and she felt a great deal of responsibility toward him, much like the Commodore must feel for Katherine. But Melissa knew the Commodore quite well by now – she was more interested in becoming acquainted with James Norrington.
Katherine turned away from Melissa as the silence between them grew. She knew deep in her heart that James and Melissa were good for each other, if they could both get around to admitting it. James will be even more slow and cautious approaching this now because of what happened with Miss Swann, she thought. She never thought of her brother to lack confidence in anything, but when it came to affairs of the heart, he had little, and thanks to the events of several months before, he most likely had even less.
"This view is utterly stunning, despite the oncoming cloud cover," Melissa said suddenly as she gazed out to sea and studied the scenic bay.
Katherine snapped out of her trance and smiled softly as she acknowledged Melissa. "It is. I hope to paint it soon, only I shall have to leave out the grey skies."
The two ladies sighed before gathering their reins and returning to Norrington's estate. Melissa dismounted and waited for Katherine to join her by her carriage. "I shall take what you said into consideration," she declared. She studied Katherine's kind expression and emerald eyes for a moment. Something was making Melissa very uneasy, but she could not quite say what. She shifted nervously and decided to throw discretion to the wind. "My affection for James is growing, you know," she began softly. "I hope beyond all hope that you shan't become protective of him should I say I love him!"
Katherine broke into a bright grin. "I should not have it any other way!" With that, she bid Melissa a good day and returned to the house. Melissa watched after her for a moment before climbing into her carriage. Saying that to her confidant made her feel at ease, and for some peculiar reason, at peace.
It had not been more than a half hour before Mr. Decker found Katherine and informed her that a visitor had arrived. Mrs. Elizabeth Turner waited patiently in the parlor as Katherine gathered herself to speak to her unexpected guest. She entered the room and put on a pleasant expression. "Mrs. Turner, what a pleasure to see you," she greeted.
Elizabeth turned from the painting she was studying. "Miss Norrington, I apologize for my coming by without any warning. I actually came to speak to the Commodore, but Mr. Decker was kind enough to inform me he has not yet returned."
"No, I regret that he is still off with the Dauntless. They departed yesterday for a patrol to Kingston. I imagine that he should return quite soon. Unless something went wrong of course," Katherine noted.
Elizabeth shook her head as she placed a hand on the nearest chair. "I hope that is not the case."
"Is there anything I may do for you, Mrs. Turner?" Katherine inquired after a moment of awkward silence befell them.
"Please, call me Elizabeth. Thank you for offering, but no, I do not think you can help me. I only wished to thank the Commodore for something that is all. I suppose I shall have to return."
Thank him? Katherine thought. Elizabeth's words caught her curiosity. Whatever would she want to thank James for? Laying his life on the line for her? Now I shall have to hear what she says! Katherine took a step toward Elizabeth and smiled as she waved her hand toward the garden. "Perhaps you would like to walk with me, Elizabeth. I doubt James will be much longer, and it seems that I have not had the time to personally congratulate you on your wedding to Mr. Turner."
Elizabeth politely accepted and followed Katherine out into the expansive garden. The skies had now clouded over completely and subsequently dulled the brilliant colors that normally shone brightly like the Caribbean sun. The surroundings only reflected the growing, tense atmosphere between the two ladies. Both Katherine and Elizabeth were strong, independent women – a rare occurrence considering the society they lived in. Both believed in following their hearts and minds, not the stringent rules high society had engrained on its members. It was no surprise then that the conversation eventually found itself at Elizabeth's love for Will.
"How is it that you came to know Mr. Turner, then?" Katherine inquired as she strolled alongside Elizabeth, her hands folded neatly in front of her.
"I suppose it was nine years ago now, that we rescued him. Father, the Commodore, and I were on our crossing from England when we came across a shipwreck. They rescued Will from the water, and he was eventually apprenticed to Mr. Brown, the blacksmith here in Port Royale. I hardly saw him then – he was constantly working, and I believe my father did not approve of me spending so much time in his presence. It wasn't until our adventure with the Black Pearl that we became quite close," Elizabeth stated. She was being careful not to reveal too much, as Katherine was Commodore Norrington's sister. However, she was quite aware of Katherine's growing reputation around the circle of young ladies in Port Royale as an unconventional, bold person, and wondered if that would have any impact on her attitude toward her story. Katherine was intrigued with Elizabeth's tale of the Black Pearl.
"You set fire to the trees?" Katherine asked in amazement. "Dreadfully clever of you, I must say!"
"I had to get off that island somehow. I knew the fleet was out looking for me, and all I needed was something large enough to grab their attention. If not the Navy's attention, than hopefully a merchant ship that could be of assistance. Either way Jack Sparrow was not of much use thanks to the entire bottle of vile rum he had consumed. Of course, he eventually woke up and started ranting about my fires. He was much more concerned about the rum being used than our rescue."
"And what happened when you were rescued? What did Sparrow do then?" inquired Katherine.
"The Commodore arrested him. Jack didn't have the opportunity to do anything obnoxious."
"Oh."
"Though he did try to convince my father and the Commodore to pursue the Black Pearl to save Will. To no avail, of course," Elizabeth said, her tone growing quieter as she approached the subject she most wanted to avoid with Katherine.
Katherine stopped in her tracks and turned her head to Elizabeth. Her expression became quite cold. "I suppose that is when you accepted the Commodore's proposal," she said coolly.
Elizabeth looked down momentarily as she pondered her next move. She glanced up and over to Katherine. "I fully meant it. I do not give my word lightly, Katherine. The Commodore is a fine man."
"I hate to be rude in this circumstance, but I do not believe I can trust you enough to believe that your word is given anything but lightly. Either way it was a lie."
Elizabeth furrowed her brow at Katherine's ice-cold words. "What are you implying?" she demanded.
Katherine straightened and looked down at Elizabeth. "You agreed to marry a man that you did not love. Even if you did go through with it, you would never have loved him the way he loves you. But, of course, you opted to publicly humiliate him instead by throwing his proposal and his emotions back in his face. How dare you…"
"Wait one minute," Elizabeth said as she repressed the need to grit her teeth. "That was not my intent. Put yourself in the same position. Will was about to be slaughtered at the hands of bloodthirsty rogues. You yourself advocate following one's heart!"
"But at the complete destruction of another's?" Katherine retorted, her voice rising with every passing second. She could feel her heart beating clear through her chest as she stepped closer to Elizabeth. "James laid his life and the lives of all his men on the line for you, and you alone. He could have been killed. He most certainly lost many good soldiers, and never received so much as a 'thank you' from you!"
Elizabeth grimaced and shook her head in disbelief. Katherine's words cut through her like a cold wind. If she had not been so preoccupied with defending herself, they would have had much more emotional impact. "I did not mean to hurt him," she declared, unsure of what else to say. However, Elizabeth's words had a negative impact on Katherine. She felt the blood rush to her face as the rage grew within, and eventually drove her to bring her right hand down on Elizabeth, connecting squarely with the younger woman's left cheek.
Elizabeth staggered back a step as she held her face, completely taken aback by what had just occurred. She looked up to Katherine, who stood fast and wore lingering scowl. The two glared at each other for a moment before Katherine stormed off to the house without saying a word. Elizabeth stared after her before making her way to her carriage, flushed and angered. The seeds of disaster had been sewn.
