One shade whiter

He smiled at her. "I'm sure you will find someone."

"Hopefully.", she smiled again. "It's just sad that you sometimes need to travel all around the world to find that someone."

He raised his eyebrow at her. "Oh? Why is that?"

"I don't know.", Jane shrugged. "All the men in England just don't please me.", she blushed slightly.

"All the men?? That is alot of men you have gone through." He said teasingly.

Jane blushed even more. "Uh no! Not all! Just those I met at high society balls...", she hided her face in her hands. Then she lifted her head and looked to Shan Yu.

He chukeled. "Then why didn't you try to meet someone from a lower class?"

"I had a fiancé and wasn't allowed to meet someone from a lower class.", she sighed. "At this time I even didn't wanted to meet someone of a lower class.", she bit her lip. "I lived too much after the rules in high society."

He smirked. "Aah, that explains why you are so independent and yearn for freedom."

"Does it?", Jane tilted her head.

He let his lip curl into a small smile. "Tell me more about your past."

Jane looked at him surprised. "Why? It's not that interesting at all...", she sighed.

He leaned back on his chair, crossing his arms on his chest. "The world is full of boring stories. I want to hear one about you."

Jane sighed. "Where shall I begin?", she thought. "My father raised me till my 14th Birthday. I was allowed to do nearly everything I want. He taught me reading and writing. It was important for him to do it himself instead getting a teacher for me. I even can count.", Jane squeezed her knees. "I did had a governess. But I hardly listened to her."

He listened to her story. "Where does this fiancee come in?"

"After my 14th Birthday I was sent to my fiancé.", Jane shrugged. "The first year was horrible. His sister and her daughters taught me severely how to behave like a real lady. And then...", Jane shrugged again. "I found some fun in high society. It ended after my fiancé died.", she stroke through her hair. "I'm not sad at all about that, but the Lord who came after him was worser."

He frowned. "What did he do?"

"He was a real Casanova. There was no party without him sneaking away with a young girl.", Jane sighed. "He got caught before our marriage. They forced him to marry the girl he had deflowered. So I went back to my dad. Now I was free and I started to study my profession. I'm happy with it now, but the first months after he brought myself in disgrace were hard. Hearing people talking behind your back, who were supposed to be friends to you...", she shrugged. "Now I'm used to it, and I can't deny that I provoke it often now. Just for fun."

He listened to her speak without saying a word. "I am sorry to hear that." He said finally after she had finished. "Those men didn't know what they were losing." He said trying to make her feel better.

Jane smirked. "Are you trying to comfort me?", she giggled. "Thanks, but you don't have to.", she looked at Shan Yu for a short while. "Can I come to you?", she finally asked shyly.

He smiled and nodded at her first question. When she asked the second one he was a bit taken back, but nodded.

Jane put her hands on the table and slipped down on the floor. She made a few steps towards Shan Yu and sat down on his lap. She leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. A sigh slipped out of her mouth. At his side she felt always protected.

He tensed sligthly when she sat on his lap. When she sighed he relaxed. It felt odd to say the least. "How long are you going to sit there?" He asked a bit uncomfortable.

Jane lifted her head. "If you don't want it, I'm leaving.", she started to stay up again.

He held her hand. "Sit by allmeans, I just wanted to know how long you were going to do that." He pulled her back into his lap.