Her gown was a brilliant shade of blue he had never seen before, except in the shade of her eyes, and it shimmered slightly in the light, though he had no notion of fabrics. A faint pattern of florals in a deeper blue dotted the skirts, while a sheer fabric extended from a short sleeve to encase the whole of her arm. Full skirts without being voluminous, and a modest neckline that only heightened the perfection in fit and figure of the ruched bodice. Her fair, golden hair was curled, coiled, and pinned in an elegant manner, yet again bearing a simplicity he had not anticipated, while a turban of sorts of the same color of her gown circled the curls and plaits like a halo.

His fingers itched to toy with the small curls at her temples, and he clasped his hands behind his back to prevent himself from doing so.

“Exquisite,” he breathed, unable to find any other word equal to the sight of her. “Utterly.”

Adelaide paused a step on the stairs, startled by his words. “Truly?”

He nodded hastily, struggling to swallow against the tide of sensations filling him. “Yes. I cannot…” He laughed, the sound a trifle breathless, and held his hand out to her. “Beyond words, Adelaide.”

She beamed, which blinded him into complete breathlessness, and held up a necklace in each hand. “I did not think the sapphires appropriate for our company, but would you advise me as to one of these options?”

It was on the tip of Harrison’s tongue to confess that he did not care a jot for her accessories, but if giving an opinion would help to hasten them along…

“The pearls,” he suggested, managing a smile. “Their blue pendant will complement your eyes to perfection.”

Adelaide’s nose wrinkled up in a hint of a laugh. “I was hoping you would pick that one. It is a lovely piece, and I further hoped, well, I did not wish to be over-trimmed.” She held it out to him. “Would you mind?”

He stepped forward at once, taking the strings of pearls and undoing the clasp. “Certainly, my dear.” Lifting the necklace over her hair and face, he dragged it up along her exposed skin until the clasps could be fastened, smirking at the short catching of breath he heard from her.

Why should he be the only one to feel at sea in this moment?

He fastened the clasps in a moment, then brushed the knuckle of one finger along the back of her neck before he could helphimself. “There,” he murmured. “Perfectly situated.”

He watched the skin of her neck as it turned to gooseflesh, making his smile more smug. So he could elicit such reactions in daylight now, could he? Well, well, well.

Adelaide turned, her eyes wide, her mouth tight. “Is it, indeed? From the back?”