Disclaimer: I still have no claim whatsoever on POTC. In my dreams, I will continue to claim Norrington.
Chapter 14: Devil of a Reckoning
A clock ticked. Waves were heard crashing in the distance. Periodically, steps were heard on the battlement beyond. The overall atmosphere of the fort was calm. There was no reason to be nervous, at least for most inhabitants of the fort...
Inside the office of Commodore Norrington were two people. One, Lieutenant Gillette, stood in silence by the door. The other, Pru, had been pacing agitatedly for an hour while muttering to herself. Where IS he, Pru asked herself, I will go mad if he doesn't appear soon.
Finally, she spoke to Gillette. "He's…been gone a rather long time, hasn't he?"
"Yes, Miss."
"How big a glass of claret did he order?"
"A regular wineglass."
"Oh. He's drinking rather slowly then…isn't he?"
"I believe so."
Silence descended, save for Pru's pacing and mumbling. Five minutes later, Pru spoke again.
"About how angry was he?"
"Let me put it this way, miss: I've never seen the muscle in his cheek tick like that before," Gillette replied.
Pru grimaced and gave him a wan smile. "Oh, wonderful. Do you think he'll listen to my arguments?"
"That isn't for me to say, miss Martin."
"Please, call me Pru-"
Norrington's cold voice intruded, "I don't think that will be necessary. Lieutenant Gillette, you are dismissed."
Pru interjected, "I don't think that will be necessary. Gillette, please stay."
"Coward."
"WHAT did you say?" Pru asked astonishingly.
"You heard me. Are you afraid to be alone with me?" Norrington smugly asked.
"I am NOT a coward. Gillette, leave. Now." Pru demanded, glaring at James all the while.
"Circumstances being what they are, I really must protest. It is not proper…," a protective Gillette proclaimed.
"I think proper has been tossed aside for the moment, don't you? Leave the room, but you may stand outside. I will not tolerate any interruption made by you, is that clear? Dismissed." Norrington demanded.
"Of course, sir."
Gillette marched outside, closed the door, and blocked the view into Norrington's office. That left a defiant Pru and a furious James to do battle.
Time stretched into what felt like hours…days…weeks as they stared at each other. Their eyes shot blasts of cannon fire in the other's direction.Tension grew into mountain ranges of antagonism until finally, unable to take it any longer, Pru finally broke out, "Oh, let's just get started! I'm tired and I don't have all night."
"You'll be here as long as is needed to put it through your head that what you did tonight was foolish, rash, and imprudent. It should take all night." Norrington said, his teeth clenched.
"And pray tell, what was it I did that merited that lengthy description, oh social guardian?"
"The fact that YOU were in a tavern at night...ALONE! What I want answered is this: WHY were you so foolish as to think you could traipse around alone? Think carefully, very carefully, on your answer, for it had better be damned good!"
"After being hurt and insult…," Pru began.
Norrington's protective instincts, already stirred, came charging in with banners flying. "Are you harmed? Where? Who hurt you? Was it one of those men? I'm going to bloody butcher whoever it was! By god, he's going to regret ever laying eyes on you!" James growled. With that, Norrington, face tense and angry, sprang at her, quickly examining her face and arms for any marks. His hands moved in a restless search for injury…
"James. James! STOP! I'm all right. No one harmed me…" Pru blocked his hands.
"But you said…," a stunned Norrington protested.
"Being your usual arrogant self, you never allowed me to finish…After being insulted by your comments in the garden, I found myself in need of a bracing glass of rum. Earlier in the week, I had already decided that being the third wheel while experiencing the town with my cousin and her fiancée had grown decidedly stale. Since I had saved my men's clothes, I decided a visit to the tavern was in order…"
"Let me understand you. You wanted some rum. To get it, you decided to wander around the BLOODY city alone at night? Are you INSANE or just STUPID? There is no excuse for your reckless behavior. If you had wanted rum, you could have asked me to procure it for you…"
"Are you INSANE or just STUPID? First, you haven't spoken to me in weeks. I thought we'd become friends! I know I enjoyed our conversations greatly during the voyage to Port Royal. Perhaps you might not have felt the same…"
James interrupted, "Of course not, though that's hardly the issue!"
"Yes, it's not the whole issue, but it does form a piece of the puzzle. Now, let me continue, will you? You've not even looked at me twice since depositing me at the mansion. Then, when you do arrive, you treat me as a common acquaintance and only speak to me for five minutes.
But that's not the only reason. You went to the other part of the room and proceeded to have an hour conversation with a group of women as if you'd known them for years…"
Norrington snorted, "As if you had much time to notice, with the rakes and cads you'd gathered around you. I've never seen a person flirt as shamelessly…"
A thought popped into her head, delightfully delicious to think about...
"YOU'RE jealous, aren't you?"
"Don't be absurd! I was merely concerned that you would inevitably find yourself being ruined by the first cad that accepted your 'friendly' invitation to dally!"
Pru came in close, her face as close as she could possibly get it to his. It was quite a feat, considering he was at least a head taller than she.
"Amazing what you can observe when you're glaring at me from across the room as if I had danced naked around the circle of men rather than been merely friendly!" Pru sarcastically yelled.
Norrington's eyes widened. Both James and Pru were breathing heavily. My God, Pru thought with a groan, I can't believe I said that. No one spoke. They stared at each other for eons each lost in their own thoughts about each other, dancing, clothes and the lack thereof. My God, James thought, Pru…taking her clothes off…Snap out of it! Finally, Norrington, having finally gained control of his thoughts, broke the thick silence.
"You didn't entirely end in disaster, I give you that. You merely courted it, but you know that is not the only reason I have to be angry. You compromised your honor and more importantly, your safety, by traversing the streets of Port Royal at night with no protection. You could have been attacked, robbed, and who knows what else! That's why I'm bloody furious!" he gritted out.
"Thank you for finally concerning yourself with my safety," Pru replied acidly, "when you've remained unconcerned for weeks only to hurt me by…"
"I hurt?" Norrington's eyes widened in shocked anger, "I would never lay a brutal hand on you, no matter how much you made me furious!"
"Did you ever consider, you arrogant fool, that you might have hurt me…emotionally? That you need to call yourself out for a duel, you dimwit?" Pru seethed. She stopped suddenly and stared at the wall sullenly.
James stilled. He looked at her, his eyes questioning the implications of Pru's rash statement. I've hurt her. Any semblance of being a gentleman was tossed out the window in fear of Pru's safety but that is no excuse, James thought, I have been a complete ass...
James stepped toward her. "Oh…I didn't realize…Pru…I'm sorry…I was angry, but mostly afraid for your safety...I expressed myself badly…I let that fear gain control of my actions...forgive me..."
"As was I James...Bloody angry, in fact…I said things I shouldn't have…I acted..."
"No, it's my fault. Accept my apologies Pru. I've hurt you unforgivably by acting rashly and blurting out the first thing I felt rather than the first thing I thought. I'm usually much more reasonable but I insulted you with an accusation that isn't even true. You are in no way a flirt if you can still trust my judgment on the matter. Do you think we could still be friends?…as long as I don't ignore you, I mean."
"I will as long as you accept my apologies. I am as much at fault as you."
"A lady is never at fault."
Pru smiled. "Gallant, but completely untrue. I think we can attempt to rebuild what we had before, but it will take work. Perhaps a tour of the fort sometime this week would help?"
Norrington gratefully smiled. "I believe that I could manage a tour about Wednesday. What time would be acceptable?"
Pru frowned in thought. "I have…something to do Wednesday morning. Perhaps we could meet in the afternoon?"
"That would be excellent. I will pick you up at your home."
"No need. I will be in town already. Would 3 in the afternoon be acceptable?"
"Of course." Norrington bowed solemnly, "It would be my honor to escort you. You seem to have need of a keeper…" James winced. "Forgive me."
"A keeper? Oh, James, you've done it this time." With a grin, she made a mad pass for the wig. She yanked it off his head and whisked it behind her back. James laughed as he tried to reach around to grab the wig. Just as his hands grasped it, Pru twisted and jumped back.
Determined that James wouldn't get the wig, Pru concentrated on flinging it across the room.
Unfortunately, Pru wasn't the most graceful person, and she tripped, bringing James down with her. He twisted and managed to take the brunt of the fall on the hard floor. Pru landed on him, causing James to make a grunting noise.
They glanced at each other and burst out in laughter. All anger forgotten for the moment, they embraced in the hilarity of the moment. He looked quite handsome without the wig, Pru laughingly mused.
The moment, however, didn't last. Their laughter faded as their glances became ensnared. "Pru?" James whispered as he lifted his face closer to hers. Her face leaned closer to his. He felt her breath on his lips. Her eyes closed…
"Sir? Sir! Are you all right?" Gillette anxiously inquired as he burst through the door.
He froze. The position he found Pru and the commodore in was decidedly compromising. Pru was up in an instant.
"Gillette. Hello. I tripped and the commodore politely caught my fall, yes?"
Gillette broke out of the frozen mass he'd become. "Yes, miss. Of course, it was quite chivalrous of him…"
"Indeed." Norrington's dryly remarked, "Is there something you needed?"
"I sought to remind you that the night is late…and perhaps Miss Martin should return home…"
"Quite. Thank you for reminding me of the time. I shall escort her home safely and return shortly." Norrington decided.
"That's not necessary…" Pru interjected.
"Yes, it is. You will be escorted home. Let's not argue about this again." Pru took Norrington's proffered arm and he led her out of his office after bidding farewell to a still very puzzled Gillette.
Pru and James arrived at the Governor's Mansion as quickly as they dared. It took longer than necessary, for James insisted that they avoid anybody that would know either of them. As he put it, rather pompously in her opinion, "There is no reason to court scandal."
They stopped near entrance to the gardens. Pru smiled. "Thank you for forcibly escorting me home."
"You're welcome…as long as you promise me that you won't have any more excursions in the city at night."
Pru mischievously grinned. "Now you know I can't promise that…"
"Prudence Abigail Martin!"
"Commodore James Norrington! I want to explore the town. Doing it at night is my only option if I'm not to be the third wheel."
"I will show you Port Royal, but I will do so properly, in daylight."
"Well, I'll simply go by myself at night, but a daylight tour will be splendid." She smiled, thinking she had the last word on the matter.
James hadn't gotten to be Commodore by being weak. "Absolutely not! I forbid it!"
Still lost in their argument, they came about to the servants' entrance, the best door for sneaking in, when a noise came from their left. Ever the protector, James dragged Pru behind a hedge. Ever the curious one, Pru poked her head about to see who was making the noise. A couple was embracing and kissing rather passionately in a small cove of topiaries. Her mouth dropped when she recognized the pair.
"ELIZABETH? WILL?" she whispered loudly.
The couple jumped three feet apart. Will dived behind a tree. Elizabeth looked in Pru's direction and exclaimed, "Pru?" Her eyes widened as she noticed Pru's escort, "COMMODORE?"
"Well, now that we've managed to be introduced," James dryly commented, "perhaps Mr. Turner and I should make sure you enter the house safely and then depart for our own homes."
"I agree." an embarrassed Will replied.
The men watched the women enter the mansion safely before they went their separate ways. Meanwhile, inside the mansion, Pru and Elizabeth crept up to their rooms. Before they bid each other good night, Elizabeth pulled Pru aside and with a grin stated, "Tomorrow, you have so much to discuss and explain, dear cousin."
Pru winced. "Aye, there will be a devil of a reckoning with you tomorrow, won't there be?"
"Yes, and I cannot wait for it. Good night, Pru. Dream well."
"Yes, sleep well Elizabeth. Good night."
It took ten minutes before Pru's cheeks stopped burning with embarrassment from the evening's events.
AN: Thanks for the Reviews! I'll update when I can:)