Evangeline McKenna has won Jack Sparrow's heart. Now, as she joins him again on his beloved Pearl, outside forces threaten to tear them-and everyone else-apart. The crew teams up with new and old forces to defeat a wealthy man in London who wants no...
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Alexander had taken Evangeline to his office, not the cells, and ordered her to sit. She sat in a large chair opposite the Commodore. Her wrists were still free of shackles, and she had even been offered something to drink. She took the large room in. The walls, darkly colored, held large paintings of men in Navy uniforms and medals on their lapels. They stared at her disapprovingly. The drapes were deep red and closed so that the only light from the room came from the fireplace which gave off such an intense heat, she felt she would melt into her seat. Alexander sat behind his desk, almost hidden by stacks of neatly arranged parchments and books about centuries-old naval tactics and war heroes. He stared at her as if he did not know what to say. Evangeline tried to spot a weapon that she could lunge for if the need arose, but she saw nothing other than what Alexander had on his person. Her wrist, which had now begun to swell, throbbed and was hot to the touch. She needed medical attention. She needed Nathaniel.
"Am I under arrest?" she asked again, becoming impatient.
Alexander sighed, and placed his palms on his desk. "No, you are not."
Geline sat up straight and then leaned forward. "Then why have you brought me here, Commodore? You cornered me on my way home and brought me here. On what grounds?"
"On the grounds of you're a fugitive," he snapped.
"You didn't follow us. I've seen no wanted posters, no reward for my capture, or Jack's for that matter. I've been here for five months, and I have not heard a word from you or any other naval officer. Why bring me in now?"
The man sat quietly for a moment, staring into the fireplace, and Evangeline wondered if he was even listening to her.
"Commodore?"
"My wife died," he said, turning to her. "Eight months ago, in childbirth. I lost her, and my child."
Evangeline sat back in her chair, in disbelief over the entire display. What exactly was going on?
"I'm sorry for your loss," she whispered.
"Do not pretend you care. You're under no orders to be loyal to me. I almost killed you. I had you scheduled for the gallows, and then I nearly choked you to death. We're not friends."
He was right. They were the farthest thing from friends, but her heart still went out to him.
"That is true. You could have killed me, but I can forget that for a second to give you my condolences," she replied.
"Losing people you love puts your life in perspective. This position, this title of Commodore, I keep it only because I know nothing else."
She wondered if it was dark yet. With the curtains drawn, she was unable to tell.
"Is Jack dead?" she asked. "Have you captured him and his crew? Is he s-"
"Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew are safely out of reach on the Pearl. We did not apprehend them."
