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Not at all part of the real POTC, the resemblance is extraordinary in some ways, in others not, the profit is nil. Although it’s nice to think Will and Jack inspire this much randiness in the general populace.
The Family Way
The slap rang out across the clearing. Everyone who was not gathered around the little table - that is, everyone who had been studiously ignoring the strange family reunion in the middle of the clearing while staring at it with one eye - was forced to look.
Charlotte’s hand stung from the force of it. It was possible she’d never slapped anyone across the face so hard in all her life. She shook her hand and stared at the imprint of her hand blooming pink across the pale cheek.
Jack automatically jolted back at the sound of a hand hitting a cheek, and was as relieved as he was stunned to discover that he was not, in fact, the recipient of the blow.
Alex leapt forward and grabbed Elizabeth’s hand before she could strike back.
Elizabeth reached up with her other hand to rub at her reddened cheek.
Will stood up, shocked at Charlotte’s behaviour. “What was that for?”
Charlotte clenched her stinging hand. “Your girlfriend’s father killed my father!”
Alex pulled Elizabeth back to shield her with her own body. “I beg your pardon, but that’s MY girlfriend. And her father had nothing whatsoever to do with your father’s death. He fell off his horse.”
Charlotte barked out a harsh laugh. “With a noose around ‘is neck, eh!”
Anamaria put a hand on Charlotte’s shoulder. “Don’t do this, luv.”
Alex looked from Anamaria to Charlotte, immediately understanding their situation, and then back at Elizabeth. “Noose?”
“Aye,” Charlotte spat. “And Captain Swann of ‘is Majesty’s navy was the one who put him in it, alright. Me mum told me,” Charlotte’s eyes shot fire at Elizabeth, “right afore that bastard turned her out on the street.”
“Don’t call my father a bastard, harlot!” Jack said without thinking.
Will stared at Jack. “But I thought your father was a bastard!”
Alex sat down hard. Elizabeth began frantically fanning her. “Someone, bring some water,” she said. “Alex, breathe, darling!” She patted Alex’s hand frantically. “Oh, this always happens when she’s upset.”
“You alright, mum?” Jonathon asked nervously as he knelt beside Elizabeth to fan at the woman’s other side.
Alex opened her eyes slowly. “You mean your father wasn’t my father, Charlotte? But mother said… so I would take you in, I suppose.”
“You know her?” Elizabeth said.
“And I know you!” Charlotte huffed. “And yer wicked husband. Nasty man he turned out to be, eh?”
This time Kay grabbed Elizabeth’s fist. “Why don’t we all sit down quietly and straighten this all out, shall we?” she said. She shooed the children off to the other side of the clearing.
Once all were settled, the DeMauriers and the Duncrofts and the Turners and whatever Charlotte was, they all eyed one another warily. Elizabeth Swann Norrington returned her eyes to her lover.
Alex cleared her throat. “I will go first.”
Will put his arm around Jack and pressed close to him to hold him steady, just in case.
Jack found himself suddenly less interested in all the drama because one lean, taut thigh was pressed against his own leg, and Will’s fingers tightened around his shoulder.
Alex began. “I was under the impression, from the letter mother sent to Paris with her, that Charlotte was an illegitimate child of my father’s, and that was why I was asked to take her in.”
Charlotte cleared her throat. “Once I got to Paris we never discussed my father, so I suppose you could have made that mistake easily. My real father was a highwayman, and my mother was kicked out of Duncroft Manor when the Earl discovered my mother had cheated on him.”
Jack decided to pointedly ignore the fact that Charlotte had grown up in his family home. After all, she would have been but a babe when he’d left.
Alex nodded. “I see. Well, the matter of your parentage is inconsequential. I would have been happy to give you shelter regardless of who your father was.”
Tessie snorted. “What kind of shelter is that, turning a girl into a harlot?”
Charlotte turned on her girlfriend’s mother with flashing eyes. “Alex did not turn me into a harlot. I was her handmaid for years. I decided to work in the house in Port Royal when she sold it to your daughter.”
“You had a handmaid?” Kay asked, amazed that anyone could afford such a thing.
“I wasn’t a harlot,” Alex said. “I was… I was a courtesan.”
“Oh,” Kay said.
“Hmm,” Tessie said.
Will was a bit confused about the distinction, but he was sure Jack would explain it later.
Jack only heard what Alex said in the vaguest manner possible, because he was concentrating on a tiny sliver of skin he’d found, uncovered, between Will’s shirt and Will’s trousers. Soft, soft golden skin begging to be licked, but there were children about, not close enough to hear but close enough to see, so he had to be content with the whisper of silken skin against his fingertips.
“I don’t know anything about what my father did before we sailed to the Caribbean,” Elizabeth said. “He was rarely home. It was my mother’s passing that made him decide to come here. I am terribly sorry if he was responsible for your father’s death.” Elizabeth was a little red in the face, and not just where the handprint showed. Being so polite to Charlotte was not easy for one so proud.
Alex stroked the back of Elizabeth’s hand. She would reward the girl for the display of civility later.
“I’m sorry I called your father a bastard,” Will said as he lifted his hand to Jack’s forehead. “It’s not my place.”
Jack wiggled his fingers under Will’s waistband. “S’alright, luv. He was a right bastard.”
Everyone let out a sigh of relief.
“Jonathon,” Alex called out, and the lad returned.
He surveyed the pirate. “Is that him?” he said plainly.
Will couldn’t believe it. It was like seeing a younger version of Jack. Especially around the eyes, in spite of the lack of kohl. And the wrists. Slim wrists protruded from rolled up sleeves. But with dark skin, the same colour as Kay’s, lovely and smooth.
Jack pursed his lips, skewed them to one side. He didn’t know what to say.
“Looks a bit like me, doesn’t he?” Jonathon said.
Everyone had to nod in agreement.
“Can I go up to the watchpost with Frank?”
Alex nodded and the boy was gone.
“That went well,” Elizabeth said wryly.
Jack snarled at her.
“You’ll get to know him later,” Will suggested.
Jack nodded and eased his fingers another inch into Will’s trousers.
“I’m very pleased I met with your brother in Port Royal,” Alex said to Kay. “He was ever so helpful in contacting your other brother and arranging our passage here. It’s a lovely island. Do you think I could get a tour of the village?”
Kay nodded and rose to show her all that had been built since the settlement began.
Tessie turned to look at Bootstrap, who had his eyes fixed on Jack’s fingers in Will’s pants. She hissed at him and he blushed. Jesus, she liked the look of him with a blush on his face, no matter how it got there. She stood up and took his hand. Bootstrap looked around helplessly, but he had no choice but to follow. She’d been insatiable, ever since she’d got with child. He was going to be worn out by the time the baby was born.
Anamaria pulled Charlotte away from the table. She was worried about Charlotte taking offence to Elizabeth’s presence again. And she was worried that Charlotte might decide to blurt out some of the less than savoury details Charlotte had informed Anamaria of, regarding the Commodore’s visits to the brothel. She was sure that Elizabeth would not want to hear what her husband used to get up to before their marriage.
That left Elizabeth, Will and Jack with his hand down the side of Will’s pants.
“Will, I, um, well...” Elizabeth fidgeted with a teacup.
“So, how are you?” Will asked, ever polite.
“Fine. And you?”
He shrugged. “I’m fine as well.”
Jack growled. “Not that your husband tying him up and tossing him overboard contributed in any way to his good health, mind you.”
Elizabeth paled. “What?”
Will, haltingly, gave a description of the events on the Interceptor II that had lead to Norrington’s capture.
Jack tried not to listen. It wasn’t that he didn’t appreciate the heroic picture Will painted of him, but he knew that if he thought too hard about Will almost drowning he would get emotional, and the last thing he wanted was to get emotional in front of that wench.
Elizabeth nodded when Will was finished. “I know now that James can be cruel. He was very proper to me before all that happened, but he wasn’t the same after. I mean, after the demotion.”
Jack didn’t try to hide his snicker.
Elizabeth glared at him. “I don’t think you were so kind! You could have at least sent them home clothed!”
Will shook his head. “We needed the clothes. The people from the slave ship had nothing to wear. You should have seen the state most of them were in! It was the only thing to do.”
Elizabeth looked around at the various people trying to ignore her, going about their work as if there hadn’t been any disturbance at all. She could hear them talking, though, and she just knew they were talking about her. And why not? After all, her father was the governor of Port Royal. And her arrival had been somewhat dramatic. “So, that’s who these people are? Slaves?”
Will glanced around the courtyard. “Oh no, no one here is a slave. These are all free people, and we plan to keep it that way.”
Elizabeth understood. “That’s good.” She nodded. “I like that idea very much. I think what you’re doing here is wonderful. Really.”
Will looked at her, a little doubtfully. “Really?”
“Yes. You’ve created a place where everyone can be free to do what they want. No one owns anyone else. You and Jack are free to…” she blushed. “…do whatever you want. Anamaria and Charlotte… I suppose Alex and I would be free to do whatever we wanted as well.”
Will blanched. “You and Alex.” He hadn’t really realized. Elizabeth and Alex. After all, Jack’s sister had called Elizabeth her girlfriend.
Elizabeth’s smile brightened when she saw Alex and Kay returning.
“What a lovely settlement!” Alex said cheerfully. “But I am very tired. Matthew says we can rest aboard the Interceptor II if we like. Will you join me, my dear?”
Elizabeth rose and took Alex’s hand, and they walked off toward the cove.
Will stared after them, open-mouthed.
“Not polite to stare,” Kay said.
Will snapped his mouth shut and stood abruptly.
Jack grimaced as his hand, still firmly wedged between trousers and silky soft hip, was wrenched upwards and he was forced to stand.
Kay winced in sympathy.
“Well,” Will said. “I suppose I should be getting back to work.”
Work? Jack blinked. Work? Ah, yes, cleaning the Pearl. He crooked his fingers against Will’s hip. Will, with his shirt off, soaking wet, muscles gleaming and straining and bulging and flexing. That was his favourite sort of work.
“Work, indeed. It’s good for the soul, is it not?”
He shuffled to get into pace with Will as they walked back to the beach, without taking his hand out of Will’s pants.
“Jack, I won’t be able to get much done with your hand there.”
Jack smiled. “That’s alright, luv. I’m sure the lads have finished the job by now. We could go aboard and see if anything needs to be done there.”
“I don’t think we’ll be able to climb aboard with your hand there.”
“Ah, yes, well, we’re fine then too, because I happen to know a lovely clearing by a pond…”
Kay smiled. Those two. Rapscallions.
Now, she thought to herself, where was her husband?
Next: All Tessie's Children IV
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