The Delinquent Bride

by Carole Archer

  * * *

  A short time later, when Shelley, Clara, and Henry had started a game of ‘I Spy’ with Jessica, a crew member approached. “Can you follow me, please?”

  He led them to a cabin, which Shelley instantly noticed was nowhere near as grand as the suite Henry had stayed in on the Titanic. She silently berated herself for being such a snob. At least it would give them some privacy. As none of them had slept properly for over 36 hours, she acknowledged that warm beds would be very much welcome.

  The cabin crew member excused himself and left them to explore their new accommodation. It was not as spacious as Henry’s suite aboard the Titanic, though it comprised four rooms—a small living area, a small bathroom, and two bedrooms. The main bedroom with a double bed was naturally claimed by Henry. The second bedroom contained two single beds, which Henry said Shelley and Clara should take. “Jessica can share my bed,” he suggested. “It’s only for a few days.”

  The little girl immediately clung to Clara. “No,” she squealed. “Me sleep with Clara!” Henry immediately nodded and agreed, as he kissed his daughter on the cheek. “Whatever makes you happy,” he smiled, ruffling the youngster’s hair.

  Shelley watched Jessica cling tightly to Clara, and she guessed the little girl was worried about her nanny. After seeing Clara fall and hit her head, she supposed Jessica wanted to stay close to her in case she hurt herself again.

  Shelley was relieved to see that some fresh clothing had also been provided. Although their own clothes had dried out and they had been given blankets to help them keep warm, she felt dirty. The strong smell of sea salt on her clothing also conjured up memories she would rather forget.

  Henry returned to his own room and the three girls changed into clean clothes. The clothing was very drab, but at least it smelled fresh and kept them warm.

  When they left their room and headed into the sitting room, Shelley was stunned to see Henry in such a dull brown suit, in total contrast to the fashionable and expensive suits he normally wore. She noticed his cheery smile had also faded, and she sighed deeply as she wondered if any of them would ever be the same again.

  Shelley walked over to Henry and wrapped her arms around him. She shut her eyes as he sat down and pulled her onto his lap, where he held her close. “It’s OK, everything will be fine. I’ll take care of you,” he promised.

  When Henry planted a kiss on top of her head, she shuddered and clung tightly to him.

  “Shelley,” he said quietly. “When we were on the Titanic, just before…” Shelley sat up instantly and looked into his eyes, which glazed over as his voice trailed off. “Yes,” she whispered. Taking a deep breath, she tried to prepare herself for his questioning.

  Henry looked at her and forced a smile. “You wanted to talk to me. You had something important to say.”

  Shelley swallowed hard and glanced towards Clara. She knew that had she been able to continue her conversation with Henry, she would have told him everything. Now she was unsure how much she actually wanted to admit to. She felt that now she needed a fresh start more than ever, and she truly believed New York would be the best place to put all the bad things that had happened behind her.

  She recalled how she had initially felt guilty about running away from home, but the more she thought about it, the more she believed her parents had given her no choice, and they too must shoulder some of the blame.

  “What is it?” Henry urged, his brow furrowing.

  Shelley looked at him and tried her best to smile. “I just wanted to thank you for the kind job offer, and to accept it,” she said quietly. “That’s all it was.”

  Henry nodded and his huge smile once more returned. Shelley instinctively leaned forward and kissed him softly on the lips. She blushed when he raised his eyebrows in response. Gazing into his deep brown eyes, Shelley wondered briefly if she would have found the duke so handsome.

  Shelley was startled when Jessica suddenly squealed and clambered onto them, hugging her daddy and grinning at Shelley. “Shelley kissed Daddy,” Jessica giggled.

  Feeling suddenly embarrassed, Shelley awkwardly got up from his lap and walked into her bedroom, where she slumped face down on her bed, berating herself for kissing her boss.

  Seconds later Shelley heard the door open and close behind her. She hoped Henry was not about to scold her for inappropriate behaviour. Opening her eyes, she rolled onto her side and looked up, mentally preparing herself for a dressing-down. Her face relaxed into a smile as Clara sat beside her.

  “Are you not going home?” Clara asked.

  Shelley shook her head. “There’s no point. They’ll have either disowned me, or they’ll simply try to marry me off to some other man of their choosing,” Shelley said bitterly. “Nothing will have changed.”

  She looked up at Clara and was surprised to see her grinning.

  “What?” she asked.

  Clara’s smile grew bigger. “I’m sure you wouldn’t object if they arranged for you to marry Mr Kendall,” she teased. Shelley felt a flush rise instantly up her neck and into her face.

  “Don’t be so ridiculous. He’s our boss. I don’t think of him in that way,” she insisted, but despite her protests Shelley felt the blush in her cheeks deepen. “And even if I did, he wouldn’t be interested in a lowly servant girl,” she added sadly.

  Clara sighed and reached out to brush Shelley’s hair away from her face. “That may be so, but don’t forget you’re not a lowly servant, are you?”

  Before Shelley could respond, Jessica charged into the room and bounced onto the bed. “Tag, you’re it,” she shrieked excitedly, poking Shelley in the ribs. Jessica jumped off the bed and ran towards the door, as Shelley sat up and laughed. Jessica stopped in the doorway and pouted, with her hands on her hips. “Come on, you have to chase me,” she shouted, her little face screwed up as she scowled at Shelley. Jessica squealed with excitement when Shelley leapt off the bed and ran after her into the lounge, where she quickly tagged her back.

  The game continued for a few minutes, with all four laughing as they attempted to chase each other around the small living area. When Clara tagged Henry, he slumped down on the sofa. “No more,” he panted. “I’m exhausted.”

  Clara dropped down onto the other end of the sofa, Jessica clambered onto her lap, and Shelley flopped into the seat between Henry and Clara. A few minutes later, Shelley noticed that Clara and Jessica had fallen asleep. She turned her head and looked up at Henry. When he suddenly moved closer to her, and his lips unexpectedly pressed against hers, Shelley thought she must have fallen asleep too and was in the middle of a very pleasant dream. If this was a dream, she did not want to wake up ever again. Reluctantly opening her eyes, she was stunned when Henry grinned at her. “Tag, you’re it,” he laughed.

  Shelley shook her head and grinned back at him. “You’re a cheat,” she declared, as she got up from the sofa and slapped his thigh before she ran across the room. “And tag, you’re it,” she laughed.

  She headed quickly towards the bathroom, but as she grasped the door handle she was surprised to feel a sharp smack on her bottom. She spun around and came face to face with Henry. He was standing right behind her, a grin of pure delight on his face. Shelley instinctively reached back and rubbed her smarting bottom. She swallowed anxiously as she looked into his eyes and wondered if he might kiss her again. When he made no move towards her, she sighed and guessed maybe the kiss had just been part of their game.

  Shelley’s heart was beating fast, her gaze locked on Henry’s. As she wondered if she dared to try and move in for a kiss, Jessica woke up and shouted for her daddy. He immediately turned away and went to his daughter, and Shelley quickly returned to her room. She blinked back tears and berated herself for foolishly believing that Henry might be interested in her.

  * * *

  A short time later, as Shelley lay face down on her bed, she heard her bedroom door open. Footsteps moved across the room and her bed shifted as someone sat down beside her
and put a comforting hand on her back.

  “Oh, Clara,” she sighed, rolling over to tell her friend about Henry’s kiss. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as she gazed up at Henry. Instinctively, she threw her arms around him, trying to hide the tears that leaked from her red eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

  “Let’s go and get something to eat,” he suggested, as he rocked her in his arms and gently rubbed the small of her back.

  Shelley nodded, grateful when he got up and left the room. She immediately dried her eyes. If he had asked what was wrong, she would have told him she had had a nightmare about the sinking ship. That would be more understandable than the truth, that she was dismayed he had not kissed her again. The man would think she was a fool, she thought, as she angrily rubbed at her sore eyes.

  Henry’s welcoming smile greeted Shelley when she walked into the living area of their cabin. He immediately lifted Jessica into his arms and strode out of the room. At least he hadn’t commented on her red eyes, she thought with relief.

  Shelley and Clara trailed behind Henry to the dining room, and on the way Clara grasped Shelley’s hand. “What’s wrong? Why have you been crying?”

  Shelley smiled as she recalled her mother frequently complaining that men were fools; if things weren’t pointed out to them, they didn’t notice anything.

  Shelley stopped and turned to Clara. “I’m OK, I’m just being foolish. Henry kissed me,” she told her, unable to keep the grin from her face. Clara’s mouth dropped open and her eyes lit up.

  Shelley’s smile quickly faded and she sighed. “It didn’t mean anything to him. That’s why I got upset. My heart was racing when he pressed his lips against mine, but it was too quickly over and I realise it meant nothing to him. It was just part of that stupid game of ‘tag,’” she sighed ruefully.

  Shelley glanced ahead when Jessica yelled, “Hurry up.” She saw Henry had stopped at the end of the corridor and was waiting patiently for them, though Jessica had less patience and was clearly eager to be fed.

  With a sigh, Shelley linked her arm through Clara’s. “Come on, let’s not keep them waiting. I’m pretty certain his kiss was only part of the game,” she pouted. Clara smiled sympathetically as they made their way to the end of the corridor and followed Henry and Jessica towards a table.

  * * *

  Later that night, Shelley had real trouble getting off to sleep. Although she had made the decision not to return to England, and she believed it was the right choice for herself, her conscience kept her awake as she thought about her parents. She wished she could talk to them and find out how they were feeling.

  Shelley got out of bed and walked through to the living area, where she paced restlessly. Clara was sound asleep, and Jessica was sleeping in her arms. Shelley finally wandered across to Henry’s bedroom door. She wondered if she dared to go in, and after building up enough courage, she gently tapped on the door and tentatively pushed it open. He was sleeping soundly too, lying on his side, facing the door. Closing the door quietly behind her, Shelley cautiously approached the bed. With trembling hands, she carefully pulled back the covers, sat down, and swung her legs up and under the blanket. Her heart beating fast, she leaned forward and daringly kissed Henry softly on the lips. Wrapping her arms around him, she smiled when his arms immediately closed around her and held her close to his warm body.

  She watched him sleep, thinking how handsome he was, and she leaned forward and again kissed his lips softly. His mouth twitched in response and she idly wondered how it would feel to be properly kissed by a man. His breath was warm on her face and she could smell a mixture of coffee, cigars, and brandy. She rested her lips against his and longed to deepen the kiss, to taste him, but she reluctantly retreated. She had no desire to wake him as she was certain she would be in trouble. As she ran her fingers through his hair, he stirred in his sleep and mumbled, and he pulled her closer to him.

  Eventually Shelley could force her tired eyes to stay open no longer. Her fluttering eyelids finally stilled and she slowly drifted off into a very peaceful sleep, feeling safe and loved in Henry’s strong arms.

  * * *

  “Shelley! What on earth…” Shelley jumped up and was initially shocked to see Henry in bed beside her, but her mind quickly backtracked and her cheeks flushed as she recalled sneaking into his room during the night.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispered. She immediately lowered her eyes and anxiously chewed her bottom lip. “I couldn’t sleep. I had nightmares and I was scared,” she fibbed.

  Henry’s face changed from shock and irritation to compassion. He quickly got out of bed, put on a dull grey robe, and walked around to the other side of the bed. He pulled Shelley up into a sitting position, wrapped his arms around her, kissed the top of her head, and rocked her gently. “Shhh, everything’s going to be fine,” he soothed. “You’re safe here with me.”

  Shelley clung to him, closed her eyes, and breathed his scent in. When he eventually released his grip on her, she gazed up into his eyes. She yearned for him to kiss her again and she felt her heart beat quicken when he leaned down and pressed his lips softly against her cheek.

  At that moment the door burst open and Jessica squealed with delight. “Daddy’s kissing Shelley, Daddy’s kissing Shelley,” she chorused, before running out of the room to tell Clara. Henry smiled and shook his head. He released Shelley and followed his daughter into the living area. Shelley scurried behind him and smiled brightly when he lifted Jessica into the air and held her up above his outstretched arms, before he lowered her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. The little girl looked across at Shelley and grinned. “You kissed Daddy,” she giggled.

  Shelley shook her head and smiled, her cheeks flushed.

  “Daddy was only giving Shelley a cuddle because she was sad,” Henry explained. “I gave her a little kiss on the cheek to make her feel better.” Shelley smiled. The kiss had certainly made her feel better, but not for the reasons Henry thought.

  Jessica shook her head frantically. “Noooooooooo, Daddy did this.” The little girl pouted her lips and pressed them against Henry’s mouth. Shelley giggled as Jessica held her breath and stayed in that position, totally motionless, for about ten seconds before moving away and smacking her lips loudly. Shelley wished that Henry had kissed her like that, and was amused by the little girl’s over-exaggeration of the sadly innocent kiss she had witnessed.

  Henry laughed and shook his head. He lowered Jessica to the floor, and the youngster immediately ran to Clara and climbed up onto her lap. “Daddy kissed Shelley,” she squealed again, before she turned and looked towards Shelley and grinned. She then turned back to Clara and said, “I like Shelley. Shelley’s nice.”

  Shelley beamed at Jessica’s words, and her smile grew when Henry nodded in agreement, put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. This led to delighted squeals from Jessica, who ran across and hugged their legs.

  Seconds later Jessica ran back to Clara and asked her to play, her interest in Henry and Shelley now gone. Shelley glanced up at Henry and wished that she could lose interest in her boss so easily. She sighed as he leaned forward and brushed his lips gently against hers, before stepping away from her and returning to his bedroom. She wished he would stop giving off mixed signals. She would rather he ignored her than gave her false hope.

  Pouting, she went to lie down on her own bed, where she closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around her body, and imagined she was still in Henry’s bed. One day, she hoped, my dreams of a knight in shining armour really might come true. It would be nice to prove to Dexter that a happy-ever-after was not just the end result of a child’s fairy tale, and that they do sometimes happen in real life.

  * * *

  After another long day at sea, Shelley yearned to set foot on dry land. She had started to become a little tetchy and Henry took her hand and led her out of the cabin.

  “I think you need a bit of fresh air,” he suggested. “You’ve been spending too long cooped u
p in this room. Let’s go for a walk.” Shelley agreed, pleased to get out of the cabin for a reason other than meals.

  After walking in silence for a few minutes, they sat down on a bench and Henry pulled Shelley down beside him.

  Shelley closed her eyes and inhaled the sea air. The cool breeze chilled her skin as she listened to the seagulls circling overhead. She took a deep breath and relaxed slightly, the tension releasing from her shoulders.

  After a few minutes of quiet contemplation, Shelley opened her eyes and looked at Henry. She smiled and listened attentively as he held her hand and talked at length about his home and his work.

  “I love having you around. I want you to know there will always be a job for you in my home, for as long as you want it,” he told her, tucking a stray hair behind her ear and gently stroking her cheek.

  Shelley smiled appreciatively, but hoped there might be more on offer eventually. For now, she accepted that would have to be enough and she squeezed his hand.

  Shelley’s thoughts were interrupted when Henry quickly stood up, helped her to her feet, and kissed her nose gently. Her cheeks flushed and she grinned in response to his affectionate gesture.

  “Let’s get back. It’s late,” he said, putting his arm around her waist and walking her back to their room. Shelley grinned all the way, very much looking forward to reaching New York. She wondered if once Henry was back in his own home, he might see her in a different light, though she was almost certain he was interested in her. She noticed that he looked at her in an entirely different way than he did Clara, towards whom he seemed to be very fatherly.

  When they reached the door to their cabin, Henry suddenly stopped and turned to face Shelley. She jumped as he startled her out of her daydreams.