It must be getting hotter by the second below her, for she could see his reddened face from halfway up the chair-ladder; it didn’t occur to Jemima that he might be able to look up her skirts. (Frankly, if they got out of this alive she didn’t care who saw up her skirts.)
Still, satisfied he wasn’t going to practise self-immolation in the powder room, Jemima hauled herself – not particularly elegantly – onto the floor of the room above, breathing heavily from all the stress and exertion. She was not used to doing more than dancing these days; this had been rather a lot to contend with all at once.
Of course, it was not over yet... but it felt far easier to breathe when there was not only a door between them and the flames. Jemima nodded, scanning their surroundings as swiftly as she could, eager to be back in the ballroom and find her sister and – his family, she supposed. She wasn’t sure if he had mentioned who he was with. “I think so,” she said breathlessly, giving him a small smile in gratitude and sympathy and brimming trepidation at what they might possibly find in the ballroom when they got there. “Let’s go.”
Still, satisfied he wasn’t going to practise self-immolation in the powder room, Jemima hauled herself – not particularly elegantly – onto the floor of the room above, breathing heavily from all the stress and exertion. She was not used to doing more than dancing these days; this had been rather a lot to contend with all at once.
Of course, it was not over yet... but it felt far easier to breathe when there was not only a door between them and the flames. Jemima nodded, scanning their surroundings as swiftly as she could, eager to be back in the ballroom and find her sister and – his family, she supposed. She wasn’t sure if he had mentioned who he was with. “I think so,” she said breathlessly, giving him a small smile in gratitude and sympathy and brimming trepidation at what they might possibly find in the ballroom when they got there. “Let’s go.”
