Commandeering Commodore

Chapter 24

Elizabeth did not sleep, and although she did her best to relax she couldn't help but notice every sound as she lay there knowing it meant someone would come barging in her room and arrest her. When that didn't happen and the sun came up and she had not been drug out of her room in chains she got up and prepared for the day, still not sure she would not be arrested the minute she showed her face for breakfast. Josette came as had become her normal routine and helped her dress. They did not speak of the night before, only making small talk until Elizabeth was ready to go to the dining room for breakfast. Just before they exited the room Josette said quietly, "I hope you have not changed your mind Madame."

"No Josette, I am still prepared to take you when I leave." Elizabeth answered in a matching tone.

Josette smiled a thankful smile and headed for the dining room with Elizabeth close behind her. Elizabeth did not completely relax until she had entered the room and the Governor greeted her as usual. She sat down to eat, and did a very good job of acting like nothing was out of the usual, keeping up the nonchalant talk started by the Governor without drifting off.

"I am of the opinion we may be able to conclude our negotiations today Madame Turner. We have made great progress due to your laudable negotiating skills. You have such a refreshing approach that I would request you to handle any future business we might have in the future. Give your Father my complements when you return home on his wise decision to send you instead of some dunderheaded diplomat Madame."

"Thank you Governor, I will be sure to pass that along when I return home." Elizabeth replied relieved that there was no insinuation that she would not be allowed to leave the island.

"Now Madame, if you have finished your breakfast I suggest we get on with our business. Perhaps we will be able to have a signed pact by lunch time."

Elizabeth rose from her chair and answered, "Nothing would make me happier Governor."

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As Jack came in the door he saw two things immediately, the Commodore standing a few steps ahead of him where he had stopped and drawn his sword, and William swaying a bit, Teague, and Barbossa all with swords drawn facing off with half the population of the tavern who were throwing curses and threats at the three as they advanced towards them.

"Gentlemen!" Jack called out waving his hands about as he approached, "You surely haven't drunk yourselves into such a state that you don't recognize who you'd be threatening here have you?" As the men glanced from the trio with the swords to Jack and back he continued, "I'm thinkin it might be a wise thing to be focusing those rum soaked eyes of yours a bit more clearly on who your about to be unfortunate enough to cross blades with." And pointing to each man as he named them he continued, "This gentlemen is Captain Teague Sparrow, I'm certain a goodly number of you have heard of him? And the person standing next to him if you'd care to notice is Hector Barbossa," Jack smiled a bit as he saw Hector shoot him a dirty look at leaving off the Captain. "And I know you've had to have heard of ….of…Bloody…..Will Turner…..scourge of……..everyone everywhere I'm told. Now gents if it were me, which it's not of course, seein as I'm standin here without a sword in me hand unlike the likes of you who are standin there with your blades all threatening like, ready to do something you're sure to be sorry for, if it were me I'd be thinkin the wise course to be steering here would be put your swords away and buy these fine gentlemen a round of drinks, not forgettin any persons who would happen to be sharin a table with said fine gentlemen, and hope they have it in their hearts to be forgivin such a mistake as you're about to be committing here which would no doubt lead to much bloody loosin of limbs and such, if it were in fact me which it's not."

The men looked from Jack to the three men and then at each other as they slowly put their blades away.

"A bonny and astute decision on your parts gentlemen I assure you." Jack said as the men started to turn away. Just before they started to walk off one of them said, "We recognize them what you named now that you named 'em, but who the bloody hell is that? He looks a bit familiar too." pointing at James who had walked up behind Jack as he had been speaking.

Jack snapped his head around to look at James, not realizing he was standing there. "Surely a figment of your imaginations that he looks somewhat familiar brought on by the ingestin of all that rum I'm sure. Because that gentleman happens to be and is in fact me……is me…..Uncle Jamie…….black sheep of the family he is………I'd be one of the few in the family that will have anything to do with him. Especially after that incident with me dear young cousin Abigail." And then lowering his tone as if he were imparting a great secret and motioning with his thumb at James continued, "Daft as a june bug he is, but good company as long as you're not expectin much out o him or a young girl for that matter. He is, by the way, an absolutely marvelous deck scrubber, will spend hours on his knees scrubbin decks and talkin to hisself. Yep that's it gents, give him a deck ta scrub and you'll never see a happier man, main reason I keep him around sometimes as it were or would happen to be."

James leaned over next to Jack's ear and in a whisper that had no trouble conveying his anger said, "That will suffice Sparrow."

Jack glanced at James, and seeing he was pushing the situation as far as he could without bodily harm said, "Ah Uncle Jamie has just reminded me we haven't yet been the beneficiaries of those drinks gentlemen."

The men wasted no time in calling to the barmaids for more drinks and pulling coins out of their pockets to pay for said drinks.

As the drinks were delivered to the table, and the men in the bar resumed their seats, Teague, Barbossa, Will, James, and Jack sat down.

"Leave you for a few minutes and everything goes to pot!" Jack said looking around at his tablemates, "Just what brought all that on?"

"It seems Mr. Turner here has a bit of a problem with wakin amongst a roomful of scalawags Jack. Causes him to draw his sword and start swingin it around like a damn fool." Hector said, as he gave Will a withering look.

"Ah, well can't be holdin that against him Hector, I might have the same reaction wakin to the likes of you." Jack said with a smile.

"Sorry Jack, I didn't mean to draw all that attention, for a moment I couldn't remember where I was or why." Will said looking down at the rum in front of him. "And I don't remember them being here at all."

"No worries William, it would appear no harm was done." Jack replied as he patted Will on the shoulder.

"What would be the reason for your presence in Tortuga with the likes of the company ya happen to be keepin Mr. Turner?" Barbossa asked.

Will started to open his mouth to reply when Jack kicked him in the shin causing an "Ouch that hurt!" and a glare at Jack instead of what ever it was that Will was about to say.

"No need to be troublin the Whelp with a bunch of questions now is there Hector. Him still bein a bit hung over and all. Probably wouldn't get a reasonable answer, or for that matter an answer that was anything resembling anything anywhere near what he was sayin or about to say for that matter as it were."

"Jack…..Jack, it seems ta me you've been doin a right fine jig tryin to skirt around the tellin of just what yer business is here. Which in fact makes me wonder even more what it is ya are doin here. If it be all that innocent I'd be thinkin you'd have been out with it by now. Gives a body something to ponder upon now doesn't it?" Barbossa said as he glanced from Jack to Will to James and back.

"I can't help it if you happen to be the suspicious type Hector." Jack said with a flourish of hands.

"I'd have to be agreein with Barbossa Jackie. I'm thinkin you've made too much of keepin it a secret for it not to be something interesting that's happening here." Teague said watching Jack's face closely as he spoke. "And I for one would like to hear just what the reason'd be you'd all be here together. And I'm thinking I'd like it to be the truth this time."

To Be Continued

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