Chapter Three

Everything was blurry; Corinne could not make out a single shape. All she saw was a dark shape against a light shape and some smaller shapes behind the dark shape. Then the dark shape moved, and her vision cleared. She sat upright and clambered into the corner of her cell, backing away from the man across the way that was looking at her with a concerned expression.

"It's alright, I'm not going to hurt you," he assured her. She took a second look and realized that he wasn't a pirate.

"Who are you?" she wondered, staring at his black uniform. She knew it from somewhere, but...

"I'm Jose Villa. These pirates captured me from the military vessel I was ministering aboard."

Ministering? This man was a clergy. "So you were the chaplain?"

"Well actually," he began, "I was riding with them for a short while on my way toward Jamaica to perform a wedding for a very important British officer -"

"Not by any chance, the honorable James Norrington?" she broke in.

The look of surprise registered on his face. "Why, yes, that's his name. But how did you know?"

Corinne hid a belying grin and slipped into her aristocratic, clipped British accent. "I have not always been a pirate." His face was priceless. Then she let the lazier twang creep back into her voice. It was very hard, living on the same ship as Jack, not to pick up a few of his slurs. "The Commodore's fiancée happens to be a friend of mine. My cousin's best friend, as well."

"Really?" he was astounded to have found a common relation to his own business.

"Yes...she's a wonderful girl. But go on, about your capture."

"Well anyhow, I was sailing with them for a brief period of time - from St. Augustine to Port Royale - and when I reached my destination, I was to be allowed a week of leisure from my life at the church, and then, after performing the wedding, I was to be sent home with some other ship that was going that way. But these pirates took me hostage while they plundered the Jupiter, and -"

"The Jupiter?" she laughed in surprise, and then quickly stifled it. He was not chuckling. "Sorry."

"They did not allow me to return to my British allies, and the captain refused to fire because he would only get paid if I was returned safely. So they sailed away, and I've been down here...well, I'm not entirely sure how long. But it's been at least two weeks."

"I'm sure it was terrible for you," she said, trying to look empathetic. She was still trying to keep from laughing aloud at the similarity of their situations. Then a thought occurred to her. "I do have a favor to ask of you, if we should get out of here."

"Name it," he replied, appearing patient and kind.

"Would you perform another wedding ceremony for me?" she asked. He looked confused.

"Who would it be for?"

"It would be for Jack and me."

"Jack -?"

"Jack Sparrow. Well, Captain Jack Sparrow, if he has his way. I'm really tired of sleeping in the main crew cabin. Jack says he wouldn't mind if we shared, but there's still some British left in me, and, well...old habits die hard."

He looked aghast. "Jack Sparrow?"

Corinne laughed lightly. "Don't believe all the terrible stories you hear, Mr. Villa. Jack is a pirate and a good man. I myself was taken captive much in the same way you were, but with different treatment from the Pearl and her crew. In fact, I was treated better on the pirate ship than I was on both the British ships I sailed on."

Jose seemed to take it all in quickly. "So you want me to perform your wedding..."

"Yes, and of course, we'll pay you. In gold."

He seemed to brighten at that prospect. "Why, I do not believe it would be a problem for me to do a small ceremony."

Corinne smiled, inwardly wondering if that would ever happen. Though if anyone could manage to rescue her, it was Jack. She only hoped that he would come soon.

Jack yelled at the crew the next day, finding fault with everything and grousing about anything he saw. They exchanged a few wearied glances that bore the frustration they were feeling. By mid-morning, Anna Maria climbed up onto the poop deck and grabbed the wheel. Jack looked at her with a menacing glare.

"Whaddya want?" he asked, the smell of rum - more potent than usual - pervading the area around him.

She didn't answer; only laid a well-placed blow across his cheek with her palm.

Jack turned his head and stared at her. "What was that for?"

"Pull yourself together, Jack." She hopped down and pulled herself into the riggings, heading for the crow's nest. He put a hand to his face, and then watched her for a moment. Then he corked his rum and tossed it to Gibbs with an order to put it in his cabin.

He was going to find Corinne. If it had been himself, he would want his crew to keep to the Code. But when someone like Corinne was captured - she hated to admit it to him but she really was defenseless and without any real fighting skills - it was their duty to bring her back. She didn't fall behind; she'd been pulled behind. And he would bring her back.