Lady Rubina - A Pirates Of The Caribbean Love Story

“Commodore Norrington is here to see you, my lady.” My maid bobbed a curtsey and left the room.

I stifled a sigh. Commodore Norrington was a good man, but very boring. He had taken to visiting me every day, and I had taken to dreading his visits. Still, a girl with my impeccable upbringing knew she had to be polite to all and sundry. Boring young men were no exception. So I forced a smile as he entered the room.

I will give him his due, he looked good. His uniform was pristine and suited him very well.

“I hear you’ve just been promoted, Commodore?” I said, extending a hand. “Congratulations.”

“Thank-you, Rubina.” He took my hand, holding onto it for as long as was possible. Embarrassed, I pulled away.

“Uh… You look lovely,” he said. “But are you well? You weren’t at my promotion.”

“No…” I agreed. “I wasn’t. I’m fine.” The truth was, all the pomp and ceremony seemed totally false to me. I hated all that kind of stuff. Fanfares blowing, loads of men from the army marching around. Stupid-looking lords and ladies, acting posh.

Life in Port Royal was just that: an act. We were all playing a part.

But I wasn’t an actress. And I was getting bored with being a lady. Being polite to people you felt like yelling at. Wearing flouncy dresses that felt like they were cutting you in half. Pinning you hair up in styles where the hairpins dug into your scalp. Picking at your food, when you were starving hungry.

Yeah, I know, I could go on all day about how painful it is being a lady. Thankfully, Norrington interrupted my thoughts.

“Can we go for a walk somewhere?” he asked.

I did sigh this time. I liked Norrington. I really did. But he was just so… proper.

He led me outside into the sunshine. I kept my eyes directed away from him. The less encouragement I gave him the better. Instead, I looked at the dancing blue waves of the sea. I loved the sea. I sometimes dreamed that I was free of my parents and their miserable, upper-class existence, and that I was free to sail the sea forever. It was never going to happen. But, hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?

As I stared out to sea, I caught sight of a ship, with tattered black sails. And a flag I had never seen before. I screwed up my eyes and squinted at it. A black flag, with white marks on it? I couldn’t make it out properly. I nudged Norrington.

“James, what flag is that?”

“Rubina, did you hear me?”

“No? What did you say?”

“I said, will you… No, wait, what did you say?”

“I said, what flag is that?” I pointed.

He followed the direction of my gaze. “Jolly Roger, skull and crossbones,” he said, briefly. “I… What? Jolly Roger?”

“You mean it’s a pirate ship?” I stared with interest at the ship.

Norrington didn’t answer me. He was too busy running towards several members of the navy, barking out orders.

I rolled my eyes. It wasn’t really fair to be so down on pirates. All they’d done so far was anchor their ship in our port. Big deal!

I walked down to the sea so I could see the ship better. I walked across a small wooden jetty. The wood was wet and slippery. My feet slid out from beneath me, and I felt myself falling. Just before I hit the ground, somebody caught me.

I found myself in the arms of a man with shoulder-length chestnut hair. I stared at him, his golden eyes looking right back at me. I couldn’t help noticing how near our faces were.

“Thank-you,” I said, standing up properly, and moving a little away from him. It was then that I noticed the monkey on his shoulder. “Aww… He’s so cute!”

The man smiled. “Why, thank-ye, Miss. And ye would be?”

I was about to tell him my real name, Lady Rubina Reynolds, when I decided against it. This man was obviously not any form of nobility. I didn’t have to be on my best behaviour with him. Maybe I could have just a few moments of freedom and find out what it was like to be an ordinary girl?

“I’m Ruby Smith,” I said, saying the first name that came into my head. I often get called Ruby, when I’m alone with my family, and Smith was the name of a blacksmith in town that Father commissions sometimes.

“Miss Smith…” The man swept off his huge hat. “A pleasure. Can ye tell me where I could find Reynolds House?”

I frowned. I lived there! Was this man a friend of my fathers? I had never seen him before. What was I going to say? I obviously couldn’t tell him who I really was… “What do you want with that?” I asked, hoping I didn’t sound too suspicious.

The man shrugged, elaborately. “Nothin’.”

“Oh, right!” I said, sarcastically. “Just want to look at the building, do you?”

He smiled at me. “That’s right, Miss.” We both laughed, because we both knew he was lying.

Standing there, in the fading sunshine, I don’t remember when I had ever been so relaxed. I had nothing to prove to this man. And there was something about his eyes… They sent shivers down my spine. They seemed to look right inside my soul.

The last thing I thought was that I wanted to look into his eyes every day of my life. And then, if you’ll pardon the expression, all hell broke loose.