Of Women and Fools
"Well?" Anna lifts her hazel eyes from the rust colored silk gown laid over her counter and lets scorn show in her gaze.
"Sir, I may be a woman, but I am no fool. The queen of England never wore this dress." And it probably stolen she mentally adds, noticing several worn, but repairable, spots near the hem.
"The blazes she didn't," he hotly declares. "I brought it back from the motherland meself!" The man angrily plants his fist on the delicately wrought stand for emphasis, shaking its contents from their places.
"Mr. Jame-" she begins in righteous protestation, then notices a scruffy man loaded with things from her shop quietly leaving without paying. Angry beyond belief, she quickly yells, "Catch that thief and I'll buy your dress!" Jameson quickly runs after the man, catching up with him in the middle of the street. He grabs the man by the hair, yanks him roughly to the ground, and sits on him. The girl catches up to them, her dark brown hair falling about her face. Eying some of her most valuable merchandise lying in the mud, she perversely hopes that the man is hurt, then is stopped short by such a mean thought. A bit apprehensively, she asks Jacobson to get off him.
"But he'll run off…" he begins. They both glance at the prone figure, a smirk finding its way across the girl's face.
"I don't think he'll even be able to get up." The would-be thief attempts to nod in agreement, then groans as Jacobson pushes himself up off him. Barely able to breathe, it takes him a moment to clear his head. Anna begins picking up her fallen trinkets, grumbling about idiot thieves with no respect, then gasps when the man rolls over and tries to sit up. This idiot thief turns out to be none other than Jack Sparrow! Fuming, she puts the ornaments in her pockets and stands over the man.
"You damned fool! What in the world made you think you could steal from my store and get away with it? I've heard of you. You've stolen from three other places this week and haven't made it away with anything. Why try again? My God, you ran into a carriage and it wasn't even moving! You are without doubt the worst thief I've ever heard of!" She quickly turns and walks back to her shop, marveling at the amounts of sheer stupidity some people seem to possess.
Finally able to sit up Jack shouts at her retreating figure, "But you have heard of me!" Jacobson grins and extends a hand to help him up.
"Aye, I think we've all heard of your attempts, lately lad, and to be honest, you're not that good of a thief." Jack takes the hand and once upright pulls a large emerald from his shirt.
Flashing all his teeth, he grins. "Am I not?" The other man give a small astonished laugh, knowing that was the centerpiece of Anna's store, guarded fiercely by the girl. To stunned to do much more than gape at the amazing jewel, he gives a nervous start when Jack speaks. "You know of a good tavern anywhere about, mate?" He nods to the affirmative. Slightly amused, Jack raises an eyebrow at him. "How about helping me get there, then?" Jacobson recovers himself, and allowing Jack to lean on him, silently leads him to the best place in town, the Apollo. Just before they enter, he turns to Jack.
"You do know that's a fake don't you?" Before a stunned Jack can answer, a rather chesty waitress calls. Opening his arms in an answering welcome, Jacobson allows Jack to fall weakly to the floor. After all, who has time for a man when a gorgeous woman calls your name?
Anna stalks back into her shop, still piqued at the Jack's audacity and arrogance. To imply that he was so important that she should have heard of him, that he would have, in fact, been surprised if she hadn't heard of him was more than nerve-grating. She sincerely wished that the man would fall of a bridge somewhere. Then the world would be far better of in my opinion.
"Excuse me?" An irritated voice breaks through her slightly morbid thoughts. "Anna, I thought I raised to pay more attention to the world around you than this." Anna grins, her eyes crinkling attractively at the corners.
"Maisy, it's so good to see you!" The older woman gives a petulant "Hrmmph," in disagreement.
"Not good enough, I don't think. You haven't visited in over two weeks, child." Her face softens. "I have missed you dearly. You know so few stop by to chat with an old woman with few charms these days." Anna smiles.
"You silly thing, quit looking for compliments. You know you are far more attractive that many others your age and have so much to do that I'm surprised that you even noticed I hadn't been by." Maisy does her best to look ashamed, but the woman is so naturally mischievous that her sparkling eyes ruin the desired effect.
"You could always see right through me, Anna. Now come give me a hug and tell me all about what I just saw. Who was that rather dashing fellow I just saw you running after? Very un-ladylike of you, I might add." She sits down, motioning for her niece to do the same. Anna does as bidden and relates the days happening.
"That Jack Sparrow is a most uninspired thief, Maisy. I don't know why he even attempts it at all," she concludes. "He even stole my fake emerald from the window, when everyone knows it's a fa-. Maisy, what is the matter!" Anna rushes over to her aunt, frightened by a look of utter terror on Maisy's face. "What is it? What did I say? Maisy?" She looks up at Anna.
"Jack Sparrow, did you say?" she asks shakily. She nods to herself. "Yes, Sparrow, that was it." Maisy rises. "I need to go home now. Goodnight dear." She distractedly pecks Anna on the cheek and walks out of the store, leaving her worried niece behind.