You Forget One Very Important Thing Mate – (7)
Oh, well this is just brilliant isn't it Ashley!? What have you gotten yourself into now? You could have fought back. But oh no! You just had to LET bloody Will drag you here!
...
I can't even try to make an escape attempt, they took my effects! All of them! And now Elizabeth is picking me out a dress as I speak. A dress! I AM NOT WEARING A DRESS!
When they had arrived at Elizabeth's home, Ashley was taken up the stairs and told she would be locked in a room whilst Elizabeth chose a dress for her to wear. During this time Will was taking away anything that Ashley owned that could prove dangerous.
After a few moments the door was unlocked, and three maids entered the room followed by Elizabeth. The maids set a large bath tub on the floor in the middle of the room, and the Governors daughter placed a dark purple dress on the bed, spreading it out to reveal the white lace and frills at the sleeves and neckline.
"Cold, hot, or warm, Miss?" One of the maids looked to Elizabeth.
"Make it cold, the girl could probably use a nice wake up from whatever dream world that pirate has put her in," Elizabeth said coldly.
Ashley's eyes narrowed, "I am not having a bath!"
"You can, and you will, no excuses!"
Swann raised an eyebrow at Ashley, before heading over to the wardrobe and pulling out a white chemise and corset.
"I do NOT need a corset!" Ashley scowled.
"Every lady wears a corset, you may be surprised at the weight you've put on whilst you were on Jack's ship,"
Once the maids had finished filling up the bathtub, they set about getting towels,wash cloths and brushes.
"I shall take my leave, I'm sure your father will want a word with me," Will smiled at both Elizabeth and Ashley; before fetching her pistol and sword from the table and leaving the room with them both.
"Into the tub," Elizabeth exclaimed.
The maids walked over to Ashley and made her stand up; they stripped her of all of her clothes, even her bandanna. Ashley did struggle, but even if she managed to escape their grasp, she didn't plan on running round Port Royal in naught but her bare skin. The maids gave a yelp of fright as they saw the dark pirate brand on her arm, their eyes swiftly worked their way up to the Sparrow tattoo.
"Miss Turner?" One of the maids seemed cautious.
"What is it?" Elizabeth replied, however she needed no explanation, she saw the tattoo; in fact she touched it with her pale fingers, almost as if she was checking that it was really there.
"Nobody informed me of this," Elizabeth inquired, but after a silence in which she knew she would not get any kind of an answer, she summoned the maids to put Ashley into the tub. Of course, Ashley being the stubborn girl she was; she put up a fight, so much of one that in fact she ended up splashing Elizabeth with the cold water, drenching her from head to toe.
"I think I shall be needing to change, clean her up properly, we need to dispose of all the impurities – and we start with all that dirt," Elizabeth sneered, before turning and leaving the room.
The cold water froze Ashley to the spot, she couldn't move. At first, when the maids brushed her tanned skin, it was pleasant, but then she came to notice that it went from brushing, to scrubbing. Each time the brush ran over her skin, she flinched; it felt like burning. It was almost as if the maids wanted to make her shed a whole new skin, and eventually she was bright red. But they didn't stop there. One of the maids began pouring all manner of sticky concoctions onto Ashley's hair. Whilst her skin was relived of any pain her scalp received it all; she almost felt as if they were trying to drown her; as they finished her bath by pouring some of the freezing cold water over her head.
Two of the maids each took a side and then began drying her off with towels; this only made her raw skin feel even worse. Ashley couldn't help but wonder if they thought she was some kind of baby.
"Put the chemise and corset on her,"
"The purple dress will compliment her hair,"
"Yes, although she is rather chubby,"
"I AM NOT CHUBBY!" Ashley had quite had enough of them acting as though she wasn't there, and her temper raged ferociously.
"Calm down ,miss,"
"Yes, I quite think that now you look like a lady, I shall have to teach you how to behave like one,"
It seemed that Elizabeth had returned.
"I am not going to do this!" Ashley protested.
"You will! Do you really want me to tell Jack?" Elizabeth teased, a sly smile appearing on her normally quaint features.
"Tell Jack what?" Ashley questioned.
"I know the Sparrow tattoo when I see it, you're his daughter," Elizabeth replied, folding her arms.
Don't say anything!
Just try to relax, Ashley.
HOW CAN I RELAX! THE BLOODY WOMAN KNOWS!
Ashley argued with herself for some time, ignoring the maids ministrations.
"Now, look in the mirror, miss" She was roused by one of the maids.
She turned to look at her new self, the dress was long, and so covered up the tattoo,brand and any scars she might have earned during her 17 years. The corset made her breats look bigger and she didn't recognize her own head without its signature black bandanna. Her hair bounced as it touched her shoulders, and it was longer than she had thought it was; it reached to about the middle of her back.
She didn't understand who this new, stuck up girl in the mirror was.
"Yes I think you will do nicely,"
Will entered the room. "She looks wonderful,"
"What am I to do now?" Ashley asked angrily, clenching her fists in a manner that resembled a 6 year old.
"I will teach you what is proper and improper; I will turn you into a lady" Elizabeth replied simply.
"I'VE ALREADY TOLD YOU THAT I WILL NOT BE A LADY!" Ashley shouted.
"You should be grateful! I just rescued you from a horrid life which, most likely, would have ended by a hanging," Elizabeth replied.
"I'd rather swing than stay in this bloody prison," Ashleymumbled.
"I think we should leave her now," Will whispered to Elizabeth, although it was quite obvious that he wasn't attempting to keep anything quiet.
Everyone agreed (Except Ashley, who really didn't know what to do) and the maids tidied the room up before leaving. Elizabeth and Will followed, one of them commenting to the other about how she would 'Thank them one day,'
Ashley screamed in fury and attempted to bash the locked door down after they had left, her eyes then made their way over to the window. She could climb!
In a dress Ashley...I think not!
She walked back over to the door "Will?" She yelled.
There were some footsteps and she heard Will reply "Yes?"
"Can I keep my old clothes? You know, as a keepsake?" Ashley asked.
"Very well; I shall make sure the maids give them to you tomorrow" Will replied, and with that she heard him leave.
Tomorrow! I can't wait until bloody tomorrow; I want to get out of here now! I want to get back to the Pearl! Ashley thought.
Her heart was sore with misery and homesickness, not just for Tortuga, but for the Pearl as well. She missed the sound of the street children as they sang. She missed the cool spray of the ocean and the changing colours of the sky. She missed Jacks voice, as he called out orders. Though she had only left Tortuga a few days ago, and the Pearl only yesterday. She still missed them. She truly did.