A/N: Thanks for the loverly reviews. Oh and I've adjusted the ages since last time to make the courting thing work better : Elizabeth/Will: 35, Maria 15 and Johnathan 17.
Will sat laboring over a sword down in his smithy. It was a hard job and the heat made it none the better. He wiped the sweat from his brow and pulled the sweat soaked shirt from his chest. He had half a mind to take the bloody thing off. It probably wouldn't do much but it would be better than sitting there in the heat with that thing on. But of course he couldn't fore it would be indecent for him to be sitting in his place of business without any shirt on. He took out his pocket watch. It would soon be time for him to go home and take his lunch. The blacksmith sighed and a small grin appeared on his face at the thought. He quite enjoyed taking his lunch at home with Elizabeth and the kids rather than down at the smithy.
His thoughts were interrupted when someone entered the shop. Will stood up to greet them. "Mr. Turner," said the guest.
"Johnathan," he nodded. "Is this about the other day?"
"Yes sir it is. Mr. Turner…I'm not sure how this is supposed to go but I really, really like your daughter. I was hoping you'd give me permission to court her." Will shook his head and sat back down at in front of his unfinished blade.
"No," he said simply.
"Mr. Turner. I understand that you're apprehensive about letting Maria date but I promise I'll take good care of her," the young boy said. "Mr. Turner this isn't all superficial I've had a chance to talk to her on several occasions and she's different from most girls. She-"
"Yes," Will said stopping him in mid-sentence. "She is different from most girls in Port Royal. She has no place here, except with us. She does not belong with white English society nor does she belong with slave Negroes. She has no parents. They're both dead but infamous. For those reasons I'm extremely protective of her."
"All these things have come up in conversation Mr. Turner."
"How do I know you're going to take as good of care as you say you will?"
"You have my word Mr. Turner, as a man." Will sighed and raked a hand through his brown hair. He accepted the words and found them to be truthful but what when things turned for the worst? Could he trust him to be there for his daughter then?
"You know what'll you'll be slated as when other find out you've began courting her do you not?" He stayed silent. "Do you not?"
Finally he nodded looking down at the dirt ground. "Yes sir. They've already began with the taunting." Will scoffed.
"It's nothing compared to what she's had to live with her whole life!"
"I know! I know sir. Which is why I don't make much of it."
"Will you be able to cope with that? Everywhere you go hearing whispers, being openly criticized in public, turned away from services, not being taken seriously? Can you cope with that lad?" The boy looked at him in wonder, not knowing all the family had gone through in the last 15 years. Was he still up for this?
"I can only promise to try my best sir," he said in fake confidence and a hidden air of fear that did not go unnoticed by Will at all.
"That is more than most can say," he said standing up to look the boy square in the eyes. "Intelligence would tell you to be a gentleman and make sure you do not break my daughter's heart. Johnathan looked around at all the swords and swallowed hard.
"Of course sir. And I thank you very much sir for the opportunity."
"I should be thanking you Johnathan. Since you've come along she's been in much higher spirits. She smiles a lot now. In 2 weeks she's smiled more than she has in 2 years. I can say for certain she is fond of you also."
"The pleasure is mine Mr. Turner."
"Well," Will said wiping his rough hands with a cloth. "I'm about to be on my way home for lunch if you'd like to join us. I'm sure Maria would enjoy seeing you."
"Definitely. Thank you sir." Will smiled and nodded.
"Give me a minute then and we'll head off."
Maria sat at her vanity mirror brushing her hair. For a few days she had been stuck in the house under the watchful eyes of Elizabeth and Will. Rightfully she had been bored out of her mind but sometimes she found it nice to be left alone with her thoughts; especially when those thoughts revolved around Johnathan Tratchenburg. In only a few days he had become her savoir in this god-forsaken town. She loved to think about him but she found it ten times better when he came by. He had only come once and they had a quiet conversation in the backyard though it was under the suspicious eyes of Will.
Will was in all senses her father and definitely treated her as such. For Will it had been fine when it was only a date to the ball. But then the shore and the unexpected visit to the house? Yes he was grateful that someone had been able to lift the girl's spirits but he was overprotective when it came to her well being. Incredibly more so than any other father in Port Royal but with reason. Maria wasn't a regular girl. Well in most senses she was but to most of Port Royal she definitely couldn't be considered as such. Maria sighed at her predicament. Things would get much better when she joined the Black Pearl she hoped.
A knock on the door inclined her to stop brushing her hair. "Come in," she said starting back up again. The person behind the door came in and sat down beside her. "Hi Will. What's wrong?"
He shook his head. "No! Nothings wrong. I just came up to tell you that I got an important visit today at the smithy," he said looking at her by way of the mirror the same way she did to him.
"Commodore Norrington?" she guessed.
"No someone much closer to you."
"Johnathan?" she asked hopefully and he nodded.
"I know you want this. That's why I told him yes. I gave him permission to court you."
"Will…"
"Maria. I know I've been overprotective of you but I have my reasons. And Johnathan is a good respectable boy. Besides he makes you happy. That's what matters most huh?" Maria nodded as a few stray tears ran down her face.
"Thank you so much dad," she said throwing her arms around his neck. He pulled her away from him placing a quick kiss on her forehead.
"Come on then. We've got a guest for lunch," she smiled and took his hand as he led her down the stairs to meet the boy who all this discussion had revolved around.
A/N: Reviews would make me feel a hellava lot better…..Please?