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hardblazesong · 7 years

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Noir Nocturne Part 1 Chapter 18 I’ve Got a Feeling I’m Falling

(For Widdy: better late than never my dear.)

Dougal saw Claire motion to him from the doorway to the den. “Your pardon Lass, thank ye for the instruction about the baseball.” He smiled down at Lilly, threw a frown at Angus to stop him from doing anything he shouldn’t, and stepped out to the entryway.

“Dougal, would you follow me upstairs a moment? I have some things I need to give you” she said when he reached her side.

He bit the inside of his cheek instead of saying something inappropriate to her. It was a close call. “Aye, lead on.”

Jamie met them coming down the staircase. He quickly glanced between them with a slight frown but didn’t say anything. He continued his descent and Dougal heard him enter the den.

“Meet me in the bathroom Dougal.” Clair said from the top of the stairs, and in doing so completely flustered him, as he had been studying her swaying backside.

“Erm…” he began, he couldn’t help himself.

“I just want to make sure you know how the shower works, and give you your items for use in here. You have your towel in your pack, but I have all the other items. Do try not to glower at me so all the time. I’m doing the best I can.”

“We all are” he said gruffly, stepping into the third-floor bathroom and taking note of all the different fixtures again, while he waited. He hadn’t realized he’d been frowning at her. He hadn’t meant to.

“I know, and I’m truly thankful that you and the others are trying as hard as you are.” She handed over the items and pointed out where to hang the towel and small cloth, put the razor and toothbrush, and stepped over to the separate glass enclosed shower. “The taps in here, and on the bathtub, should work as the sink did earlier. But be careful, test the water before you step in it so you don’t skald yourself. Please show Angus and Murtagh and give them their things as well. You will have to be cleaning up after yourselves here. I am not going to do it, although I will help with the laundry until you get the hang of it. Women in these times are very different from what you are used to you know.”

He laughed at that, a short sharp ha. “I dinna think they can be all that different Claire, but I ken ye are no our servant.” He tried out a grin, to see if she would smile, but she sighed instead, looking up at him in the close quarters with a face full of skepticism. He was suddenly very aware of how little she had on, again.

“I am glad to hear it. I don’t think you have time to shower before dinner, but please do so after, so that we can all have a turn in here before bed. I should have remembered pajamas, robes and slippers, just put on some of the work clothes after instead. I’ll take care of the other things soon” and with that, she left.

He spent a few minutes arranging things in his room to his satisfaction and thinking over all that had occurred since they found themselves here. He had barely scratched the surface of what he felt about it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Claire entered the den and introduced herself to the others. The one called Betty gave her a looking over but Lilly and Julien merely nodded in her direction. She hoped the men hadn’t said anything that she would have to account for at some point. Jamie was listening to the radio with a perplexed look on his face, but she assumed it was just another reaction to the newness. She was a bit worried that the reality of the situation hadn’t totally hit him yet. He seemed to be handling this transition well, but it was so hard to read him sometimes. He could make his face blandly impassive at will if he didn’t want anyone to know what he was thinking. She knew a reckoning must come, but had no idea how or when.

“Come and get it while it’s hot!” Rhea shouted from the dining room and everyone very promptly moved into it. There was another man already seated at the table, near the head, where Rhea was standing, who looked up and smiled.

“Sit down, and start passing. Chuck budge up next to someone else so the lovebirds can sit together near me.” Rhea said, pointing a carving knife at the new man. Claire saw he was an attractive looking, older thirty something, tan, dark brown haired, mustached, wearing tennis whites.

“You know, it’s the most curious thing” she said, studying him intently as she sat down next to him, “and I am sure you hear it all the time, but you look remarkably like Ronald Colman. “

“How extraordinary, my dear Country woman. Curiouser and curiouser I’m sure.” Chuck winked, smiled a very white smile at Claire, nodded at Jamie on her right and looked around the table to the rest of the influx from the den.

“That’s because he is Ronald Colman Pet” an unimpressed Rhea said while passing a platter of roast to Jamie.

He’d been a star of stage and silent pictures, but now he was building a talkie career that would see him become one of the biggest movie stars of the thirties and beyond Claire remembered, as soon as she got over being flustered by this startling revelation. Her hand shook badly when she handed him the platter.

“Alas, it’s true. I am he my dear. Sorry to miss the Charles’ tonight Rhea. I always enjoy Nick’s stories” he said, as he politely ignored Claire’s discomfort.

“Nick Charles? Fancy man, about my age?” Dougal said from the opposite side. “We met him today at the Barbers.”

“Well then you know all the boarders at last. Nick and Nora stop over here when they are in town, keep the double just for them. I just bet Nora would rather be in a fancy hotel, but Nick’s an old friend and he wouldn’t hear of it. Helped me out of a spot a trouble a few years back. Lord love a duck but he’s a funny sort. Wonder how he knew you bunch would be at the Barbershop.” Rhea continued to pass items from a sideboard and then finally sat down. “This new lot are actors like you Chuck. Just got here though so I bent the rules for them. Father McDaniel made me.”

“Oh no, we are nothing like you Mr. Colman, just theater amateurs and vagabonds who happened to have some friends working a film out at Griffith Park. I’m actually a nurse.” Her voice sounded a bit high and squeaky to herself and she felt Jamie lean in closer from her other side, possessively placing his thigh against hers.

“We all have to start somewhere. Call me Chuck, everyone here does. It’s Rhea’s fault, she found out my middle name, and won’t let me forget it.” He laughed and settled into the meal. The others weren’t chatting as they were all too busy eating.

It really was a very good meal. Claire particularly liked the fried green tomatoes. They were new to her but she probably would have liked fried cardboard as hungry as she was. Even sitting next to a movie star couldn’t dim that.

“I just adore Nora Charles, she’s ever so glamorous.” Lilly sighed while studying Jamie from across the table.

“You’d be a glamour puss too with all her money silly child. She thinks she’s made Nick retire, that’ll be the day. Made your favorites for your birthday poppet so save room for pie.” Rhea, obviously fond of the young blonde, passed the food around again. “Well, I can see I’m going to have to stock up the larder a bit with you men shoveling that down as fast as you are. Glad you like it.”

Claire, regaining some of her composure, asked Julien what he did for a living.

“Screenwriter at MGM, so is Betty here. Lilly does hair and makeup over at Warner’s.” Claire thought he might be a bit pompous but basically harmless.

Dinner finished after pie, coffee and a rousing chorus of the birthday song, Dougal rose and headed to the entryway. He signaled to Angus and Murtagh to follow and hopefully he would take her advice, Claire thought.

“Care to join us for a smoke on the porch Fraser?” Julien said before heading out with Colman. Jamie gave a slight shrug to Claire and followed.

“Well, can I help with clearing and the dishes Rhea?” she asked, noting that none of the men had offered.

“No, you sweetie, it’s Betty’s night to help. You’ll be in the rotation soon enough.” Rhea informed her, waved her away with a grin and left for the kitchen.

“Want to sneak out back for a smoke with me?” Lilly asked quietly, startling Claire who had been wondering if she should follow Jamie or check to see if Dougal had taken the men upstairs.

“Alright, but I don’t smoke” she said conspiratorially with a small smile for the young woman.

“Really? Why ever not? Just because the men don’t like it doesn’t mean they get a say, now does it?” Lilly took Claire’s hand and led her to the back porch.

It was cool, shaded and screened in. Several comfy fan backed white wicker chairs with plush floral cushions surrounded a mahogany coffee table that had a glass top, under which were ticket stubs to several movies and playbills from local theaters arranged artfully. Large ferns, spider plants and orchids in brass holders were placed every few feet.

“This is lovely, I hadn’t noticed when I went to the garden earlier.” Claire said, enjoying the oasis sensation. She listened as Lilly rambled on, gossiping about some of the people she worked with at Warner’s Brothers Studio. The meal, the day, the night before and the improbability of her situation were combining to make her feel as if she could sleep for a week, and be glad for it. However, she had plans for Jamie, and that was enough to make her sit up a bit straighter and try to engage with the conversation.

Thirty minutes later she yawned and said “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll take a stroll around the yard Lilly. I have some things I need to take care of before I can finally have a soak in the tub upstairs.” She left before Lilly could object. Maybe a bit rude that, but she needed the stretch of her legs and back it would provide. All the danger, walking, horseback riding, emotional upheaval of the wedding, and amorous adventures of the past week were enough to make her feel positively bruised and stiff.

She took a circuit to the front porch, noting that Dougal had joined them. The men stopped talking as she came up the steps. She must have spent longer on the back porch then she thought because it was obvious that Murtagh, Angus and Dougal had already showered. They all looked slightly abashed and flushed when they saw her, but said nothing.

“Ah, good, you’re all done then. I am longing for that tub. Jamie a word please?” she said after smiling her brightest smile at all the men and heading inside.

“She is lovely James.” Colman said in appreciation.

“Aye, my wife is that.” Jamie said, stopping by the open screen door and smiling in at Claire.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She waited for him at the bottom of the steps. His heart was starting to thump a bit harder and his breathing was speeding up as well. His mouth suddenly felt completely dry and he licked his lips as he crossed to her.

“Time for your shower and my bath. Then, well then, it will be time for bed if you are anywhere near as tired as I am.”

He felt almost shy with her standing there, smiling softly at him. He couldn’t think what to say in response, something that happened to him all too frequently around her. It was as if he were a daftie half the time he was near her.

“Aye, weel, as you say Sassenach. Do ye need me to come up with ye now?” he hoped with every beat of his heart that she did.

“Well, in all honesty, I was hoping you would give me about thirty minutes in the bathroom alone. I just wanted to tell you to go ahead and come in after that. Do be quiet about it however. I don’t think we would get much of a protest out of Rhea if she knew we were in there together, but you never know. Why don’t you grab a newspaper or a book from the den and bring it upstairs to our bedroom after you let the men know we are calling it a night. You probably should tell them they need to go to bed as well. It will be a very early start tomorrow. I need to see Rhea before I head up, but I’ll be in there in about five minutes.”

He tucked her curls behind her ears and bent and kissed her forehead gently. “Thirty-five minutes then mo nighean donn. Ye ken I’ll be counting every second aye?” he felt his mouth quirk upwards when he saw her blush prettily.

“Aye I do.” She grinned back and walked off to find Rhea.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Claire wanted to know if Rhea had some bubble bath and a robe she could borrow. She’d forgotten so many things today, it was a bit infuriating. She found her in her parlor, listening to symphonic music on the radio.

“Oh sure Pet. My bedroom’s on the next floor at the end of the hallway towards the front. Several things at the top of the closet you could probably use. I used to be about your size, shorter of course, no idea why I save ‘em, nostalgia I suppose. Bubble bath and the stuff to clean the tub is already up in your bathroom. See you in the morning bright an early.” Rhea dismissed her with a warm smile.

Claire found a long blue silk robe, patterned with cranes and swallows in an oriental design, along with some rather racy undergarments in the thinnest white satin she had ever seen. They were edged with three inches of very fine lace. There was also a jacket style peignoir set in beige silk, collared and hemmed with rose feathers. Well that out to do nicely, she thought, taking all the items and quickly heading to her bedroom. Thankfully Jamie wasn’t there as she put all but the robe away in a drawer and took up their things for the bathroom.

She’d found candles in the nightstand earlier and had picked several sprigs of fragrant purple lilac clusters from the back garden along with a handful of honeysuckle before dinner in preparation for this precious time alone. She closed the door behind her, put out their towels, a washcloth in the shower, one by the clawfoot bathtub along with a safety razor and extra blade, her shampoo and conditioner. She found the bubble bath on the shelves next to the large shower and lit the three white taper candles, being careful with their placement. She stripped off all her clothes quickly and hung them near the shower to steam a bit there.

Nearly a religious experience taking a long soak and she felt tears spring to her eyes as she filled the tub. The soapy aroma of the bubbles blended with the heady scents of the flowers she laid on the rug next to the tub. They were the most calming things she had smelled in months. The tears fell freely as she unwrapped a fresh bar of Lux soap and carefully placed a toe in the water.

Bliss, was the only word she had. She spent five minutes just soaking with her eyes closed but realized that shaving and washing her hair were going to take up too much time if she wanted to be ready when Jamie finally came in. It amused her to think of what he might say to bare legs and oxters, something she was reasonably sure he had never seen. She hadn’t even taken up shaving until the war, when American Nurses had assured her it was all the rage and she hadn’t really missed it these past months but now that she could, she would.

She washed and conditioned her hair before letting all the water out and refilling the tub, placing the flowers in the water with her but no more bubbles were needed. The candles glowed hazily from near the shower, sink and end of the bathtub and she felt nearly hypnotized by them, the buoyancy, comfort and warmth.

Jamie came in quietly, closing the door behind him. He leaned back against her robe, she’d hung from a copper hook on it, and appeared not to know what to do next.

Claire laughed softly and told him to lock the door by sliding the bolt that was placed just above the handle. She stood up slowly and stepped out of the very warm water.

“Go ahead and undress Jamie. Do you want to shower or take a bath?”

The look on his face was enough to start her pulse racing. He was enchanted with her and the room, but there was a hunger in his eyes that nearly took her breath away. A slow smile spread across his wide full mouth and he stepped across the few feet separating them.

He lifted a finger to her nipple to catch a drop of water suspended there on his nail. He didn’t speak, just began unbuttoning his shirt in a careful manner. She pointed to the water in the bathtub saying, a bit breathlessly, “It’s quite large enough to fit us both you know, but the shower would likely be easier.”

She’d never done this with Frank. It hadn’t even occurred to her to ask it of him. One of the great blessings of carnal life with Jamie was that she had no reason for ever feeling a moment of shame. He would not have understood it if she had, nor would he have let her.

He removed the rest of his clothing while staring at her, letting it all drop to floor, and she took his hand and led him to the shower. Reaching in to turn on the taps, she felt his large hands come to rest on her waist from behind. He took her earlobe in his teeth and murmured lowly.

“You smell lovely mo chridhe, and your hair shines so, all ringlets, verra bonny.” Evidently quite moved if the thickening of his accent were the indicator.

She felt the warmth of him moments before she felt his wide chest press against her back and knew that she had done the right thing having him here by the firmness pressing lower down her spine. She was so happy to share this joy with him, it suffused her with another level of wet heat and she longed to take him deep.

She stepped into the shower and beckoned. “Let me wash your back Husband, while you experience a hot shower for the first time.”

“Tis like a heated waterfall with a water nymph behind me teasin’.” He laughed and turned around to face her, catching both her hands and pulling her into him hard. The water flowed over them both as they kissed with all the pent-up passion of the last twenty-four hours. It was the longest they’d gone yet without satisfying each other.

TO BE CONTINUED

#noir nocturne #Jamie and Claire in the 30s AUOutlanderNoir #outlander au

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