"Of course not," she replied, though her tone revealed her discomfort with what she was about to do despite trying to come off as confident and practical. "I've got your jacket. I'll be fine."

The alternative was trying to get him to stitch it up while it was on her, which couldn't be born. He'd necessarily get a very up close and personal look at the bare skin on her stomach, which she wasn't eager to grant him. Not to mention his hands on her body. No, being out here alone with a man was bad enough. Juliana had no desire to tempt his sensibilities, or fate. She'd had to fend off unwanted advances once before (though, granted, she had been ten years younger and considerably more attractive then).

She had to slip his jacket off to get her dress unbuttoned, which meant the cold did assault her as soon as she slipped it from her shoulders. She shivered and then held it out to him, reaching past him so he could take it without turning towards her. She bent to retrieve his jacket, but hesitated before putting it on. He'd ripped her corset, too, and having it laced on one side and mangled on the other was leading her to feel unbalanced. She hadn't planned to remove it but it occurred to her that even if she tried to push it flat beneath her dress it would create lumps, and draw attention to the mended gap in her dress.

"You know why they call it corset boning?" she asked him as she started to loosen the laces. "Because it has bones in it. Actual bones, and you've just torn through it like a piece of black crepe." This was not necessarily an admonishment; she was, frankly, amazed.