Chapter 6

One Week Later

My eyes start to flutter as a knock at the door threatens to disturb my sleep.

Groaning, I roll over onto my stomach and listen as the knocks continue and someone rushes around the room.

"Elizabeth, Annalee?" I hear Father call from the other side of the door. "Are you alright? Are you decent?"

"Yes! Yes!" Lizzie calls back and I quickly jump out of bed, still groggy and slip on a robe the second Father enters the room, followed by Tulla, and Millie.

"Still abed at this hour?" He asks, noticing the nightgowns. "It's a beautiful day."

Tulla opens the curtains and windows, flooding the room with the bright midmorning sun.

I clamp my eyes shut against the blinding light.

"I have gifts for you." Father says gesturing to the other maid, holding two large boxes.

Opening my eyes just enough to see my surroundings, I watch as Father opens the top box and Lizzie, takes out a beautiful golden gown, her face lighting up, delighted.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" She gasps, grinning widely.

Father then opens the second box, and I take the contents out revealing another dress, this one a light blue.

I stare at it, shocked at how intricately detailed it is.

The bodice is embroidered like many of my dresses but this one is done by threading miniature beads onto it. The square neckline and the bottom of the dress are completely hemmed with an inch of delicate tulle and the bell shaped sleeves end right at my elbows.

I stand on my tiptoes, kissing my father on his cheek.

"May I enquire as to the occasion?" Elizabeth asks.

"Does a Father need an occasion to dote upon his daughters?" Father answers.

I cock my head towards him, "Absolutely."

I see him squirm a bit as Lizzie and I both go behind our dressing screens and the two maids start helping us into the dresses.

"Actually, I, um, I had hoped you might wear it for the ceremony today." Father says.

"The ceremony?" I ask.

"Captain Norrington's promotion ceremony." He says and I hear the pride in his voice. The Captain had become somewhat of a son to him over the years.

"I knew it!" Lizzie exclaimed poking her head around the side of the screen.

"Commodore Norrington as he's about to become. A fine gentleman, don't you think?" Father says to Lizzie. "He fancies you, you know."

"Elizabeth? How's it coming?" He asks, hearing her grunt and groan, and I laugh at the strange noises. I hear her start to chuckle back but she is cut short by a loud gasp.

"It's difficult to say." She replies.

"I'm told it's the latest fashion in London."

"Well, women in London must've learned not to breathe."

Curiosity getting the better of me, I come out from behind the dressing screens the maid, chasing after me to finish tying up the corseted back of my dress.

I look behind Lizzie's screen and find her being stuffed into a large belt-like device.

"What is that!" I ask with exaggerated shock.

"It is called a corset." Elizabeth says. "It is apparently the latest fashion."

"What's fashionable about suffocating yourself?"

Lizzie giggles, "It makes you skinnier." She turns to the side, shwoing me her profile.

"I'd rather be fat and alive." I tell her, eyeing the corset warily.

Lizzie leans in and I follow suit.

"So would I." She whispers quietly, and gestures to where Father had stood.

I look at her strangely for a minute but then quickly understand that she didn't want to offend Father.

"Don't worry," I tell her, "Father left with the butler."

Lizzie sighs with relief and we take our places in front of our vanities, letting the maids brush and style our hair.

I smile giddily as Millie starts creating an up do with my hair. Now that I am of age, up do's will probably accompany all my outfits.

After the Millie finishes clipping a small sun hat on my head and a cap on Lizzie's, we slip on our shoes, and grab fans. We then quickly make our way down to the entrance, where we find Father speaking with the blacksmith.

"Girls, you look absolutely stunning." Father says looking up the stairs.

"Will!" Elizabeth cries smiling, quickening her pace and stopping right in front of the blacksmith, her entire face gleaming.

I just look down at him, my eyes thin as slits. What was he doing here? Then I notice the sword box lying on the small table at the bottom of the stairs. I sigh, slightly annoyed, and take my place beside my father.

"Will! It's so good to see you." Lizzie says, with a smile gracing her face. "I had a dream about you last night."

"Yes, well, is that entirely proper for you to?" Father protests, looking unsettled and a little awkward.

"About me?" Will says, slightly uncomfortable under Father's watchful eyes.

"About the day we met, do you remember?" Lizzie says, ignoring Father's obvious disapproval.

"How could I forget, Miss Swann?"

"Will, how many times must I ask you to call me Elizabeth?" Elizabeth responds softly, her smile softening.

Will hesitates, as if battling with himself between the proper thing to say and the thing he wants to say.

"At least once more, Miss Swann, as always." Will finally says, respectfully.

"There. See? At least the boy has a sense of propriety. Now, we really must be going." Father says, relieved at Wills, reply which had been less familiar than expected.

"There you are." Father says lightly, handing Lizzie and I our parasols, his mood suddenly improving.

"Good day, Mr. Turner." Lizzie says, her eyes narrowing and her voice laced with ice, noticeably disappointed and slightly angry at Will's, polite, distant answer.

"Good day," he replies.

Leaving Will standing at the entrance we exit the house. As the footman helps me up into the carriage, I can barely hear Will say softly, "Elizabeth."

When the carriage stops in front of the fort, I peek out the windows, managing to only see a few soldiers due to the position that the carriage is in.

This being my first public outing since the society party, I start feeling a tad nervous, as I retract my head back in, my breathing becoming a little faster and heavier.

Running a small handkerchief over my slightly sweaty forehead, I gulp. Everyone from Port Royal who is anyone will be here. I cannot mess this up. I must be the epitome of grace, beauty, politeness and charm. I must make Father proud and not make a mess of myself, as I usually do.

The carriage door opens and after Father descends the stairs, the footman extends his hand to Lizzie and then to me, helping us down the shifting stairs, which are even more dangerous with our heels.

Following Lizzie and Father into the bustling fort, I take in my surroundings.

The fort is filled to the brim with soldiers clad in navy blue uniform, all of them in formation. Only the two first lines of them are in red and are holding up their rapiers, forming a sort of tunnel under which Norrington will walk.

Only a handful of those present are civilians, including Elizabeth and I. Just the more important townsfolk, like the banker and his family, were invited.

"We are about to begin." Father tells Lizzie and I.

We take our place at the front of the crowd of civilians and Father stands on a small stage set at the back of the fort, ready to present the Captain with the ceremonial sword that Will delivered earlier.

Drums and clarinets start playing a military march, as Captain Norrington enters, and, in a dignified manner, makes his way passed the crowds and onto the podium.

The captain is clad in his ceremonial outfit, complete with a feathered border on his hat and golden detailing. His new wig is stark white and makes him look 15 years older than he really is. His blue-grey eyes are focused entirely at the matter at hand, walking.

"Anna," Elizabeth whispers, her breaths short.

"What?" I ask her but I already know the answer due to her fanning herself increasingly fast, and her hand on her stomach.

"The corset is making it hard to breathe. Would you loosen it for me after the ceremony?"

I nod but quickly return my focus to the new commodore after Father glares at us for whispering.

After the ceremony, during the small tea, Elizabeth grabs my hand and drags me towards the north-west tower.

About to enter the tower, we are interrupted by the man of the hour, Commodore Norrington.

"May I have a moment, Elizabeth?"

She looks at me, looking somewhat torn between being comfortable and the proper thing to do.

I don't say anything and she lets go of my hand, following the Commodore to the edge of the fort, but turns back to me mouthing, "One minute."

I too, walk to the edge, but keep a little ways off. Perching myself on a bench, I swing my legs and wait for Elizabeth to return.

"Elizabeth!"

I turn to see Norrington shouting and leaning over the side of the small stone wall, starting to take off his hat and jacket. Half a dozen guards, accompanied by Gillette arrive, just in time to prevent the Commodore from leaping.

Fear grips me and I freeze, not sure if I want to know what exactly fell into the water.

Praying that it was something on the lines of Elizabeth's fan and that she had suddenly run away, I slowly peek over the stones, my eyes clenched together.

Unable to bare it any longer, I shoot my eyes open.

The water below shows the aftermath of a dropped object, too big to have been a fan and unfortunately the perfect size to have been a dropped body.

I stifle a scream and run out of the fort and on the edge of the village, losing my shoes in the process. I manage to reach the docks just as a strange man pulls her out of the water.

I notice no breath. "The corset!" I shriek to no one in particular.

Without a moment's notice, the man takes out a dagger and cuts open the corset. It's only then that I notice her dress is missing.

Elizabeth turns over coughing out water. I grab her and try to pull her to her feet wrapping my arms around her shivering body.

"Lizzie! Are you alright?" I hear my father cry out. He, Norrington, and half a dozen guards have finally caught up.

Wrapped in my father's embrace, Elizabeth manages to chatter out, "Yes, I'm fine."

Norrington points his sword at the man, "On your feet."

My father looks down at my sister's apparel, surprised as she is barely covered, having lost both her dress and corset. He then looks over my sister's saver who, he realizes, unclothed her.

"Shoot him!"

"Father!"Elizabeth protests. "Commodore, this man saved my life. Do you really intend to kill him?"

Hesitantly, the Commodore lowers his sword and offers his hand."I believe thanks are in order."

The strange man looks at the hand in disgust and takes it uncertainly. The Commodore pulls up the man's sleeve to reveal a burn scar in the shape of a "P".

"Had a brush with the East India Trading company, did we… pirate?"

"Hang him." Father says without hesitation.

"Keep your guns on him, men." Norrington orders, and then addresses his right hand man, "Gillette, fetch some irons.

He pulls the man's sleeve up higher revealing a tattoo of a sparrow, "Well, well? Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir." Jack Sparrow says.

"Jack Sparrow." I mutter under my breath, in disbelief. I had read about him. He wasn't at all like I had imagined. In reality he was of average height and on the skinny side. His dreadlocks were a mess and he looked, and smelled, as if he hadn't bathed in months.

Other than this, he was quite an interesting character. The way he held himself, the way he spoke, was so different. Most men I knew stood straight demanding attention. Jack Sparrow asked for it, but you absolutely couldn't refuse him.

"Well, I don't see your ship, Captain." Commodore Norrington responds sarcastically, looking around.

"I'm in the market as it were."

"He said he'd come to commandeer one." explains Murtogg, one of the guards who had helped Elizabeth out of the water.

Mullroy, the other guard watching the docks, scoffs, "Told you he was telling the truth."

He turns to the Commodore, "These are his, sir." He explains, holding out Jack Sparrow's weapons.

Norrington looks through them, "No additional shots or powder, a compass that doesn't point north." He unsheathes the sword and smirks. "And I half expected it to be made of wood. You are without doubt the worst pirate I've ever heard of."

"But you have heard of me." Jack wittingly responds but is replied by being grabbed and hauled away to Gillette, who starts putting him in chains.

"Commodore, this man saved Elizabeth's life," I say, as I follow them, and place myself in front of Norrington. "Does her life mean so little to you? Without "Captain" Jack Sparrow," I nod towards the pirate who gives me an appreciative smile, "Elizabeth would be dead."

"One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." The Commodore explains.

"Though it seems enough to condemn him." Jack says.

"Indeed."

As soon as Gillette moves away from Jack Sparrow, the pirate throws his irons around my neck, muttering, "Finally."

"No! No! Don't shoot!" Father cries as all the Marines point their muskets at Jack.

"You are going to regret this." I tell him, hoping my voice doesn't show betray my fear.

"Oh, yeah love?" He whispers into my ear.

"Yes, you will."

He ignores me, "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please, and my hat."

They are passed over to me and turning towards the pirate, I start strapping on his weapons.

"Don't forget the hat, luv."

"You know why you'll regret it?" I tell him jamming his hat onto his head.

"Enlighten me." He challenges.

I ram my elbow into his stomach and knee him in between the legs, thankful that Jack had taught me the basics on how to defend myself if ever the need arises.

"Do you feel enlightened now? Or are you just cringing in pain?"I hiss at his twisted face.

Watching him double over, I try to squirm out of his grip but it only seems to get stronger.

"Do you really think a few small hits will stop me?" He asks his face only slightly distorted

"I see you're completely unfazed by my 'few small hits'." I reply, sarcastically.

"You're absolutely right, luv. But I've been worse." He says, his face completely returning to normal.

"Gentlemen, m'ladies," He says, turning me around to face the crowd and cocking his pistol, placing it at my temple to reinforce his "man in charge" status.

I suddenly freeze, the earlier cockiness drained from my body as the cold metal against my skin reminds me of my closeness to death. One move from the pirate, and I could be dead. Even a small slip of the finger and my brains would be littering the wooden boards beneath my feet.

"You will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!"

He then, dragging me along with him, knocks down a lever, sending us up in the air, swinging on a rope and, eventually, landing on a beam a little ways down the dock, me yelping the entire way and digging my nails into his back, terrified of falling.

I was not expecting that at all.

Jack lets me go, certain that I won't try anything stupid from this location. I look down at the guards who are doing nothing at all to stop Jack Sparrow.

Not really caring if the pirate gets caught, even if he did threaten me, I am no longer in any danger and I start looking for a way down.

Thankfully, the beam we are on has a twin, accompanying it a few feet below.

While Jack takes a moment to look around for a way of escape, I slip down so that my entire body is hanging of the beam, my arms, holding on for dear life. Lowering myself as far as I can, I let go, my feet hitting the beam but slipping off of it the same moment.

I scream, but manage to wrap my arms around the wood at the last second, my body dangling like a ragdoll.

I take a peek at the ground below me, and sigh, relieved that the dock is inaccessible by the guards, preventing them from seeing my petticoats and bloomers.

Pulling myself up enough to be comfortable, I watch from up high, as Commodore Norrington dispatches his men on a search for the pirate who had unfortunately, disappeared into town, completely unharmed.

I, thankfully, only have to wait a few minutes before a ladder is brought.

I climb down and am engulfed in Father's outstretched arms and worried words as he holds both his daughters and calls for a carriage to be brought.