Disclaimer: I don't own half of the characters in this story.
SHE WAS A PHANTOM OF DELIGHT
Chapter 6: Better Than Him
Later that evening, they had finally arrived at their destination. It was a small port called Tortuga. Jack and Mr. Gibbs went with her in the rowboat, and as they went ashore Camille covered her ears as she heard several gunshots ring out.
Gibbs only laughed. "There be no need to be frightened, Miss Camille," he chuckled as he grabbed her lightly by the arm. She was led to what she suspected was a whorehouse. The three of them stepped inside and immediately Gibbs was gone, flirting with one of the ladies. Camille was completely disgusted.
"Now you are going to be a good girl and go on upstairs and change your clothes," Jack told her.
"What are you going to do?" she asked.
"You just leave that up to me, darling," he said. She cleared her throat. "Sorry," he quickly apologized.
Thinking as she made her way upstairs, she found an empty room and began raiding a dresser. She felt like a complete criminal, and looked over her back several times as she dug through the dresses. She was finally able to find one that didn't look as bad or as trashy as the rest. It was a pretty green one lined with gold. The only things for shoes were boots, so she reluctantly put them on and did her hair.
Making her way back downstairs to the crowded vicinity, she spotted Jack's big hat bobbing up and down as he sat at a table drinking rum and chatting with Gibbs. Making her way over to the table, she had to sit down before Jack even noticed that it was her.
"Captain Sparrow exactly what was your plan?" she nearly demanded.
He set his rum down. "Well actually, Gibbs and I just came to make sure you got here safely. You can pretty much do the rest on your own."
"You mean to tell me that I am supposed to sell myself in order to get to Port Celebros?" she yelled, standing up and scraping the chair across the floor.
"Well with a body like that I don't suppose anyone could refuse," Jack said, shrugging. Camille resisted the urge to slap him because she could now see that this was how he usually was. It wasn't worth getting angry over again and again.
"Obviously you are, Mr. Sparrow."
He cleared his throat nonchalantly. "Ahem. It's Captain, love."
"A captain would require some sort of respect," she retorted.
Gibbs looked frightened, but Jack just waved his hand. "Pity not everyone can be this grateful," he replied sarcastically.
"I hope I never see you again," she whispered fiercely as she turned around to leave. Now she was utterly alone. Not only did she not have her family, but she had been taken to the middle of nowhere. How was she supposed to get back in a respectful, honest way? No one there would know who she was if she explained her story to them. Her eyes filled up with tears.
As she stomped towards the front door, she almost screamed when she saw a bright red coat. There were two soldiers from the King's Navy entering! The first thing she thought of was that little pain Gillette and spending the rest of her days sitting in the drawing room listening to him prattle on about his meaningless accomplishments.
Before she knew it, she was heading back to the table that Jack Sparrow sat at. Gibbs had left, probably with one of the harlots. She sat down at the table across from the pirate, and he gave her a strange look as if he was afraid to say anything to upset her. "I've decided that anything is better than going back to him," she explained.
He lifted an eyebrow, lifting his rum and downing the remaining amount. Turning around, he could see the two redcoats across the room. "Is that why?"
She looked at him. "You don't understand." Her eyes widened as they began making their way through the crowded room. Leaning across the table, she took the captain by his puffy shirt and pulled him close to her, kissing him until she was sure that they had left.
A bunch of thoughts raced through her head as she did this, and the only conclusion she could come to was that she was on her own now. She had never been on her own before, and was quite frightened.
As she pulled away from the stunned captain, she sat back and wondered what she had just done. She put her hand to her lips, tasting the bitter taste of rum which had been quite prevalent in Jack's mouth.
"Now I'm curious as to why you would think of doing that," Jack asked in a rather mellow tone.
"I…Jack, I'm sorry. I just…" she tried to think of an excuse, but couldn't come up with one. She stood up to leave, but he reached out and caught her wrist.
"Do you need my protection? Is that why you came to the Pearl?"
"What?" It took a minute before she noticed four other empty cups on the table. "Oh, you're drunk. I see. Well I suppose it's best that way."
"Love I may be tipsy, but I am certainly not drunk. Captain Jack Sparrow does not get drunk," he tried correcting her, but instead swooned in his seat.
"Jack, I really don't think that you should have any more to drink," Camille insisted.
"Excuse me, Miss Quartermaine," a stern voice behind her said.
Gasping, she spun around. The soldiers! They hadn't gone, after all! There were three of them standing right there, and they all had their guns pointed at the pirate. She didn't know whether to leap for joy from seeing an opportunity out of this mess, or cry because she had to go back to her routine of putting up with Gillette and shallow men. Her eyes began to fill with tears as she realized that she just missed being home.
Thinking quickly, she grabbed one of the guards and thrust him between her and the captain. "Oh, thank God! Thank God you have come to rescue me, I knew my father would save me!" she said gratefully. One of the guards took her by the arm.
"It's all right, Miss Quartermaine. You're under the protection of the King's Royale Navy now," he assured her.
She breathed a long sigh of relief as they forced Jack to his feet and demanded that he hand over his pistol to them. Jack did so reluctantly, looking almost frightened. Perhaps it was just the alcohol. Gibbs was absolutely nowhere in sight.
"Good work gentlemen, very good work," a low voice said behind her. She nearly cringed at hearing it, afraid as she slowly turned around. The voice belonged to Commodore James Norrington, and that meant…
"Camille? Camille my dear, are you all-" it was that nitwit Gillette, running forward and placing his arms around her like he had actually cared. "Oh Camille, thank God you're unharmed! I was so worried about what this lowlife scum was planning on doing with you," he said as he held his bayonet right to Jack's throat. Jack did not look threatened at all, but he did raise his eyebrows a bit at Gillette's next comment.
"You will be hanged for kidnapping my fiancé, Mr. Sparrow," he threatened.
FIANCE! "Excuse me," Camille interjected politely.
Gillette turned to face her. "Yes, my dear?"
She had to swallow to keep the bile from rising up from her stomach. "Did you just refer to me as your fiancé, Gillette?"
He nodded proudly. "I did, Camille. I couldn't accept the money from your father, so he offered me your hand in marriage. We are to be wed immediately upon our return to Port Celebros."
That was it. Camille couldn't handle it anymore. She fainted, and everything went black.
