Jessalyn Larocque

Her eyes opened slowly, and the first thing she saw was a young woman crouched down at the fireplace cleaning out ashes and putting freshly cut logs in their place. Jessalyn smiled and stretched a little before pushing back the blankets, shaking her messy brown hair from her eyes, tiptoeing forward, then pouncing downwards and wrapping both arms around the other woman in a tight hug. The young woman gave a short, startled scream that quickly turned into a laugh, and then she turned around slightly to return Jessalyn's hug. If one didn't know them, one would think the two women were childhood friends who had been separated for years. In a way, that was true. When Jessalyn had gone off to school when she was 11, it had been 6 years before she and Rachel saw each other again. So naturally, they now clung to every moment they had together with both hands. Then with Rachel always running around doing things and Jessalyn being forced to either sit still at her embroidery or go out to social events, sometimes there were entire days where they never saw each other once. And then, of course, there was the fact that no one could know they were even speaking to each other. Rachel was, after all, a slave.

But that word didn't even matter, here behind closed doors when it was just the two of them. Jessalyn could never look at Rachel with that word hanging over the other woman's head. It was just... wrong. Rachel wasn't a slave to Jessalyn. She wasn't a housegirl or a servant or a maid. She was a friend. Her best friend. And every moment they had to themselves was precious. So they hugged each other tight as if they hadn't seen one another in years, and then when they pulled apart, both women laughed a little. Finally, though, Jessalyn stood up, tucking her hair behind her ears and then taking Rachel's hands. "Help me get ready?" she asked with a smile, giggling at Rachel nodded enthusiastically. They both knew what was so special about today. Not only was Eric here, but his sister Emily was on her way and due to arrive within a few hours. Their two families had been close first in business and that had given way to legitimate relationships developing, especially between the children of each family. Jessalyn had known Eric and Emily her entire life, and Emily had to be the only other person (aside from Jessalyn's brother Timothy) who knew of and supported her friendship with Rachel. Heavens, when Emily had spent last Christmas with them, Jessalyn realized that the younger woman viewed Rachel as as much of a friend as she herself did! With Rachel with her and Emily about to join them, and Eric just down the hallway in her father's study... Jessalyn dared to say this day was looking very bright!

By the time Rachel had finished helping her, putting the last bit of curl into her hair and straightened the lace on her pink silk dress, Jessalyn was practically bouncing up and down in excitement. Rachel gave her one dash of perfume, then hugged her tight, whispered, "If he don't see how beautiful you is, he's a fool," then pulled away and playfully pushed Jessalyn towards her bedroom door. Jessalyn blushed a little, but inside she prayed to God that Rachel was right. That today might be the day that Eric... took special notice of her... But she blinked and refocused herself quickly. They smiled at each other one more time, then Jessalyn left and hurried down the hall. She reached her father's study and didn't bother knocking, just opening the double doors and walking right in with a big smile. Her father sat at his desk with Eric and her brother Mark seated in front of him in two chairs, and they were clearly in the middle of talking business. But Jessalyn didn't care. She smiled at all of them, walking right up to her father and brother, kissing both on the cheek, and bidding them good morning. She grabbed an orange from the bowl on her father's desk and started peeling it as she went to the window, looking out to the road to look for Emily's carriage.

"Emily's supposed to arrive soon, right, Daddy?" she asked, "The last time she wrote she promised she'd be here today before supper. I couldn't stand it if she was late, I miss her so much! I'm sure you do too, don't you Eric? I know how you dote on her. Besides, she promised to bring some pictures of the latest fashions out of Paris, not to mention I'm dying to know what everyone in the north is thinking of the presidential race. You know they say candidate Lincoln is going to win by a landslide?"

Mark watched his sister walk in. His father accepted his daughters kiss but said nothing of her flouncing about his meeting. Mark wasnt so accepting. He stood from his chair next to Eric and walked around the desk to stand next to his father. "Jessalyn," he interrupted her, his voice firm but kind. "our father and I are in the middle of a very important meeting." He waited for her to understand. Surely he wouldnt have to explain to her the importance of their privacy. Then again this was Jessalyn they were talking about. Perhaps spelling it out for her would indeed be the better choice. Mark looked down to his father. The older mans stoic expression gave away nothing as he watched his daughter calmly. Her place at the window, with the morning sun shining over her golden skin and the brown curls of her hair falling just so over her shoulders, had suddenly become the object of the rooms attention. Marks eyes narrowed. His sister could be so childish sometimes. Simply impossible. And their father, strict as he was, was too lenient for his good. 

On the other side of the desk, Eric sat comfortably in the chair he'd been given. His elbows rested on either arm of the chair and his hands met in the middle, one hand folded over one fist. He'd been keeping eye contact with Mr. Larocque, as was always important during matters of business, but once their discussions had been put on hold for his daughters sake, Eric's eye had fallen to the hand carved edge of the desk before him. It wasn't that Jessalyn was unpleasant to look at. Quite the contrary. If Eric were to look up at her for more than a glance he wouldn't be able to pull his eyes away. And though someday their secret would have to be exposed, for now their meetings, though few and far between, were ever so much more exciting when only they knew. Keeping their desires and affections for one another secret made the whole thing so unspeakably intoxicating. Eric had a poker face better than any man he'd ever met, but even he had a tell. His one and only weakness, that beautiful woman sitting just across the room. He took extra cautious to keep his eyes away from hers. If he were to meet her eyes he wasn't sure he'd be able to contain his obvious human needs. How long had it been since last he'd laid eyes on her? Touched her? Kissed her? Months. Long, agonizing months his own father had kept him away in New York. He had handled it then, but now, when she was so close, just thinking about it made the seconds pass like years. Just her scent was driving him insane! 

Yet on the outside, none would ever be the wiser. Mark certainly wasn't as his fists clenched around the arm of his father's chair. "Jessalyn, really, you need to leave now. This meeting is of the utmost urgency and we can not continue with you sitting here."