I know I deserve to walk the plank for not updating sooner, but I've been tremendously busy these last few weeks getting ready and doing the fall craft fair rounds. I have one more show to do in November, after which I can settle down and get some real writing done again. Thanks so much for your patience!
Thank you so much to all of you who have read this little story…I hope you are enjoying it as much as I am enjoying writing it……you all are the best!
As always, I don't own any of the characters in Pirates of The Caribbean and am not making any money off of this writing…so don't sue me!
Have a Nice Day!
Chapter 8: Welcome to Port RoyaleThe following morning……
Linnet leaned heavily on the planking of the passageway as she carefully made her way towards the deck. The gentle swaying of her body was not entirely from the motion of the ship; after days spent mostly flat on her back, she had lost her former sea legs and was as wobbly as a newborn colt. She couldn't bear the endless hours alone with her thoughts, most of which centered around Miranda's revelations about her near death experience. Her own recollections of events were still a bit vague, more like fevered dreams, but she was certain someone or something not of this world had intervened during her illness. She found herself jumping at every noise and shivering at every draft, and on several occasions had caught a glimpse of something just out of the corner of her eye. The only thing knew for certain was that she would go mad if she didn't leave the room's confines soon. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she donned the skirt Anamarie had left for her and like the fabled Persephone, was rising from the darkness of her own Hades into the world above.
Linnet blinked rapidly, momentarily blinded by the brightness of the sun as she emerged from the dim companionway. The stiff breeze smelled of salt, tar and tobacco smoke, and tipped her head back, closing her eyes as she breathed deeply, unaware that most of the activity on deck had ceased at her appearance. Her recent illness was evident on her pale cheeks, contrasting greatly with her dark chestnut hair, knotted loosely at the back of her head. Opening her eyes, she lowered her head and blushed with embarrassment as she found herself the target of so many curious and some suspicious, none-to-friendly gazes.
She sensed rather than heard a familiar presence nearby, and her suspicions were confirmed when he suddenly spoke from beside her. "Back to work, you scabberous dogs…keeps your eyes where they belong, on the horizon. And as for you…" She turned to find the Pearl's captain gazing down his patrician nose at her appraisingly, "what are you doing up and about? I will be most displeased if those days I spent at your bedside when I could have been drinkin' and wenchin' my weasily black guts out in Tortuga go for naught because of your eagerness for a stroll on deck, m'dear."
Linnet felt her temper rising, but met his fathomless brown eyed gaze levelly. "I'm sure the dockside trollops and barkeeps were simply devastated by your absence, Captain Sparrow….please tender my most humblest apologies on your next visit, which will be within a fortnight I'd safely wager." She saw a spark of amusement in his eyes as she continued. "As for my presence on deck, I read somewhere that fresh air is a wonderful curative. And I… well, I found myself feeling a bit ….reluctant…to waste such a nice day indoors. "
He looked upward for a moment, then turned his hawkish eyes on her once more. "Do you now? And here I thought it was my own charming company you were seeking. You must be more than a little anxious for companionship to leave your sickbed so soon." His eyes seemed to be able to bore into her very soul….how could a simple gaze make her want to run away and hide? "Or could it be that events of recent days have you feeling a bit…haunted, perhaps?" When she paled and uttered a soft gasp, he guided her to a nearby chest against the rail and pushed down onto it.
"Sit down before you fall down, Miss Bryce." His voice was gruff but not unkind as she gratefully if not gracefully plunked herself down, glad to be off her suddenly not-so-steady legs. "You're not the first one to encounter the soul that inhabits this ship, nor will you be the last." He chuckled aloud at the look of relief that crossed her face as she leaned back and closed her eyes as giving a silent prayer of thanks. "Thought you were going mad, did you?" At her nod, he tipped his head and smiled softly down at her, leaning back with both elbows propped on the rail, his jackbooted feet crossed at the ankles. "Don't think you were alone in that sentiment, luv….more than one stout sailor has come flying up out of the hold paler than a fish's belly after a run in with the lady."
"Who is….was..she? And why does she haunt the ship?"
"No one knows, lass….the ship 'as always been called the Black Pearl so that's what we call the spirit who bides in her, and she has never objected to that name. She might be a Selkie, an angel, or just the spirit of an ordinary woman. No one knows the whys and wherefors, and that's the way it will stay, savvy?"
"As you wish, Captain…its not that I'm ungrateful for its assistance, but I for one have no further desire to encounter whatever otherworldly being that inhabits this ship." Silently shuddering, she cleared her throat before continuing. "You're intend on taking us to Port Royale---would it be considered impolite to ask how will you manage such a feat? I would imagine you would receive a warm welcome from the Fort's cannons should you try to approach the docks."
Jack chuckled again, his gold teeth flashing as he grinned. "Aye, James Norrington would like nothing better than to send me an' my fine crew down to see Ol' Hob and The Pearl in smithereens. But I don't intend to accommodate the Commodore, so we've made other arrangements for your arrival. We'll be taking you and sweet Miranda ashore in the longboat while the Pearl makes berth in a certain cove nearby, safe and undetected by His Magesty's Navy. Then you and Miranda can once again resume the path to your destiny, a little worse for wear perhaps, but alive." He reached out with one ringed hand and brushed the loose tendrils of hair which were blowing across Linnet's face, and his voice took on a different tone. "That is, if you still desire to meet it. You're welcome to remain aboard, you know."
Linnet looked up, her eyes revealing more than her words as she replied. "I appreciate the offer, Captain, and I'm sure that if it were up to Miranda, we'd likely never leave this ship." She smiled faintly. "I've never seen her happier than she has been these last days—she's enjoyed what to her has been a wonderful adventure. But we have obligations, she and I, and we owe it to our family to fulfill them. Miranda needs a steady home, Captain, a home where she is safe, loved and cared for, and I intend to see that she gets it. I hope you understand."
"Aye, but the offer stands just the same. T'would be worth it just to tweak old Gibbs…him and his 'bad luck havin' women aboard' and all." He wiggled his fingers as he imitated his quartermasters scowl and voice admirably, causing Linnet to choke back a giggle. His moods shifted so fast, it was impossible to predict what he was going to say from one moment to the next, she thought as he suddenly grew serious again.
"When you were fevered, you spoke of your uncle, and from what Miranda told us he isn't a very nice man." He watched as Linnet's face paled then flushed, and she seemed to curl up within herself. He reached out and grasped her chin, forcing her to look up at him, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "Did he?….."
"No…I ..managed to dissuade him. But it was a close thing….and I'd rather not talk about it anymore, if you don't mind." She shuddered and pulled her head free, turning her head back to the stern of the ship. She glanced back at him as she spoke again, her voice almost apologetic as she smiled softly. "I hope you understand that I don't ever want to place Miranda or myself in that kind of situation again…not everyone out there is as kind as you are, Captain Jack Sparrow."
Looking toward the horizon, he cleared his throat before speaking once more. "Don't be speaking so of me, luv….you'll tarnish the wicked reputation I've worked so hard to build up. We should be arriving in Port Royale around sunset, so you should have plenty of time to prepare for departure.." He glanced upwards toward the mainmast once more and smirked. "That is, if you can manage to talk Miranda down from the crows nest. She's a right monkey when it comes to climbing the riggin'."
888888888888888888888888888888
The sun was a glowing half circle on the horizon as the longboat carrying Linnet, Jack, Mr. Gibbs, 8 crewmen and an unusually silent Miranda headed toward the harbor. It indeed had taken quite a bit of effort to get Miranda down from her perch, and she was still pouting after Linnet's lecture on proper ladylike behavior. She didn't want to leave the ship, and truth be told, Linnet didn't either, although for entirely different reasons. As they approached the shore, she was filled with the sudden urge to beg the captain to take them anywhere but to meet the fate that awaited them.
Tempting as it was, she knew that staying aboard The Black Pearl was not truly an option. Their own presence aboard the ship was the result of a pirate attack, and not all ships out there would surrender as easily as The Goliath had. She couldn't subject Miranda to that kind of danger. Also running through her mind was the prospect of meeting Miranda's intended husband. Would he be kind to her, treat her as he would a beloved treasure, or would he be cold and cruel to her innocent niece? It wasn't a pleasant sensation, not knowing what was in store for herself or Miranda, but what choice did they really have?
The scraping of the longboats hull on the rocky shore brought her back to reality, and she readily accepted the sailor's hands to help her onto solid ground once more. Her side twinged as a hand brushed against the half healed wound, and she sucked in her breath against the sudden pain as the hands bodily lifted her from the boat. Both she and Miranda were silent as they followed Jack and Mr. Gibbs along the rocky path towards the thriving port city, the sailors behind them carrying their luggage.
Bypassing the still busy streets of the market district, they instead took side streets into the residential portion of Port Royale, where they turned up the walkway to a neat but modest two story dwelling. After depositing the luggage on the wide porch, Jack dismissed the crew to the joys of the local taverns. The door was answered by a young maid, who while somewhat frightened, did not seemed too shocked to see a pirate on the doorstep.. She immediately ushered them into the parlor, where they were greeted by the lady of the house.
"Jack, you wretch! 'tis about time you came to visit us!" The beautiful young woman threw down the shirt she was mending and fairly leaped into the Captains arms, favoring him with a loud smacking kiss on the mouth as she hugged him fiercely. The girl in Jack's arms was truly a beauty, her long honey streaked blonde hair, peaches and cream complexion, and fine gown proclaiming her to be a true lady. Linnet suddenly felt absolutely dowdy in comparison to this lovely woman.
"You're not here to try and steal my lady from me again, are you, you rogue?" A deep amused voice rang from the doorway, and Linnet turned to see a handsome brown eyed man observing the scene from the doorway behind them. His clothing was that of a prosperous merchant, but it couldn't disguise his muscular physique that could only have came from years of hard work.
"I would, Will, m'lad, but seeing as how she's rather attached to you, she'd be more trouble than she's worth." They laughed as the lady in question slapped his chest lightly and then hugged him again before releasing him to turn her attention to her other guests. "Care to introduce us to your friends, Jack?"
"Ah, yes. May I present Miss Linnet Bryce and her niece, Miss Miranda Everton. They've been guests aboard The Pearl since I ah…liberated them from an East Indiaman about a week back. I felt it was only proper to deliver them meself. These are my good friends, Elizabeth and Will Turner, with whom I have had many grand adventures."
At this Miranda piped up for the first time since they had stepped off the ship. "Oooh, I know who you are….you're the Elizabeth that had the Aztec gold and went to the Isle de Muerta to save Will and fought the undead pirates!" She clapped her hands in her excitement and then blushed, her hand over her mouth, trying unsuccessfully to stifle a giggle. Linnet sighed as she favored her charge with a reproving glance. "Settle down, Miranda….remember what I said about your manners."
"I can see Mr. Gibbs must have been sharing his many tales again." Elizabeth cast her amused gaze on the grizzled pirate, who coughed guiltily and grinned back at her before excusing himself, heading toward the kitchen to flirt with the cook. She smiled and turned her attention back on Jack, a question in her eyes. "Why on Earth would you have kept….please say you haven't compromised these young ladies, Jack!" The young woman who had been so friendly moment before was suddenly as fierce as a young lioness protecting her cubs.
"No, Mrs. Turner, Jack has been most kind to myself and my charge. I am most grateful to him for the efforts made by himself and his crew on our behalf." Linnet met the young woman's gaze levelly, and Elizabeth looked from her to Jack and back again.
"What Miss Bryce failed to say is that she stepped in front of a bullet for me, and the least I could do to repay her was bring her and this bit-o-baggage" referring to Miranda, who giggled delightedly at his teasing "to their destination."
"A bullet! Gracious me, I must hear more of this. Where are my manners! Here we are standing around the parlor….please, please, sit down. Will, ask Mary to fetch some tea and edibles, won't you?" As the ladies seated themselves, Jack took the moment to accompany Will into the hallway. After speaking to the young maid, the strapping young man turned back to Jack, smiling widely as he hugged and slapping his older friend on the back. "How've you been, Jack? It's been what….nigh unto two years now you've been gone? We've missed you."
"Aye, it's been too long, but you know how it is, ships to plunder, wine, women, and merrymaking causes a body to lose track o'time. Looks like married life is treating you well, whelp."
"Indeed it is, Jack, and much of it is due to you, I suspect. My reputation as a swordsmith has grown greatly, and I've received many commissions from gentlemen who have had the privilege of crossing blades with you and survived the ordeal."
"Tis the least I could do for the son of one of the few men I could truly call a friend, Will." Jack smiled before continuing. "So, tell me m'lad, when exactly is your offspring going to be making an appearance?"
Will gaped at his friend before answering. "Late April by our estimation, but how in the blazes could you tell that? She's not showing yet, and she didn't even tell me til a fortnight ago!"
Jack grinned before answering, throwing an arm around the strapping young blacksmith before they headed back down the hall to rejoin the group. "Having spent as much time around the fairer sex than you have, m'boy, a man notices certain traits about breeding ladies. They've a certain glow about them, and when I hugged her I couldn't help but notice her bosoms were a bit…" His voice trailed off as he grinned, his gold teeth gleaming as he met his friend's glare. "Ah well, tis good to finally have proof that you're not a eunich after all, Will m'lad." He ducked at the mock punch that came flying his way as they entered the parlor.
88888888888888888888888
The ladies made small talk as Mary brought in the tea and some hastily made sandwiches. Pouring the tea, Elizabeth's asked her about her injury. "You actually saved Jack's life by stepping in front of him as the man shot at him? Quite brave of you, I must say."
"Not so brave as it sounds, Mrs. Turner….I was intending just to push Miranda out of the way…Jack just happened to be the bullet's intended target, only it hit me instead. 'Tis nearly healed now, though, and causes me little pain unless I laugh or breath too deeply."
"Please, there's no need to be so formal….won't you call me Elizabeth?"
"Certainly, but only if you call me Linnet." It was nice to finally have another female of the same age to talk with, something she had missed so much since leaving boarding school. "So, Linnet, what brings you and Miss Miranda to Port Royale?"
"I'm going to be married!" Miranda piped up brightly, then blushed at Linnet's reprimanding glance. Linnet sighed and turned back to meet Elizabeth's questioning gaze. Desiring to speak further about the subject without an audience, Elizabeth spoke to Miranda directly. "Miranda, do you like kittens?" At Miranda's enthusiastic nod, she invited the young woman to go to the kitchen to see the new litter that their favorite mouser had birthed a few weeks earlier. After she had left the room, Elizabeth turned back to Linnet, a wealth of unanswered questions in her eyes. She sipped her tea, pondering her words before she spoke. "Miranda isn't as developed mentally as she is physically, is she?"
Linnet sighed softly before setting her own cup down and answering the question. "Miranda is and probably always will be the bright inquisitive child she was when the fever struck her, shortly after her 11th birthday. Physically she suffered no lasting effects from her illness, but her mind never caught up with her body."
"And yet she is to be married? It hardly seems credible that such an event would take place. Does her intended husband know of her ..condition?"
"I am not wholly certain what her fiance has been told, except that she is "slow, pretty and very biddable," and according to my uncle, that is all that Frederick Leighton requires in a wife…that and the connection to the Earl's family.
Elizabeth froze, the delicate porcelain cup frozen halfway to her mouth. "Did you say Frederick Leighton?" She slowly lowered the cup and saucer to the low table before them.
"Yes. Miranda's fiance paid my uncle 20,000 gold crowns in exchange for a high born bride. He apparently is quite a wealthy man and is desirous of an heir for his great fortune, but lacks the ability to woo one." Linnet couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice as she continued. "My uncle took advantage of the situation by bartered her away, getting rid of a burden and fattening his pocketbook at the same time, the greedy bastard. I insisted on accompanying her, and plan to remain by her side to help her bear this situation as best she can." She looked over at Elizabeth and felt a shiver of uneasiness creep up her spine at her new friend's expression. "Do you know Mr. Leighton?" She took another sip of the delicious tea, savoring the flavor of a brew she had missed a great deal since leaving her homeland.
"Not personally, no….but I know of him." She seemed to hesitate a moment before continuing. "I'm afraid I have some bad news, Linnet."
"Good Lord, you look like you've seen a ghost. He's not fearsomely ugly or an evil letcher that prays on young girls, is he? Elizabeth, pray tell me it isn't so!" Linnet's voice rose as the fears she had been reluctant to speak of nearly overcame her sense of decorum.
Elizabeth glanced up as her husband and Jack returned to the parlor to join them before answering. "It may be better or worse, depending on your point of view, Linnet….you see, Frederick Leighton was found dead four days ago…'tis believed he was murdered."
The fragile teacup shattered on the gleaming hardwood floor as it was dropped by fingers suddenly unable to hold it any longer.
