Greetings, friends! I know it has been eons since
I last updated this story, but I haven't forgotten about it,
honest. I've just had to re-prioritize my projects and try to
squeeze them in amongst my mundane housewife chores. I know this chapter is a bit shorter than what you're used to getting from me, but it is more of a transitional chapter...more action is upcoming, never fear!
Thank you for your patience, and hugs to all those who take the time to review this story and the others I've written. Your words are what keep me going.
Disclaimer: If you recognize it from Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean, I don't own i. I'm not making one thin dime off of this, so don't think about suing me cause I'm so broke I can't even afford lint!
Chapter 13 :Absence make the heart grow…?
Jack did not shown up for dinner that evening, nor the next, and Linnet could only imagine that he was sulking after their spat in the hallway. It wasn't until the morning of the third day after their harshly exchanged words that he made his presence known as she sat writing in Will's study.
"Don't tell me you're writing it already!"
Linnet jumped and looked up to find Jack observing her from the doorway. "I'm afraid I don't know what you're referring to, Captain Sparrow." She replied coolly, turning back to the list of supplies she would need to undertake the job of indexing the Governor's library. She tensed as she heard his boots echo on the polished floor as he approached her, but didn't look up.
"I'm referring to the guest list for your upcoming nuptials, of course. Miranda informed me that the handsome Mr. Leighton, having released her from her obligation, has wasted no time in making his intentions towards you known. So tell me, m'dear, have you decided to sacrifice yourself on the altar of matrimony for the sake of young Miranda, or are you holding out for me, perhaps?" He smirked as Linnet's head jerked up at his words, and she glared at him in outrage. "Despite my somewhat tarnished reputation, I'm not easily seduced, but with the proper wooing, I might just be willing….ah-ah-ah—now that's not nice." He murmured as she rose from the chair, catching her hand just before it connected with his cheek. He brought her captured hand to his lips and planted a kiss on her knuckles, chuckling as his warm brown eyes met her furious green gaze. He winced moments later as her slipper-covered foot connected with his shin, and she jerked her hand free, wiping it on her gown. Stepping back, she reminded him of an angry cat as she spat her response to his rude comments.
"Whether or not I plan to wed Mr. Leighton is of no concern of yours, Mister Sparrow, and I would appreciate it if you stay out of my affairs. You let me know how you truly felt about me during our row the other day, and frankly, I don't think we have anything further to say to each other." She turned her back to him and walked the few steps to the window before throwing her next scathing comment over her shoulder.. "I've no heart left for you to break anymore, Jack , so why don't you go back to your ship and your rum and your dreams of gold and glory, and just leave me be."
The quiet click of the heavy oak door closing behind him was his only reply.
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The relationship between herself and Jack after that fateful morning could only be described as strained at best. They had been exceeding polite on the few occasions they were forced to be in close proximity to each other, but it was obvious to all that the easy camaraderie that had existed between them was no more.
It actually came as a great relief when Linnet learned that Jack and The Black Pearl had slipped away undetected on the evening tide a few days after their last exchange. She settled into a comfortable routine, setting out each morning on foot to the Governor's mansion where she spent the day dusting, sorting, and cross referencing the heavy tomes in the large room. She had been amazed at the sheer number of books the collection encompassed, and often wondered how anyone had been able to locate any pertinent bit of information from the humble-jumbled mess.
As the weeks passed however, Linnet found herself playing eavesdropper about town and in the Governor's office itself for any information regarding The Pearl and its brazen captain. The Governor himself, having grown accustomed to her silent presence in his office and the adjoining library, often failed to close the connecting doors between the two rooms when Commodore Norrington came to make his bi-weekly reports. As a result, Linnet was kept up to date on the sightings, or lack thereof, of various pirate vessels in the area, and despite her irritation with Captain Jack Sparrow, was silently pleased when she learned that they had managed several narrow escapes from Her Majesty's Navy's finest and fastest ships.
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Until recently Linnet had always believed that particular phrase to be poppycock; now however, she was starting to believe that there was some truth to it after all.
Nearly 3 months had passed since the fateful day that Bartholomew Leighton had asked for her hand in marriage, and Linnet had still not decided whether or not to accept his proposal. He had become a regular caller at the Turner's, and was using his considerable charm to try and endear himself to the ladies of the household. He never failed to bring with him small tokens: sachets packed with sweet smelling potpourri, silk shawls from Persia, elegant lace fans, beautifully dyed skeins of embroidery floss, handsomely bound books of poetry, and other items pleasing to the feminine gender. It was his latest offering that was making her slightly uneasy: an entire bolt of pearly white satin and another of delicately woven lace. Upon presenting her with the expensive fabrics, he had smiled flirtatiously and stated that he hoped that she would "find it in her heart to put a good use to it soon", a not-so-subtle hint for her to begin constructing her wedding attire.
While Bartholomew's attentions weren't unwelcome, Linnet found herself more and more often thinking back to her time aboard The Black Pearl, particularly those times spent in the company of its reckless captain. Every time she set out to picture what her life would be like as Leighton's wife, Jack's face would somehow wind its way into her mind. On her daily walk through town, she would catch sight of a swaggering sailor and her heart would momentarily stop, thinking it was him. Every knock at the front door would make her heart begin to race, and she'd listen hard, hoping to hear his booming voice and his thumping boots in the hall.
The nights were the worst. When the chores of the day were done and she lay quietly in her bed awaiting sleep, it was then that the memories were the strongest. Many nights she lay awake until the wee hours, going over every look, every action, every conversation….every harsh word that they had exchanged in her mind. She cursed her wicked sharp tongue, and often regretted her coldness and the harsh words she had spoken in haste. If the Turner's maid noticed a certain dampness on the pillow some mornings as she straightened the bedding, she did not comment on it; nor did Elizabeth mention a certain melancholy air that seemed to settle over Linnet at times, despite her best efforts to hide it.
The Turner's had received two letters from Jack since his departure, telling of his adventures and bragging of his most recent evasions of the East India Company and Navy ships dogging his every step. Both his letters included small trinkets for Miranda, but more noticeable was his complete omission of any reference of or to Linnet. Apparently he had taken her words to heart and had decided to "leave her be" to the point of disregarding her existence completely.
Even though she had asked for it, his obvious rejection of her and her reaction to that rejection made her come to three logical conclusions.
1. She was hopelessly in love with Captain Jack Sparrow.
2. Captain Jack Sparrow plainly did not return her feelings.
3. She needed a husband, a home and security; he needed life on the sea; The two of them just weren't compatible, even though he made her heart race and her soul sing when he looked at her with his bottomless brown eyes, so full of life and laughter and promise…
She finally had made her decision...now if she could only live with it...
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When Bartholomew Leighton came to call the next afternoon, she took his hands in hers and told him that she had made her decision. If she was a bit paler than normal, he took it as simply a sign of her nervousness, as were the tears she wiped away silently as quickly as they appeared.
She accepted.
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(author's note: Before you lynch me, be warned that there is much, much more story ahead! Will Linnet go through with the wedding, or will Jack sweep in and carry her off? Who knows...you'll just have to read and find out, now woncha? grin)
