Disclaimer: I know it's shocking, but I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean
or any of its accessories. It's true, just ask Disney. I do, however,
claim to own the creative rights to Jonathan Weatherby Turner, and all
story lines not from the film. You are welcome to use them, if you'd like,
but it would be nice if you'd drop me a note first! And now.happy reading!
"Jonathan?! Jonathan Weatherby Turner, where are you?" Elizabeth's voice echoed throughout the halls of the governor's mansion. "Father? Jonathan?"
The sound of distant laughter met Elizabeth's ears, and she shook her head with a smile. She marched down the corridor and pulled open the doors of her father's library. A tall, slim young man, his long brown hair in a ponytail, stood up from his chair.
"Mother! I was just reading Grandfather some of Jonathan Swift's newest publication. He is quite possibly the wittiest scholar in England. Oh, you must hear some of it, Mother." He jabbered excitedly.
"You seem to have forgotten something, Jonathan." She crossed her arms and pursed her lips.
"I haven't the slightest idea of what you're referring to, Mother. I took care of everything at the bank this morning, and I have no appointments until-" He stopped abruptly and returned to his seat, covering his face with hands.
"Miss Wenham and the Captain were none too pleased that their host was absent." Elizabeth chided.
"Now, Elizabeth, do not be too harsh on the boy. He's been entertaining his aging grandfather. Surely, your guests would understand." Governor Weatherby Swann tried.
Sighing, Jonathan looked up from his hands. "It's just as well. Miss Wenham would be sure to find me dull company."
Elizabeth's expression softened. "Now you know that is not true. The Captain delights in your insight, and Miss Wenham." She searched for the right words, but came up empty.
"Don't fool yourself, Mother. Miss Charity Wenham would sooner have a sack of flour to talk with than myself. In any case, she shan't be back. I missed my engagement, which is inexcusable."
"Indeed, it is inexcusable. That is, if you don't have a mother who happens to be very good at covering for your absent mindedness." Elizabeth's lips played with a smile as she watched her son's eyes widen with hope. "You had some very important business to attend to. An emergency, if I recall correctly. You should know that one of your dying clients requested your presence at the signing of his will."
Relief spread across Jonathan's face. "Mother, you are absolutely wonderful." He said, and placed a firm kiss on her cheek.
"I'm fully aware of that. But thank you for reminding me." Her eyes sparkled, and she added, "Miss Wenham and her father will be back one week from tomorrow for tea. Will you do me a favor, Jon?"
"Anything, Mother."
"Don't forget."
"I shall try with all of my being." Jonathan vowed.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to do better than try if you ever hope to win Miss Wenham's heart."
"Mother!" Jonathan exclaimed, his cheeks warming. "I never said I...well, had any feelings toward Miss Wenham. I respect the Captain and welcome his knowledge, that is all."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Are you telling me that you do not find Miss Wenham agreeable?"
"I find her very agreeable, Mother, but-"
"Then you do not find her attractive?"
"I never said that! I merely said-"
Governor Swann cleared his throat. "If I may intercede here, I think perhaps Jonathan is entitled to a little secrecy when women are involved."
Elizabeth threw back her head and laughed outright. "Father, you must be serious! Can you not recall harassing me about Admiral Norrington's affections in my youth?"
Jonathan raised his right eyebrow. "Mother, you never mentioned that you and Admiral Norrington courted!"
Elizabeth gave a queer sort of smirk. "Yes, well, that was a very long time ago. He was a Commodore in those days, and I was only eighteen. Your grandfather tried just about every tactic known to man to try and marry us."
The Governor snorted. "That is quite untrue, daughter. I hardly made an effort at all."
"Oh, I must be mistaken in my memory." Elizabeth winked at her son. "In any case, it didn't work. Will was, and is, the only man my heart belongs to."
The tone in Elizabeth's voice was not one that Jonathan hadn't heard before, but it never ceased to make him both uncomfortable and envious.
At the age of twenty-one, Jonathan's time was filled with acquiring knowledge. There were plenty of lovely young females who paraded around Port Royale like colorful fruits, just waiting to be plucked of the branched of girlhood by a suitable husband, but Jonathan appeared uninterested. He was handsome enough, for his parents were, even at forty- one and forty-three still envied for their beauty. He was certainly wealthy enough, for his father had accumulated a surplus of wealth as both the part-owner of a successful blacksmith shop and as a sea merchant. By all accounts, he should very well have been well on his way to choosing a bride and beginning the next generation of Turners on Port Royale. But the mysteries of womanhood stretched far beyond Jonathan Weatherby Turner's scope of knowledge, and in all of his studies, he had yet to encounter a tangible solution to this problem.
Jonathan knew what his mother's intentions were each time she invited one of Port Royale's eligible young women over for tea. He had even taken a liking to a few of them, though he would not readily admit that to anyone other than himself. However, during these tea times, Jonathan would remain silent for the duration of the visit, only piping in now and again with some piece of intellect he had recently absorbed. The young women were unsure of how to react to his behavior, and rarely accepted another invitation. Charity Wenham, the daughter of the retired Naval Captain, Abner Wenham, had been one of the few to return for a second visit. She did not seem to be highly impressed by Jonathan's etiquette, but she was polite. She was quite stunning, and Jonathan recognized that; however, he was also aware that the driving force behind her presence at the Turner household was the Captain. Thinking of this, a sigh escaped from Jonathan's lips.
Elizabeth placed a kiss on her father's cheek and smiled warmly. "I think it is time for Jonathan to accompany me home. Will is due home at any hour now."
"Of course, Elizabeth." The governor grinned, and glanced at Jonathan. "You will come back tomorrow and finish Swift with your old grandfather, won't you?"
Jonathan nodded. "I shall come sometime after noon."
And with those words, Elizabeth and Jonathan Turner started for home.
More to come!
Lady_Lily9: Thanks for the feedback! I hope you keep reading!
lateBloomer04: Yes, Will, Liz and children are a good combination. ( Thanks for reviewing!
"Jonathan?! Jonathan Weatherby Turner, where are you?" Elizabeth's voice echoed throughout the halls of the governor's mansion. "Father? Jonathan?"
The sound of distant laughter met Elizabeth's ears, and she shook her head with a smile. She marched down the corridor and pulled open the doors of her father's library. A tall, slim young man, his long brown hair in a ponytail, stood up from his chair.
"Mother! I was just reading Grandfather some of Jonathan Swift's newest publication. He is quite possibly the wittiest scholar in England. Oh, you must hear some of it, Mother." He jabbered excitedly.
"You seem to have forgotten something, Jonathan." She crossed her arms and pursed her lips.
"I haven't the slightest idea of what you're referring to, Mother. I took care of everything at the bank this morning, and I have no appointments until-" He stopped abruptly and returned to his seat, covering his face with hands.
"Miss Wenham and the Captain were none too pleased that their host was absent." Elizabeth chided.
"Now, Elizabeth, do not be too harsh on the boy. He's been entertaining his aging grandfather. Surely, your guests would understand." Governor Weatherby Swann tried.
Sighing, Jonathan looked up from his hands. "It's just as well. Miss Wenham would be sure to find me dull company."
Elizabeth's expression softened. "Now you know that is not true. The Captain delights in your insight, and Miss Wenham." She searched for the right words, but came up empty.
"Don't fool yourself, Mother. Miss Charity Wenham would sooner have a sack of flour to talk with than myself. In any case, she shan't be back. I missed my engagement, which is inexcusable."
"Indeed, it is inexcusable. That is, if you don't have a mother who happens to be very good at covering for your absent mindedness." Elizabeth's lips played with a smile as she watched her son's eyes widen with hope. "You had some very important business to attend to. An emergency, if I recall correctly. You should know that one of your dying clients requested your presence at the signing of his will."
Relief spread across Jonathan's face. "Mother, you are absolutely wonderful." He said, and placed a firm kiss on her cheek.
"I'm fully aware of that. But thank you for reminding me." Her eyes sparkled, and she added, "Miss Wenham and her father will be back one week from tomorrow for tea. Will you do me a favor, Jon?"
"Anything, Mother."
"Don't forget."
"I shall try with all of my being." Jonathan vowed.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to do better than try if you ever hope to win Miss Wenham's heart."
"Mother!" Jonathan exclaimed, his cheeks warming. "I never said I...well, had any feelings toward Miss Wenham. I respect the Captain and welcome his knowledge, that is all."
Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. "Are you telling me that you do not find Miss Wenham agreeable?"
"I find her very agreeable, Mother, but-"
"Then you do not find her attractive?"
"I never said that! I merely said-"
Governor Swann cleared his throat. "If I may intercede here, I think perhaps Jonathan is entitled to a little secrecy when women are involved."
Elizabeth threw back her head and laughed outright. "Father, you must be serious! Can you not recall harassing me about Admiral Norrington's affections in my youth?"
Jonathan raised his right eyebrow. "Mother, you never mentioned that you and Admiral Norrington courted!"
Elizabeth gave a queer sort of smirk. "Yes, well, that was a very long time ago. He was a Commodore in those days, and I was only eighteen. Your grandfather tried just about every tactic known to man to try and marry us."
The Governor snorted. "That is quite untrue, daughter. I hardly made an effort at all."
"Oh, I must be mistaken in my memory." Elizabeth winked at her son. "In any case, it didn't work. Will was, and is, the only man my heart belongs to."
The tone in Elizabeth's voice was not one that Jonathan hadn't heard before, but it never ceased to make him both uncomfortable and envious.
At the age of twenty-one, Jonathan's time was filled with acquiring knowledge. There were plenty of lovely young females who paraded around Port Royale like colorful fruits, just waiting to be plucked of the branched of girlhood by a suitable husband, but Jonathan appeared uninterested. He was handsome enough, for his parents were, even at forty- one and forty-three still envied for their beauty. He was certainly wealthy enough, for his father had accumulated a surplus of wealth as both the part-owner of a successful blacksmith shop and as a sea merchant. By all accounts, he should very well have been well on his way to choosing a bride and beginning the next generation of Turners on Port Royale. But the mysteries of womanhood stretched far beyond Jonathan Weatherby Turner's scope of knowledge, and in all of his studies, he had yet to encounter a tangible solution to this problem.
Jonathan knew what his mother's intentions were each time she invited one of Port Royale's eligible young women over for tea. He had even taken a liking to a few of them, though he would not readily admit that to anyone other than himself. However, during these tea times, Jonathan would remain silent for the duration of the visit, only piping in now and again with some piece of intellect he had recently absorbed. The young women were unsure of how to react to his behavior, and rarely accepted another invitation. Charity Wenham, the daughter of the retired Naval Captain, Abner Wenham, had been one of the few to return for a second visit. She did not seem to be highly impressed by Jonathan's etiquette, but she was polite. She was quite stunning, and Jonathan recognized that; however, he was also aware that the driving force behind her presence at the Turner household was the Captain. Thinking of this, a sigh escaped from Jonathan's lips.
Elizabeth placed a kiss on her father's cheek and smiled warmly. "I think it is time for Jonathan to accompany me home. Will is due home at any hour now."
"Of course, Elizabeth." The governor grinned, and glanced at Jonathan. "You will come back tomorrow and finish Swift with your old grandfather, won't you?"
Jonathan nodded. "I shall come sometime after noon."
And with those words, Elizabeth and Jonathan Turner started for home.
More to come!
Lady_Lily9: Thanks for the feedback! I hope you keep reading!
lateBloomer04: Yes, Will, Liz and children are a good combination. ( Thanks for reviewing!