Chapter 07:
One Week Later"Will," Elizabeth hissed, amidst the morning fog and murmur of the sea. "I can't believe you."
"Can't believe what?" Will oversaw the handling of crates into coaches, ready to take to Kettle Bay.
"Your wife is bedridden!" she shrieked. "She has just survived a surgery that she really shouldn't have! Your son is a mere week old! And you're leaving?"
"I don't have a choice," Will repeated. This was a conversation he'd been having with Elizabeth all week. He did his best to keep Patricia's ears from hearing it but Elizabeth's anger became progressively harder to contain. "It's not like I want to leave Aidan or Patricia. Not like this!"
"Then don't!"
"Jillian Marcus is our most lucrative patron… Everything we could want, we have because of him. You could even say that it was his payments that funded our trip here! One of the reasons for that he keeps us is because I adhere to all his conditions, even those conditions that break my heart because I have to Patricia and now Aidan. I keep my promises, Elizabeth."
"How about your promise to Patricia? The promise that you'd be here for Aidan…"
"The promise was that I'd stay until Aidan comes. He's come… The promise is fulfilled." Will looked around and began to count the crates once more to make sure that all of the goods were present. He knew that his retort was shady at best. He knew that that promise was meant for not only Aidan's birth but Aidan's first few weeks.
"You know that wasn't the point of that promise…"
"Fine!" Will snapped whirling at Elizabeth. "Do you want the truth? The truth is I do have two promises and I can only fill one… but Jillian's is the one that if I break it, I have more to lose." Elizabeth's mouth dropped in disbelief. "He supports us! I can't let that go… I can't!"
"You selfish little bastard…" Elizabeth murmured. "Jillian's money over your wife's love and your son… Just who are you because you are nothing like the Will Turner I knew before…"
"If I don't leave soon, Jillian won't be at the warehouse when I get there…" Will shook his head, ignoring her.
"And what will you do if Patricia and Aidan aren't here when you return?" Elizabeth asked.
"Just what is that supposed to mean?" Will turned to Elizabeth angrily.
"Nothing…" Elizabeth crossed her arms and glared at Will, who was now boarding his carriage. "It was a hypothetical question…"
"Either way, it doesn't matter. They'll be here… That's another reason… Jillian won't be there if I break my contract with him… Patricia will always be here… And when I return, she might be furious at me but she'll understand that this is for us…" Will closed his eyes, dejectedly. "I'll see you in a few days…"
"Aren't you even going to say goodbye to your wife?"
"It'll only tire her if we begin arguing over this and if you're any indication, we will be fighting over this…"
"Unbelievable…" Elizabeth muttered. "Go…" She stomped away and disappeared at the stairs, so angry that Will could mistake the fog for the steam from her body. He shook his head.
"All ready, Garrett…" The man nodded, looking down. "All right… let's go."
Elizabeth knew the promises of businessmen. Her husband may be a commodore but it was a business in itself to handle the Caribbean fleet. There would only be avowals that they would return within a day but a week would pass and nothing would have returned except for a letter explaining a delay. She never expected such a thing to happen but Will had turned into that kind of businessman and she was so disappointed with that turn of event. She had truly hoped that the world wouldn't mar him as it apparently has.
She sat down at the desk in the study and fingered the inkwell and quill, studying it as she fumed. Elizabeth wished there would be something she could do to make Will come back. He had said three days… Most likely, that would turn to three weeks. She rolled her eyes and groaned. She understood his logic but she didn't entirely agree. Patricia was just as rich as any in the Caribbean or England… He could afford to lose Jillian Marcus, no matter the price. She needed someone to smack sense into Will again. She then spied a piece of paper.
'He probably wouldn't even get here till after Will's return but it would be fine… As long as he came… As long as he did what the Captain is so good at doing…' Elizabeth thought.
So she picked up the quill… She would write to Jack Sparrow… If anyone, the ol' pirate could make Will come around.