Alice slept easily, comforted by the warmth that seemed to surround her entire body. The slow rising of Victor's chest beneath her head only served to calm her more, and she was not even awoken by him moving away from her. By the time she did awake, the shadows were long and he was gone. For a moment, she panicked, forgetting where she was - before remembering the events from earlier. Had all of that excitement really happened? It could have been dismissed for a dream, if not for his room and the lingering scent of him on the sheets. She could still remember how he'd trailed his lips down her neck, the soft contact against her collar driving her crazy. How could something like that have such an effect on her? It was illogical... And completely and utterly magical. 

Figuring that it was close to dinner time, she rose from his bed and straightened her skirts. She glanced back at the bed, a guilty smile coming to her lips. What if more had happened this afternoon? She didn't think that she would have regretted it, strangely enough. In any case, she'd probably end up back at her father if Victor's declarations were true. And unless some handsome bachelor came around (rather unlikely), she'd be doomed to a life with a husband who'd die before her. It was a conundrum, but only emotionally - Alice knew that she had no choice in the matter. 

She closed Victor's door behind her, and made her way down to the dining room. One girl she passed in the passageway gave her a jealous look; after all, she was emerging from his room a good couple of hours after entering. Feeling a little self-conscious, she walked into the dining room. Already there was a delicious smell wafting through. She greeted the couple of men who'd already assembled, and slipped through them to Victor. The captain was looking rather tense. She let her hand trail along his back before sitting down on the other side of him. "Hello," she said, almost a little shyly. Something had changed between them now. She wondered if he felt the same. They were sitting a little closer than before, although she was unsure if he'd want his crew to know.