Disclaimer: See Chapter 1.
Mary and I decided to return back to the mansion shortly after having tea. I was dreading coming face to face with Elizabeth, considering how I was just itching to rip off her face and feed it to the pigs in Tortuga.
But anyway, yes, so we got up and turned to go to the road where our carriage was sure to be waiting for us. But, alas, being as how I am me and I have been sentenced to having no luck but the worst luck, the carriage was not there.
"Oh dear, we're going to have to walk," I said, sighing. Mary glared at me, "You are kidding right? I cant even breathe in this damned corset, how do you expect me to walk back to the mansion?" she demanded.
I grinned, "Well, I guess you'll just have to manage, dear, I did it last night, in the dark too."
"Never again," Mary grumbled.
I sighed and we began our hike, Mary huffing and puffing all the way, frequently having to stop and breathe. I sighed and stood next to her, my hand on my hip. It was on one of her longer breaks that I noticed Jerome running up behind us.
"Miss Swann, Miss Pearl," he said, flamboyantly bowing. I smacked the back of his head with my money bag, and he glared at me. "That hurts, you little wench," he snapped, rubbing the back of his head.
I grinned, "A wench am I, Jerome ? After that whole load of respect you fed me just now?" I asked.
He rolled his eyes, "That was more for Miss Pearl's sake than for yours, Christina," he said, turning to Mary, who blanched.
"Er, hello Mr. Dawson," she stammered, flushing up to her hairline, which made her look like a cherry in a dress. He smiled and took her gloved hand, kissing her knuckles flirtatiously.
"Call me Jerome," he said, in what he must have assumed was fetching. I cleared my throat.
"As entertaining as it is for me to watch you make a flying arse out of yourself, Jerome, Mary and I really must be going," I said. He glared at me again.
"Mary, do I have the pleasure of calling you that?" he asked. I rolled my eyes and started marching. Mary knew the way home, she could follow whenever it tickled her fancy. I hadn't had quite the day where it would be enjoyable for me to watch a blooming courtship. No, any other day would be fine, but Jeremy particularly had to choose the day when I discovered my fiancé and my sister in a rather compromising situation.
Although, I think I am being rather ridiculous on several accounts. Mary, being my best friend, should take priority over my own stupid problems. This coming to mind, I halted and decided to wait for her. Also, Will and Elizabeth could have been completely innocent in their endeavors, but given his history with her - being completely besotted - and her history in general - being completely possessive of everything on God's green earth - it is easy to see why I was so suspicious.
Mary finally decided to stop dithering and came up to walk with me. She took out her fan and fanned at her neck. I sighed, "Come on, dear, we still have to get you into the house without my father realizing who you really are."
No such luck. As soon as we opened the door, there was my father, waiting for us.
"Oh, hello Father," I chirped happily, ignoring how Mary made a sort of strangled noise.
"Hello, Christina, how was your day on the town? Pleasant I hope," piped up my ratty sister's voice from behind me.
My father smiled warmly, and nodded, "Yes, how was your day, dear?" he asked. I think I must have been pale as I looked over his shoulder at Elizabeth, because she said, with a sick smile on her face, "Christina, you look rather ill, are you sure your all right?"
"I'm fine. My day was fine. Father, allow me to introduce my dearest friend, Mary. She's so much like the sister I never had. I'm surprised I hadn't been able to introduce her earlier," I said through clenched teeth.
My father chuckled, "You too aren't bickering again, are you?" he asked. Oh, if he only knew.
"No, of course not, Father. In fact, now that I'm back, safe and sound, Christina and I are closer than ever." Elizabeth said. "We share everything," her voice was dripping with sarcasm.
"Almost everything," I snapped. Mary looked like she was about to faint, I noticed out of the corner of my eye. Elizabeth's smile widened and she flounced up the stairs into our room.
"Now, really, Christina, you spent an awfully long time in town, what did you do?" I cleared my throat.
"Mary and I went to Mrs. Dawson's shop and bought a dress each -" I started to say.
"Oh, good. Its lovely to finally see you getting interesting in more appropriate things for a young girl like yourself. Really, now, all that about pirates, you had me worried for a while. I had hoped you would grow out of it," he said.
"Yes," I said rather dryly. "And then we walked down the street and it was the strangest thing, but we ran into Elizabeth. And would you guess where she was, Father? She was with Will, in Mr. Brown's smithy," I said, trying to ignore the hurt that crept into my voice. Mary put a hand on my shoulder and I turned to her and nodded.
"Pleased to meet you, Governor Swann," she said quietly, curtsying. "I really must be going, hope to see you soon, Christina," she added, leaving quickly. My father nodded and turned back to me.
"Perhaps we should lend her our carriage?" he suggested. I shook my head vigorously.
"Oh, no, she arranged for her carriage to pick her up," I answered.
"Nice girl…she looks a bit familiar, but the all the ladies are wearing the same fashion, I suppose. I say, doesn't Elizabeth have the very same dress?" he asked. I swallowed hard, and coughed.
"I guess it wasn't as one-of-a-kind as Mrs. Dawson promised," I said nervously. My father nodded.
"Now, what were you saying about Will and your sister? Oh yes, I remember. I sent her there to drop off a request for a sword," my father said absently. "But, Father, you knew that I was going into town. I could have delivered it myself," I whined. He looked sharply at me.
"Christina, I really do not see the problem. Elizabeth would never do anything unbecoming of a woman. Do you really trust her so little?" he asked. I groaned.
"Do you not remember that two weeks ago, when she was ready to go off and marry him? Choosing him over her long time suitor, Commodore Norrington? I think it is safe to say that loyalty, to a man or even to her very own sister, is not one of her finer points," I said sadly. My father looked angry for a moment, and then his face softened.
"Christina, if you do not trust Elizabeth, then you should trust Will. And if you cannot, maybe you should rethink your plans to marry him," he said softly. He touched my chin and forced me to look up. I must have looked like I was about to cry. "If you ask me, I think Will made the right choice. Somehow, he does not seem completely compatible with your sister," he said, so lowly that I could barely hear him. I bit my lip.
"You look just like your mother," he said absently, the last part more to himself. It was the first time I'd heard him talk about her since we were on the Dauntless, and he was throwing me into the Commodore's office. He nodded and turned to walk away, leaving me alone in the atrium of the mansion. I looked up at the stairway, and realized that Elizabeth was still in her room. I frowned and headed quietly up the stairs.
"What is the matter with you, you little wretch!" I said angrily, storming into the room that I shared with Elizabeth. She jumped up from the bed, where Eleanor was braiding my sister's hair. I saw Elizabeth wince as Eleanor forgot to let go, and she fell back onto the bed.
I glared at Eleanor. "OUT!" I ordered, and the little idiot nearly tripped over her skirts in an effort to run out of the room. I had check to see if my father was out in the gardens, which he was, and then I turned to Elizabeth again. She was by the door, no doubt ready to run and tell my father how I was about to assault her. Which I was.
Unreasonable fury seeped through me, and I wouldn't be surprised if I had lost my mind completely. I picked up a vase from the night table and hurled it at the door. It shattered, and Elizabeth squealed, and ran for a fire poker.
"How could you!" I shrieked, running to her and tackling her.
"GET OFF ME YOU FOOL!" she bellowed, and I ignored her and grabbed a handful of her pretty little braid and pulled. She shrieked and tossed about, knocking me over and scratching my cheek. I felt something warm trickle down my neck and stared at her in surprise.
"You scratched me!" I said indignantly. "I'm bleeding!"
"That's what you get, you cruel sister," she said snottily. I sat up and grabbed a book that had found its way to the floor, and chucked it at her. It hit her in the nose. "CHRISTINA! I'M GOING TO BE BRUISHED!" she screeched. I got to my feet and pushed her.
"Serves you right, you sniveling little bug! How dare you go to Will, wearing that!" I said, kicking her in the shin. She lashed out and smacked me across the face.
"Well its better than going there for fencing lessons in a shift, you tramp!" she snarled.
"BUT HE WASN'T YOUR BLOODY FIANCE WHEN I DID THAT!" I roared, pulling her hair again. She squealed and batted my hands away, and I kicked her in the leg. She went tumbling down and grabbed onto my hair, taking me down with her.
I heard someone storm into the room, and grab me up. "Miss Swann, what are you doing?" I heard a male's voice ask. I craned my neck around and saw a man with a pony tail and gray eyes holding me back. "Who the bleeding hell are you?" I snapped, struggling to get free. He wouldn't let me go, so I stomped on his foot until he did. Then I lunged at my sister again, practically hissing.
"Miss Swann! And Miss Swann! You must stop!" I heard Mary say, rushing in dressed in her uniform. The man grabbed me by my shoulders again, and Mary held back Elizabeth.
"I hate you, Elizabeth, I truly do!" I seethed, struggling again. The desire to hit her stupid face was nearly overwhelming.
"I'm so hurt," she sneered.
"What is the MATTER WITH YOU?" I demanded. "Will is my fiancé!"
"Well then you're just going to have to teach them the meaning of fidelity, now aren't you?" she asked, her lip curling in a mean smile. I fought the urge to cry. I would not cry in front of her.
"Elizabeth, Will loves me. Nothing you can do will change that," I said, trying to put as much belief into that statement as the words demanded. She didn't smile.
"Then why are you so angry?" she asked.