Thread: Au-delà du Temps: Beyond Time (LeatrixSage x SacrlettRose)

Addie blinked. What the fuck just happened? One second, she was staring him down with all the bravado she could muster, and the next she was stretched out beneath him on the lounge with her heart beating frantically in her throat. She expected him to be angry, to yell at her, threaten her she never would have imagined he would be amused. It was as disarming as the way he had gathered her up and tossed her through the air like she weighted nothing at all, to then playfully scold her like some spoiled child. Not a single person in her life had ever dared to handle her like that, to devour her personal space as if it meant nothing at all, or to assault her person so candidly. She wanted to scream at him, to rage against, but she could barely hear her own thoughts over her heart beat. And, if Addie was honest with herself, she was absolutely undone by the man. She simply had no idea how to react. Addie had to dig to find the emotional wherewithal to hold on to her composer enough to glare up at the man. He held her hands in an unyielding grip that was surprisingly tender. When she squirmed, his grip constricted, but he resisted causing her harm. While it was kind, it also emboldened her against him. If he was actively trying not to hurt her, then he couldnt be that dangerous, could he? His breath fanned against her face as he spoke, and a blush rose slowly in Adelaides cheeks as she gradually became aware of how compromising their position really was. The skirt of her gown was already bunched up around her knees, and if he moved his leg any higher between them, he could have easily dragged the fabric all the way up to her hips. His chest hung a hairs breadth from her own, a slim show for the measure of self-restraint he employed, but just enough space that she still felt like she could breath. He asked if she thought he wouldnt know a whore when he saw one, and she opened her mouth to make some scathing remark about how she wasnt surprised the only women that would sleep with him where those he paid for it but, his question about where she would go stilled her tongue. Her mouth snapped shut with an audible click. She was a woman of power and influence in her own time, here she was nothing, no one. She had no name, no money, no home, she had absolutely nothing but the gown she wore. That realization threatened to blot out the world, her mind rebelling against everything that had happened. Shit, I might actually pass out Criminal? she barely whispered the word, her eyes widening as she began to understand just what was happening here. The pieces were falling into place. That was why he had asked about Etta, he thought she was a French spy! He believed she was a Napoleon sympathizer looking to aid the future Emperor of France in his war efforts, and her name attached her to a slew of people that were exactly that. Fuck me side-ways, how do I get out of this? The way her name slid past his lips like a caress made her eyes refocus on his face. He grinned at her as he told her they werent staying here, and that shed love England. Addie rolled her eyes, exasperated, and then his lips crushed her own and Adelaide couldnt breathe. He didnt so much force her to respond so much as he coaxed her to surrender and accept the passionate embrace. The emotional roller coaster the woman had been riding up to this point left her feeling utterly defenseless against the assault, and embarrassingly breathless when Wessex was suddenly gone in the next moment. He left her lying there, shaking, furious and horrified in equal measure. The door clicked closed behind him, and only after his footsteps had faded away did Addie pull herself up. One shaking hand touched her lips almost curiously. They were tingling, her heart was hammering away against her ribcage, and there was a disturbing warmth spreading through her that she didnt care to recognize as anything more than her addled mind being overwhelmed. What am I going to do, she muttered, talking to herself because she couldnt seem to think straight. She had to get home, but she wasnt sure it was even possible. They couldnt prove she was a spy, but she couldnt prove she wasnt, and that was so much worse. If they suspected, then thats what she was. Wessex might not be moved to actually cause her any definite harm, but that couldnt be said about his betters. As her mind spun with all the possibilities, the weight of the world seemed to push down on her while the walls of the room pressed in around her. The feeling of being trapped was seeping into the panic shed been holding at bay, and when the door to the room swung open she nearly jumped out of her skin as she leapt off the lounge. The very vision of what Adelaide had always imagined a kindly Nanny would look like came in with a fully set tea tray in hand. Her kind smile was almost heartbreaking to see, an Addies hands shook so that she clasped them together to hold them still. The woman was warm and sweet, and reminded her painfully of her lovely Mrs. Mills, and she spoke almost as much. Really, she couldnt get a word in edgewise until the lovely woman asked if she should send word for a seamstress. Why I.. Addie hesitated, her min working hard to keep up. Oui, she sighed, seeing no reason not to. Picking out something a young girl would like seemed like a strange request, but it seemed harmless enough. The man was eccentric at best. He thought she was his enemy, but he tried not to hurt her. He believed she was a spy, and he had kissed her. She was a dangerous criminal, and he wanted her to pick out fabric for a childs dress? Addie was beginning to believe the last Marquee of Wessex must be mad or suffering from mercury poisoning. Annette was watching her, and Addie blushed, thinking she hadnt hear something she had said. Je suis dsol, It has been a long night, and I can barely think. Addie smiled at the woman, almost immediately endeared to her. Her eyes dropped to the tea tray, and she smiled. It had still been early morning for her when shed landed in the office, and she wasnt tired exactly, but she was mentally exhausted, and ravenous. I should have eaten breakfast. Annette gave her a quizzical look, and Addie blushed, turning her attention to the dresses. There was a lovely piece that looked something like the French equivalent of a summer dress, a soft white fabric covered in delicately stitched blue flowers. Floral patterns were far from the norm for Addie, but this particular dress was quite lovely. This one will do fine, she changed the subject as she lifted it into her arms. If you wouldnt mind, I havent eaten. Ill take absolutely anything you are willing to bring up. I know its late, which was still freaking weird as all hell, but even just some bread and cheese would be welcome. And, thank you so much for the tea, but could I please take it to whatever room will be mine for the night? Addie held her breath, feeling like an absolute ass to ask the woman for so much. But, to her relief, Annette seemed to be happy to accommodate her every wish. In a flurry of rapid-fire French and smiles, the plump woman had Adelaide settled into an ornate bedroom, fed, and sipping on steaming tea with a little milk and honey. It was a decidedly British way to take her tea, and she rather hoped that information found its way back to Wessex. His staff was friendly and helpful, but unless she missed her mark, she was willing to bet they were loyal to a fault and likely to report back everything she said or did. When it was all said and done, and she had finally gotten Annette to leave and go to bed herself, Addie was feeling strangely calm. The sense of panic had faded, leaving behind the nervous unease that was far more manageable. Through the course of chatting with Annette or rather, listening to Annette chat she had learned a few things. The Marquee of Wessex was Lord Roachester. The name tickled a memory she couldnt quite place, but she knew it was important. He was good to his staff, and they favored him, even if Annette was less than fond than the usual female company he kept. He had a sister and a young ward, whether the child was his or not was unclear. He was important in some way that she couldnt put her finger on. She knew the man, but shed never made as much attention to the ghosts of Englishmen that had been the enemies of her ancestors. Shed never really cared to, they were all ghosts, long dead and gone, footnotes in history. Addie was dearly regretting that attitude. The woman tried to find sleep more than once. Annette had provided all the sensible trappings of a modest lady, but Addie had only taken a thin shift as a nightgown and begged off the rest. She saw no need to wear four layers and a veritable gown to bed, and despite her tutting, Annette had allowed it without too much fuss. As it was, when Addie yet again crawled out of bed, she was sweating from the pile of comforters and sheets and the stagnant air. As she pushed a window open to let in the cool morning air, the sky was already lightening with the predawn light. Shed been to Paris many times, and it was jarring to look out over a city the was dark and quiet. The Eiffel tower was nowhere to be seen, so it was definitely before 1887. If the Arc de Triomphe wasnt complete, then it was before 1806, but shed have to get the center of the city to find out that part. Addie sighed as she hugged her arms around her waist and leaned her shoulder and hip into the window sill while she let her mind slowly put the world to rights. The weather was still crisp, almost chilly, and there were spring flowers in bloom in the gardens below her window. April, maybe May. She wondered absently if the senate tribune have decaled Napoleon the leader of France yet. That would be May 16th, 1804. Two days later he would proclaim himself the Emperor of France. How can I know so much and yet so little thats of any real use, Addie sighed as she raked a hand through her hair to massage her scalp with her fingertips. She wasnt dreaming, and she wasnt mad. This was real, and what little she could remember about French history was going to have to be her guide. That meant she was going to have to spend a lot of time gathering information as nondescriptly as possible.