As Vastra had eaten her breakfast that morning her mind had lingered on the way Jenny had momentarily allowed her fingers to brush against her own and how the girl had given her that look as she had left as though she were thinking of almost unspeakable things that she would like to do to her mistress. On several occasions Vastra even had to remind herself that Jenny had not necessarily said that she had feelings for the Silurian at all, rather that she was not opposed to suggestions of improper acts and flirtatious words shared between the two. Of course, to Vastra those were the sort of acts that constituted emotion between a couple - in fact, in Silurian society flirting was something that was engaged in long after the courting process had taken place. However, she had to remember that perhaps in human society this was not the case. Bearing that in mind, she had begun to wonder if courting her maid would be an appropriate next step now that Jenny knew of the feelings she had begun to develop.
Despite having begun to learn about the society in which she now lived Vastra still knew very little about the now developed humans and how their rituals in relation to each other would work. Incidentally, if she were to court Jenny she hadn't the faintest idea of how humans went about such a process. If she were courting one of her own kind the process was very simple. Usually the individual doing the courting would kill a dangerous criminal and present the body to the other as a symbol of their strength and capability, the two most prominent traits that Silurians looked for in their partners. After receiving this gift the other individual would then express their acceptance of the courtship through feasting on the body. Somehow Vastra didn't think Jenny would appreciate that method as much as something a little more human.
Sitting in her study later in the day, attempting to focus on a new set of leads that Scotland Yard had given her concerning all sorts of criminals from thieves to murderers, Vastra found her mind wondering back to Jenny and the issue of how to go about formally courting the girl. She was sure that a human would be equally as interested in their partner being strong and capable as her people had been but she wondered if there was any other qualities that the species would view as important when choosing their partner. As the thoughts and questions continued to circle her mind Vastra stood from her seat and made her way over to the book case stood along the wall behind her. An idea had suddenly occurred to her. She ran her finger along the spines of the books until she reached one that she remembered the Doctor had given to her as a 'house warming' gift (not that Vastra had any idea what that was supposed to be). The title of the novel read Jane Eyre and was apparently written by a woman by the name of Charlotte Brontë. From what Vastra could tell she was almost certain that the book was of human origin and she had remembered how, on giving it to her, the Doctor had hinted that perhaps one day it would come in handy if she were ever to change her opinion of human kind. Of course, at the time Vastra had hardly thought it possible but as it happened her opinions, at least as far as Jenny was concerned, had altered a considerable amount. Returning to her desk Vastra pushed the papers she had been reading for work aside and began to read but she had barely got past the first chapter when there was a knock on the door and Jenny slid into the room, the cloth she used for dusting in one hand and a broom in the other.
"Sorry for the interruption ma'am, she started, leaning the broom up against the door frame as she looked around the room to gauge the amount of effort she would need to put into making the place spotless "I know I normally try to wait until you're out to do in 'ere but every other room seems to be fairly clean in comparison." Looking up at her maid Vastra noticed that hint of mischief in her eyes again and she wondered how likely it was that this whole excuse of Jenny's was a fabrication. Of course, she wasn't complaining. Fabrication of not, she would take any chance she could get to spend time with the girl even if they were both focusing on separate tasks.
"Don't mind me," she answered with a smile "I'm sure you won't be too much of a distraction." She knew that this wasn't strictly true but at that moment Vastra was too busy trying to learn about human forms of romance to allow herself to be distracted and so she turned back to her novel, leaning on her desk as she turned the pages and read.
Jenny commenced her dusting, starting with the book shelves on the far wall and slowly working her way around the room, being careful to take as much time as she possibly could. Really, she hadn't been planning on cleaning the study at all that day but as she had tried to get on with her duties elsewhere in the house she had found herself almost magnatised to the room, wanting more than anything to enter its confines and spend a little time with her mistress. Since her carefully placed touch of their hands that morning Jenny hadn't been able to shift the memory of the feeling of Vastra's cool scales against her own warm skin. There was something intoxicating about the sensation of it and the maid wondered if she could find a way to touch her mistress' hand again without it being too obvious what she was attempting to do. She looked over at the Silurian as she continued to dust, watching as the woman's eyes scanned the pages of the book in front of her. Jenny had been sure that she would find her mistress working when she entered the room so she was slightly taken aback by the sight of her leant over her desk with a novel in her hands.
"Readin' anythin' interestin' ma'am?" She asked, turning her eyes back to her cleaning in the hope that it wouldn't seem as though she had been watching Vastra for too long. Jenny knew that her mistress was most likely only too aware that she had been watching her for the past few minutes but still it seemed more polite to pretend that she hadn't been.
"Oh, just a novel the Doctor gave to me a while back. I'm hoping it can be of some use to me." The corners of Vastra's mouth twitched up into a momentary smile but her eyes never left the page. She seemed to be entirely absorbed in the story whatever it was and Jenny couldn't help but wonder what novel the Doctor could possibly have chosen to give to a woman who had been hibernating for a few million years. She edged her way over to Vastra slowly and, using her dusting cloth as a bookmark, slid the novel from her employers grip and closed it so that she could see what it was. Vastra looked up at her in surprise; however, unsure of how to react, she decided to simply allow the maid to study the novel's cover for a few minutes.
"Jane Eyre?" Jenny asked, an eyebrow raised as she looked the book over. "My mother read this to me when I was young... I'm not sure 'ow it could be any 'elp to you though ma'am, there aint much mystery of crime solvin' in it."
"I never said I was hoping it would be of use in relation to my work" the Silurian chuckled and she extracted the book from Jenny's grip, being careful to slide her fingertips along the girl's hands as she did so. Jenny's skin tingled at Vastra's touch and for a moment she found herself unable to find the words to answer her last remark or the ability to move from the spot where she stood. It wasn't until Vastra had slid the dusting cloth from between the pages of the novel and pressed it back into Jenny's hand that she managed to clear her mind of her elation of feeling those scales again to the extent that she could once again process her own thoughts.
"Then what?" She stuttered slightly, partly from confusion and partly from the cloud of feeling that still hazed the edges of her mind. Vastra just smiled softly and went back to reading, leaving Jenny to stand by her side and watch.
~.~.~.~.~.~
The day passed slowly and it seemed an age that Jenny spent cleaning each room. She had never had so much trouble finding motivation to work before but her entire day had been consumed with thoughts of Vastra from the moment she realised how her feelings for the woman had been building, unnoticed, in the back of her mind since the day they had met. As she was finishing up cleaning the floors of the greenhouse and watering the plants before going to prepare dinner she heard a rustling of skirts behind her and turned to find Vastra stood in the doorway with a scowl on her face and her copy of Jane Eyre in her hands.
"This book is ridiculous." The Silurian stated, looking down at the thing as though it had personally insulted her. "I have no idea why the Doctor thought it would be of use to me, it was no help at all!" Jenny raised an eyebrow but tried to keep her voice as even as possible as she replaced the watering can behind the plant in the corner and made her way over to her mistress.
"Well, I did tell you I didn't think it'd be o' much use to you ma'am. Perhaps the Doctor didn't understand it when 'e gave it to you. 'e's not that much more clued in on 'umans than you are no matter 'ow much 'e likes to pretend otherwise."Jenny took the book from Vastra and regarded it, flicking through the pages as she asked, "what was it you were 'opin' it'd 'elp you with anyway?" A soft blush crept up on Vastra's cheeks and, though she tried to hide it, Jenny didn't miss the change in her face. A small smile appeared on the girl's face and she looked at her mistress more closely as though she were trying to read her thoughts. "Well?"
"I... Oh, I can't tell you, it sounds ridiculous" Vastra huffed, the scowl deepening on her face.
"Ma'am, maybe I could think of a novel that could 'elp you more if you'd just tell me."
"Jenny... I was just..." The Silurian stumbled over her words, not sure what to say to find a way around telling Jenny the truth. Why did the book have to be so useless? If it had had any helpful tips at all she would have used them to gain Jenny's affections. Then again, perhaps she had just not understood the helpful points that were there if there had been any at all. With a small sigh she cast her eyes down. She could barely believe what she was about to do. "I was trying to find out how you humans go about courting one another..." For a moment Jenny stared at Vastra in silence. It made the Silurian a little uncomfortable how the maid just watched her, not knowing what the girl was thinking. Within a few seconds, however, Jenny began to giggle. She covered her mouth with her hand trying to stifle it but it was no use, she just couldn't stop herself no matter how hard she tried.
"Oh ma'am..." she tittered, barely able to catch her breath from all of the laughing. She was hoping that Vastra wouldn't take offense. She didn't mean to laugh at her, it was just so sweet that Vastra had thought a novel would give her all of the answers to courtship that Jenny couldn't help herself. It took at least five minutes but eventually Jenny's laughter died down and when she looked back up at Vastra she had to stifle another bout of giggles that were prompted by the look on her mistress' face, she clearly couldn't see what was so funny.
"Are you quite done?" She asked, her arms crossed, trapping the book between her arms and her chest. "I didn't realise there was anything humorous about me trying to learn something new about your society."
"I am sorry ma'am, it's just," Jenny took a deep breath, still trying to calm herself from the fit of laughter she had just managed to subdue "courtship aint somethin' you can learn from a book as far as I'm aware. An' certainly not from that book. If anyone tried to court me like that Mr Rochester did Jane I'd not give them a second of my time." Vastra felt her heart sink at Jenny's words. All of the time she had put into studying that book and it had all been for nothing, perhaps it was time for a more direct approach.
"Well how do human's go about it then?"
"Like I say miss, there isn't exactly a set way to approach it. Every person's different. For me, I just like someone to show an interest in me an' be patient enough to wait until I'm ready to open up to 'em." she smiled slightly at her mistress and gently loosened the woman's grip on the book, placing it on a table close by. "If you're askin 'ow you should go about courtin' me like I think you are ma'am then I think you've already been doin' it since the day you took me on as your maid.
"I have?" The shock on Vastra's face was a picture indeed and Jenny wished that she had had some way of preserving it forever just to remind herself as time went on. As it was her memory would have to do.
A little tentatively the maid lifted her hand and gently stroked the scales of her mistress' cheek, carefully following the patterns that they made with the tips of her fingers before cupping her cheek in the palm of her hand. As the warmth of her skin met the cool surface of Vastra's scales the Silurian let out a sound like the purr of a cat and she felt herself involuntarily leaning into Jenny's touch. The girl was watching her as though mesmerised, the depth of her eyes seeming to go on forever as they fixed on Vastra's own. Jenny had never been so openly emotional towards a woman before and every part of her felt alive, as though there were tiny creatures inside of her mind, moving around at such a speed that she could barely connect with the world around her for the chaos and turmoil being created within. She wasn't sure who moved first but Jenny felt herself lean up towards Vastra and her hand still on the woman's cheek guided their faces closer and closer until their lips were locked together and all of a sudden the madness inside of Jenny's head seemed to stop. Everything stopped. All she could feel was Vastra's soft, cold lips on her own and the closeness of her mistress' body. The Silurian shifted slightly and Jenny felt an arm coiling around her waist, pulling her close so abruptly that she had to brace herself with her hands on Vastra's shoulders for support.
Neither of them could tell how long the kiss lasted but as they pulled away, both breathing deeply, they knew that they wanted it to happen again.