Lunette pulled herself from her seat and teetered for a moment. The crewmen had convinced her to have a drink of their homemade brew and although she had only had one glass, it was enough to get to her head for a moment. Until she straightened herself and got herself up the stairs and out onto the deck. She took in a long breath and let it out in a rush as her feet found the deck. She walked over to the edge of the deck and peered overboard. Enjoying the quiet air. She could still hear the crewmen singing and enjoying themselves, but she needed fresh air.
"Frosty Silver," someone whispered. She turned and found one of the crewmen standing quietly behind her. Her head tilted as he walked further out into the dimly lit deck and then her eyes narrowed when his eyes met hers. Double pupils, with sparkling purple irises. She recognized his eyes instantly. "I believe you know me," he reasoned. "Know you, no. Your brother, yes," she countered. She heard footsteps and saw Jim easing up the stairs. "Miss Silver, are you alright?" Jim saw her eyes widen for a moment at his presence until his eyes found one of the crewmen standing with her. He eyed the young man but Lunette's words stopped his from falling past his lips.
"We were merely talking," she replied sourly. Her sudden poor mood did not go unnoticed by Jim. He eyed her, looked at the crewman and asked, "What is going on?" Lunette bit out a polite introduction. "This is Officer Grayson Cooper's younger brother. Ryker," she said. Jim stated, "I know who he is." His comment made Lunette feel a bit ridiculous and revealed she was ignorant. She groused, "I do know him."
"I have only one thing to say to you," Ryker groused at Lunette. "You ruined him." Jim's eyes widened and Lunette felt her heart chip. "I loved your brother," she whispered. And Ryker's eyes widened seeing the sudden pain in her eyes and hearing the guilt in her voice. But her shields went back up and she turned away until Ryker said, "Running away again?" She stopped dead and whipped back around. She stepped up to him and her hand rose to smack him until Jim's hand snapped against her wrist and stopped her. Her eyes flicked up to his and Ryker chuckled and teased, "You never loved him." Jim said, "Enough. You are dismissed from this deck." Ryker's eyes widened for a moment, but he complied and left them.
Lunette bit her tongue and tried to pull herself away from him until his hand tightened on her arm. Her eyes widened and she struggled with him. "Let go," she demanded. But he held on. Jim needed to know. "How does he know you?" Her wide eyes looked at him and she shook her head. "It's none of your business."
"Yes it is," he countered and she frowned at him. "My affairs are none of your concern," she retorted. And he arched a brow, "So he is an affair?" She blushed. "Goodness no!" She shook her head and he pulled her closer, before he tugged her into the shadows of the ship. More crewmen began pouring themselves out onto the deck. Drunk and intoxicated, they began singing a cheery tune. Lunette gulped as Jim pushed her to a vertical surface and kept her there. "Why do you know his brother?"
"I," she began, and she sighed. "Officer Cooper and I were engaged until I called off our engagement due to him being unfaithful." He eyed her and finally slipped his touch away from her. He saw her insecurity and she properly asked, "May I be excused?" His touch left her and she pulled herself away from the shadows and eased to the Captain's quarters. Once she arrived her heart was pounding out of her chest. Jim had so quickly pulled her to the shadows and had pressed her so tightly against that wall, her heart had nearly jumped out of her chest. Not because of fear, but because of excitement. She did not expect herself to act so responsively towards him. She sighed and began pulling at her rather perfectly coiffed hair. She pulled pin after pin out of it and as she eased into the bedroom, Amelia was standing there waiting for you.
"Where were you?" Lunette jumped, dropping her hair pins, and gaped at her. "I…I…I, what-what do you mean?" Lunette commented. Amelia said, "I saw you leave the galley and you were not here when I came. Where were you?" Lunette's expression once more soured. "You hired Ryker Cooper as one of the crewmen. His brother is none other than my former fiancé," she explained, "Jim intervened and sent me on my way." Amelia had her hands on her hips and stood there in her comfy pajamas and suddenly Lunette felt a smile curl her lips. Amelia's eyes widened as Lunette's giggled bubbled out of her and Lunette laughed, "I'm so-sorry I cannot take you se-seriously in those clothes." Amelia's eyes hardened for a moment before she heard Lunette's laughter harden and the young woman before her was actually amused for the first time.
It had been some time since Amelia had seen a smile touch Lunette's lips until this evening when she had smiled and laughed during dinner in the galley with the crew. And now, as she stood before her, laughing at her. Amelia shook her head. "Let's get you out of your clothes and into bed child," Amelia said. Lunette's giggles lessened and she turned as Amelia approached her and unlaced her dress. And as it fell to the floor, Amelia began unlacing Lunette's corset. Lunette felt her lungs become free and sweet air opened them from where they had been pressed and pinched into place.
And as she felt Amelia slip the corset away Lunette said, "Thank you." And with that she walked over to the chest of drawers and pulled out her pajamas before she dressed for bed and pulled her hair over her shoulder to braid it. Amelia watched her as she did so and her eyes flickered when she realized this was probably the steps Lunette took every night before going to bed. "Lunette, you are lonely?" She saw Lunette's shoulders stiffen before they relaxed and Lunette looked at Amelia over her shoulder. Her head turned away once more and she whispered, "Yes. Growing up as a senator's daughter was very lonely."
"Are you unhappy?" Amelia asked as they crawled in under the covers and Lunette thought for a moment before she shook her head. "No," she whispered. "I am very happy. But I would like to go home and have someone with me, or someone to come home to." Amelia felt her heart tinge. Her daughters would marry soon, but she did not understand why Lunette had never married. But instead of pressing the subject she pressed herself further into the bed and pulled Lunette close, holding her. And she could hear Lunette's quiet crying as she pulled her closer. "Everything will come with time," Amelia said as she kissed Lunette's hair and they fell into sleep.