AKAfredandgeorge: so I'm an evil minx? Never been called that one before, I thought it fair to leave you with a good cliff hanger since I hadn't done one in a while…
Captain Ella Raven: sorry, m'dear, but I don't know when I can update again, you see, my sister and her hubby are going away for a week and my family have been designated as care takers, so that will absorb much of my time.
Starsplash: it's really quite simple, you take strawberries, guava chunks some type of juice, I like pineapple and throw it in a blender, voila! Strawberry guava smoothes, or you can just go to the nearest surf city squeeze. Oh, after you get three feet of snow on the ground, then we'll talk about school closings, oh, wait, that doesn't make schools around here close… and you're the second person to call me evil, as I constantly tell my brothers, I'm not evil, merely misguided and manipulative.
SarahKOM: a thing for captains, huh? I'm sad to say this chapter is void of much captain-ness. And hey, cliffhangers are good every now and then, no?
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RECAP
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"This portrait." The older man said. "I have seen it before."
This caught the attention of some of the people sitting within hearing distance and they all strained to hear the answer when Katrina voiced the question they were all wondering. "Where?"
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The older man stood up swiftly, nearly upsetting his chair.
"Sir?" Katrina inquired.
"Sir Jeffery?" Governor Swann called from his spot at the head of the table on the other side of Katrina, five seats down. "Is there something amiss?" By this time all the guests were watching the elder man, awaiting his reply.
"I believe there is something you should see, my dear." Sir Jeffery addressed Katrina, disregarding his host's question and striding from the room. Quickly Katrina gathered her skirts and followed as fast as her corset would allow. There was a moment of stunned silence in the dining room before a murmur of excited anticipation passed through the guests and they all got up to follow the pair.
"Well, this is quite uncalled for-" the governor started, but the room was already empty, so he did the only thing he could think of, follow the rest of the party.
Katrina was trying hard to catch her breath, for an old man, Sir Jeffery certainly was swift. Katrina stood up and looked at Sir Jeffery when he stopped. They were in the parlor, Katrina saw nothing special, but then followed his gaze. She gasped, there before her was the same portrait, only the figures were life size.
"M-mama?" Katrina whispered, the eager conversation of the dinner parties guests fading as Katrina fainted in shock.
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Kipp looked up at the sound of the carriage stopping in front of the Turner household and grinned, they weren't out as late as he expected. Maybe he could stop by the bar on his way back to his ship. Or if he could get it past Elizabeth he'd take Kitten for a walk. He smiled at the thought, but his smile dropped when only two people came through the door.
"Where's Kitten?" he asked the couple, frowning at their shared glance and the slight worry in Elizabeth's eyes.
"She's staying the night at father's." Elizabeth finally settled on. "I think I'll go check on Sera." she hastily added and swept up the stairs. Will shot her an unbelieving look at her abandonment of him. He slowly turned to look at Kipp, who had his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised. Will knew he was waiting for more of an answer.
"She- er- fainted." He told the young captain.
"What?" Kipp was alarmed. "Why?"
"The doctor wrote it off as the delicacy of females. And also said not to move her more than absolutely necessary. So they put her up in one of the governor's guest rooms. The doctor also said something about a twisted ankle. Ordered not to let her out of bed for a week. Elizabeth was quite frantic."
Kipp headed for the door. "Where are you doing?" Will asked.
"I'm going to go see her." Kipp growled.
"No." Will blocked his way. "Nothing more can be done tonight. Go back to your ship, or use a room here, I don't care. But no doubt Elizabeth will go to see her tomorrow, she won't mind if you come with."
Kipp sighed. "I'll be back first thing in the morning." And he left with sagging shoulders.
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Katrina woke to bright light pouring through a large window. She sat up and stretched with a smile. She hadn't slept so well in a long time. She opened her eyes, blinking against the light. Taking in her surroundings she looked frantically around. She didn't recognize the room, she was close to tears when a pretty little maid entered the room with an armful of fresh towels, which she dropped as her hand flew to her mouth.
"Oh, Miss! You are awake! The governor will be happy to hear it!" she swiftly bent to pick up her dropped burden and spun towards the door. "I'll go tell him and we can get the doctor right away." She called over her shoulder.
Governor? Doctor? Katrina thought, suddenly last night's events came rushing back to her.The gentle old man asking to see her necklace, showing her the portrait matching the one in her locket, then nothing. She grabbed at her throat. Her locket! Where was it?
The door burst open and in strode Governor Swann followed by a middle aged man carrying a battered black leather bag and the same maid from before, still carrying her towels, which she carried into the next room, returning with empty arms.
"Ah, good your awake." The governor said kindly. "If you don't mind I'd like to ask you some questions."
"Not until I've checked her over, milord." The doctor said.
"No, really, I'm fine." Katrina protested.
"I'll decide that, child. I'm the professional here." The doctor told her and she flopped back on the pillows in frustration. "Governor, if you wouldn't mind waiting outside?"
"Of course." Swann said, moving out the door.
The doctor spent half an hour with Katrina, asking her if she hurt any where, inspecting her ankle and prescribing laudanum and a week's rest. Katrina was relived when the self important man finally left. She looked at the bottle of vile smelling liquid next to her bed. smiling as the golden brown haired maid came back in the room with a tray of assorted fruit, toast and water.
"What is your name?" she asked the petite girl.
"Kara, lady." She answered shyly with a small curtsy.
"Well, then Kara," Katrina said warmly. "I was wondering if you could do me a favor?"
The girl lifted shy green eyes to Katrina. "What would you like, miss?"
Katrina glanced around, lowing her voice conspirally "Would you know a way to quietly get rid of this vile stuff?" she said gesturing to the bottle of laudanum.
"Yes, miss." The girl's eyes sparkled with mischief. She took the bottle and unobtrusively slipped it into a basket full of laundry sitting by the door, just as the governor was coming back in the room. Kara shot her a quick grin and a wink before picking up the basket and leaving the room. Katrina smiled back, she already liked this young maid.
"Well, now, you gave us quite a scare last night." He started. "the doctor announced you well and lucid enough for a few questions," Katrina barely suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. "so if you don't mind?"
Katrina nodded, waiting for him to begin. He paced at the foot of the bed for a few moments before taking a seat in the chair the doctor had recently vacated near the head of the bed and cleared his throat. "Where did you get this?" he asked kindly, pulling the locket from his vest pocket.
"Mama's locket!" Katrina reached for it. "Oh, please, sir, may I have it back?"
Weatherby Swann gently took her hand and turned it palm up, carefully setting the locket in her hand. "Do you know what the "E" stands for?"
"I always assumed it was for Ellis, my last name, sir." Katrina answered truthfully, wondering where his questioning was going.
The governor shook his head. "No, it stands for Elizabeth."
"Like your daughter?" Katrina was more perplexed than ever.
"Yes." He nodded. "I named her after my sister, who my family lost."
"I'm sorry for your loss, sir, but-" Katrina stopped when he held up his hand.
"She ran off with a common seaman when she was only sixteen." He took a deep breath. "That locket," he motioned to Katrina's hand. "was a present for her fifteenth birthday. That is her family portrait inside. A miniature my father had made off of the one hanging in our home in England." He paused to study Katrina's face. "I don't know how I didn't see it before." He murmured.
"What, sir?"
"The resemblance. What I'm trying to say, my dear, is that I believe, no I know, that my sister and your mother are one in the same."
Katrina stared at him in shock.
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Elizabeth stared at her father when he told her later when she came to visit Katrina. He had pulled her aside after she and Kipp had finished visiting her. Elizabeth had told Kipp not to wait and he left with a nod.
"But father, how-" She began.
"There is no doubt." He told her with certainty. "She id the very image of your aunt at her age."
"I have a cousin?" Elizabeth clarified.
"Yes." Weatherby beamed. "We will, of course, have to have a celebratory ball where we can introduce her to society. We'll have to move her into the mansion so that it is observed that I am her guardian. It will be nice to have another member of the family in the house again-"
"Father, what about her ward?"
"Ward?" Weatherby paused. Then smiled. "Well, she'll have to come along as well, I suppose. Yes, a little child is just what this house needs. Now, I trust you will help me plan this whole affair?"
"Yes, papa." Elizabeth answered, trying not to grimace, and knowing it was more of an order than a request.
"Good." The governor announced. "Be sure to invite all the people of her age group and status. I want her to make friends and feel right at home."
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After two days in bed, Katrina was going insane from inactivity, and had Kara help her get dressed, glad to be up and about, even if it meant being in a corset. She moved herself to the gardens she could see from the window of her room and closed her eyes enjoying the fresh air and the warmth of the tropical sun on her skin.
"Ah, there you are, your made told me you'd be here, though you aren't supposed to be out of bed, or so I hear. But I don't trust that old piece of chopped liver one wit." Katrina opened her eyes to the elderly voice.
"Hello, Sir Jeffery." She said.
"I came by to make sure you were alright. I'm sorry for the shock I gave you the other night." He sat next to her on the stone bench, resting his hands on his walking stick.
"It is alright." She assured the kind old man. "You could not have known."
"What were you doing all by yourself out here?"
"Just thinking." Katrina responded.
They sat in companionable silence for a few moments. "There is another reason I came." The older man commented.
"Oh?" Katrina asked, finding the old man droll and endearing.
"I wanted to make sure you kept a dance free for this lonely old man at the ball." He said in a grandfatherly fashion.
"I will." Katrina promised, though in her head she was panicking. Ball? Dance? I can't dance!
"Well, I'm sure you have much to do to prepare for your big day." Sir Jeffery smiled. "I will let you get back to your thinking." And with that he made his way up the path and disappeared around a bend in the path.
Katrina sat unmoving for a few moments, unable to go back to her peaceful musings.
A ball?
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there, I didn't make you all wait, I hope this turned out well, because I spent almost four hours trying to get it up in time. Two updates in two days, I hope you don't get used to this spoiling.