The room of mirrors (Hold)

Chapter 2: The pirate's life is not for me

There Emily stood, in front of the mirror, her reflection staring back at her. It didn’t look like her. Her hair was messily bound up by a scarlet handkerchief, she wore an oversized linen shirt with a brown leather waistcoat and a pair of faded black duck slops that was held up by a piece of rope. The clothes had belonged to one of the boys in the crew who must’ve been one of the younger boys.

 If she had gone back to Brooksville like that, no one would’ve recognised her.

“I’m sorry, that’s all we could find that looked about your size,” Smee said, walking in the room. She smiled half-heartedly at the scrawny old man. “It’s fine, It’s just not very ladylike. I’m quite capable to make my own clothes though. Have you got any material?” she asked.

“Well, we have some of the material left over from your dress, why?” Smee scowled under his breath, seeming quite offended.

 “Could I please have them? I have an idea.”

As soon as she got the material from Smee, she set to work, snipping here, sewing there. It tookher the whole day to finish it, hours had passed her by and shedidn’t even realise it.

When she was done, she slipped on her new creation, checking it out in the mirror. Staring back was someone more recognisable. Her blue dress unlike her ball gown was of plain design and knee height, allowing her to walk easier. She admired her handiwork. There was a silent knock at the door. “Come in,” She yelled, picking up the scrap material to try and clean up the room. It was Smee again. “Oh hello, what do you think?” she beamed twirling.

“Lovely Miss Grenville, the Cap’ns requested your company for dinner,” he said.

“Really? Why?”

“No, Miss Grenville I was joking, -ha-ha,” He exaggerated the laugh sarcastically, “And I haven’t the foggiest as to why, dinner is served in 10 minutes”

After spending half an hour fixing her hair, Emily knocked on the captain’s door. Smee answered. Not saying anything he motioned for her to come in. The Captain was already sitting at the table, drinking rum. The sun was halfway between setting and being completely gone, so the sky was an illusory beautiful orange and pink.

“Ms Grenville, sit down,” said Jack. Smiling, she sat opposite him again. Smee placed a plate in front of them both, with exactly the same thing as breakfast, pouring more rum in their thick mugs.Emily figured the idea was to get so tipsy on the alcohol it wouldn’t have mattered what the food tasted like. “Now, get outta here,” the captain said, addressing his remark to Smee but fixing his eyes on mine as Smee walked out. “It’s bull’s pizzle, this food is,” Jack spat, with his mouth half full of fish. “Emily- Uh I can call ye Emily yeah,” he said. It wasn’t really a question because he continued without giving her a chance to reply. “I never got a chance to properly introduce myself this morning, and explain how we found you.”

“Go on, Captain.”

“You see,” he mumbled stuffing his face with mash, “I’m a skilled man, a very skilled man If I do say so myself and I can say that because anyone who disagrees is either dead or still in hiding on that nore I’m also a very wanted man.”

“Wanted?” His words stuck out to Emily,“A good, honest gentlemen such as yourself, why would you be wanted?”

He frowned at me, “Didn’t ye pay attention at school?” He took a sip of his rum, “All pirates are wanted, it’s just they be wanting me more than the rest.” He continued to eat.

Emily’s face turned pale, her eyes were round and her hands twitched causing the fork in her hand to shake against the table.How could she not have known? The rudeness should’ve been a clear give away if not that then the crew and the weapons. “You’re a pirate…I thought you were a…,” Emily said softly with my head down.