CHAPTER 10: Was It Something I said?
*AUTHOR'S NOTE
I want to apologize for how long it's taken me to get this chapter up but I was visiting friends again and got sidetracked. I'm posting two chapters tonight to make it up to you.
Jack woke up several hours later and found Katherine still asleep, her head resting against his good shoulder. Jack smiled. Poor girl was exhausted. He had seen how worry had taken the color from her usually rosy cheeks and that worry had been for him. She was his very own guardian angel it seemed. Bloody hell; why not admit it? Jack had fallen in love and he had fallen head over heels at that. It was killing him not to take her then and there. Did she feel the same? She wouldn't have stayed by his side if she hadn't would she?
Jack sighed and looking down at the sleeping woman in his arms kissed her hair. Sorrow gripped his heart. It couldn't be. She was the daughter of a gentleman. He couldn't expect her to live the life of a pirate.
Katherine stirred in his arms and looked up to find Jack watching her. "'ello, beautiful," he said smiling. Katherine smiled back placing a hand on his forehead. His skin was cool. His fever had broken.
"How long have you been awake?" she asked.
"Just a few minutes," Jack replied.
Katherine sat up and her blue eyes widened as Jack struggled to do the same. "Jack! Where do you think you're going?" she demanded.
"I need to get out of this bloody bed," he complained, "I can't take it any longer."
Katherine bit her lip knowing that being confined to bed had to be hard for Jack who was used to open seas and the warm breezes of the Caribbean. "You're too weak," she told him flatly, "Just wait five minutes and I'll get Will to help you out onto the balcony but just for a little while. We don't need you getting sick."
Jack opened his mouth to protest but Katherine pointed a finger at him, "Do as I ask or I'll have them tie you to the bed."
Jack's eyes lit up and he had to bite his tongue to keep from saying how much fun that could be. Still, the look in her eyes told him that she'd carry out her threat if he didn't cooperate. " Fine. I'll sit here while you go get bloody Will." Jack smirked, "I'd fix your hair first . . . unless you want them to think I ravished you that is."
Katherine blushed and her hand went to her hair. It had come loose and was hanging about her head in complete disarray. She rushed to the mirror and with a sigh pulled the pins loose allowing her hair to fall about her shoulders. She ran a brush through it before pulling the sides back and tying them in place. Though pulled back from her face on the sides her hair flowed down her back in waves stopping only when it reached her waist. As always Jack found himself entranced by it as it swayed with her movements. Jack shook himself chiding himself for wanting the impossible. He turned his thoughts back to getting out of this blasted bed. "I don't really need help you know," he tried only to fall silent under her stern gaze, "Oh all right," he muttered.
Katherine smiled as he pouted and ruffled his hair. Jack glared in mock indignation as she went in search of Will. She found him in the parlor with Elizabeth. "Will," she called entering the room.
Elizabeth and Will looked up startled to see that Katherine had left Jack's side. "Is something wrong?" Will asked fretfully.
"No," she laughed, "Jack has insisted that he get out of bed and I told him that if he waited for me to attain your assistance that I would let him sit out on the balcony for a bit. I think he has a bit of cabin fever."
Elizabeth nodded, "Must be hard for Jack to be so weak and stuck in doors."
"Let's go get him before he does something completely like him," Will said heading towards the stairs.
Much to their surprise Jack had kept his word and was still sitting on the bed if somewhat impatiently. Elizabeth placed a chair out on the balcony as Will carefully helped Jack from the bed. Jack was a bit humiliated by how heavily he was forced to lean upon Will but his legs wobbled horribly. If he had attempted this on his own he wouldn't have made it five feet.
Jack sighed gratefully as Will lowered him in the chair and Katherine stepped up with an armful of blankets tucking them around Jack to keep him warm. "Ah," Jack grinned, "Much better."
As the four looked out over Port Royal the Governor came into the room and spied them on the balcony. "I see that our patient improves," he remarked as he joined them.
"Thank God," Elizabeth replied reaching out to squeeze her father's hand.
"Yes, quite." The Governor cleared his throat, "Now that Mr. Sparrow is out of danger may I inquire after your future plans, Miss Darcy?"
Katherine started. She hadn't thought past nursing Jack back to health. "I-I haven't really thought about it."
"You are welcome to remain in my house until a suitable situation can be arranged," he offered generously, "If you wish I am sure that I can arrange a marriage for you. One of course where you will be well provided for. It is the least I can do."
Katherine found herself speechless. This is just what she hadn't wanted. The Governor meant well surely but she had always desired to marry for love and her father had indulged her. Now, she had her future to think of but she couldn't bear the thought of marrying a complete stranger. "I . . .I . . ." she trailed off gripping the rail tightly.
"Miss Darcy?" the Governor asked watching her worriedly, "Are you ill?"
Katherine looked down at Jack and felt tears sting her eyes. She looked back up at the Governor and suddenly felt as if she couldn't breath. Though common what the Governor was proposing would cost her any hopes she had of freedom and any chance she had at love. But, what else could she do? Katherine felt herself tremble and her eyes flicked towards Jack to see him watching her worriedly and then back up to the concern face of Elizabeth's father. "I . . ." she tried again but it was hopeless, "Excuse me. I'm sorry." Katherine pushed past Will and the Governor and fled the room.
"Katherine!" Jack called after her but she ignored him disappearing down the hall.
Governor Swann looked at his companions. "Was it something I said?"
Elizabeth shook her head knowing that now they knew that Jack would live Katherine would have to choose her path. "I think that it'd be best if she was left alone for a while. She has a lot to think about." Elizabeth could only hope that Katherine's path would lead to happiness.
*AUTHOR'S NOTE
I want to apologize for how long it's taken me to get this chapter up but I was visiting friends again and got sidetracked. I'm posting two chapters tonight to make it up to you.
Jack woke up several hours later and found Katherine still asleep, her head resting against his good shoulder. Jack smiled. Poor girl was exhausted. He had seen how worry had taken the color from her usually rosy cheeks and that worry had been for him. She was his very own guardian angel it seemed. Bloody hell; why not admit it? Jack had fallen in love and he had fallen head over heels at that. It was killing him not to take her then and there. Did she feel the same? She wouldn't have stayed by his side if she hadn't would she?
Jack sighed and looking down at the sleeping woman in his arms kissed her hair. Sorrow gripped his heart. It couldn't be. She was the daughter of a gentleman. He couldn't expect her to live the life of a pirate.
Katherine stirred in his arms and looked up to find Jack watching her. "'ello, beautiful," he said smiling. Katherine smiled back placing a hand on his forehead. His skin was cool. His fever had broken.
"How long have you been awake?" she asked.
"Just a few minutes," Jack replied.
Katherine sat up and her blue eyes widened as Jack struggled to do the same. "Jack! Where do you think you're going?" she demanded.
"I need to get out of this bloody bed," he complained, "I can't take it any longer."
Katherine bit her lip knowing that being confined to bed had to be hard for Jack who was used to open seas and the warm breezes of the Caribbean. "You're too weak," she told him flatly, "Just wait five minutes and I'll get Will to help you out onto the balcony but just for a little while. We don't need you getting sick."
Jack opened his mouth to protest but Katherine pointed a finger at him, "Do as I ask or I'll have them tie you to the bed."
Jack's eyes lit up and he had to bite his tongue to keep from saying how much fun that could be. Still, the look in her eyes told him that she'd carry out her threat if he didn't cooperate. " Fine. I'll sit here while you go get bloody Will." Jack smirked, "I'd fix your hair first . . . unless you want them to think I ravished you that is."
Katherine blushed and her hand went to her hair. It had come loose and was hanging about her head in complete disarray. She rushed to the mirror and with a sigh pulled the pins loose allowing her hair to fall about her shoulders. She ran a brush through it before pulling the sides back and tying them in place. Though pulled back from her face on the sides her hair flowed down her back in waves stopping only when it reached her waist. As always Jack found himself entranced by it as it swayed with her movements. Jack shook himself chiding himself for wanting the impossible. He turned his thoughts back to getting out of this blasted bed. "I don't really need help you know," he tried only to fall silent under her stern gaze, "Oh all right," he muttered.
Katherine smiled as he pouted and ruffled his hair. Jack glared in mock indignation as she went in search of Will. She found him in the parlor with Elizabeth. "Will," she called entering the room.
Elizabeth and Will looked up startled to see that Katherine had left Jack's side. "Is something wrong?" Will asked fretfully.
"No," she laughed, "Jack has insisted that he get out of bed and I told him that if he waited for me to attain your assistance that I would let him sit out on the balcony for a bit. I think he has a bit of cabin fever."
Elizabeth nodded, "Must be hard for Jack to be so weak and stuck in doors."
"Let's go get him before he does something completely like him," Will said heading towards the stairs.
Much to their surprise Jack had kept his word and was still sitting on the bed if somewhat impatiently. Elizabeth placed a chair out on the balcony as Will carefully helped Jack from the bed. Jack was a bit humiliated by how heavily he was forced to lean upon Will but his legs wobbled horribly. If he had attempted this on his own he wouldn't have made it five feet.
Jack sighed gratefully as Will lowered him in the chair and Katherine stepped up with an armful of blankets tucking them around Jack to keep him warm. "Ah," Jack grinned, "Much better."
As the four looked out over Port Royal the Governor came into the room and spied them on the balcony. "I see that our patient improves," he remarked as he joined them.
"Thank God," Elizabeth replied reaching out to squeeze her father's hand.
"Yes, quite." The Governor cleared his throat, "Now that Mr. Sparrow is out of danger may I inquire after your future plans, Miss Darcy?"
Katherine started. She hadn't thought past nursing Jack back to health. "I-I haven't really thought about it."
"You are welcome to remain in my house until a suitable situation can be arranged," he offered generously, "If you wish I am sure that I can arrange a marriage for you. One of course where you will be well provided for. It is the least I can do."
Katherine found herself speechless. This is just what she hadn't wanted. The Governor meant well surely but she had always desired to marry for love and her father had indulged her. Now, she had her future to think of but she couldn't bear the thought of marrying a complete stranger. "I . . .I . . ." she trailed off gripping the rail tightly.
"Miss Darcy?" the Governor asked watching her worriedly, "Are you ill?"
Katherine looked down at Jack and felt tears sting her eyes. She looked back up at the Governor and suddenly felt as if she couldn't breath. Though common what the Governor was proposing would cost her any hopes she had of freedom and any chance she had at love. But, what else could she do? Katherine felt herself tremble and her eyes flicked towards Jack to see him watching her worriedly and then back up to the concern face of Elizabeth's father. "I . . ." she tried again but it was hopeless, "Excuse me. I'm sorry." Katherine pushed past Will and the Governor and fled the room.
"Katherine!" Jack called after her but she ignored him disappearing down the hall.
Governor Swann looked at his companions. "Was it something I said?"
Elizabeth shook her head knowing that now they knew that Jack would live Katherine would have to choose her path. "I think that it'd be best if she was left alone for a while. She has a lot to think about." Elizabeth could only hope that Katherine's path would lead to happiness.