She was oddly frustrated that while her subtle disrobing did seem to intrigue him, it did not get the response she hoped for at all. Surely, he must have noticed that both the pearls and the chain holding the locket both could have easily been slipped over her head. Her careful, and deliberate unfastening of each, one at a time, letting them slip over her fingers should have been enough of a sign that at last she was ready, willing and hopeful that they could move beyond the mannered exchanges that marked their first few weeks together in Gull Cottage. Heavens, what else could there be left to do? She would have thought the shared glass of champagne, the silent looks between them should have opened that particular door, but not a single important word had been spoken then. True she had somewhat engineered all of this when she knew Blair was coming to continue his never ending and never serious pursuit for her hand. Leaving the Captain in the dark about the real nature of her relationship with Blair ('or lack of it' she smirked to herself) had been what he would call a 'womanly ploy' and so it was. While it had worked in some manner, it had not brought them entirely to the happy ending she had hoped when she had begun.
Yes, they had rather strong words between them about Blair, but it had been her plan all along that he'd scuttle her faux romance and at last be honest with her about his own feelings. Smiling she recalled a few times when she had also (with Richard as a willing co-conspirator) made Blair look more than a bit foolish, and she had to admit, it wasn't hard for him to look that way. Yet that was in good fun, between friends, and she knew with certainty that the Captain's intentions and actions regarding Blair were anything but humorous.
Fully expecting him to speak what she knew, or hoped existed in his heart, it took her by surprise when he suddenly departed with the promise in future to appear only when called. Her feminine instincts told her that the message she delivered, had been completely understood just as she had intended. She paused in front of the mirror wondering if he was still observing her invisibly. 'Now that would be interesting,' she smiled to herself as she reached around to unfasten the zipper to her dress. How far would she go? How far SHOULD she go in this game? How much did he finally guess about her dangling Blair in front of him as an unlikely rival? A knowing look crossed her face as she realized to her surprise that it was indeed a game, and one they both seemed dedicated to playing, at least for a bit longer. 'Well, if it's to be a game,' she thought, 'I'm not going to make it that easy for him,' and whisked her nightgown into the closet with her.