Lunette didn't feel hung over, but could feel the dull pain of the drinks she had, as last night began to creep upon her with revenge. She moaned and rolled her fingers into her eyes and rose from the bed and dressed. She eased downstairs and the inn was a bit quieter than the night before. She found Sarah sitting at a window side table and she yawned. "Where is Lieutenant Hawkins?" she pondered and Sarah smiled, "He's outside, mending one of the docks." Lunette nodded and she slipped outside and paused seeing a few younger women sitting on the porch. She frowned and then followed their gaze. "Look! Here he comes!" someone whispered quickly. And she blushed seeing Jim come walking up the hill, his shirt hanging loosely around his waist, hair rustled, and sweat glistening off of his brow and bared shoulders. He wore a single pad upon a shoulder and as she wondered why he leaned down and picked up a few slabs of lumber hoisting them up onto his shoulder. His eyes squinted against the early morning sun and as he looked about his eyes met hers and widened for a moment before he smiled and walked up to the inn. He eased the lumber off of his shoulder and onto the porch with a sigh. He walked to her, pulled out a rag and wiped his forehead and hands before grabbing a bucket that had been sitting out on the porch. He dunked the rag into the cool water it held, rung it out and rested it on the back of his neck.
"Did you sleep well?" he pondered and as he looked at her she softly replied. "Yes, wonderfully actually I have a slight headache urhm, last night, I," she paused and watched as all the younger women were gawking at them, "Lieutenant Hawkins, I suppose it is impossible to speak with you in private?" she asked and he smiled, "Never." He walked up the steps and caught the door, letting her inside and as he followed he said, "Mother, I'll be in the kitchen if you need me."
"Thank you Jim," she retorted. Lunette stood there for a moment as the door behind them began filing the women back inside and he quickly caught her hand and guided her behind the food counter and into the back kitchen. He sighed and rubbed his temple, "So sorry about them, they're the triplets' friends, I hadn't thought they all stayed last night," he apologized. He poured water into a tall glass, before he nearly gulped the cool, refreshing liquid down.
"Jim," she began, "how I acted last night. I'm terribly sorry, I hadn't meant to make myself out to be a trollop, I had been-" He merely chuckled, and interrupted, "You had been drinking, it's quite alright, you slept alone, and that is all that matters." Her eyes widened as she leaned back against the counter behind herself, "You're agreeing I acted like a trollop?" she hissed and he merely chuckled, "Never, you're more dangerous than a trollop," he joked and her face turned red, "Excuse me?!" He suddenly caged her then and she froze up, she looked at him and his eyes pierced her, "You're dangerous because I worry about you."
"Oh…" A sigh of relief washed over her and his smile broadened, "Although, I would have liked to do one thing last night." She visibly stiffened and he stepped closer to her, she backed into the table behind her and he paused, "If you don't want me tell me no," he reasoned. She blushed beautifully, and as he had done last night, he leaned into her, giving them more privacy as one of the cooks walked in. Her eyes met his and her lips parted, he watched her prefect teeth part as she said, "Jim…" she began and he sighed, he nodded and he pulled away, standing awkwardly away from her. He could see the regret in her eyes, and the utter confusion as she tried desperately to decide if she wanted this. He turned away. She felt her heart sink and her head bowed, "I'm sorry," he murmured and her head snapped back up, "You haven't anything to be sorry for! It's me Jim, I'm sorry, I don't know how to act about this," she said quickly, his eyes flickered with a mix of emotions, something she'd only seen in them a few times and he walked back to her. "Clearly you do," he retorted, "because the woman you were last night and the woman I found in Tortucana had clearly done that before." She went to protest until quite suddenly he kissed her.
A strong hand clasped the nape of her neck, while the other one snaked her waist holding her closely while his lips claimed hers and she stiffened, and as she went to protest his lips suckled her bottom lip before gently nibbling. He pulled slightly away and kissed her once more, just a sweet chaste kiss, much like the one he'd given her shoulder the night before. "You act like you don't know what you want," he observed. "What do you want?" she retorted childishly, and he growled out, "You." She shuddered and he left her. Leaving her standing there while he escaped through, the swinging door of the kitchen. She heard the girls begin their chatter once more and her knees began to shake. She slowly left the kitchen and felt her heart pounding all too quickly.
Being in Tortucana and on the high galactic seas had given her courage, but she had not thought about coming back into society with the baggage from the trip still weighing her down. She had thought she could handle having seduced the infamous Jim Hawkins without the one thing she feared. She cared about him. And suddenly she heard a ruckus begin outside. She frowned and exited the kitchen and found Sarah, her own eyes wide at the sound before she rose from her seat and Lunette followed her outside. And they both stopped dead at the sight before them.
He had pulled a sword out and aimed it at Jim. "Jackson," she called. Jackson raised his head and eyed Jim. "I wish to duel you Jim," Jackson said. Jim chuckled, "Why?"
"To prove to Lunette I am more of a man than you are." Both Jim's and Lunette's eyes went wide. And Jim took up a sword and Jackson smiled wickedly. "Let us settle this Uncle!" And he charged him. Swords clanged, and Lunette felt her hands tighten into fists. She looked at Sarah and asked, "May I call for a carriage?" Sarah's head titled to one side and she said, "I'll call one for you." And Lunette shook her head, "No, allow me Ms Sarah. Excuse me for a moment." And Sarah's attention turned back to the young men before her that began dueling. And in a few minutes Lunette had returned to the scene and Sarah's eyes went wide seeing a sword in the young woman's hand. "Miss Silver!" she exclaimed and Lunette shook her head as she headed straight down the stairs and towards the two men. She threw herself into the fight and struck Jackson's blade from his hands. She rushed him and caught her hand around his snout and he stiffened. "I do not wish to be fought over like a prize to be won!" she exclaimed. Jim's hand touched her shoulder and she rolled his touch off of her. "You are no better than he is!" she snapped as she faced him. She threw the sword to the ground, letting the blade sink deeply into the ground. "How dare you indulge him!"
"I-" Jim began his hand touched her face and she stiffened. It was the first time he openly touched her. She gulped at the sight of his open shirt and how handsome he looked, he saw the effect it had on her, and he chuckled, he said, "Lunette-"
"I am going home!" she snapped. And with that she turned away and headed straight up the stairs into the inn and Jim heard the front door open and slam shut. His eyes met his mother's and she crossed her arms and eyed him. "James," she began and he winced. "Mom-" But Jackson demanded, "What is she to you?!" Jim jumped at the sudden words that attacked him and he looked at Jackson, saw the other young women watching them, and he turned away without another word. He could not announce that he was courting her when she did not accept him. So instead he would go to her and apologize.