Ugh, I swear, viruses of the world conspire against me.
Starsplash: Thank you so much for your continued interest and support!
AliKernschatten: thankyou! I'm afraid that I'm not quite sure what you are asking, though it could be my cold, my cold medicine or the fact that it is currently after midnight as I type this.
AKAFredandGeorge: Hey! I resent that! Rescind, rescind!!!
AKAfredandgeorge: I didn't know you took your tea that way… hmm, learn something new everyday.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Katrina distantly listened to Lily's newly animated chatter, nodding occasionally. She smiled as she thought back to just a quarter hour past.
---The commodore sank gratefully into the chair that Katrina had vacated. He had been against it, but Katrina insisted, using the voice she used whenever Sera had been particularly naughty. It was actually somewhat humorous to see a big naval man fold like a little boy caught with his hand in the cookie jar under Katrina's gaze.
Lily had taken the teacup from his hand and was returning it filled with tea, and one cube of sugar. James Norrington took a sip and closed his eyes briefly. When he opened his eyes, both of the girls were looking at him curiously. He frowned when he noticed his cup on the nightstand and reached for it, grimacing when the sip he took was cold. Realization hit him just a moment later; he had drifted off to sleep.
"What time is it?" he asked to cover up some of his discomfiture.
"A short time after four, I believe." Katrina told him.
"You've been asleep for half an hour, sir." Lily added, immediately her hand flew to her mouth, embarrassment tinting her cheeks pink.
The commodore smiled faintly. "I'm afraid I worry overly much when I cannot keep an eye on Daniel. And with my work, I'm afraid that my absence is inevitable."
"Could you not hire a nurse or maid?" Katrina questioned.
The commodore shook his head with a sigh. "I have not the time to look for one."
"Oh, you wouldn't have to!" Lily looked excited. "We know someone that would be perfect." She caught Katrina's eye with a gleam in her eye. Katrina brightened.
"Yes. We do." She agreed.---
"Katrina, are you listening?" Lily broke into her thoughts.
"Of course I am, Lil." She assured the younger girl.
"Then what was I saying?" Lily raised an eyebrow.
"You were talking about… oh look! The house!" Katrina hurried forward.
"Katr-! Oh, for heaven's sake." Lily, in an uncharacteristic and decidedly unladylike moment, rushed to keep up with her friend.
As soon as she was through the front door, Katrina heard mingled feminine laughter coming from the back of the house. Katrina smiled at the sight as she entered the kitchen. Elizabeth was kneading dough while Keeley added some freshly chopped vegetables to a pot hung over the fire in the fireplace. Her face was still too-thin, but her cheeks held color and her eyes shone with laughter
"Hello." Elizabeth greeted, pausing in her kneading to push a few stray strands of hair out of her face with the back of her hand.
Katrina nodded her head in greeting, but directed her attention to Keeley. "I have good news." She announced with a smile.
"Oh?" Keeley asked absently as she returned to chopping more vegetables.
"Someone has a new job."
"Katrina, stop being so cryptic." Elizabeth said over her shoulder.
"I know you can do house-work, but how are you at nursing the injured?"
Keeley put down her knife and looked Katrina in the eye. "You found work for me with a doctor?" she looked disbelieving.
Lily laughed lightly from the small table set up in the kitchen. "Oh, no." she said. "Much better than that."
Katrina shared a look with Elizabeth on how much was conveyed in those six short words.
"The commodore needs someone to watch his nephew while he conducts his business at the fort, and the house could stand a little cleaning."
"I imagine it could." Elizabeth interpolated. "With only two men living there."
Katrina threw a glance at her cousin. "We're trying to encourage her to take the job, not scare her away from it."
A giggle escaped from Keeley. "Kitty, I'm no stranger to hard work, as you well know."
Katrina smiled at Keeley.
-----------------------------
Kipp sat down unlocked the top drawer of the captain's desk. He pulled out a small box and turned it over slowly in his hands, a thoughtful look on his face. A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.
"Come in." he called.
"Hiya, Kipp." A dark haired boy with a monkey perched on his shoulder entered the captain's cabin. "What cha got there?"
Kipp looked at his hand, noticing he still held the box, shoved it back in the drawer and closed it. "What did you do this time, Jace?" Kipp asked.
"Nothin'. Honest!" Jace defended himself. "I's been behavin' myself just like I promised. I just wanted to know when ya were planin' on leavin'. I'm sick of being land locked, it's not natural."
"I don't know yet." Kipp shrugged. "There are some things I need to do before we sail and my contacts haven't had any good tips lately."
"Don't worry, I'll find work on another ship. Ships are always looking for good help, I bet I could be a powder monkey."
Kipp shot to his feet. "Absolutely not! It is way too dangerous!"
"What do you care?" the boy scorned.
"You were entrusted to my care and I forbid it." Kipp narrowed his eyes.
"You aren't my father, you can't tell me what to do!" the boy turned and raced from the cabin, nearly knocking down Taidhgan in the process.
Taidhgan placed his hands on Jace's shoulders to steady him. "Easy there, little man." Jace just jerked himself from Taidhgan's hold and continued running.
"Jace!" Kipp yelled, trying to catch up to the boy, but the boy was too fast. Kipp ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "That boy has too much of Rafe in him."
"Aye." The first mate agreed. "But then Rafe always had too much of your uncle in him."
-----------------------------
Katrina turned around in the carriage to wave to Lily. The governor had sent it down to pick up his niece. Jenkins agreed to letting Lily ride and be dropped of seeing how 'it just ain't right, young ladies walkin' by their lonesomes'. Lily returned the wave cheerily and Katrina settled back on the cushions, watching the increasingly familiar scenery pass.
Kara met Katrina in the hallway and insisted that Katrina change in to one of her own dresses so that they could return the one she was wearing to Elizabeth. With a sigh, she yielded to Kara's ministrations, grimacing as the maid pulled tightly at the corset strings.
"Where's Sera?" Katrina asked, evading Kara, who was holding a brush and hair pins.
"I think nurse took her out to the garden." Kara commented, sifting through an array of ribbons. "But Miss Katrina… your… hair." Kara trailed off as she turned around; Katrina was already gone from the room.
Katrina was walking down the garden path, the white gravel crunching softly beneath her feet, when a small gray fuzz ran towards her, she bent and picked up the little kitten just as Sera came running up from somewhere in the middle of the garden.
"Kitty!" Sera cried, wrapping her arms around Katrina's knees.
"Here you are, Precious." Katrina gave the kitten to Sera before she picked her up. "How are you?" Katrina asked as Sera snuggled up to her.
"Good." Sera replied then lifted her head to look at Katrina. "Kitty good?"
"Yes, Precious, Kitty is good." Katrina smiled just as the nurse came up, puffing slightly.
"There you are." She panted. "I'm sorry miss, I turned my back for but a second."
"It's alright." Katrina assured her. "Sera, sweetie, guess who I saw down in town." Sera cocked her head to the side and gave Katrina a questioning look. "Keeley."
"Keeley?" Sera smiled brightly and Katrina nodded. "Where?" Sera wanted to know.
"She's staying with Elizabeth and Will, remember them?"
Sera nodded. "Go see?" Sera asked hopefully.
"Maybe tomorrow, ok Precious?"
Sera pouted, but nodded anyway. "Ok." She reluctantly agreed.
"Good girl." Katrina bounced her lightly. "Now, why don't you show me what you doing?" she set Sera down and smiled as the little girl grabbed her free hand and pulled her deeper into the garden.
-----------------------------
That night Sera waited until she heard the even breathing and soft snoring coming from nurse and slipped out of bed. She opened the window and worked her way down the side of the house using mainly ornately carved stones and a vine that had grown up the side of the house under her window.
--------------------------------------------
yes, yes, I know it was short, but at least now I have a good spot to start the next chapter, that should make everyone happy, right?
As always, please review, more reviews faster chapters!