21.
Confrontation, chaos, confusion
A silence, as heavy as a stone, fell to the earth around the group of people. For a moment, and for different reasons,...no one breathed., or even blinked.
Mrs. Darling went noticeably pale, and as Wendy's gaze met that of her mother, she knew that the name of Captain Hook was not unspoken in this house.
Had one of her brothers revealed the secret? Or perhaps the name was remembered from Mary's own youth...? Wendy did not know.
She turned her eyes then to John, who was regarding her with the very epitome of disbelief on his face. Then, ever so slightly his gaze shifted slightly to the left, and his jaw dropped.
By that, Wendy knew that Hook, recently concealed in the shadows, had ascended the steps, and was behind her. For some reason, she felt strangely comforted when he took her hand in his.
The silence was suddenly and rudely broken , when John dropped the cast-iron corn popper he had been holding. Un-popped corn kernels scattered unheeded over the floor. The noise made them all flinch, startled. It seemed to reawaken everyone...especially Mrs. Darling, who smiled weakly.
" Well, this is certainly...most unexpected. But please, come inside..." she stepped back, to allow for the entrance of her guests. Regardless of the purpose of this meeting, it would not do to have it conducted on the front stoop, in view of the public.
The small foyer seemed to be made even smaller by the Captains powerful presence, and Wendy's brothers indiscreetly backed up against the opposite wall, taking a bewildered Elisabeth with them.
This left Wendy and the Captain facing Mr.and Mrs. Darling, with Jane and Aunt Millicent standing to the side, like spectators. Only Aunt Millicent didn't seem to understand at all what was happening, and looked even more confused than Mr. Darling, who was merely gaping at the expensive finery before him.
Aunt Millicent's expression merely said that she had always figured Wendy to be a headstrong girl and high-spirited girl raised on too much imagination, and not enough discipline.
This was what happened to such girls. They vanished in the night only to return months later on the arm of the strangest person on earth. No doubt some foreigner! What would the neighbors say?
Wendy, waiting for someone to say anything at all... looked to her father, briefly, and found that as usual , he was swimming round in his mind in search for the correct thing to say. He did not seem to be any more or any less nervous than she remembered him being, and that probably meant that he had never heard the name of " Hook" mentioned before. However her mother had come to know of him, was without his knowledge.
She turned back to her mother...pointedly ignoring John and Michael who were still gaping from behind the parlour palm, suddenly reverted to the little boys they had once been by the reappearance of their childhood villain.
"Mother? " Wendy finally spoke, smiling in what she hoped would be a reassuring manner. " Aren't you you going to...congratulate us?.."
If Wendy had said that they had come to murder all in the house, and steal the silver, John and Michael might have believed her. Or at least understood her.
" On what!" John demanded in a tone of utter disrespect and childish disdain. Wendy glared at him from across the room. He had knocked over their mother's parlour palm and was stumbling forward to confront her.
" Don't be so rude John! " Wendy said, frowning.
" What have you done Wendy?" John demanded, beginning to storm towards her in a fury. " Congratulate you on what?"
" On our marriage."
The words were spoken smoothly and almost amicably by the Captain. John stopped too abruptly and nearly toppled over as Michael, who had been directly behind him, staggered into him.
An audible gasp came from Mrs. Darling, and a smaller inaudible one came from Wendy...who had not quite been certain as how to announce the news. Now that it was announced, ( and even though it was not entirely the truth) she felt immensely relieved.
" Well...I don't know what to say..." began Mr. Darling, but he was interrupted by John.
"Say what? That is impossible!"
" Oh, no it isn't John, " argued Wendy.
" I'll take care of this Wendy!" John said as he came up in front of Hook. Michael remained safely behind.
John pulled himself up, and faced the Captain, pointing at him with what he surely meant to be gentlemanly indignation. It made him appear a pompous fop, and Wendy inserted herself into the space between Hook's chest, and Johns' finger, hoping to allay a quarrel.
" You sir..." He began, trying to push Wendy out of his way. " Are not welcome in this house!"
" John! That is not your place." said Wendy.
" It is my place to defend my sister!"
" Defend me!" Wendy cried, forgetting about everyone else for a moment. " It was I who always saved you! If it hadn't been for me, you would have drowned in the Black Castle! If it hadn't been for me, you would have been gutted and fed to the crocodiles!" (there was a little cry from Aunt Millicent at this)
Hook seemed to be enjoying this argument immensely.
" And...if it hadn't been for my self-sacrifice, you would all be dead at this very instant." she said, with a firm nod of her head to emphasize her point.
" Self-sacrifice! You were supposed to die, not elope!" John exclaimed.
" You would rather me be dead then? Very well, here I am. Go ahead, plunge a dagger into me..."
"I'll plunge one into him. I challenge you..." John tried to peer around Wendy, but she kept stepping in front of him. " I challenge you sir...to a duel!"
"Children!" Mr. Darling laughed nervously. " I don't think that is entirely appropriate , do you? " he tried to divert their attention, not wanting anyone murdered in his foyer,... but Wendy and John could never abandon a good quarrel.
" You will not!" cried Wendy. " There is no call for it."
" Oh yes there is. My sister has been insulted!" John announced.
" That's right!" agreed Michael. " It's a matter of honor."
" You are the one who is insulting me, John. " Wendy said, her voice suddenly calm.
" This is some sort of trickery!" John said, with indignation." And I intend to discover the source! Even if it means to the death."
" CHILDREN!" this time they were silenced by their father's voice. " No one is going to be murdered in this foyer! Now...might I please have some explanation as to the goings on?"
All were silent for a moment, casting about the room to see who was brave enough to attempt an explanation. All eyes landed on Mrs. Darling.
She flushed a little and smiled at her husbands demanding and curious gaze. " Well...it seems...or at least I believe..." she stammered.
" Oh, really it's nothing, father. " Wendy spoke suddenly, seeing that John was preparing to hasten the story. " I've always thought, how adventurous...and romantic...it would be, to elope. John and Michael...tried to reason with me, but you know how I am." she laughed, and her father laughed, even though he was still squinting down in puzzlement.
" That isn't at all why you left!" said John.
" It is so!" insisted Wendy.
" John... I believe you were very adamant about having been "completely at a loss" as to why Wendy might have left. Were those not your words?" asked Mrs. Darling in a suspicious voice.
John reddened.
" Did you know anything about this?" asked Mr. Darling of his son.
" I might have...suspected, slightly, what I believed she was supposed to be doing." he accentuated the word ' supposed ' and glared at his sister.
" And you thought it best not to share these suspicions with us, even though we were concerned?" Mr.Darling asked.
" That might have been awkward sir..." said Michael.
" Oh, so you were part of this scheme also" Mr. Darling raised a brow, and Michael looked down at the floor. " Then perhaps you would care to explain...with a little more detail...' Why it would have been awkward?' ''
Michael pursed his lips and fidgeted for a moment before deciding on his words.
" No sir."
" No sir, what?"
"No sir...I would not care to explain." he said.
Mr. Darling threw his hands up in exasperation. " Mary...is there something I should know?" he asked his wife.
" I knew nothing more than that Wendy was gone. It was merely...startling to see her returned...in such a manner." she smiled at him.
" In which manner? Married?" Mr.Darling was nearly on his way to being completely lost.
" It is not that she is married, it is an issue of to whom!" said John.
" Exactly! " Mr.Darling said, as if this made perfect sense. He turned to the Captain. " Therefore I must demand to know sir, who you are?"
Hook only marginally concealed his utter amusement, at the proceedings. Chaos and quarrels always uplifted his spirits, and in this household, he would be doomed to ever good humor...judging by the way Wendy and John were still angrily facing each other. But he did not want his ' marital' bliss disturbed by any bad temper of Wendy's, and with as much polish as he could, he introduced himself.
" I am Captain James Hook."
" Yes...I know that much." said Mr. Darling. " But...who are you? What are you the Captain of?"
" A ship. Namely a merchant vessel. I have interests in the islands, where I do a fair trade in goods and spices." Hook smoothly skirted around the truth.
John made a rather rude scoffing noise. " That's a lie. He is no merchant.''
" My dear boy, prove me otherwise." Hook challenged calmly, yet there was a gleam in his eye, that bespoke of his growing irritation with John.
" Is that what pirates call themselves these days?" asked John.
" Pirates!" exclaimed Mr.Darling, Aunt Millicent, and Elisabeth, simultaneously.
" Pirates!" laughed Wendy, " Oh, John...are you still such a child that you would believe in such tales?"
John turned a rather fetching color of red...suddenly not as sure of his self. " I..."
" A merchant, eh? Is that a lucrative career? I would want to be assured that my daughter would be well provided for."
" Oh, I can assure you that she will always have her every need and desire fulfilled." Hook's voice carried that warm, velvet note to it...meaning he might be speaking proper words...but it was entirely probable that his thoughts were indeed improper.
Wendy willed herself not to blush, or smile in the presence of her family, and could only hope they assumed he was referring to clothing, and housing and jewelry and such.
George Darling held out his hand then. '' Well, then might I say...welcome to the family?"
" It is deeply appreciated..." agreed Hook, " But, I am afraid it is impossible for me to shake hands." he held up his hook, which had been hidden in his coat pocket. He was rewarded by everyone in the room taking a very healthy step backwards. Even John seemed in less of a hurry to duel now that the familiar weapon was in view.
Only, instead of being merely the glistening hook...there was also a rose, perfect and un-crumpled. Wendy couldn't see how he was managing to hold it...nor how he had managed to conceal it in his pocket, when her hands had just been in there not a few moments ago.
Hook offered the flower to her mother...and Mrs. Darling blushed. " I have taken one rose away from you ...allow me to present you with another. " he said.
John and Michael made noises of disgust.
" And if I may, allow me to say that I can now easily see from where it is my wife has acquired the bounteous gift of beauty." saying this, he kissed her hand as she carefully accepted the rose from off the hook.
" And you aren't here to ransom Wendy? You aren't holding her captive?" she asked in a low voice.
" My dear lady, I would believe that it is she who is holding me captive."
And with that somehow magical statement...Mrs. Darling allowed herself to be convinced of his sincerity. Seeing this, John and Michael attempted to remind her of who this fiend was...but she silenced them with a stern look.
" Where are our manners, this evening?" she suddenly exclaimed. " It's Christmas eve, and we are making our guests stand about in wet coats! "
" Yes...this won't do at all..." agreed her husband. " Let us all retire into the parlour I believe there is popped corn for a treat tonight. Oh..no it isn't , it's spilled all over the floor here." he said. '' But, I believe Maude could bring us some cider and there is a very warm fire."
He ushered the boys and the ladies through the door, and Wendy sent Jane to follow Maude, before turning to look at Hook.
" A rose?" she asked, raising a brow.
" I thought it was brilliant. "
" Oh, you are ever so clever." she said saucily. "Is that your solution for females?"
" For one's who might begrudge me their daughters...yes. For the daughters...I have special gifts reserved. "
She stopped just outside of the parlour door...out of sight of the rest of her family. " There had better not be too many of these daughters!" she said.
" Oh. no, I believe you are quite taxing enough on my health, and my sanity." He kissed her quickly before she could argue.
" Not in the hall!" she hissed. It would be mortifying to have her parents witness such a thing!
" Right. In the parlour then?..." he said, and taking her hand he led them both into the warmth of the small sitting room.
There was something in his manner that said he was determined to embarrass her before the visit was over.
" Please, " she whispered as they walked in together...'' Please don't do anything too inappropriate. . .try to act like a gentleman.''
" Oh..." he whispered back with a dangerous amount of humor and sarcasm... " I promise...''
And Wendy could only wonder what that might cost.