Broken Faith
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: They're still not bloody mine.
OC/E, J/E, W/E, N/E
"My dear Lisette." Henri d'Alphonse walked through the garden toward Elizabeth, who was still staring at him. She had last seen him on a dock in London, watching her sail into the distance on a ship bound for the Caribbean. That had been 12 years earlier. Henri had
certainly changed. He was taller then she remembered, but of course that was to be expected she reminded herself. He did not wear the wig that she was so used to. Rather, his hair was long and tied at his neck. It reminded her of Will's hair. She shook her head to dislodge the memory. As she looked at him, she realized that he wore something like a naval uniform. His hazel eyes looked at her expectantly.
"Henri." she said uncertainly. "I haven't seen you in ages. How did you find me?"
Henri laughed. "I am a naval man, my dear Lisette. I have an ear in every port and an eye in every town. And you are certainly enough to keep one's eye focused." He gave her a winning smile. Elizabeth relaxed slightly and smiled back. "Besides," Henri added "I
have kept up a lengthy correspondence with your father. You neglected to write me often enough for my liking."
"Oh." Elizabeth blushed slightly under his gaze. "Well, all sorts of things happened, and I just..." Henri stopped her with a wave of his hand, dismissing her concern.
"I understand. I have heard of your husband's death some years ago. I am sorry, Lisette. You should not have to endure such sorrow." He looked regretfully at her thin, white face. "You have changed. You were the most beautiful girl I knew. And yet you do not dress like it! Grey dress, sloppy hair, tsk tsk. You are wasting away here. You should come back with me."
"But, Henri" she protested "I haven't seen you in ages. Come, it's nearly tea time. You must tell me what you've done with yourself this whole time." Elizabeth rose from her seat, grabbing her basket, the letters stuffed unceremoniously into the basket, her trip to town forgotten in her new excitement and confusion. Henri followed her into house.
"Please, sit down. I would show you into the parlor, but we don't actually have one. We always use the kitchen to entertain." lizabeth set the basket on the sideboard, indicated a seat, then turned to busy herself with tea preparations. Henri cast a glance at the contents of the basket, then turned to the offered chair.
"I assume you know what has been happening out here." Elizabeth offered, her back to Henri as she rooted through the almost bare cabinets for something worth serving.
"Yes, your father has kept me informed. I believe he intended me to come down here and marry you, at least until you had a more local offer." Henri said good naturedly.
"Oh, you mean James. Yes, he was a good man. I never realized how much he actually loved me until..." she cut of her sentence. Some things were to intimate, even for old friends. If Henri noticed, he did not persue the subject.
"Yes, when he became interested in you, I realized I better do something with my life. Up to that point I was quite the court dandy-"
"You always were, Henri. You were quite a fond of the ladies." Elizabeth chuckled.
"They were quite fond of me. But I digress. I returned to France when I was 15 and became a midshipman with the French Navy."
"Why is it that all the men I love and the men who love me are all attracted to the sea." Elizabeth mused.
"Perhaps because you are not unlike her." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but motioned for him to continue. "The sea is beautiful, passionate, unpredictable. You surely know that you are all of these things. You bear a great deal of resemblance to her, Lisette, whether you realize it or not."
"I am not a cruel mistress like her." Elizabeth said bitterly. "She took my husband from me, my only protector, and took the other men who cared for me away as well, as though Will was not enough." She sniffled back a tear and turned to Henri. "I am sorry, Henri. After four years, you would think I would have accepted this."
"No." he whispered softly. "When the sea claims one you love, it is not unreasonable that you hold it against her. That is why I joined in the service to my country. Not out of loyalty, but out of a desire to tame the thing that would divorce me from she whom I loved above all others." Henri looked at Elizabeth in a way that reminded her of Will. She turned around, unable to remain under the intense gaze.
"And after you joined the Navy?" she said, strained.
Henri looked at her a moment before continuing. "I made my way through the ranks rather quickly. I had my own command several years ago. I became bored with military life. So many rules. So, I acquired my own ship and started out on my own."
"What do you do on this ship of yours?"
"Merchant shipping." he answered quickly. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She turned from her labor and set a plate of tea sandwiches on the table, followed by two cups and saucers.
"I'm sorry that's all I have. I had meant to go into town today and buy something else, but I received a letter and then you came so I never made it."
"Quite all right, my dear." Elizabeth smiled at him in thanks as she set out the sugar and cream.
"Is there anything else I can get you?"
"Only your company." he smiled. Elizabeth sat down and began to pour tea.
"I have told you about my comings and goings, perhaps you could tell me about yours?" Henri said as he sipped his tea.
"You said my father had told you about me."
"He did, but his letters leave...much to be desired."
Elizabeth laughed, the closest thing to a real laugh in four years. "Father was never a good letter writer. And I'm sure he left out the most interesting parts." Henri smiled at her, encouraging her to tell her stories.
They spent the afternoon telling stories. She told him about Will and James and her adventure with the undead pirates. In turn, he told her of some of the more interesting sea battles he had fought in. He conviently forgot about one battle with a Royal Navy warship several years earlier, but all of the other stories were true. Well, as true as they can be when retold by a sailor. He was in the middle of telling her about a narrow escape he had in London, a case of mistaken identity he said, when she chanced to glance at the clock.
"Dear me! We've been here all afternoon! It's nearly six. I promised Father I would go up and have dinner with him, and he never eats after six-thirty." On impulse, she added "Come with me. I'm sure Father would be delighted to see you"
"I would, dear Lisette, but alas, this voyage was not solely for the pleasure of seeing you again. I have a dinner appointment and some very important business to conduct." he gave her a kiss on the hand. "I would, however, be honored if I could share lunch with you tomorrow." He looked up at her in a way that made it almost impossible to say no.
"Where shall we eat?"
"I have a room down at the inn in town, what is it called again? It does not matter. They have a private room, and their food is rather good. Shall I meet you down there at, say, 12:30?"
"That would give me time to do my shopping." Elizabeth mused. "All right, 12:30.
Goodbye, Henri. It was wonderful to see you again."
"A demain, Lisette." he said, kissing her hand once more before walking out the door. Elizabeth paused for a moment, then ran to the garden gate to watch him walk down the road. He paused at then end of the lane and turned, saw her, and waved. She waved until she could no longer see him. Turning, she walked slowly into the house, her mind on the lunch appointment the following afternoon. She swept dreamily into the house and began sweeping the dishes into the sink. It was only the sight of the clock that sent her flying out of her daydream into her room to pull on a dinner dress.
A/N: Okay, originally that was Jack standing at the garden gate. However, my muse took over and created Henri while I was icing my knee (I am the only person I know who can fall down stairs just standing there.) So, that's Henri. The next chapter is going to go into his character more. Don't worry, Jack will appear again, it's just going to take him awhile. I know, two years should be long enough, but Jack is a curious character, and he writes himself.
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: They're still not bloody mine.
OC/E, J/E, W/E, N/E
"My dear Lisette." Henri d'Alphonse walked through the garden toward Elizabeth, who was still staring at him. She had last seen him on a dock in London, watching her sail into the distance on a ship bound for the Caribbean. That had been 12 years earlier. Henri had
certainly changed. He was taller then she remembered, but of course that was to be expected she reminded herself. He did not wear the wig that she was so used to. Rather, his hair was long and tied at his neck. It reminded her of Will's hair. She shook her head to dislodge the memory. As she looked at him, she realized that he wore something like a naval uniform. His hazel eyes looked at her expectantly.
"Henri." she said uncertainly. "I haven't seen you in ages. How did you find me?"
Henri laughed. "I am a naval man, my dear Lisette. I have an ear in every port and an eye in every town. And you are certainly enough to keep one's eye focused." He gave her a winning smile. Elizabeth relaxed slightly and smiled back. "Besides," Henri added "I
have kept up a lengthy correspondence with your father. You neglected to write me often enough for my liking."
"Oh." Elizabeth blushed slightly under his gaze. "Well, all sorts of things happened, and I just..." Henri stopped her with a wave of his hand, dismissing her concern.
"I understand. I have heard of your husband's death some years ago. I am sorry, Lisette. You should not have to endure such sorrow." He looked regretfully at her thin, white face. "You have changed. You were the most beautiful girl I knew. And yet you do not dress like it! Grey dress, sloppy hair, tsk tsk. You are wasting away here. You should come back with me."
"But, Henri" she protested "I haven't seen you in ages. Come, it's nearly tea time. You must tell me what you've done with yourself this whole time." Elizabeth rose from her seat, grabbing her basket, the letters stuffed unceremoniously into the basket, her trip to town forgotten in her new excitement and confusion. Henri followed her into house.
"Please, sit down. I would show you into the parlor, but we don't actually have one. We always use the kitchen to entertain." lizabeth set the basket on the sideboard, indicated a seat, then turned to busy herself with tea preparations. Henri cast a glance at the contents of the basket, then turned to the offered chair.
"I assume you know what has been happening out here." Elizabeth offered, her back to Henri as she rooted through the almost bare cabinets for something worth serving.
"Yes, your father has kept me informed. I believe he intended me to come down here and marry you, at least until you had a more local offer." Henri said good naturedly.
"Oh, you mean James. Yes, he was a good man. I never realized how much he actually loved me until..." she cut of her sentence. Some things were to intimate, even for old friends. If Henri noticed, he did not persue the subject.
"Yes, when he became interested in you, I realized I better do something with my life. Up to that point I was quite the court dandy-"
"You always were, Henri. You were quite a fond of the ladies." Elizabeth chuckled.
"They were quite fond of me. But I digress. I returned to France when I was 15 and became a midshipman with the French Navy."
"Why is it that all the men I love and the men who love me are all attracted to the sea." Elizabeth mused.
"Perhaps because you are not unlike her." Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but motioned for him to continue. "The sea is beautiful, passionate, unpredictable. You surely know that you are all of these things. You bear a great deal of resemblance to her, Lisette, whether you realize it or not."
"I am not a cruel mistress like her." Elizabeth said bitterly. "She took my husband from me, my only protector, and took the other men who cared for me away as well, as though Will was not enough." She sniffled back a tear and turned to Henri. "I am sorry, Henri. After four years, you would think I would have accepted this."
"No." he whispered softly. "When the sea claims one you love, it is not unreasonable that you hold it against her. That is why I joined in the service to my country. Not out of loyalty, but out of a desire to tame the thing that would divorce me from she whom I loved above all others." Henri looked at Elizabeth in a way that reminded her of Will. She turned around, unable to remain under the intense gaze.
"And after you joined the Navy?" she said, strained.
Henri looked at her a moment before continuing. "I made my way through the ranks rather quickly. I had my own command several years ago. I became bored with military life. So many rules. So, I acquired my own ship and started out on my own."
"What do you do on this ship of yours?"
"Merchant shipping." he answered quickly. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. She turned from her labor and set a plate of tea sandwiches on the table, followed by two cups and saucers.
"I'm sorry that's all I have. I had meant to go into town today and buy something else, but I received a letter and then you came so I never made it."
"Quite all right, my dear." Elizabeth smiled at him in thanks as she set out the sugar and cream.
"Is there anything else I can get you?"
"Only your company." he smiled. Elizabeth sat down and began to pour tea.
"I have told you about my comings and goings, perhaps you could tell me about yours?" Henri said as he sipped his tea.
"You said my father had told you about me."
"He did, but his letters leave...much to be desired."
Elizabeth laughed, the closest thing to a real laugh in four years. "Father was never a good letter writer. And I'm sure he left out the most interesting parts." Henri smiled at her, encouraging her to tell her stories.
They spent the afternoon telling stories. She told him about Will and James and her adventure with the undead pirates. In turn, he told her of some of the more interesting sea battles he had fought in. He conviently forgot about one battle with a Royal Navy warship several years earlier, but all of the other stories were true. Well, as true as they can be when retold by a sailor. He was in the middle of telling her about a narrow escape he had in London, a case of mistaken identity he said, when she chanced to glance at the clock.
"Dear me! We've been here all afternoon! It's nearly six. I promised Father I would go up and have dinner with him, and he never eats after six-thirty." On impulse, she added "Come with me. I'm sure Father would be delighted to see you"
"I would, dear Lisette, but alas, this voyage was not solely for the pleasure of seeing you again. I have a dinner appointment and some very important business to conduct." he gave her a kiss on the hand. "I would, however, be honored if I could share lunch with you tomorrow." He looked up at her in a way that made it almost impossible to say no.
"Where shall we eat?"
"I have a room down at the inn in town, what is it called again? It does not matter. They have a private room, and their food is rather good. Shall I meet you down there at, say, 12:30?"
"That would give me time to do my shopping." Elizabeth mused. "All right, 12:30.
Goodbye, Henri. It was wonderful to see you again."
"A demain, Lisette." he said, kissing her hand once more before walking out the door. Elizabeth paused for a moment, then ran to the garden gate to watch him walk down the road. He paused at then end of the lane and turned, saw her, and waved. She waved until she could no longer see him. Turning, she walked slowly into the house, her mind on the lunch appointment the following afternoon. She swept dreamily into the house and began sweeping the dishes into the sink. It was only the sight of the clock that sent her flying out of her daydream into her room to pull on a dinner dress.
A/N: Okay, originally that was Jack standing at the garden gate. However, my muse took over and created Henri while I was icing my knee (I am the only person I know who can fall down stairs just standing there.) So, that's Henri. The next chapter is going to go into his character more. Don't worry, Jack will appear again, it's just going to take him awhile. I know, two years should be long enough, but Jack is a curious character, and he writes himself.