Disclaimer: (Looks around) Shh! I'm hunting for Jack Sparrow! This means he's not mine…yet.
AN: I hope people have fun with the chapter, since it has Jack Sparrow in a costume you might like on him…or off him, depending on how dirty your mind is (winks). Enjoy, and please review!
Chapter 28: A Masked Ball:
The day of the ball, I was beside myself with excitement, my emotions churning and mixing like the sea during a storm. I was excited, of course, but for several reasons. First, I was thrilled to be going to a masquerade, something I hadn't attended in many years. Second, I could hardly wait to see the other costumes being worn by the party guests. And most important of all, I wanted so very much to see my Jack there, wearing a dashing costume and one of his infamous smirks on his face.
Sighing, I waited for Molly to finish lacing up the back of my gown, making sure to take a deep breath so that it wasn't made up too tightly. Thankfully, the bodice wasn't a corset, but it was a piece that required someone to tie it from behind. It was just as form-fitting as a corset, but at least I wouldn't be too out of breath whenever I danced or moved about the room. I still, I was relieved when Molly put the ribbon around the last hook and tied it securely in a knot at the back.
"There you are, Miss," she said cheerfully as she stepped back. "Now, let me do your hair, and then you can go."
Yesterday, just before I had gone to bed, Molly had tied my hair up in little neat knots, just so I would have curled locks for the ball. To my utter disgust, I had been forced to wear those ridiculous little knots the entire day, just so the curls wouldn't straighten out before the ball. Since I had no desire to go out in public looking like this, I had locked myself in my room so that no one could see me.
Now, as the hour of the ball drew near, Molly began pulling out those little knots, letting my hair fall loose about my head. I watched in fascination as a mass of brown-red curls formed around my face, neck, and shoulders, the strands gently caressing the skin left exposed by my costume. Once my hair was down, Molly began skillfully pinning, weaving, or braiding the numerous blue and/or silver ribbons of my hair ornaments into as many curls as she could. As she worked, I hissed and bit back curses as the ribbons were put in, but when it was over, I know it had been worth it.
Glancing at myself in the mirror, I smiled at the result. It looked as though I had risen from the sea and had strands of moving water woven throughout my hair. The ribbons shimmered in the candlelight, and when I stood up, my gown produced the same effect. I sincerely hoped that Jack would be impressed with my chosen outfit.
"Oh, you look so lovely!" Molly said, clapping her hands together in delight. "Now quick, put on the mask so you can head downstairs!"
I picked up the blue mask and handed it to Molly, who took it and gently placed it on my face. I reached up and settled the mask into its proper place, hoping that it would stay put and be comfortable for the evening. Once it was set, Molly tied the ribbons in the back to keep it there.
"Finished!" she chimed. "Now, off you go; you don't want to be late for your own ball!"
I sighed and rolled my eyes as I lowered my voice to keep from being overheard. "You know that I'm only going because a certain gentleman will be there," I whispered with a small smile.
"And you wouldn't want to disappoint him by arriving late," Molly gently chastised me. "Now, off you go, and try to stay away from drinking too much wine!"
Laughing, I turned and headed downstairs, mentally preparing myself for anything that could happen.
Jack stood before the mirror in his cabin on the Horizon's Flame, primping himself just a little bit more before he headed out. Elizabeth and Will were already dressed and armed for the night, but they didn't have to hide themselves the way that Jack did. After all, he was bound to attract attention if his odd hair and ringed hands were to be discovered!
'Thankfully this headpiece of mine takes care of the hair issue,' he thought as he studied his reflection, checking to see if anything had escaped. He had already removed his rings and set them aside.
Nearly sighing with relief at everything looking perfect, Jack stood straight and tugged his elegant white silk jacket into place. He missed the beaded braids that usually dangled from his chin, but he had to admit that those braids would look odd even with his costume. Besides, it would grow back, and when they did, Rose could help him put the beads back in.
'Alright, mate, time to face the public,' he thought, grinning as he put the mask on.
The black material of the mask added a mysterious effect to the costume, the white silk rather bright in comparison to the black mask. Still, Jack rather liked what he had chosen, and he sincerely hoped that Rose would see the meaning and significance of his outfit when she saw him tonight. Even if she didn't recognize him, Jack would be more than happy to reveal his true identity to her…after a little foreplay on his part, of course.
Grinning broadly, Jack threw open the door of his cabin and headed up to the top deck, eager to get to his beloved and the ball.
After my grand entrance, the guests had all applauded and cheered (though they were more likely cheering that the party could officially start, now that I was here). I highly doubted that anyone attending had sorely missed me, and had instead traded gossip over what had happened to me and where I had been all this time. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if everyone had theories on how many times I had been 'ravished' or 'tortured' by evil villains while I was away.
"Oh, what a lovely costume that is, Miss Nelson!" cried a woman dressed as a white cat. Beside her was someone who had to be her twin, since they were dressed exactly alike. "And that black pearl on your finger goes very well with it, too!"
"Yes, but why are you wearing it on your wedding finger?" asked the other woman dressed as a cat. "That should be reserved for your wedding bands, not jewelry that goes with your costume."
"Oh, but that is easily explained," declared a male voice I hated listening to.
An unmasked Gerard Hastings glided up beside me, dressed as an ancient Greek in white robes with golden shoulder clips, a gold laurel headpiece, and sandals. I could tell that most women found him quite attractive in it, but I didn't. The only man that I wanted to see was Jack, and I had yet to encounter him in the half hour I had been here. Closing my eyes, I silently prayed that he would get here soon and rescue me from this nightmare.
Meanwhile, Hastings had continued on to make up a story about why I was still wearing my wedding rings. "You see, my dear ladies, Miss Nelson wears those wings as a symbol of how nymphs are linked to the sea. It is almost as though they are married to the watery domains they inhabit, as they almost never leave their watery homes for solid land." He grinned as he reached out and took one of my hands in his. "It's actually quite poetic of Miss Nelson to do this, don't you think?"
The two cat-women giggled and fluttered their eyelashes at him. "Oh, yes," they both replied with a sigh. "Quite poetic."
I was spared from rolling my eyes at them as the musicians struck up a tune, providing a distraction. I felt Gerard clutch my hand tighter as though to ask me for a dance, but the touch of someone else's hand on my elbow pulled my attention elsewhere. Turning my head, I was surprised at what I saw.
Never in his life had he seen so much glamour, wealth, and empty-headed idiots in his life. Grimacing, Jack slipped past a group of young women who gave him flirtatious looks over the edges of their fans. In the past, Jack would have happily gone over to talk and flirt with them in return, but things had changed. He was a married man now, and his mind and heart were focused on one thing: finding Rose and getting the two of them out of here safely.
Walking through the ballroom, Jack spotted Gerard Hastings, who wasn't wearing a mask, and was easy to spot, as he was a bit taller than most of the men at the ball. On his arm was a young woman in shimmering blue and silver, making her look like the embodiment of water. Putting two and two together, Jack had to restrain himself from attacking his enemy for touching his wife.
Carefully timing it, Jack slipped up beside Rose just as the musicians struck the first cord. Placing a hand on her arm, he asked, "May I have this dance?"
"May I have this dance?" the man asked, a pair of deep brown eyes gazing down at me. The intense, passionate look he was giving me took my breath away.
"Oh," I breathed, slipping my hand out of Hastings' and into this stranger's palm. "Of course."
Without another word, he guided me onto the dance floor and put a hand on my hip before twirling me around the floor. As we danced, I took a closer look at my partner. He was dressed in the manner of an Indian Prince: his entire outfit was made of white silk, and it was heavily trimmed with gold embroidery. There was a red sash added, and a gold turban on top of his head with a gold clip in the front holding a handful of feathers for decoration. Glancing towards his face, I noticed his brown eyes glittered at me from behind a black silk mask, making him look dashing and mysterious.
Those dark eyes looked me up and down, almost as though they were studying me. I immediately felt uncomfortable, but I would rather be with this man than by Gerard Hastings' side! Besides, my new dance partner didn't grip my hand possessively, didn't act like an arrogant ass, and he was actually giving me a kind and (oddly enough) affectionate smile.
"You are truly the beauty of the sea incarnate," my partner whispered, his voice sliding over me like warm silk, the hand he had on my hip gripping me closer to him.
I felt a delicious shiver go up my spine before I could stop it. "Thank you, good sir," I replied as we continued to dance around the room.
As my charming companion led me into another dance, I began to feel guilty. Jack was supposed to be here tonight, and here I was dancing with another man! True, my partner was acting quite gentlemanly, despite his compliments, but I truly missed my husband. Without meaning to, I sighed, my eyes drifting to look around the room in search of the man I loved.
"Something troubling you, milady?" my dance partner asked.
"I'm just looking for someone," I replied, my voice light and nonchalant as I gazed elsewhere. "I was hoping that they would be here by now."
"Ah," he said before sending me into a twirl and pulling me back towards him. I was shocked as he pulled me closer, my body almost pressed entirely against his. "And does this person have a name?"
By now I was thinking that getting away from this stranger would be a good idea. "They do, but I refuse to give them to you," I retorted while trying to escape from the firm grip he had on my waist.
"Might he just be the one who presented you with those lovely rings of yours, both of which probably hold significant meanings for the two of you?" he asked, his voice changing in such a way that made it sound familiar to my ears.
My eyes snapped up towards my partner's face as he broke into a naughty grin. Wait, I recognized those eyes and that smile! "Jack?" I whispered, wondering how I hadn't recognized him before.
"Miss me, milady?" he whispered as we continued to glide across the floor. "I certainly missed you, and I must say that you look absolutely divine in that gown." He looked a bit lower, towards my chest. "It's quite a fetching cut, as well."
"Jack!" I hissed, trying not to blush at his comment. "Stop that!"
"Sorry, darling," my husband replied, his grin getting a bit wider. "Though you must admit, I've never had the privilege of seeing you in such a dress before…though I have seen you undressed."
Now I was blushing, though I was also trying not to laugh, too. "And I myself must admit that you look every inch the Indian prince," I said, grinning. "Where ever did you find such an outfit?"
"Oh, Elizabeth has a unique way with shopping," he said casually. "By the way, if you see a pair of brightly-plumaged birds around here, that would be her and the Whelp keeping an eye on us."
I giggled softly. "I've missed you," I whispered, keeping my voice down so that nobody could hear.
Jack's hand tightened, his grip on my waist becoming almost uncomfortable as he tried to pull me as close to his body as he dared. "And I have missed you, my bonny lass, more than you will ever know," he whispered back, tilting his head forward so that our foreheads met.
His brown eyes bore into mine, and I could feel the heat of his gaze, his mere presence surrounding me with a blissful warmth I had not felt since we had been separated. The love in Jack's eyes was so wonderful and sweet that I knew if I stayed away from him any longer, I would go mad. The possessive grip he had on me said that he felt the same way.
"I love you," he whispered, his voice low and rich in my ears.
"I love you, too, pirate," I whispered back, making him grin as he pulled me close for another dance.
It was perfect. Rose was here in his arms, dressed like a goddess of the sea and looking ravishing in it, just as he had thought she would. For days he had tried to imagine what tonight might be like, but never had he imagined this! Dancing in his arms was a beautiful woman in a shimmering gown, dressed as something right out of a legend, and he could hardly believe his luck at being the fortunate man who had married her. However, if he wanted to stay married to her, the Turners had better put their plan into action before it was too late.
Leaning forward, Jack pressed his lips to Rose's ear, just so she would be the only one hearing his words. "Darling, when is your father going to announce this horrifying engagement of yours?" he asked, eyes darting around to check for their friends.
"Soon," she muttered back, also leaning closer. "Probably after this dance or the next."
As she spoke, a warm breath of air escaped from Rose's lips to caress Jack's own ear, causing him to shiver in delight. Oh, he couldn't wait to get her to the Pearl and back into their bed! He had so much to make up to her, and already his mind was planning out ways in which to do so, most of them involving staying in bed for the next couple of weeks. He highly doubted that Rose would disagree with that!
"Jack, Gerard Hastings is coming this way!" Rose hissed into his ear. "That means they're bound to announce my engagement to him at any moment!"
Keeping his panic in check, Jack looked around. There in the corner stood a familiar pair of birds with smug looks on their faces. William, dressed in his blue costume, gave a thumbs-up sign, signaling that everything was in place. Jack smiled in reply, and began shifting the direction steps of the dance so that he and Rose ended up close to one of the large set of balcony doors leading outside.
"Jack, what are you doing?" Rose asked, pulling her head back to look at him.
"Hush, luv," he whispered, focusing his attention elsewhere for the moment. "Just wait for it."
Just then, Jack's eyes focused on his former friend, Gerard. The Scotsman was dressed as an ancient Greek aristocrat, and was presently searching the crowd for the woman he believed to be his. Now, if there's one thing Captain Jack Sparrow hates, its when someone else takes what rightfully belongs to him. And when that something happens to be his wife, well…
'That just makes revenge all the sweeter,' he thought as Gerard caught sight of Rose standing in someone else's arms.
All of that time spent worrying over Rose and thinking of ways to rescue her all became worth it in that exact moment. Gerard stood there for a moment in shock, obviously delusional in believing that Rose would be happily waiting for him to come and whisk her away from her current dance partner. It was rather satisfying to see Gerard's face darken in anger, and Jack couldn't hold back a triumphant smirk at the sight. And of course, it was Jack's trademark smile that caused Gerard to recognize his archenemy, even if he was masked and in an outlandish costume.
Deciding not to bother wearing the mask any longer, Jack reached up and undid the knot holding the silvery-black material across his eyes. The cloth fell to the floor of the ballroom, a movement that was the signal for all hell to break loose. Which is, of course, what happened. Before Gerard could take a step in the Sparrows' direction, windows began to shatter and people began screaming as clouds of choking, blinding smoke began filling the room.
AN: (Authoress cackles evilly) Another cliffhanger! Please note that I have no idea if smoke bombs existed in the 1700's, so give me a break on that one. Part two of the rescue attempt will be up next week. Please review! Thanks!