The Gentlewoman's Deception

Ch. 7 // Sick At Sea

"Oof!"

Louisa woke with a thud. And that thud was her landing on the floor of her room, arms and legs akimbo.

"What in the..." she grumbled in her somewhat groggy state. The ship pitched violently, sending Louisa tumbling across the wooden floor and into the solid wall. Struggling to her feet, she staggered to the bed, swaying with the motion of the boat. The room was still bathed in darkness making it difficult for Louisa to see even a foot in front of her as she felt around to regain her bearings. Resigning to the fact that it would be impossible to fall back asleep with the rough seas battering the ship, Louisa lit her oil lamp before leaning back against the wall.

With her head in such a position, a noise drifted through the wall that she had not heard over the storm. Pressing her ear against the paneling, Louisa heard a low groan followed by a heave. A few seconds passed before she heard the noises again. Finally comprehending what was happening in the room next door, Louisa grabbed the oil lamp from its hook on the overhead support beam before heading into the hallway.

Tip-toeing to Taron's cabin door, she softly knocked. When he didn't answer, she called out, "Taron? It's Isa. Are you alright?" A groan and heave was the only response. Biting her lip, Isa weighed her options. She could go back to her room and pretend like she didn't hear Taron getting seasick and spare them both the embarrassment of this late night meeting. Or, she could attempt to open the door to check on him without awakening the other guests boarding in their hallway. Feeling slightly indebted to him for helping her untangle her hair ribbon on the deck earlier, Louisa jiggled the doorknob.

Locked.

Taking out the hairpin that was securing her braid to the top of her head, Louisa inserted it into the pinprick hole. Feeling the tumblers slide into place, she managed to pick the lock. Louisa slipped through the door, softly closing it behind her before peering into the room illuminated by her lamp.

Taron was kneeling on the ground, hunched over a bucket, back bare and glistening in sweat.

"Taron." His name fell from Louisa's lips as she took in the sight in front of her. She knew he was getting seasick in his room, but she did not expect to see him in this condition. Taron's face was void of any color and his hair was messily pushed back off his forehead, getting held in place from the moisture clinging to his brow.

Stepping over him, Louisa took the rag next to the wash basin and dipped it into the cold water. Wringing it out, she hurried to sit down on the mattress in front of him, wiping the cold compress across his forehead and face. He tilted his face up towards Louisa, eyes not quite focusing on her features. Mumbling incoherently, Taron leaned into the cloth, eyes fluttering shut.

"You're alright. It's just seasickness," Louisa consoled him in a soothing tone. "We're in the middle of a storm, but it'll pass."

The Dresden listed again, this time causing Taron's weight to press against her as they both flung back onto the bed. The sudden jolt caused him to groan again as he grabbed onto her arm for stability, closing the space between the two.

"Isa..." his voice came out as a whisper, but she heard him clearly. Louisa's eyes snapped to his, searching his cloudy vision for any recognition of her compromising position in his arms. Taron's eyes drooped and Louisa could tell he wasn't quite yet in his right mind. Still, his hand had yet to loosen around her arm. If the situation were different, and she was in the arms of Sir Genkins, Louisa would have given him a piece of her mind. However, there was something about Taron that made her hesitate to do such a thing. But still, she was an unmarried woman alone in a room with an eligible gentleman. As if aware of their proximity for the first time, Louisa loosened his grip on her arm and shot up off the bed.