Everybody Lies
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"I didn't know we was takin' on captives," growled a large black man as he glared at the young woman and Johnathan. She held her head high as she looked the man in the eye, while the other glanced around with wide eyes, taking everything in with amazement. The pirates aboard the Black Pearl were celebrating, shooting into the air and cheering loudly.
"They've invoked the right of parley, Bo'sun. They both wanna speak with Captain Barbossa," said the short and fat pirate as he pointed to the parley protected two. At that, Johnathan looked to the young woman, who he finally recognized as Elizabeth Swann, the Governor's daughter. His father had invited her and her father over a few times. He wondered if she remembered him.
"The kid wants to talk with the captain?" rumbled Bo'sun as he looked down at Johnathan. He had all sorts of tribal looking marks that covered his face and body; it seemed he liked to walk around shirtless, showing off all the muscles that made him look more intimidating. "Is this true, brat?"
"Y-Yes sir!" said Johnathan with a quick nod.
Elizabeth stepped forward. "And I wish to negotiate -"
'Slap!'
Gasping in shock as her head snapped to the side from the backhand, Elizabeth's hand went to cup her injured cheek as she looked at Bo'sun in disbelief.
"You'll speak when spoken to," snarled Bo'sun, his hand still in the air. But just as he was about to bring it down again, another hand wrapped around his thick wrist and stopped him from going any farther.
"And you not lay a hand on those under the protection of parley," said the man firmly as he continued to tighten his grip on Bo'sun's wrist. He was obviously the captain. It wasn't even his over sized hat that told Johnathan that. It was the way he seemed to tower over Bo'sun, even though he was shorter. On his shoulder, a monkey looked at the young boy with a bob of his head.
"Aye, sir," Bo'sun forced out as he took his hand back. He didn't look happy, but he stepped back to let the captain come forward. Johnathan noticed how it suddenly got very quiet, and he could feel the entire crew staring at him and Elizabeth.
Barbossa gave Elizabeth a sly smile, and he could see her stiffen. "My apologizes, Miss." He then looked down to Johnathan. "Aren't you a little young to be aboard a pirate ship, lad?"
"...Maybe," forced out Johnathan. "Are you gonna kick me off, sir?"
Chuckling, Barbossa smirked. "Not yet."
"Captain Barbossa," said Elizabeth as she stepped forward, though she seemed to be wary of being hit again. "I am here to negotiate the cessation of hostilities against Port Royal."
The crew chuckled for a moment while Barbossa raised an eyebrow. "There are a lot of long words in there, Miss. We're naught but humble pirates." This time he gave a chuckle. "What is it that you want?"
"I want you to leave an never come back," said Elizabeth firmly, so there was no denying what she just said. But then again, the pirates that covered the deck just laughed. She glanced around, wondering what was so funny.
"I'm disinclined to acquiesce to your request." When Barbossa was given a strange look by Elizabeth, he grinned. "Means no."
After staring at the captain for a long moment, Elizabeth gave a sharp nod. "Very well." She marched over to the side, grabbed a thin gold chain that was hanging around her neck, and yanked it off. All the pirates, except for Barbossa, seemed to lean forward as she held something over the side of the ship. Johnathan narrowed his eyes as he tried to get a better look. It looked like a strange gold coin.
"I'll drop it," threaten Elizabeth.
"...Me holds are burstin' with swag," said Barbossa with a hesitant shrug. "That bit of shine matters to us?" He glanced at the coin. "Why?" he asked suddenly, his voice changing in pitch.
It obviously mattered, though. All the other pirates were leaning forward, as if they could catch the coin if Elizabeth tried to drop it. And no matter how much Barbossa tried to hide it, Johnathan could see how much he wanted it too.
"It's what you've been searching for," said Elizabeth as she glanced between the crew and the coin. "I recognize the ship. I saw it eight years ago on the crossing from England."
"Did you now?" Barbossa was trying to stay calm, that much was clear.
"...Fine." Elizabeth gave a little sigh. "Well, I suppose if it is worthless then there's no point in me keeping it." Suddenly, she let her grip on the gold chain loosen, and the coin started to slip down, threatening to fall into the ocean. And all the pirates, including Barbossa, jumped forward. Johnathan glanced around. What was so important about that one coin?
"Ah," Barbarossa chuckled as he realized what the young lady was doing, who was smiling in triumph. He stepped froward and Elizabeth gathered the necklace close to her; so he couldn't reach out and grab it. "You have a name, Missy?"
"Elizabeth... Turner," answered Elizabeth. She gave a small curtsy. "I'm a maid in the Governor's household."
'But that's not her last name,' thought Johnathan. 'And she is definitely not a maid... But there must be some reason she lied, right?' So he bit his tongue, keeping silent as he watched Barbossa eyes go wide before he turned to his crew.
"Miss Turner?" Barbossa repeated, and the crew chuckled like it was some hidden joke. At that, Elizabeth gave Johnathan a glance, pleading him not to say a word. In return, he gave her a little nod of understanding.
"Bootstrap," the round man behind him whispered while Barbossa turned back to Elizabeth.
"And how does a maid come to own a trinket such as that?" asked Barbossa with a slight accusing air. "Family heirloom, perhaps?"
Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "I didn't steal it if that's what you're accusing me of."
"... Very well." Barbossa reached out to her. "You hand it over, and we'll put your town to our rudder and never return," he swore.
In answer, Elizabeth held out the necklace and let it fall into the outstretched hand with a clink. And with a grin, Barbossa lifted it up to the coin to the monkey that was still on his shoulder. It snatched up the coin and with a squeal, it leapt onto a nearby rope and ran off.
"Our bargain?" Elizabeth reminded the captain.
Silent for a long moment, Barbossa started walking off and Bo'sun answered instead. "Still the guns and stow 'em!" The men aboard started rushing around. "Signal the men, set the flags and make good to clear port!"
"Wait!" Elizabeth marched forward as she started shouting at the captain. "You have to take me to shore. According to the Code of the Order of the Brethren -"
"First," barked Barbossa as he turned to face her, "your return to shore was not part of our negotiations nor our agreement so I must do nothing. And secondly, you must be a pirate for the pirate's code to apply - and you're not. And thirdly, the code is more what you'd call... "guidelines" than actual rules." Barbossa gave a wicked grin. "Welcome aboard the Black Pearl, Miss Turner."
As Elizabeth started at him, shocked, Barbossa looked to the pirates behind her. "Bring the boy to me cabin!" he ordered. "And take Miss Turner to her rooms."
"Aye, Cap'n Barbossa!" The one with his hold on him pushed Johnathan forward. "Come on, then. You heard the cap'n."
Nodding, Johnathan could feel his heart thumping painfully against his chest. This was it. Perhaps his only chance to be part of a pirate crew. To get away from Port Royal and his father. He couldn't mess it up now.
"Ah, and here be our little stowaway," said Barbossa with a chuckle. He was sitting in simple chair, but the way he sat in it, he looked like a king about to condemn him to some horrible fate. He waved a hand at his subordinate. "Leave us."
Johnathan was almost expecting the pudgy pirate to give the captain a low bow as he left the room.
"What's your name, boy?" asked Barbossa when they were alone.
"Johnathan, Johnathan Brown," Johnathan lied, snatching the last name out of thin air. If the captain learned that he was of a wealthy family - the son of a Admiral, no less, - he would probably send a ransom rather than keep him aboard. Besides, the point was to leave his family behind.
Except for Isabelle, of course.
"Well, Johnathan, tell me why you slipped aboard my ship?"
Gulping, it took a long moment for Johnathan to answer without a tremble in his voice. "I wanna join your crew, sir," he said. "I wanna become a pirate."
The laugh that escaped was instant. "A young lad like you - wantin' to become a pirate?" chuckled Barbossa. "And ye think it'll be happening overnight, aye?"
"No, sir," said Johnathan with a shake of his head. "I know it'll be hard, and take a lotta work."
'And dangerous,' he added mentally.
"So, that doesn't scare ya at all, lad?" said Barbossa as he reached off to the side, grabbing a bright green apple from a large wooden bowl filled with them. "Not scared of becoming a pirate?"
"No," answered Johnathan with another shake of his head. "I've dreamed of bein' a pirate since I was a little kid. That's why I came onto your ship, sir."
"Mm..." Instead of eating the apple or even taking a bite out of it, Barbossa simply toyed with it, turning it in his hands and staring at it intently. "You're quite serious about this, aren't ya boy?" he finally said. "Ya also know it ain't gonna be easy."
"I do, sir."
"And yeh wouldn't be a pirate right a way. You'd be a cabin boy - doing all the dirty work."
"Yes, sir, I know."
"... Fine," answered Barbossa. "From now on, yer a cabin boy. I'll let ya sleep tonight, but only cause I want ya up bright and early in the morning to clean the deck. Understood?"
"Yes, sir - I mean, Captain!" said Johnathan happily. This was it! He was a part of a pirate crew! His dream was coming true.
"Blanchet!" called out his new captain, and few moments later, a man opened the door. He had limp dark brown hair and watery blue eyes. "Johnny here is our new cabin boy. Take him to the sleeping quarters and tell 'im... the rules." He said this with a meaningful look.
"Understood, captain," said Blanchet as he nodded in understanding. "Come along, kid."
Nodding ecstatically, Johnathan tried to keep up with the man, but he came to a halt once he got outside, the coloring draining from his face and his eyes going wide in shock. "Wh-What...?"
The moon, once hidden by the clouds, was out now, and its moonlight lit up the ship and its occupants for Johnathan to see all too clearly. The pirates had changed in the few minutes that he had been inside the captain's quarters - in the most horrible way possible. Their skin was almost completely gone, leaving only graying bones with scraps of black flesh left that were barely covered with decaying clothes that hung off them. As one of the pirates - one of the undead - passed by, Johnathan shivered. It was like entering a nightmare.
"Move on," said Blanchet as he moved forward. When Johnathan glanced up at him, he wished immediately he hadn't. As he entered the moonlight, he started to change into what the other pirates had become. His skin seemed to melt away, leaving only his big bones that were dark grey. But he was much closer than the others, and now the young boy could smell the scent of something rotting coming from the large man. It made him feel queasy.
Gulping, Johnathan followed Blanchet, silently wondering what he got himself into.
The pirates that were working on deck paused to stare at him, watching him as the skeletal Blanchet led him to the hold. They were probably wondering if he would toss Johnathan overboard, or maybe toss him in the brig along with Miss Elizabeth.
"Back to work, yah dogs!" barked out Bo'sun, who was standing nearby, and the men all seemed to jump before getting back to work. It was then that the moon once more hid behind a large cloud, and Johnathan watched in amazement as the skin seemed to melt back onto the pirates, leaving them looking - and smelling - normally again. Before he could ask any questions though, Blanchet marched towards the other end of the ship, where the crew's sleeping quarters were, and Johnathan rushed to follow him.
The room was almost empty, with only a few resting in the hammocks that filled the room. As Johnathan was hustled inside, Blanchet closed the door with bang, not caring that he disturbed the resting pirates. "Come on, kid," he growled as he marched to the far end of the end, with the new cabin boy on his heels. "It seemed I've got explaining to do."
"Yes, sir," pipped up Johnathan.
Before he knew what was happening though, Blanchet had lifted him and plopped him into the farthest swinging hammock, which already had a thin pillow and blanket. Johnathan struggled to find his balance again while Blanchet stood over him, his arms crossed across his chest. "First off, kid, don't call me 'sir,'" he said gruffly. "I hate that. Just call me somethin' else."
"Uh, yes, si - err - Mr. Blanchet," said Johnathan after a momentary struggle.
Raising a dark eyebrow at the name, Blanchet shrugged a few moments later, and muttered something under his breath. "... It'll do," he said as he returned to English. "Alright, kid, as you can obviously see, we ain't like a normal pirate crew. We're cursed. Stole the wrong gold, and now we're payin' for it." He lifted his chin, nodding towards the door. "What you saw is only the tip of it. We ain't human anymore. The moonlight's the only thing that shows the truth - we're practically dead."
"Oh," said Johnathan slowly. It was a frightening thought to go along with what he had just seen earlier.
"The curse won't let us eat, drink, sleep, or enjoy the company of women," said Blanchet without a pause. It seemed the first-mate was going to be very straight forward with him, not caring that he was brash. "So no one's gonna make your food. Your gonna have to be the one to fetch your own food and food for our lady prisoner. So besides any other jobs the cap'n or Bo'sun orders you to do, you'll be taking care of yourself. Understood?"
"Yes, si - Mr. Blanchet," said Johnathan with a nod.
"But this is a pirate ship. We will be attacked, or attack someone else. That means you gotta defend yourself. After chores, I'm gonna teach ya to defend yourself with a knife - probably the only thing I can till you get older and big enough to hold a sword." Blanchet shrugged. "'Course, that's with me thinkin' you'll live that long."
Paling, Johnathan could see that Blanchet didn't expect him to survive long on the Black Pearl.
"You got all that, kid?" When Johnathan nodded, Blanchet looked down at him with a strange look. "I hope this is what you wanted, kid. Pirate life ain't easy." Then he turned and walked off. "Get some sleep, you'll be woke up bright and early for chores."
Johnathan waited until Blanchet had left the room before laying down, dragging the think blanket over him. He really hoped when he woke up in the morning, he would find out this was a dream.
"Night, Bell," Johnathan muttered before closing his eyes.
~o0o~
It was over.
Leaning against a damaged wall that threatened to crumble any moment, Isabelle panted clutching her arm, which had a large gash down it, the worst of all her wounds, which were mostly scratches. The pirates had left Port Royal only moments ago, after destroying a great deal of the market and killing a lot of people. Why they had left, she didn't know, Isabelle was just glad they were gone.
But Isabelle was still on edge, clutching her bloodstained sword tightly as she glanced around widely. She was still waiting for the pirate to come back and attack while her guard was down. She wouldn't let them get her again though.
Something was wrong with those pirates. No matter how many times she struck them down, they seemed to appear later, as if nothing happened. No wounds. Just some blood. Isabelle had wondered briefly if she was loosing her mind. Or maybe it was magic. But what kind of magic could do that?
At least her brother was safe. For a moment, Isabelle almost laughed. She thought she'd seen her brother earlier, running through the crowds. But when she called out to him, he disappeared. It was probably just some boy, running from the pirates.
Struggling to stand after she finally caught her breath, Isabelle glanced around. She had to... she wasn't sure what she had to do. After a moment of thought, Isabelle decided to head toward the fortress. Toward Norrington. She didn't want to go home yet, not looking like this. And Norrington would help her.
How long she walked, she wasn't sure. Isabelle barely remembered to pick up her sword, to prevent it from dragging on the ground. She just walked. It didn't matter how tired she was, or how much her feet hurt her. She just had to keep walking.
The sun hadn't appeared on the horizon yet when she finally reached the massive fortress that she had been at only hours earlier when her father announcing her engagement. Isabelle gazed up at it for a moment, the stones bathed in a dim light from the many lanterns lit. How many times had she seen it as a child and dreaded it? All because this was where her father worked? Now she looked at it with relief, even though it was damaged from the cannon fire. All because Norrington was inside.
"Miss?"
Startled, Isabelle swung her sword towards the voice, her eyes narrowed as she got ready to attack.
A yelp came from the navy officer as he backed away from the sword pointed at him, his eyes wide. "R-Relax, Miss," he stammered. It was one of the guards from when Sparrow rescued Elizabeth, the tall one. "I don't mean you any harm!"
"Oh." Her hands shaking, Isabelle slowly dropped her sword, letting it fall to the ground with a clatter. "I-I'm sorry, I thought you... you were one of them..." Even as she spoke, she felt her strength leave her, and before she knew it, Isabelle felt herself start to fall, too tired to stand any longer.
"Got ya, Miss," said the guard as he caught her before she hit the ground."I'll get you some help. What's your name?"
"Isabelle Bennett. I-I need to talk to James Norrington," Isabelle forced out. "Please. He's my fiancé..."
"Someone, go get Commodore Norrington!" the guard called out. "It's his fiancé! Hold on, Miss, I'll get ya to the Commodore soon enough. He'll make sure you're alright."
"James," Isabelle muttered. Yes, James would take care off her.
There was a flurry of activity as the guard lead her to a bench, which had miraculously survived, even though everything else around it hadn't. "Just sit here, Miss," said the solider gently. "The Commodore will be here soon."
Isabelle nodded, her head felling too heavy. "My sword?" she asked weakly.
"I'll get it for you, Miss. Just stay here, alright?" The guard made sure she wasn't going to move before he went back to where he found her. Isabelle buried her face in her hands. She still felt sick and tired. And she was still covered in blood. Pirate blood. She had the urge to rip off her nightgown.
Officers were rushing around and passed her, yelling orders and getting injured men to whoever could help them. Isabelle wondered how many officers and soldiers of the Navy had died tonight. Too many. She was just a little glad that her father wasn't here tonight. Because he was safe. And he wasn't there to see her so weak. He hated it when she was weak.
"Miss Bennett?"
Glancing up, Isabelle almost cried with relief as she recognized her fiancé stand above her. "James," she forced out with a croak.
"My God. Isabelle, what happened to you?" asked the Commodore as he sat at her side, his hands instantly wrapping hers. They were large and warm. "You're covered in blood! Are you injured?"
"I'm fine, its not... its not all mine. I just got a few cuts. I'm sorry," Isabelle said as tears filled her eyes. "But I didn't know where else to go. I didn't want to go home, not looking like this," she said, waving a blood-covered hand at her ruined nightgown. "I'm sorry."
"Its quite alright, Isabelle." said Norrington. "I'm just glad you're safe. But where did all this blood come from?"
Tears finally rolled down Isabelle's cheeks. "I just wanted to help. And I tried to stop them," she whispered. "But they just wouldn't die. They just kept killing. All those innocent people." Pulling her hands away, she lifted them to hid her face while she cried. "I couldn't stop them. The blood, the blood was everywhere..." She bit her lip to stop herself, she always seemed to slip into Spanish when she was emotional.
"Ssh. Calm down. Its over now. The pirates are gone. And you did your best. You couldn't save them all." Norrington placed his hands on her elbows and forced her to stand. "Come on, now. Lets get you cleaned up. Then you can rest."
A little more than an hour later, Isabelle was curled up in a small couch, which was set not to far from the fireplace. She was now dressed in someone's extra blue uniform that Norrington brought her, her wounds wrapped up and cared for by a woman Norrington had brought in. The sleeves of the coat went over her hands, but she didn't care. She was just glad that she wasn't covered in blood anymore.
Isabelle shuddered, even though it the warmth the fire washed over her. So much blood. So much death. It had been a nightmare, only she wasn't asleep. She wasn't sure she'd ever fall asleep again, no matter how tired she was. Not with the memories of last night in her mind. It wasn't even the thought of her killing pirates that scared her the most. What had really frightened her was the memories of all those people that were around her. Being killed before her very eyes. And there was nothing she could do about it.
Wrapping her arms herself as she shuddered again Isabelle glanced towards the door. Her fiancé said he'd be sending a guard to her house to make sure that everyone was alright. Now she was just waiting for news to confirm that. She wondered how much longer she'd had to wait. She could see through through the nearby windows that the sun was starting to rise.
Sitting up straight and wincing at the pain it caused, Isabelle glanced over at the nearby table. Just like sleep, food seemed to be last thing on her mind. Even though her empty stomach grumbled at her to eat some of the food brought in, the thought of it made her sick. So far, she'd only drank some water, to get rid of the awful taste in her mouth.
There was a knock on the door, and the Commodore entered a moment later. "How are you doing, Miss Bennett?"
'So we're back to Miss Bennett.' "Better," answered Isabelle truthfully. "How are your men?"
Closing the door behind him, Norrington sighed as he came over to her. "We lost a quite a few good men tonight. Some have injures, but they'll get better, thankfully." He reached Isabelle, and after a pause, placed a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to him, worried about the look on his face. "I have some news about your family."
Dread filled Isabelle's chest, heavy and cold. "Oh no. Oh, dear God, please, no! What's happened to them?" she asked she stood up, forcing Norrington to take a few steps back as she advanced on him. Was her step-mother and brother dead? Had the pirates attacked her home and killed everyone hiding out in the basement? Had she failed to protect them like she promised?
"Your step-mother and servants are fine," Norrington assured her. "But... it seems your brother has been kidnapped."
"What?" Isabelle whispered as horror struck her. "How? By whom?"
"... By the pirates that invaded last night."
As the news started to sink in, Isabelle gaped at her fiancé. "No," she muttered, taking a step back. "No, no, no, no..."
"Miss Bennett -" Norrington reached out to her, probably to stop her from running into the couch.
"No!" Isabelle cried, taking another step back, and she pressed her fists to her ears. "It's a lie! You're lying! It's all a lie! It can't be true! My little brother can't be gone!" she started to rant rapidly in Spanish, shaking her head back and forth. "Tell me the truth, James! Don't lie to me!"
"I'm sorry..."
Sobbing, Isabelle fell back onto the couch, her tears falling onto her lap. "Not Johnny," she moaned. "Not my little brother. Not my dear little brother. It can't be true - it just can't be!" This just couldn't be happening. She'd already lost her mother - God wouldn't take her brother from her too, would he?
Arms wrapped around her, and Isabelle cried more loudly, trying to free herself. "Leave me alone," she sobbed when she wasn't released. "Please." She just wanted to be left alone to cry, she didn't anyone to see the state she was in.
"Don't worry, Isabelle," Norrington said gently, not letting her go even though she was still fighting him. "It'll be alright. We'll get your brother back, I promise."
After awhile, she just couldn't fight against him anymore. Sobbing, Isabelle buried her face in her hands as Norrington let her lean her head against his chest, muttering to her gently in attempt to calm her down. She didn't know what to do. Her brother had been taken by the very people she'd been raised to hate. How could she get him back safe and sound?
Would she even get him back alive?
~o0o~
A few hours had gone by since the pirate attack on Port Royal, and James Norrington couldn't even get Bennett to move from her spot in front of the fire in his office, not to sleep or eat. But at least she had stopped crying.
James sighed softly as he looked to the map sitting at his desk. It seemed Bennett had experience last night rather badly. Some soldiers reacted that way after being in their first battle, not matter how much they had trained before hand. The shock was just too much for them to handle. They got over it, eventually, but it took a rather long time. And now was not the best time to wait for Bennett to recover.
Elizabeth Swann and Johnathan Bennett were now aboard the Black Pearl, if his information was correct. Elizabeth had been captured, while Johnathan had foolishly gone off on his own free will, for what reasons, no one was sure. But to spare Bennett from further shock, James had told her that Johnathan was also abducted. He hated lying to her. He did. But still, it was for the best.
With another small sigh, James glanced over at Bennett, who stared blankly at the fire. She had truly grown from the last time he saw her. No longer was she a giggling girl that was determined to beat him in a silly game. She was a young woman that would do what her father had ordered her to do. Even if she didn't want to. The marriage wasn't her fault. And yet she was trying to make the best of it.
It seemed to him that she was always trying to make the best of everything.
There was a knock on the door, and James turned towards the door. "Enter!" he called out.
"Sir," said the young officer as he opened the door. "I've brought -"
"Out of my way!" Pushing her way in, James recognized Rose Bennett from the visit he made not even two days ago. She looked wild, her once perfectly managed brown hair in tangles and her green eyes lit with anger once she set her sights on Bennett, who didn't even look up at her appearance. "You!" she screeched, and before James could even move, the older woman had launched herself at her stepdaughter, her hands wrapping around skinny arms before she started to shake her.
"Ma'am -" said James as he stepped forward.
"How could you?" yelled Mrs. Bennett. "You were suppose to protect us! You were suppose to protect my baby from the pirates!" When her stepdaughter didn't answer, she simply shook her head hard enough that Bennett's teeth started to rattle. "Answer me! Why didn't you protect my baby?"
Instead of fighting against her stepmother, Bennett looked up, her stare still blank. "I tried," she said softly, and Rose stopped shaking her to listen. "I tried."
"You didn't try hard enough!" spat Mrs. Bennett. Lifting one hand up, she brought it across her stepdaughter's cheek with a loud slap that caused Bennett's head to snap to the side from the force. "You've killed my baby! You've killed my son!"
"Mrs. Bennett, enough!" said James sharply, grabbing her wrist before she could slap Bennett again. "I will not tolerate that sort of behavior towards my fianceé! She is also your daughter!"
"She is not my child!" screeched Mrs. Bennett as she wretched her arm away. "She's just the child of some Spaniard slut!"
That seemed to do the trick. Bennett rose up from her seat, her eyes burning like a dark fire as she towered over her stepmother. "You vile woman! How dare you speak of my mother that way!" She tried to lunge for Rose, but James stepped in front of her and grabbed at her wrists so he could hold her back. "No, let me go! Let me at her!" she said angrily before starting to rant rapidly in Spanish.
"You're just like your mother," Mrs. Bennett hissed over the Spanish curses sent her way. "Always seducing the best men into marrying you, stealing them away from the women that really love them!"
"That;'s a lie! My mother did no such thing!" snapped Bennett before resorting to Spanish again.
"I must ask that you leave, Mrs. Bennett," said James in a brisk tone, though it was hard when he was holding back a very angry fiancé. "I will not let this go on any longer. Officer, please escort her out." He ignored the continued screeching of the woman as he turned back to Bennett. Even though she was still ranting angrily, he wasn't surprised to see tears rolling down her cheeks, one of them a bright red from her stepmother's slap. "Calm down, Miss Bennett. I'm sure she didn't mean it."
Finishing her rant, Bennett started to shake, and she pulled back her hands. "No, she meant every word," she whispered, her eyes still burning. "Every single word. And she was right." She sank back onto the couch. "I've killed my little brother."
"No." James sat at her side. "You did no such thing. And we're going to get him back - safe and sound. No matter the price."
Shaking her head, Bennett wiped away the fallen tears, wincing when she touched her sore cheek. "You mean you're going to save Miss Swann at any price," she said bitterly. "She's the one you love after all. You're just marrying me because you're being forced into it. You're just getting my brother because he happens to be there. "
There was some truth to what she said and James winced at her bluntness. "Miss Bennett -"
"Answer me truthfully," interrupted Bennett. "Do you think you could ever love me? The way you love Miss Swann?"
"...I don't know," answered James after a long moment. He thought they had established this before that even though the marriage was unwanted, they would make the best of it. Even though they might never love each other. Why was she bringing this up?
"...I thought so," said Bennett sadly. "I bet you agree with Rose, as well, that I stole you from Miss Swann."
"Of course I don't. It wasn't your decision, remember that, Miss Bennett," James reminded her gently. "Or mine. It was our fathers'."
"Doesn't mean that I don't hope..." Bennett stopped herself by biting her lip.
"Miss Bennett?" said James as he waited for her to continue.
After a long moment of silence, Bennett shook her head. "It's nothing," she concluded. "Nothing at all."
There was another knock on the door, and the officer from before poke his head in again. "Miss Bennett, your maid is here with your new clothes."
"Thank you." Standing, Bennett blinked back new tears. "I'm sorry for bothering you, James. I'll let you work on the search for Miss Swann and my brother." Wrapping the blue coat more tightly around herself, she nodded before rushing out of the room, obviously holding back a sob. The officer gave them a curious look before closing the door behind him.
Groaning, James shook his head. He wasn't sure what he said, or how he did it, but somehow, he knew that he hurt Bennett... Isabelle more than he meant to.