In the Hands of Fate II: Dead Man's Chest

Chapter Seventeen

She stepped off the gangplank and onto the docks of Port Royal. She took a deep breath and looked about. Very little had changed since the last time she had been here.

A man dressed in a naval uniform stepped forth. "Ah, Mrs. Church, I presume?"

The woman nodded, a slight smile gracing her features. "James. Lord Beckett is expecting me."

"Yes. I must admit," Norrington said as he led Luna to an awaiting carriage, "I half expected you to arrive on the Black Pearl."

Luna looked at him in shock. "Commodore, the Pearl is gone. Lost in Davy Jones' Locker, as well as its captain."

Norrington scrunched his face. "My apologies, I had no idea. And it's Admiral now, actually."

Luna smiled a tad bit as she climbed into the carriage. "Felicitari," she spoke then added at Norrington's puzzled face; "Er, congratulations. I'm sure you're very proud of you accomplishment."

Admiral Norrington nodded. "Yes, of course Madam. But it was with your help that I achieved it. If you hadn't insisted on me taking the heart, I'd probably still be a rum-soaked former commodore stranded on Tortuga wallowing in self-pity, no better than a pirate."

Luna quirked an eyebrow and the half insulting compliment. "You're welcome." She failed to mention that she did it for her own well being, but for some reason she couldn't form the words. Ah well, she needed to rid herself of "piratey" habits.

The door was shut and the carriage jolted forward. The ride to Lord Beckett's home seemed quite agonizingly long. She could smell the fresh sea air though it was nearly overpowered by the stuffy, silky fragrance of the carriage. She knew this was the closest she'll get to feel the sea breeze against her face, tugging at her long silky hair. For a very long time.

The carriage came to a sudden halt and the door opened. A servant man held out his hand for Luna to take as he helped her out. He led her through the rose filled patio garden. Before she made it to the door though, she was caught off guard by a shocking sight. Standing under a black lattice arch of the most particularly perfect shade of cream roses, looking decidedly dashing in his uniform, as much as she hated to admit it, was Lord Cutler Beckett with a slight smile on his smug face.

"Well, don't you look charming?" Luna sneered.

Beckett closed the short distance between them and took her hand. "Only the best for my fiancée," he said bending to kiss her hand. "Welcome home."

Luna rolled her eyes. "Great. A true gentleman." She jerked her hand back and continued into the house. "You can quit the act Cutler. It's just us and your servants. And while they may gossip, none of it leaves the house. You can take my word for it."

"Fair enough," he replied, impressed with her straightforwardness. He motioned to a passing maid. "Henrietta, see to it Luna finds her room alright, and that her needs are sought after." He walked over to a cast iron glass-topped patio table. "Oh, and find her something more suitable to wear for the luncheon."

Henrietta nodded and ushered Luna in to the manor. "Your room is this way madam."

Luna smiled her thanks and followed the young girl. "Henrietta, was it?"

"Yes, madam?"

"Please call me Luna. And forget about propriety with me please?"

Henrietta led her up a flight of stairs and down a hall. She stopped in front of a door and drew a key to open it. "Of course, madam- uh, Luna."

"Much better." Luna stepped around the maid and into the room.

She was stunned to find it the same perfect shade of cream as the roses. To the right of the door was an ornate desk and chair. In the center of the left wall was a dazzling mahogany canopy bed. To either side was a small table made of the same wood. At the foot of the bed was the very same chest that held her valuables at the governor's home. Directly across from the bed a fire place. Pushed in between two sets of French doors on the far wall was a large mahogany chest of drawers. The doors lead out to a balcony that over looked the back garden.

"Magnific," she breathed.

"Pardon?"

"Splendid," Luna corrected, though, she was sure the Romanian word sounded similar to an English equivalent.

"Oh, yes. Well, Lord Beckett was worried you wouldn't like it," Henrietta said honestly.

Luna arched her eyebrow. "Oh?" Luna looked back to the chest at the foot of the bed and ran to it. She lifted the lid to find everything was there. Her eyes were drawn to a particular journal. "Where did Lord Beckett find this?" she asked herself as she picked it up. She wiped the thin layer of dust off of the cover.

The cover had a crescent moon carved from sapphire and various sizes of diamond incrusted into the black leather cover. On the bottom right corner her name was engraved in silver. "It was mine from when I was a lived on the Black Pearl. Jack gave it to me for my birthday right before he was mutinied. I thought I had lost it when I moved in with the governor."

She dug through the chest looking for a small coin bag that held a few of her more precious jewelry. She pulled out a thin silver chain that held a small key. Luna used the key to unlock the journal's clasp and flipped through pausing to read a few entries. A slight breeze blew through the open balcony door and turned the pages in the book. It stopped when it reached a piece of folded parchment. Curious, Luna opened it. The first thing she noted was it was torn in half. The second was that the writing was Jack's.

A sharp knock on the door stopped her from noticing anything else. Luna looked up to see the same man that helped her from the carriage.

"Missus Church, Lord Beckett requests that you dress formally for tonight's dinner," the man said.

Henrietta nodded and ushered him out of the room before pulling Luna over to the closet to change.

End of Part II