Topic: First Step On The Journey

Eleanor Marshall

Date: 2018-08-13 13:27 EST
The journey from the mouth of the Amazon River to the city of Manaus was not without its difficulties, but with the worst of the misunderstandings over and done with, the three days on board the riverboat were not as uncomfortable as they might otherwise have been. Manaus itself offered them no leads on Lord Howard's expedition, but it did offer them a lead as to where one of his guides lived. Thus the little group headed back east toward one of the many villages that lined the great river in this region, and finally located the man himself. He'd taken one look at Eleanor and suddenly turned mute - proof that he had at least seen her photograph at some point in the past and did not want to speak about who had shown it to him. Eleanor herself had suggested that perhaps Jay should speak to the man alone, promising to stay in the company of his group until his return.

Jay did not like the idea of leaving Eleanor behind, especially when she was paying for the expedition and it was her father they were trying to find; but he reluctantly agreed, leaving her in Finley's care while he went to talk to the guide who might just be their only link to her father's fate. He took two others from their party along, just in case there was trouble, but instructed them to wait outside while he spoke with the man alone.

"No, no, no," the guide - a man named Estevo, whose English was heavily accented - declared in agitation, waving as though to shoo the Englishman out of his home. "You go, I have nothing to say."

Jay had been around long enough to know there were generally two ways to convince a man who didn't want to talk to do just that - bribery or coercion, neither of which were much to his liking and both of which he considered last resorts. "We are not here to make trouble for you, Estevo," Jay assured the man, spreading his hands in supplication. "The lady wants to know what happened to her father. That is all."

"I did what he paid me to do," Estevo insisted stoutly. "I tell him, come back; he did not. I did what he paid me to do." He was very clear on that, but there was obviously something tugging at his conscience.

"What did he pay you to do, Estevo?" Jay asked, trying not to scare the man off, but not wanting to let him off easy either. "No is going to accuse you of anything, but the lady has a right to know what happened to her father, don't you think?"

"He pay me to take him to the ruins by Boa Vista, no more," Estevo informed him with a frown. "He want to go on to the border, but he no pay for that. I tell him, come back to Manaus; he say no, he go on to border alone. Say he be in Georgetown in two months. I know he not get there. No one crosses that border alive."

Jay furrowed his brows at the information the man was giving him and the implications of it. "You took him to Boa Vista?" he asked, needing to make sure he understood the man right. Boa Vista was a long way from Manaus. "Did you go by boat?"

"Si, up the Rio Negra to where the Old Mother weeps," Estevo said, still wary. "On foot from there. Safe journey, we keep him safe. But he no pay us to border, so we leave."

"Where was he when you parted ways?" Jay asked. "Can you show me on a map?" He withdrew a map from a pack he'd had slung over one shoulder and carefully unfolded it before spreading it out on the nearest flat surface.

Estevo eyed him suspiciously. "You just want follow?" he asked warily. "You not want kill me for leaving him?"

"No, no one wants to kill anyone. We just want to find him ....or find out what happened to him," Jay explained, as simply and seriously as he could.

The man gave this some thought. Then he nodded, moving closer to inspect Jay's map. He traced the route he had taken three years ago with Lord Howard with one dirty finger-nail, finally tapping an unmarked spot some ten miles south of Boa Vista itself. "There," he said. "Ruins. I not go farther north than that."

"And you say he was heading for the border on his way back to Georgetown. On foot, I assume," Jay said, more question than statement. How the hell were they supposed to find him without a few more clues than that' It would still be like looking for a needle in a haystack, unless he didn't get very far.

"Si, he say he get supplies in Boa Vista," Estevo confirmed with a nod. "I not know if he reach the town." He shook his head, glancing toward the door. "You are lady's man?"

They needed more clues than that, but those clues might have to wait until they reached Boa Vista themselves. "I beg your pardon?" Jay asked, blinking out of his thoughts at the man's question, which was kind of irrelevant, he thought.

Estevo waved a hand, trying to make himself better understood. "Lady, she your lady' You bring her, be her shield?" he asked searchingly.

"No, she ..." Jay trailed off, furrowing his brows at the question, before answering completely. "She is under my protection, yes. Why do you ask?"

"Do not take her to Boa Vista," Estevo told him. "Tell her, say father died, say I saw it, say his body lost. North of Boa Vista, nothing good happen until far into Guyana."

"We need proof of her father's death. I'm afraid your word may not be enough," Jay said. "Would you be willing to sign an affidavit swearing that you saw it happen?" he asked, unsure if that would legally be enough to satisfy the English courts, but somehow doubting it.

"What is this, please?" The word affidavit was unfamiliar to the man, clearly, but just as obvious was the fact that his statement of seeing Lord Howard's death was false. He had some reason to want to keep Eleanor from following her father, but it was doubtful he would tell the whole truth.

"Never mind," Jay said with a heavy sigh, realizing he'd not only be asking the man to perjure himself, but a signed statement probably wouldn't hold up in court. "Just tell me why you don't want me to take her there" What do you think may have happened to Lord Howard?"

"He dead," Estevo said flatly. "I know this. You know this. Why chase a ghost' Take lady home. Only ghosts in the trees above Boa Vista."

Jay frowned, unsure if he should tell this man why it was so important they find out what happened to Eleanor's father and why they needed proof. It was likely beyond the man's understanding, and Jay didn't want it getting around that Eleanor stood to inherit a large sum of money. "Estevo, we are talking about the lady's father. She would like to take him home and give him a proper burial," he said, hoping that might convince the man of the importance of their quest without mentioning money.

"Better to mourn than die with him," Estevo insisted firmly, but even he could tell that there was no convincing this company not to continue on their way. He sighed in defeat. "They are stories," he said wearily. "Jaguars on border, man-eaters. No man have passed this way safe for five years."

"Jaguars are solitary hunters," Jay pointed out, though that was hardly comforting considering their reputation for stealth. "A solitary jaguar could not take down a group of men with rifles on its own," he pointed out. Anyone who insisted on traveling through the jungle alone was foolish, including Lord Howard.

Estevo frowned, seeing his confidence, and waved a finger at him. "You keep lady safe," he said fiercely. "Keep safe and not in jungle! Marry, babies, home!"

"I wish I could," Jay murmured, mostly to himself with a frown, but what was done was done. He'd share with her what he'd been told, but he doubted it would sway her or change her mind. "Is there anyone else who might know what happened?" he asked, though he doubted anyone else would have any more information.

"Only Inacio," Estevo told him. "He work now, four months in south with proper explorer who pay up front." Evidently guides were getting just a little angry about promises of payment that never arrived from their colonialist visitors.

"I'm looking for a guide. And I'm willing to pay up front," Jay said. "But I will not tolerate being stranded in the jungle," he added, letting the man know that were that to happen and he was to survive, he'd come looking for the coward who'd left them there.

Eleanor Marshall

Date: 2018-08-13 13:28 EST
"I go only to Boa Vista," Estevo said instantly. "No further, not to border. Find guide in Boa Vista for that if you want."

"Very well. What is your price?" Jay said, knowing Estevo wasn't the only guide in Manaus, and yet, he was the guide who had last seen Eleanor's father alive and was the mostly likely to know where he'd gone.

For all his apparent cowardice, Estevo obviously had a good head on his shoulders. He considered Jay, factored in the fact that the lady would also be going along, and made up his mind. "Forty," he said. "Half now, half in Boa Vista. So you know I not leave you."

So, eighty pounds in total. It sounded reasonable, so long as they weren't abandoned. "Very well. Forty pounds now, and forty more when we arrive safely in Boa Vista," Jay agreed, extending a hand to seal the deal. Though they might have been able to navigate their way to Boa Vista without a guide, having Estevo along would make things much easier and maybe they'd learn more on the way about what might have happened to her father. Jay didn't think the man was lying, but the story about jaguars didn't seem entirely plausible either.

To his credit, the man was horrified by the price being offered to him. "No, no, no," he insisted, shaking his head. "Forty all. Twenty now, twenty there. Why you give me eighty for guide work" You no have any money ever doing that!"

And this was exactly why they needed a guide, not only to help them navigate their way, but to interpret for them, as well. Jay smiled, as if he'd meant to do that to test the man's honesty. "Agreed. Twenty now, and twenty when we arrive. Do we have a deal?" he asked, still waiting for a handshake.

Estevo hesitated, then placed his hand in Jay's squeezing as he shook. "When you want leave?" he asked. "Two day?"

Jay took the man to mean two days from now, not today. "Two days from now should be fine. Will you be ready?" he asked, needing to be sure.

"I be ready. Where you stay' I send boy to say when and where for boat to Old Mother." Estevo obviously had experience of swiftly beginning a journey. But was that really a surprise" He made his living guiding tourists and rich hunters through the rainforest.

Jay gave him the name of the hotel they'd be staying at before parting ways, agreeing to pay the man his twenty pounds on the day of their departure. With any luck, they'd be able to wheedle a little more information out of the man about the dangers near the border before they parted ways, but Jay had his doubts.

The hotel was off the beaten track a little, chosen expressly because of its out of the way nature. No one was keeping tabs on who was using it, therefore no one would come to annoy Eleanor in an attempt to swindle her out of her money or anything else. Add to that the fact that those of Jay's team who had not accompanied him had decided to stay in the hotel themselves, and he could be very sure nothing adverse had happened to her while he was gone. He probably wasn't expecting to be able to hear his group's laughter and encouraging teasing before he reached the hotel porch.

And who were they teasing" Alex Finley, who was attempting to pretend his friend Eleanor had not just joined them in tight pants and laced safari boots that looked much more comfortable than his own adventuring gear.

"Did I miss the party?" Jay asked as he climbed the stairs to the hotel porch, coming to a halt at the sight of Lady Howard in her trousers and boots. "Oh, I'm sorry. Are we having a fashion show?" he teased, just the hint of a smirk at the corners of his lips.

Hands on hips, Eleanor raised her brow at the newly-arrived Jay, her own smile just a little defiant. "Would you care to give your opinion, fearless leader?" she asked in amusement. "We did have words about what made for suitable jungle clothing, as I recall."

"Yes, we did," he replied, trying hard to keep his own smirk under control. "I do not recall mentioning that your trousers needed to be so ....snug," he said, teasing her further, though he knew he probably shouldn't do so in front of his men.

"Well, yours are rather form-fitting," Eleanor answered rather impishly. "Why shouldn't mine be? Will the realization that I actually have legs and not some strange single limb with two feet on the end cause some terrible imbalance in your men's mental faculties?" This, she said with a grin of her own, glancing toward his men, who were having far too much fun teasing Alex about his sense of propriety. They clearly didn't care about her backside being well defined by her clothing.

It wasn't so much her legs that were causing a fuss - or so Jay assumed - as it was her backside, but maybe his men hadn't noticed. The view was certainly causing him issues, anyway, but he couldn't argue that her choice of clothing was more practical than a skirt, not to mention safer. "Well, at least you won't have to worry about a snake finding its way up your skirt," he teased further.

The alternative meaning to his words was lost on Eleanor thankfully, though not on some of the men standing closest, who exploded into bright laughter at the unintended innuendo. "I think I may have missed something," she mused through her smile. "I take it you approve of this as appropriate to the rainforest, then?"

"Yes, I approve, so long as it's not too distracting," he said, pointedly eying his men - especially those who'd laughed at the unintended inuendo. Let them think he was sleeping with her - it might keep them at bay. "What do you think, Alex?" he asked of Finley, who didn't seem too happy about Eleanor's change of apparel.

"I don't see what was wrong with the split skirt," Alex defended himself, ignoring the arch look Eleanor gave him as she sat down to help herself from the pitcher of iced tea on the table nearest them.

"A skirt - split or otherwise - is not appropriate for the jungle," Jay remarked, in support of Eleanor's trousers, even if they were a tad snug. But then, Jay assumed this was Finley's first and perhaps only trip into the jungle, so what did he know" "I would highly suggest that anyone who knows how to shoot should carry a gun," he added, though he didn't say why.

"I have my revolver," Alex assured him with a nod. "Ellie's not learned on a personal weapon, but she's a good shot with a rifle."

Eleanor glanced up, unsurprised that the larger group was wandering away now. "Had I thought of it, I should have brought one along," she admitted ruefully.

"We can probably purchase one, if you like, though a revolver might be easier to carry," Jay said, though he couldn't very well see her wearing a revolver strapped to her hip. "I would feel better if you had some means of self-defense," he admitted.

"Rifles are one or two shots before reloading," Alex pointed out uncertainly.

Eleanor rolled her eyes. "It is also a large piece of heavy metal I can hit someone with if I'm out of shots," she reminded her friend. "Is there somewhere here we can make such a purchase, James?"

"I believe so," Jay replied, not so much as blinking an eye when she called him by his birth name. They'd agreed to as much on the boat before they'd ventured to Manaus, and so far, no one seemed to have found it improper. "I know a place," he said, proving this was not his first trip to Manaus.

Eleanor nodded. "Then that should be our first port of call tomorrow," she said thoughtfully. "I understand we need to purchase further supplies now we are about to begin, yes" Did the man tell you anything useful?"

"Yes and no," Jay admitted moving over to pour himself a cup of iced tea, only now realizing how parched he'd become during his little chat with Estevo. "I'm afraid it's not good news," he said, giving her a bit of warning before he revealed what the man had told him.

She set her glass down, concern touching her expression as she met his gaze. "At this point, good news would be a grave I can visit," she said quietly. "I take it there is still no certainty as to his fate?"

"No, but ..." Jay frowned as he claimed a chair, pausing a moment to carefully choose his words. "He was last seen at Boa Vista, intending to travel through the jungle to the border on his way to Georgetown. I am not sure why he would choose that route, unless there was something he was looking for. I am also not sure why he would choose to go alone, unless he couldn't find a guide who would take him. There's something about the border that scares them. Man-eating jaguars, I'm told."

Eleanor Marshall

Date: 2018-08-13 13:28 EST
Eleanor sighed quietly, shaking her head, but it was Alex who spoke up. "He decided to risk the border alone?" he repeated. "And you're sure there he would not have found a guide in this Boa Vista place that would take him' Folklore can be overcome with money, you know."

"The man who was his guide said no one will go there, but I'm hoping we'll find someone in Boa Vista who will remember Lord Howard and be able to give us more information. Otherwise, we may still be looking for a needle in a haystack," Jay said, taking a sip of his tea.

"Well, it would seem that our first task is to reach Boa Vista, wherever it is," Eleanor said calmly, drawing her fingertips over the condensation on her glass. "When are we leaving, James?"

"Two days," he replied. "I've found a guide willing to take us as far as Boa Vista for forty pounds. Twenty now and twenty upon our arrival," he said, though he didn't yet mention their guide was the very same man who had been in her father's employ.

"I see. Thank you."

As Eleanor subsided, thinking this over, Alex was leaning forward again. "That's much cheaper than I was expecting," the Scotsman admitted. "Did you have to haggle hard to get the price down?"

"I didn't haggle at all," Jay admitted. "I thought it a fair price, but he's only willing to take us as far as Boa Vista, no farther. He's very insistent." He glanced at Eleanor a moment before turning back to Finley. "To be honest, he doesn't want us going at all. There's something out there that's terrified them, but I'm not convinced it's jaguars."

"What else could it be?" Alex asked in confusion. "There's no known people living up there, at least not that I've come across. I did my research."

Catching the glance her way, Eleanor frowned curiously. "Whatever it is must be terrifying for someone who knows the area to say no to going there," she commented.

"Jaguars don't hunt in packs, unless they're mating," Jay said, though he presumed Alex, at least, knew that much already. "Your father could have been attacked by a jaguar. That would explain his disappearance, but I still don't understand why he would insist on going there and why he'd risk it alone. Do you have any idea what he was looking for?"

She shook her head. "My father liked to think of himself as an adventurer, and once he set his mind to something, he always accomplished it," she told him with a sigh. "It does not surprise me that he would disregard warnings against going on alone. He was a very ....driven man."

Though he might think so, Jay had to bite his tongue against calling the man foolish in front of his daughter. "Whatever the case, I'm hoping we'll find more clues when we get to Boa Vista," he said.

"That is to be the hope," Alex agreed with a weary sigh, finally taking a seat of his own. "Ellie, will you not put on something more decent while we are still in town?"

Eleanor laughed at her friend's approbation. "No, Alex, I will not," she informed him. "I intend to get good and used to wearing these before we enter the jungle, and besides, I have already hired a lovely gentleman from this hotel to take my suitcase and my unnecessaries back to Georgetown to await our return. You will simply have to get used to the fact that I have legs."

Jay visibly relaxed a little at the banter going on between Alex and Eleanor, realizing they reminded him of himself and his sister. "You two argue like siblings," he said, taking another sip of his tea, savoring the cold wetness of it on a hot, humid day.

"Aye, well, our mothers were good friends," Alex explained. "My brothers and I spent more time at Ellie's house than at our own before we went off to school."

"Alex was my favorite," Eleanor said cheerfully. "He never said no to playing at tea parties."

"How very magnanimous of you, Alex," Jay remarked, hiding a smirk behind his cup of tea as he took another sip. He didn't bother to mention whether or not he had been willing to attend his sister's tea parties as a boy.

"Ah, but notice she doesn't mention that my brothers got a point of not asking her to play cricket or racing because she cheated and won every single time," the Scotsman pointed out in amusement. "Uncannily accurate with a bat, that girl was."

"Was she?" Jay asked, grinning as he looked between them. There was no point in being jealous of their relationship when it was so clearly platonic. "Perhaps we'll have to get a game going sometime and put those skills to the test."

"She cheats," Alex warned again, but Eleanor burst out laughing.

"I have no skill with a bat, Alex, you know that," she declared. "Just because my aim is so poor you all got in the way of several wild hits - this is a complete fabrication!"

"You can't both be right," Jay said. "I wonder if there's are any balls and bats around somewhere," he mused aloud, considering putting both their claims to the test.

"It'd be one way of spending the afternoon," Alex agreed, rising to his feet. "I'll go and have a word with the concierge." He walked away, leaving them on the porch together as Eleanor shook her head, still giggling.

"I maintain that I do not cheat," she insisted. "At least not deliberately."

"One might argue that simply being a woman is cheating," Jay pointed out, though he knew better than to make that argument himself. "It's too bloody hot for cricket," he murmured, tugging a handkerchief from a pocket to wipe the sweat from the back of his neck, though it might be good for morale. It was better than doing nothing.

"Would cards be a better way to pass the time in this heat?" she asked curiously. She herself was just learning that wearing pants in humid heat was a different kind of hot to wearing a skirt in it, her skin covered with a delicate sheen of sweat. In the jungle, it would likely be worse.

"It might. Do you want to break it to Alex or shall I?" he asked, looking amused at the idea of Alex going to fetch cricket equipment only to find they'd changed their minds. A deck of playing cards should be easier to locate.

She glanced toward the door. "I daresay the concierge will talk him out of cricket once he's made aware that the lady is involved," she said easily, though there was distinct mischief in her smile. "Besides, the longer Alex is distracted, the less he's talking about my clothing."

"Those pants are rather snug," Jay pointed out, with a casual shrug of his shoulders as if he didn't really care. "More practical than a skirt, though," he added quickly, before she could argue.

"I thought excess material would be more likely to catch on shrubs and such," she defended her choice. "I am uncertain if there are such things as brambles in the jungle, but I thought it best not to tempt fate."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," he admitted, albeit a bit distracting to the men around her. They'd just have to get used to having a woman in their midst, and a nice-looking one at that. "There is something that worries me, though ..." he started, a frown on his face.

She tilted her head, more curiosity than concern in her eyes as she refilled his glass from the pitcher between them. "Is it something I may help you with?"

There were actually a few things that worried him, but some worried him more than others. "Well, it's just what the guide said," he started. "He said no guides were willing to travel to the border. Whatever is going on there has them terrified, and I don't think it wise to go alone." He left it unsaid that this was exactly what her father had done and what may have gotten him killed.

Eleanor Marshall

Date: 2018-08-13 13:28 EST
"You said you had hired a guide for us," she reminded him. "We will not be alone, at least to Boa Vista. Surely we will be able to hire a fresh guide there?"

"I don't know," he replied. "Maybe if we offer enough money," he said, though he wasn't even sure about that. "We'll just have to see what happens when we get there, I suppose."

"I daresay we will have better luck discovering why the region around the border is so frightening once we are closer to it, as well," Eleanor suggested. She was completely out of her depth already, but she saw it as her job to be calm and reassuring in the face of these uncertainties.

"There is something else ..." he said, his frown deepening. He supposed it was better to tell her now than to let her find out on her own, though he wasn't sure how she was going to take it. "Our guide - Estevo - is the same guide who took your father to Boa Vista."

She went very still for a long moment, her shock visible as she made a supreme effort to think over her reaction. "The same man who abandoned my father in the jungle is the man who will be guiding us to the place where he abandoned him?"

"He didn't abandon him in the jungle," Jay told her. "They parted ways at Boa Vista. He doesn't know what happened to him after that. As far as he knows, your father continued on without a guide, but we don't know that for certain. We won't know until we get to Boa Vista and start asking questions. He claims there are no guides willing to go there. I've never been to that area before. I don't know what your father was looking for, but it's madness to go on foot."

"I see." Eleanor looked down at her glass, turning this over in her mind. "This Estevo is willing to go as far as Boa Vista?" she asked thoughtfully. "He was not coerced at all?"

"No, he was not coerced. He stated his price, and I agreed to it," Jay answered honestly. He had yet to lie to her, even if he knew she wasn't going to like what he had to say. "He tried to talk me out of taking a woman into the jungle, but he agreed to take us to Boa Vista. To be honest, we could probably find our way there without a guide, but I thought he might be inclined to be more forthcoming if he accompanies us there."

She nodded slowly. "You believe he might become more invested in keeping us safe as he gets to know us, and therefore tell us more about what we will be walking into?"

"Something like that, yes," Jay confirmed. "I don't think we'll be able to talk him into leading us further than that though. He's very adamant about that. He will take us to Boa Vista and no further."

"Even a little more information would help at this point," she mused. "I will try not to make him feel guilty about his actions. I do know my father, and once he decided to do this, I doubt very much whether he was open for constructive criticism or advice."

Jay nodded. "Good. I'm sorry I couldn't learn more, but perhaps we'll learn more once we reach Boa Vista," he said, hopefully.

She leaned forward, touching her hand to his. "You have done far more than I expected you to," she assured him. "Thank you, James, sincerely thank you."

He smiled, relieved he had made the right decisions so far and reassured by her touch. He was, after all, just doing what she was paying him to do, and yet, he found himself starting to care about her more than he'd expected. He shrugged a little as if there was no need to thank him. "I am doing my best."

"I hope I am not making it harder for you to do that," she admitted shyly, drawing her hand back to sip her tea. "I know simply having me so insistent upon coming with you must be a headache in itself."

"It makes things a little more difficult, but we'll manage," he assured her. "I am still concerned about your safety, but I will do everything in my power to keep you safe. I need you to keep your promise to do as I say, though. The jungle poses some very real risks," he reminded her, for probably the umpteenth time.

"I am not in the habit of going back on my word, James," she assured him, holding his eyes with that almost unsettlingly innocent gaze of hers. "I will do as I am told. I cannot promise to do it without argument if you do not explain why in certain cases, however."

"There may not always be time to explain," he pointed out. He did not give her a list of things that could happen, but a split second could sometimes make the difference between life and death.

She raised a brow. "James, I'm not going to stop and demand an explanation in the middle of a life or death situation," she pointed out wryly. "Have a little faith that I have more than fluff between my ears, please."

"Oh, I am quite sure of that," he said, unable to hide the smirk from his face. He had no doubt of that, but he still thought she was not entirely aware what she was getting herself into.

He was probably quite right, but there was no telling her. Eleanor was determined, and it showed in everything she said and did. She just smirked back at him, raising her glass to her lips once more as Alex ambled back out of the hotel.

"The concierge thinks I'm insane for talking about cricket and suggested backgammon instead," he informed them in deeply amused tones.

"Backgammon is a game for two. Perhaps a deck of cards?" Jay suggested, his gaze remaining fixed to Eleanor's as though they were sharing some secret between them. His finger was idly tracing the rim of his glass he privately contemplated the color of Eleanor's eyes.

The look in her eyes had softened as their shared gaze lingered, her lips twitching toward a subtle smile as she enjoyed being the subject of Jay's contemplation for however long it lasted.

Alex glanced between them and suppressed his urge to grin. "Aye, a few hands with cards would work a treat," he agreed. "I'll just go and see to that, shall I?"

"Yes, thank you, Alex," Jay said, clearly distracted, most likely by Eleanor. It wasn't like he'd hadn't noticed her before, but the more time they spent together, the fonder he was becoming of her.

"I'll do that, then." Smirking to himself, the Scotsman wandered back into the hotel, leaving the two of them contemplating one another across the table.

Eleanor was the first to break that lingering look, a faint flush brightening her cheeks as she took a drink from her glass. "I take it we will not be playing for money," she mused, tilting her head toward him.

"No, I think not," he said, an amused expression on his face at the flush to her cheeks. "My sister would never forgive me if I lost my salary in card game," he said, alluding to the fact that he wasn't much of a gambler and that at least some of his earnings went to support his sole remaining family member.

"A few friendly hands, then," she agreed, her blush deepening in answer to the amusement on his face. "I would not like to make an enemy of your sister."

He chuckled. "No, I should think she would like you very much. Perhaps one day you will meet her," he said, though he didn't want to push his luck too much.

"I hope I shall," she agreed warmly. "I would very much like to meet an artist so determined to make her way. I am sure she is very talented."

"I think so, but then I am biased. Paris is the place to be these days, if one is an artist - or so I am told. What of you, Eleanor" What do you like to do' Do you have any secret talents?" he asked, that hint of teasing in his eyes again. He was still feeling his way around to get better acquainted with her, and her birth name upon his lips still felt a bit awkward.

Eleanor Marshall

Date: 2018-08-13 13:29 EST
"Oh, goodness ..." She laughed softly. "My usual answer to such a question is that I sketch a little, but that is hardly appropriate to the brother of a true artist," she said in amusement, setting her glass down as she smiled. But then, it was the brother she wanted to impress, wasn't it' "I like to play music - the piano or harp, for preference. I was never particularly good at the violin. I do like to be outside as well."

"What do you like to do outside?" he asked further, as he refilled both their glasses. "Gardening" Bird-watching" Tennis?" he guessed, all of them respectable past-times for a lady such as she.

"I used to collect beetles," she told him, almost laughing again at the fact that she was even saying this out loud. "I do like to write, though. I prefer to write in the garden - silly little poems, that sort of thing. Still, it passes the time. And what of you, James" What do you enjoy doing?"

"Beetles. Really?" he echoed chuckling, only half-believing her. "Most people prefer to collect butterflies. I must say, I've always found it to be a beastly hobby. Let them be free, for God's sake," he said, his tongue loosening a little again, though as far as he could tell, there was no alcohol in the tea. "Me?" he echoed again, shrugging. "I do not collect beetles," he teased.

"I had gathered that," she countered, giggling just a little. "What did you collect instead" Seashells?" Her smile was verging on impish again at the mental image of a little James Marshall toddling around the beach with a bucket full of shells.

"Do you ride, Lady Howard?" he asked, turning the question back on her. Most upper class women her age did, but he didn't want to assume.

Surprised by the lack of a direct answer, it took a moment for Eleanor to reply, her smile fading at the use of her title. "I do ride, yes," she told him. "Every day, when I can. Is that something you enjoy, Captain Marshall?"

"It is, in fact, when I have time for it. I rather miss it actually," he admitted, his own smile fading. There was not much about England that he missed, but there was that. He didn't much miss the way society deemed that the social classes remain separate, and that separation seemed to be growing ever wider as the years passed. He had meant no insult by using her title, but it only served to remind him how different they were.

"Then you must consider yourself always welcome to ride with me when we have the opportunity," she told him, not needing any time to consider that offer. "Something you love should not be allowed to die simply through lack of opportunity when those who care for you have the means to make it happen."

He lifted his head toward her, one brow arching upwards, not at the invitation so much as at the reason behind it. Did she really care for him, or was she just being nice" "Does that mean you might return to collecting beetles?" he asked, in an attempt to tease her again in hopes of making her smile.

He succeeded in raising a smile once again, a smile and a soft laugh. "I gave that up when I was nine, I must admit," she assured him. "After all, it is a little undignified to go scrambling around after beetles when you're in long skirts."

"Well, I will have to take you up on your offer, if the opportunity ever arises," he said, picking up his glass to take a sip of his tea. "Do you like going to the horse races?" he asked.

"I have been a part of the Season in London for several years, certainly," she admitted. "Ascot, you know. But I do not believe I have ever attended any horse races outside that. My father's stable wasn't a breeding stable, you see. Is that something you enjoy, going to the races?"

"I used to want to be a trainer. Of course, my father had other plans for me, and then, there was the war," he said, looking to his tea, a thoughtful frown on his face. And now he was here in Guyana, leading expeditions into the jungle when he was sober, and drinking his life away when he was not.

"It is never too late to begin again," Eleanor offered. "After all, I do have a stable, and even if I do not retain the estate, I have the capital to start up somewhere else. It could be a possibility to think over, don't you agree?"

"Are you making me an offer, Miss Howard?" he asked, the hint of a smile teasing his lips again. She would have to get to know him better if she couldn't tell when he was teasing her by now.

The corner of her mouth twitched into a charming suggestion of a smile as she met his gaze over the rim of her glass. "I do believe I am, James," she said, deliberately not using his own title in answer. "The real question is ....are you considering accepting it?"

"If you're serious about it, yes. I may consider it," he said, though he wasn't sure she'd feel the same once the expedition was over. He wasn't even sure they would find evidence of what had happened to her father, and if they didn't, what would happen then"

"I would not make such an offer if I were not serious about it," she pointed out. "But I understand your reservations. If, however, when all this is over, it is still a possibility, rest assured that I will be making the offer again."

"I appreciate the offer, but I suppose we will cross that bridge when we get to it, as they say," he said, smiling back at her. It was a tempting offer, to be sure, but no one could know what the future might hold. "May I ask you something?" he asked, a little tentatively.

"Of course you may, James." Eleanor set her glass down to give him her full attention. "The worst I can do is not answer." She smiled encouragingly, trying to ignore the thrill in the pit of her stomach that was probably incredibly premature, if not entirely misplaced.

"I'm just wondering what you will do if we can't find your father," he said. "You can't possibly marry that idiotic cousin of yours," he pointed out, not bothering to keep his opinion of her cousin to himself.

"I have a sizeable fortune I inherited from my mother," she told him. "The whole point of this ....it's not about money. I've allowed Walter and my uncle to believe that it is, but I need to know what happened to my father. I need to know for certain that he is truly gone. But whether we find that evidence or not, I will not be marrying my cousin. His father can have the estate for all I care. I'll find a place to live and a way to make something of my mother's gift to me."

"Good. Pardon me for saying so, but I cannot see you married to that imbecile. You deserve better. He clearly only cares about the money. If I had more to offer, I'd marry you myself to keep you from him," he told her, once again saying more than he'd intended.

Lacing her fingers together on her knee, Eleanor blinked in surprise. "As ....as noble as that sounds, James, I don't need to marry anyone," she told him, as gently as she could. "I should like to have a choice in the matter, to love my husband and have him love me." She did smile softly, though. "It is a lovely offer for you to make, and in other circumstances, I would take it without a second thought."

"In other circumstances?" he echoed, brows arching upwards, wondering just what she meant by that. It was absurd to think she loved him; it was too soon for that, and even if she did, he was unsure he had anything to offer.

"If my future was uncertain, my fortune smaller," she answered honestly. "I like you a good deal, James, but you are so very aware of my class. At this point in our friendship, our relationship, you would never make such an offer, and I could never take it without believing you would resent me for it in years to come. Perhaps when we know one another better."

"I can assure you I am not interested in your money," he pointed out. "That is not why I offered, but I understand and respect what you are saying. I just don't want to see you forced into marrying that dolt." It wasn't much of an explanation, and he felt a little foolish now for mentioning it at all.

Eleanor Marshall

Date: 2018-08-13 13:29 EST
"I won't be forced into marrying anyone," she promised him. "But if, for some reason, I had to choose in this instant who I would marry ..." She blushed, glancing down at her joined hands for a moment. "I would happily choose you, if you would have me."

He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly found himself smiling. Maybe it was the way she blushed when she said it and wouldn't meet his gaze, like a shy schoolgirl. Or maybe it was the fact that she liked him, despite all his obvious flaws and faults. "You're quite a modern woman, Eleanor. Just like my sister. She claims she'll never marry, but I think she just hasn't met her match yet."

"I would hope that one day everyone, be they man or woman, is in a position to choose for themselves," she said shyly, venturing a glance up to meet his eyes once more. "Perhaps your sister is holding out for, say ....a Scottish lawyer?" There was that mischievous look again.

"A Scottish ....oh!" he exclaimed, confusion giving way to understanding. He laughed at the idea. "Now, who is playing matchmaker?" he said, a teasing gleam in his eyes. Now that they seemed to have gotten past their differences, he was quickly becoming as fond of her company as she was of his.

She laughed softly, shaking her head. "I'll have you know that I never match make," she insisted teasingly. "I ....assertively encourage."

"Isn't it the same thing?" he asked, with a grin. "Besides, Eliza is in Paris. Can you think of any reason you might want to go to Paris?" he asked. He could be just as scheming as her.

"Well, there is one that immediately springs to mind," Eleanor informed him with a wicked little smile. "My mother was French. And Alex has rather appointed himself as my honorary brother. He would almost have to come with us, wouldn't he?"

"Perhaps once we have finished with the expedition," he suggested. "A visit with my sister is long overdue, and I don't want her coming here," he said, still of the belief that this was no place for a woman, whoever she was.

"Something to look forward to," she agreed, her smile warm for him before she glanced up to find Alex approaching with a tray bearing a fresh pitcher of iced tea and a pack of playing cards.

He looked between them with a knowing smile. "Not interrupting anything saucy, am I?"

"Definitely," Jay agreed with a grin, that only widened at Alex's approach. "Only that I just proposed and was turned down," he said with a wink at Eleanor so that Alex would think he was only teasing.

She giggled. "As gently as possible," she amended the implication.

Alex's mouth fell open for a moment as he sat down. "Perhaps I should leave you alone together more often," he managed eventually. "Persistence does wonders when she's being stubborn, you know."

"Very nearly broke my heart," Jay said with an exaggerated sigh, laying a hand against the middle of his chest for effect. "Shall I keep asking until she says yes then?" he asked, that smirk on his face again.

Narrowing his eyes at the pair of them, Alex smirked. "Just for the teasing, I'm going to say yes," he said bluntly. "Once a day, publicly, so she has to disappoint the whole group and they know you're smitten."

"Would you care to make a wager?" Jay asked, reaching for the deck of cards. Wasn't that the very question Eleanor had asked O'Malley a few days ago that had annoyed Jay so much' He'd said he wouldn't play for money, but that didn't mean he wasn't willing to make a small wager, depending on the stakes.

"Depends on the wager," was Alex's answer as he settled in.

Eleanor's brows rose curiously, but she refrained from pointing out that this was mildly hypocritical.

"I wager that before this trip is through, I win a kiss from the lady," Jay said, hoping she wouldn't get angry with him for daring to make such a bet. It would sure as hell be worth her anger if he won though.

"Oh, do you now?" Despite the arch words, Eleanor's expression was softly amused, far from being offended by the presumption. She did like him, after all.

Alex, on the other hand, snorted with laughter. "Aye, and what?ll I be giving you if you do manage that?" he asked cheerfully.

"A trip to Paris," Jay replied without hesitation. "To meet my sister," he added with another smirk. He wasn't exactly using Eleanor to manipulate Alex when she was the one who proposed such a trip to begin with.

Alex glanced at Eleanor, recognising her attempt not to smile too broadly. "All right," he agreed. "But it's to be a real true kiss, not one of these ones handed over just so you win this wager. I don't trust yon lassie's smirk."

"Agreed. A real kiss," Jay said, reaching across the table to offer a hand so they could shake on it and seal the deal. He didn't think it would be very hard to win a kiss from her, and he had plenty of time to do it.

Watching the pair of them shake hands, Eleanor rolled her eyes above her smile. "Well, at least you made the wager in front of me," she said mildly. "I suppose the outcome depends entirely on how contrary I feel."

"Or on how quickly you forget about the wager," Jay pointed out. Though he knew she wanted Alex to meet his sister, he wasn't planning on using that to win a kiss from her. He was confident he could do it all on his own.

"My dear James, I have yet to forget anything when it comes to you," Eleanor informed him with a warm smile. She glanced down at the cards. "What are we playing, then" Something dreadfully out of my league, I do hope."

Jay arched a brow at her claim, wondering if she was just teasing him or if what she was saying was true. "I hope I haven't given you any bad memories then," he remarked as he started shuffling the cards with such skill it was obvious he was not a casual cardplayer.

"There are few people so indelibly impressive to me that I remember everything about them," she assured him. "It does not have to be a bad experience to be remembered, James."

"Should I fetch the parson now, so you can share a tent in the jungle?" Alex asked teasingly.

"The lady has already expressed her thoughts regarding marriage, Alex," Jay pointed out, as he continued to shuffle. "How does a friendly game of rummy sound?" he asked. At least, it wasn't strip poker.

"It sounds like a lovely idea," Eleanor agreed, cutting off whatever else Alex had been about to say. He was pushing his luck with the teasing, even with her.

"Do you both know how to play?" he asked, having learned the game from a Yank he'd met in the war. He went on to explain the rules, which were fairly simple to understand.

"We do now," Alex chuckled, leaning back as he picked up his hand. "I'm still expecting some friendly cheating here, you know."

Eleanor rolled her eyes, smiling. "Alex, you really are dreadful for my reputation, do you know that?"

"Don't worry. She won't cheat," Jay said with seeming certainty, mostly because he would be watching her and making sure she didn't cheat, but also because he knew the game well and had played with enough cheaters to know what to watch for.

"You wait," Alex warned. "She'll unleash that charming smile, ask a simple question, and suddenly you're losing."

Eleanor snorted with laughter - not a very lady-like sound, but an honest one.

"I'll consider myself warned," Jay replied with a smirk as he picked up his cards and spread them out in his hand. He wasn't worried about Eleanor cheating at cards or at anything else, so long as she was happy. He didn't much care if he lost at cards, but he had no intentions of the wager.

In just two days, they would be heading back onto the river, in decidedly less comfortable surroundings than their previous boat ride, and from there, into the jungle itself. An afternoon in pleasant company playing cards was not so very much to ask. Was it"