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Chapter 3

Elise was awoken the next morning by an insistent tapping sound and she yawned groggily as she tried to remember what had happened. She heard her name being called softly from the other side of the door and she suddenly remembered where she was and just who was standing there.

The handsome Commodore has come to check on you again, she thought as she scrambled to cover herself with the coat he had lent to her last night. He intimidated her like nothing she'd ever known before, not because he was extremely handsome or because of his prestigious position but because of the way he made her feel. He completely unnerved her. His intense green gaze, the intimacy of his voice, his commanding presence...his masculine touch.

It had been a late night, for as tired as she was she couldn't sleep. A restlessness had seized her that could not be shaken off. The letter he had given her had left her completely perplexed, she had read and reread it, hoping for a jar to her memory. None came of course. She blamed the letter for the sleeplessness but deep down she suspected it was because of something Commodore Norrington had awakened in her.

She remembered how she'd began trembling last night as he had stroked her neck and she blushed hotly.

"Miss Gold?" He called again in a louder tone.

She shook off the thought and darted across the room at the same moment he let himself in. Elise stopped in mid step and stared at him wide eyed. What was it about him that disarmed her so? He was in all his Commodore glory with his white wig, navy blue coat, crisp white breeches and polished black boots. It took her a moment to realize that he was laden with a tray and her clothes.

"Let me help you." She said as her manners kicked in and grabbed for her dress that was tucked under his arm.

Her undergarments must have been folded up inside the dress for they had fallen to the floor when she shook it out. Knowing her cheeks were flaming with embarrassment, she snatched everything up and dumped it on the bed.

"I hope you slept well." Norrington said as he averted his eyes from the fallen clothing.

"I did. Thank you." She lied.

"I always find if very relaxing when you sleep on a boat." He continued as he met her blue gaze. "It's a sense of peace you can't get anywhere but the ocean. The lull of the waves has the ability to soothe even the most restless minds."

"Indeed." She answered with raised eyebrows, wondering if her face was betraying something she did not wish it to. Why was he speaking of such things? What did he know of her restless mind?

"I brought you breakfast and I took the liberty of having your things washed." He said as he tried not to notice how sexy she looked all tousled with sleep. The morning light was turning her long hair a lovely copper color and he found himself unconsciously leaning toward her.

"How very thoughtful Commodore." She said as she tugged her makeshift robe closer around her, feeling very exposed.

Norrington caught a whiff of her damned intoxicating scent and found himself invading her personal space. He straightened immediately, moving to set the breakfast tray on the dining table.

"Will you not dine with me?" She asked cordially.

"Well, err, I had not planned on it." He replied having decided last night to keep as politely distant as possible from her.

"You've already eaten?" She inquired.

"No." He hesitated to admit.

"You have somewhere else you need to be?" She persisted.

"Not at all."

"Perhaps, it is my company that is displeasing?" She asked, looking down awkwardly.

"Of course not. You are fine company." Was she crazy? Displeasing company? If anything she was too pleasing of company, if that was at all possible. He could not remember the last time he had ever met a more amiable woman. Everything about her showed her ease and friendliness.

"Then you must stay. You brought me enough food for five men. I could not possibly eat all of that and I would hate for it to go to waste." She smiled.

"Breakfast would be nice. Thank you." He said, caving in. Knowing he could not handle sitting across from her in the her night clothes he added in a hopeful voice "I could step outside a moment if you'd like to get dressed.."

"Great idea. Thank you." She said, following him to the door.

Elise dressed in record time and let Norrington back in with a grateful smile.

"It's nice to have my own clothes back. Though they are a little torn now." She said as she smoothed her hands unnecessarily down the full royal blue skirt.

"Shall we?" He said, ignoring how the color of her dress seemed to intensify her eyes to a near unreal shade of blue. He'd only seen that color in the ocean, never on a person but it seemed to suck him in as if he were drowning. Trying to pull himself from their fathomless depths he cleared his throat as he held out her chair.

She smiled her thanks as he sat down across from her.

"I read that letter you gave me." Elise said as she began fixing him a plate.

"Did it help you remember anything?" He asked, taking the proffered food.

"No. I tried to remember something. Anything." She said forlornly. "But still the last thing I remember is being pulled from the wreckage."

"Don't worry Miss Gold. I'm sure it will begin to come to you." He assured her. "You have a nasty bump on the back of your head, I'm sure that's not helping matters."

"I know you're right but it's still frustrating. So, how long have you been a Commodore?" She asked conversationally, not wanting to dwell on her woes.

"Two years." He answered.

"Do you like it?" She inquired between bites.

"No one has ever asked me that before." He said, never realizing that fact until now.

"Really? Then I bet your father was a Naval man as well then. Followed in his footsteps?" She smiled.

"I did." He answered in amazement.

"I bet he's very proud of you. But do you enjoy it?" She pressed.

It was the hardest question he'd ever been asked. He hardly knew if he enjoyed it or not. It was the path that was chosen for him and he had never questioned it.

"I'm good at what I do. I don't know anything else. Norrington men are Navy men." He answered as honestly as he could.

They ate in companionable silent for a few minutes before Elise finally got the nerve to ask the question that kept popping up in her mind.

"Commodore Norrington? What is to become of me?" She asked uncertainly and moved to stand at the porthole, searching the ocean as if it had the answers.

Norrington felt that cursed protectiveness unfurling again and his heart squeezed at her scared tone and unsure posture.

"We're going to Port Royal. That's where we my command is stationed." He said as he stood too.

"What if..." She began but felt tears threatening and paused to bite the inside of her cheek.

Norrington crossed the room in alarm and put a hand on her shoulder as she looked up with eyes that were swimming with emotion.

"What if I haven't got my memory back by the time we return?" She finished with a hard swallow.

"Please don't worry about that Miss Gold. I'll see to it that you're safe and taken care of. Nothing is going to happen to you. You have my word." He said as he reached down to squeeze her hand.

Her skin began to prickle and she glanced at their joined hands before raising her eyes to meet his sparkling green ones. She had no idea how long they stood staring at each other, she only knew that his eyes invoked absolute trust and she had no more worries of her fortune.

Ready to escape the burning awareness that was buzzing around them he looked around uncomfortably, searching for a way to exit gracefully before remembering he had something else for her. He dug out a jar of salve from his pockets and held it up for her.

"I brought this for your cuts." Norrington said.

"Cuts? I have cuts?" She asked worriedly as her hands flew to her face. She had been so tired last night that she hadn't even noticed them when she was bathing.

"They're very minor. I probably wouldn't have noticed them had I not been looking specifically for that type of injury. But this will aid in the healing process." He reassured her.

Her breath caught when his hand brushed hers as he handed the jar to her and they stood with their gazes locked on each other as the air in the cabin got warmer and the room itself seemed to shrink. He heard her sharply inhale as his thumb couldn't help but stroke the inside of her wrist and tug her almost imperceptibly closer.

"I could help you put it on if you'd like." He whispered huskily as he once more fell under her spell.

"Umm..." Was all she managed, losing the capacity to form a full sentence.

She felt as if she were drowning in his gaze as he pulled her even closer. Warning bells went off in Elise's head as she wondered if he was going to kiss her. Knowing full well the impropriety of it, yet wondering how it could feel so right. She could feel his hot breath on her cheek and her thighs brushed against his.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. Do you?" She murmured, trying to pull herself from the sensation as he ran his hands from her wristis to her shoulders, fingering the diamond pendant that hung from her neck.

"No." He breathed and sank his fingers into her rich hair, feeling her tremble slightly.

"Commodore?"

"Mmm?" He questioned as he leaned down, inches from her lips.

"What are we doing?" She whispered.

"I'm not entirely sure." He replied.

"Are you going to kiss me?" She inquired.

"I'd like to. Is that alright with you?" He asked, stroking her lower lip with the pad of his thumb.

She sighed as her tummy flip flopped. "I...I'm not sure." She answered honestly and reached a timid hand up to stroke the smooth skin of his freshly shaven jaw.

He rubbed sensuously against the palm of her hand and was a scant millimeter away from her lips when there was a knock at the door.

"Miss Gold?" Called the voice loudly. "Commodore Norrington?"

Startled, Elise pushed Norrington away and looked at him with raised eyebrows as she tried to pull herself together.

"Smith." He explained with a deep sigh of regret. "Probably here to check up on you again."

"Come in Mr. Smith." Norrington called, doing his best to look and sound unaffected..

Smith entered with a smile, oblivious to what he had just interrupted.

"Good morning young missy. I've come to check on you." Smith said. "I see the Commodore has brought you breakfast. Excellent."

"I came to let Miss Gold know we'll be at port this afternoon to get supplies for the rest of our journey. I'll see you to the village for some new dresses." He said as he strode to the door.

"Commodore? I can't afford any new dresses. I don't have any money." She replied, fighting a blush.

"Don't worry about it. We'll get it taken care of." He answered with a smile before disappearing into the morning light.

Elise turned a weak smile on Mr. Smith.

"Commodore Norrington is generous to a fault. Ah, he brought you some salve. Good good." Smith said conversationally as he began checking her out for any missed injuries.

"The hospitality I've received is wonderful. He's very...accommodating. I'll be forever grateful to him for rescuing me." She agreed.

"Aye. He's one of the best men I've ever served under. You have a nasty bump on your head there missy."

"Yes. I found that. Is there a Mrs. Norrington?" She asked as casually as she could force, scared of the answer and knowing she should have wondered that before now.

"Well you look fine, no lasting damage. No. He's not married. It's hard when a man is at sea so long to find a suitable wife. It's not as if beautiful young ladies turn up in the middle of the ocean. I'll check on you later Miss Gold." He said with a twinkle in his eye and left the room.

That afternoon Norrington took Elise shopping just as he promised but it was a different man than this morning. The Norrington from this morning was sweet, thoughtful and willing to engage in conversation. This Norrington was stiff, distant and hadn't said a word to her since fetching her from the cabin. He had offered her his arm but he was practically dragging her along and she was running to keep up with this long legged strides.

All she could do was wonder how the man could go from wanting to kiss her to barely tolerating her presence. And what had she done to bring that change about?

Norrington had always considered himself a moral man. A man of honor and principles. He was always in control of every situation and himself. So how could twenty-nine years of discipline be dissolved in less than twenty-four hours? The concept was ludicrous. He was angry at his lack of self restraint and he wasn't going to let that happen. He was a Commodore in the British Royal Navy, he wasn't about to lose this battle.

She was just a woman he had fished out of the sea. Nothing more. Actually, when he thought about it she wasn't anything special once you compared her to other women. He glanced around just to prove it and satisfied himself finding several different ladies who would be classified as attractive.

Being the only female on board a ship full of men is bound to make said female seem more enticing than she actually is, he thought, latching onto that explanation.

"Commodore." She interrupted his silent reasoning.

He turned to find her pink cheeked and panting.

"Can we slow down just a bit?" She asked.

He still didn't speak but did slow down so she was no longer running. He led her into a clothing store, quickly disentangled her arm from his and she watched as he spoke to the shopkeeper before returning to her.

"I've made arrangements for four sets of garments." He said, speaking to a point over her head.

"You're not staying?" She asked with surprise, trying to shake off the hurt..

"I'm going to go check on some things." He continued as if he hadn't heard her.

"Commodore? Where are we?" She asked.

"Port Oreal." He answered, finally acknowledging her.

"I feel as if I've been here before." She said with a wistful tone as she struggled to remember.

"You didn't even know you're name until I told you. I very much doubt that you'll remember if you were here." He replied cynically and met her shocked look at his lack of tact.

"What is your damn problem? Have I offended you in some way? You're acting like a bloody arse." She shot, her temper finally flaring beyond the point of being ladylike. Elise gave him a disgusted look before she stalked toward the shopkeeper.

Norrington looked as if someone had slapped him. He had been a lieutenant, a captain and now a Commodore and no one had ever talked back to him like that. He felt his own temper rise at her audacity. He darted across the room and blocked her path.

"No man has ever dared talk to me like that." He warned.

"I'm not one of your men Commodore." She snapped.

He stared silently for a moment at that retort.

"I'll be back later to escort you to the ship." He said in a low tone.

"Can't wait. I'll be counting the seconds." She replied in a voice dripping with sarcasm and a look to match. She stepped deftly around him and didn't turn around until she heard the door slam shut.

It took her less than forty minutes to settle on four dresses and coordinating undergarments.

When her mind was done focusing on shopping all she had to do was silently seethe. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to be around Commodore Norrington. Or rely on him in any way. She fingered the necklace at her throat thoughtfully before unhooking it and taking it to the shopkeeper purposefully.

"Would you take this as payment?" Elise asked

The woman eyed the trinket eagerly and quickly agreed to the trade making Elise question the wisdom of that her move.

"Please see that the Commodore has his money returned." She said as she gathered her purchases, thanked the woman and stepped out into the bright afternoon sunlight. She hadn't got three steps before her name was called.

Elise whirled around in guilty surprise and found Mr. Smith walking with a couple of the other officers.

"Are you heading back to the ship Miss Gold?" He asked.

"Yes." She replied, breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't the Commodore.

"We'll walk with you. It's not safe for you to go walking around unescorted in an unfamiliar village. I'm surprised the Commodore allowed it." He said firmly as he began prying her packages from her hands and passing them to the other men.

"Thank you very much Mr. Smith. I would appreciate it." She replied with a smile.

Two hours later Norrington walked into the dress shop thoroughly chastised and perfectly aware that he had acted, as she had so delicately put it, like a bloody arse. Worse than an arse if he was being honest with himself. He prided himself on being amicable to all and he had certainly never spoken like that to anyone. Especially a woman.

He had no acceptable excuse for it. He had felt completely off balance and not like himself so he had been trying to force all emotion from his mind. He was searching the store for Miss Gold's flowing red locks when the shopkeeper approached him.

"Are you looking for your wife?" She asked.

"Yes." He replied not bothering to correct her.

"She left over an hour ago. She asked me to give you this." She said, handing him his money back.

"Left? You let her leave?" He demanded. "Did she not make any purchases?"

"She bought four dresses sir and twas not my place to stop her." The woman replied indignantly.

"How did she pay?" He asked.

"With this." She said, holding up a chain with a large diamond pendant.

Norrington felt his stomach sink and after paying the woman for the purchased clothes and buying the pendant back tore off through the village to find Miss Gold..