Chapter 6
"Miss, miss?" came a young voice. I groggily woke up, turning slightly to look at who was talking. A servant girl was bending over me, eyes expectant. "What?" I croaked. "Miss Swann wishes you down at breakfast, miss," said the girl. "What time is it?" "Half past 8, miss." "All right, tell her I'll be down shortly." The maid curtsied, quietly shutting the door behind her. I buried my head in the soft pillow with a heavy sigh. Finally stirring and getting up, I pulled on an 18th century dress and put on other necessary things as well. Sliding into my soft- soled clogs, I went downstairs, braiding my hair as I went. "Good morning," said Elizabeth as I entered the dining room. "Good morning," I replied. "Where's your dad?" "Oh, he left earlier to go to the fort. We shall probably see him in town." As she said this she was busy inspecting my attire. "Problem with my clothes?" "No, not at all, we just might get some looks on the street." "You're implying that I should change into something more appropriate." "No, no, we'll just say you're from the colonies. That will explain everything." I shrugged. I didn't like America much anyway. Wouldn't hurt to do some bashing while I was here. After an excellent, filling breakfast, we left the mansion (for that is what it was) and strolled into town, where I was acquainted with 18th century port life. I suppose you could say I saw the good, the bad, the ugly, and the pretty sides of things. Elizabeth tended to stray towards the lower class side, but not the dangerous side where most of the brawling taverns were. "I'd like you to meet Will Turner," she said, pulling me down a side street. We came to a blacksmith's shop, where the name Brown was advertised on the sign. Going in, I saw an elderly, pot-bellied man asleep in a chair, and another, young man no older than I pounding away at a piece of metal. He looked up as we entered. "Miss Swann!" he grinned, coming over quickly. The place was tidy enough for a blacksmith's shop, and was exactly what I was expecting. "Will, this is my friend Fiona. Fiona, this is Will." "A pleasure," I said, shaking his hand. "Likewise." After chatting for a few moments, I saw the two young people were completely engrossed with each other. "Listen, Lizzy, I'm going to go have a look around town. Where should I meet you and when?" "How about at the fort at around 12? That is when father is expecting us." "Fine. I'm sure I can find my way there." I quickly left the smelly shop. What I did in the short 2 ½ hours before going to the fort was window shopping and touristy meandering. It wasn't a bad port town, nicely situated, and the people were generally friendly if greeted the right way. I saw a few sailors in town, but didn't begin to see any uniformed men until I got closer to the docks. I reached the end of the town, walked down a wooden path, and crossed a small bridge. As the trees and shrubs cleared midway cross the bridge, the small beach, the docks and giant ships came into view. Smaller merchant boats and fishing dinghies were crammed together closer to the docks, the men haggling with each other, loading and unloading goods while black boys stood beside and watched. A giant navy ship sat anchored a ways of, her sails in, but her mast proudly displaying the Union Jack. Another, smaller frigate navy ship was at the docks, and behind it, rising up on a cliff, was the large fort. There were a few other navy ships anchored nearby. Sailors milled around the area, a few redcoats standing in groups, scattered throughout the docks up to the fort. Officers in blue stood near the docks, directing their men. I saw Norrington speaking to a superior officer near the frigate, three other officers standing nearby. Shouts rang out, hardy and mean or smooth and British. A few small row boats were on the beach. Stepping briskly across the bridge, I stopped a young boy who looked like he knew his way around. "Excuse me, might you tell me how I could get up to the fort? I'm supposed to meet someone there, but am at a loss for how to get there," I requested. He gave me a quick set of directions, and continued on his way. Following the path up to the docks and veering right up some steps, I appeared to be at ease so no one would pay particular attention to me. "Miss Fitzgerald?" came a voice. Turning halfway, I saw Norrington looking up at me from the bottom of steps. "Captain Norrington," I smiled, going down a few steps. "Good morning." "Good morning. I didn't expect to see you out so soon." "I didn't expect to be out so soon, but Miss Swann was quite anxious to leave the house, so I didn't have much choice." A knowing, sardonic smile tugged at his mouth, and he glanced down momentarily. "How do you like Port Royal?" he asked, offering his arm. Taking it, we began to walk down the docks. "Very much, actually. Quite a bit different from Virginia Beach, but I guess a couple hundred years will do that. But yes, I do like it very much here. More than Virginia Beach, believe it or not." "More than Virginia Beach? Interesting. From what I understood as of last night, Virginia Beach seemed to be quite the naval port, much more grand the Port Royal. What has caused this change of opinion?" "May I remind you that I had not actually seen Port Royal up close before my comments last night. Yes, Virginia Beach is a much bigger naval port, but it soon becomes tiresome. Everything starts to look the same, events start to become predictable." "Ah. And you sense that here things are not always predictable." I nodded. "Well, you certainly have a grasp on naval ports, but how is your knowledge of seamanship?" "Is that a fair question, sir? The ships of 2004 are very, very different from those you see here. I could tell you how to run a ship in 2004, but one of these?" I shook my head. "I may have an inkling of what to do, but I must admit my ignorance of 18th century ships and how to sail them. It must be an art to be able to effectively run and sail a ship of that size," I said, nodding to the large ship anchored in the bay. "What is her name?" "The H.M.S. Dauntless, and a fine ship she is, too. She's fairly new, but runs beautifully. She's made almost entirely of oak and redwood. The frigate at the dock is the Interceptor, the fastest ship in the Caribbean. As you can see she's much smaller, but just as able as the Dauntless, which has more firepower. Both have their strong points, but the Dauntless is the flagship." "And you sail in both?" "Yes." "How long have you been in the Navy?" "19 years, since I was 11." "11?" "Yes." "You must have a very distinguished record, then." Again, the half-smile and glance to the ground. In the distance, a clock began to chime 12. "Oh, damn, I'm going to be late." Norrington momentarily looked horrified that I had dared to swear in front of him, but recovered his composure just as speedily. "Late for what?" "I'm supposed to meet Governor Swann and Elizabeth at the fort at noon, and it's noon." "Come, I'll show you a quick way to get there." He led me up another set of stairs, down a street running parallel to the town, then up the side of the fort and around to the main gate. It reminded me a bit of Fort Sumter on the inside, without the black building that had been added after the Civil War. An open parade ground, two levels with stairs at the back leading up the ramparts and a bell-tower looking structure. Over the main gate was an open room like area with another tower, steps leading down to the parade grounds. The room led to another area, but I was too busy looking for the Governor and Elizabeth to figure out what it was. Offices could be seen under the room area. It was quite an extensive fort, with multiple levels and plenty of munitions. "Fiona! Over here!" called Elizabeth, and I saw her waving from the bell- tower structure, her father standing next to her. I smiled wryly, wondering how her father put up with her energy and demands. Norrington and I walked up, greeting them in the English manner, and Norrington excused himself. "So, are you enjoying yourself?" Elizabeth asked. "Yes, thank you, Lizzy, very much," I said, "though Captain Norrington seems very uptight, very proper. And completely absorbed by the navy." Swann gave me an odd look, but Elizabeth blurted out, "Finally, someone who agrees with me! Do you not find him to be tedious at times, the way he talks and acts? He is infuriating the way he talks about pirates! You would think every pirate that sails the ocean is bad!" "Whoa, hold your horses, missy," I gasped, holding up a hand, shocked that she was behaving this way. Swann was stunned, gaping at his daughter. "I'll grant you that he's a bit stiff, and that he needs to loosen up a bit, but the pirate thing – he's just doing his job. I'm just saying that for a naval man he's a bit stuck up." "Elizabeth, how can you talk like that of Captain Norrington, after all he has done for Port Royal? If it were not for his efforts, we could all be worse off than we are, perhaps dead. I am very disappointed in you." Elizabeth did look a bit ashamed of herself, but I could see she didn't like Norrington at all. "So, what are we doing now?" I changed the subject, feeling awkward. "I have arranged for lunch at a very respectable restaurant in town," said Swann. And so we went to lunch, and a very awkward, quiet lunch it was.
"Miss, miss?" came a young voice. I groggily woke up, turning slightly to look at who was talking. A servant girl was bending over me, eyes expectant. "What?" I croaked. "Miss Swann wishes you down at breakfast, miss," said the girl. "What time is it?" "Half past 8, miss." "All right, tell her I'll be down shortly." The maid curtsied, quietly shutting the door behind her. I buried my head in the soft pillow with a heavy sigh. Finally stirring and getting up, I pulled on an 18th century dress and put on other necessary things as well. Sliding into my soft- soled clogs, I went downstairs, braiding my hair as I went. "Good morning," said Elizabeth as I entered the dining room. "Good morning," I replied. "Where's your dad?" "Oh, he left earlier to go to the fort. We shall probably see him in town." As she said this she was busy inspecting my attire. "Problem with my clothes?" "No, not at all, we just might get some looks on the street." "You're implying that I should change into something more appropriate." "No, no, we'll just say you're from the colonies. That will explain everything." I shrugged. I didn't like America much anyway. Wouldn't hurt to do some bashing while I was here. After an excellent, filling breakfast, we left the mansion (for that is what it was) and strolled into town, where I was acquainted with 18th century port life. I suppose you could say I saw the good, the bad, the ugly, and the pretty sides of things. Elizabeth tended to stray towards the lower class side, but not the dangerous side where most of the brawling taverns were. "I'd like you to meet Will Turner," she said, pulling me down a side street. We came to a blacksmith's shop, where the name Brown was advertised on the sign. Going in, I saw an elderly, pot-bellied man asleep in a chair, and another, young man no older than I pounding away at a piece of metal. He looked up as we entered. "Miss Swann!" he grinned, coming over quickly. The place was tidy enough for a blacksmith's shop, and was exactly what I was expecting. "Will, this is my friend Fiona. Fiona, this is Will." "A pleasure," I said, shaking his hand. "Likewise." After chatting for a few moments, I saw the two young people were completely engrossed with each other. "Listen, Lizzy, I'm going to go have a look around town. Where should I meet you and when?" "How about at the fort at around 12? That is when father is expecting us." "Fine. I'm sure I can find my way there." I quickly left the smelly shop. What I did in the short 2 ½ hours before going to the fort was window shopping and touristy meandering. It wasn't a bad port town, nicely situated, and the people were generally friendly if greeted the right way. I saw a few sailors in town, but didn't begin to see any uniformed men until I got closer to the docks. I reached the end of the town, walked down a wooden path, and crossed a small bridge. As the trees and shrubs cleared midway cross the bridge, the small beach, the docks and giant ships came into view. Smaller merchant boats and fishing dinghies were crammed together closer to the docks, the men haggling with each other, loading and unloading goods while black boys stood beside and watched. A giant navy ship sat anchored a ways of, her sails in, but her mast proudly displaying the Union Jack. Another, smaller frigate navy ship was at the docks, and behind it, rising up on a cliff, was the large fort. There were a few other navy ships anchored nearby. Sailors milled around the area, a few redcoats standing in groups, scattered throughout the docks up to the fort. Officers in blue stood near the docks, directing their men. I saw Norrington speaking to a superior officer near the frigate, three other officers standing nearby. Shouts rang out, hardy and mean or smooth and British. A few small row boats were on the beach. Stepping briskly across the bridge, I stopped a young boy who looked like he knew his way around. "Excuse me, might you tell me how I could get up to the fort? I'm supposed to meet someone there, but am at a loss for how to get there," I requested. He gave me a quick set of directions, and continued on his way. Following the path up to the docks and veering right up some steps, I appeared to be at ease so no one would pay particular attention to me. "Miss Fitzgerald?" came a voice. Turning halfway, I saw Norrington looking up at me from the bottom of steps. "Captain Norrington," I smiled, going down a few steps. "Good morning." "Good morning. I didn't expect to see you out so soon." "I didn't expect to be out so soon, but Miss Swann was quite anxious to leave the house, so I didn't have much choice." A knowing, sardonic smile tugged at his mouth, and he glanced down momentarily. "How do you like Port Royal?" he asked, offering his arm. Taking it, we began to walk down the docks. "Very much, actually. Quite a bit different from Virginia Beach, but I guess a couple hundred years will do that. But yes, I do like it very much here. More than Virginia Beach, believe it or not." "More than Virginia Beach? Interesting. From what I understood as of last night, Virginia Beach seemed to be quite the naval port, much more grand the Port Royal. What has caused this change of opinion?" "May I remind you that I had not actually seen Port Royal up close before my comments last night. Yes, Virginia Beach is a much bigger naval port, but it soon becomes tiresome. Everything starts to look the same, events start to become predictable." "Ah. And you sense that here things are not always predictable." I nodded. "Well, you certainly have a grasp on naval ports, but how is your knowledge of seamanship?" "Is that a fair question, sir? The ships of 2004 are very, very different from those you see here. I could tell you how to run a ship in 2004, but one of these?" I shook my head. "I may have an inkling of what to do, but I must admit my ignorance of 18th century ships and how to sail them. It must be an art to be able to effectively run and sail a ship of that size," I said, nodding to the large ship anchored in the bay. "What is her name?" "The H.M.S. Dauntless, and a fine ship she is, too. She's fairly new, but runs beautifully. She's made almost entirely of oak and redwood. The frigate at the dock is the Interceptor, the fastest ship in the Caribbean. As you can see she's much smaller, but just as able as the Dauntless, which has more firepower. Both have their strong points, but the Dauntless is the flagship." "And you sail in both?" "Yes." "How long have you been in the Navy?" "19 years, since I was 11." "11?" "Yes." "You must have a very distinguished record, then." Again, the half-smile and glance to the ground. In the distance, a clock began to chime 12. "Oh, damn, I'm going to be late." Norrington momentarily looked horrified that I had dared to swear in front of him, but recovered his composure just as speedily. "Late for what?" "I'm supposed to meet Governor Swann and Elizabeth at the fort at noon, and it's noon." "Come, I'll show you a quick way to get there." He led me up another set of stairs, down a street running parallel to the town, then up the side of the fort and around to the main gate. It reminded me a bit of Fort Sumter on the inside, without the black building that had been added after the Civil War. An open parade ground, two levels with stairs at the back leading up the ramparts and a bell-tower looking structure. Over the main gate was an open room like area with another tower, steps leading down to the parade grounds. The room led to another area, but I was too busy looking for the Governor and Elizabeth to figure out what it was. Offices could be seen under the room area. It was quite an extensive fort, with multiple levels and plenty of munitions. "Fiona! Over here!" called Elizabeth, and I saw her waving from the bell- tower structure, her father standing next to her. I smiled wryly, wondering how her father put up with her energy and demands. Norrington and I walked up, greeting them in the English manner, and Norrington excused himself. "So, are you enjoying yourself?" Elizabeth asked. "Yes, thank you, Lizzy, very much," I said, "though Captain Norrington seems very uptight, very proper. And completely absorbed by the navy." Swann gave me an odd look, but Elizabeth blurted out, "Finally, someone who agrees with me! Do you not find him to be tedious at times, the way he talks and acts? He is infuriating the way he talks about pirates! You would think every pirate that sails the ocean is bad!" "Whoa, hold your horses, missy," I gasped, holding up a hand, shocked that she was behaving this way. Swann was stunned, gaping at his daughter. "I'll grant you that he's a bit stiff, and that he needs to loosen up a bit, but the pirate thing – he's just doing his job. I'm just saying that for a naval man he's a bit stuck up." "Elizabeth, how can you talk like that of Captain Norrington, after all he has done for Port Royal? If it were not for his efforts, we could all be worse off than we are, perhaps dead. I am very disappointed in you." Elizabeth did look a bit ashamed of herself, but I could see she didn't like Norrington at all. "So, what are we doing now?" I changed the subject, feeling awkward. "I have arranged for lunch at a very respectable restaurant in town," said Swann. And so we went to lunch, and a very awkward, quiet lunch it was.