Steampunk Jack

Chapter Ten: Getting to know all about you.

Anne tilted her head up letting the sun warm her face; she was sitting in front of a charming country cottage with huge oaks and yews shading the building and a delicate stream that burbled merrily. Her feet were soaking in the cool water; occasionally she would see the shadow of a fish in the almost clear stream. She was in one of her favorite summer dresses, an ankle length gown of sky-blue cotton cut in the loose flowing style of the Art Nuevo movement. It was trimmed in embroidered bands of leaves in green and gold.

Next to her on the ground was her hat, a pretty thing crowned with baby’s breath, and daises, her shiny black boots and stockings laid next to it. Her hair fell down her back in luxurious mahogany waves, the curls at the end of her hair mingled with the grass that she was sitting on.

She turned as she heard the cabin door open, and James stepped out, a warm smile bloomed across her face as she looked on him. He was shirtless, his well-muscled chest plain for her viewing, and there was a light sheen of sweat on him, his blonde hair was fetchingly tousled. Simple black trousers covered him from the waist down and like her he was barefoot.

“What are you doing out here all by yourself Anne?”

“Just enjoying the sun, how goes your project?

The young man smiled as he looped a silver chain around her neck with a strange purple glass medallion on it. He knelt down on the grass next to her. “You tell me.”

“James it’s beautiful!” Anne exclaimed as the purple glass shimmered iridescently in the sun. Caught in the middle of the tear shaped pendant was a single perfect blue-purple bloom, a forget-me-not.

“Not as pretty a flower as you, my Anne.” He said taking her hand and brushing his lips over her knuckles.

A soft blush burned across her cheeks part of her was confused, James should not be able to touch her, but it was drowned out by the simple joy that sang through her heart. Still blushing and painfully shy she smiled at James. “A craftsman should be paid for his labors.”

“No, payment is needed for a gift my lady.”

“I insist.” Anne leaned towards him and kissed him gently on the lips, they were warm and soft and as hesitant as her he began to return the kiss, she shivered in pleasure as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her deeper, she could feel his heart pounding against her chest. .

James smiled at her with sweet warm eyes, which widened as he lost his balance sending both of them tumbling down into the grass. Anne laughed breathlessly as she landed half on top of James who blushed then joined in her laughter. His arms still wrapped around her.

Anne smiled and rested her head on his chest, he was so warm. His arms felt so good wrapped around her, she felt safe, protected…loved. James gently stroked her hair running the dark brown strands through his fingers.

“Anne.” James whispered, gently rolling so that she was lying on her back in the grass, her hair spread about like an earthy halo. She reached up and caressed the side of his face, He leaned down and captured her lips one arm was bracing him up, and the other hand was rested tenderly on her hip.

Eagerly she returned his kiss, her small hands caressing his sides and back. Her green eyes darkened as she tasted passion for the first time and whimpered into her suitor’s mouth as his hand slid from her hip to caress the swell of her breast through the cotton gown. “James…”

Anne jerked awake, her breasts rising and falling in a very good, if purely illusory imitation of breathing heavily. Indeed, she wasn’t surprised by that, in spite of being a ghost. The dream she’d just had would have definitely raised the dead!

Her blush, already a light pink stain to her intangible skin, roared fully to life as she realized how that very thought would have been taken had she said it out loud. Absently she noticed that, instead of feeling hot, her face grew colder as she blushed, but that discovery took a very strong rear seat to her improper subconscious and its little adventure.

“He’s certainly muscular.” She commented, and then covered her eyes as she realized she’d spoken aloud. “No… no, no… It was just a dream. I’m sure he’s pale and skinny under his shirt. He’s been far too proper to strip completely to the waist around me… all though James did mention sculling competitively in college when I asked him about the oar.”

The topic had dominated the entire trip out to Mary Kelly’s murder site, when she’d noticed him tapping an oar above his door frame. Sculling, which was apparently a type of competitive boat rowing, had been his athletic passion throughout college and he’d been animated in describing the thrill of the race. She’d secretly suspected that watching such races would be boring as a politician’s speech but had kept her opinion to herself.

“He probably is a fair bit more athletic than I give him credit. He works such long hours at the glass, after all… No! Bad Anne!” She cursed herself. “You cannot find yourself falling… attracted to a man you’re haunting. I’m sure it’s against all the rules of being dead.” She nodded. That was that, after all.

She stood and ran fingers through her hair and to her surprise found it was well made up, as opposed to the mess it had been since she’d died. Shrugging and assuming she’d just managed to straighten it while thinking about other things, she turned and began down the stairs.

Emily Porters voice drifted up the stairwell as she descended them. “This will let me see Anne?”

“It will, though you won’t be able to hear her. I have an idea for that, actually, but I’ll need to experiment a bit with a harp first.”

“What would you need with a harp, professor…? Ohh! I can see her! That’s a lovely dress Anne!”“This old thing? I put it on before rush…” Anne had looked down, finally, at Emily’s comment. She froze as she realized she no longer wore the bloody apron and simple dress of a midwife.

Instead, she wore her Art Nuevo dress, complete with hose and shoes but sans hat. “I… I don’t understand. I wasn’t wearing this before… I mean in my dream…” She stuttered, looking up. Her eyes locked onto James, who stood just behind Emily, remembering the dream.

James's face had gone pale, “You… you were wearing that in a dream?” He asked… his voice hesitant. Almost afraid.

“Yes. There was a cabin and a lake… and…” She found herself unable to continue.

James, who had been searching for words, continued for her. “And I handed you a pendant…a forget-me-not in spirit glass…”

Emily, looking between the two, couldn’t hear what Anne had said, but could piece enough together. She silently slipped away, pocketing the monocle on the way out.

“Did you have… that dream too?” Anne asked, hesitantly.

James, silently, nodded.

“I mean… the full dream…”

Again, he nodded, this time blushing. “What… what does this mean?” Anne asked, not sure why she was afraid, and not sure why she wasn’t more frightened.

“I don’t know.” He admitted. “Although I must admit… That is a much nicer dress my… Anne.” She didn’t know why, but his compliment made her smile.

An awkward half hour of near starts had finally faded into James suggesting they not talk about their shared dream immediately. He admitted to her that he’d enjoyed it, and had hoped that she didn’t consider his behavior too ungentlemanly. She’d assured him that he wasn’t the only one to enjoy it. That had led to the blushing silence they were standing in now.

Finally James sighed, breaking the silence. “Okay, enough acting like a pair of teenagers.” He said with a soft smile to her. Anne couldn’t help but return the look since that was exactly how they would seem to an outside watcher. For once she was sincerely happy she was invisible!

“I have had a thought, related to your situation my… friend.” He grimaced, and both of them knew that wasn’t what he had wanted to say. Neither of them was sure if they wanted him to say what he meant, either. “And concerning your property.”

“It’s not exactly like I can take it with me.” Anne muttered, though she appreciated the change of topic. “I mean, there’s a few pictures and keepsakes I suppose I would like to have around, but other than that… Well, there is my cat, but I left a window open for him, so after all this time he may have wandered off on his own.” She shrugged.

“I do understand, but the simple fact is I suspect you are going to be here for a very long time.” He smiled softly, though Anne was sure he wasn’t aware of it. Still, his smile revealed that he didn’t mind the idea one bit, and she was warmed by that.

She didn’t mind the idea, either.

“That being said, I reckon we should head over to your shop, and see about acquiring some of your more personal goods. You wouldn’t, by chance, have kept a secret key anywhere I could get access to it, would you?”

“Actually… Yes.” She admitted. “I was frequently called out at all hours of the night, so I have frequently managed to lose keys.” She chuckled.

“The alchemical lamp near my front stoop has a crack running along its base, so with a knife you could dig it out.”

“Where would you have gotten a knife?” He demanded.

The woman chuckled. “What do you think I did, cut the umbilical cords with my teeth? I kept a small blade in my apron, though I didn’t think to grab it when I was attacked. I doubt it would have helped me if I had.”

“Very true.” James grabbed his hat and coat, walking purposely towards the door. “Then let us see what we can do for you, and making the home more comfortable for a lady.” He smiled as he tapped his oar while holding the door open for her. “After you, An…”

His sudden stop caused her to pause in walking past. She gasped as she realized he was looking at her bosom. “James! I realize the dream was very… intimate and I didn’t object to… well… that intimacy, but still!”

“Anne… look…” He pointed at her chest no less.

“Yes, I’m quite familiar with my breasts, thank you.”

“The pendant!” he said, pointing more insistently. Sighing, Anne looked down and jerked in surprise.

The pendant he had given her, in the dream, hung around her neck, the flower and glass pendant resting between the swell of her breasts. “How in the world…”

“Apparently you’re clothing is based on your desires.” James said, and then blushed. “I mean… Not... Desires… exactly…”

“No… I see what you mean.” Anne closed her eyes, concentrating with the focus she’d learned at her mother’s knee. Holding out her hand she smiled as she felt a weight, the first weight she’d felt in days, settle into her hand. James’s startled cry caused her smile to widen, and she opened her eyes.

“There we are. Now I’m properly dressed for the first time in too long!” Anne declared, placing her flowered hat upon her head and winking at James. “Now come along, off to Whitechapel with us.”

She giggled as she heard him rush to catch up as she breezed over to his bicycle.