Cold All the Way Through, But Warming

The Spell is Broken

The Vanderbilt's railcar was even more excessive than ours and Will couldn't stop marveling at the red silk walls and carved and gilded wood panels. The fact that they had a sleeper car of their own attached to it only added to his shock, and I chuckled to see his face when he couldn't stop staring after the car when they pulled away. He kept a hand around mine, then bent over to whisper in my ear. "Why would they bring the sleeper car if they spent the night in town?"

"Oh who knows, perhaps they wanted a nap." I gave his hand a squeeze. "Or maybe they actually didn't stay in the inn."

He snorted, "Well, we are certainly headed there. I am starving, and we had better purchase some to take home." My culinary skills had been progressing, but solely in terms of baking. I had actually managed a loaf of bread but in terms of savory dishes, I was lagging far behind. And despite how much we enjoyed them, we could't live off of all the chocolates that Oscar had brought.

Fortunately the inn was open for lunch, and not very crowded. In fact, there were hardly any patrons which meant that we were able to grab a seat close to the fireplace. The only man near us was old, his hair white and a long pipe clenched between his teeth. It was hanging loose though as his chin was resting on his chest and his eyes were closed. Will ordered us a couple bowls of the stew the inn was keeping warm for dinner guests, and I couldn't help but admire him as he settled back into his chair.

It had been some time since I had felt the flutterings of desire in my stomach, but they had come back during the night. Will had curled himself around me, his hand drifting up to my breast and pulling me tight to him. He had breathed deeply against my hair, his voice a rumble. "Ana, sweet Ana." I had pressed myself to him, humming happily when he began to knead my breast. He was still asleep, but I had been awake and had stayed awake for a long time. It had been awhile since we had been together, but the fact that he clearly still wanted me had made my heart beat fast.

It wasn't like I hadn't noticed the way he watched me when I was wearing his trousers, like he was about to devour me. He'd been so chaste with me before, simple kisses and his hand on my waist. When I wore trousers though, it was like an animal had been released. At least he had acted like one, his eyes dark as he had gently collected my wrists and held them above my head. It had been strange to be able to part my legs to make it easier for him to get close to me without a skirt hindering me, but he had grinned into the kiss when I had cocked a leg around his knee to keep him there. I found I had missed the feeling of his tongue tracing mine, the way he would trail his lips over my cheeks to whisper against my ear and then come back. I had wiggled then, trying to pull him closer and into a position that had once been so easy but I had wanted to avoid lately. But he had withdrawn, although his eyes had still been dark as he released me.

My mind had been all twisted, for how could Will still want me when everything had been so wrong? When I was to blame for what had seemed wrong? I had thought it was just him still performing his husbandly obligations when he held my hand or tried to get me to open the door, but seeing him that night, his eyes wild as he swore that he would never stop loving me, it had broken through. No matter what I felt about myself, he still loved me. I could have come to him destitute and ruined, and Will still would have loved me. It was enough to make me sigh to see his blue eyes, so light and clear, quickly find mine. He smiled, "Something on your mind, love?"

"Of course, darling." I batted my eyes, "You." A brief bit of color rose to his cheeks, having lost their slight tan from the summer and back to their usual paleness. But it meant that I could see him blush and the way his lips cracked into a smile.

"Well I'm glad for that then." He chuckled, "At least it's me and not Count Vronsky, I'd like to think that my wife had a fancy for sailors and not calvary officers."