Disclaimer: (Looks around) Shh! I'm hunting for Jack Sparrow! This means he's not mine…yet.
AN: Rose is gonna act every inch the pirate in this chapter, and it'll either make you laugh or make you cheer and want to slap her parents for being idiots. Either way, I hope you enjoy the chapter and will review! Oh, and there was a typo in chapter 21: Mrs. Nelson called her daughter 'Rose,' but I meant it to say 'Angela.' My mistake, and I changed it. Thanks a bunch!
Chapter 22: Defiance of the Pirate Soul:
Upstairs in my bedroom, I found myself looking out over the docks, just like I had before, so long ago. Captain Hastings had returned to his ship and wouldn't be returning for a few days, claiming that he needed to attend to a few things onboard, as well as to give me time to "bond" with my family. Of course, his idea of bonding meant something completely different from what I had in mind…
It was night of the same day of my return to my family's house, and already I was bored out of my skull. After that unpleasant tea in the parlor, the pinnacle of which was Hastings' request of my hand in marriage, I was led upstairs to my room in order to 'recover from my ordeal.' The moment I was in my old bedroom, I was immediately attended to by over a dozen maids, all of whom clucked and fussed about me like hens over a new hatchling. I was forced into a lacy nightgown, my hair was tied up in ribbons so that it would curl during the night, and my work-roughened hands were covered in lotions and bandages so that they could 'heal.' I was then pushed into bed and told to sleep.
I, of course, had no intention of doing any such thing. The moment I was alone, I rose from the bed and went to sit at my window, my eyes darting towards the docks. Many ships were still there, in spite of the dozen or so that had surely left earlier that day. This particular port was always busy with ships coming and going all day long. Normally, I loved watching all of the hustle and bustle of the port, but right now, my heart wasn't in it.
Sighing, my eyes watched as darkness settled in, the shadows stretching to envelope the entire town in black. Torches, lamps, and candles were being lit inside the buildings and along the streets, each light looking like a firefly to my eyes. I could still see people moving along the walkways, either shopping for the night's supper or doing last minute errands before the shops closed for the evening.
'I used to watch all of this from the deck of the Pearl, whenever we pulled into port,' I thought, smiling at the memory. 'Jack would be there, standing beside me as his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer to him. Occasionally, we'd get a room at an inn, but why would we want to have a room above a noisy tavern when we could have a nice, quiet cabin aboard the Pearl?'
Good Lord, I missed my husband. If I were on the Pearl right now, we would be in our cabin, drinking rum or eating while we laughed over new jokes that Jack had heard from the crew. After a while, Jack and I would climb into bed, curl up close, then talk quietly to one another until we fell asleep. Usually I fell asleep first, since Jack's fingers would be rubbing my back and combing through my hair, his voice soft in my ear as he whispered a pirate song to me.
Sniffing, I angrily wiped away the tears forming in my eyes. 'Now is not the time to be weak,' I thought to myself. 'You are a pirate and a pirate's wife; you must be strong and keep yourself alive and sane until Jack can come and save you.'
That was rather hypocritical, actually, since I was trying to be strong like a pirate while waiting like a damsel to be saved. If I were truly strong, I would find a way to escape from here, but I felt in my heart that Jack would find me with his magical compass. If I escaped and tried to find him, it would only prolong our separation, so staying here in one spot should bring Jack to me faster. Well, it seemed somewhat logical…to a point.
Yawning, I realized that I hadn't slept well in weeks. On the Chaser, I had always feared that Hastings or one of his crewmen would sneak into my cabin in the middle of the night and try something, so I kept myself in as light a state of sleep as possible. Tonight, though, since I was in my family's home, surrounded by armed guards, I should be able to get a decent amount of rest. Besides, the bed was very comfortable, just as I remembered, and I would certainly need to be well-rested if I were to survive until Jack came.
Climbing into the bed and pulling the covers over my head, I was asleep before my head even hit the soft, goose down pillow.
I awoke to the sound of giggling females rushing into my room, two of them pulling open the curtains as the rest of them rushed to piece together what clothes I would wear for the day. A few rushed to prepare water so that I could wash my face and hands. Reluctantly, I got up. While I cleaned myself up, two new maids entered, one carrying a breakfast tray while the other bore a tea tray. Feeling my stomach rumble, I realized how famished I was, and took a step towards the meal. However, the maids that had brought the wash water intercepted me before I could get close to the food.
"Mistress, you must dress in your corset before eating," the maid said in a gentle, but chiding, tone.
Drat, I'd forgotten about that. A woman put on the corset before breakfast so that, after the laces were tied tight, she would not eat much. Years ago, it had bothered me, but I had grown up with the custom, and had adjusted to it. After the freedom given to me by the Pearl, however, there was no possible way I was going back to my old habits. I was used to eating as much as I wanted on the Pearl, and I refused to go back to being a starving noblewoman just because these servants said so.
"No," I declared with a glare. "Get that thing away from me this instant." I gave the corset a pointed look and a sneer.
The maids looked startled, to say the least, and the servant that had spoken earlier frowned. "Miss, you must put the corset on before eating. If you don't, you will grow too fat to fit into your gowns," the maid said in a patronizing voice, sounding as though she were speaking to a child or an idiot.
Now it was my turn to frown. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard," I said while crossing my arms over my chest. "Now, I am going to eat my breakfast, and then I am going to put on a dress that I chose, without wearing a bloody corset!"
Again the maids looked surprised, and some actually appeared horrified at my harsh words. When the chief maid tried to protest once more, I merely walked around her and approached the two trays, both of which had been set atop a small eating table. I quickly lifted the lid and savored the smell of eggs, bacon, sausage, and fried potatoes, as well as the small amount of cream sauce that had been poured over the eggs and potatoes.
Setting aside the lid, I picked up the tea pot and poured myself a cup without waiting for the serving maid to do it for me. While the maids silently stood there and stared, I added sugar and milk to my tea, then eagerly dug into my food. Halfway through my meal, one of them tried to take the tray away, but retreated when I glared at her. They probably thought I was eating too much, but I didn't care, and happily cleaned the entire plate of everything edible. Only when the last morsel was gone did I allow them to take the tray, and by then, they were all scandalized. At least I wiped my mouth.
"Now for the gown," I said, rising up and walking towards the closet.
A rainbow of silk, satin, velvet, lace, and muslin hung inside my wardrobe, but I already knew which dress I was going to wear. I immediately chose a gown made of silk, the color matching that of the Caribbean waters on a clear, sunny day. The neckline and sleeves had delicate Venetian lace sewn there, and it was one of my favorite dresses. It was also one of the few that didn't require a corset!
Quickly slipping into the gown, I waited for one of them to lace me up, which did not take long. Since joining the Pearl, I had become much slimmer, most likely due to the hard work and exercise I went through every day. Perhaps I wouldn't need a corset, but even if I did, I wouldn't wear one. I had hated them before I met Jack, and I would continue to hate them long after I was rescued.
Once I was dressed, the maids pulled the ribbons out of my hair so that they could see what it looked like. The result was a cloud of thick curls, which I hated, but it was soon pulled up to the top of my head, leaving two thick curls hanging by either temple. I couldn't help but think how pointless it was for to curl my hair overnight in the first place, since they were going to do was pull it up anyway. If they so wanted curls hanging down the side of my face, they could always use a small curling iron.
Finally, an hour after I'd eaten, I stood from my vanity table and felt thoroughly disgusted with how I looked. Blue ribbons had been put into my hair, and even as I stood here, a straw hat with lacy white ties was being attached to my head. One maid tucked a pair of white gloves into one of the hidden pockets of my gown, and another handed me a parasol.
"Your skin is so brown, miss!" cried a particularly young maid as she approached with a china dish full of white powder. "Just look at you! We'll have to fix that at once!"
"Oh, no you don't," I said, grasping my parasol and raising it. "Don't you dare put even a dab of that awful stuff on my face! I will go out as I am, or I won't go out at all!"
The maid backed away, as did all the rest. "But Miss, your mother specifically told us-"
"I don't care what my mother told you!" I snapped. "I never want to see another corset or speck of face powder in this room ever again, do you hear me?"
The maids all nodded and parted before me as I walked towards the door. I felt like Moses walking through the Red Sea after, and as I walked down the stairs, I held my head high, feeling as though I had, indeed, performed a miracle by making it out of my bedroom with a full stomach and able to breathe normally.
However, my triumph was short-lived, as the moment I entered the lower level of the house, a servant approached and told me my parents were in the parlor, wanting to talk with me. Rolling my eyes with a sigh in impatience, I turned around to my right and entered the elegantly decorated room. It was made to impress, of course, so there were fine woods, china figurines, and paintings all around. And there, sitting in the center of it all, were my parents.
Upon my entrance, Mother leveled me a glare that, in the past, would have set me quaking in my shoes. Now, however, I felt nothing. After sailing through hurricanes, surviving pirate battles, and planning a wedding with Nidhi and Padma, facing my mother was a joke.
"Honestly, Angela, what are you thinking?" Mother snapped. "Dressing without a corset, eating everything on your plate, and refusing to go out of your room without face powder…it's scandalous!"
I merely snorted. "Oh, please, Mother, as though I care about what you or anyone else in this family or in town thinks of me," I retorted while glaring at her in contempt.
"Angela!" Father cried. "How dare you speak to your mother that way! Have you no respect for the woman who brought you into this world?"
"You mean the woman who wanted me to marry someone I didn't love?" I said, glaring at him. "The same woman who wants me to marry Gerard Hastings, another man I don't love, and, in fact, despise? The man responsible for taking me away from Jack Sparrow, the man I married and love more than anything in the world besides my freedom?"
Father's blue eyes narrowed. "You listen to me, young lady," he said, his voice low and angry. "You are my daughter, and you will live by my rules and the rules set in place by the society we live in. Young, noble women such as you have no freedoms other than what I or your mother give you, and you are to act according to your station in life."
"A young woman of class is quiet, meek, and obedient," Mother stated in a lecturing tone of voice. "She is to obey her father and mother, then the man who becomes her husband. You must put all these silly ideas of freedom and rebellion out of your head, Angela. Honestly, dearest, I don't know where this attitude comes from, as I am certain it was not learned here!"
"And how could you possibly say that you are in love with, above all people, the beast of a pirate who kidnapped you?" Father demanded. "For goodness sakes, Angela, Sparrow is more animal than man!"
By now, I was furious. "How dare you!" I yelled. "How dare you insult the man I love, the man who has treated me far better than either one of you ever has!"
"A pirate treating you better than your own parents?" Father growled. "You go too far, Angela!"
"He did!" I cried. "He did treat me better! Jack loves me and treats me as an equal! He taught me everything I needed to know on the Pearl, and even began training me as co-captain! He asks for my opinion and my help as his wife, his friend, and his fellow pirate, so don't you dare tell me that he's an animal when he has more humanity in one finger than the two of you put together!"
I felt a slap across my cheek, which shocked me more than anything. Father stood before me, his face twisted in fury, as well as disbelief. Never before had he hurt me physically, and this new action surprised the both of us.
"I'm sorry, Angela, but it was the only way," he softly apologized. "I had to stop you now so that I could forgive you later."
"Angela." Mother rose from her seat to approach us, her hand drifting to her husband's arm. "It is obvious that your time away from home has left you disturbed and confused. Perhaps once you are back amongst your friends and those of society, you will remember how much you loved being here at home with us."
If anything showed how trapped I would be here in this house, it was Mother's words and Father's slap to the face. Jack would never hit me, this I knew for sure. He might be a pirate, but he had never hurt a woman, not once. Of course, neither had my father, but then, I'd rarely seen Father because of his shipping business. I had never spent more than two full days a month in his presence, if I was fortunate, and only saw him occasionally for birthdays and holidays. I knew Jack even better than I knew my own father.
"I never loved being here," I said, not bothering to hide the hate and anger I was feeling. "I was trapped inside this gilded cage you made for me, always wanting more and always wanting to be free. Well, guess what Mother, Father? I was free, and freed by my own hand! I wasn't kidnapped, you fools, I ran away from the prison you and your damned society built for me!"
I knew that Father would try and hit me again, so I raised the parasol, pointing it at him as I would a sword, just in case he raised his hand against me once more. "If you try and hit me again, sir, you will regret it. A woman I may be, but I've been taught to fight, and will defend myself as necessary."
Shocked, Father stepped back, taking Mother with him. Meanwhile, I began backing up towards the door. I knew that I could never escape from this town, as my family surely had people to spy on me for them, but I could get out of this imprisonment for a little while, at least. So, with a swirl of skirts, I was out the door and down the walkway, headed for town.
Frustrated, Jack waited until midmorning before heading out into town. Will and Elizabeth had already left, both disguised as a couple traveling together. William had dressed in a white shirt, brown vest, brown coat with gold trimmings, brown pants, and tall, shiny brown leather boots. Elizabeth had garbed herself in a golden-brown dress with white lace at the neck and sleeves. Though elegantly attired, neither one had gone out unarmed (though it appeared otherwise), and had advised Jack to do the same when he left the Horizon's Flame.
'Do they really think me stupid enough to go out in a port like this without a disguise, not to mention unarmed?' Jack thought, disgusted with his friends' lack of faith in him.
Rolling his eyes, Jack pulled on the monk's robe that he had fashioned out of cloth he had purchased before he had boarded the Flame as a passenger. The hood was deep, and would cover the interesting beads, trinkets, and bangles that were woven into his hair. The loose sleeves would cover his hands, and hide his rings from the sight of others. However, his beard would be a problem; monks didn't go around with beads woven into two braided strands dangling from their chins. As much as it pained him, Jack knew he had to remove them. Besides, Rose was everything to him, and if he was going to save her, he'd have to be willing to make sacrifices.
'Besides, they'll grow back,' he thought, trying to put a bright side on the situation as he raised the scissors to his chin. 'And after they do, Rose can put the beads back on them for me.'
Taking a deep breath, Jack gathered his courage and snipped off the strands. Well, that wasn't so bad. Maybe he could make a bracelet out of them and give it to Rose, just so she would always have a piece of him nearby. It was an interesting idea, and one he would have to keep in mind after this whole thing was over. Tucking the braided strands into a pocket, Jack turned back to his disguise.
Straightening the robe and the white cord that would serve as his sash, Jack looked himself over. For the second time in his life, he was impersonating a clerk of the Church, but this was for a far better cause. Of course, the last time had been quite a memorable experience as well, but now was not the time to reminisce about that naughty little things he'd done in his youth…
Jack quickly focused his eyes on the mirror, watching himself pull the hood over his head and over his mass of hair. The hood did its work well, completely hiding each and every strand, as well as covering the red bandana he always wore to keep his hair under control. It also hid his face just so that he could see out, but no one could see him. It was probably one of his best disguises, and was also one of his favorites. After all, no one bothers a clergyman, except perhaps to ask for his blessing.
'And if that happens, I know enough of the Good Book to be a convincing priest,' Jack thought as he turned away from the mirror and headed for the door, quickly making his way from the cabin and onto the deck of the Flame.
With a quick nod to the crewmen, Jack made sure that his sleeves covered his hands, then shuffled his way down the gangplank and into the streets of the port. Almost immediately, he was surrounded by huge crowds, most of which were servants out buying ingredients for the evening's supper. As in any town by the water, food from the sea was a daily staple, so fish, crabs, lobster, and shellfish were all being purchased by everyone in sight. Beef, chicken, and pork were being sold as well, but Jack highly doubted that many could afford the better cuts of those animals, especially when the ocean's bounty was so plentiful that even the poorest soul could buy them.
Looking around, Jack decided that the Turners would probably be questioning people around the harbor, since there was little chance that they would be recognized. Besides, who was going to stop and question a finely-dressed young man and wife looking at the ships? A priest, however, might look out of place, especially if he were asking questions he shouldn't be asking. So, keeping this in mind, Jack headed into the center of town, keeping his head slightly down, but his eyes and ears still open for any sort of news about Rose.
He was lucky, as the miraculous return of Miss Angela Nelson was quite the topic amongst the servants shopping around the harbor. Jack would have listened in, but the moment he got close, everyone stopped gossiping and immediately began offering him nods of respect or gentle smiles. The moment he was out of earshot, they started back up again, and as Jack progressed further into the town, he found himself growing more and more irritated.
'Bloody hell, it's not like they're going to be struck down just because they're gossiping before a priest!' Jack thought to himself as he entered another part of town. 'It's not like gossiping is a sin. At least, I don't think it is…'
Raising his head just a little so that he could see better, Jack saw that he had entered a wealthier part of town, one that was much closer to Rose's old house. She had told him that she had lived up on a hill, high enough so that she could see the ocean and harbor from her bedroom window. There were about a dozen houses on the hill, but half of them had their front doors facing the harbor, leaving about six or seven homes with their rear or side rooms facing the sea.
'Well, at least I've got it narrowed down,' he thought as he walked down the street.
A few passing gentlemen tipped their hats at him, and one girl-child out with her nurse handed him a small bouquet of flowers with a curtsy, much to the amusement of both Jack and her nanny. Jack solemnly thanked the little girl with a gentle pat on the head and a 'bless you, my child,' before continuing on his way.
However, it wasn't long before Jack stopped in his tracks and realized that he had no idea where to go next. He couldn't very well walk up to the doors of the wealthy and ask about Miss Nelson's house; there was the chance that he would be invited inside one of those homes, and when he was asked to remove his hood, he would be recognized as a fraud. After that, he would be imprisoned, and he couldn't help Rose from inside a jail cell.
Sighing, Jack turned around, only to run into a well-dressed young lady. The edge of his hood covered a bit of his eyes, so he could not see her face. However, the unique black pearl ring on her left ringfinger, combined with the uniquely engraved wedding band next to it, told him who she was.
"Oh, forgive me, sir!" Rose's voice cried out. "I thought that you had seen me here, but I was gravely mistaken. Please, sir preacher, are you hurt?"
Now, Jack could have done several things at this particular moment. He could have thrown back his hood, grabbed his wife by the arms, and kissed her like a man starved for his woman. However, priests did not go around passionately kissing young women in public, and such an act would have gotten him found out by the authorities. Instead, Jack merely held himself in check as he carefully looked up from beneath his hood.
"I can assure you, dear lady, that I am fine," he said, his eyes watching Rose's facial expressions as he spoke. "Though I am most particularly happy to meet such a beautiful pearl of a woman like yourself." He was delighted as recognition and joy spread sparked in Rose's eyes.
"Jack?" she whispered, her voice full of love and hope.
I wanted to pinch myself, just to be sure that this was real. Jack was standing before me, dressed as a monk, and he was speaking to me! I knew there was the chance that I could be mistaken, but only one man in the world had such a wonderfully soft, smooth, husky voice, and that was Jack. Giving my husband a closer look, I realized something was off.
"Goodness, Jack, what have you done to your beard?" I gasped, staring at his chin. Goodness, no wonder I hadn't recognized him! He'd snipped off the beaded strands on his chin!
"Apologies, darling, but it was necessary," my husband replied with a smile. "Can't be recognized as what I am, so I had to cut them off." One of his hands reached inside his robe and pulled out the two braids. "Here you are, luv…to remember me by while William, Lizzie and I think up a plan."
The Turners were here? Oh, thank goodness. I happily accepted the strands and tucked them into a pocket of my gown. "You have to save me, Jack," I pleaded to him. "My parents want me to go back to being the caged bird I was before, and I can't do it! I just can't!"
Keeping his sleeves over his hands, Jack reached out and grasped mine, my fingers tucked underneath the rough fabric as Jack made it appear that he was giving me his blessing. "Be strong, darling," he said, brown eyes staring into mine. "We'll get you out of this soon, I promise."
"Miss Nelson!" cried a voice behind me. I turned and spotted a soldier coming towards me. "Miss, I'm here to escort you back to your parents. They are very worried about you."
"A moment, good sir," Jack said, his voice turning deep and full of authority. "The lady has asked for my blessing, and I have not finished." The soldier muttered an apology and stepped back a pace, allowing Jack and I a little room to breathe. "Now, my dear, I believe I haven't bestowed upon you a kiss to end the blessing, so if you please…"
Blushing, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to the corner of Jack's mouth, which he happily returned. The kiss was brief, but I knew we both savored it. "Thank you, good sir," I said, giving him a broad smile. "You have greatly eased my mind and heart with your words."
Jack merely bowed before turning towards the port and walking silently away, though I could see a slightly joyful bounce to his step. Barely resisting the urge to follow him, I allowed the guard to lead me back to my parents' home, my fingers straying to the pocket that currently held two braided strands of dark brown hair, decorated with beads. Feeling these, I could feel my hopes rise once more. Jack and the Turners were here, and I knew that Gerard Hastings didn't stand a chance against them.
AN: Review, please!