You Forget One Very Important Thing Mate – (12)
"Hold Still!" Jack heard Elizabeth yell at Ashley from her room.
"What exactly are they doin'?" Jack asked Will, who was stood at the foot of the stairs with him.
"Preparing Ashley for the ball..are you coming?" Will replied.
"No, I should probably make my way back to The Black Pearl in a minute, time and tide and all that," Jack explained, scratching his mustache and smiling.
"Where are you going though?"
"Wherever the wind may take us, boy,"
"Your not saying goodbye to Ashley then?"
"She may be my daughter, but she obviously doesn't want it to be so, and, I'm not one for goodbyes anyway," Jack replied.
"I understand, what shall I tell her if she asks?"
"Just tell her I've gone...now if ye don't mind, I better be off,"
"Goodbye," Will said, as he closed the door behind Jack and looked up the stairs. Ashley and Elizabeth sounded like they were ripping each others throats out. He hoped that wasn't the case.
"Will? We're going to greet the guests," Elizabeth said, walking down the stairs with Ashley close behind.
Ashley had been shoved into what she thought could possibly the tightest corset imaginable, followed by that horrid dress, matching shoes and a hair ribbon.
"You look beautiful Elizabeth," Will said, taking her arm and leading her through into the ceremony room.
Oh please Will! That witch must have put a spell on you… Ashleyfollowed behind them with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
The room was fashionably decorated, the guests were dressed well too, very few women. Ashley guessed that they were just the mothers of the men she would meet because they looked rather old. Other than the occasional butler the only other guests were crowds of young men. Many of them looked like a younger version of Commodore Norrington.
"Ashley I have to introduce you," Elizabeth whispered, taking her hand and leading her onto a small stage on one side of the room.
That's right Lizzie, act all friendly and innocent in front of these ninny's why don't you? Ashley thought, looking at Elizabeth's blatantly fake smile.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to thank you all very much for attending tonight, may I introduce you to Miss Ashley Sparton,"
There was a large round of applause; Ashley smirked, knowing it annoyed Elizabeth that she wasn't the one being clapped at.
(Aboard The Black Pearl)
Morning found The Black Pearl sailing effortlessly through the calm, Caribbean waters, her sails flapped in the steady wind propelling her forward. Captain Jack Sparrow stood at the helm, one ringed hand gripping one of the spokes of the wheel, the other holding his compass that his brown eyes never left. The crew worked the sails and did other necessary work.
Suddenly Jack let go and walked over to Gibbs "Man the helm, I'm going up to the crows nest for a bit"
"Aye Captain," Gibbs replied.
Jack climbed up the ropes and swung his feet on the floor of the crow's nest, he stood tall, his callused hands grazed over the sides of the nest as his mind drifted away. He stared into seemingly bottomless sea, watching the waves and ripples The Black Pearl made as she sailed along. Ripple after ripple, after ripple... An endless trail of them, they started fast and narrow, and then widened and slowed as they went on, slowly drifting into nothing. Finally he tore his gaze from the ripples, intending to take a quick glance around with the spyglass to make it seem as if he was actually doing something of use. He raised it to his eye and gazed around: sea. Endless sea that went on forever. Jack was beginning to think that sea was all there really was; no land, no ports. Just sea. But that was hardly possible, as they'd only been sailing for half a day at least. Maybe even the events at Tortuga and Port Royal with Ashley were just a dream. But he had never had a dream so real if it was the case.
(Back in the Swann household)
"Miss Sparton? May I have this dance?" Yet another white-wigged ninny had asked Ashley this. Each time she obliged, only to keep her act looking as authentic as possible.
She had a plan all thought out; finally she had regained some sense… she had to get out of there. For good. The ball was so crowded no one would notice if she slipped out of the door. Though of course, she wouldn't leave without her effects.
"Pleasure,"
Ashley suddenly realized that the song was finished, and the man she had been dancing with had vanished.
Finally! All I hav- Her thoughts were interrupted by another young gentleman.
"Dance miss?" He asked, holding out his hand.
Dammit!
"Do you quite mind if we get a bit of fresh air first, I'm finding myself rather warm," Ashley replied, trying to be quaint and delicate but vomiting on the inside.
He nodded and she took his hand; they walked into the hallway, he was just about to open the front door for her when she bashed him on the head with a vase that decorated the hall. He fell to the floor.
I hope no one heard that! Ashley thought, she looked down at the gentleman, regrettably he was probably the most handsome she had seen all night.
"Terribly sorry Mr-" Ashley said, suddenly realizing she hadn't even learned his name.
Ashley knelt down and put her hand in his waistcoat pocket, she pulled out a handkerchief, it had his name sewn onto it.
"Terribly sorry Mr Reynolds," Ashley said, reading the name and the putting it back in his pocket.
She ran up the stairs, and into her room, closing the door behind her. She ripped of the horrid turquoise dress she was wearing and then a thought came to her.
I can't get this corset off by myself, its one of those fiddly ones!
"A blade! My cutlass should do it!" Ashley thought.
She ran out of the room, and believe me if you saw her you would have laughed, she was in naught but a white chemise and a corset, walking around like she didn't have a care in the world.
Will keeps my old pistol and cutlass in his room does he not?
"Hmmm…think like the whelp…" Ashley mumbled, wondering where Will would have put them.
"Aha!" She grinned, she had looked under his bed, and sure enough, they were there. Why hadn't she thought of this before! She was such an idiot.
Ashley ran quickly back into her own room, and with her blade she sliced the strings of her corset, trying carefully not to cut herself. Then she pulled of the chemise and changed into her old clothes, being sure to put her bandanna back on too.
Lucky I remembered to ask for them really... Ashley thought, staring at herself in her mirror. Her weapons were secure on her belt.
Ashley walked back into the hallway; she gazed evilly at Elizabeth's bedroom door. The music was still playing strong downstairs; nobody would catch her if she fulfilled her final revenge.
Opening the door she walked straight to the wardrobe. It was full of Elizabeth's dresses and gowns. Ashley cursed every last one as she ripped them to shreds with her cutlass.
I'm sure Liz can afford more.
She ran down the stairs, remembering that the body of the unconscious Mr Reynolds was in front of the door. She rolled him out of the way.
"Sorry mate," She said, dashing out of the door into the clear air, just missed by a Butler who would have caught her were she any second later.
Freedom! She chuckled as she ran faster and faster towards Port Royals docks.
"A boat!" Ashley cried with joy, there was but one boat docked, a small fisherman's boat. Nobody was around, she would simply commandeer it. It was named 'The Silent Wanderer'. Ashley untied it from the docks and climbed in. She guessed it was probably best to have more than one person crewing it, but she would have to do her best. Because it was obviously smaller than a ship, it didn't have a helm, it had a tiller, but Ashley guessed they were basically the same.
Lucky for her there was a wind, and as the sails filled up, the boat moved along slowly, she steered it out into the open sea, and then left the tiller to explore the rest of 'The Silent Wanderer'
Down below deck, she saw some lanterns, which she lit, filling the snug cabin with a warm glow of light. The interior was as cosy as a tiny cottage, with a table and cushioned benches on either side, storage cupboards and lockers, and a doorway onto a lower cabin lined with bunks. Peering about, a thought came to her head.
Maybe I didn't think this through enough…where am I to go? And I didn't even think to bring provisions either!
She opened one of the lockers, to her relief; it was full of food and other such things, as were all the others, which she checked afterwards. Okay, so that was one problem solved.
Tortuga! Ashley thought, jumping up and laughing to herself. She would return home, not that she knew the way, but it could easily be guessed couldn't it?
If only I had Jacks compass! And somebody else on board too! Ashley thought, realizing that she wouldn't get any rest if she had to man the boat by herself.
Ashley walked back out onto the deck, and sat with her hand on the tiller. It was very dark; in fact the breeze was up quite a bit.
May the sea have mercy on me tonight.