by Jade Lee
He snorted with impatience. "I am the only teacher for you. The Tigress and her husband are in jail. I cannot even see them, much less manage their release. Little Pearl will not accept a white woman, nor will any other Tigress in the whole of China." He paused long enough to make sure she looked directly into his eyes. "And I will not turn you over to another Dragon partner, some stranger who will not understand your goals and will not like your white yin." He spoke with a force fueled by anger. He clearly did not like her questioning his choices. But this was a significant choice—a life-altering choice. He would have to understand that she would not walk any path blindly.
Except, how could this be anything but blind? She had only his words to guide her, only his faith and his passion. She couldn't even ask anyone else for direction. At best, the questions would brand her a bluestocking. The worse and much more likely outcome was that she would be ruined.
No, she could not ask anyone else for advice. She had only Ken Jin's words and her own powers of reason, and the knowledge that Joanna had sought this training as well. And that was the tipping point she used to finally make her decision. If she wanted to find her friend—as she did—she would embrace this learning. True, Joanna might be dead, but Charlotte wouldn't give up. Besides, she was much more levelheaded than her friend. Joanna often got caught up in intellectual fervor, whereas Charlotte had never had such inclinations. She would be able to remain focused where Joanna probably wandered off into the quagmire.
Charlotte had one other advantage: She had Ken Jin. As far as she could tell, despite all the bizarre things he believed, he had never, ever lied to her. He had never dismissed her, nor had he ever forced her.
Yes, she was starting in a much safer place than her friend. She would not end up destroying everything around her with rampant, uncontrolled qi. She would be careful. She had a goal: to refine her yin in order to make William better. She could stay focused on that. And if she ever wandered from that path, then she would simply abandon the practice. She could stop at any time and would trust that she could make Ken Jin obey. He was, after all, her servant. If she changed her mind, she would make sure he had no choice but to accept her decision.
She lifted her chin. Ken Jin remained crouched before her, his gaze level, his attitude patient.
"Very well," she said, appalled to hear her voice shake. It wasn't fear, but excitement. "Shall I undress here? Or in my bedroom?"
* * *
Jan 2, 1892
To honored Father, honored Mother:
Many years have passed since I left your gracious presence. In that time, I have often yearned for knowledge of your health. As your hands are skilled and your knowledge vast, I am sure that your business thrives and all in Peking are in a state of great health due to your work. How I wish we had acupuncturists of your ability in Shanghai.
The New Year fast approaches, and I find I long to see the soaring temples of Peking again. Plus, I miss the smell of red peony root tincture and the low moans of patients benefiting from your vast experience.
Please accept these humble gifts as a token of my esteem, my most respected parents. Though I am sure none of it compares to what can be found in Peking, I have poured all my skills into purchasing the finest objects in Shanghai. As I did not know your sizes, I have sent seven bolts of silk for fabric and taels of silver to pay the tailor. And because the measurement process would be most tedious, I have included a jade toy elephant for my younger brother to pass the time.
Of course, he must be a tall, handsome figure now, since he always favored our father. Perhaps he is too old to play with such a meager thing. If so, please give it to a young cousin. My brother can enjoy the scroll of Tang poetry I have included instead.
I will be traveling to Peking soon on business for my employer. It would bring such happiness to my heart if I could see what work the Peking tailors accomplished with such average material. In fervent prayer for your continued good health,
Your son,
Ken Jin
~
Jan 13,1892
Dear Sir:
Do not visit; we do not know you. We have only two sons. One, Gao Jin, lives inside the Forbidden City, and is the Emperor's most valued eunuch. The other, Feng Jin, grows daily in studious application of the family craft. Both are filial, devoted children. We would accept nothing less from those we call our own.
Wen Geng Zi
FOR FAINTING:
Apply the fingernail to stimulate the acupoint on the midline two-thirds of the way up between the upper lip and the nose. If a person faints frequently for no apparent reason, medical advice should be sought.
Tong Sing, the Chinese Book of Wisdom
Dr. Charles Windridge
Chapter 8
Ken Jin tried to not tremble in the face of Miss Charlotte's decision. She wished to train as a Tigress, and he had agreed to teach her—not just the beginning, a few exercises while he absorbed her yin tide—but the true path of a Tigress. What arrogance he showed to think he could do this. But she had no other instructor, and he needed her yin. No other woman had ever brought his yang surging to the fore like she did. In short, it was an equitable arrangement; plus, he was well trained in what they would do.
And yet he still quivered in fear. There were risks, even with the most experienced teacher. He had only been the tiniest bit too aggressive with Little Pearl, and she'd wound up hating him for the last decade. Partners lost control all the time. What if he accidentally took Charlotte's virginity? Made her pregnant? What then? How would he feel if Charlotte despised him? What would happen to his job and his family should her parents discover what they did?
The risks terrified him. Yet he knew his path was already set. He had committed to Charlotte yesterday. It had begun the moment he crept into her room last night to shave her as every Tigress shaved. He knew then—though he hadn't admitted it to himself—that she would be his partner in the practice. They would reach Heaven together or fall exhausted and useless back to Earth.
So it would be. He looked at her, his resolution firm. "We will begin tonight," he said. "We need only decide where."
She frowned. "Why not here?"
He looked about the sitting room and shook his head. This space was too open, too available to servant and family member alike. Nor was Charlotte's bedroom appropriate. That was where the girl took her ease, where she relaxed and rested. The location for study had to be different, focused, and uncontaminated by the energies of brother and mother. Typically, the place would be the Tigress school, but with Little Pearl in charge, Ken Jin would not be welcome there. Besides, Charlotte would not leave her brother just yet. So, if they were to begin practice tonight, it would have to be somewhere in or near the house.
"We will go to the library," he finally said. What better place to impress serious discipline than in a room filled with scholarship?
She hesitated. "Ken Jin, we don't have a library."
He smiled. "But you do have a place of books. A place removed from the business of servants and family, where no one would think to search for you."
She shook her head. "No, Ken Jin, we don't."
He sighed. "I refer to the place where your summer gowns are stored. If someone were to discover us, you could simply claim you were looking for some dress or another."
Her brow wrinkled. "But where exactly is that?"
"Behind the house, Miss Charlotte."
She blinked, and then suddenly her eyes widened. "In the gardener's shed?"
"There is a second story and a window that looks toward the house."
"There is not!"
He shrugged. "There is a board that is easily removed. I call it a window."
She turned to stare out of a real window at the back of the estate. "It appears you have made quite a study of this library."
He shrugged. "It has been useful at times. And at night, one can easily monitor what goes on in the house simply by watching the lights."
She nodded sl
owly, her agile mind catching up. "If William wakes, the maid will increase the gaslight. We will be able to see that?"
He nodded. "Quite brightly."
"Papa will not be a problem. If Mama wakes, her bedroom light will come on."
"Your love of the back garden is well known."
"I could claim to be taking a walk."
"Today has been most disturbing for you, has it not?"
She pushed to her feet. "Most disturbing. Very well, let us go."
He said nothing, merely waited for her to lead the way as was her custom even when she had little idea where she was headed. They moved silently through the house and out the back door, and then he had to guide her from behind as they wended their way to the small shed. Small by English standards, of course; a home for seven by Chinese standards.
She was not accustomed to climbing ladders, but managed it well enough in the dark. Soon Charlotte stood in the center of the tiny second-floor storage room while he found and lit a candle that barely illuminated anything beyond dark shadowy trunks, stacked one on top of the other, and an array of pillows and blankets that he quickly arranged.
"You have done this before," she said. Her voice was hushed, and yet it still held a note of accusation.
"The Dragon path requires a great deal of practice. I cannot always be in my rooms in town, nor is my room here adequately locked." He could not help the dry note in his voice.
She tilted her head, her hair slipping across one shoulder. "But you weren't here yesterday when... when..."
"When William interrupted my practice?"
Red tinged her cheeks. "You were using those needles, and your trousers—"
"I remember. Perhaps you do not recall that the gardeners were quite busy that day. Plus, you and William were supposed to be closeted in lessons all morning. I should not have been interrupted."
She looked away, surveying the room. "No," she agreed with a sigh, "you should not have. But William can be fast when he wishes."
"Of course."
The candle was burning, the bedding arranged. Ken Jin had even propped open the loose board in such a way that they could see out but their candlelight was shielded from outsiders. In short, the room was set. Now was the time that he would test her true willingness. After all, many a virgin had balked at the very last moment.
He straightened and turned around. She was already naked. Or rather, not fully naked, but very close. She had removed her dress, and stood before him in corset and stockings. Her shoes were set neatly beside her folded gown, and she was distracting herself by wiggling her toes up and down. Her arms were crossed over her belly, but seemingly more out of cold than modesty. Ken Jin could only stare.
She met his shocked gaze with a lifted chin, followed by a raised eyebrow. "Did you think me inconstant or cowardly?"
Unable to find footing with this bizarre woman, he resorted to his servant persona. He bowed slightly to her and queried, "My lady?"
"Oh, stubble it, Ken Jin. You thought I might walk all the way out here and have second thoughts. That, when it came right down to it, I would not be willing to follow through."
He didn't answer, because that was exactly what he had thought.
She flung her arms wide, all ribboned corset and lacy stockings, creamy white flesh and long well-shaped legs. "But how could you imagine such a thing after last night?"
She clearly meant to bluster her way through. She was not as sanguine as she appeared. He could tell by the way her hands would not stop moving. First they spread wide, and then they fluttered back to her sides, only to again twist together as she folded her arms across her belly. Despite the bravado, she was nervous. Not surprising, really. For all her innocence, she knew that she was about to take a momentous step. On some level, she understood nothing would ever be the same again.
He smiled, though he covered the motion with another bow. "My apologies, Miss Charlotte, but I asked you to remove all your clothing."
She was a silent a moment. He chanced a glance at her face. Her cheeks were flaming, and she bit her lower lip. "But it is so very cold in here."
In truth, it was nothing of the kind; but he did not argue. "You will not be chilled for long."
She didn't answer, and he felt the weight of her stare. Indeed, it was heavy enough that he felt himself straightening in reaction. She was watching him, her eyes narrowed in thought as she idly twirled her hair. "You understand that I want to remain a virgin? I still want to marry someday. After William is settled, and assuming the right gentleman offers..."
He stiffened, insulted. "Were you not safe last night? My restraint is legendary, Miss Charlotte, even among Dragons."
"Of course, of course," she hurried to say. "I meant no insult."
He nodded. "No, Miss Charlotte, you only mean to delay. But it is already late. Like you, I have had a difficult day. So if you do not intend to proceed with the lesson, perhaps..."
That was all the spurring she needed. Her fluttering hands went to her corset and she began to strip it off. But her fingers were too unsteady to complete the task. Fumbled, she grimaced. The ribbons knotted, and she cursed. In the end, he had to help her.
Batting away her hands with a quick flick, he set to work on her ties. He'd had a great deal of practice with underclothing, and so anticipated no trouble. But perhaps it was colder than he'd thought, for his hands were nearly as unsteady as hers.
She was of average height for a white woman, so her breasts were chest-high to him. The corset's hooks marched down the center of the garment, so they were in easy reach, and yet he had to stand nearly atop her to manage the unbinding. Unfortunately, the close proximity flooded his senses with her yin power. Her scent became a foglike smoke around his brain, and the short gasps she released as he tugged seemed to echo in his ears. By necessity, his knuckles brushed across her collarbone and the flesh beneath. And when he tugged at the topmost clasp, her knees bumped into his. Worse, her hips surged forward to briefly jostle his fully wakened dragon.
"Hold still!" he ordered.
"I'm trying!"
Threads from the lace had caught on the top hook, holding the corset closed, though a tiny gap of rounded flesh peeked through. She was looking down as well, and her hands fluttered around his. "Let me—"
"Hold my hips," he ordered.
She stiffened. "I beg your pardon?"
"To hold you still," he practically growled. And to keep her hands and yin-filled scent away from his nose.
"Oh. Of course." He felt her hands on his hips: small palms, long fingers with surprising strength, and a feminine heat that felt like a brand. Ten years from now, he would still be able to feel the exact outline of her fingers and know where Charlotte's power had seared through him.
The clasp finally released. He felt her exhale hot air into his face. Normally that would irritate him; after all, he felt flushed enough. But her breath was different. It smelled of the mint leaves she chewed after meals, and it blew the hair from his eyes. Plus, it distracted him from the soft mounds pressed against the back of his hands as he dug deeper down her corset.
Her breath stopped as she tried to shrink backward to give him more room. Her hands tightened on his hips, and her head dipped forward. But without the release of her breath, the energy built and built until he felt as if his fingers were pressed against living flame.
"Breathe!" he ordered, but his voice came out as a soft whisper of fear. If she burned him now, what would happened after she was purified?
The second corset hook released at the same moment she took a breath. He waited, completely still, for her next exhale. He even closed his eyes to better experience the air passing across his face. When it came, it was like lightning—hot power there and gone in an instant.
He glanced up at her face. She was panting—soft shallow breaths of rising yin. He had to say something to distract her, anything that would slow the yin tide.
"The first time I saw a corset, it was in a shipment to my master
's house." He watched her face for a reaction, but instead fixed on the wet, red sheen of her lips. "Mr. Lewis was a thin man, you understand, with bony hips and a gaunt face, but I thought the corset was for him."
Charlotte's lips pressed together into a frown, but she did not hold the expression long. Her curiosity got the better of her. "Why ever would you think that? The shape, the ribbons, even the colors are all designed for women."
He nodded. "Of course, of course, but I had just begun working for the English. I knew nothing of what you women wore. Mr. Lewis did not bother much with them."
"Then why did he have a corset?"
The third latch released and her breasts dropped into a fuller, more natural position. Ken Jin could not help but smile at the sight. "I thought—mistakenly, of course—that it was a man's cure for impotence." He felt her start in reaction, and he belatedly realized that she might not understand the masculine ailment. "It is a difficulty with a man's dragon. When he has insufficient yang to draw it out, or sometimes it is because of a weak jade stalk."
He heard her tsk, and looked up from the quivering expanse of her belly. "I know what the word means, Ken Jin. But I don't understand why a corset—"
"It presses upon the Sea of Vitality. Here and here." He shifted his hands around her narrow waist to her lower back. Then he pressed two fingers deep into her flesh, about three finger-widths out on both sides of her spine. He felt her gasp at the sudden pressure, but it soon shifted to a sigh as he massaged in tight circles. Then he shifted his hands lower, delving to the tops of her buttocks. "These points on a man relieve impotency, and the corset rests here."
She arched back slightly, forcing him to press deeper.
He waited a moment, then pulled away, sliding his hands back around her waist to her belly.
He should have moved quickly. After all, he was trying to distract her. But the seat of her vitality pulsed with power and he was loath to leave it. Indeed, without conscious thought, he found himself probing deeper into her energy points. Both his thumbs delved into the Sea of Energy, three inches below her navel.