Chapter eighteen: Waiting

I stood in the nursery of Elizabeth's house while she went to find Will at the smithy. Wyeth was sleeping again, but I still couldn't cease drinking him in. Something in me said that one day he would be trouble, just like his dad. I chewed on my cheek, then flung myself into the rocking chair that adorned the place.

I had to credit Elizabeth, she had a nice place. Her late father had provided well, and after Will's excursions as a pirate for a while, they had made enough money to live happily for life. Though, I myself thought that Will just payed a visit to that one island Jack was always talking about, but I never mentioned it. The nursery was situated on the south end of the house, with not too much sun, but one of the best views of the harbor I had seen in a while. It was a pale blue with white trimmings. I smiled at the small oil painting of a ship sailing into a safe harbor from the storm, foam adjoining the hull. It was beautiful, and I made a note to ask who painted it. There was carpet on the floors, a matching blue color. It was also the only fully carpeted room, the rest of the house had rugs on wood floors.

I liked the Turner's house. It was everything that I never had as a child. And now, here I was, a few days after my twenty-fifth birthday, watching after the child of my lover, and feeling happy for once.

"Mack?" I heard the shout of Jack's, and ran to the landing at the top of the winding stairs, looking down at the bottom floor.

"Yes?" I called back, worried. He came running to the bottom landing, then smiled up at me.

"You look lovely this morning." I smiled back as he climbed the stairs. I was wearing a new dress, something he himself had picked out. It was a cream color with black trimmings. Plain, but I liked it for its large gypsy type skirt, and that it was sleeveless.

"Where is Elizabeth?" Jack asked, finally getting to the top of the stairs. I indicated that we should move away from the open nursery door.

"She went to find Will."

"Upset again?" In the time we had been here, Elizabeth had three crying jags, and didn't come out of her room twice. She had moments of being happy, but then would be horridly depressed. Part of it was from just having her baby, and then the death of her father. She was guilt ridden, because the last time they had talked, she had argued with him and left his house on bad terms. It turns out that she was mad at him for re-marrying without telling her.

"Find anything out about Frederick?" We moved into the large quest room at the end of the hallway, and sat on the small settee that lined the back wall.

"No. I haven't been able to ask. I am lucky I got here unscathed, because I think someone spotted me. I had to resort to a very long and drawn out method of alleyways. I would have been here sooner," Jack frowned, and rubbed his chin. Then a thought sprang into his eyes.

"What...?" I asked, knowing the look.

"I think we should have him for dinner." I blinked.

"Dinner, Jack? The man knows what we look like. Its just as well as putting our own necks in the noose! We shouldn't be here as it is, and we are putting Elizabeth and Will in danger too!" I stood up and put my hands on my hips, frowning down at him.

"Mack..."

"No! I wont do it! Find some other way to get information about this man, but do not go up to him and say "Hello, I think you may have murdered my wife's mum...is this true?" Jack stared at me a moment, then tilted his head to the side, a sly smile on his face.

"What?"

"You said 'wife'" He stood up and encircled his arms around my waist.

"I meant...I didn't mean it!" I said, flipping an airy hand. He smirked.

"I think yeh did," He leaned down, but at the moment our lips were about to touch, there was a slam of the front door.

"Dammit," Jack muttered, releasing me and glaring at the floor.

"Mack?" I walked quickly out of the room and down the stairs, starting to see a man with Elizabeth in the foyer.

"James, I would like you to meet Mackensy," I shook the somewhat surprised mans hand, bemused when I saw him stiffen, glancing at something behind me.

"Mr. Sparrow," The man called James said tersely. I spun around to see Jack, looking like a hound on the scent.

"Captain, Norrginton. Captain," Jack finally walked down the last two steps, smiling bitterly.

"I..Well, James is going to be here for dinner," Elizabeth explained, clearly distressed by the two mens behavior. I was still shocked that they knew each other. From his stance and uniform, I took that this new man must be a high ranking military personnel.

"Really now?" Jack asked, feigning interest.

"Yes. I wanted to discuss the new governor with Elizabeth." Jack raised his eyebrows, then seemed to have an earnest question he wanted to ask.

"How come a new governor was chosen so quickly? Its suspicious." I blinked. I hadn't thought about that!

Apparently, the commodore had. "There is always a second in line. If a governor died untimely, there is someone to take over immediately, and then the crown chooses to appoint a new one or keep the current surrogate one." He shrugged.

I could see Elizabeth slightly relaxing, hoping that there would be now quarrels in her home. But still Jack and James were staring each other down, Jack's eyes dark with mistrust.

"So then, say if someone poisoned Swann, it would be to the advantage of whoever was second in charge?" Elizabeth quietly slipped out of the foyer, and just beyond the door I could hear a small sob. Or was it a laugh? I was worried about her. James regarded Jack for a moment, a slight frown creasing his brow.

"I didn't think about that, Sparrow. But I will take it into consideration."

"What about Frederick?" I demanded, and Jack put a hand around my waist. I saw the commodore's quick eyebrow raise, at this intimacy, but he said nought.

"What about him?"

"Well...What about the pirates? And the privateers? Do the crown know about his abolishing their pact? Why is he so adamant about not having pirates in Port Royal! Look at the Pearl, man! She has helped Port Royal more times then not, or do you fail to see this? There is something about this new man that isn't quite right!" Jack's eyes were shrewd as he said this, and I quickly slipped from his grasp.

"Commodore," I said slowly, hoping against a fight. "Perhaps we should wait until we know exactly what is to happen? We must, however, keep an eye on this man." James nodded, and I sighed in relief. Shortly afterwards, he removed himself to Will's study to look over some papers promised.

"You wanna explain that?" I turned to Jack. He shrugged and leaned against the banister.

"I spose I owe that man me life. He didn't go after me when I escaped my hanging a while back. He has turned a blind eye on our comings and goings. He is fair enough, but that doesn't mean we like each other."

"Kinda like you and me?" Jack opened his mouth to retort, then saw I was jesting.

"Exactly like you and me," He muttered, wrapping his arms around my waist.

"Jack?" Will came bursting in through the door, looking slightly frazzled.

"Well? What is it?"

"The governor is coming to dinner."