Hi all! Incredibly sorry 'bout the hold up on this chapter, but you know how the holidays are…. Right?
Starsplash: thank you very much! That is such a high compliment.
SarahK-O-M: yes, I think that sounds like a fun site. Oh, and yes I'll truss up Edmund and hang him high. Let the beating, er, I mean piñata hitting begin!
Kitty: rollin', rollin', rollin', keep those chapters rollin, rawhi-yde! Ok, lame, I know, but it just hit me and I had to write it.
Captain Ella Raven: aw! Thanks! I love getting feed back on the way my characters are appearing to the readers! And that is just the way I wanted Kipp to come across as!
AKAfredandgeorge: yes rain on a window is a good thing, I don't like it so much when it is on a tent that is supposed to be waterproof, bad memories, oh well, at least air mattresses float!
LittleRockinDragon: so I sent you my answer, the cameos are still up for grabs if'n you want one.
Princess Amberly: I always love your reviews! They are always so sweet and uplifting. Oh, and I wouldn't end it like that, it's a bit too abrupt, there is more stuff that needs to happen, and some loose ends that need to be tied up.
Windpoetry: thank you!
AKAFredandGeorge: no, you cannot have purple hair, you weirdo, have fun in Greece!
Good Girl'z Dead: yup, no givin' up, just tryin' to find the time!
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"I'm home!" Will called, carelessly tossing his jacket on the bench in the entryway.
"In the kitchen!" a decidedly feminine voice called back from somewhere in the house, causing Will to grin and head straight for the kitchen, leaving his guests to follow.
Kipp, who was still holding Sera, and Katrina stopped just inside the door way while Will walked up behind Elizabeth and put his arms around her waist.
"Not that I am complaining, but what are you doing home early?" Elizabeth asked, up to her elbows in dough.
"Do I need any more reason than you?" Will replied, kissing her neck and making her giggle.
"Eh-hem." Kipp cleared his throat loudly, making the pair jump.
"And we have guests." Will added dryly, dropping his hands.
Elizabeth turned with a sweet smile gracing her lips, which turned into a full smile when she saw who it was. "Kipp, I didn't think to see you again so soon."
"Half a year is hardly soon." Kipp teased with a small laugh.
"All the same, it is good to see you. I suppose it is safe to assume Jack is somewhere about?"
"Aye." Kipp grinned at her. "He'll be around sometime."
"As always." She agreed. Elizabeth then turned her attention to her other guests. "Well, hello. I'm Elizabeth Turner, who might you be?"
"I'm Katrina, and this is- SERA!" she called exasperated, the little girl had somehow gotten to the table in the middle of the room and was happily popping sugar cubes into her mouth. The little girl just looked up at her innocently, her mouth and hands already sticky from the sugar. Elizabeth laughed.
"Well, it looks like you need to be cleaned up." Sera pouted at that. "And maybe later you can help me bake cookies." Sera brightened at that. "And I am willing to guess you would like a nice warm bath with scented soap?" She directed to Katrina
"Oh, that would be lovely." Katrina quickly agreed.
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A tub was set behind a screen in a spacious bedroom. A fresh dress hanging from the screen, ready to be put on. Katrina hardly suppressed a squeal of delight at the thought of a proper bath.
Relishing the feel of actual soap and scrubbing the salt from her skin and rinsing it from her hair, Katrina soaked in the bath water, allowing the warmth to relax her muscles. She closed her eyes and allowed her mind to drift, thinking of how her life changed since that night in London when she first met a certain Captain Sparrow. Realizing that the water was starting to cool, Katrina quickly finished washing and dried herself off with the fluffy white towel that was warmed by the fireplace and then slipped on the dress that Elizabeth loaned her. It was made of fine lawn cotton in the palest shade of yellow that reminded Katrina of butter. She sat down at the vanity and started brushing her damp hair.
There was a knock at her door. "Come in." she invited. Elizabeth entered with a few more dresses in her arms.
"I thought you could use a few more. It will be a while before a seamstress can complete a proper wardrobe."
"A-a wardrobe?" Katrina looked at Elizabeth's reflection in the mirror. "I can't let you spend money on me. I probably shouldn't even take half those dresses. They are much too fine for the likes of me."
"Nonsense." Elizabeth was hanging the dresses in the bureau. "We have more than enough money, and I cannot allow a guest of mine to go about in hand downs, why, these are barely in fashion anymore, as the new styles are starting to come in from London and Paris. No," she held up a hand to stop Katrina's protests. "it simply will not do." She walked over behind Katrina, taking the brush from her hand. "Here, let me do your hair, then the two of us will go shopping. I need some things as well."
"The two of us? What about Sera?" Katrina questioned the other woman's reflection.
"Oh, I already got her measurements." Elizabeth replied, collecting Katrina's hair on top her head in a simple. Yet pretty style, artfully weaving a ribbon through it to hold it in place. "And she's having too much fun "helping" Will and Kipp make sugar cookies." Elizabeth laughed. "Come on now, we're wasting good shopping time." She handed Katrina a pale yellow hat that matched her dress and one for herself as they headed down the stairs.
"Will, we are going out now, we will be back in a while!" she called down the hallway that led to different rooms in the house, the kitchen being one of them.
"Alright!" they heard him call back, then "No, don't do that!"
"Hey!" Kipp yelped followed by Sera's amused laughter.
"We best go while we still can. Elizabeth steered Katrina out the door. "Don't worry, they can handle it. I can't believe what a handful she can be, and I've only known her for an hour."
"You must let me pay you back." Katrina tried as they made their way to the shops.
"Katrina…" Elizabeth complained.
"Please, I can cook, clean, scrub, polish, sew, mend and wash. Well, actually," she began after a few moments of silence. "my sewing and mending aren't all that good, barely passable really, and I've never actually washed any clothing, but I've seen it done, and it doesn't look too hard. And I can't cook meat, I never could quite get it right, unless it is in a stew. I can clean tough…" she trailed off, realizing she was starting to ramble.
"Katrina!" Elizabeth cut in before she could begin again. "Though it would be nice to have a little bit of help every once in a while, I expect no such thing. You are Will's and my guest, the both of you are."
Katrina sighed, chalk up another for Elizabeth, Jack Sparrow has some very determined friends.
By then they had reached the main shopping area. Elizabeth smiled and nodded to aquantinces as they strolled along while Katrina studied the shops they passed, a little back was the smithy, a dish wares shop and a jeweler. They passed stores of all kinds with their wares displayed in their windows. Bonnets, shawls, slippers, fans, gloves, parasols, and ribbons, scented soaps and perfumery where some among the assortment of things displayed in the shops. Elizabeth led her through a door next to a window in which some mannequins were clad in elegant dresses. a bell jangling to announce their arrival.
"Mrs. Turner! You have come to see the new styles, correct?" a pretty woman in her mid-twenties with golden blond hair in soft curls and eyes so dark they were nearly black, approached the pair.
"Yes, Tanwen, we have." Elizabeth turned to Katrina. "Tanwen is the best modiste in Port Royal. She can copy any style down to the last stitch, she is also a marvel with costumes."
"It is true." The dress maker agreed, not bragging, merely affirming it as a fact as she motioned for them to take a seat on the couch in the parlor section of her shop.
"Here are some measurements for a small girl, she will need dresses for every occasion, as well as night clothes." Elizabeth handed Tanwen a piece of paper from her handbag after settling her skirts.
"Of course." Tanwen said, jotting down the information in her order book. She turned to a shelf, pulled out a few books and placed them on the low table before Katrina and Elizabeth. "These are the latest publications from London, Madrid and Paris."
"Katrina, you know Sera best, why don't you choose a couple of styles you think she'd like." Elizabeth handed her one of the thin volumes, then selected one for herself. Katrina opened the cover and stared at the first page. There was a sketch of a little girl in a dress that was finer than any she had seen on the "quality" back in London. She turned the page to more sketches, after the eighth, she was bewildered. "Katrina? Is everything alright?" Elizabeth asked her, concern edging into her voice.
"I don't know anything of fashion, I couldn't possibly…"
"That's alright." Elizabeth gently took the open book from her. "How about colors? What are Sera's favorite colors? What does she look good in?"
Katrina sent Elizabeth a thankful look. "Deep blue, to match her eyes… any color that is not too quick to show dirt." She added with a rueful grin.
"Hmm. Usually little girls wear lighter colors, pastels really, though I don't see the harm in a touch more color." Elizabeth nodded, smiling. "Now, we need you measured. Just follow Tanwen, she'll help you with what to do."
Katrina nodded, but didn't like the knowing look in Elizabeth's eyes. She soon found out why. She was stripped to her under clothes and made to stand on a short stool as she was measured, draped, pinned and prodded from every angle by Tanwen's assistants. all the while Elizabeth and Tanwen went over colors, patterns and trim, all of it made Katrina's head swim. An hour later she was handed her dress and ushered behind a screen to slip it on. Why the bothered when they had already seen her in her under things, Katrina didn't know, but was glad to be done with it.
They left the shop with Elizabeth promising to come back later for her own fitting, then proceeded to take Katrina on an extensive trek through more shops than Katrina cared to remember, and she was astounded at everything Elizabeth deemed necessary.
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Kipp enjoyed watching the little girl concentrate on frosting the cookies just right, even though he was sure he still had flour in his hair and on his clothes. He and Will were attempting to clean the kitchen, after admonishing the girl for creating such a mess, which caused large tears to form in her eyes. Both men were uncomfortable with the idea of a weepy woman on their hands, even if the woman was just over two years of age, and quickly replaced the bowl of sugar cubes which had been moved out of her reach.
They were just discussing how to best get egg out of the gauzy curtains covering the kitchen window when they heard the door open, sharing a glance of relief with Kipp, Will went to greet the women.
"How was your shopping trip?" he asked genially, expecting that it would cost him a small fortune.
"Productive." Elizabeth answered, giving him a peck on the lips after removing her bonnet.
"How big of a mess did Sera make?" was the first thing out of Katrina's mouth.
"Well, er…" Will began.
"That bad?" Katrina sighed. "Elizabeth, if you'll show me where you keep your supplies, I'll get to cleaning it up."
"No need, Kitten." Kipp said coming down the hall. "We took care of it. What?" he added noticing Katrina giving him an odd look. But she simply shook her head, lips pressed tight together.
"Kipp, I think you should look in a mirror." Elizabeth told him, her lips twitching.
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right, so, shorted than I, yourselves as well I'm sure, hoped. But I decided I best get SOMETHING up before I get an angry mob shouting for my head…
Much love for your patience. Still want a cameo? Let me know!