CHAPTER TWO.
Trouble in Paradise.
The sun rose ever-so-slowly over the horizon. Elizabeth smiled to herself at the thought of another day with her beloved Will Turner. She slowly rose from her bed, her nightdress falling past her ankles and trailing on the floor. The stain glass window cast odd shapes on the carpet. Elizabeth walked over to the other side of the bed and placed a gentle hand on the side of Wills' face. His eyes began to open as he smiled up at her.
Elizabeth left his bedside and walked over to her dressing table. She reached for a comb and ran it through her long auburn locks. Her hair elegantly hung down her back. Elizabeth walked over to a chintz armchair and pulled her dressing gown off the arm of it. She wrapped it snugly around her thin bodice and smiled to herself.
Once again she looked over at Will. He had closed his eyes again and had drifted back off to sleep. She remembered the day when she first met him. She had noticed a boy slowly drifting out to sea. She had called out; Mr. Gibbs, Commodore Norrington and her own father had come running out and onto the seck. Somehow, unknown to Elizabeth, they had been able to pull him out of the water and to safety. He had been left in her charge. She had to care for him, get him water and food to eat. Of course, at that age, Elizabeth didn't think anything of having a boy in her sleeping quarters. Neither did Will. But now, quite a few years on, she was sharing a bed with the same boy she had met all those summers ago.
Elizabeth decided to let Will sleep. She walked over to the door and opened it carefully. Trying to not make any noise, she snuck out and slowly walked to the dining room, where, without doubt, the servants and maids had prepared a sumptuous breakfast for Will, Elizabeth, the good Governor Swann, and of course Jack Sparrow.
The Manor seemed to be in somewhat of a flap since the arrival of Jack. Everyone who passed him seemed to tense up. Of course, Elizabeth couldn't blame them. He was one of the infamous pirates in the Caribbean. But, she couldn't see why anyone had any reason to fear him. He hadn't committed mutiny, nor ever seriously harmed anyone (with the exception of Barbossa). As far as Elizabeth was concerned, Jack was a good, kind and caring man, who not only looked out for himself, but others as well.
As she approached the dining hall, she noticed Jack. He was sitting quietly up the far end of the overly long table. Elizabeth did not see the point of having such a large dining table. They never had more than six people at a time, and this one seemed to fit twenty.
Jack nodded in awknowledgement to Elizabeth who, in turn smiled back at him. Elizabeth couldn't help but shake off the conversation she had had with him the afternoon previous. She recalled what he had said and played it back in her mind. "It may seem like I enjoy it, but believe me I don't" Elizabeth was deeply worried for Jack since he had said this. After all, it was Captain Jack Sparrow how could he not enjoy being single. She had seen him with women; he flirted and told his most gallant stories of piracy. They loved him. Elizabeth decided to set things straight once and for all.
She sat down next to him and smiled slightly. Before she could open her mouth a maid came with a large silver platter of fresh fruits. Jack took some and placed them on his own plate and winked slyly at the maid, who, in turn blushed a dark shade of crimson and quickly walked away. Elizabeth had no doubt that Jack had been doing this ever since he got here.
"Mr. Sparrow" she said with a lilt in her voice "I would appreciate you not chatting up my maids"
Jack could tell she was half joking by this. But his heart told him she was worried for him. In fact, for once in his life, Jack was worried for himself. He replied. "All right, only if you m'dear...and Will for that matter, can...how should I put this...restrain yourselves in my presence" Jack finished on a rather sarcastic note and smiled wryly at Elizabeth.
Elizabeth smiled slightly; her cheeks went a pale pink as she thought of last night when Jack had walked in on them. Her voice changed suddenly to a more serious tone now. "Jack, I'm worried for you" she said this quietly.
Jack waved this comment off. "Me? Why should you be worried about me?" he said through a mouthful of strawberry.
"Jack, you know, just as well as I do, that you haven't been yourself lately." She paused to contemplate. "Of course, around women you are still positively sleazy and repulsive, but I see something is troubling you." She sighed, "What is it?"
"I thought I got this through to you!" Jack said as he stood up out of his seat. "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME!" and with that, he left the dining hall and walked as directly (which was hard for our good man), as possible towards the courtyard.
Elizabeth was rather taken aback. She had never ever heard Jack raise his voice like that before. She laid her head in her hands and sighed deeply. She noticed Jack had still left his fruit on the table, highly unlike the pirate she knew.
Upon hearing the raucous come from downstairs, Will quickly dressed and ran down the marble staircase, and into the dining hall. He noticed Elizabeth, head in hands, sitting at the table, an untouched plate of fruit beside her. Will placed a loving hand on her shoulder and she just seemed to fall into his arms. Will slowly sat down besides her and lifted her pretty face to his eye level.
"What happened?" he said in a concerned tone of voice. He didn't have any idea who had yelled and then stormed out of the room.
"It's Jack," Elizabeth began, her voice shaking "He just...snapped. I'm worried about him Will, truly I am. He's not himself."
Will patted her on the shoulder and kissed her cheek. He rose from his chair and walked out into the courtyard and lo and behold, there was Jack. Jack was sitting by a topiary tree (shaped like a dolphin). He sat underneath, picking his dirty fingernails. As Will approached him, Jack looked up, a blank expression plastered across his face. Will sat down beside him quietly, and without looking at him, began to speak.
"Do you have any idea what you have done?" he paused waiting for an answer. But, without getting one he pressed on. "I'll tell you what you have done. My fiancée is absolutely distraught. She is worried sick about you! And you just go and yell at her? What kind of person does that Jack? It's not the Jack I know, that's for sure." He stopped to think. "The Jack I know is a kind and caring man with a heart of solid gold. Not a man who yells at women for no reason." Will finished in a slightly low tone of voice and once again looked back at Jack.
Finally the pirate opened his mouth the speak. "You don't understand. Do you?" Jack asked...although Will could tell it wasn't really a question, more of a statement. Jack went on. "I have been out on that bloody ocean for basically a year. It's absolute hell. I mean, I love the Pearl and me crew, but it's hard. The only woman I've had contact with is Anamaria. And both you and I know that she is not the kind of woman I want." he paused "And then, I come here and you and Elizabeth have become engaged. I mean, don't get me wrong. I'm happy for ya, but it just makes me realise how pathetic I really am." Jack sighed and looked straight ahead.
"Jack, I'm glad that you are here to share this with us," Will replied "but, Elizabeth, and I for that matter are deeply worried about you. If there's something wrong just speak to us"
Will stood up and left Jack on his own. Jack smacked himself in the head with his left hand. "Come on mate! Get a grip" he said to himself "you're Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?"
After sitting on his lonesome for about fifteen minutes Jack stood up and sauntered back into the manor. Ready to face Elizabeth whether he liked it or not.
She was still in the dining hall and not moved at all. Jack staggered over to her and put an unsteady arm on her shoulder. He began to speak. "Listen, and don't say anything until I'm finished. Savvy?" he stopped to think. "I was out of line. There's a few things I need to tell ya, but now is not the time"
With that Jack walked out of the hall and walked back up to his sleeping quarters. He pulled his shirt off and sank down onto the floor. Jack pulled a flask of rum out of his belt and drank it down. The spicy, sweet liquid ran down his throat. He breathed in through his nose, immediately his nasal passages were clear. Yet for some reason his beloved rum didn't have the same affect it normally had. His troubles where still as prevalent as before, yet with the added affect of his faulty rum.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth sat in the dining hall. Replaying what Jack had said to her. "There's a few things I need to tell ya, but now is not the time" What did he mean? What could he possibly have to tell her?
She shrugged it off and sighed slightly. It couldn't be that important, after all it was Jack. He was a simple man (as far as she knew). But she loved him for it. He was a welcome change from the stuck up knaves she had to deal with every day. Still, she was worried about his serious tone of voice. It was unlike the pirate she knew to speak to properly and in such a serious manner. Perhaps maturity was catching up with him.
Either way she couldn't shake the thought from her mind. Wondering where Will was, she walked out of the Hall and into the courtyard. Jack had since vacated outdoors and was most likely upstairs drowning his sorrows in a bottle of sickly sweet rum.
Elizabeth saw Will and smiled. She walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I spoke to Jack" she said quietly. "He said he has something to tell me" Elizabeth shrugged as to what it was and turned back to Will.
"Did he now?" Will asked. He had a fair idea of what it might be. He kept his mouth shut. It would be best for Jack to tell Elizabeth himself.
Meanwhile, Jack sat up in his room. Just as Elizabeth had guessed, he was indeed drowning his sorrows in a bottle of sickly-sweet rum. He had since taken off his shoes and belt. Undone his sword, cleaned his pistol and braided his hair. Anything to get his mind off his upcoming confession to Elizabeth. How was he supposed to tell her? He didn't even know if it was true or not. Perhaps he should just keep his filthy mouth shut. Yes! That was it. He would just avoid her for a week. Although, it was highly impossible to avoid someone in their own home.
