For a moment, she stared at him in an absurdly calm daze. Her mind, so newly recovered, took that moment longer to catch up with her eyes, but then it at once became apparent that someone had come in here after all – a man, a vaguely familiar man, and she was in here with half her ballgown discarded on the floor.
“What – where – where did you...” Jemima’s eyes widened in horror, and once her limbs had become unfrozen, she scrambled up to a frantic, dishevelled standing position against the wall, hair half-fallen out of its updo and corset still shamelessly on show. “I –” she stuttered, but words failed her again; she was only glad she hadn’t shrieked outright and made someone come running.
“Don’t look!” she whisper-exclaimed instead, urgently motioning at him to tell him to stay where he was and close his eyes, or turn around, anything. She didn’t know where she’d dropped her bodice in the room, so for now she pulled at a cloak on the rack and held it up, stupidly, in front of her chest.
“What – where – where did you...” Jemima’s eyes widened in horror, and once her limbs had become unfrozen, she scrambled up to a frantic, dishevelled standing position against the wall, hair half-fallen out of its updo and corset still shamelessly on show. “I –” she stuttered, but words failed her again; she was only glad she hadn’t shrieked outright and made someone come running.
“Don’t look!” she whisper-exclaimed instead, urgently motioning at him to tell him to stay where he was and close his eyes, or turn around, anything. She didn’t know where she’d dropped her bodice in the room, so for now she pulled at a cloak on the rack and held it up, stupidly, in front of her chest.
