corset or chemise to hide her breasts, she looked down and smiled at the way her body responded—to Darius.
Wanton. Brazen. Maybe she was, but somehow she couldn’t accept that she’d fallen from grace. No shame nipped at her, only an urge to seek out the source of her fascination.
***
There was no fire kindled in the bedroom she was shown to, but it was comfortably warm. In fact, there wasn’t really a hearth but some unfamiliar machine. With the lack of fire, the entire house smelled so much nicer. There weren’t smoke wisps lingering in the corners. She could definitely grow accustomed to the lack of coal dust.
On one wall was a large box with a pipe that ended in what looked like a sound funnel for a phonograph player with a brass tank beneath it. On either side of the box were two levers, sticking straight out. These levers were larger, and when she raised them, there was a hiss as water boiled inside the tank. Several rows of a dozen short pistons began to move, white puffs of steam escaping from the sides of the device. She heard air being sucked in through a grate at the base of the pipe, and then warm air began blowing out of the funnel end. She laughed with glee as it hit her face and warmed her chilled nose.
“You have an intelligent mind, Janette.”
She turned to discover Darius watching her from the doorway. She was stunned but also noticed how breathless she felt. It was almost as if she’d stepped into a dream where it was perfectly permissible to be alone in a bedroom with a man who wasn’t her husband.
“I knocked,” he said, “but you were distracted. Not that I blame you. I forget how many conveniences my home has compared to the one you were raised in.”
The tone of his voice was just as heated as the air, and it sent a tingle of awareness through her body.
“This is phenomenal. I could wash my hair every night without fear of catching a chill.”
He watched her for a long moment. She could see regret shimmering there, and she raised her chin in defiance of his judgment.
“It’s cost you a great deal to experience it. There isn’t any way to confirm how many know you’re a Pure Spirit now, Janette.”
“Don’t use my name if your intention is to placate me.” She hugged her arms close, realizing she was holding a conversation with him in nothing but a chemise and dressing robe. “Or warn me.”
“You’re past the stage of warning,” he admitted.
“I’m sure you believe I’m in shock and too frightened to think clearly, but I assure you, I am not.” Her unbound hair was beginning to dry and float in a soft cloud, and she noticed his gaze on it.
Did he like what he saw?
Now she was thinking in an emotional way, one that promised to lead her into temptation.
“Am I to stay here tonight?”
The question was a desperate attempt to return to polite, safe conversation. She needed to forget she was alone with him and how many times she’d thought about his kiss since that moment in the garden.
“Yes, you’re my responsibility for the time being. Unless you were going to demand I return you to your father.”
Darius watched her with a measure of satisfaction. It was dark and touched off another ripple of sensation inside her. But there was also a clear challenge in his tone.
She squared her shoulders. “I am very appreciative of your hospitality.”
He frowned. “I told you before; I have little interest in polite ladies of society, so kindly spare me your attempts to coddle me.”
The reprimand in his voice stung, irritating her because she was fed up with being found lacking.
“So I should not be polite?” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t believe that is the case among Illuminists. You are attempting to prod me into acting as you expect me to. Something you’ve done before, why?”
“What I think is you have arrived at a crossroads, and it is unsettling you. Rightfully so. But my world is one where you can be sure you’ll have to back up
Wanton. Brazen. Maybe she was, but somehow she couldn’t accept that she’d fallen from grace. No shame nipped at her, only an urge to seek out the source of her fascination.
***
There was no fire kindled in the bedroom she was shown to, but it was comfortably warm. In fact, there wasn’t really a hearth but some unfamiliar machine. With the lack of fire, the entire house smelled so much nicer. There weren’t smoke wisps lingering in the corners. She could definitely grow accustomed to the lack of coal dust.
On one wall was a large box with a pipe that ended in what looked like a sound funnel for a phonograph player with a brass tank beneath it. On either side of the box were two levers, sticking straight out. These levers were larger, and when she raised them, there was a hiss as water boiled inside the tank. Several rows of a dozen short pistons began to move, white puffs of steam escaping from the sides of the device. She heard air being sucked in through a grate at the base of the pipe, and then warm air began blowing out of the funnel end. She laughed with glee as it hit her face and warmed her chilled nose.
“You have an intelligent mind, Janette.”
She turned to discover Darius watching her from the doorway. She was stunned but also noticed how breathless she felt. It was almost as if she’d stepped into a dream where it was perfectly permissible to be alone in a bedroom with a man who wasn’t her husband.
“I knocked,” he said, “but you were distracted. Not that I blame you. I forget how many conveniences my home has compared to the one you were raised in.”
The tone of his voice was just as heated as the air, and it sent a tingle of awareness through her body.
“This is phenomenal. I could wash my hair every night without fear of catching a chill.”
He watched her for a long moment. She could see regret shimmering there, and she raised her chin in defiance of his judgment.
“It’s cost you a great deal to experience it. There isn’t any way to confirm how many know you’re a Pure Spirit now, Janette.”
“Don’t use my name if your intention is to placate me.” She hugged her arms close, realizing she was holding a conversation with him in nothing but a chemise and dressing robe. “Or warn me.”
“You’re past the stage of warning,” he admitted.
“I’m sure you believe I’m in shock and too frightened to think clearly, but I assure you, I am not.” Her unbound hair was beginning to dry and float in a soft cloud, and she noticed his gaze on it.
Did he like what he saw?
Now she was thinking in an emotional way, one that promised to lead her into temptation.
“Am I to stay here tonight?”
The question was a desperate attempt to return to polite, safe conversation. She needed to forget she was alone with him and how many times she’d thought about his kiss since that moment in the garden.
“Yes, you’re my responsibility for the time being. Unless you were going to demand I return you to your father.”
Darius watched her with a measure of satisfaction. It was dark and touched off another ripple of sensation inside her. But there was also a clear challenge in his tone.
She squared her shoulders. “I am very appreciative of your hospitality.”
He frowned. “I told you before; I have little interest in polite ladies of society, so kindly spare me your attempts to coddle me.”
The reprimand in his voice stung, irritating her because she was fed up with being found lacking.
“So I should not be polite?” She shook her head slowly. “I don’t believe that is the case among Illuminists. You are attempting to prod me into acting as you expect me to. Something you’ve done before, why?”
“What I think is you have arrived at a crossroads, and it is unsettling you. Rightfully so. But my world is one where you can be sure you’ll have to back up
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