Okay, fair warning-this chapter gets a bit steamy! Also, this story should be completed in the next chapter or two. I do apologize for posting this story in parts, it's been sitting on my hard drive for over a year and I've always found excuses not to work on it or post it. By posting it incomplete, it's forcing me to work on it and finish it- because I hate unfinished fics! Thanks for sticking with me!
For moments, they stood on the staircase, simply staring at one another in disbelief and shock, one another's minds struggling to make sense of this nonsensical encounter.
Julia was astounded. The late nights, the stench of smoke on his clothes. He'd been here almost every night. Julia blinked repeatedly, not knowing what to say.
Meanwhile William's mouth opened and closed several times, struggling to find the right thing to say as he comprehended everything. Was this why she was acting strange of late?
"What on God's Earth are you doing here, Julia?" he angrily asked.
The flash of anger in her eyes informed him that he had not said the right thing.
"I could ask you the same thing, William," she answered with a huff.
"As I've told you, Julia. I'm working on a case. Inspector Brackenreid is here with me. I assure you, I am not spending my all of my evenings here because I want to," William responded.
There was so much that needed to be said, but for now, she needed to trust him on faith. They both still had a job to finish, but now, they were going to do what they did best: work together. William had never given her cause to doubt his word, and she was going to assume as such now.
"I believe you, William. I'm not here of my own free will either. But now is not the time to discuss it. The pair that we were just with, William…they're suspicious!" she exclaimed.
Nodding, he cupped her face in the palm of his hand. "I agree, Julia, they're highly suspicious. Yes, we need to talk, but now is not the time," he reassured her, looking around to make sure that they were alone.
I'm going to go back downstairs. Work the room as you did earlier and eventually, make your way back to me," William instructed, giving her a quick kiss before going back down.
Just as William walked back down to the main room, Madame Elise appeared. "Julia, is everything all right?" she asked.
"It's fine, Elise. I assure you – I am not threatened by this man, he merely wanted to make sure I was unharmed" Julia replied.
Nodding, she returned to her previous duties and Julia breathed a sigh of relief.
As soon as Elise had walked out of sight, Julia resumed her stroll around the main room per William's directions. After a few minutes of interacting with the various guests and giving a wide berth to the suspicious pair, Julia approached William, who had relocated himself to a red velvet divan strewn with brocade pillows.
His tie loosened and collar buttons undone, he lounged with one leg crossed over the other and arms spread over the top of the divan. To be honest, he looked a bit rakish, and secretly it thrilled Julia to see her normally properly attired man so undone in public.
"Good Evening again, kind sir," Julia said with a smirk as she stood in front of William. "I would like to thank you for coming to my aid earlier."
Julia shivered as she noted the look he gave her – he was not bothering to hide his desire for her – not even in front of all these people.
She was stunned, but did not object when he pulled her down onto the sofa, straddling his lap as he cupped her bottom with his hands.
"We have work to do, Julia. Let's continue to play our parts, shall we?" William asked as he pulled her head down for a kiss.
Nodding, she wrapped her arms around his neck and again kissed him herself, reveling in such outrageous public behavior with her husband. She'd always suspected that he'd harbored exhibitionist fantasies, but she never dreamed that he'd ever act on them.
But she had to admit, this was as good a place as any if he were to do so.
With a mischievous smirk, he trailed a finger down her collarbone to her décolletage, dipping his finger down between her breasts while his other hand remained on her bottom.
"I will not share, Julia," he whispered into her ear as he pulled her in for a kiss, "You're not his or anyone else's to touch," he continued.
Looking deep into his eyes, she acknowledged the mutual feelings between them.
"You are my property as well, William. I will not abide by any other woman touching you like this either," she admitted, nipping at his ear before trailing kisses down his neck; one of his erogenous spots.
"Yes, completely," he groaned in agreement before he remembered himself and reasserted control. He then coaxed her to sit across his lap so that he could better focus.
"Julia, I want you to study the pair from earlier. What are they doing?" he asked as he toyed with the part in her kimono robe.
Breath hitching, she tried to do as he asked while he continued the onslaught of her neck with his own mouth.
Tensing, she realized that they were staring right at them. She told William this, who immediately tensed under her.
"Let them stare. Just keep playing along and remember we're in a brothel, this is what goes on in places like this. Our behavior is not outrageous here. Just keep your mask on, and play along," he advised her.
Nodding, she glanced around the room to reassure herself that all was well when she spotted Inspector Brackenreid who was staring at them in awe, mouth open and ignoring his own companion.
"William!" she gasped. "The Inspector is staring right at us. Do you think he's aware of who I am?" she wondered.
"It's quite possible, Julia. Even if he isn't now, he will be eventually, and he will be discreet," William reassured her as he resumed kissing her.
Thus, they continued making a spectacle that really wasn't a spectacle given their locale for the next few minutes periodically checking in on the Russian pair, who still stared at them. The younger man in particular was getting angrier by the moment. Julia informed William of this.
"That's the idea, Julia. In fact, I say it's time we move this somewhere else and draw them in. Invite me to your boudoir, milady. This will be easier if we can isolate them," he told her as he nodded first at the Inspector and then at another man she could not identify on the other side of the room.
Nodding, Julia grabbed his tie as she stood up. Dragging him behind her, she made her way back to the stairs and up to the room Madame Elise had used with her earlier.
"I must say, I do believe that I'm the first woman to have an affair with her own husband at a house of ill repute, " she giggled as she whispered in his ear.
"Sadly, this little game will not go that far this evening. But I do hope that such an occasion may come to pass in the near future, " he whispered back with his own laugh.
Just outside the room, William pressed Julia up against the wall, pinning her hands over her head before he hungrily took her mouth in a kiss before releasing her and allowing himself to be led into the room where the door was left partially ajar. Looking at William, he answered her unspoken question.
"Just wait. They should be here momentarily, I won't allow them to harm you," he reassured her.
They did not wait long, as the two men soon came barging into the room, angry that William had "stolen their woman."
William could handle the younger man as he swung a punch at him, but Julia shrank back from the older man who attempted to grab her. She swung at him herself and landed a decent hook herself, as he had not been expecting it.
As blood gushed from his nose and sprayed the front of the beautiful gown she was wearing, and angry that she had hit him, he raised his hand to strike her himself, knocking her to the ground.
Her cheek stung from the force of the impact, but a quick check reassured her there was no blood. Throwing the younger man to the ground, William immediately came to Julia's aid and began beating the man himself as Julia struggled to get up so that she could help subdue the younger man when the reinforcements arrived.
"Not so fast, sunshine. Didn't your mother raise you any better? You ought never to hit a lady," Inspector Brackenreid surmised as he laid the younger man out with his walking stick and stepped on his chest, preventing him from getting up to fight again.
By this point, William had again grabbed the older man's lapels and had him against the wall, anger in his eyes. "You do not touch her," William told him. "You don't look at her or even think of her. She told you she wasn't interested, and that's final," he shouted in anger as he again struck the man.
Julia was stunned, as she had never seen William that angry and not in control of his emotions.
By this point, Terrence Meyers and company had arrived as well, and immediately subdued the two men themselves, allowing Inspector Brackenreid to pull and hold William back before he had a chance to do anything he might regret.
"Mr. Meyers, I believe these men might be of interest to you, and they are most certainly of interest to me. I'd like to question them about their friend, Mr. Kuznets," said William.
Terrence nodded. "Excellent work, gentlemen. They will be at your station house in the morning, I assure you," said Meyers as his men restrained the two Russians and arranged to take them out.
"Absolutely not, Meyers. We captured them, we get the first crack at them," Brackenreid demanded, stepping in front of the door so as to prevent their exit.
"Thomas, it's better this way. You'll probably find them far more amenable to talking after my boys have had their turn at them," Meyers responded, pushing Brackenreid aside. "Your country thanks you all for your service," he stated, as was his custom, looking at Julia and winking at her in addition.
This did not go unnoticed by William who tensed in response. It did not help that he was still riled up from one fight, and had little compunction about starting another. Julia put her hand on his shoulder to just let the matter drop.
"Also, no talking to anyone about this at all. We will all meet in at Station House #4 at 11:00 am tomorrow morning," he added, waving his cigar as the contingent left the room.
"Murdoch, Dr. Ogden, gather your things and go home. The two of you apparently have lots to discuss," said Brackenreid, gesturing towards Julia's now ruined ensemble. "I'll explain away matters here," he reassured them.
Starting to object, but realizing that the Inspector was right, William grabbed Julia's hand. "Come, let's leave before anyone else recognizes you."
Grabbing her things, the two of them beat a hasty retreat out of the club and into the street, where they hailed a cab to their hotel suite. Once at their hotel, Julia's blood spattered ensemble certainly drew more than its share of glances, but William and Julia paid no mind as they hurried upstairs to the privacy and relative safety of their suite.