"It's all right. I'm the one who mentioned him. I think you would have liked him," he said, drawing comfort from her touch and turning a warm smile her way. "You're getting good at this," he said, lifting the cup of coffee to indicate what he was referring to. "I know it's not easy, being out here in the jungle."

"I have a good teacher," she complimented him in turn. "It may seem odd, but I am rather enjoying this. It isn't the romantic adventure my father painted exploring as, but I can understand why he loved traveling this way so much. There's a simplicity to it that is simply breathtaking."

"So long as you can live without running water and electricity," he said, those being the chief conveniences that he missed the most, a bed probably next on the list. "I'm sure your father would be proud, El," he assured her, in a quiet, sincere tone of voice. "We're going to find out what happened to him. I promise you that."

Her smile faded gently. "To be frank, Jay, my father was largely indifferent to me," she told him. "I wasn't the son he wanted. But I know we will find out what his fate was, no matter what it turns out to have been. I have faith in you."

"I'm sorry," he told her, once again looking and sounding sympathetic. "I can't imagine ever feeling anything but joy over the birth of a child, whether that child be a son or a daughter," he admitted, though he couldn't speak for anyone else. "I actually rather like the thought of having a daughter someday," he added with a hopeful smile.

And just like that, her smile brightened again, her own hope sparkling in her gaze. "You may have to marry someone to achieve a daughter," she teased gently. "Unless you plan on being utterly scandalous for the rest of your life."

"It is a tempting thought," he admitted with a grin. "Being scandalous, I mean. But then, I might be tempted to marry, were I to meet the right woman," he said, bumping her shoulder with his own, as if to say he was teasing her. He met her gaze and held it for a moment, as if he might read her thoughts, tempted to lean just a little bit closer and tempt fate with a kiss.

She giggled as he teased her in return, swaying just a little with his bump. Her eyes rose to his, her gaze flickering for just a moment to his lips, as tempted as he was to cross that line. She even leaned forward just a little ....and a crash in the undergrowth heralded the passage of some large creature, startling her for a moment.

The noise in the brush startled them both, but instead of pulling away, he instinctively pulled her closer, as if to keep her safe and shield her from whatever it was that had intruded on their privacy. Whatever it was passed by, seemingly uninterested in a couple of large mammals that might be more trouble than they were worth, and Jay suddenly found himself with his arms full of Lady Eleanor Howard.

She gasped as she found herself close in his arms, the sensation very different to the now familiar feeling of falling asleep in his embrace. Despite that closeness at night for the last few days, they did not touch very often during daylight, and this was far more than a simple touch. Her fingers twitched against his collar, eyes wide as she looked into his eyes.

There was really no better time to kiss her than now. After all, they were alone without anyone to interrupt them or remind them about propriety, and he had a feeling she wanted that kiss just as much as he did. He hesitated a moment as he met her gaze, searching her eyes for a sign that might tell him what she was feeling; but then he could feel her trembling, her eyes wide, not with horror but with something else. Wonder, perhaps" Longing" Whatever it was, he knew he only had a moment to decide or the moment would be gone. In that moment, he decided to throw caution to the wind. Cupping her cheek, he lifted her face to his so she couldn't look away, and bent his head to touch his lips to hers, gently, tenderly, and yet with sureness and something more than mere affection.

Eleanor stilled for a heartbeat, amazed and surprised as his lips touched hers, letting out the softest of sounds from deep in her throat before she breathed him in. Then she felt herself respond ....a gentle relaxation of her tension, the softening of her lips, the smooth stroke of her hands over his chest and shoulders with a confidence she never would have imagined in herself. She had never kissed or been kissed before; Jay was so much more than she had ever hoped for.

His arms tightened around her, not enough to crush her, but just enough to pull her against him, knowing she'd feel the heartbeat that was racing in his chest. Though he'd kissed countless women over the years, in that moment, all of them disappeared from his mind, until there was only her. He dared to deepen the kiss, gently probing, never forcing, eager to taste the sweetness that was wholly Eleanor.

Caught up in his arms, in the heady feeling of this kiss and the man sharing it with her, Ellie was swept along, unconsciously opening as he took charge of the tender moment. Her fingers curled into his hair as she whimpered very softly, forgetting ladylike manners in place of merely enjoying this moment, allowing herself to be exactly as she wished.

In that moment, it was as if the past was swept away, and this woman became his future. He'd been aware of an attraction between them, but he'd never dreamed it might come to this or that she might actually have feelings for him. As for himself, his lips spoke volumes more than he could have put into words, wordlessly sharing the yearning in his heart, and the desires of the body.

Ultimately, it was not a wish to stop that ended the kiss, but the smell of burning fish. Their breakfast was suffering the consequences of that moment's distraction. Ellie drew back with a dazed look on her face, turning toward the fire in confusion. "Oh ....oh, dear!"

Jay laughed - perhaps the first real laugh since they'd entered the jungle. It was a light sound, a happy sound, coming from a man who'd seemed far too grim and cheerless at their first meeting. There was apparently more to Captain Marshall than he had let on. "Well, so much for breakfast!" he said, with a grin.

Wrinkling her nose at the burning smell, Eleanor found herself smiling along as Jay laughed, enjoying the sound far more than she might have thought she would. It suited him, to wear a smile and mean it. "Perhaps I can help you catch some more?"

"It will take too long," he said, reluctantly breaking away from her embrace to check on their breakfast and see if he'd be able to salvage any of it. Burned or not, it was still sustenance. "We need to be going if we're to meet the others at the rendezvous point before they give up on us," he pointed out.

"Of course." She nodded, feeling a little ashamed of herself. For a moment, she had forgotten that there were more than just the two of them to consider here in the rainforest. They should manage to reach the rendezvous point today, at which point they would know if they had made good time or not.

"It doesn't change what just happened between us, Ellie," Jay was quick to point out, looking pointedly over at her. "I know it's not much, but you need to eat to keep up your strength. You're going to need it today," he told her, dropping the half-burned fish onto a tin plate and cutting away as much as he could salvage.

"You need to eat as well," she reminded him. Her cheeks colored a little at his first comment. "What did just happen between us" I-I have no experience of this."

He smiled, unwilling to let her off that easily. "You tell me," he said, wanting her to figure it out for herself. She was innocent in so many ways, and yet she was a woman, old enough to understand what was happening between them and what she was feeling inside.

She stared at him, shocked that he was asking her to answer her own question in the first place. She didn't want to voice her hope, afraid that he would reject it entirely, but he left her little choice. "I-I ....I should like it to have been ..." She hesitated, glancing away as she forced the words out. "The beginning of a closeness that might lead to a future together."

"Then we are decided, yes?" She picked her way back to him with a smile, daring to lean close and kiss him boldly before passing toward the packs.

He paused in extinguishing of the fire to smile into her kiss, a little amused at her boldness and in the way she was taking charge. "Yes, dear," he quipped in return, looking equally amused. It was taking all his self control not to lose himself to the more carnal desire of the body, but it wouldn't be long before they arrived in Boa Vista.

Eleanor shot him a wickedly warning glance as she rolled the bedrolls and tarpaulins once again. After a month of hiking through the rainforest, she had become adept at arranging packs neatly, even if no one had yet trusted her to hunt or catch fish.

Once he was finished with the fire, he helped her break camp and pack up the rest of their gear, packs going on their backs once again with him taking the most weight. "Let me check your ankle again," he said, needing to be sure the swelling had gone down and she was ready to travel.

Suppressing the urge to sigh impatiently, Eleanor perched on the fallen log once again, holding out her foot for Jay to inspect her ankle. Her boot was deliberately laced a little looser than usual, to make way for the natural swelling that would take place over the course of the day, but the ankle itself was not swollen at all. The sprain had been very minor; it didn't even hurt anymore.

His touch was gentle, yet firm, as he tested her ankle for swelling and movement, murmuring satisfaction after a moment. It wouldn't take much for her to injure it again, and the jungle was no place for a horse or even a donkey. She was simply have to walk. "Stay close," he said, as he re-laced her boot, knowing she would, but needed to say it.

"Don't run off," she countered impishly, resetting the waist-belt of her pack before she reclaimed her foot from his grasp. Rising to her feet, she offered him a hand up. "Shall we get started, oh illustrious leader?"

He would have given her a hand, if she hadn't beat him to it, but even that amused him. Whatever she thought of herself, in his eyes, she was fiercely independent or at the very least stubborn. His lips twitched in an amused smirk. There might have been a time when he'd taken offense at the way she'd addressed him, but it wasn't today. "I think we shall," he said, rising to his feet, towering over her by at least a head.

"After you."

As much as she may have wanted to linger and explore some of those softer feelings a little more fully, Eleanor knew that the five miles they had to go would be a hard hike for much of the day, covering as it did terrain that sloped upward through dense forest and undergrowth. She was determined not to slow him down, though, and as he had already realized, she was definitely stubborn enough to manage that.

"Tell me if you need help," he said, in a voice that wasn't demanding and yet left no room for argument. "I don't want you struggling," he added, needing her to know he was not trying to be commanding so much as helpful. She had hired him for a reason, after all.

"I won't slow you down," was her only answer to that, impatient to be on their way. "Which way is it, this way?" She glanced at the compass in his hand, and nodded. "This way. Do let me know if I wander off the path, darling." Flashing him a cheeky smile, she set off through the brush ahead of him.

He frowned a little at her reply, but knew better than to contradict her. "I'm right behind you," he assured her, shifting the weight on his back and starting off after her. He would have rather been in the lead, but this way he'd be able to keep an eye on her and he'd stay close enough that he'd still be able to tell her which way to go.

It was a surprisingly calm hike, broken here and there with the need to rest for a few minutes before setting off again. They heard the rest of their party before they saw them, a low chatter of male voices ahead of them that made Eleanor's smile flash into existence once more as she looked to Jay.

Jay shared that smile, amused to see how Alex, in particular, would react to their return. He knew the man would have been worried, and he was glad to have returned Eleanor safe and sound. More than glad, really. He had promised to protect her with his life, and that was a promise he intended to keep.

The cry went up from Connors on look-out as they came into view, the group turning from their various tasks to welcome their leader and employer back into the fold. Alex dropped his pack and rushed to greet them himself, pulling Eleanor into a tight embrace.

"Och, you scared me," he admitted as she laughed at his enthusiasm, drawing back to offer Jay his hand. "It's good to see you both alive."

"It was the mud," Jay was quick to explain. "We slid down an embankment, and she sprained her ankle," he said, as Alex pulled Eleanor into his embrace, clearly relieved to see them. "We had no choice but to wait it out." His face broke into a smile as he took the other man's hand. "She was never in any danger. I assure you," he added.

"No, I knew you'd look after her," Alex assured him. "We didn't know you were so far behind until we heard the scream, but we had our own problems with the slide. Your man, Estevo - he knows his stuff. Had us bedding down in trees for a day to let the ground settle."

Eleanor chuckled. "Now that I would have liked to have seen."

"That's one way of doing it," Jay admitted, still smiling. He said nothing of Estevo's skills. Though the man was a competent guide, the man had abandoned Eleanor's father alone in the wild to fend for himself and had much to make up for. "El, how are you feeling?" he asked, before deciding if they should rest here for the remainder of the day or carry on.

She hesitated, not really wanting to admit to an ache, but knowing it would be truly idiotic not to take the chance to rest up a little longer. "It's throbbing a little," she confessed reluctantly, rolling her eyes above her smile. "I'm sure I could continue on, though."

Alex frowned, glancing between them. "What's your opinion, captain?"

"I don't think another day is going to make much of a difference," Jay replied without hesitation. Of course, it might if Eleanor's father was lost out here somewhere, but it had already been three years with no word. Another day or two wasn't going to make much difference either way. He didn't bother to point out that they both needed to eat and rest and regain their stamina. One day of rest was going to have to do. He also made no secret of the fact that they were on a first name basis now, but he didn't flaunt the fact either.

"We'll get on with setting up camp then," Connors said with a nod, turning to yell to the others to keep it up. Alex was eyeing Jay and Eleanor curiously as the young woman turned to the captain.

"We've lost a few days," she said in concern. "Will this affect our supplies for the remainder of the journey to Boa Vista?"

"Don't worry. We'll be all right," he assured her, touching her arm to offer a little physical reassurance, almost forgetting Alex, at least, would notice. Yes, something had definitely changed between them, but the goal of their expedition remained the same. He wasn't trying to patronize her, but reassure her. He had been through worse things, after all.

She nodded, covering his hand on her arm with her own for a moment, her gaze far more intimate than it had been just a few days before.

Alex cleared his throat. "Let's get you off that ankle, Ellie," he said a little brusquely. "Daresay the captain will be wanting to check in with his men."

The disappointment on her face was obvious, but she understood the precautions. "Very well," she agreed, looking down into her stew. "I can wait a week for a hot bath. Safety is more important."

Alex frowned at her, unused to his friend just accepting such precautions without arguing.

"Have you been to the hot springs yet?" Jay asked. He'd been preoccupied with checking in with his men and making sure camp was secure to keep tabs on her. He entrusted Alex to do that for him.

She shook her head. "No, apparently I had to have my ankle checked by the medic, my pack taken away, my clothing washed, and I simply must eat before I do anything else," she told him in amusement. She couldn't help finding the way the men were so concerned for her comfort funny. "If there is a concern for my safety, Jay, I won't go to the hot spring."

"I think you'll be all right so long as you go in the daylight. I intend to go myself before dark," Jay told her. "But I don't think you should go alone," he added, assuming she'd trust Alex to go escort her. "We can hang a tarp to ensure your privacy," he assured her.

"If you're intending to go, why shouldn't she go along with you?" Alex asked, assuming himself that Eleanor was in safe hands with the captain. The woman in question blushed, her lips twitching as her eyes flickered toward Jay.

"Because ..." Jay trailed off. The reasons were obvious enough, but he couldn't argue with the fact that, out here in the jungle, she was probably safer in his company than in anyone else's, Alex included. "Have you told him yet?" he said, turning his attention back to Eleanor, the matter of an engagement hanging between them.

"Not yet, no," she admitted. "We didn't exactly discuss whether or not it was something we would be sharing before the deed was done." Her smile was warm, though, a clear sign that she felt no shame in sharing their decision.

The fact that he'd asked if she'd shared the news yet was enough evidence that he, too, wasn't ashamed to share it, if only with Alex. "I think he has a right to know," Jay said, clearly referring to Alex, even though the man was standing right there.

"You're going to have to tell him now, or he'll never let it drop," Alex added, glancing between them with rising mirth.

Eleanor laughed softly, holding Jay's gaze a moment longer before looking to her best friend. "Alex, Jay and I ....we're engaged to be married," she told him simply, and was treated to the sight of the normally garrulous Scot open-mouthed and wide-eyed.

As serious as their intentions were, Jay couldn't help but chuckle at the expression on the Scotman's face. "You might want to close your mouth before you catch any flies," he told the other man, his own eyes bright with mirth. "You're not jealous, are you?" he asked, though he doubted it, given the fact that Eleanor thought of the man as a brother, not a suitor.

"You're serious, aren't you?" Alex demanded, apparently utterly astonished by the calm little announcement that had been dropped in his lap.

Eleanor nodded, smiling a little shyly. "We are hoping to be married in Boa Vista," she told her friend.

Alex snorted with laughter, rolling his eyes. "Aye, well, you've never been one to let the grass grow under you." He turned his eyes to Jay. "Jealous" You want the wee hellion, she's all yours."

Jay chuckled again at Alex's reaction to his question. It wasn't the man's reaction that worried him so much as her cousin's, but if they played their cards right, there wasn't much he'd be able to do about it. "We're planning a trip to Paris," he added, though it wasn't exactly a honeymoon. "We'd like you to come with us."

"Paris" To see your grandmother at last?" the Scot asked Eleanor.

She bit her lip, glancing at Jay. "Perhaps," she said a little awkwardly. "Jay's sister lives in Paris. That would be the main reason for our visit there."

"You have a grandmother in Paris?" Jay asked, with an arched brow. It was clearly the first time he was hearing about this. He had just about finished his stew, but was eagerly awaiting an answer before contemplating another bowl.

"My mother's mother," Eleanor told him, setting her own empty bowl aside. "Her husband disowned my mother when she married my father, but she reinstated my mother in his will when he was dying. I've never met the woman."

"Do you want to?" Jay asked, getting up finally to refill his bowl. After all, they'd been subsisting on tinned stew for four days, and while he wasn't overly fond of otter stew, he couldn't afford to be picky. He gestured silently toward her bowl, as if asking if she wanted a refill, as well.

She set her hand over the empty bowl with a shake of her head; one bowl was enough for her. "To be frank, I don't know," she admitted thoughtfully. "She made it possible for my mother to be able to leave me the better part of my fortune, yet she did not come to the funeral nor send any condolences. She has never acknowledged that I exist. I am not sure that I should acknowledge her."

"Let me put it another way," Jay started, scooping stew into his bowl before retaking his seat, which, like theirs, was little more than a log cut from a nearby tree. "Do you think you'd have any regrets if you didn't at least try?"

Her eyes narrowed at him. "I hate it when you do that," she informed Jay, in a very bad impression of irritation that was clearly feigned.

Beside her, Alex snorted with laughter, letting Jay field his friend's personality for the time being.

It was a little amusing, considering they'd only known each other a short time, but Jay didn't seem to mind. "Do what?" he asked, feigning innocence, at least as much as he was able. He was well aware of the fact they he'd turn the question back around on her, and he didn't seem to mind that he had. This was a decision she had to make for herself, and he didn't want her to live with any regrets.

"You know perfectly well what you've done," she informed him, rolling her eyes as she smiled. "Making me rethink my prejudices in a rational manner. I'm not supposed to think, I'm just supposed to look pretty and have babies, remember."

"Nonsense," Jay said, dismissing that thinking with a single word. "If that were the case, I wouldn't have agreed to bring you along. Or have you forgotten how you manipulated your way into accompanying us?" he asked, hiding the smirk on his face behind a spoonful of stew.

"I don't believe I manipulated you at all," Eleanor countered confidently. "As I recall, I simply refused to even consider being left behind, and you had to give in or lose your dignity early on."

Jay chuckled again. "I was hardly at risk of losing my dignity," he pointed out. "You're here because I agreed to let you be here, and I agreed to let you be here because it's your father we're looking for," he said, proving his own claim of manipulation false. "But ....you tried to manipulate me," he said, waggling his spoon at her.

"I did nothing of the sort!" she defended herself laughingly, turning to Alex for a little support.

He shook his head, grinning. "I'm not touching this argument," he informed them both. "But you're definitely going to the hot spring together."

"She being Eliza?" Eleanor asked curiously. "I cannot truly imagine what it must be like to be so independent as to live and work in a country not your own. She must be a wonderful woman to know."

Jay laughed at his own mistake. "Eliza, yes. Sorry. She is always talking about how women and men should be equal," he said, though he didn't add what his own opinion was on the subject.

"Would it shock you to know that I think she is right?" Eleanor asked him, delicately stepping over a fallen branch carpeted with moss.

"Not really, no," he replied, having come to know her pretty well since her fateful arrival in Georgetown. "Would it shock you to know that I agree" At least, to a point."

"No, I don't believe it would," she agreed. "To a point, yes. Women should have the same employment opportunities, the same political influence as men. But ....I do not think women should be conscripted into the army, or other such pursuits."

"Eliza argues that women are as strong as men; after all, they bear children and give birth. But I don't think it's a question of strength so much as intelligence. I do believe women should be cherished and protected though. I don't like the idea of them being in harm's way," he confessed, for better or for worse. There wasn't much she could do to convince him otherwise.

"I believe the opportunity for equality is more important than enforced equality," Eleanor mused as they passed beneath the trees. "There will always be some who would rather keep house and raise a family than have a career."

"And which are you?" he asked, turning the conversation back around, curious where she saw her own place as a modern woman.

"I ....do not yet know," she admitted easily enough. "I have never trained for a career, nor had to work a job. But neither have I ever had to cook a meal or clean a room. I am all but useless, in truth."

"I sincerely doubt that," he said, though he also knew that as a woman of some means, she'd never had to think too hard about work or career. "But what about children?" he asked further, as they came out into a small clearing, which opened upon an emerald pool of crystal clear water.

Clear water, certainly, but almost obscured by a layer of steam that hung over it. "Children?" Eleanor seemed surprised to be asked. "I would assume that we will have children. Unless you would rather not?"

"Of course I want children," Jay was quick to point out. "I only mentioned it because you said some women would prefer it to a career," he explained, still curious what she would prefer.

She paused, setting her little bundle down before sitting to unlace her boots. "Jay, I truly don't know which I would prefer," she told him gently. "I have never had a job, but neither have I ever raised children. I believe I would prefer to be a wife and mother, but perhaps I would also like to assist you in your work." She shrugged. "All I have ever really done is amuse myself."

"Why can't a woman have both a career and children?" he asked, his eyes following her movement as he set his own bundle down. It might seem like a radical idea to some, but these were changing times.

"By that logic, why can't a man keep house and raise the children while his wife works?" she countered, turning the question around onto him as she pulled her boots off her feet.

"I, uh ..." Jay stammered, brows furrowing in thought. "I suppose he could, if he knew how," he said, clearly not having expected that question. It was not something he'd ever considered before - not since he was a small child anyway. "I don't think my father knew what to do with us after my mother died."

"I have to ask ....what makes you think that a woman would know how to raise children when a man does not?" Eleanor queried with mildly devastating sweetness. She rose onto her bare feet, turning her back to undo her belt and pants.

He was a little lost in thought a moment as he not only considered her question, but the matter of his own childhood. "I don't know," he murmured quietly, obviously distracted by his own thoughts for a moment.

"Then perhaps raising our children is something we should do together," she suggested softly, pulling her shirt loose from the waist of her pants to let the fabric hang to her mid-thigh before bending to remove said pants. "Are you intending to bathe, or just to watch me?"

"Perhaps," he murmured to himself, before blinking out of his thoughts, just realizing that she was in the midst of getting undressed. "Oh!" he exclaimed, taking her in before quickly averting his gaze. "Do you want me to put up a tarp?" he hastily asked.

Despite the flush in her cheeks, she managed to turn and meet his eyes boldly. "Is it entirely necessary?" she asked him. "That water is crystal clear. We will both see everything even if we do change behind a screen."

"Not if we take turns," he pointed out. Or if they kept their underthings on, though that sort of defeated the process of bathing. "Go on," he said with a nod of his head. "I won't peek. Promise!" he added, turning his back to give her some semblance of privacy.

Perhaps Alex did know his best friend better than she wanted to believe, because Eleanor did not immediately latch onto this as a good idea. Instead, she hesitated, chewing on her lower lip, and quietly approached Jay's back, arms stealing about his waist from behind. "What if I told you that I want you to peek?" she whispered into his ear.

Jay wasn't the kind of man who was easily taken by surprise, but the last thing he was expecting was her arms around his waist and a whisper in his ear. "I promised Alex I wouldn't take advantage," he replied, remaining where he was, with his back to her, though his hands were quick to find hers.

"How is it taking advantage if I'm giving you permission?" she murmured gently, pressing herself to his back. She wasn't suggesting they consummate anything; just that they could share a pool to bathe in without shame.

"Permission to do what?" he asked, though it seemed she was proposing looking but not touching. It was a tempting offer, but one that would likely lead to further temptations. "What if you don't like what you see?" he asked further, though his tone of voice told her he wasn't as much serious as he was nervous. It was a strange feeling for a man who didn't scare easily.

"I could ask the same of you," she answered, her fingers moving gently beneath his on his chest. "But surely the prospect of catching a glimpse of my skin isn't so very dreadful, is it?"

He turned to face her with a soft sigh of breath, taking her hands in his and making sure his gaze never wandered from her face. "No, quite the contrary," he assured her, a soft smile on his face. "But are you sure this is what you want' There will be talk," he warned her, but there was going to be talk anyway. There was no way to avoid it now that they'd spent four days alone together and come back engaged.

"Let them talk," she told him quietly, her smile soft in her eyes. "We will be married within a matter of weeks. Surely the coarse teasing of a few men is nothing when set against that?"

"It's not that, El," he assured her gently, his eyes meeting hers. "It's your reputation ....and your cousin," he admitted, though he didn't think there was much her cousin could do to prevent them from getting married.

"My cousin is in Georgetown, and he cannot do a thing to prevent my marrying whomever I wish to," she reminded him firmly. "And my reputation is neither here nor there."

"I did," she agreed, absently touching the damp fall over her shoulder. "All I can give it is a good rinse, but that should be enough for now." Shy eyes peered over her shoulder toward his face, lingering on the long line of his torso in the process. Her lips twitched, half amused and half-mortified. "You didn't undress."

He looked down at himself, blinking as if almost surprised to find himself only partially undressed. "I undressed as much as I dare," he told her, moving closer so that the water came up a little higher to cover the shorts that he hadn't dared remove. An idea came to mind suddenly - or perhaps, a desire - and he moved a step closer. "Come here."

"Does that mean I am more daring than you, my dear captain?" she asked teasingly, seeming to hide behind this playful side of herself despite the shy warmth on her cheeks. She turned toward him, biting her lower lip, her arms hugging tighter about her chest.

He blinked, having almost forgotten that she was more naked than him and with more to hide, but it was too late now to stop what he'd put in motion - what they'd put in motion. He didn't make any move to pull her arms away from her chest or force her to reveal more than she wished. He only reached out a hand to touch her hair, letting the long chestnut strands run through his fingers.

"I promise it isn't usually this coarse or greasy," she blurted out, embarrassed by the state of her hair after a month with no shampoo. Yes - more embarrassed by how coarse her hair was under his fingers than the fact that she was completely naked in front of him.

"Let me help you wash it," he said, his voice quiet, almost as if he was afraid she'd say no. There was no shampoo or even soap, and yet he wanted nothing more in that moment that to run his fingers through her hair. At least, that was something of her he could touch without worrying about hurting her.

She stared at him for a long moment, surprised and touched that he would even think to offer such a thing, much less actually want to do it. "I-I've been using soap," she admitted, nodding toward the bank where the bar of soap was sitting atop her towel.

"Did you bring a brush?" he asked, glancing in the direction of her nod. He'd never washed a woman's hair before, much less done it in the middle of the jungle.

"There's a comb there, too," she told him, still a little bemused by his apparently sudden fascination with her hair. But then ....had he actually seen it down at all before now, discounting the glimpse of her in her underwear a few days before" Most women never showed their loose hair to anyone but their husbands and fathers, after all.

He'd only caught a quick glimpse of her then, barely dressed and with her hair loose, too worried about intruding on her privacy to take a longer look. But now, he had all the time to look that he wanted, and yet he was focusing on her hair. It was safer for them both to focus on her hair, after all. "When we get to Paris, I'll have Liza take you to a salon," he promised her, as he waded through the water to fetch soap and a comb.

"Am I terribly unfashionable, then?" she asked, her smile audible in her voice as she teased him gently. Her eyes lingered on his back, tracing the movement of muscles under his skin as he moved away from her.

He chuckled a little at her question. "I wouldn't know, but I know Eliza. As soon as she finds out about your trek out here, she's going to want to spoil you," he explained as he rummaged for her comb and soap.

"Perhaps I should spoil her instead," she suggested, snapping her gaze up from a curious contemplation of his covered backside under the clear water before he could catch her staring.

"Perhaps you should," he murmured, his back turned. It hadn't occurred to him that she might be as curious about him as he was about her. He turned back at last, the soap in one hand, a brush in the other, unaware she'd been watching him. "I think it might be easier if we brush it out first," he remarked, frowning as he realized he only had two hands and both of hers were occupied trying to keep herself covered. This wasn't going to work.

The same thing seemed to have occurred to Eleanor, her own face forming a faint frown as she considered their options. "I could come over there," she suggested. "Then everything would be within arm's reach?"

He frowned, unsure if that was a good idea either. It wasn't that he wasn't eager to see for himself what was barely hidden beneath the water, so much as that he was trying to help her maintain some modesty, though he wasn't sure why when she didn't seem to mind. "Stay there," he said, turning back to fetch his shirt from the pile of discarded clothes. It was dirty and sweaty, but she only had to wear it for a little while. "Here," he said, making his way back toward her and offering her his shirt.

She looked confused for a moment, only to comprehend his plan. "Oh, I see." For a moment, she almost reached out to take the shirt, before remembering that her hands were rather busy. "Could you set it on my shoulders?" she asked, turning her back to him hopefully.

"Yes, of course," he said, wading closer so that he could settle his shirt against her bare shoulders, his fingers brushing against her skin. He was tempted to push her hair aside, lean in and brush his lips against her neck, but he resisted the temptation - for now.

She shivered at the touch of his hands against her skin, clearly far from unaffected by his closeness even to such an innocent degree, swallowing hard as she slid her arms into the sleeves and fastened most of the buttons. Where the fabric was wet, it clung to her skin, but thankfully it wasn't wet high enough to make the shirt entirely useless.

He stepped back a little while she fit her arms into his shirt and presumably fastened the buttons. It still wouldn't leave a lot to the imagination, but it might at least give her the semblance of modesty. "I'm afraid it's a bit ripe," he said, apologetically.

She turned to face him, pulling her hair from the collar as she offered him a small smile. "It smells of you," she pointed out. "A little more strongly than you might be comfortable with, but ..." She blushed, glancing down as she rolled the sleeves up. "I happen to like the way you smell."

He couldn't help but smile, seeing that shy blush upon her cheeks, no matter how she might have tried to appear bold and daring. In that moment, he knew he'd made the right decision in offering her his shirt, even if all it did was give the illusion of modesty. "I assure you I smell a lot better after I've had a proper bath," he teased her.

Eleanor giggled, raising her eyes to his once again. "As do I, but this is the best we are going to have at least until we reach Boa Vista, darling," she pointed out in amusement. "You will simply have to put up with my earthier smells for the time being."

He chuckled again, amused by the way she'd phrased that. "If I can put up with a company full of sweaty, pungent men, I am sure I can put up with you," he assured her. "Now ....Can you do me a favor and hold the soap, while I brush out the tangles?" he asked, refocusing his attention on her hair.

"Of course." Taking the soap from his fingers, Eleanor turned her back to Jay once again. She was definitely relaxing out of her mild state of terror now she was covered up again, though she was rather proud of herself for even attempting to be quite that bold. It was not going to happen again, at least not outside private spaces.

Once he had relinquished the soap, he was free to tend to her hair. He moved around behind her, pausing a moment as if he was contemplating a plan, before taking a small handful of hair and very gently easing the brush through to coax out the tangles. "I used to help my sister with her hair sometimes, after our mother died," he explained, which helped explain why he'd volunteered to help with hers.

"I'm not afraid of getting burned," was her soft reply, the flush on her cheeks darkening as she recognised the admiration in his gaze wandering over her body. Then she giggled softly, turning her back to shed the shirt entirely and begin lathering the soap over her skin.

It wasn't just admiration, of course, but desire, too. Still, this was not the time or the place to give in to that temptation. Whatever it was she wanted of him, he was determined to make her his wife before he took her virginity. He snagged the shirt and tossed it over his shoulder before moving closer to reach around her to take the bar of soap from her hands.

She gave up the soap easily, half-turning toward him with curious heat in her eyes. "Am I still playing with fire, darling?" she asked, her innocence almost believable but for the momentary flicker of mischief in her expression.

"I think you are teasing me," he said bluntly, as he lathered the soap up in his hands. "Turn around," he told her, nodding his head at her to turn back around so that her back was to him. He had promised he'd wash her hair, after all.

She giggled again, obediently turning her back to him as she rinsed the soap from her skin. "I would not tease if I did not feel perfectly safe with you," she reminded him impishly.

"I'm just a man, with a man's desires," he told her, not quite a warning so much as a reminder. He had promised to protect her and that he'd never hurt her, and he intended to keep that promise, even if it meant denying his own needs and desires. He didn't particularly like the idea of rubbing soap into her hair, but it was better than nothing, and so he began, as gently as he could.

It would have to do, for now, though it was very likely that she really would make having a bath her first priority when they reached Boa Vista. But right now, waist deep in naturally warm water, she was easily lulled by the gentle passage of his hands through her hair, smiling as she closed her eyes once again. "That's lovely."

"It is, isn't it?" he asked, though he wasn't talking about the bath so much as he was about her. It wasn't easy working the lather through her long hair, but he did the best he could, promising himself he'd do it right when they got to Boa Vista.

"Somehow I doubt you will allow me to return the favor," Eleanor murmured. At least she was aware that her brazenness could only be pushed so far.

"You want to wash my hair?" he asked, with a chuckle. He didn't think that was quite what she meant, but no, he wasn't going to let her return the favor. At least, not yet.

It was a shame he couldn't see her grin, really. It was remarkably wicked for a young woman who really shouldn't have been this shameless. "Among other things."

"You, Lady Howard, are scandalous," he teased, reaching around to hand the soap back to her so that he could rinse her hair. He could hardly miss catching a glimpse of what she'd tried to hide only a short time before, but he didn't leer and his gaze didn't linger.

"Only for your benefit, darling," she promised, flashing him a glimpse of that wicked grin as she took the soap from him once more. "Anyone would think you weren't enjoying this."

"It is a kind of torment, in a way," he admitted. "And you are having far too much fun doing the tormenting," he added, as he scooped water up between his cupped hands and drew it over her head.

"I've never felt so comfortable with someone that I would be inclined to torment them, as you put it," she pointed out, closing her eyes as he poured his handful of water over her hair. "I prefer to think of it as ....creating anticipation."

Jay laughed. "That's a funny way of putting it, but I think I know what you mean," he said, giving up on rinsing her hair with his hands full of water. "You need to rinse your hair," he told her, matter-of-factly. He'd been tempted to dunk her, but that would just be mean.

Eleanor rolled her eyes, handing him the soap. "I'm sure you will enjoy the view as I do so, but do try to remember to wash yourself as well, darling," she teased him affectionately, bending forward to rinse her hair in the water with practiced hands.

"It's teasing is what it is," he told her. He at least had the decency to turn around, but not until he snuck a peek at her backside, which was just as alluring as the front. In fact, it was a good thing he was turning around because he didn't want her to notice the way his body was reacting to the view. Or would she take it as a compliment' He wasn't sure. He took advantage of the moment, at least, to lather himself up - at least, the areas that weren't covered by his shorts.

Eleanor's laughter rang out across the little clearing, but she knew she was definitely pushing her luck here. Just a few minutes later, she was carefully climbing from the pool, reaching for her towel to dry her skin, feeling oddly more exposed now she was no longer standing the crystal clear water. "I promise not to tease you any more, Jay."

"It's alright, darling. I'm sure I'll have plenty of opportunity to pay you back," he said, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he turned away from her again. He tugged his shorts down so that he could clean his private parts, purposely giving her an equally scandalous view of his backside.

And she took the bait, stilling in the drying of her limbs to admire his uncovered rear end with a certain amount of startled lust - she hadn't realized that women could feel that kind of longing just from looking at a man. Indeed, it took a big effort to look away, her head snapping up as she turned her own back and tucked the towel about her chest, hands rising to pin her damp hair up into a modest chignon once again.

He didn't tease her long - only as long as it took for him to wash and for her to turn away. She'd gone alarmingly quiet, and he suddenly wondered if he'd scared her off, but when he was finished, his shorts back in place, and turned back around, she was still there. Well, she had told him to wash himself, too!

He turned in time to watch her slip into her silk knickers and brassiere, and perch against a smooth boulder to begin the process of putting her stockings back on. She looked over at him with oddly shy bold eyes. "I hope we reach Boa Vista in good time," she murmured sweetly.

"Bloody hell," he murmured. "Have you been wearing those all this time?" he asked, as he got a look at the stockings, not to mention her legs along with them.

She glanced down at her legs, and the garter straps hanging down from the belt at her hips. "What else did you expect me to be wearing?" she asked in confusion.

"Socks!" he replied. "Stockings are not very practical in the jungle. It's nothing short of a miracle you don't have a rash," he pointed out as she finished scrubbing his arms and chest. He dunked himself under the water to rinse off, pushing his wet hair back from his face as he emerged.

"I do change my underwear and stockings daily," she said defensively. "And wash them all regularly as well. Silk is hardly as caustic against the skin as wool is."

"Darling, I'll have you know my socks are made of silk and wool," he pointed out, as if that made a difference. Practical and yet mostly comfortable - far more comfortable than the socks they'd worn in the war anyway. "You're welcome to a few pairs, if you like," he said as he waded back toward the shore.

Snapping one garter into place, Eleanor paused, meeting his eyes with an easy smile. "And how would I keep them up?" she asked. It was a pertinent question; she doubted he had a spare pair of knee-garters she could borrow. "I've had no trouble thus far, I do not foresee any trouble because of my stockings. Do you believe them to be uncomfortable?"

He laughed at the absurdity of it all and moved to his feet, but not before brushing a kiss against her hand. "That would probably be advisable."

She giggled, reluctantly slipping her hand from his to turn and collect her fitted pants from their drape over the stone. A little wriggling later, and she was buttoning them easily, bending to pull on and lace her boots. "Will Bailey do it, do you think?"

"Why wouldn't he?" he asked. After all, the man was employed by him - or more accurately, by her, as she was footing the bill for the expedition. "So long as we're doing it for the right reasons," he added. He knew there would be those who thought he was marrying her for her money, but they could just sod off.

"I don't know," she mused, lacing her boots with clumsy fingers. "I've never married anyone before, so I don't know the ins and outs of objections and such."

"I doubt anyone will object but your cousin," Jay pointed out, but by the time they reached Georgetown, it would be too late for the man to do much about it. It was a little ironic in a way, as it was Walter who clearly was interested in her money, not Jay. He dropped to his knee again so that he could help her lace her boots, seeing how she seemed to be having trouble with them, too.

"I'll never learn if you do everything for me, you know," she teased him fondly, drawing back as he took over tying her boots. "But thank you. And try not to worry about Walter. I know how I am going to handle him."

"How's that?" he said, his attention focused momentarily on her boots. If he had his way, he'd have handled her cousin with his fists, but he had a feeling she had something less violent in mind. "By giving him your family's lands in exchange for leaving us alone?" he asked, unsure how he felt about that idea. It felt like she was paying the man off.

"In a manner of speaking." Eleanor smiled gently at him. "The only way for him to get hold of my father's estates is to pay me for them," she told Jay quietly. "Since we are to be married very shortly, that is his only option. I have every intention of asking my uncle to pay for them instead, and letting him handle Walter."

"And what do you think your uncle will say?" he asked, looking up at her from his crouch before moving slowly to his feet. She knew her uncle and cousin better than he did, after all.

"Oh, this isn't his father," she assured Jay with a mischievous look in her eyes. "This is his uncle as well ....the black sheep of the family, purely because he is a successful businessman and far more wealthy than the rest of his brothers ever became."

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?" Jay asked, not necessarily meaning the marriage so much as the sale of her father's lands. These were serious decisions that would affect the rest of her life, and he needed to be sure she was sure, especially where he was concerned.

The mischief faded from her eyes, her expression sharing with him a sadness she had not shown him before now. "All my life, my title, my family's lands, they have been a cage," she told him quietly. "I want to be free. With you."

"All right," he said, his voice soft as he took her hand in his once again, his gaze never leaving hers. "We'll sort it out together," he said, leaning close to brush another kiss against her lips in a silent promise.

She sighed happily into his kiss, glad he accepted her reasoning, her certainty. She would not allow Walter to harass them; indeed, her plan involved sending him off to harass the uncle he and his father had ignored for decades. And that meant that she would be free to find a new home with her new husband, and disappear from the ranks of British aristocracy.

In exchange, she would not only gain a husband, but a sister, and a new life without the confines of society hemming her in - and so would he. Whether the future took them to Paris or America or Australia or back to South America, they'd be forging their new life together.