Wish I had an Angel
Chapter 2
Commodore James Norrington looked stunned when he opened the door and saw Elizabeth standing before him. It was unusual for her to come to his office. The fort was no place for a lady. He cleared his throat, and stood erect. “Good day, Miss Swann.” His manners were impeccable as usual. “What brings you…”
“Is it true?” She pushed passed him without being invited in. “My friend and I were talking and I found out that you have asked to be reassigned. Is it true?” Elizabeth turned suddenly, her silk dress twisting around her long legs.
He closed the door. “Yes. It is true.”
“Why? Why are you leaving?” She pulled her gloves off. “And why did you keep this from me?”
“Would you care to sit?” James motioned for her to sit in a chair.
“No. No I would not like to sit. I would like to know why you feel the need to leave. You always told me you loved Port Royal dearly, and that you would never leave. Why have you changed your mind?”
Norrington looked into her eyes. “I do not mean to offend you, Miss Swann, but I have no desire to stay. At one time I did find this place very enchanting. But there is nothing for me now. I will leave as soon as I receive new orders. I pray that they take me far away from Port Royal.” He turned towards the wall and pretended to look at a map. James could not look at her because he would cave to her will.
She stared at his perfect posture, his hands tightly clasped behind his back. “I thought, well I hoped you would attend my wedding. I want you to be there.” Elizabeth twisted her glove mindlessly. Despite what had happened between them she did want James to attend the wedding. He had been a large part of her life since she was a child, and she did not want to lose him, not now. She needed him. “Please look at me.” As she wished he turned to face her.
“I do not understand why you would like me to attend your wedding. Do you seek to torture me? Why cannot you let me be.”
Elizabeth moved forward. “Is it true what they say? Are you leaving because of me?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation.
“Why?”
He shook his head. “You dare ask me why, Miss Swann?” There was sadness in his voice. “I am unsure how you can ask such a question when it is blatantly obvious to everyone in Port Royal, save yourself, why I choose not to attend your wedding or that I wish to leave. Do you wish me to tell you the reason, Miss Swann?”
Elizabeth knew what people said, but she was unsure if it were true. A part of her could not believe that a man as distant and cold as James Norrington could ever love. She always believed he wanted to marry her because of her status, not out of love.
Her chin rose in defiance. “Yes. Tell me your reason.”
He looked down into her eyes. “It is because I love you, Elizabeth and it is because of this that I cannot bear to see you marry Will Turner.”
He had used her first name. She could never recall a time when he did not address her formally.
His handsome green eyes were too much to bear and she looked away. Something had stirred within her when he said he loved her, and it frightened her. “You released me from my promise. The fault is yours.”
“I was a gentleman. I knew you did not love me as you loved Mr. Turner. I knew that you promised yourself to me to save his life. And I knew that every day you would resent me for marrying you and taking you away from Mr. Turner. As a man of honor I knew what I had to do. Despite my feelings for you I knew that I had to release you. That is what I have done. I have given you the life you desire. I have given you the man you long for. I have made great sacrifices for your happiness.” He walked towards his desk. His thumbnail dug into the cherry wood as he looked down at the floor.
“That’s untrue. The thing you desire most is to capture pirates. That is all you care about.” She saw his shoulders slouch, and for the first time in her life James Norrington did not look strong or confident.
His voice was barely audible. “I wish that were true.”
Elizabeth found her strength and marched up to him. She could not believe that he loved her the same way Will did. James was incapable of that type of love. “If that is true then why did you not tell me this before? Why did you always keep me away and not show me any affection? I think you…
His head jerked up quickly. “What would you have me do, Miss Swann? Above all else I have treated you like a lady in the manner you are accustomed. Never did I think to do anything else. I dared not.” His fist slammed against the desk upsetting the inkwell. “I would not.” At once he was embarrassed by his outburst. “I’m sorry. I should remember myself.”
Emotion. James Norrington finally had an emotional outburst. Instead of remaining a gentleman he allowed his feelings to overcome him. Was he capable of passion and love? Elizabeth was intrigued.
She pressed the issue. “Then this is your fault. How was I to know?”
His voice was low again. “How could you not?”
“There was no passion and there certainly wasn’t any emotion.” Her eyes watched him walk across the room towards the door.
“Forgive me, Miss Swann, that I was not forward enough to kiss you in your father’s house. Now if you please I have much to do. I am awaiting my orders. They may arrive at any moment.” His hand rested on the doorknob.
Sighing, she walked towards the door. “I do not want to see you leave.” Elizabeth meant what she said. For years he had been a constant in her life and it would seem strange for anyone else to take his place. “Are you sure you must go?”
“I cannot see you and Mr. Turner together. My decision has been made.”
She bowed her head. “I understand. Will I see you before you leave? Will you come to say good-bye?” James would not deny her one last good-bye, he couldn’t. Elizabeth hoped that if she saw him one more time she maybe able to change his mind.
“No.”
Elizabeth grew angry again. “Then I will come to you before you sail. Father will tell me when you will leave, and I shall come and say good-bye to you. I do not care what you say. You owe me that much.”
“Please,” his voice was soft as he spoke. “Do not come, Miss Swann. You have want you want at least give me the departure I seek.”
Elizabeth struggled with her gloves as she attempted to put them on. “I’m coming!” And without another word she stormed out, her silk dress trailing behind.
Commodore James Norrington looked stunned when he opened the door and saw Elizabeth standing before him. It was unusual for her to come to his office. The fort was no place for a lady. He cleared his throat, and stood erect. “Good day, Miss Swann.” His manners were impeccable as usual. “What brings you…”
“Is it true?” She pushed passed him without being invited in. “My friend and I were talking and I found out that you have asked to be reassigned. Is it true?” Elizabeth turned suddenly, her silk dress twisting around her long legs.
He closed the door. “Yes. It is true.”
“Why? Why are you leaving?” She pulled her gloves off. “And why did you keep this from me?”
“Would you care to sit?” James motioned for her to sit in a chair.
“No. No I would not like to sit. I would like to know why you feel the need to leave. You always told me you loved Port Royal dearly, and that you would never leave. Why have you changed your mind?”
Norrington looked into her eyes. “I do not mean to offend you, Miss Swann, but I have no desire to stay. At one time I did find this place very enchanting. But there is nothing for me now. I will leave as soon as I receive new orders. I pray that they take me far away from Port Royal.” He turned towards the wall and pretended to look at a map. James could not look at her because he would cave to her will.
She stared at his perfect posture, his hands tightly clasped behind his back. “I thought, well I hoped you would attend my wedding. I want you to be there.” Elizabeth twisted her glove mindlessly. Despite what had happened between them she did want James to attend the wedding. He had been a large part of her life since she was a child, and she did not want to lose him, not now. She needed him. “Please look at me.” As she wished he turned to face her.
“I do not understand why you would like me to attend your wedding. Do you seek to torture me? Why cannot you let me be.”
Elizabeth moved forward. “Is it true what they say? Are you leaving because of me?”
“Yes.” There was no hesitation.
“Why?”
He shook his head. “You dare ask me why, Miss Swann?” There was sadness in his voice. “I am unsure how you can ask such a question when it is blatantly obvious to everyone in Port Royal, save yourself, why I choose not to attend your wedding or that I wish to leave. Do you wish me to tell you the reason, Miss Swann?”
Elizabeth knew what people said, but she was unsure if it were true. A part of her could not believe that a man as distant and cold as James Norrington could ever love. She always believed he wanted to marry her because of her status, not out of love.
Her chin rose in defiance. “Yes. Tell me your reason.”
He looked down into her eyes. “It is because I love you, Elizabeth and it is because of this that I cannot bear to see you marry Will Turner.”
He had used her first name. She could never recall a time when he did not address her formally.
His handsome green eyes were too much to bear and she looked away. Something had stirred within her when he said he loved her, and it frightened her. “You released me from my promise. The fault is yours.”
“I was a gentleman. I knew you did not love me as you loved Mr. Turner. I knew that you promised yourself to me to save his life. And I knew that every day you would resent me for marrying you and taking you away from Mr. Turner. As a man of honor I knew what I had to do. Despite my feelings for you I knew that I had to release you. That is what I have done. I have given you the life you desire. I have given you the man you long for. I have made great sacrifices for your happiness.” He walked towards his desk. His thumbnail dug into the cherry wood as he looked down at the floor.
“That’s untrue. The thing you desire most is to capture pirates. That is all you care about.” She saw his shoulders slouch, and for the first time in her life James Norrington did not look strong or confident.
His voice was barely audible. “I wish that were true.”
Elizabeth found her strength and marched up to him. She could not believe that he loved her the same way Will did. James was incapable of that type of love. “If that is true then why did you not tell me this before? Why did you always keep me away and not show me any affection? I think you…
His head jerked up quickly. “What would you have me do, Miss Swann? Above all else I have treated you like a lady in the manner you are accustomed. Never did I think to do anything else. I dared not.” His fist slammed against the desk upsetting the inkwell. “I would not.” At once he was embarrassed by his outburst. “I’m sorry. I should remember myself.”
Emotion. James Norrington finally had an emotional outburst. Instead of remaining a gentleman he allowed his feelings to overcome him. Was he capable of passion and love? Elizabeth was intrigued.
She pressed the issue. “Then this is your fault. How was I to know?”
His voice was low again. “How could you not?”
“There was no passion and there certainly wasn’t any emotion.” Her eyes watched him walk across the room towards the door.
“Forgive me, Miss Swann, that I was not forward enough to kiss you in your father’s house. Now if you please I have much to do. I am awaiting my orders. They may arrive at any moment.” His hand rested on the doorknob.
Sighing, she walked towards the door. “I do not want to see you leave.” Elizabeth meant what she said. For years he had been a constant in her life and it would seem strange for anyone else to take his place. “Are you sure you must go?”
“I cannot see you and Mr. Turner together. My decision has been made.”
She bowed her head. “I understand. Will I see you before you leave? Will you come to say good-bye?” James would not deny her one last good-bye, he couldn’t. Elizabeth hoped that if she saw him one more time she maybe able to change his mind.
“No.”
Elizabeth grew angry again. “Then I will come to you before you sail. Father will tell me when you will leave, and I shall come and say good-bye to you. I do not care what you say. You owe me that much.”
“Please,” his voice was soft as he spoke. “Do not come, Miss Swann. You have want you want at least give me the departure I seek.”
Elizabeth struggled with her gloves as she attempted to put them on. “I’m coming!” And without another word she stormed out, her silk dress trailing behind.