Finally. Kate gave a breath of relief, reached up into her hair and
loosened the knot, so that her hair was falling down her shoulder.
That was better, but something wasn`t right yet; she looked down the silken
gown, she was wearing. Her eyes glinted impishly, as she bent down, opened
the trunk and took out the trousers and shirt. Quickly she removed the
gown, letting it fall to the ground, and put on her favourite clothes. Then
she stepped towards the mirror in her cabin, regarding her reflection.
The grey trousers were comfortingly wide, giving her enough freedom of
movement; the white shirt was at least two numbers too wide; even after
Kate had tied a cord around her waist, it still reached to the middle of
her thigh, and the topmost button was just above her breast. But it would
have to do, after all there were only George and Florence on board. And she
was feeling so much better now.
The door opened; Florence stepped into the room and stopped short, when she saw Kate. "Kate, what are you wearing?" her darkblue eyes stared incredulously at her.
Kate tilted her head, biting her upper lip. "You think the neckline is too low?
A little smile broke the expression of shock, that was painted on Florence`s face. "If I were you, I would worry more about the trousers."
"What`s wrong with the trousers?" Kate looked at her reflection attentively.
"They`re man`s clothes."
Kate relaxed again. "As if I cared!"
"No, I guess, you don`t." Florence sighed, bent down, gathered the gown from the ground, smoothed it and layed it carefully onto the bed. Then she walked over to her trunk, took out a neatly folded cloak and put it on.
Kate watched her movements from the mirror. "Where are you going?"
"George invited me to show me around on the ship, and since it`s quite fresh outside..."
"George?" Kate said, raising one eyebrow. "Wanna tell me something?"
Florence hastily turned away and bent down, taking surprisingly long time to close the trunk. "There`s nothing to tell."
Kate turned round to her, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Are you blushing, Florence?"
Florence straightened up again; her face was visibly reddened, but she met Kate`s gaze. "I know your stepmother would like to see you marry George, since you obviously don`t intend to encourage Thomas Winston to propose to you." She said seriously.
"My stepmother would like a lot of things." Kate mumbled and then continued loudly. "Neither George nor me is interested in marrying, at least, not each other. Actually I think, he`s much more interested in you."
Florence turned her gaze away. "I don`t think so."
"Well, he didn`t offer me to show me around." Kate blinked at Florence, who couldn`t fight the broad smile, that was breaking through.
"I hope you`re right."
"Oh I surely am. And I promise I will stay here and not disturb you." Kate smirked. "Just take your chance."
Florence, who had walked over to the door, turned her head back to her and smiled. "Thank you." She closed the door quietly behind her.
When Florence was gone, Kate let out a sigh. What a pity she couldn`t go onto deck now! She hadn`t been on a ship for almost a year now. When she was younger, her father had sometimes taken her with him, but some months, before he disappeared, this had suddenly stopped. He had told her, that she was not a child anymore and that it was inappropriate and furthermore dangerous for a young lady to spend too much time on a ship. And even though she had begged and pleaded, he hadn`t allowed her on his ship anylonger. Kate slowly walked over to the large porthole beside her bed and looked outside. How she had missed standing on deck, letting her look roam over the endless blue, trying to see, where the sky merged into the ocean! How she had missed feeling the soft rocking of a ship, dancing over the waves! How she had missed smelling the fresh air, salty and free! But she would have to be patient some minutes longer, since she intended to keep her promise not to disturb Florence and George.
Her look fell onto the small leather-bound book, that was laying on her bed; she could keep on reading her novel instead.
She had just reached out for the book, when she heard a noise from the other side of the door. She quickly walked back to the door, opened it and looked up and down the floor. Nothing to see. Shrugging she closed the door and turned back into the room. She had automatically gone a few steps, when she suddenly froze, her eyes widening at the sight of her bed. Or rather at the sight of the man, who was sitting on it now. One foot put on the covers, his hand resting lightly on his knee, he was grinning at her out of dark-framed eyes.
"Surprised, luv?"
The door opened; Florence stepped into the room and stopped short, when she saw Kate. "Kate, what are you wearing?" her darkblue eyes stared incredulously at her.
Kate tilted her head, biting her upper lip. "You think the neckline is too low?
A little smile broke the expression of shock, that was painted on Florence`s face. "If I were you, I would worry more about the trousers."
"What`s wrong with the trousers?" Kate looked at her reflection attentively.
"They`re man`s clothes."
Kate relaxed again. "As if I cared!"
"No, I guess, you don`t." Florence sighed, bent down, gathered the gown from the ground, smoothed it and layed it carefully onto the bed. Then she walked over to her trunk, took out a neatly folded cloak and put it on.
Kate watched her movements from the mirror. "Where are you going?"
"George invited me to show me around on the ship, and since it`s quite fresh outside..."
"George?" Kate said, raising one eyebrow. "Wanna tell me something?"
Florence hastily turned away and bent down, taking surprisingly long time to close the trunk. "There`s nothing to tell."
Kate turned round to her, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Are you blushing, Florence?"
Florence straightened up again; her face was visibly reddened, but she met Kate`s gaze. "I know your stepmother would like to see you marry George, since you obviously don`t intend to encourage Thomas Winston to propose to you." She said seriously.
"My stepmother would like a lot of things." Kate mumbled and then continued loudly. "Neither George nor me is interested in marrying, at least, not each other. Actually I think, he`s much more interested in you."
Florence turned her gaze away. "I don`t think so."
"Well, he didn`t offer me to show me around." Kate blinked at Florence, who couldn`t fight the broad smile, that was breaking through.
"I hope you`re right."
"Oh I surely am. And I promise I will stay here and not disturb you." Kate smirked. "Just take your chance."
Florence, who had walked over to the door, turned her head back to her and smiled. "Thank you." She closed the door quietly behind her.
When Florence was gone, Kate let out a sigh. What a pity she couldn`t go onto deck now! She hadn`t been on a ship for almost a year now. When she was younger, her father had sometimes taken her with him, but some months, before he disappeared, this had suddenly stopped. He had told her, that she was not a child anymore and that it was inappropriate and furthermore dangerous for a young lady to spend too much time on a ship. And even though she had begged and pleaded, he hadn`t allowed her on his ship anylonger. Kate slowly walked over to the large porthole beside her bed and looked outside. How she had missed standing on deck, letting her look roam over the endless blue, trying to see, where the sky merged into the ocean! How she had missed feeling the soft rocking of a ship, dancing over the waves! How she had missed smelling the fresh air, salty and free! But she would have to be patient some minutes longer, since she intended to keep her promise not to disturb Florence and George.
Her look fell onto the small leather-bound book, that was laying on her bed; she could keep on reading her novel instead.
She had just reached out for the book, when she heard a noise from the other side of the door. She quickly walked back to the door, opened it and looked up and down the floor. Nothing to see. Shrugging she closed the door and turned back into the room. She had automatically gone a few steps, when she suddenly froze, her eyes widening at the sight of her bed. Or rather at the sight of the man, who was sitting on it now. One foot put on the covers, his hand resting lightly on his knee, he was grinning at her out of dark-framed eyes.
"Surprised, luv?"
