Chapter Eight
"I have no idea how I might explain such a tear in my undergarments."
"I'm sure someone with your intelligence can come up with an adequate excuse."
"You can't be so careless in future, Nikola."
"You're not complaining are you, Helen?" he teased.
"Only about my clothing." She verified.
"Daddy dearest can replace it."
"Nikola," she scolded, but there was a playful edge to her tone.
They both lingered near his door, neither seeming to want to put an end to their evening. But it was late, and she had to return home.
"Well, I've enjoyed your company,"
He lifted one hand to her cheek, giving her a gentle caress and taking note of the way she unconsciously turned into the touch.
"As I have yours," she smiled, with a glint of mischief in her eyes.
Without fully considering the ramifications of his actions, he pressed a chaste kiss to her lips, hearing her heart skip a beat and reminding himself they were both on dangerous territory.
Helen frowned when he pulled back, but reminded herself this was never supposed to be an affair. He'd never offered that; and besides, she wasn't sure she'd find it as easy to accept that's what they were doing as it was to accept the notion their trysts were purely in the quest for knowledge.
But she did admit that every intimate gesture and consideration was making her struggle to define their arrangement more and more.
He could see she was overanalysing things, dropping his hand away from her cheek and quickly distracting her.
"I know what we can do." He said with delight, moving over to his window sill and pulling his plant from behind the curtain.
Helen looked at him quizzically.
"What on earth-"
"Hold this, and hold still."
She took the plant from him and watched him vamp out, then proceed to shred randomly at her skirts.
"Nikola!" she protested, taking a few steps back.
"Wait and hear me out before you scold me," he defended, "and I thought I told you to stay still," he complained, tugging her back towards him and taking some of the soil from his plant. He smeared it at random near the bottom of her dress, then looked at her with a wide smile of genius. "You can tell papa you fell in some… brambles… perhaps. He'll certainly insist you discard these clothes without ever needing discover the tear in your undergarments."
She couldn't help but smile back at him. His ideas never ceased to amuse her sometimes.
"You really think he will believe me?"
"If you tell him what happened convincingly enough."
She chuckled, lowering her gaze before glancing towards the door and back at Nikola.
"I suppose I should be heading home, now."
"May I escort you? After all, I'm the kind fellow that rescued you from the bushes. It would only be polite."
She considered his offer. Their activities had run later than the first evening, and with winter approaching the nights were dark much sooner than usual. She felt a flutter in her stomach at his concern for her safety, quashing the niggling voice at the back of her mind that told her she was feeling more for him than she ought to.
"Alright," she said finally, gently linking his arm and letting him lead her outside.
x
They strolled back through the park, careful to keep their conversation neutral lest anyone overhear them.
She couldn't seem to stop smiling as she replayed the extra time she'd been spending with Nikola as of late. Nikola noticed her wistful expression, but decided there was no need to comment, happy to guide her along the path as she daydreamed to herself. He felt a sense of achievement that he'd managed to put her in such a mood, doing a little daydreaming of his own as he considered what experimentthey could try next. He'd recently invested in a clawfoot bathtub, concerned as ever for his hygiene, and he was sure he could tempt her into sharing it with him.
It wasn't long before they reached their destination.
"Someone's been waiting up for you,"
His voice broke into her thoughts and she glanced up to see her father peering out of one of the windows. He'd obviously started to wonder where she was, and the prospect of lying to him set an excitement in her she hadn't dare entertain before.
She let go of Nikola's arm reluctantly, turning to face him so she could temporarily ignore her father's probing gaze.
"Thank you,"
"You're welcome," he bowed politely, taking a few steps backwards and giving her a hearty smile.
"Same time tomorrow?"
"I can hardly wait," he grinned then, a sparkle in his eyes.
She forced herself to head inside, despite the urge to watch him leave until he was no longer visible to her.
"Back late, Helen?"
"Sorry father. I had a stumble," she worried her lip. "Nikola found me and offered to escort me home."
He eyed her with slight disbelief. He had no doubts Nikola Tesla was exactlythe kind who could lead his daughter astray. But, despite his opinions of the boy he had done the gentlemanly thing and walked her home, and so his concern at her possible fall took precedence over any other suspicions.
"Are you alright?"
She nodded shyly.
"I ripped my clothes a little, but I'm alright."
He nodded, noting a few smears of dirt as well as the tears in her skirts that would coincide with the thorns of a bramble bush.
"We'll buy you some new ones. My little girl deserves the best dresses anyway, that one is tired and worn." He smiled.
"There's no need," she played coy.
"Nonsense. I shall see to it promptly. Just throw those out."
"Thank you, father," she smiled in return.
"Now, to bed young lady."
"Yes father."
She pecked him on the cheek, then disappeared upstairs.
x
x
x
A/N: Thanks for all the lovely reviews so far!
