My Fair Lady

Ashes and Ashes

A/N: Short Chapter. If you guys are wondering why I'm updating so frequently lately, it's kinda because it's holidays now and I'm super bored haha.

Whenever Juliet felt down, she sought solace with her parents by visiting the woods. Both her parents had wanted freedom and loved nature so when they died, she decided to bury their ashes in the soil amongst the greenery.

Nobody ever visited the small patch of woods but that was the reason why she went there regularly. The tranquility and quietness suited her fine.

She did put two tombstones over where she had buried her parents' ashes and as she wiped off the dust, she could see the two names carved on it.

RIP.

Lillian and Henry Rosewood.

"Mum, Dad," Juliet croaked out, her throat constricting. "I miss you guys so much."

"My, my, who is this?" She heard a low voice.

As Juliet turned around, she saw Captain Jack staring at her. She suddenly felt defensive. No one had trespassed this private space before and just because he was Edmund's friend didn't meant that he could intrude her privacy.

"What are you doing here?" Juliet retorted.

"That's a question I've to ask you," Captain Jack chuckled and he cocked his head to the right. "How did you know this place?" He glanced at the tombstones. "Do you know Henry and Lillian Rosewood?" he asked.

"Do I know them?" Juliet repeated his question incredulously. "I'm their daughter, Juliet Rosewood."

For the first time in her life, the almighty Captain Jack looked scared. His eyes widened and his gaze flickered to her face to the tombstones uncertainly. "You're Lillian's daughter?" he whispered. "Her first child?"

"Yes." Juliet raised her chin to meet his gaze. "Do you know my parents?"

"I...I should go." Captain Jack turned but Juliet blocked his way.

"Tell me. Nobody knows about this place except for my sister and I. Who are you? And how did you know my parents?" she demanded.

Captain Jack stared at her eyes. "I'm your mother's friend. A...very good friend."

Juliet raised her eyebrows. "You're hiding something. Tell me," she said.

Captain Jack sighed. "It surprises me that a fragile little thing like you would dare to speak to me in such a way when even the fiercest of pirates are afraid of me. You're just like your mother," he said wistfully.

Juliet waited.

"I can tell that you're not letting this go." Captain Jack nodded. "Alright. You knew that your mother was from the gentry class. She wasn't nobleborn."

"How did you know that?" Juliet asked, horrified. It was a family skeleton, one that shouldn't be said out loud and to know someone knowing it was terrifiying.

"I was her employer."

"Why do you care so much more about my mother?" Juliet asked. "She was only a mere employee."

Captain Jack turned away. "I loved her," he said quietly.

Juliet stared at the impressive figure before her, unwilling to believe whatever he said. Was what he said true? Did the famous pirate-killer captain really once loved her dainty, delicate mother?

"Why didn't you marry her then?" she asked.

He closed his eyes. "I was engaged at that time," he said. "I didn't have the courage to break off the engagement and marry her. That was why I recommended that her to Henry who was a close friend of mine. She would be happy with him."

"I didn't know you had a wife."

"She died a long time ago," Captain Jack answered. "We had a child but he died of sea-sicknesses. She died of heartbreak because of it."

"I'm sorry," Juliet whispered.

"I was all alone after my wife and son was gone," Captain Jack continued. "I became a drunkard to overcome my loneliness. I then decided to return to Britain after I've been away at sea for so long so that I can at least see how Lillian was doing."

Juliet knew what he was going to say already.

"But when I came home." His rough voice cracked. "I found out that both Lillian and Henry had died in a horse carriage incident. One was my best friend and the other was the woman I loved. It destroyed me. I wanted to know where they were buried and one of my spies told me that their elder daughter had buried them here."

"Why haven't I heard of you then?"

"I was at sea for 15 years." Captain Jack smiled sadly. "Many people speculated that I was dead and had been killed by pirates and Lillian and Henry moved on. I'm sure they were happier without me."

"Captain Jack," Juliet said carefully. "My father wasn't entirely faithful. He had an affair with my step-mother, Mrs Rosewood."

"I know." He nodded. "But he loved your mother the most. Just like I did."

For a moment, there was silence.

"I don't know why I didn't recognize you at the party." Captain Jack shook his head. "You've your mother's fiery red hair."

"So I've heard."

There was another beat of silence.

"I've a question," he said.

"Yes?"

"Were you at the scene of the carriage incident?"

"No." Juliet shook her head. "The horse carriage somehow caught fire and was razed to the ground. if I had been there, I wouldn't have survived."

Captain Jack nodded absent-mindedly and he stroked his moustache. "Have you ever found their deaths suspicious?"

"Suspicious?" Juliet quirked up an eyebrow. "I...I never did questioned it."

"I find it strange that a horse carriage would suddenly catch fire."

"You....you mean someone intentionally killed them?" Juliet widened her eyes. "My parents had no feud with anyone!"

"Then why did someone want to poison you as well?"

Juliet's face paled and she gulped. "So you're saying that someone has been planning a long time to kill both of my parents and me."

"It's not confirmed but there's a possibility," Captain Jack sighed and he stood up. "I think I will come back here another day. Do you mind?"

"No." Juliet smiled. "You can come here anytime you want."

He nodded and with a last glimpse at the tombstone, he left.