My Clarity

Chapter eleven

''Chil-children?'' Rose stammered, her eyes adjusting to notion of been here. With Mr. Dawson. In such a-position, Then, the penny dropped. The talk of rearing children at lunch had caused her to panic. Staring at him, seemingly right into the eyes of the Devil, she felt safe. Seemingly. Strangely.

''No, I am not afraid of children.''

''Well, it does appear that you are. Or the prospect of a child with Mr. Hockley.''

Giving up the idea of arguing, Rose snapped, in frustration.

"Everyone's afraid of something. What are you afraid of?"

"Ceilings and walls, mostly."

Rose stared at him in puzzlement, her thoughts still coursing too slowly. "You mean . . . you would rather live outside like a wild creature?"

"Yes, that's what I mean. Have you ever slept outside before?"

"On the ground?" Her bewildered tone made him grin.

"On a pallet beside a fire."

Rose tried to imagine it, lying undefended on the hard ground, at the mercy of every creature that crawled, crept, or flew.

"I don't think I could fall asleep that way." She felt his hand playing slowly in the loose locks of her hair which had fallen loose from the pins. It was like a slow seduction into a sleepy and comatose state. Oh, how easily he could make her lose herself, if she was willing to allow him to.

"You could." His voice was soft. "I would help you."

Rose had no idea what he meant by that. All she knew was that as his fingertips reached her scalp, she felt a sensual shiver run down her spine. Clumsily, she reached for her bodice, trying to pull the reinforced fabric together.

"Allow me. You're still unsteady." Jack's hands brushed hers aside and he began to hook her corset deftly. Clearly, he was familiar with the intricacies of a woman's undergarments. Rose didn't doubt there had been more than a few ladies willing to let him practice. The thought was unpleasant, not that it should matter to her.

Flustered, she asked, "Was I hurt anywhere?"

"No." Mischief flickered in his eyes. "I checked thoroughly."

Rose suppressed a little moan of distress. She was tempted to push his hands away from her, except that he was restoring her clothing far more efficiently than she would have. She closed her eyes, trying to pretend she wasn't sprawled in a man's lap while he fastened her corset. Oh, the menacing few days had been trying. From meeting Mr. Dawson to now, almost straddling him on the floor of her own sitting room where her fiancé or mother could find them at any given moment should have sent her nerves flying about all over. Scattered. Perhaps they had already been sent.

"You may need a physician to check you over," Jack said. Thinking of the enormous fuss that would cause, Rose shook her head. Her eyes opened, and she looked up at him in worry.

"Were--were we seen?"

Before Jack could reply, a new voice entered the room.

''Miss. Rose.'' Trudy was starting for them, worry in her eyes and completely aware of the strange man beneath Miss. DeWitt Bukater. ''What happened here? Are you hurt?''

''Goodness, no.'' Rose felt her heart thump once more. It was only a certain length of time before she had to be caught in a state with Mr. Dawson. Rationality came to her eventually and she found her steady tongue. ''Trudy, please do not fuss, Mr. Dawson here was simply assisting me. I had taken a turn at lunch and fainted.''