CHAPTER SEVEN

TWO THINGS GONE MISSING

Samantha had already washed up and met Commodore Jack Sparrow in Tortuga before her parents noticed anything suspicious back in Port Royal. The first thing was that the medallion was not where Elizabeth had left it. The second was, Samantha was nowhere to be found.

"Elizabeth, did you put the medallion somewhere?" Will asked.

"No, it should be right where I left it."

"It's not on the table if that's what you mean."

"That's what I mean. It's not there?"

"No. Perhaps Samantha took it. I'll go wake her." Will said. He ascended the stairs and opened Samantha's door. "Sammy? Wake up. Rise and shine love." Will pulled back the covers to find that, instead of his daughter, who should have been there, there was a stack of pillows under her blanket. Will spun around. "Samantha?!" he rushed downstairs. "Samantha's not up there." he told Elizabeth. "She isn't in bed."

"Well, where could she be?" Elizabeth asked.

"This isn't normal. Samantha's gone, the medallion's gone. Someone took them both."

"Now, let's not jump to conclusions. Maybe Samantha took the medallion back to the market, I think she sensed our panic over it yesterday..." Elizabeth said.

"It's not like Samantha to leave without telling us first. She would have left a note."

"It doesn't look like someone forced their way in. She probably just went to the market. She'll be back."

"Well, we'll wait an hour. But no more. If she isn't back by the time I leave for the shop, we're getting somebody to find her." Will said. An hour came and went and Will left for the shop.

"I'll send for Governor Norrington." Elizabeth assured him before he left.

"You'll let me know how it turns out?" Will asked.

"Of course darling. I'm sure everything will be fine." Elizabeth said. Will went off to work, worried and afraid for his missing daughter who was, in fact, having the time of her life.

That afternoon, Elizabeth made her way to the governor's mansion, where she herself used to live, to find and inform Governor Norrington of her daughter's almost certain kidnapping. In the eighteen years that she had been married to Will, James Norrington had become next to family. He had married her cousin, Anna, and the two of them had had a son, ironically enough named Jack who was Samantha's age, a daughter, named Emily who was ten years old, a five year old boy named Alex and a newborn daughter, Elsie. When Elizabeth arrived at their home, Jack was sitting on the steps, watching one of the servants tend to the garden, and Emily and Alex sat next to him. Elizabeth waved hello cheerily and they ran to greet her.

"Is your father home?" she asked.

"He's in his study with Captain Smith and Commodore Gillette." Jack replied. Elizabeth thanked him and went inside. Anna sat in her rocker singing the newborn to sleep.

"Elizabeth?" Anna asked. "You look worried sick, is something the matter?"

"Yes. It's about Samantha. She's gone missing."

"Oh that's terrible!" Anna said. "Do you know where she's gone?"

"No. That's why I need to see James."

"He's in a meeting at the moment. You can wait here, I can go get him now."

"No, if he's busy, I can wait." Elizabeth said. As they spoke, the commodore and captain emerged from Norrington's study. Norrington bid them farewell and closed the door after them, then joined Anna and Elizabeth in the sitting room.

"Elizabeth! How wonderful to see you."

"James, it's about Samantha. She's missing." Elizabeth said. "I need your help."
"Tell me the whole story first." Norrington said.

"Yesterday morning Samantha showed up at Will's shop with a gold medallion, she'd bought it off of a peddler down by the docks." Elizabeth started.

"A medallion..." Norrington repeated, starting already to piece the puzzle together.

"The medallion." Elizabeth said in a hushed whisper. Norrington took Elizabeth by the arm and guided her out of earshot of his wife.

"Is it the cursed medallion?"

"Yes. We believe she heard us discussing it last night after we sent her to bed. We think she either left for Tortuga to find Jack Sparrow and return it, or she was taken along with the medallion." Elizabeth explained.

"Well, the first one is more probable, according to my men, there was nobody suspicious here last night. And last time they came for the medallion, they destroyed the town. Everything is as usual today."

"But last time, the pirates weren't as friendly as Jack's crew."

"Well then... I shall send some of my men out to search Port Royal, and if we cannot find her, I myself will head up a crew to Tortuga. Either way, we will find her Elizabeth, you have my word."

"Thank you James. I know you will."