Sophie

Sophie had never held hands with a man before. She eyed him nervously as they walked. If he noticed her staring at him he didn't let on that he did. Her dress was so heavy it made it difficult to walk. Her skirts clung to her legs and dragged behind her. It was incredibly difficult to walk in them.

Sophie's big toe caught a seam inside the forest field of clothing layers surrounding her legs, causing her to trip and jerk forward. She fell down into the water creating a massive splash in her wake. Thomas tried to hold onto her to keep her from falling. His efforts only took himself down with her.

Thomas landed squarely on top of Sophie submerging her whole body into the river and knocked the wind right out of her. Sophie struggled and fought underneath him to come up for air. Once he extracted himself off of her she came up coughing and spitting out dirty river water. It was the least lady like thing she had ever done, she was just sure of it. She sounded like a beast coughing and hacking but she couldn't stop herself. It was the only way to clear her lungs and breath.

"Oh, Lord Sophie are you okay?" He held onto her elbow, steading her and without a thought she grabbed onto his arm for support while she hacked some more.

"Fine," she struggled to say. "I'm fine," she coughed again.

"Right," he sounded unconvinced.

She nodded her head but couldn't form words yet. He pounded on her back helping her hack up the water in her lungs. He pulled her out of the water onto her feet and before she knew it she was in his arms being towed out of the river. She wanted to object but she couldn't. This was so embarrassing, she thought. Her dress dripped and steamed with water as they walked. She had soaked him as well.

Thomas set her gently back on the log next to her shoes. She bent over her knees trying to catch her breath.

"Well," she said as she reimagined her voice. "I suppose that is one way to get out of hauling water for a bath."

She wanted to see him smile or hear him laugh again. She didn't like him looking at her with so much concern on his face.

"Well, next time warn me before you dive face first, will ya?" He had a light chuckle in his voice, thank goodness.

"Yeah, sure. Of course." she giggled breathlessly.

Thomas knelt down in front of her and started wringing her dress out. She did the same. The water poured out of the billowing tufts of fabric.

"This is no use," Sophie said after a few minutes. "I will take off the underskirt and after we are through working I will change back into the black dress. There is no saving this one," she conceded reluctantly.

"I think that is a wise choice," Thomas agreed.

Sophie gingerly walked into the wooded area next to the river trying to avoid tripping on her drenched skirts or stubbing her bare toes. She stood behind a tree so she could slip the underskirt off in privacy. She froze momentarily when she saw Thomas pull his own shirt off in the distance and wring it out. He looked up to see her staring at him and gave her a rueful smile. She instantly looked away, her face flushing.

She pulled her underlayer down and gave it a good wringing out as she walked back to Thomas. Thomas went to the wagon and led Maddox closer to her so she didn't have to walk so far with her bare feet. He was still bare chested, he laid his shirt on the wagon to dry. Sophie had never seen a man without his shirt on. She averted her eyes in embarrassment but shot quick glances at him. She just knew her face was flushed but she couldn't help it. He was very muscular. It was fascinating to watch the muscles in his arm flex as he used them. His skin was smooth and hairless, much like his face. She nervously approached the wagon. He took her skirt from her and laid it across the wagon to dry next to his shirt. She hadn't noticed that she pulled out her key and was fiddling with it.

"Are you going to be okay?" He asked. She was staring down, fixating on the key around her neck, trying not to stair at him.

"Yes of course," she said as confidently as she could, though there was an obvious waver in her voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you won't look at me," he prodded.

"Yeah, well." She cleared her throat and looked up at him briefly. "You're half naked."

A rumble of laughter rolled through him.

"That I am. Come along, your carriage awaits!" he said, his voice laced with sarcasm. He even bowed deeply. That made her laugh.

"You look utterly ridiculous," she said.

"And you are the picture of class and refinement," he teased. She giggled.

If she thought it was awkward sitting next to him on the wagon before this was beyond uncomfortable. She didn't know where to look, where to place her hands or at all how to act. She fiddled continuously with her necklace.

"What's with the key?" Thomas asked as he encouraged Maddox along.

"Oh, this." She stammered. "It was a key to a special place my dad and I like to be together." She shrugged. "A lot of good memories, you know?" He nodded as if he did understand.

They were nearly across the fields and within sight of the brother's houses. Sophie was extremely nervous about being seen in the state she was in. She was completely soaked to the bone and sitting next to a half naked Thomas. She would never hear the end of it. She started to fidget and squirm unable to control her nerves. She didn't care where she was living now this was completely and entirely inappropriate.

"Thomas," she finally blurted out. "Thomas you have to stop. I know I am a prude but I can't be seen like this I don't care what is considered normal here." She grabbed onto his muscular forearm and shook him, trying to convey her earnest. "You have to put your shirt on."

"What are you fussing about? I was going to ride right into Jamestown like this." His face was stone serious.