Julia stood in the doorway of the room she would inhabit for the next week or so. She then looked back over her shoulder at Captain Norrington who casually leaned against the wall, waiting for a response from his passenger. She slowly drew a frustrated breath, careful to appear calm despite her chagrin, filling her lungs with the briny, stagnant air of the ship's hull. In this part of the ship, the sway of the waves was most noticeable and Julia was glad that she was able to quickly gain her sea legs. Since the tide was coming in, she could hear the water slap against the wooden hull, sounding much like an angry fist against a wall, echoing through the small chamber.

The room was hardly bigger than her mother's music box sitting on her vanity back home. A narrow bed, fastened to the floor in some manner, and a chest of drawers, also so fastened, filled the space of the room. In fact, as she gathered her skirts, Julia had to walk sideways between the wall and the bed just to maneuver.

It reminds me of a coffin. And is about as dark as the inside of one, too, I bet. But, if nothing else, just remember it is but a short period of time to endure in order to get back home.

Setting her meager belongings down on the bed, Julia soon followed suit and sat on the mattress, testing it for comfort. The sheets were clean, as far as she could tell, and neither the mattress nor the pillow smelled too musty. Shrugging her shoulders in the most unladylike way, Julia smiled wryly, dimpling her left cheek, and said, "Captain, I must say that I am pleasantly surprised. You and your crew should be commended – the room is very clean. I have to admit I have slept in worse." But Julia had to wonder if she was given the smallest cabin possible in retribution for her earlier insolence.

I bet you have. Norrington resisted the urge to snort and instead nodded his head, as if in silent agreement. The truth of it was, having a woman on the ship made the men work even harder, if only to best each other in trying to impress the fairer sex. Although that was also a double-edged sword, as men sometimes became careless in their one-up-manship. It was always best to transport goods, rather than persons. But when presented with two evils, best to take the lesser. I just hope I chose wisely. Crossing his arms across his chest, he gestured at her bags with his chin. "Are those all your belongings or are more to be expected?"

Julia eyed her valise and satchel with much bemusement. His question rang in her head for several moments as she tried to formulate an appropriate answer. Did she explain that she had long since already paid for a trip back to America, but found herself in circumstances that pushed her departure date up by more than a month? Or was it best that he know as little about her as possible? Shrugging her shoulders again, Julia smiled. "You told me that you were to set sail with or without me, once you had my money firmly in hand I might add, so what you see here is all that I shall transport. My visit became more abbreviated than I anticipated, so I had to sell some of my personal belongings in order to afford to pay for the trip back to Charles Town."

An arched eyebrow was the only visible sign of intrigue. Before him sat a very curious woman, indeed. But rather than continue to interrogate his passenger, Norrington thought it best to change the subject entirely. Discussing the ownership, or lack thereof, of a woman's articles of clothing seemed highly inappropriate, even under the consideration of his newest guest's career. Instead, he unfolded his arms and stretched them above his head, bracing his hands against the top of the threshold.

Julia waited for some sort of comment, but was surprised when he said, "Dinner will be at 7 o'clock. Would you like to eat with the crew or in your quarters?"

Wrinkling her brow in mild annoyance at the turn in the conversation, Julia bit her tongue to hold back a saucy retort. Why was it that he was still lingering when there were plenty of pressing matters that he could attend to? Not that she really wanted him to leave because, in some small way she could barely acknowledge, Julia almost found him agreeable to be around. Almost. Never mind the fact that the room was dark and damp, and the gravity of the situation was crashing down upon her. Being alone with her thoughts was the last things Julia wanted at the moment.

But the captain's words from the dock came flooding back. And left a sour taste in her mouth. "If it pleases you, I think that I shall take all of my meals in here. I would loathe being in anyone's way."

Shoving himself off the doorframe, Norrington entered the room and maneuvered his bulk past Julia's skirts, to open the shutter covering the window and allow light to fill the chamber. He planted his hands on both sides of the window frame, his forehead resting against the glass, not entirely sure as to his reasons for entering the room. Norrington had business to attend to, items requiring his near immediate attention. And it was not as if he actually enjoyed her company. She was just a means to an end. Or so he kept reminding himself. At a loss for words, he busied himself with opening the latch on the window to allow for fresh air to enter the cabin.

Julia's gaze followed the captain's entry into her room and settled on the broad expanse of his back, where his shoulder muscles twisted and turned beneath the fabric. A breeze caught at the shirt, blousing the shirt open, filling the material like a ship's sail, which only emphasized the narrowness of the captain's hips. From where she sat, Julia could only see a hint of the burnished skin of his chest, but it was enough for her to avert her eyes.

A lady should not notice such things. Ashamed of having such low thoughts, her cheeks burned scarlet at the realization, a reaction she hoped would go unnoticed by Captain Norrington. It then dawned on Julia that she was sitting on a bed with a man in the same room. She immediately stood, not at all sure of the protocol in such a situation.

Her sudden movement startled him and he swung around, taking a step forward and landing his body a scant inches from hers. And brought him in direct line of sight with the neckline of her dress. A very flattering neckline. Bloody Hell, he thought.

"The passenger rooms were not built for ladies in mind, I suppose," he said, suddenly unable to continue looking upon her. He caught his reflection in the tarnished looking glass above the foot of the bed and noted his disheveled appearance. Despite the heat of the day, she still looked cool and composed while he looked… Like the sea dog you have become. The room suddenly became unbearably small but the only way out was currently blocked by…

Actually, he had no idea as to her name and the fact startled him. With a sheepish grin that Julia found quite charming, he ran a hand through his hair in a futile attempt to tame his locks and said, "Not that it makes much difference to me, but I suppose that the crew might, eventually, want to know. So, since you will be sailing with us for a while, may I inquire as to your name?"

Julia ducked her head, trying to hide the color in her cheeks. Of course! How thickheaded of her not to announce her name when she booked passage. The time she spent on the island must have baked all the sense out of her brain. "You may." Despite the fact that you practically said that you, yourself, could give a rat's arse as to whom I am. "And I apologize for not properly introducing myself earlier. My name is Julia. Julia Ramage. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

She gave no indication of her title, an omission that was not lost on Norrington. And her casual introduction was indicative of rearing that was less than… proper. He took her smooth hand in his own rough one and made to kiss it, but irritation suddenly swelled within him. Trying to pass as someone more decent than she actually was! So, at the last moment, Norrington just bowed in acknowledgement. Looking up into her eyes from above the smooth plane of the back of her hand, he said, "Captain James Norrington. Tomorrow I will introduce you to the rest of the crew. In the meantime, I shall let you rest. A tray of food will be brought to your room in a short while. Until the morrow, Miss Ramage, I bid you a good night."