The newcomer narrowed his kohl-rimmed eyes as he tilted his head and stared at Agatha. "You look familiar. Have we met?"
"London. Ten months ago." Agatha hated how breathless she sounded.
He looked at the first mate as he slid into his chair at the head of the table. "That would have been when I—"
"When you failed to rescue me," Gibbs said pointedly.
"Yes, yes, but—" he noticed Agatha's hand going unconsciously to her ear, and he broke into a wide grin. "Oh, yes!" He fumbled through his hair and pulled out one lock that had a dainty silver trinket attached to it. He jingled it at her. "I remember now!" he said with a flirty smile, raising his eyebrows suggestively.
Agatha covered her mouth to hide her answering smile and blush.
"So this is your aunt, eh, 'Lizabeth?" Jack said. "I should have guessed."
Elizabeth exchanged bewildered glances with Mr Gibbs, who gave Jack a look that was half astonished and half dismayed.
"What's that supposed to mean? Have you two met?" Elizabeth asked.
Jack chuckled. "Only in passing, really."
Agatha, regaining some of her composure, answered. "Yes, he 'passed' through my carriage while trying to escape the king's soldiers."
"Escaping, dearie. Escaping the king's soldiers," Jack corrected. "They didn't get me, after all." He patted her hand.
Agatha checked to make sure her rings were still there. He noticed and laughed, showing several gold teeth. He winked at her.
She gave up and smiled back. "So what's your name, then, you young scamp?"
"This is Captain Jack Sparrow, Aunt," Elizabeth introduced him. She added sternly, apparently not liking his informality, "Jack, this is my Aunt Agatha, whom you shall respectfully address as Mrs Ainsley-Swann."
Jack rose and made Agatha a little bow, dropping a kiss on the back of her hand. "The pleasure is all mine," he said, giving her a wicked grin as he added, "Auntie." The grin turned into a laugh as she checked her rings again.
After breakfast, Gibbs went up and took the wheel to head them back to New Flimwell. Elizabeth brought her aunt up to date on what she had been doing, with colorful commentary by Jack. She told her aunt as much as she could, skimming lightly over the more supernatural elements.
Jack interrupted and took over telling the part about the kraken, completely skipping Elizabeth's involvement in it, and was rewarded with her grateful smile. He let her tell about Will's stabbing the heart of Davy Jones, and smiled when she mentioned how selfless Jack had been to give up his dream of immortality for Elizabeth and Will's sake. He buffed his fingernails smugly, smirking, and Elizabeth cuffed him on the arm without pausing in her story.
Her aunt was skeptical. "So now your husband sails the Flying Dutchman instead of Davy Jones, and you can only see him once every ten years?" Agatha asked, raising her eyebrows.
"Yes, that's right," Elizabeth replied.
"How is that managed? And how can a man live without a heart in his body, anyway? Wouldn't he be dead?"
"Undead, technically," Jack pointed out.
"Like a vampire," Agatha said.
"No!" Elizabeth replied with outrage. "My husband is not a vampire!"
"But he is undead," Jack reminded her helpfully.
"He may not be alive like you and I are, but he's not undead!"
"Darling, that's pretty much the definition of undead. Hate to tell you."
"The whole thing is ridiculous anyway. What happens if he goes onto land during the interim?" Agatha wanted to know.
"Er, we don't actually know. We just know that he can't."
"Well, couldn't you arrange meetings on board a ship somewhere?"
"We don't know that either. There wasn't anyone to ask."
"What about living on a houseboat?"
"We don't know, Aunt Agatha!" Elizabeth was getting frustrated.
So was Agatha. "Well, it seems to me that there could be ways around this so-called curse—of which I remain unconvinced, by the way—if he were any sort of a decent man!" She turned to Jack. "I suppose he asked you to check in on Elizabeth from time to time?"
"Not exactly."
"So why did you?"
"Well, we're friends, aren't we? Didn't want her to be completely abandoned, did I? And it's a bloody good thing I did, too—oh, pardon me. I mean a damned good thing—er... "
Agatha chuckled. "Captain, you're a sailor. I'd expect you to have salty language. No need to censor yourself unduly, sir."
Jack smiled. "You're a lady, Auntie, and time was when I was a gentleman—or could fake it pretty well at the very least. I'll do you the courtesy of trying not to swear overmuch, and you may reply in kind by not noticing when I do. Have we an accord?"
"We have indeed. Now, about this wild yarn about Mr Turner's heart in a box, and the limitations on his landfalls: are we absolutely certain that he isn't just a good-for-nothing who is using supernatural excuses to avoid his duty to his wife and child?"
"Of course not, Aunt!" Elizabeth cried, shocked. "I was there! I saw the whole thing: the murder, Will's death, Jack's helping Will to be the one to stab Jones' heart. I saw it all."
"Well, if you can think of some way to prove what you're saying, I would rest easier about this. In the meantime, we shall pretend I believe you. What it boils down to is that you're all alone in the world with a baby!"
"Well, Aunt," Elizabeth began. "We were actually rather hoping that you might be willing to come and stay with Jacob and me for a while. Just until I'm well enough to take care of us both again, that's all," she added in a rush. "I have a little cottage just outside the village of New Flimwell, where they know me only as Mrs Turner, the sailor's wife."
"And not about her illustrious career as Captain Swann, the Pirate King," Jack replied.
"Yes, but as I understand it, you're all pirates," Agatha remarked.
"Absolutely we are, dearie—however, it should be obvious to you now that not all pirates are created equally. Mrs Turner and me, well, we're a cut above the usual kind."
"And everyone else a cut below," Elizabeth muttered. Jack flashed her a quick grin and nodded.
"But in any case, Auntie, we need certain assurances that you won't give us up to the law when you get back to Port Royale. Or any other time, really," Jack said.
Elizabeth kicked him. "Mrs Ainsley-Swann!" she corrected in a hiss.
"Oh, I don't know," Jack said. "Your auntie and me are pretty well acquainted, love. Almost like family by now, ye might say. Eh, Auntie?" He nudged the older lady gently with his elbow.
Agatha couldn't help it. This dashing young pirate was so winsome; she smiled in spite of herself. "Better acquainted than we should be, young man," she scolded, rapping him on the knuckles with a table knife. "If I did have a nephew, I'm sure he wouldn't be such a rascal as you are!"
"You're right, of course. Technically, Will Turner is now your nephew," Jack remarked, rubbing his knuckles. "He's a good man, he is: kind, earnest, thoughtful, well-meaning, not a rascal at all." He somehow managed to make the compliments sound dull as ditchwater. "And he's only double-crossed me and stolen my ship once, which put him above Barbossa already. But he's not nearly as charming and handsome as I am, Auntie."
"Or as egocentric," Elizabeth retorted. "Now, Jack, you'll address my aunt respectfully!"
"Oh, hush, Elizabeth," Agatha remonstrated. "Captain Sparrow may call me what he likes, and I give you my word I won't turn in either of you, nor anyone who helps you."
"There, see?" Jack boasted. "Almost like family!"
"Fine," Elizabeth huffed. "How much longer until we get to Flimwell?"
"Ought to be there by midday," Jack answered. "Assuming the plan is acceptable to Mrs Ainsley-Swann."
Agatha raised her eyebrows at his sarcastic use of her title. "Perfectly, Captain Sparrow. I would like to spend some time with my niece."
"You'll have to spend at least tonight on the ship, though," Jack told them. "We didn't exactly leave the house fit to live in. I'll send up a few swabbies to clear out the mess and clean things up a bit, but it may take more than an afternoon."
"Thank you, Jack," Elizabeth told him. He patted her hand, nodded to Aunt Agatha, and headed out on deck. They could hear him bellowing orders to the crew.
"Well! He's certainly a charming rascal!" Agatha said, smiling to herself as she reached up to touch her ear.
Elizabeth gave her a suspicious look, which only made her smile more.