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Opportunity

by Krys
August 16, 2006

The Portrait

He’d thought her the most beautiful thing in his world, but the discovery that she was a hardened flirt embittered him. If Mercer hadn’t directed him to that window overlooking the garden that night he would never have known.

Witnessing a stolen kiss with the handsome young sea captain, his temper flared. He felt justified when he burnt that ship. How dare Sparrow flaunt his authority and steal his betrothed?

Now she was gone, most likely with Sparrow.

Their wedding day set for the morrow, now cancelled. He stares at the miniature, a portrait of Giselle, the only image that he still possesses save those burned into his memory.

.......

Opportunity only knocks once. Least, that be what my mother told me.

“Most miss it,” She’d say. “Or be ‘fraid to take it,” She would waggle her finger at me then, her face haggard from the hours of work she did each day to see that there was food on the Mercer table every night, to feed the lot of us. “Don’t you be one of them ‘at misses it, boy!” She was serious as she spoke these words to me, voicing her concern that I too might end up like her, working long hours and nothing to show for it.

I did not intend to even if I didn’t quite agree with her. See, I felt opportunity was always there just waiting to be taken advantage of. Otherwise, how would I, the poor son of the town drunk, have become the trusted personal manservant to Lord Cutler Beckett?

I’m not going to bore you with my childhood. Suffice it to say I grew up in a rough environment and learned just about everything I needed to know on how to survive. Even made sure I learned to read and write so when I heard Mr. Beckett was looking for clerks to work for him in India, I made sure I was one he hired.

We had been there for a few years when he needed to return to England. By that time, I’d made myself quite indispensable and was one of his most trusted employees. I made sure to keep track of everything that occurred whilst he was gone. I even knew when he was due back and was more than prepared. Needless to say, the day he walked back into the office, I was sitting there with stacks of reports to go over with him.

Opportunity, see what I’m meaning?

Now, Mr. Beckett was delighted with my detailed reports. So much so, that he took me into his confidence concerning his impending nuptials. Seemed he’d met a girl he decided to marry. Now, Giselle, she was a pretty thing, something any man would be pleased to have on his arm. She had long blond hair, usually twisted up in some exotic fashion, this set off her china blue eyes. Her skin was flawless, which only accentuated her high cheekbones and oval face.

Her father, well, let’s just say he liked to play with the dice. Beckett discovered that quickly and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse. The two were betrothed and plans were made to marry within the year. She was following him out and was expected within the month.

I was now in charge of securing an appropriate home for the young couple complete with servants. I set about doing that the very first thing that next morning. What with the money Mr. Beckett was making, it didn’t take long to find a large enough residence and hire the necessary staff. Within the week Mr. Beckett was able to move in as he awaited the arrival of his lovely lady.

During that time, he began to invite me to stay for dinner regaling me with tales of her beauty and charm. I was a bit afraid he might be too taken with the chit and begin to neglect his business interests. I started to listen for any possible chinks in her personality, but it looked as if I would have to await her arrival as he could sing nothing but praises for her. I heard how well she could dance and sing. He said she was quite accomplished on the pianoforte as well. He even brought out one of her drawings she had given him, praising it lavishly.

Her arrival actually coincided with the arrival of two of Mr. Beckett’s ships. It was then I discovered her flaw, she loved to flirt. Innocent it seemed, but she wasn’t adverse to batting those lovely lashes at any handsome man. And it just so happened that one of the captains for Mr. Beckett was a right handsome fellow. The captain of the Wicked Wench, Jack Sparrow, known to have the fastest ship in the fleet and he was right proud of her and his reputation. His good looks and excellent ship made him quite popular with all the ladies, he’d charmed them one and all. Giselle was no exception.

He’d not set foot in the house ten minutes and that ivory fan of hers was fluttering as her lovely china blue eyes peeked over the top gazing at the dark haired captain. Even straight from the ship with his long hair tied back, he cut a dashing figure. He had a smile for everyone and it went directly to his eyes; those brown, soulful eyes that the ladies simply couldn’t seem to get enough of. He walked with the confidence of one who knew who he was.

Well, it did not take me long at all to discover this, especially since the lovely Giselle had made the horrible mistake of ignoring me. Now, most young ladies brought up proper didn’t ‘see’ servants, but they did acknowledge their existence. Unfortunately, this one did not. To her, I was simply just another piece of the furniture. Take that breakfast I’d gone to great trouble to organize for her. She’d wanted to meet the local gentry so Mr. Beckett called me in to arrange it. Did she even bother to acknowledge any of my work? No, not even with a gentle reminder from her betrothed brought forth a single comment. That was her undoing as I wasn’t about to put up with being a nobody.

The very next evening Captain Sparrow was invited to dine with Mr. Beckett. He arrived early and since Mr. Beckett was just finishing up some business details with me, the butler escorted him into the gardens hoping Giselle would entertain the captain whilst we finished up our business transactions.

It was quite by chance that I happened to look up and see them. That light brush of her chin, his lips brushing across her own. I suppose I must have stopped what I was doing to stare as Mr. Beckett’s attention was drawn to the couple in the garden as well. He finished the meeting rather quickly and dismissed me promptly.

Now that might have been the end of it, except that I happened upon Giselle the next day in town. I saw her meeting Captain Sparrow once more. It seemed more of a chance meeting than contrived, but then again it could have been an assignation, though the good captain appeared quite surprised to see her. They spoke for a few minutes when an idea occurred to me. I knew Beckett would be sending both ships out shortly as we had cargo ready for each. I returned to the offices quickly and scanned the two manifests.

It didn’t take much on my part to arrange things. The one cargo was simply silks and spices, our typical shipment. It was the other that was of interest to me, the slaves. A quiet word to Mr. Beckett and due to what he’d seen the previous day was sufficient to ensure that Sparrow was assigned the slaves.

While they were arguing, it didn’t take much to entice the lovely Giselle to wait for her love in the hold of the ship carrying the slaves. The excited look upon her face was enough to tell me I’d been correct in assuming she felt more for Sparrow than Beckett. . I assured her Captain Sparrow would release her the instant he discovered she was aboard. I’d make sure there was a note for him. Even showed it to her.

How sad that the slaves weren’t on the Wench, but on another ship entirely. Of course, had they been, they would have perished. Seems Beckett became so enraged with Sparrow when he refused to transport them that he decided to burn the ship and sink her. Sparrow left his employ and last I’d heard, he’d made a pact with the devil himself for his ship.

And Giselle? Well the note I’d left was on the ship, the one that burned. She was still in the hold of the other ship with the slaves. They went to be sold at an auction in Tortuga. Brides being in such short supply there, I'm sure they had no trouble selling her. Beckett to this day still believes she took off with Sparrow. Of course, the short note she’d supposedly left helped.

And me? Well, Beckett rewarded me for pointing out the perfidy of his fiance. Moved me up in his employ, although he did test me. Asked me to be the one to burn the ship. I didn’t have a problem with that task.

~.~

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