Dinner was of course delicious, Mr Butler had outdone himself. "Care to join me in the parlour for a drink?" she quipped, her eyes shining with double meaning and just a touch of lust.
"Certainly" he couldn't help himself, he knew what she was up to, but wanted to make her work for it.
Once in the parlour he settled himself on the love seat, not missing a beat Miss Fisher joined him, their legs touching.
Phryne got up to pour the drinks before asking Jack about his day.
"Ah Miss Fisher, no murders unfortunately, I did however get asked some strange questions from Collins now that you mention it."
"Oh, what do you mean strange?" She said with slightly raised eyebrows, turning to look at Jack while still pouring the drinks.
"He asked me how I proposed to my wife." Miss Fisher stopped what she was doing, turning to Jack with a wicked grin across her face, her eyes shining.
"Jack." She said her eyebrows now no nowhere to be seen, shocked that a man usually so sharp, was acting so dumb. "you know what this means don't you?"
"Ahhh" he was cut off before he even had the chance to answer, Dot had raced into the Parlour pulling Hugh in with her.
"Miss, Miss" she practically panted, "I'm sorry" she had noticed Jack sitting on the love seat, instantly regretting interrupting them.
"Oh don't worry Dot dear, what's going on?" Knowing exactly what was going on.
"Hugh and I are to get married!" Dot could hardly contain her excitement as she said the last words almost as a squeal.
"Dot" Miss Fisher ran to hug her companion, faking surprise, but not her happiness, which was genuine. "That is the most wonderful news I have heard all year."
"Congratulations Collins" the Inspector quipped, standing to shake the now slightly startled and highly embarrassed Constable's hand, smiling for once.
"Mr Butler…" she was cut off, Mr Butler had already popped the champagne and was pouring it out for the foursome.
"Oh have one yourself Mr Butler, don't be silly" he produced another glass from behind his back with a flourish and joined in their many toasts.
Much later, with three bottles of champagne down and all the others in bed Jack and Phryne sat in her parlor on the love seat, legs just touching.
"Jack how could you not pick up on why Hugh might be asking you how you proposed to your wife?" she said with a roll of her eyes at how silly men could be at times. Unless, he didn't want her to know?
"Jack how did you propose to Rosie all those years ago?" shocking even her when the question came out of her mouth. How would her uptight Inspector have done it she wondered? Deep behind his seriousness there was a softer side she knew, she had seen it at times, but once he had been young and in love. The war would have changed him and she wondered what he was like before it, what he had been like around his wife, his then sweetheart.
Jacks mind cast back to when he had proposed. He had taken Rosie out to dinner one night at some fancy restaurant and as they were walking home he had stopped her and asked for her hand in marriage. It had taken him a lot of courage and he was very nervous, her father being who he was, but he had done it anyway. Rosie was very pleased and excited, they were truly in love. It had taken him a year of courting before he had made the proposal, and he really had loved her. They had shared a lot of happy memories and had a lot of fun dates. They were much like Dot and Hugh, although perhaps not as innocent.
Realising he was lost in thought he finally answered her. "I took her to dinner and on the way home, I asked her to marry me, she said yes and that was that." How very strange it felt to be telling Miss Fisher this very personal piece of information. He struggled to consider how many men might have proposed to her over the years. As if reading his mind she suddenly said "four" considering her next words carefully before she said with a look of power and a touch of nostalgia "And I said no to every single one." She finished with a shrug.
This did not surprise Jack at all. He knew that she would never marry anyone, she was too wild and carefree. He had expected more, but then he also knew in the back of his mind at the rate she went through men they would hardly get an opportunity to know her (well in the mental sense) before being thrown out of her bed and her life.
There was a moment of silence between them both considering what they had just heard before Phryne spoke.
"Well I guess you know what that means don't you?" she said with a very dangerous sparkle in her eyes, moving very close to him.
"A wedding?" he said, knowing this was not what she was thinking at all, but not wanting to think about the alternative.
She looked very deeply into his eyes before grabbing his upper thigh and squeezing tightly, dipping her head slightly, her eyes smouldering with meaning. A smirk pulled across her lips and he knew what she meant.
"Miss Fisher…" he stated choking ever so slightly on his words, realising what she was alluding to "Do we really need to think about…them…doing that?"
"What Jack?" she said with that deep sparkle to her voice "It's only natural." With that she lent in and kissed him deeply.
Not sure if I should continue this one? Please help!