Disclaimer: (Looks around) Shh! I'm hunting for Jack Sparrow! This means he's not mine…yet.
AN: I am so sorry for the late update! We had snow fall here, and I had no access to the Internet to post this! I'll try not to let it happen again, but when Mother Nature wants to dump stuff on you, she will!
Anyway, it's back to India with the Pearl! I hope that my lovely readers and reviewers enjoy the reunion between everybody, and that you'll all leave lovely little comments by hitting the little purple button down below. The first outfit that Rose wears is located at www (dot) hinab (dot) com (slash) fmheavy (slash) fh41 (dot) htm. It's not as colorful as the previous ones, but I still think it's absolutely gorgeous! Thanks, and happy reading!
Chapter 6: The Return to India:
I knew that Jack was up to something; I just couldn't prove it. Well, I could actually prove it, given that he wasn't telling me where we were going, but that wasn't exactly a new experience in my relationship with Jack.
On the inside, however, I was torn between asking what was happening and keeping my voice to myself. In my heart, I understood that Jack needed his secrets, but since we were engaged to be married, I felt that he at least needed to trust me with a few secrets that he wasn't willing to share with anyone else! It hurt a little, but then I had to remember that I, too, had my own secrets, though none were as dark, dangerous, or deep as Jack's.
Finally, I decided to just let it go and hope that the pirate-captain I loved eventually decided to confide in me. Instead, I focused on caring for my poor, neglected cat (no longer a kitten) and doing various chores to pass the time. My tasks included preparing meals for the crew, helping the men re-hone their sword fighting skills, and checking the stores of rum, water, and food for the galley. Occasionally, Jack dragged me up to the helm and made me steer the Pearl for a while, or had me issue orders (which I had some experience in, growing up an aristocrat). When we stopped in a port, I was always sent to buy the food and drink supplies, and I was always accompanied by two crewmen (mostly larger fellows who went along as protection and to intimidate the shopkeepers into charging us decent prices).
After a while, though, my days became routine, and I began to want more. However, it soon became apparent that being the Captain's Fiancée meant that I wasn't allowed to do certain chores, as they were too 'demeaning' for me. I felt horrible about being given special treatment, but considering that I never again had to scrub the deck until my fingers blistered, or had to empty out the privy, I decided to count my blessings instead of complaining about my life becoming repetitive.
When we'd been at sea for well over a month, I began to grow frightened about where our destination was. Such a long journey meant that we were heading east across the Atlantic, over towards Europe or beyond. Inside, I quivered with fear, my heart pattering in nervousness at the idea of even going near Europe after finally escaping it; after all, I had every right to be afraid for, not only myself, but also for the crew of the Pearl, as well as her Captain.
Throughout my life, I had been taught that my family was powerful and influential in the merchant industry, their ships spread far and wide throughout the great kingdoms of Europe. I was scared that, if we pulled into a large port, I would be recognized as the aristocratic woman I was. Over the years, I had been personally introduced to many of my father's shipping captains, and they would, without a doubt, instantly know who I was: Angela Nelson, the missing merchant-lord's daughter.
In all likelihood, there was a reward for my safe return to my family, and it was probably a tidy sum that could convince even the most honest captain into snatching me aboard his ship. I knew that my parents had at least enough emotion towards me to want me back with them, but the last thing I wanted was to be sent back to a confining life after experiencing the freedom I had aboard the Pearl. Also, I could only imagine what Mother or Father would say after I told them that I was engaged to a pirate captain! The looks on their faces would be priceless!
Chuckling at that last thought, I looked down at my cat, the two of us stretched out lazily on the bed I shared with Jack. Ivory looked back at me with half-lidded green eyes as the two of us savored the quiet of the afternoon, the afternoon chores having been done for quite some time, giving me the opportunity to bond with my dear feline. I grinned as I scratched her between the ears.
"Poor thing," I whispered. "I wish we were pulling into another port so that I could get you something fresh to eat. It's been two weeks since the last stop, and you must want some fresh meat."
Ivory merely purred and shut her eyes, either lightly dozing or just ignoring me. I laughed again and combed my fingers through her fur. So far, we'd been at sea for seven weeks, stopping briefly and occasionally to restock the galley and the weapon's stores. To my surprise, Jack rarely let me off the ship, instead pressing the shopping list into Mr. Gibbs' hands and asking him to buy supplies instead. I didn't know why Jack was being so overprotective, but it was oddly endearing to me.
"Luv, are you in there?" a voice called through the door.
"Aye, I'm here," I replied, startling Ivory out of her nap. She glared at me, which caused me to laugh out loud.
The door opened and Jack waltzed in, his hips swaying as he moved across the room. "Something amusing, my dear Rose?" he asked, smiling at me as he sat upon the bed, his body beginning to stretch out upon the mattress. Ivory, now comfortably tucked between me and Jack, purred with delight.
"Oh, I was just talking to my precious little kitten," I cooed, stroking Ivory's fur once more.
Jack rolled his eyes. "She's hardly a kitten anymore, Rose, so please let the cutesy little names go," he pleaded as he lay back on the bed, pulling his hat over his eyes. "Besides, the last thing you need to do is embarrass yourself by cooing those ridiculous names when we arrive in India in a few weeks."
"I will not let go of those names, Jack, so don't think for one minute that you can-"
My mouth stopped working once I realized what he'd just said. Wait, where were we going? My thoughts slowly began to work once again, and Jack's words began to make sense.
"We're going back to India?" I whispered, unsure as to whether I'd heard him correctly.
From underneath the brim of his hat, I watched Jack's wonderful mouth pull itself into his typical smirk. "Isn't that what I just said?"
I squealed, scaring Ivory off of the bed with the noise and giving myself plenty of room to throw my arms around Jack's prone form.
As Rose threw herself at him, Jack quickly tossed his hat to the floor and wrapped his arms around her waist. He had wanted to surprise her by actually arriving in India without her knowing, but the tense air she'd had about her lately had forced him to act sooner. Besides, if her response to surprises was this enthusiastic, it might be wiser to surprise her like this more often in the future!
Grinning to himself, Jack hugged the still-squealing Rose tighter to him, accepting the numerous "thank-you" kisses she was so graciously giving.
I was on pins and needles as we approached our friends' palace-like home. The white marble glowed in the sunset, and the sounds coming from the birds in the garden made me feel welcome. I could hardly wait to see my dear friends and tell them all about what had happened between me and Jack since we'd left so many months before! Holding my breath, I waited while Jack knocked on the door. A moment later, a servant who looked vaguely familiar opened it, his eyes nearly falling out of his head at the sight of us standing on the front step. He hurriedly bowed us inside before closing the door behind us and rushing off to fetch his master and mistress.
While he was gone, I let my eyes drift around the main foyer. It hadn't changed much, except that there were a few more pieces of artwork or statuary, either lining the walls or standing on top of furniture. The marble that made up the place was polished to perfection, and I couldn't help but sigh in happiness at being back.
Suddenly, a huge shriek echoed down the large stairways, and I knew that our friends had learned of our arrival. A second later, Padma came racing down the stairs, her beautiful sapphire-and-lavender outfit waving like a flag as she ran down to meet us. She paused for a moment, and upon seeing me standing in the front of the pirate group, immediately changed direction, nearly pouncing on me in order to wrap me in a hug.
"I'm so happy to see you!" she cried. "I did not think to see you for another few years at least!"
I didn't get a chance to respond, as Padma soon had me in another bone-crushing hug. I merely smiled and tried to breathe, my hands gently patting her on the back. Meanwhile, Nidhi and Jan descended the stairs in a more dignified manner, though they, too, were rushing slightly. Behind them came an army of servants, and before I knew what was happening, I was being carried off to Nidhi's private chambers.
Jack's head was spinning slightly as he found himself seated in Jan's personal office, namely the one that overlooked Nidhi's private garden. A glass of rum was in his hands, a plate of food was on the table before him, and an eager Jan was seated across from him, an expectant look upon his face. Sighing, Jack took a drink from his glass and tried to collect his wits before saying anything. Besides, it was fun to watch Jan squirm around impatiently in his seat.
"Well, don't just sit there drinking rum, you fool!" Jan finally blurted out. "Tell me what's happened!"
Unable to hold back, Jack smirked. "I'm getting married," he said, keeping his voice nonchalant. For a moment, his friend was silent, but then everything poured out.
"You what?" the other man cried, practically jumping out of his chair.
"I'm getting married," Jack repeated, setting his now-empty glass aside. "In about two months or so."
"To whom?" Jan demanded. "Who are you marrying? You had better say it's that lovely girl downstairs, otherwise I will let Nidhi and Padma hurt you!"
Chuckling, Jack waved the comment aside. "Aye, it is to that wonderful woman who is currently downstairs, probably chatting up a storm with your lovely wife and daughter," he said, inspecting his dirty nails. "I take it that Padma has already had her wedding?"
"Yes, she married a little over two months ago," Jan said, his voice distant. "She is merely visiting for a month while her husband is away on business. You are fortunate to have come at such a good time."
"It's practically my life story, mate," replied Jack, his voice smug. "Now, tell me about her wedding ceremony; I want to hear all about it!"
Once I was in Nidhi's private rooms, a parade of servants magically produced all of the outfits that had been made for me. Since I hadn't taken many with me on the Pearl when we left, there were dozens that had to remain behind, most of which I hadn't even worn! Watching a flurry of color fly around me, Padma finally chose an outfit for me to wear.
The cloth was a lovely color that resembled creamed coffee, decorated with starbursts made out of gold thread. The modest neckline had incredibly detailed and heavily embroidered, and the sari was of a light, white material decorated with gold starbursts. I felt absolutely wonderful when I put it on, as the color made me feel very mature and elegant. Nidhi nodded her approval of the outfit right before she sat me down and wove a gold headpiece into my hair, the little gold and brown beads hanging off of it coming to rest on the middle of my forehead.
"Wonderful!" Padma exclaimed. "Now, off to the gardens so that we can catch up on everything!"
My wrists were grabbed by two sets of hands, the two Indian women now practically hauling me through three rooms to get me to their destination. When we were surrounded by plants, flowers, sunshine, and the heat of a day in India, I was practically shoved down into a whicker chair. As I tried to collect my thoughts, servants rushed to-and-fro, setting out refreshments and making sure we were all comfortable before vanishing into the foliage.
"Now that we're alone," Padma said while her mother poured fruit drinks to go with the finger-foods. "We can talk about what's happened to send you all the way back here!"
I could feel a smirk pulling at my lips, one that was probably as mischievous as Jack's. "Well," I said, bringing my left hand up to brush a non-existent strand of hair away from my face and brandishing my engagement ring.
Padma stared at my hand before letting out a small squeal of excitement. "You're engaged?" she cried, her hand shooting out to grasp my own and examine the ring.
Nidhi leaned over as well, excited eyes also looking at my ring. "A black pearl," she murmured. "Jack must love you very much to give you the Pearl's namesake."
"That means that you're his and no one else's," Padma declared happily. "I doubt any other woman in the world has a black pearl engagement ring! Now you are truly Jack's equal as well as his love, since you wear his sign and symbol on your hand!"
I blushed and took my hand and ring back, giving the jewel a closer examination. Did Jack really see me as his equal? True, he'd been giving me lessons on how to be a captain, but I hadn't really thought about it until now. Inside, I'd merely felt that those lessons were part of his quirks, something he did just to keep either one of us amused or busy. If he really was teaching me to be co-captain of the Pearl, that meant he deemed me worthy of the position because I was his equal in intellect and skill.
Of course, this new information terrified me. I was nowhere near as good at captaining as Jack was, and Gibbs, as first mate, was definitely my superior in that area. Although I was glad that the crew liked and respected me enough to marry their captain, I wasn't sure if they would like me taking over the ship if the worst should happen. Right now they followed the orders I gave them, but would they grow to resent or hate me if I had to take over the Pearl in an emergency?
"Now, what are you going to do for your wedding gown?" Padma chirped happily, her voice breaking me out of my dark thoughts. I nearly laughed as she childishly clapped her gold-encrusted hands together and grinned.
"Yes, will you wear a traditional English wedding dress?" Nidhi asked, a broad smile also pulled at her lips. "You know, with yards of lace, satin, and other itchy things?"
"Oh, no, she must wear one of our outfits to the ceremony!" Padma insisted, one of her hands reaching out to pat my knees. "White would just wash you out. Goodness, I really have no idea why the English wish to make their brides look like ghosts on their wedding day! Whatever do the grooms think when they see the women they love wrapped up like that?"
"But most gowns are elegant and beautifully made!" I protested. "The gown I wore to my almost-wedding was lovely, though painful and heavy to wear."
"Your 'almost-wedding'?" Nidhi asked, clearly puzzled.
I'd forgotten that I hadn't mentioned the details of my meeting with my fiancée. "Well, I had been betrothed to an English nobleman when I encountered Jack," I explained. "After we got to know one another and became friends, Jack invited me to join his crew just as I was moments away from getting married."
"Well, it seems to me that your wedding dress might have reflected the type of marriage you were about to go into," Padma said with a sniff of distain. "Wedding garments should be beautiful, but also comfortable to be in. Ours are loose and colorful; you will see many brides in various shades of red, orange, pale blue, purple, or yellow. Sometimes we even blend colors together or put heavy, colorful embroidery on the outfit for effect!"
"Yes, a bride should look and feel like a goddess on her wedding day," Nidhi declared in a solemn tone. "It is, after all, one of the most important days in your life."
I laughed and nodded my head. "You're right," I said. "The dress looked nice, but it was so confining that I could hardly breathe or move in it!" Then I noticed that both of my friends were eyeing me up and down. "What are you two doing?"
"She would look best in red, I think," Padma told her mother as though I were not there.
"Hmm, yes, I think you're right," the older woman replied, her head tilting to the right as she examined me. "With a great deal of gold trim and embroidery as well…"
"Oh, and the sari would be beautiful with gold leaves and flowers on it!" Padma cried out, her excitement growing by the minute.
I sighed and rolled my eyes, getting the distinct feeling that this was going to be a long visit.
That night, Jack shared a bedroom with Rose for the first time. Well, they had shared a cabin on the Pearl, but this would be the first time they'd shared a real bedroom on solid land together. On the Pearl, it had been necessary to bunk together, as Jack wanted to keep Rose away from the eyes of the crew at night. If they happened to be visiting a port and stayed at an inn, Jack always let Rose have her own room, thinking that she would like to have a bit of privacy, if only for a little while.
Tonight, however, they were alone in a large bedroom with a lovely bed that had to be big enough to hold six people. Rose had beamed like mad when she first saw the white sheets, fluffy pillows, and soft mattress; given the chance, Jack was positive that she would now be bouncing like a child on top of it. Thankfully, she was more civilized than that, and was now sitting at the vanity, combing out her lovely brown hair and humming softly to herself.
Jack was seated in his own chair, though he was presently at a desk, composing a letter. He hadn't gotten very far, however; the front of the desk was facing the vanity, and Rose's glittering hair was distracting him. The movements she was making and the contented look on her face radiated peace and tranquility, and Jack was lost in it. Rose rarely brushed her hair in such a loving, lingering manner; the hectic life at sea didn't allow for that, and he could see she missed it.
'I'll have to get her some decent hair things, too,' he thought, smiling to himself. 'All she's got is a plain wooden brush and a bone comb; she needs something beautiful to match the fine woman she is!'
Eyes lingering on Rose, Jack watched as candlelight flickered and reflected in the strands of hair, causing it to shimmer with light touches of glittering red and gold. The harsh Caribbean sun had created highlights, bringing out the hidden colors of auburn and blonde that had been dormant until now. Of all the great treasures in the world, Rose and her hair had to be counted as part of them.
Reluctantly tearing his eyes away from the glorious sight, Jack turned his attention back to the letter he'd been trying to write for the past hour. He hadn't gotten any further than the date, and it was beginning to annoy him. Captain Jack Sparrow was a man of many words, but right now, they were all escaping him. A few drafts had been made and discarded when the things he wanted to say would not flow as he wanted them to.
"Jack, you've been at that forever," Rose's voice whispered to him. Glancing up, he saw that she had finished with her hair and was now standing near his elbow. "If you don't know the right way to phrase something, just say it plainly and frankly."
With that, she bent over and kissed him on the cheek before heading for the bed. Watching as Rose slipped out of a white robe and slid underneath the soft sheets, Jack's mind drifted back towards the outfit she had been wearing earlier. The creamy-coffee colored outfit had been wonderful on her, and Jack had insisted on her sending the outfit to the Pearl for future use. If he had his way, Rose would soon have a wardrobe full of the stuff before they left India…oh, to see her in those colors, day after day after day…
Sighing, Jack looked back at the paper and decided to follow Rose's advice. On the paper he wrote:
Come to see me in India, quickly. The messenger will know where to bring you. I want you to meet someone very special to me. -Yours, Jack Sparrow, Captain
Deciding that was good enough, he signed it with a flourish, sealed it with wax, and stuffed it into a waterproofed envelope before putting it into another such envelope. Satisfied with his work, Jack set the package aside on the desk, stood up, and went to the bed, pulling off his boots and shirt before snuggling up beside Rose under the sheets. Just before he drifted off to sleep, he slid his arms around her waist, pulling her back against his chest with a smile of contentment.
AN: Gee, I wonder who Jack invited to India. Review!