Part 5
The bellhop dropped the small bag he was carrying onto the floor of the hotel room and, after accepting the tip Wilkes offered him, touched his cap to Nanny and departed. Nanny stood still, looking around the room, then back at Wilkes. "I ... I can't believe you brought me ... HERE! You SAID you were taking me to ..."
"Buy rings? I know," he hurriedly said, "That was to get you away without Eloise. And to hopefully stop any rumours started by Eloise's comments. I must confess, it was Clarisse's idea."
"So that threat about taking me back to the hospital if I didn't come in here with you was an empty threat?" she asked softly.
"Actually ... not exactly empty, no. If necessary, I will take you there, but I'm hoping that I ... well, that I can give you the care and attention you ..."
"Oh, Willy!" tears welled up in Nanny's eyes again, and she threw herself at him, clinging to him.
He put his arms around her, gingerly patting her back. "It's all right, shhh, it's all right ... isn't it? You're not upset with me, are you?"
"Never, never, never," she sobbed.
"But ... you're crying ..." he said helplessly.
"I'm s-s-sorry," She burrowed her head into his shoulder.
At a loss, he backed up slowly and sat on a chair, drawing her down onto his lap.
"I, I, I'm too heavy ..." she hiccupped.
"Nonsense." One arm securely held her in place, the other hand began to smooth her hair back off her face. "Shh, it's all right, Nanny love, you'll be all right. We'll work things out ... don't worry ..."
"I d-d-don't know what's wrong with me ..."
"You're worn out ... too much going on ... if you would just forget about the wedding for ..."
She stiffened in shock. "F-F-Forget about the wedding? You, you don't want to marry ...?"
"No, no, no! I DO apologize, Nanny ... I've made a fearful blunder again! No, of COURSE I want to marry you and if this big wedding is what you want, then, well, then we'll have a big wedding, but ..." his voice trailed off, and his hand resumed stroking her temple.
"Willy?"
"Hmmm?"
"What if Eloise is too, too, too much for Clarisse to handle? What if Eloise ...?"
"Don't worry, Nanny. Eloise will be fine. Joseph, Priscilla and Tom are all there to help Clarisse. They'll manage just fine. Don't worry about them, love ..." he murmured, still smoothing over her forehead and cheek.
She sniffled for a moment, then said, "W-W-Willy?"
"Hmm?"
"Do you r-r-really want a big, big, big wedding?"
He hesitated for a moment, then said, "No. But I will do it for you if that is what YOU ..."
Nanny sat up and stared at him, her arms around his neck going slack in her shock. "You DON'T want a big wedding?"
"No," he said, looking away. Then he took a deep breath, "But ... I understand if you do ..."
"Ohhhhh!" Nanny burst into tears again and hugged him close.
Wilkes wondered just what Clarisse had gotten him into. This was going to be a very long afternoon and evening if he couldn't even get Nanny to stop crying! "Please, Nanny, I'm sorry, yes, I'll love the big wedding ... I'll do anything, you know that ...Please, stop crying. You're going to make yourself sick ... and ... and ... and if you DO, I'll have to take you to the hospital!"
"I-I-I'll try, try, try," she murmured, suddenly feeling very sleepy. His hand smoothing the hair away from her forehead was SO soothing.
For a moment they sat without saying anything ... Nanny's body still shuddering with sobs she was trying valiantly to suppress, and Wilkes running his hand over her forehead, hair and down her cheek.
"That feels so, so, so good," she whispered drowsily at last, only the occasional hiccup reminding them of her tears. She turned her face into his neck and touched her lips to his skin. "And so ... familiar ..."
"I did this often when you were first admitted to the hospital with pneumonia months ago," he said softly, not stopping his movements. "It was the only thing that calmed you down. You hung onto my hand tightly and fought everyone else, tossing and turning in the bed, but when I spoke quietly and smoothed your hair the way I am now, you settled down ..."
"Really?" Nanny was surprised, touched and yet, somehow she DID remember, in her dreams, someone's touch ... she remembered him being there when she was at her worst ... but not later ... "You ... you didn't come when I was feeling better."
Wilkes sighed heavily. "I, well, I guess I overdid it or something. After two nights of sitting up with you, worrying about you, I couldn't sleep, and, well, they gave me some sedatives ... I took them a couple of nights, then was all right. I still have some, Nanny ... I was thinking perhaps you should take one tonight ..."
"I don't like taking drugs ..." she nuzzled his neck again, tightening her arms around him. "Mmmm, Willy, this is so, so, so nice ... but I'm too heavy to stay on your lap, for Lord's sake!"
"Well, let's move over to the loveseat," He didn't argue, because his legs WERE feeling the strain.
They settled on the loveseat, still in each other's arms. Then Nanny, her face buried in his neck, said in a muffled voice, "Clarisse spoke to me before we left."
"Oh?"
"She said that it was time I thought of my duty to myself and to you ... to follow my heart and not my sense of duty to Eloise and to ... society. She told me that some things you can make, make, MAKE happen but other things are simply meant to be. She said I had to have enough courage and be willing enough to LET them happen."
"Right! Brilliant!" Wilkes exclaimed, tightening his arms around her. "Think of yourself! Follow your heart!"
"Willy? I ... I don't want a big wedding." she said in a small voice, still burrowing her head in his shoulder.
His mouth fell open in surprise, and he loosened his hold on her. Unable to say anything, he just pushed her away so he could stare at her. She was flushed and couldn't meet his eyes. "I'm sorry," she whispered again. "I tried, but ..."
"Oh, Nanny," he finally managed to get out, and moved his hand to her chin to tilt her face to his. "I love you," and his lips covered hers.
Nanny's eyes closed and she held him tightly. Oh, she had missed, missed, missed his kisses! And the wonder of it all was that he still loved her, even after she had admitted to not wanting a big wedding!
Much later, Wilkes put her away from him resolutely. "It's past time to eat. You need to eat to keep up your strength."
Nanny nodded solemnly, but her eyes were dancing. Fascinated, he stared into them. She had beautiful eyes ... and he hadn't seen them dancing like this for a long time. He cleared his throat, and said gruffly, "You get ready for bed, I will order something for us to eat."
"Bed?" she questioned, a wicked smile forming on her lips.
He frowned at her. "You are not well. I am going to look after you."
"That's what I had hoped," and her fingers trailed down his shirt.
"Food!" he exclaimed when he could get his mind functioning again. Jumping up to escape her touch, he picked up the telephone. "What would you like to eat?"
"You, for sure, sure, sure," was her soft, teasing answer.
Wilkes swallowed hard, his hand clenching around the receiver. Then he cleared his throat again, and begged, "Please, Nanny, for me? Will you eat something nourishing? If Clarisse asks, and I know she will, I want to be able to say I fed you properly ..."
"Very well," she sighed, leaning back on the couch. "Anything you choose. I'm not too, too, too hungry, though ... except for you."
He gulped, and peered closely at her. Were her eyes glittering with fever? She wasn't usually like this! WAS she sick? Shakily, he dialed room service and ordered soup, tea, toast and cheese. Then he disappeared into the bathroom only to re-appear with a cool, wet washcloth. "Your face is flushed and tear-stained," he said, somewhat awkwardly, holding out the cloth to her.
She tilted her face up to him, closing her eyes. His eyes widened, then he slowly reached forward and began to dab at her face. After a moment, when she didn't move or react, he began to properly smooth it over her skin, removing the tear stains. When he finished, he stepped back, and she opened her eyes. "Thank you," she whispered.
"May I do your hair?" he asked suddenly, surprising himself as much as Nanny.
"I ... what?"
"May I brush your hair?" Colour was creeping into his face, but he repeated his question doggedly. "It's so soft at the front ... I'd love to feel all of it ... to pull the brush through it, then my fingers ..."
"Aowww," Nanny quivered at the sensual image his words invoked, and wondered if she would be able to stand it. "I, I, I suppose so."
She reached up to pull out the hairpins holding her bun in place, but he quickly said, "No, no, please, let me do it all. Just let me find your brush ..." he began rummaging through the bag. "Clarisse had her maid pack it here somewhere ... ah!" Triumphantly he pulled it out, then stood looking perplexed.
Nanny understood. "I'll move to the chair, then you can stand behind me ..." she offered.
Wilkes nodded, relieved, and she moved back to the chair. He slowly and reverently took the hairpins out one by one, putting them on the desk beside the chair. Then he very gently began to run the brush through her hair, section by section. Nanny found it incredibly relaxing, and her eyes began to half-close again. When he had finished with the brush, he put it down and continued running his fingers from her scalp to the tips of the hair. Nanny bit back a moan of pleasure, and closed her eyes completely. Oh, my Lord, that felt so good, good, good!
His hands continued stroking, and her head began to feel heavy. She just needed sleep ... She shivered uncontrollably as electricity shot through her veins. Wilkes pulled away quickly. "Have I hurt you?" he asked anxiously.
Nanny shook her head, "No, no, no ..." and went to stand, but he was there in an instant, taking her in his arms and guiding her to the bed.
"Lie down, Nanny, please ... let me look after you. Please, let's get you into bed ..." he sat her down on the edge of the bed, and, grabbing the bag, pulled out her nightgown. "Here," he thrust it at her nervously. "You may change in the bathroom ... I'll just take off your shoes ..." He knelt down and untied them, removing them carefully and placing them under the desk. Then, his face red, he stood before her, mutely begging her to accede to his wishes to undress herself.
Suddenly the tension in the room seemed too much for Nanny again. She nodded and, with his help, got to her feet, then made her way into the bathroom and shut the door. Looking at herself in the mirror, she saw her hair cascading around her shoulders ... and she trembled again at the exquisite memory of Willy brushing it with his hands. She braided it loosely as usual and changed, then stepped out, wishing Priscilla had thought to include her dressing gown. This flimsy satin nightgown left NOTHING to the imagination! Nanny refused to think about the fact that it didn't really matter because Willy had seen all of her anyway.
He had turned down the bed on one side and gestured for her to get in, propping pillows behind her so that she could sit up. Then he tucked the covers around her carefully, and said, "Our meal arrived. I'm going to feed you."
"Oh, Willy, I ..."
"Please?" he asked, looking at her with imploring eyes.
Nanny sighed. She truly did not like all this pampering. "Very well." Too relaxed again to fight him any more, Nanny submitted to being fed like a baby. He allowed her to get up and finish in the bathroom, then tried to tuck her in again. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her. "Thank you," she whispered, then pressed her mouth to his.
She had caught him by surprise. He had to stop. For her sake, he had to stop this now ... in just a minute ... sooner or later. His quick intake of breath had been shock, not a sudden burst of desire, which made his head spin. At last he tore himself away. "All right!" he gasped, "just let me put the supper dishes outside the door and ... and undress!"
Snuggling down into the covers, Nanny's lips curved as she watched him move about the room rapidly. When he disappeared into the bathroom, her eyelids drooped, then closed ... and she slept. She never saw Wilkes come up to the bed, his eyes wide with shock and faint distress, nor felt him kiss her lightly on her cheek, nor felt the bed give as he climbed in the other side and drew her into his arms. She never felt the kiss he dropped on the top of her head, nor heard his heavy sigh as he resigned himself to a long night.
O o O o O o
"When's Nanny coming back?" Eloise asked after she had finished her lunch in Joseph and Clarisse's suite, under Clarisse's scrutiny.
"Oh, she'll be back sometime, I expect. Now, what would you like to do this afternoon?" Clarisse had already decided not to tell Eloise just yet about Nanny going away with Sir Wilkes. She hoped not to have to say that at all. She just hadn't decided what she COULD tell the child, suspecting that whatever Eloise was told, the entire hotel would know an hour later.
Joseph, hearing Clarisse's naive question, rolled his eyes. He was convinced that Clarisse should have started as she planned to continue ... SHE would be the one in control! Well, Clarisse would discover ...
"I have to go do my afternoon rounds, of course!" Eloise said immediately.
"May I come with you?" Clarisse asked.
"That would be absolutely fun, fun, fun!" Eloise grinned.
"Ahh, Cl ..." Joseph began, cautioning her against leaving the room. Security would be difficult ...
Clarisse laughed at him. "Don't be silly, Joseph. If Eloise is fine, I will be as well! However, you may come with us, I'm sure ..."
Resigning himself to being dragged hither and yon, having heard a few of Eloise's exploits from Wilkes over the last few days, Joseph followed his wife and the child out the door.
"First we have to go to the service elevator on the sixth floor to see what everybody has thrown away," Eloise explained, dancing down the hall ahead of the two adults. "I might want something, if it's a ribbon or something like that."
"But, Eloise ... you shouldn't be going through rubbish!" Clarisse exclaimed, shocked. She was ignored.
Eloise manipulated the service elevator very well, as it only jolted a few times which caused Clarisse to clutch Joseph with one hand and the railing around the inside of the elevator with her other hand. On the sixth floor, Eloise skipped out and over to the trash can, and began to rummage. "Nope. Nothing there! Well, next I have to go down to help the switchboard operator, just in case there's a message to be taken or something like that." She bounced over to the regular elevator and pressed the button, hopping about until it arrived "to get some exercise".
"But Eloise, you really shouldn't be bothering people..." Clarisse began.
"Oh, it's no bother!" Eloise said cheerfully. "I absolutely love, love, LOVE to help people! Oh my Lord, I am absolutely SO busy, busy, busy most of the day that I really don't know how I can possibly get everything done!"
"What about school?" Clarisse asked, knowing she was going to lose the argument about going down to see the switchboard operator.
"Oh, I don't go to school. School comes to me," Eloise continued hopping diligently. Then she stopped for a moment and made a face. "PHILIP comes to me. He's my tutor. He's boring, boring, boring! But Nanny says I have to learn something because it wouldn't be very attractive to go through life uneducated!"
Just then the elevator doors opened. Eloise bounced on, Clarisse and Joseph following. "Lobby, please, Max!" Eloise announced, and, without moving a muscle in his face, Max pushed the lobby button, continuing to stare at the buttons. Then she confided to Clarisse and Joseph, "I used to think Max was really, really good at ignoring me, but now I know he listens. He even tried to cheer me up last Christmas Eve by talking to me. Isn't that right, Max?"
The man didn't move. Eloise sniffed petulantly, then started doing jumping jacks. Clarisse backed up into Joseph to get out of the way of the child's flying hands and feet. "Eloise, must you keep moving so ...?"
Before she could even finish, Eloise was saying, "Nanny says getting bored is not allowed, so I keep busy!"
"You certainly do," sighed Clarisse.
By the time they had stopped at the switchboard operator's and received a message to deliver to Miss Thompson at the front desk, then received a message that Eloise had been invited to throw the opening pitch at the next ball game, a message which made Clarisse stare in wonder until Joseph surreptitiously pointed out that the message pad held by Miss Thompson was blank, then 'skittered' over to Room Service, 'just because', Clarisse was exhausted. No wonder Nanny let her wander the halls alone! No one could keep up with the child!
When they arrived back at Eloise's suite, Clarisse just about collapsed in the chair. Joseph watched her, chuckling to himself. Eloise picked up the telephone and announced, "I have to call room service to send up that menu so we can order our dinner, for Lord's sake! I ALWAYS have to read it for a few seconds or so!" She dialed, then said, "Hello, this is me, Eloise. We need to see a menu, for Lord's sake! Please! Top floor! Thank you very much!" and she hung up, then plopped a square sofa pillow on her head and said to Clarisse, "and a pillow makes a very nice hat!"
"Sure, sure, sure," mumbled Clarisse wearily.
Eloise shrieked with laughter. "You sound JUST like Nanny! Are you SURE you're not sisters? That was absolutely GREAT!" Just as suddenly, she sobered, and asked quietly, "Do you think Nanny is all right? Why aren't they back yet? It WAS just to get their rings, for Lord's sake! What if she is sick? What if Sir Wilkes had to take her to the hospital? What if she DIES before the we ...?"
"Eloise!" Clarisse sat up, feeling very guilty that in all this time she had forgotten to reassure the poor little girl about her beloved 'mostly companion'. "I'm sorry. I'm sure Nanny is fine. As a matter of fact, she wasn't feeling very well, so Sir Wilkes said he was going to take her some place so she could rest for a while – MAYBE the hospital, but just someplace quiet. I told them that WE would be happy to keep you with us for a night or two. It will almost be like you're going on a trip. You can come and sleep on the couch in our room ... won't that be fun?"
"Well, I guess maybe I ..." at that moment the doorbell sounded. Eloise jumped up. "That's Bill!" she shouted, and ran for the door.
Clarisse and Joseph exchanged glances, and Joseph shrugged at the question in her eyes. Eloise ran back with the menu and they all perused it. Bill stood waiting for the order. When Clarisse and Joseph had made their decision, Eloise ran the menu back to Bill and said, "I'll have the Planked Medallion of Beef Tenderloin with Fresh Vegetables Maison, please, and two raisins, one strawberry leaf and charge it, please, to me, Eloise! Thank you very much!"
"How did I know you were going to order that?" Bill asked, a twinkle in his eye.
Eloise crossed her arms and grinned back at him. "Because I ALWAYS order that!"
Clarisse lifted an eyebrow and glanced at Joseph. If Eloise always ordered the same thing, why did she phone for a menu?
Eloise danced back, then stood in front of Clarisse and said, "I'm supposed to be in my pyjamas to eat my dinner."
"Well?" asked Clarisse.
"Well?" repeated Eloise.
"Go put your pyjamas on, Eloise." Joseph said wearily.
"I can't. I'm supposed to have a shower or bath first. And Nanny runs the water and makes sure it's not too hot, hot, hot, or I might scald my botto."
"I'll run it," Clarisse got to her feet.
Joseph smiled lazily at her, and said, "You COULD always call Priscilla and Tom up ... Priscilla understands how to draw a bath for a princess or a queen ..."
"Here's what I like to do. Pretend. I absolutely LOVE making up things! I want to be a princess! PLEASE call Priscilla up to work for me?" Eloise begged.
A slow smile spread across Clarisse's face. "Good point," she said to Joseph. "All right, Eloise, I'll call Priscilla ... but your dinner might get here first, and I expect you to eat it even if you aren't in your pyjamas. Do you agree?"
Eloise flung herself at Clarisse and almost knocked her over giving her a tight squeeze. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
Priscilla and Tom came up directly, and soon afterwards, Bill arrived with the dinner. Joseph offered some to the other couple, but they said they had already eaten. Priscilla went immediately to run Eloise's bath, and to pack her a suitcase to take downstairs.
Dinner, bath and move down to Joseph and Clarisse's suite was accomplished much more easily with the help of Priscilla and Tom. Then Clarisse, again feeling the need to show that she could look after Eloise as she had promised, dismissed her lady's maid and husband, telling them she'd call them in the morning about eight for breakfast. When they were alone, Clarisse prompted Eloise to climb into the bed Priscilla had made up on the couch.
"I can't," Eloise said. "We brought Weenie down ... but I forgot Skipperdee. He'll be absolutely terrified being alone up there by himself. What if aliens from Mars come to turtlenap him? How could I pay the ransom? I'm only six years old! Do you think I could charge it for an alien? What does an alien look like?"
"Skipperdee?" Clarisse asked. "Your doll?"
Eloise laughed. "NO! Skipperdee's a TURTLE!"
"Oh." Clarisse shuddered.
"I'll go get the turtle," Joseph got to his feet.
"I think you would absolutely scare him to death, Mr. Joseph." Eloise said. "I think I have to go."
"Very well. We'll all go." Clarisse said.
"Up the stairs, just like we came down?" Eloise asked, beaming. "You SAID you didn't want to bother Max ..."
Clarisse and Joseph exchanged glances. They hadn't wanted anyone in the hotel to know Eloise was with them in their suite, and that Nanny and Sir Wilkes were away. Even Eloise thought that Sir Wilkes had returned to the Plaza. Yes, they HAD walked down the stairs ... but to go UP the stairs? From the eighth floor to the sixteenth floor? "Up the stairs," Clarisse sighed.
Eloise ran ahead, and Joseph and Clarisse held hands as they climbed. They stopped to rest halfway, and Joseph stole a kiss. Naturally they were seen. "Hey! Aren't you two coming? This isn't a time to play, play, play! Skipperdee might be already half-way to Mars!" Eloise cried, leaning down over the banister in such a way that Clarisse was sure she was going to fall.
"Eloise, dear, please don't lean over like that." she said.
Eloise swung her leg over the banister and slid down to them. Clarisse bit her tongue. "Okay, I won't lean!" Eloise said, jumping down and giving Clarisse a hug. "Now, can we PLEASE hurry?"
They hurried.
Just as Joseph locked the door of Eloise's suite behind them, Skipperdee safely in Eloise's care, having been rescued from possible turtlenapping, Eloise said in a small voice, "Uh oh."
"Now what?" he looked down at her and frowned.
Eloise edged closer to Clarisse and took her hand. "I forgot my sign," she whispered.
"Sign?"
"My Don't Disturb sign. I can't sleep without it."
Without a word, Joseph unlocked the door again, and Eloise, shoving Skipperdee into Clarisse's hands, ran into the suite again. Clarisse gasped and bit back a scream as she threw the turtle convulsively away from her. "Oh!" she shuddered. "Oh, Joseph ...!"
Joseph quickly picked up the turtle, checking it for signs of life, then put his arm around Clarisse and kissed her forehead. "It's all right. You can wash the minute we get downstairs. Nan told me she throws this thing away, too, when Eloise hands it to her. I guess Skipperdee is used to flying. And landing hard."
"Oh, Joseph," Clarisse laughed through her shivers.
Then Eloise was back with her sign hanging around her neck. "Okay, I'm ready, ready, ready!"
"Are you sure?" Joseph inquired. "What about Skipperdee's bowl?"
"He usually sleeps with me and Weenie," explained Eloise.
"The couch is a little narrower than your bed. He might be ... squashed," Joseph said.
Clarisse turned and looked away. Eloise considered that for a moment. "Well, maybe you're right. I expect I should take the bowl. Just in case."
"That might be a good idea," Clarisse said, the strain in her voice not obvious to the little girl.
Eloise skipped back into the room, then was out right away again. "NOW I'm ready. Maybe I should go say good night to Sir Wilkes. He's probably lonely without Nanny, just like me. I have Weenie and Skipperdee ... and you two, but he just has Nanny and me, and now Nanny's not here."
"It's late, Eloise," Clarisse said hastily. "I'm sure he's already in bed."
Eloise paused two feet away where she had already skipped, then she nodded. "Okay. I can talk to him tomorrow."
The threesome, complete with turtle, finally made it back to the eighth floor. Clarisse washed her hands fastidiously first thing, then made Eloise and Joseph wash theirs for good measure. Then Clarisse tucked Eloise into bed. Joseph bent over and kissed the little girl's forehead when she beckoned to him with her arms up.
"Goodnight, Mr. Joseph," she whispered.
"Goodnight, Eloise."
Clarisse sat on the edge of the sofa and hugged Eloise tightly. "Goodnight, pet," she said.
"Goodnight, your Majesty," Eloise said, sleepily. "Do you think Nanny will be back early tomorrow? I really do miss, miss, miss her."
"Soon, pet. She just needs a good rest. You heard how she was coughing this morning, didn't you?"
"Uh huh."
"Well, she hasn't been sleeping too well ..."
"I know. She's tired, tired, tired all the time. Can I call Room Service for breakfast tomorrow from here?"
"Maybe we'll wait until we get you back upstairs and dressed," Clarisse said, smoothing Eloise's hair away from her face and arranging her sign on her chest. "Good night, love." and she kissed her forehead before standing up.
"I'm allowed to be homesick for Nanny, you know," Eloise said. "After all, I'm only six."
"Goodnight, Eloise," Joseph said from across the room.
The little girl sighed and snuggled down. Clarisse hesitated, then, when Joseph beckoned, she walked over to their room. Although it was early for them, both were ready for bed. They finished in the bathroom quickly, then undressed and slipped into bed.
Clarisse whispered so that Eloise couldn't hear, "I'm beginning to wonder if I did the right thing telling Wilkes to keep Nanny away for TWO nights. Eloise is a little more than I bargained for."
Refraining from saying 'I told you so', Joseph whispered back, "Queen Clarisse can stare down Heads of State, can change the minds of a number of grumpy old men in Parliament, can work her special magic on a certain old Head of Security ... and now admits to beeing a wee bit nonplussed when it comes to handling a six-year-old child?"
She pushed at him tiredly, and he chuckled. "It's not as if you haven't had children, Clarisse," he added.
"I don't remember Pierre and Philippe being like Eloise."
"Clarisse, my dear, Eloise is unique. Thank God."
"Oh, Joseph!" Clarisse whispered, horrified. Then she yawned and wriggled a bit in the bed.
"Can we forget Eloise and think of ourselves now? It's our first time alone in almost twelve hours, and I find I'm missing my wife ..." Joseph drew her closer and kissed her gently, his hands smoothing over her body in anticipation.
"Oh, Joseph, I'm so sorry ..." she put her hand on his cheek and returned his kiss, then kissed his chin, then his throat.
"Mmmm, keep going ..." he murmured.
There was no answer. Clarisse didn't move.
"Clarisse? Clarisse?" he twisted away a bit to look at her ... her lips were still pursed as if she were kissing, but her eyes were closed and her breathing rhythmic. She had gone to sleep, just that suddenly, between one breath and other. Joseph smiled and tenderly kissed her forehead before allowing sleep to overtake him as well.
O o O o O o To Be Continued