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Demelza woke up startled as she rolled toward the edge of the bed, quickly resting her hand on the floor to not to fall. She was not in the comfort of her home, and for a moment she couldn’t remember where she was. While still half-sleeping, she tried to adjust her body on the mattress again, the large windows and the thin curtains, that did little to prevent the light from the street lanterns from sneaking into the room, reminded her. She was in London. She had arrived that morning after five days of traveling with her little and restless children to visit Ross, wishing only to have a good night's rest after sleeping in strange inns and jumping up and down in the hard carriage seat while they traveled the rural roads. But apparently that wasn't going to be possible, she thought as she moved Jeremy's leg aside so she could better accommodate herself. She was completely uncovered, and her son too.
Already fully awake, she looked to the other side of the bed, Clowance slept scattered with open arms and her crisscrossed body occupying more than half of the mattress, her legs and a hand pushing Jeremy towards her, the sheet rolled up at her waist. At first glance, of Ross, she could only see his feet.
Ross, whom his little daughter had also almost thrown to the floor as soon as the night began, had changed position, with his head now resting on the foot of the bed. He was the only one who was well covered, the only thing she could see were his dark curls. Demelza sighed and prompted Jeremy a little more towards the center of the bed, cover him with the sheet as much as possible and tried to go back to sleep.
But it was not possible.
Demelza opened her eyes again looking at the ceiling. In the gloom of the first hours of the day she tried to hear where those strange noises came from. A rhythmic sound, mumbled voices and ... stifled laughter... Judas! Were Kitty and Ned...? Ross had invited the Despards to stay with them in the lodgings he rented and they had taken the room next to theirs, the one Ross had reserved for Clowance and Jeremy to sleep. And now, now, was she listening to them make love? Well this t'int right, t'int fair, t'int proper! As Prudie would say.
The noises became faster and the moans more evident. Judas! She thought again. Demelza looked at the children praying they didn't wake up and covered her face with her arm trying not to listen, but it was useless. "Ross." She murmured in the direction of her husband very slowly so as not to wake her children, "Ross ... Ross!" But Ross gave no sign of waking up. Carefully, she raised her head a little and next to Jeremy she saw the ragdoll with which Clowance always insisted on sleeping, and that she always dropped as soon as she fell asleep. With much stealth, she took it in her hand over Jeremy's body and after aiming, threw it towards her husband's head.
Ross woke up alarmed and unearthed his face from under the sheet. When he was face to face with the little red-haired doll, he threw her over his shoulders and she went to land on the ground.
"Ross..." Demelza whispered again, this time finding his sleepy eyes.
“What's the matter?” Said exasperated when he realized that it was she who threw him the doll and also muttering so as not to wake the other occupants of the bed.
Demelza, even more irritated by his reaction, touched her ear with her index finger and then lifted it, pointing to the Despards' room, telling Ross to listen.
She saw him do it for a few moments until his eyes widened when he realized what he was hearing. The noises still continued, and Ross had to bite his lips to keep from laughing. “Ross… Ross!” She scolded him at seeing him laughing and dropped her head back on the pillow, the sounds were really inappropriate.
She looked at him again with withering eyes.
“What do you want me to do?” He whispered still amused and raising his shoulders.
Demelza, even angrier, pointed at the children.
"Don't worry, they're going to ve over soon.” He said, unable to contain the laughter.
“Ross Ross!” And after a couple more groans, silence surrounded them. Demelza looked at him with all the hate she could muster, as if it had been his fault. And to tell the truth, it was. He had invited them to stay there. Their next trip to the city was supposed to be to enjoy it as a family, and now she had two strangers living with them and making love in the next room when she couldn't even sleep hugging her husband because the bed was full of children. Angry, she whirled on the bed and turned her back to him.
Silently, Ross uncovered himself, knelt on the bed and crawled over to his wife's feet.
Demelza heard him move and felt the mattress sink under his weight. Then she felt his hands caressing his feet. “Don't get mad Demelza, can you blame them? Ned has been in prison for months.” He whispered touching his ankles.
“Couldn't you have rented them a room somewhere else?” She replied without moving.
“I want to keep an eye on him, so he doesn't get into more trouble...” and with a quick look at his children to make sure they were still asleep, he added: “If the kids were not here now, we would do a competition to see who does more noise.”
“Ross!!” Demelza turned quickly to see that the children were sleeping and couldn’t hear the foolish things their father was saying while Ross kept stroking up his hands over her bare legs. “Ross, what are you doing?!” Demelza tried to take his hands off, but he was still laughing. “You're going to wake them up!”
"Fine, fine…" Ross stopped. Sitting on his heels, he stared at her for a moment and then crawled back up on the mattress, between her and Jeremy, moving the child even further to the side. Jeremy finally raised his head and opened one eye.
"Move a little Jeremy." He said.
“I can't… Clowance.”
“Push her.”
"We're very squash in here.” Said the boy, but he managed to move his sister and make some space for Ross to fit alongside Demelza. His parents heard his calm breathing immediately, indicating that he had fallen asleep again.
Ross took Demelza by the waist and pulled her close to his body. Demelza turned and rested her head on his chest.
"I almost fell down the bed." Ross kissed her forehead and she raised her lips for him to kiss them too.
"Hold on tight to me, my love. I won't let you fall.” Demelza obeyed and went back to sleep comfortably next to her husband.