Disclaimer: I don't own half of the characters in this story. But then again, I do own half of them. By the way, the title and the poem "She Was a Phantom of Delight", is by William Wordsworth and I take absolutely no credit.

SHE WAS A PHANTOM OF DELIGHT

Chapter 2: Gillette, Annie, and Long John

The next morning, both of them were in town to buy shoes.

"I don't know why I need to buy another pair. Honestly, I've more than thirty," Camille complained, fanning herself in the hot sun.

"Quit yer whinin', girl. You've got nothin' to complain about. Your father gave you the money, didn't he?"

"Of course he did, he's simply loaded."

"Shh! Say it a little louder, would ya?"

"Loaded!" Camille said loudly, causing a few heads to turn. Like nobody knew her father was filthy rich already.

"Camille!" Annie nearly shouted. Her brown eyes flashed dangerously as she pulled Camille's wrist. "Now if ya can behave yourself…I hafta go buy some candles for my bedroom."

Camille walked over to Mrs. Sutton's shop and looked at the shoes in the display case. Did anyone honestly expect her to wear those? Her ankles would be seen for miles!

Through the glass, she could see a man walking with a rather funny stride. For some reason, she got a bad feeling about him. Knowing it would be best not to stare, she quickly turned the corner and went down an alleyway. She had hoped he would pass, but he began to follow her. She walked at a quicker pace, picking up her skirts and going further down the alley. She nearly lost her footing on the sparse cobblestones. She turned, having absolutely no idea where she was and hiding behind a corner. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, trying to calm her breathing. She began to slowly and quietly tiptoe away, hearing the man as he approached.

All of a sudden a hand shot out from behind her and spun her around roughly. She hooted in surprise, staring into the stone cold face of a pirate.

She looked down. He only had one leg, and supported most of his weight on a crutch. She opened her mouth to scream, but he clapped a hand over it, pressing her back against a building on the side of the alley. There was no need to restrain Camille; she'd gone stiff as a board from the man's touch.

"There'll be no need to fret, little lady. I don't intend on hurtin' ye. I've seen where ye live, and I don't doubt he'll be after ye soon enough." He threw his head back and laughed. "Got a favor to ask of ye!" he said enthusiastically, producing a small key. He pressed it into the palm of her delicate hand before she knew what was happening or that she had a key.

The pirate started as they heard Annie's rough voice. She was at the far end of the alley, pointing and shouting. "There's the heathen!"

Two uniformed men began running towards him. He immediately released Camille. She felt like she was going to faint.

Annie ran over to her. "Miss Quartamaine! Miss Quartamaine, are you all right?"

"Miss Quartermaine!" the pirate called to her, struggling against the men. "Remember that the birds always fly towards the sun!"

Camille shook her head, leaning on Annie. "I saw him chase ya into the alley, Miss Camille! That damned pirate! Doing the devil's work, he was. Come now Camille, let's get you home."

Later that day she was seated in the drawing room, reading. There was a sudden knock on the door. She got up to answer it.

She almost staggered back in surprise. It was a redcoat! Here, in Port Celebros? It was…she tried not to gag herself.

"Good afternoon, Commodore," she greeted him.

He nodded politely. "Good afternoon, Miss Quartermaine. May I be so inclined as to speak with your father?" he asked in his British accent.

"Of course, Commodore. Won't you please come in?" she asked, just as politely. She took a couple of steps back. "Father?"

"I'm in here, Camille," Dorian's voice replied.

She poked her head into a room near the library. "Father, Commodore Norrington from the king's Royale Navy is here to speak with you."

"Ah!" Dorian said. He took off his spectacles and placed them on the table. Then he stopped. "Camille, did…did you answer the door?"

"I did. Peter has taken ill, so I told Annie I would do her duties so that she could take care of him, the poor little lamb."

"I see. But darling, you really must rest a bit. Your day has been difficult," he said gently, making his way to where the Commodore stood rigidly. He shook the Commodore's hand. "Ah, James. I am glad to see that you have received my telegram."

"Good afternoon, Dorian."

Dorian turned around to Camille. "Camille, you remember James Norrington."

Camille nodded and smiled politely. "I do. It is quite a pleasure, Commodore."

"Please come into my study, James. Camille, could I trouble you to put on some tea for our guest?" Dorian said, ushering the Commodore into a room.

Camille nodded, turning to make her way into the kitchen. "Thank you," Norrington said, smiling a small smile.

I swear, if this man asks me to marry him…she began thinking. The Commodore and her father were very good friends. Her father was on very good terms with the governor of Port Royale, and that was the reason Camille was being bombarded with a proposal from Norrington's right hand man, Gillette. Even the thought of him made her want to throw up.

She put a kettle over the fire, and in a few minutes she carried two piping hot cups of tea out into the room where her father and Norrington sat. Her father smiled.

"Camille, my dear, please sit down. You have done so much today already," he said kindly, motioning for her to have a seat. "It seems that the Commodore and his men have been searching here in Port Celebros for a pirate similar to the one who attacked you this morning."

"Father, please," she said, her hand falling to the key inside of her pocket. She hadn't decided what to do about it quite yet.

"My apologies, darling. Anyhow, it seems that Commodore Norrington and his men are in need of quartering for the next couple of evenings. I have invited him and one of his comrades to stay here in the mansion."

"Father, that is a wonderful idea!" she exclaimed, trying to hide her relief. Norrington chuckled.

"You may sleep peacefully tonight, Miss Quartermaine. Gillette and I will not let any pirates into this household," he assured her.

She blinked. "I'm sorry Commodore, but…did you say Gillette?"

"I did. And he is quite happy to see you again, might I add."

She gulped. The next two days were going to be a living hell.

The next two days did, in fact, turn out to be a living hell. Camille had managed to avoid Gillette until about the middle of the first day. Then, she'd absentmindedly wandered into the kitchen and been the victim of his egotistical prattling. If Mr. Black was conceited, Gillette was at least twenty times more conceited. Only two hours later was she saved by Benjamin.

She didn't mind Commodore Norrington at all. He mostly kept to himself, and was always polite and formal when addressing her and her father.

Two extremely long days later, they were finally out of the house. Camille collapsed on her bed, overwhelmed. Who did that stuck up little bastard think he was? He had taken more than every opportunity to kiss her hand, or take walks with her, or pull her chair out for her when she sat down to eat. She didn't know how to make it anymore blatantly obvious that she was not interested.

She watched at the key fell out of her pocket and onto the bed beside her. What was she going to do with it? And who had that strange, one-legged man been who'd given it to her? Unknowingly, she drifted off to sleep.

She woke up and put on her nightgown. Carefully placing the key in a pocket, he proceeded to light the candles around her room. She stopped when she heard a crash downstairs.

She left her room. The house was dark, and she leaned over the banister. "Annie?" she asked, receiving no reply.

She went down the stairs, expecting to find a pot that had fallen over because of an unlatched window. She went from room to room, checking the windows. None of them were open, and she began making her way back to her bedroom.

She stopped, slowly turning around. The front door was wide open, swinging back and forth slowly on its hinges. Noticing this, she was all of a sudden alert of someone behind her.

"Father!" she cried right before she felt a pair of strong hands grip her shoulders. She screamed and broke free, running right into a woman about her height.

She had dark skin and hair partially hidden by a bandana. She put a knife to Camille's throat. "They can't hear ya, love." The knife stopped Camille from struggling or making any noise as her arms were tied behind her.

Her mind raced. Was this because of the man with the key? Was this woman a pirate? Camille was so terrified, she wanted to start crying. She was shoved roughly through the house until they exited through the gardens and she was led to a rowboat. There was no way she could make an escape with a second pirate so close behind her.

She reluctantly got into the little boat and almost hyperventilated before she caught sight of their destination.

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped as they approached the black ship. Every single thing about it looked unpleasant. Even the sails were black! There was a woman on the front of it looking through what seemed to be a telescope. She began nervously chewing on her lip as the three were hoisted up on deck.

The woman shouted. "Captain! I've brought her!" With that, she disappeared while the other pirate held Camille's arm firmly.

She heard a drawling voice. "Thank you Ana Maria." A man appeared, walking in sort of a saunter as he approached her. She tried to back up, but there was absolutely nowhere she could go.

He observed her state, and then looked accusingly at her captor. "Mr. Earl, did you tie this lady up?"

The man shook his head. "Nay, Cap'n. It was Ana Maria."

The captain rolled his eyes. "That woman should tie herself up. Mr. Earl, you are dismissed." He looked at her. "I am terribly sorry about that."

He untied her wrists, and caught her arm as she raised it to smack him. "Now I'm wonderin' why you would think to hit somebody who has just untied you from those shackles."

"Because you are the one who has ordered to have me kidnapped!"

"What? How do you know that my crewmembers were not just on their usual pillages and decided to bring you back with them?"

"Do you really think I am going to believe such rubbish out of a pirate's mouth?" she demanded angrily.

He released her and staggered back a bit, leaning on the banister of the ship. "All right then, I admit. I am going to keep you as a hostage on my ship until the ransom for you has been paid by your very affluent father. I believe you can understand that much."

"You mean the ransom, being his fortune that I am to inherit?"

He grinned. "I knew you'd be no dummy, but nobody told me that you would be quite so lovely," he said, taking a strand of her red hair and rubbing in between his fingers.

This time he wasn't ready. She slapped him as hard as she could, which was pretty hard. He made a face, rubbing the stinging sensation on his cheek. "I'm sure that I deserved that," he grumbled. "Well I suppose I could show you where you're going to be locked up for the time being."

"You untie me, then lock me up?"

He took her by the arm. "Well I can't have you goin' around deck slappin' people. It would be so unladylike."

She growled as he forced her down some stairs and into a musty room. Before he shut the door he said goodnight, causing her to attack the locked door pounding and screaming. He brushed himself off. "They can't keep themselves away," he said to himself.