Disclaimer: (Looks around) Shh! I'm hunting for Jack Sparrow! This means he's not mine…yet.
AN: OMG, over 100 reviews! (Throws confetti up in the air) Drinks all around! And a big 'thank you' to all you fabulous reviewers out there! You keep my muses happy and my self-confidence high, so thanks once more! Reviews make an authoress' day! Thanks, and enjoy!
Chapter 9: Shopping and Confessions:
You can imagine my surprise when I awoke the next morning to find a pile of glorious silk garments on my bed. Upon seeing the colorful sight, I leapt from my bed and began going through all of them at once, trying to see what wonderful pieces of art Nidhi and Padma's seamstresses had put together for me overnight.
Digging through the pile, I realized that there were more clothes there than I had thought. Honestly, it was as though my room had been turned into a clothing shop overnight! There were shirts, skirts, pants, and sarees (which I learned was the Indian equivalent of a large, filmy shawl) everywhere! Best of all was that the variety made it seem as though one outfit had been made from each color of the rainbow; most of clothes were in solid, dark colors, but some actually changed shades from a deep, dark color to a much lighter hue, or vice versa.
One outfit that particularly caught my eye was a red piece that changed from a deep crimson red top to a pale yellow near the hemline. Looking at it, the garment closely resembled a flame, and the shimmering silk only added to the effect. Picking it up, I saw that this was almost a dress. Well, most of it was; the top seemed to be an elongated shirt, similar to the one I had worn yesterday, except this one had sleeves that ended an inch above the elbow. The dress/shirt, shading from crimson at the top to golden yellow at the hem, ended just under the knee, and, to my relief, there was a pair of pale yellow silk pants to go underneath. Lifting the flame-colored ensemble from the pile, I decided that this would be the one I would wear today.
Slipping out of my light cotton nightgown, I happily slid into the glorious silk creation, practically sighing with joy at how lovely it made me feel. Glancing down to see if there were any laces or tiny hooks to fasten that I hadn't seen before, I noticed gold embroidery along the sleeves and neckline. There seemed to be tiny red and gold crystals woven into the patterns, making everything shimmer in the day's light. How I had missed it before was beyond me, but perhaps that could be attributed to there being at least two dozen other garments lying strewn across my room. Shrugging, I looked around and found the thin sandals that Padma had provided for me the night before with my previous outfit, slipping my feet into them before walking over to the mirror to see how I looked.
I couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped my throat. The reds and golds in the outfit did for my hair and skin coloring what my previous gowns could not: they made me look like the beautiful woman I wanted to be. I couldn't resist twirling around, watching the whole thing dance like the flames it so resembled. Giggles escaped my throat as I danced around, enjoying the light feeling of the materials against my skin. A sudden cough interrupted me and I stopped in my tracks, my cheeks burning as I turned to see Padma and Nidhi behind me, broad grins on their faces.
My two hostesses were dressed as elegantly as I was, except they looked (in my opinion) far better than I did. Padma was in a lovely outfit of a mixture of dark green and yellow, the saree she was holding around her shoulders fading in and out from green to yellow, matching her outfit. A green gem sparkled in the middle of her forehead, dangling from a gold chain woven into her hair. Nidhi was dressed completely in gold-trimmed, dark purple silk from head to foot. Instead of being plain, however, it gave her an elegant, mature air that I found myself envying.
"Oh, Rose, you look wonderful!" Padma exclaimed, grinning at me with a broad smile. "Jack is going to fall off his feet when he sees you!"
"Oh, child, you forgot the saree!" Nidhi said, smiling as she walked over to the bed.
I watched as she picked up a scarlet-fading-to-yellow saree from the pile and checked to be sure that it did, indeed, go with my outfit. Once satisfied, Nidhi quickly shook it out and held it out to me, indicating that I should put it on. I reached a hand out and accepted it, draping it over my arms like I had done with my shawls back home with my parents. Both women nodded their approval as they suddenly began ushering me towards my vanity.
"Wait, what are you doing?" I asked, looking up at them.
They merely smiled as Nidhi began to gather my hair.
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Tapping his fingers on the dining table, Jack impatiently waited for Nidhi, Padma, and Rose to arrive. Jan had long since joined him at the table, and both men were wondering where the women were, extremely eager for breakfast to begin. Finally, the large, white doors leading into the dining area opened and in drifted Nidhi, her daughter right behind her.
'Oh, dear Lord,' Jack thought, standing from his chair as a woman dressed in flaming silk entered the room. Looking directly into the woman's eyes, he realized it was Rose.
Never would he have recognized her if it weren't for the smile she gave him as she sat down at the table. The almond shape of her eyes was perfectly lined with kohl, enhancing both their shape and luscious brown color. A shimmering, pale gold dust had been brushed above her eyes, and her lips were painted red to match the scarlet of her outfit. Along the center of her hairline was a gold chain woven there by her hair, a teardrop ruby dangling from it to hover just between her eyes. All of this, combined with her dress's resemblance to a flame, made Rose look like a seraph, a spirit of fire.
Still staring at her, Jack collapsed into his chair, trying to think of something to say that didn't sound like an idiot or a whelp had thought of it. "You look…" he paused to look her up and down, "you look…breathtaking, luv." The bright smile Rose gave him practically made his heart stop in his chest.
"Thank you, Jack," she said, still beaming happily.
The rest of the meal seemed to pass very slowly for him. Jack could barely taste the food going past his tongue, and since he was always one to enjoy a good meal, this was very strange indeed. Even odder was the fact that his eyes always seemed to drift towards Rose, who was once again seated directly across from him, calmly eating her eggs. How could she eat while he was suffering?
"Jack?" He watched as her lips formed her words. "Would it be alright if I went shopping in town today? I would love to see the markets, and I haven't been able to do so until today."
"Of course, luv," Jack replied, eyes not moving from her red lips as he admired their shape and color. "In fact, being the gentleman that I am, I'll take you there myself right after breakfast!" That last part had escaped his lips before he could think about it. Inwardly, he smacked himself for appearing too eager to please her. And yet, when she smiled at him, all he could do was smile right back.
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I truly hadn't expected Jack to agree to take me shopping. At best, I thought that I would have to go alone, even though Padma had offered to come with me if no one else would. But since Jack had volunteered, it would just be him and me, since Padma had suddenly come up with an excuse to stay home. As a result, we two pirates left the huge palace-like building, heading for the marketplace.
The vast selection of shops and stalls were as busy as they had been when we had arrived in port. Merchants called out from everywhere, promoting their wares to every person that walked by. People were shouting all over the place, some haggling over prices or fighting over who-saw-what first. I saw children running by, giggling like mad as they played and sang. A brief intake of breath nearly choked me, the air so heavy with spices, perfume, frankincense, animals, and unwashed bodies that it made me gag.
"Pull your saree over your face, luv," Jack whispered to me, taking one of my hands and weaving my fingers through his. "It'll help block out most of the scents."
I did as he suggested, draping the left part of the saree over the front of my left shoulder and wrapping the right over my face, tossing the other end over my left shoulder so that it dangled down my back. It was slightly stifling, but the thin silk allowed a breeze to pass to my nose without letting any of the harsh smells through. I sighed in relief and felt Jack grip my hand.
"Stay close, luv," he said, pulling me closer to him. "I don't want any men getting their greedy fingers on you."
I nodded and did as I was told, holding onto Jack's hand as he began weaving through the marketplace. To my surprise, he led me straight to the section that had the perfume sellers and makers, the air so filled with different scents that even the heaviest veil couldn't keep them out. I wanted to look at each stall, but Jack led me to a specific one at the very end of the rows, bypassing everyone else. Under a small awning and behind a stack of wooden planks sat a tiny old Indian woman, her face a mass of wrinkles. However, her eyes were kind and she gave us a toothless smile as we approached.
"Ah, Sparrow!" she crowed in a crackling voice. "You finally came to see me! And you brought a lady with you as well." She looked me over very carefully, as though she could see something no one else could. "I think you'd better be keeping this pretty one, Sparrow; she's got a good heart…she might even be good for you, much better than the usual girls you're with!"
I blushed and raised an eyebrow as Jack cleared his throat. "She's nothing like that, Lily," he said, looking oddly nervous. "She's just here to see some of your lovely wares."
The old woman perked up immediately and began pulling out several little earthenware jars, all of them bearing scented oils and fragrances. I pulled my hands free of Jack's as I was allowed to open each jar and sniff the contents, trying to decide which ones I wanted most. An hour later, I was trapped between choosing a lovely floral scent (though I couldn't pinpoint which flower it came from), and a crisp, fresh scent that I quickly became addicted to. I looked between the jars, nibbling my bottom to think how much money I had back at the house.
"She'll take both," Jack said, fishing into his moneybag for some coins.
"Jack!" I gasped, my hand going to stop him. "Jack, you don't have to do that!"
He simply swatted my hands away with gentle taps and handed 'Lily' the money. Soon she had put the perfumes into two little crude glass bottles, stoppering them each with a cork and putting them in a little leather bag before handing them to me. I accepted it and allowed Jack to lead me to the part of the market that sold trinkets that could only be found here in India. As we stopped before an ivory dealer's stall, I turned to look at the pirate standing beside me.
"Why did you do that, Jack?" I asked.
Jack turned and looked at me, giving me one of his famous smiles. "Never mind that, darling," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist. "Besides, I live to please lovely ladies such as yourself."
I rolled my eyes, sighing in annoyance beneath my veil. "I'm sure you do, Jack," I said, letting my amusement show in my voice. Beside me, Jack chuckled as he led me deeper into the market.
Despite my protests, Jack bought me a few small ivory and amber trinkets to be made into necklaces for me to wear on occasion. We then went through the rest of the bazaar, chatting and pointing things out to one another as we walked, me occasionally poking fun at Jack whenever a merchant looked at him oddly or with suspicion (especially since Jack's garb practically screamed 'pirate'). I got to see a real live elephant up close, even getting to pet and feed it before Jack ushered me away to return home for lunch (the food served in the market being questionable in appearance). As we passed by a temple at the edge of the town, I noticed a group of people swarming out, flower petals cascading from their fingertips onto a couple of young people who raced for a carriage. Everyone was dressed up, but the couple seemed particularly elegant in their garb.
"Wedding," Jack said, still leading me forwards, his arm once again around my shoulders, though I had tried to shrug it off several times. "Here, the brides dress in red and gold or a rainbow of different colors, not white like Europeans do."
"Oh," I said, my voice soft as I turned my attention towards him. "Do you think you'll ever get married?" The question left my lips before I could stop it. "I mean, there has to be a woman out there for you, shouldn't there, Jack?"
He appeared surprised at my words before suddenly turning thoughtful. "Well, I'm not exactly the marrying type, luv," he said. "After all, a pirate's life is dangerous, and it'd be hard on a man's loved ones once he's gone to Davy Jones' locker. However," Jack quipped, raising a hand as though he were going to proclaim something important, "I do know what my ideal woman would be like."
"Really?" I asked, eager for this information for some reason. I noticed Jack's gold-studded smile sparkling in the sunlight as he looked down at me, a kind look in his eyes that I had never noticed before as his fingers gripped my shoulder even tighter. "Do tell."
"Well," he said, his hand gently stroking the shoulder he had in his grip. "She'd have to be willing to sail the seas with me. I can't live without the sea, darling, remember that." Jack's free hand began to once again gesture enthusiastically in the air. I nodded and waited for him to continue. "She'd have to be a sweet-tempered girl for the most part, but still have a brave, stubborn streak to her whenever she's passionate about her opinion or something important. She'd have to be patient with the crew, too, in order to put up with their jokes and pranks and such. But most importantly," he said, looking out to sea from where we stood on a small pathway back to Jan's house, "my girl would have to love and appreciate freedom as much as I do." He began leading us up towards the house again.
"Would you want a beautiful wife, Jack?" I quietly asked, desperately wanting to know.
To my surprise, Jack shook his head. "Beauty is only skin deep, luv," he said, smiling at me as we walked. "While I wouldn't mind having a pretty face to wake up to every morning, if she had all of the things I wanted on the inside, it wouldn't make much of a difference if her nose were crooked, her eyes too narrow, or if her face were covered in pock marks." Jack suddenly went quiet. "Well, maybe not pock marks…freckles or the occasional mole I wouldn't mind…but pock marks…ew."
I couldn't help but laugh at Jack's expression as we approached Jan's house, my eyes focusing on the path until we entered the doorway. It was then that we separated, Jack giving my hand a brief kiss before swaggering away towards the stairs. I sighed and headed up to my room to eat lunch and hide from the world, my thoughts and feelings a complete mess.
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For dinner that evening, I was ordered by Padma to change into something different than what I had worn earlier. Since my spirits were low, I chose an outfit with coloring that changed from midnight-blue to deep black, the edges of the neckline and hem lightly trimmed in silver ribbon and embroidery. I was quiet throughout the entire meal, trying not to look at the pirate sitting across from me and sigh out loud as I admired Jack's features from my seat. I would put on a false smile and answer any questions directed at me, but otherwise stayed silent. Finally, just after the dishes were taken away and we were waiting for dessert, Padma gave me a concerned look from her place next to Jack.
"Rose, are you alright?" she asked, trying to look me in the eye and see my true feelings. "You are awfully quiet this evening."
Another smile was put on my lips as I looked at her. "I'm fine," I replied. "I'm just tired. I swear that Jack and I walked the entire market today, and I'm afraid I wasn't able to rest this afternoon. I will probably go to bed right after dinner."
From the corner of my eye, I saw Jack give me a concerned look at well, but ignored him in favor of the pastry put in front of me by a servant. Picking up my fork, I finished the confection without tasting it and left as soon as I could so as not to let Jack or Padma get a chance at questioning me.
I thought myself safe the moment my door closed behind me, shutting out the world so that I could wrap myself in my own thoughts. I quickly changed into a light cotton nightgown of pale blue and was combing out my hair when someone knocked on the door, startling me out of the serene moment that hairbrushing put me into. I rose from my seat at my vanity and opened the door, thinking it was a servant coming to check on me. Instead, I found Padma standing there, wrapped in lovely crème-colored garments and saree, her dark eyes full of suspicion.
"Let me in," she demanded in a quiet voice that allowed no argument.
I obeyed, opening the door further and allowing her to enter and take a seat on a stool near my bed. I shut the door and followed her example, taking a seat on my bed so that I was facing her.
"Now, tell me why you were acting strangely at dinner tonight." She held up her hand to stop my protests. "Rose, I've seen how upset you've been since you returned from the marketplace, and I know that whatever is wrong, it started while you were with Jack." Her dark eyes flashed dangerously. "Has he said or done something to you? Have you been dishonored in someway? I know he has a way with women, but if he did something to you…"
I shook my head, touched by her concern, but knowing I had to tell her the truth. "Jack has done nothing to me…which is actually the center of my problem."
Padma looked at me for a moment before realization flashed in her eyes. "You're attracted to him."
"No," I said, looking down at my hands. "I'm in love with him." I risked a glance up at my friend and was surprised to see, instead of alarm, there was a look of understanding and kindness.
"I saw something in your eyes when you looked at him, but I am glad that you realize your feelings for him," she said, placing a hand on mine. "But do you love Jack or the legend that he is?"
I looked at her. "I love him for him," I said. "He's been nothing but kind to me, and he's helped me learn more useful things in these few months than I ever learned back home. He makes me laugh and treats me as though I matter as a human being, not a mere creature below him in station or in life!" I blushed when I saw Padma smirking at my passion-filled confession. At that point, I sighed. "I know he doesn't love me, though," I said, a tear escaping from the corner of my eye. "He wants a real pirate female, someone who can brave the seas with him and make him happy to be with her." I swallowed around the lump forming in my throat. "Jack told me that he wants someone who can put up with him, his crew, and to practically be a pirate queen, standing strong at his side at the helm of the Pearl as they travel the seas."
"Are you not that?" Padma said, genuinely curious. "After all, he invited you onto his beloved ship."
"I'm not full of spark and life like he wants," I replied, shoulders sagging in defeat. "I'm mud….dull, useless, and ugly. I don't know why Jack accepted me onto the Pearl. I can't fight, I can barely cook well enough to satisfy the crew, and Lord knows that I can't do much aboard the Pearl without getting in the way of everything." I shook my head. "No, there's no way Jack could see me as anything other than an ordinary member of the crew."
"That is not true!" Padma cried before lowering her voice so that no one would hear and come investigate. "You are a wonderful girl. My parents see it, and since Jack is not blind or stupid, he must see it as well. You have a wonderful sense of humor, you think of others before yourself, and you have worked hard ever since you set foot on the Pearl. If you didn't work well, Jack would have never allowed you onto his precious ship." She put a hand on my arm. "Please, believe me when I say that Captain Sparrow only accepts those he knows to be good, loyal, hard workers. If you were none of those, you would be back in your homeland right now and not here."
"I would be married to a British lord who had never met me until a month or two before the wedding," I said bitterly. "I know that that English lord wouldn't have wanted me if I were truly ugly, but as it was, he thought me just tolerable enough in looks to agree to wed me. I'm not a beauty like you are, Padma, and I accept that, but I'm still fairly pretty, since I suppose I look quite attractive in the outfits you have given me…but when am I going to be able to wear those onboard the Pearl?" I sighed as I though of the gorgeous outfits currently in my closet. "Also, Jack's an incredibly handsome man and he deserves a beautiful pirate woman at his side, not this." I waved towards my body.
Padma shook her head. "You are tired and irrational," she calmly said, standing from her stool as she patted my hand. "We will talk more of this in the morning, once your mind and heart have settled."
A moment later, I was alone and tired. Sighing, I blew out the lamps and snuggled into bed to sleep.
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Lying in her bed that evening, Padma bit her lower lip, trying to think of a way to clear up the mess that had been created. So Rose was in love with Jack; not the kind of love a woman has for an idol from books and stories, but a real love for a man who treated her as every woman deserves to be. The problem, in this case was Jack himself; the poor man wouldn't know love if it spat in his face. If Jack couldn't see Rose's feelings, or acknowledge the feelings that Padma could see in his eyes, then they would need help. And since Rose would never confess her emotions to Jack, Padma knew exactly what needed to be done.
Smiling, she rolled over in bed and drifted off to sleep, a plot already formed in her mind.
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AN: Uh, oh, can anyone else sense a major plot being hatched? Review!