"Elizabeth…what?" sublimating his shock wasn't immediately accomplished, and his surprise at seeing her there only seemed to provoke her further. Elizabeth swallowed harshly and took a deep breath before speaking.
"Something has happened to Will." She announced in a flat voice. He knew that tone, she was either very angry, or truly about to cry, and he was distressed to realize that her tears were the last thing he wanted right now.
"Is he ill? Elizabeth, what has happened? I can't help if you don't tell me what's going on." Of course, if Will were sick, why would she be coming to Norrington, of all people? He was a military man to a fault, and he while he knew his job and did it well, he admitted in quiet moments when he had time to think that he was somewhat limited by his choice of careers.
"He's gone!" the young woman shoved a crumpled note into his hands and Norrington took it reflexively, smoothing the distressed paper between his fingers before reading through it. His frown deepened with every word, and he read it twice, simply not believing what was laid before him.
"That doesn't sound like Mr. Turner at all."
Her lips pressed together, Elizabeth presented her next piece of evidence, a small leather bound book that was marked carefully and meticulously in the place she held it open. "I am certain that he didn't write it. I brought his shop logs so that you could see the difference in penmanship." Norrington's puzzled frown only deepened at her words, and he could not deny the small stab of unhappiness that went through him. After all he had given up for her, she still didn't trust that he had her best interests in mind.
"I would trust Will even without your proof, Elizabeth. I may be the only man on this island who does, but I know Mr. Turner to be a man of his word, and he swore an oath to you, that he would take care of you. Allow me a few moments to make myself more presentable, and I'll send for Lt. Gillette. We'll get to the truth of this soon enough." In the pit of his stomach, however, James was already nurturing a few suspicions of his own.
The fisherman he had hired to keep an eye on the Sunlight Dreamer, the ship that had carried the ill-fitting crew that Governor Swann had released on their word was waiting for Commodore Norrington when he arrived at the fort. He had not had time to summon Gillette, but Elizabeth stood back, her expression inscrutable as the two men spoke together.
"Is the ship gone?" Norrington questioned without preamble, studying the gnarled old man intently.
"Just as you say, sir…the gents you asked me to look after escorted a drunk friend on board before first light and made sail not long after. I thought it was a might suspicious that they would leave before the tide turned, sir, and before the sun had a proper bearing in the sky, so I came here straight away."
"Did you happen to see the face of their drunken companion, Mr. Andrews?"
"No sir, he had a hat pulled down to his eyes and his head was lolling forward. I just thought he had taken too much of the drink at the wedding, or something, and didn't pay him any account. Should I have?"
"Is it possible that it was the smith, Mr. Turner, which they took aboard the ship?"
"I really couldn't place a wager on that, Commodore; I've never really marked the smith, to know him from the front or back. They were laughing and boisterous, however, as though they'd been at the tavern more than long enough, so again, I paid it no mind, other than to think I should tell you of their unusual early leaving."
"Very well, you may go; here are the five guineas I promised you." Norrington paid the man for his watch work and turned to regard Elizabeth. To her credit, she was not merely standing there, wringing her hands in her helplessness. She was priming a pistol.
"What do you think you are doing, Mrs. Turner?"
"You have eyes; don't ask for obvious answers, Commodore." She didn't like that he'd relinquished the right to address her by her first name. He was acting far too uptight and official to her liking, and it didn't bode well for her continued involvement in current affairs, no matter that they were linked directly to her missing husband.
"While none here would dare dispute your ability to take care of yourself and your husband, I would advise against doing anything rash that might bring him more harm than help. We don't know why these men have taken Will and until we know more we cannot act in haste." Her chin came up, stubborn and headstrong were words that he could apply to her, and still be kind… but only if he used them sparingly.
"Why were you watching those men?" Norrington sighed, that was a question that he had hoped to avoid having to answer.
"They sailed in the day before the wedding and were poking about in sections of the port sailors don't generally go…leastwise not the honest ones. I collected them with a unit of marines and brought them in for questioning, but your father ordered them released on their word as honest tradesmen."
"My father… my father is behind this somehow, I know it."
"I would not jump to conclusions, Elizabeth. None of that crew bore the pirate brand; he really had no cause to hold them in all fairness."
"But you mistrusted them enough to post a watch on them. I feel we must speak to father at once. He knows something."
"Very well, going on the supposition that he was behind this, as absurd as the charge seems to be, why would he do this, Elizabeth? If he meant to keep you and Will apart, he would have arranged for him to be removed before the wedding ceremony, don't you think? He would not wish for there to be any question of your virtue, if he meant to arrange another match for you."
"My father can be a trusting fool, James. If he made a bargain with them to get rid of Will before any dishonor came to me, he would expect them to abide by it."
"And being pirates, if that is what they were, and this is all not some fancy supposition on our parts, it would amuse them to no end if Will did what men do with their wives, when they are alone. That truth leads us to the next piece of this puzzle, as it stands. Why separate you at all, after the vows have been said? You are William Turner's wife by law, and in the eyes of God." James watched her face wash of color as she clenched her jaw tightly, perhaps resisting the urge to scream or rail, he did not know…and more and more often there was a great deal he was willing to admit he did not know about the Governor's beautiful daughter. But Will did…he understood her perfectly. However, none of this helped him at the moment, because Will was ultimately the source of her distress, whether he meant to be or not.
"Because," she answered and her voice was tight with a towering rage that could almost be felt, like the first stirrings of a storm wind against his face. James had to resist the urge to turn into it, to savor its coming. "Because father is the one who found the Spaniard that performed the ceremony when we could not find Father Patrick. James… what if the vows are false?"
"If that is so, then your father has much to answer for."
Commodore Norrington did not want Elizabeth to be right in suspecting her father's involvement in Will's disappearance, but the evidence was mounting against him as they arrived at the mansion to discover that, quite against habit, he was already awake and presentable.
Weatherby Swann smiled uncertainly as they were shown into the drawing room, his daughter and the man he had once hoped to call son.
"Elizabeth? What are you doing here this morning? I would have thought you would be at breakfast with your husband at this hour." Taken at face value, the questions and statement seemed innocent enough. If Elizabeth had come alone to see her father, he might have managed to deceive her into believing him, but James Norrington had been dealing with accomplished liars for many years, and he recognized the falsehood as soon as it was out of Governor Swann's mouth.
"I once accused William Turner of forgetting his place," James interrupted quietly, before Elizabeth could respond to the question. "But the more I think about what I said to him that day, the more I realize that I was the one who had forgotten mine." He studied the governor's face intently, never looking away as he spoke. "I have known no other man who would have the courage to stand up for what he believed in, even if it meant facing the gallows himself. That, Governor Swann, is what honor is. You don't have to be noble by birth to possess such a thing, and men will look up to him for what he did that day. They'll remember him for his deeds, not who his father was. You may as well confess your part in this. Lying will only make matters worse." When Weatherby spoke, it was not to James, but to Elizabeth.
"I only wanted what was best for you, Elizabeth."
"What you think is best for me, or what is truly best, father?" her voice was tight, still angry, and Norrington found he could not blame her for feeling that way.
"All of your life, I have made sure you had everything you could ever want. Anything you asked me for was yours, if it were within my means to give it."
"I never asked you for anything, father, you merely assumed that I wanted everything you gave me. The one thing I really wanted, the only thing I've ever asked for, you've denied me. I love Will, nothing you do or say will change that. He's the one I chose, for myself. He's the one I swore myself to yesterday, in front of all of those people, and I did it without shame, because he may be 'just a blacksmith' to you, but he is a good man, a fine man, and it is well past time you gave him credit for what he has accomplished as a smith for Port Royal. If people want a fine blade made, they go to Will Turner. Did you even know he's been branching out to silversmith? I imagine you didn't. You don't care to know anything about him, because he's just an inconvenience to you."
"Elizabeth!" his shocked exclamation of her name cut her off, in mid-tirade, but there was to be no stopping her stream of vitriol, having finally found the voice and the words she needed to tell her father exactly what she thought of his treatment of her husband.
"No, father! You will listen to what I have to say for once, instead of nodding your head and pretending that it will all pass, if you give it enough time. I'm going home now, and when the Eradicator sails in two days, I will be aboard, because I want my husband back!"
"You will go to your room this instant, young woman, and you will consider the propriety of your actions. Soon enough the town will be talking about him being gone…they'll be whispering about why he left, and we'll need to put on a good face, and.."
"I am returning to the smithy, father."
"You are my daughter, you will do as I say!"
"No…that's where you're wrong. I am Mrs. William Turner, and I must do nothing of the sort."
"You're not his wife, the Spaniard who married you wasn't a priest."
"That makes no difference to me. When we find Will, I'll correct the issue of validity. Commodore Norrington, would you be so kind as to escort me home?"
"Of course, Mrs. Turner." James was glad, in a way, that she had said what she had. It would help her to know that she had spoken her mind, just as it would help Governor Swann understand how badly he had underestimated his daughter and her affections for the missing blacksmith. Time would tell if they could ever make peace. Without another word to the governor, who simply stood there, mouth agape, as Commodore Norrington led his daughter from the mansion, James offered her his arm and stepped politely at her pace, falling into the role of escort quite naturally.
It took the remainder of that day, and all of the following to complete the refitting and restocking of the Eradicator, in preparation for another long journey. In the interim, gossip began to spread, just as Governor Swann had predicted, leaping from home to home through Port Royal township that the young blacksmith had abandoned his young bride on his wedding night. Thankfully, Commodore Norrington, Elizabeth and the unfortunate Governor Swann were the only three that knew the entire truth of the false priest. He had disappeared with the ship that had taken Will away.
Elizabeth took the mutterings and the pointing fingers with admirable restraint, ignoring the whispers as best she could while attending to the tasks that Norrington had set her to. In truth, he would not have had her do anything at all, but he reckoned that staying busy was likely more preferable than having nothing to occupy her aside from thoughts on the fate of her young man.
Whenever James happened to catch her looking at him, it made him writhe inwardly to bear witness to the blind faith that dominated her expression; faith in him and his ability to keep his word that they would find Will and bring him safely home. He prayed frequently that he would not let her down in this.
Several times, Governor Swann sent a messenger to beg her to attend him at the mansion for tea or dinner to talk, and every time her rebuffs consisted of only one word; No. James wisely chose not to make an attempt at mending the rift between them, because Elizabeth needed someone on her side, and he was willing to fill that role for her. That he admired her spirit was inarguable, never once did she give in to the weakness of tears…at least, not where anyone might witness her weeping.
The sailors were stowing the last bundles of supplies below decks when the claxon bell began ringing on the cliff side above the port.
"Sail ho! Sail ho!" the watch commander was shouting rather frantically, and pointing out toward sea. Norrington found this absurdly amusing for some reason; it was not possible for a ship to approach from any other direction, after all. However, the man's panicked reaction to whatever he had seen spurred the Commodore into a trot to gain some ground so that he might better witness what the cause of all the commotion was. When he was suitably elevated, he turned and looked out into the harbor, keen eyes raking over the clean, sleek lines of the ship that was just now furling her sails as she eased into the mouth of the inlet. Everything made perfect sense, for there was no possible way to mistake that ship, having seen it before. "Damnation, it's the Black Pearl." Some of the more high-strung females with a clear view of the port began shrieking and one intrepid young woman had the audacity to faint into the arms of her beau as Norrington resumed his upward jog.
A better vantage afforded him a view of the entire ship as she made her ponderous way toward the docks, deceptively slow, and he realized that she was flying a white flag, devoid of any sort of symbol or device. Whatever other intentions the crew of the Black Pearl might have, they had come here in terms of peace. Even as he marveled at their audacity in coming here at all, he had to admire their courage in venturing into a port that boasted the strongest naval presence in all of the Caribbean. Drawing a deep breath and letting it out, he began to direct the troop of men who came in a mad dash down from the fort to defend the town in keeping the citizenry calm as he allowed the ship to finish her traverse. "You've got bloody horrible timing, Captain Sparrow," he muttered darkly, before resolving to go and meet with the disreputable man himself. Lt. Gillette tended to be rather enthusiastic, and this was not the place or time to clap the most infamous pirate in the Caribbean in irons once more.
By the time Norrington made his way to the correct dock, there was already a situation brewing. Lt. Gillette, in his zeal to do the job right, had attempted to place Captain Sparrow and his entire crew under arrest. The small patrol of soldiers had swiftly become surrounded by grim looking men, with a green and gold parrot screeching such perilous things as; "Dead men tell no tales!" which did nothing to relieve the naval men's minds as to their fate, should the gathering continue down the path of its current mood.
If it had been any other moment…any other day, Norrington would not have lost his restraint so completely as to actually laugh aloud at the sight, drawing shocked and outraged looks from his subordinates. Whatever he had intended to say was thrown to the winds with the sound of running feet. James would have doubted Elizabeth's ability to run so quickly in a corset until he observed that she had donned the plain attire of a working maid, bonnet and all.
"Jack!"
Equally amusing was Sparrow's startled expression as Elizabeth flung herself into his arms. Gillette was still being held, arms behind his back, as another man attempted to pry his mouth open while Jack spoke. Jack himself was left to awkwardly pat at the girl in his arms, trying to comfort her with his usual witty self, thinking of something on the fly to say to her. As it turned out, what he said couldn't have been more poorly chosen.
"Now, Elizabeth, darling…I told you it would never work between us. What would dear William think?" To everyone's surprise, Jack's most of all, the distraught young woman burst into tears. When Jack looked over her head and met Norrington's watchful gaze, there was none of the deliberate madness that seemed to dominate his every waking moment.
"It would appear, Commodore that I've missed a great deal. Come now, Miss Swann…or is it Mrs. Turner now? Let's get you settled in to rest while your bloody friend Norrington relates events to Captain Jack."
"Mr. Sparrow-…" Norrington began, only to be cut short in his address.
"Captain…Captain Sparrow."
"Very well, Captain Sparrow, would you be so kind as to order your men back to your ship until arrangements can be made for their safe passage ashore? Also…could you have that man release Lt. Gillette? I'm sure he likes his tongue where it is."
As James watched the men, Jack turned to look at them each in turn and without a word, they began to disperse back to the Black Pearl, leaving a ruffled Lt. Gillette behind to straighten his uniform and gather his wounded pride. There was no doubt in Norrington's mind that Jack had the absolute respect that any captain needed to maintain order aboard his vessel, and off it, as the case may be.
"Let's escort Mrs. Turner back to the smithy, shall we? I trust you know the way, Captain Sparrow?" Turning on his heel, Commodore Norrington set off at a smart pace, without bothering to see if Jack would be quick to follow.
It took them a little while to get Elizabeth settled, but finally she was sleeping in the only bed, curled up around blankets that still bore Will's scent faintly. It was the only comfort she could claim at the moment. Norrington and Jack withdrew to the smithy proper, the tools of Will's trade still scattered about, though the forge had been cold for three days. Jack picked up one of Will's hammers, roughly the same size and shape as the one he'd tried to break his irons with some two years before.
"You know something," Norrington began without preamble.
"Everyone knows something, mate. It's how much you know, and what use it's put to that makes the difference." Jack had reverted back to his usual antics and Norrington wanted to throttle him with his sash. Letting out a snort of disgust, he turned away for a moment to collect himself.
"Do you know the men who took Will Turner?"
"No, can't say as I do. I've been…a bit behind on the game, as it were, and came straight here from my last long stay somewhere unpleasant."
"And where would that be?"
"Now why would I be telling you that, Commodore? It should be enough for you that I'm willing to take you and the bonnie lass to where William will be, in a fortnight's time."
"Do you know where he is, then?"
"Ahh, no. But as I said, I know where he will be, and that is a grand sight better, don't you think?"
"Well then why are we still here? The Eradicator is ready to sail, we could have been gone with the tide."
"No mate, you know as well as I do that the Black Pearl is the fastest ship in these waters, if you want to make any time at all, you and young Mrs. Turner will be joining me on my ship, not t'other way around. Besides…I don't trust you not to make me stay in the brig on that trim little navy ship of yours."
"And you expect me to believe that I'll see any better treatment?"
"You have my word as an honest man. Come now, Commodore, have you ever known me to do anything remotely…piratical? It's all stories," Jack leaned in for emphasis, "just don't tell anyone, savvy?" Jack circled around James in his immaculate navy uniform. "Nonono, this won't do at all. You need a better disguise if you're going to blend in."
"I beg your pardon?"
"You may beg it, but that doesn't mean you'll get it. You can't go sailing into a den of pirates looking like their worst enemy, now can you?"
"So we're going to Tortuga?" Norrington deduced by simple extrapolation.
"I didn't say that, did I? Stop putting words in me mouth."
"Very well then, if you would be so good as to outline a plan, I'll consider it with the same care I would one of my own. No tricks, Jack Sparrow; you're in enemy territory, you'd do well to remember the only grace you have is Elizabeth Turner. I will make arrangements for certain accords on your behalf, but that's as far as it goes."
"Look, Commodore, I know you don't like me, there's no surprise to that, but things are very delicate right now. I know for a fact that William is in no danger at the moment, but things could change, if the scalawags who took him figure they're being followed by official sorts. So listen to me plan before you go throwing threats around."
And as James listened, Jack explained the basics of what he meant to do.
When Will woke, it was completely dark and it took his befuddled brain a few moments to untangle itself enough to register the blindfold that covered his eyes. The swaying of the 'ground' beneath his shoulders told him easily that he was no longer land-bound, accompanied by the rhythmic creaking of a ship at sea.
Groaning softly, Will made the attempt to move his shoulders into a more comfortable position, but was hampered by the knowledge that his hands were bound behind his back. Relying solely on his ears, Will noted the sound of someone moving nearby, and he did his best to cringe back when something cool and metallic was placed against his lips, until he realized it was a cup, and there was fresh water in it. Desperate to ease his parched mouth, Will drank greedily.
"Easy now, lad…don't choke yourself," came the gruff admonition from whoever held the cup. "I was beginning to think Jonesy might have hit you a little too hard, that maybe you wouldn't be waking up at all, you've been out of it for three days running."
"Why am I still tied…why am I blindfolded, I'm in the belly of the ship, it's not like I could see where we're going." Will tried to clear his throat, since his voice was still raspy from disuse.
"Ah, there's the rub, Captain told us to keep you bound and blind, lad, because he heard tell you're a mite bit dangerous with a sword, and if you can see one, chances are you'd make a grab for it, wouldn't ye?"
"I've been kidnapped by the lot of you, why should I not try and defend myself?" Will asked stiffly, annoyed that his reputation finally preceded him at the worst possible time. "Who is your captain?" and then a beat later, "I wish to parlay."
"There will be no bargains, boy, but I imagine you can talk to the captain if you like."
"Is he the one that called my wife a strumpet? If he is, there are more than a few things I have to say to him." Will's cheeks flushed at the indignity of being blind to everything around him. He thought he'd felt helpless when they first trapped him, but it would appear that there were worse things, and this was one of them. Just as soon as he experienced the embarrassment, however, the feeling went away, because he didn't have the energy to sustain it.
"I wouldn't know anything about that, boy. I wasn't in the little party as went to collect you that last night in Port Royal."
"Please…could you give me more water before you go? I don't know why I'm so thirsty."
"Could be the fever you've had since we nabbed you, comes and goes, it does, but it's still there. Your face is flush even now, and I don't think it's your temper as is doing it, boy… the ship's surgeon, for what he's worth, doesn't know what's wrong with you, and it's making a few of the men nervous that it might be catching."
"I've never been sick a day in my life," Will protested, but even he had to admit that the possibility existed, especially as cold sweat began to bead along his forehead and he shivered involuntarily as a chill crept over him. With his hands behind his back it was hard for him to be certain, but he was overcome with the sinking sensation that the ring Elizabeth had put on his finger was no longer there.
"Where is the ruby ring that was on my hand? Where is my wedding band…sir?" he felt that maybe being polite would get a better answer, perhaps.
"Not sure what you're talking about lad, nobody took a ruby ring from you. Captain has a pretty emerald that he took a fancy to, after we had you safe aboard the ship, but there was no ruby anywhere on your person." Will felt the sinking feeling deepen considerably at those words, and he tilted his head in the direction he was certain the pirate was in.
"I need to speak to your captain…and I need to see the ring. There may be a curse." Which would mean that since it had been a ruby when Elizabeth put it on his hand, and the captain had possession of an emerald, he was the one cursed. Unexpectedly, the man attending to him clapped a hand over his mouth.
"Be careful, boy…don't be saying that word too loudly, or the crew will be even quicker in their suggestions to dump you over the side. We've been paid to deliver you to Trinidad, I'd really rather we got you there safely, as there's someone there expecting you, y'see."
Of course, the man's insistence, and his answers only succeeded in raising even more questions in Will's mind, but perhaps speaking to the captain would satisfy his need to know what was going on. The shuffling sounds of the man walking off to fetch the captain were the last thing Will heard as the waking world relinquished its hold on him and he fell asleep once more.