Viridis - A Steampunk Romance
alone. Not tonight.” She just
wanted to sleep with his arms around her.
    “Come then.” As if understanding her every need, he
removed only the binding and voluminous outer layers of her
clothing, then laid her on his bed, curled her up against him, and
sent her off to sleep wrapped in his embrace.
    ***
    Phoebe awoke in Seth’s house, in Seth’s bed and in
Seth’s arms. She was furious with herself for once again giving in
to her weaknesses, giving into the fear of being alone, instead of
gathering her resolve and independence and going home.
    Despite the fact that Seth had done nothing but hold
her in his arms, she still shouldn’t have spent the night, if for
no other reason than to establish some boundaries and set a pace to
their relationship. It felt too much like they were picking up
where they had left off, his year’s absence erased in a kiss and
warm embrace. She cursed herself in frustration, and while she was
at it, cursed him too, for he was the only man she had never been
able to resist.
    Needing some distance, Phoebe began gathering her
clothing. “I should be going. I want to go to the shelter to see if
they know of Lily’s whereabouts before heading to Viridis. I’m sure
you have business that needs tending to, having only just got
back.”
    “I have nothing that cannot wait. Let me escort you
to the shelter, Phoebe. It’s a dangerous neighborhood even for
those that live there and have nothing but the clothes on their
back.” He came towards her, frowning and finishing the buttons on
his shirt.
    “I’ll be fine. There’s no need for you to worry.”
She waved away his concerns.
    He shook his head in frustration, looking at her in
disbelief. “You cannot go alone, Phoebe. You’re being foolish.”
    She met his glare with her own. “If I choose to go,
with or without you, it’s no one’s decision but my own. You’re not
my father or husband, Seth Elliot, and even if you were, it would
make no difference. I’ve been conducting business in that
neighborhood for months, and I have no intentions of stopping.
There are far too many women that have their every movement
dictated by the men in their lives, and I refuse to add to their
ranks.”
    “Do you think me just another ignorant man, too
scared to admit women are just as capable as men? Is that what you
really think?” Seth paced the room, stopping in front of the fire.
“Am I being so unreasonable to want to accompany you when there’s
been a man murdered and a girl’s gone missing—all with connections
to your club?”
    Finally, she said, with no heat or edge to her
voice, “No, you’re not being unreasonable.”
    “Just promise me you’ll not go there alone. If
you’re still going to look for Lilly, then at the very least have
Gabriel accompany you.” Tucking his shirt into his pants, he said,
“Get dressed, and I’ll call you a coach.”
    “Seth…” She went to his side and reached out to take
his hand. But he took a step back, his body rigid, and she knew
she’d pushed him too far.
    “What is it that you want, Phoebe?” he asked, his
voice tired, exasperated. “Tell me, and I’ll do all in my power to
make it right. I know I wronged you by leaving, and I understand
you’re hurt, but if you cannot accept my apology and amends, than
I’m afraid this cannot continue. I love you too much to have our
love die a slow death at the hands of distrust and wariness. You
once loved me, Phoebe. Do you still?”
    “Yes, I do.” The words were out of her mouth before
she had given them any thought.
    “And do you trust me?” His eyes pinned her to the
spot. Her world spun frantically as she searched her heart for the
answer.
    He saw her uncertainty and it was answer enough. He
turned to go.
    “Yes. I do trust you.” She reached for him again,
and when he turned to face her, she saw that he didn’t believe her;
he thought her answer was an act of desperation.
    “Do you really, my love?”

Chapter Eleven
     
    William

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