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more from 'The Poisoned Veil'

[ladyseraph-756.livejournal.com]

“What was all that about?” hissed Eve as they entered her room. “Make yourself useful and help me select something decent to wear!”
Rochester shrugged. “Sedley’s a terrible flirt. Always chatting unsuspecting wives up. You want to be careful round him, you know.”
“And you’re not?” she challenged, a cheeky smile on her face. “He seemed quite charming actually.”
He sniffed. ”Bloody dilettante. Only writes poetry ‘cos he thinks ‘tis the mode. Doesn’t have a sincere bone in his body. And he nicks all my best lines to get the girls.”
“I thought you were his friend!” she protested. “ Some friend!”
“Doesn’t mean that I don’t see the truth about him. What about this?”
He threw her a beautiful grey and silver embroidered gown studded with tiny drop pearls and diamonds.
“It’s a bit low cut...I’m not sure if I want to-” said Eve rather doubtfully as she caught it.
“Bet it looks absolutely fantastic. Put it on!”
“But-”
“Put it on! Now!”
“All right! God, you’re so bossy!” she grumbled. “You’d better lace me up then. Play maid for me. And before you start, get your mind out of the gutter!”
“What?” he opened his blue eyes innocently. “As if I’d-”
“I know you too well, so don’t even go there."
Rochester stared in the mirror as she modelled the dress for him, for once speechless.
“What? Does it look hideous then?” she said.
“No- not at all.”
She looked sharply at him, still thinking he was winding her up.
“I’ll take it off. Wear something a bit more decent-”
“No! If only you could see how gorgeous you are.”
“Come off it, John!”
“Five pounds Old Rowley takes one look at you and makes you his new mistress!”
“I don’t want to be his bloody mistress!” she retorted.
“Good.” His voice was an intimate caress in her ear as he attached the huge flawless star pendant round her neck. She let out a tiny moan of bliss as she felt his tongue lick the delicate shell of her lobe. “Because, my lovely Eve, I want you to all to myself.”
She watched him transfixed in the mirror as he stroked the diamond idly.
“Oh, to be that diamond resting on your breast.” he sighed, the lightest caress against her pale skin and noticed with satisfaction the flush in her cheeks, the swell of her breast from behind her tightly laced busk as one hand stroked the smoothness of the satin, the pupils of her cool grey eyes darkened with arousal.
“You promised...” her voice trailed off.
“What, Evie? Tell me, what did I promise?”
“Don’t- Nick...he might come in any moment-”
“Tell me you don’t want me much as I want you.”
She cast her eyes down, unable to hide her true feelings.
He kissed her so passionately, she felt weak at the knees.
“Oh my God. Did you hear that? It’s him! If he catches us!”
They sprung apart guiltily as Nick entered the room.
“I wondered what had happened to you two. Let’s get going, my love.” He glanced approvingly at her dress.
“Been trying to get her into that dress for a month, but she was having none of it. You must be a bloody genius, John.”
If he noticed anything untoward in Eve’s flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes, he didn’t show it as they bundled into the carriage.
1672 : Versailles
“You’re still up, Madame?”
Benoit opened the door to find her huddled by the fire, still in her dressing gown of green and gold quilted satin. It was huge on her slim frame dwarfing her figure and making her appear very young.
“I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about Mirielle and about the past. How her fate could so easily have been mine.”
“It was a horrible and desperate way to die, madam. Though perhaps it is best that she is gone and can no longer feel the scorn and shame that would have been her lot had she survived.”
“What did la Voisin do to her?”
“As far as Jonah could make out she employs a team of women to carry out the terminations by various methods. It’s extremely hazardous especially later on in the pregnancy. There’s always a risk of haemorrage and worse.”
“Poor girl. To think that she felt she had to take that terrible risk. And women like la Voisin ready to prey on her.”
“She’s a menace. We have to stop her. That’s why your work here is so important.”