Chapter 37-1

For several seconds, Nan stared down at William, his lips lingering against the back of her hand a moment longer before he pulled them away and rested his forehead against it instead. Without thought Nan’s fingertips ghosted over the very top of his head, a few fine wavy strands that refused to conform to the rest tickling her skin, teasing her fingers to sink further into his hair rather than continue to hover at the surface. So she did. The act of touching him so intimately felt so natural that she caught herself marveling at the ease with which she made the contact and even more so the expression of relieved bliss that covered William’s face as he turned his head, bring the back of her hand to his cheek as he leaned his head into her other hand. Reminding her so much of a contented kitten with his movement. Closing her eyes she let out a soft sigh of her own. Feeling as though all the day’s joy, surprise, shock, worry and anger were released with that singular breath as her chest felt lighter, her whole being felt to weight no more than a feather and for the her life she could not recall the last time she had felt such ease. Kneeling down before William, Nan cradled his face in her hands, straightening his head so she could see him proper and not the tilted kittenish features of the scarred she had somehow come to love. Staring into his hazel eyes, burnt honey color with only the light of the fire to aid her view she scanned over his face. Traced the line of his nose, the curve of his brow and cheek, the pits and wrinkles of his scars, until her thumb brushed across the thin pale pink of his lips and she kissed him. --- When William awoke, it was with the odd sensation of a weight bearing down, though not uncomfortably, on the right side of his chest. A feeling he had not experienced in nearly a decade, though for the lack of such he remembered well how a woman was supposed to feel when laying next to her lover. Lazily, he opened his eyes scanning his room through the fog of sleep and grinning contentedly to himself when his gaze fell upon the dark head of hair that was nestled so easily upon his breast. With a self-satisfied grin William recalled the night they’d spent together, a night that had included far more than their normal conversations and sleeping. And one he hoped most ardently to repeat this night and every night to come, though he’d gladly take morning, noon and any other time available if night was or was not. Though at the moment such action was not what pulled at his loins, another matter of equal, no, greater urgency pleaded for his attention. So, slowly, carefully, William lifted Nan from his side, painstakingly removing her from his form, not wishing to wake her as he freed himself from her and made for the lavatory he’d had built into his room when he’d bought Stonebrook so many years ago. In a silent dash, or so he had thought, William hurried about the bed towards the door of his well concealed privy. An entrance that to any other looked like a part of the wall until a button was pushed and the chamber was revealed. “Where you going?” Nan asked, bring William up short by as he mindlessly halted and turned to find Nan staring at him wide awake. Or rather she stared at him with one eye as she rubbed the other with the back of her hand.  How tempting she looked laying in his bed, draped in his sheets the thin linen of her shift concealing what the blankets did not. A thing he thought somewhat unfair as he stood in all his glory before her, yet still her sweet flesh was well hidden from his view.  A matter he would have to remedy…when he’d taken care of the business that had roused him from bed in the first place. “Give me but a moment my Love and I shall answer whatever you’ve to ask.” William replied pleadingly before turning back to the hidden door in the wall and pressing his hand against the ornate border. With a small click the wall popped out barely an inch from its original location, but it was enough for William to easily pry open the rest of the way and vanish behind it. With a furrowed brow Nan lurched up from the bed staring hard at the wall that had just opened and closed before her. She’d been in William’s room several times and not once had she seen that, though in truth she’d never thought to look for hidden doors in any of the rooms. Certainly she’d read of such things, heard rumors and tales of such devices being used by those who made their way in life dealing in work that was not socially acceptable. The very existence of a such a thing here in William’s room prompted Nan to wonder if there were more of its kind scattered about the house, and if so how many and where did they lead? Curiosity getting the better of her, Nan threw off the blankets covering her, hardly feeling self-conscious in her sift, and moved to the wall to study its hidden handle and mayhap see where it lead. However such ventures were postponed as the wall once more clicked open and Nan had to hastily back step away from the door before it could smack her. When it closed, William stood before her tall and appearing mildly baffled by her closeness, though this time he was garbed in his dressing robe and not standing in nothing but his skin. “You’ve hidden passages in this house?” Nan queried, tilting her head as she spoke, though why the idea that William a man known to smuggle the occasional shipment of silk, ale, or rather such commodities having hidden tunnels in his house surprised her, she wasn’t quite certain. “Passages?” William echoed, his own brow creasing with her question. “No Ma’am.” William shook his head and taking a step back allowed her to look into the room that was to skillfully hidden from view. Within the hidden room was nothing more than a large brass tub, full length mirror, and… “Is that a privy?” Nan gaped, her face going red with shock and immediate embarrassment as she realized why the room was hidden and no sooner did she voice the obvious than William boomed with laughter at the startled look on her face and the brilliant red that seeped speedily into her cheeks. “My God, Miss Harris!” William gawked, “Are you blushing? I wasn’t aware you knew how.” he chortled, as he grinned down at her a smug smile pealing across his lips. “Of course I know how to blush.” Nan replied quickly, glaring up at him for saying such a thing when she could already feel the palpable effects as her cheeks as they burned without the aid of assault, sun, or drink. “It’s just been quite some time since I’ve had cause to.” She added snappishly, turning about as she gathered up her hair combing her fingers through the dark mess as she scanned the room with only a mind to keep her beat red complication from William’s view long enough for it to fade, though his incessant chuckling did little to help. “Oh for God’s sake stop laughing!” She barked, spinning back around to face him. Her hands strangling in the air in poor substitute for his throat as she glared at the man with a humiliated fury. “Surely you’ve seen other girl’s blush. Seeing it on me should not be such an entertaining affair.” She stated indignantly.