A Late Sniffly Honeymoon (Poldark, Demelza / Ross)

[kiku]

Phheeww... it's finished! 😀 And I'm wide awake although this is way past my bed time... LOL, I don't care! I couldn't stop the flow! 😊

This story is dedicated to @Jess Starseed1111

Disclaimer: This is a work of fanfiction. The characters Demelza and Ross Poldark belong to the BBC and Winston Graham. I do not claim any ownership over them.

………………………………………………………………………….

In his hotel room in London, Ross Poldark impatiently stared out of the window into the pouring rain. It was slowly getting dark.

Demelza, his beloved wife, should be here by now!

She had sent him a letter telling him she would leave Nampara House on the third of November. Today was the seventh. Ross knew it usually took four days from Cornwall to London by carriage. If only she would arrive safely!

A wistful sigh escaped his lips as he thought about the precious couple of weeks he was going to spend with Demelza here, in London, where he was now working for the Parliament. Such a precious time… just for the two of them! They urgently needed that time together, as a couple. Their children, seven-year-old Jeremy and four-year-old Clowance, were in the loving care of Prudie, their headstrong, but very loyal housekeeper.

A knock on the door startled him out of his musings. Hurrying to open the door, he was torn between joy and shock when he saw what state Demelza was in – soaking wet, trembling, teeth chattering as she tried to smile. “Ross!” she said faintly, pushing the drippy, long strands of her beautiful red hair out of her face. “Oh my God, I’ve missed you so…”

“Demelza!” His arms went around her, and he pulled her into the room, kissing her. “Oh, darling, you’re icy cold and dripping wet! Quick, let’s get you out of those wet clothes – you’ll catch your death of a cold! What happened?” He quickly took off his jacket and wrapped it around his freezing, drenched wife. Then, he noticed Demelza actually didn’t have any luggage with her. “The carriage company…” She sniffled, pulling Ross’s jacket more tightly around her trembling body, “… is going to send me everything tomorrow… my clothes… haaaaEEESSSHHHOOH!” The fierce sneeze seemed to have taken her by surprise, as she abruptly turned away from Ross, spraying the air around her since both of her hands were busy clasping her husband’s jacket around herself.

“God bless you! Wait a moment…” Realizing there was no time to lose, Ross hastily gathered all the blankets and duvets he could find in his luxurious hotel room, helped his wife get rid of her wet coat, dress, and underwear, and enfolded her in several layers of thick, warm cloth. Then, after pushing the small, comfortable sofa right in front of the crackling fireplace, he sat down with her, hugging her tightly, offering additional warmth through his body.

“So, my love…” he said softly, kissing her damp hair as she snuggled against his chest. “Now tell me what happened to the carriage.”

“It had a breakdown early this morning,” Demelza said in a voice that sounded more nasal than usual. “A wheel broke. The coachman couldn’t fix it and told me we would have to wait for help, but I couldn’t wait!” She sniffled lightly, wrinkling her nose. “So I persuaded the coachman to lend me one of his horses – there were four of them – and I rode like the devil!”

Baffled, Ross stared at his wife. “You rode all the way… since this morning??”

“I wanted to be with you as quickly as possible!” Raising her head from his chest, Demelza looked at him with that fire in her blue eyes he loved so much. “I couldn’t just sit there and wait… and the weather was not so bad when I set off. It started to rain a bit later…”

“Oh, sweetheart, what did you do…” Shaking his head, Ross tried not to get upset at Demelza’s foolhardy decision. Hell knows what could have happened to her!... But his joy at having her back, safely in his arms, was stronger.

“I am all right now, dear. I feel so warm and comfortable now, with you…” Demelza said, sniffling again and rubbing her nose. Then she froze, her face contorted, and she gasped shakily: “Aghhh… aahhh…. haaaaGGHHHIIISSSHHHuuh!” she sneezed forcefully into her hand she was pressing to her nose.

“Bless you!”

“Thah… haaahhh…. haaaaaGGHHIISSSHHahh!... HhhnnnNEEESSHHagh!... NNEEESSHHooogh!... NNEEEESSSHHHahh!”

“Oh!!!... Oh, darling, you’ve caught a chill out there!” He looked at her with concern.

Still pressing her hand to her nose, Demelza nodded with a sigh. “I’m afraid so…” She sniffled wetly, wrinkling her nose. “sniff* Oh, Ross, I need a haahhh… handkerchief…” She hectically looked around, pinching her nose as her breath was hitching.

“Wait, dear. I’ll get one for you!” He was about to get up to search the drawers of his cupboard, but Demelza’s desperate, sniffly gasps told him her nose was overflowing, and her next outburst of sneezing – probably more than just one sneeze – would create a mess which would make her very uncomfortable.

“Aahhhh… oh, Ross, I neeeehhhh…”

Spontaneously, Ross tore off his cravat in a single, powerful movement. Without thinking any further, he cupped the white piece of cloth to his wife’s sniffly, quivering nose. Not having any time to worry about what she was doing, Demelza gratefully buried her nose in the clean cloth and immediately felt her urge to sneeze completely take control of her. “HaaaIISSHHagh!... HaaaIIISSSHHOO!... EeehhhIISSHHEEWW!... HeeehhhhIIISSSSHHH!... Hyyahhh---HaaaaaaEEEESSSHHHOO! *sniff* uhhhaahh... HaaaGGGHHHHIIISSHHagh!”

“Oh, good heavens!” Ross breathed as the cascade of wet, snorting sneezes burst into the cloth he was holding… the cravat-turned-handkerchief. “Give your nose a good blow, my love.”

Sniffling, her nose still buried in the cravat, Demelza looked up at him. “But it’s your good cravat…” Her eyes squinted, and he felt her nostrils flare and twitch through the cloth.

“Don’t worry, darling. It can be washed.”

Demelza blew her nose thoroughly, then another forceful sneeze burst into the cloth, followed by another one, and another one.

“God bless you… and again!” Ross said softly, wiping his wife’s nose, looking at her closely. Her blue eyes looked tired, and her nose… this beautiful, striking nose that matched her delightful face so perfectly, had turned red. It twitched slightly, and her finely shaped nostrils flared. Quickly, Ross held the cravat to her nose again to catch another bout of wet, harsh sneezes. “Aaghh…” she sniffled embarrassedly. “Sorry, Ihhh… YYYEEESSSHHuugh!”

“My, my. That’s a bad catarrh you’ve got!” Tenderly, he dabbed the cloth to her reddened nostrils.

Sighing, she scrunched up her nose. “Thank you, darling. But you don’t have to worry about me. *sniff* A simple head cold won’t kill me, Ross. Remember, I am a tough woman! I’m not a delicate lady who’s sitting at home all day long, doing embroidery and chatting prettily about gardening, and things like that… I’m a miner’s daughter, and I’ve learnt to be strong! I won’t be beaten by a little sniffling and… huhhhh…”

Despite his concern, Ross couldn’t help chuckling. This was the Demelza he knew and loved – the proud, feisty girl who had come to his house as a scullery maid, and had little by little transformed into a stunning, enchanting woman who could easily hold her own in the upper class.

“I know you are a strong woman, my love. But please, let me help you take care of that beautiful nose of yours! This cravat is uhh… fully used now, so I’ll get a real hanky for you.”

Agreeing with a smile, Demelza happily accepted her husband’s help, and snuggled into his arms again while Ross told her about his work in London.

Little by little, Demelza’s nose swelled up, and her voice sounded even stuffier than before. She blew her nose to get rid of the congestion – but all that came out was air, and the blowing made the tickle in her nose even worse. “Haahhh... haaahhh... hyaaaghhh...“ she gasped, her nostrils flaring widely, but the sneeze got stuck. She scrubbed tightly at her nose, but the tickle would not fade. Again and again, her breath hitched as a sneeze built up in her nose – but it failed to come out. “Aghhhh, by nosehhh… heghhh…” Demelza’s nose wrinkled and wiggled with the torturous itch; her nostrils were flaring to a size Ross had never before seen on her.

“Let me help you,” he whispered, mesmerized, holding up a fresh hanky. Very softly, he laid his fingertips on his wife’s cold-stricken nose and began to tickle it. “Aaaahhhh…” Demelza’s sneezy expression got more intense, and her breath hitched. Ross let his fingertips glide around his wife’s widened nostrils, teasing them gently with light, feathery movements. “Haaahhh… hyyaahhh… haaaaaeeeYYYEEESSSHHOOH!... HEEEEYYYIIISSSHHHaagh!” she sneezed snortingly into the hanky Ross held for her. “Agh, thaggks!”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart,” he whispered. But the effect was short-lived – Demelza’s nose built up one sneeze after another that stubbornly got stuck, making her exhale with frustration again and again.

Suddenly, a powerful knock startled them both. “Captain Poldark??!” A loud, booming female voice sounded through the door. “Your bath is ready!!!”

“Oh!... I had totally forgotten about that!” Jumping up, Ross rushed to the door, while Demelza, panicking, leapt into the big four-poster bed, hastily pulling the curtains shut around her. She was naked after all, wrapped in a few blankets! Cautiously peeping through a crack in the curtains, she saw a severe looking, matronly woman marching in, carrying two big covered buckets, obviously containing hot water.

“Thank you, Miss... uhhhh…”

“Valkyria. Everybody calls me that.” She dragged the buckets into the bathroom. Protesting, Ross tried to take the heavy load away from the woman to do the work himself, but Valkyria didn’t want to hear any of it. After a quick, brisk curtsy she left the room, with her head held high. Just like Prudie! Ross shook his head with a grin, then called, “Darling, you can come out now! Look – this is exactly what you need. A nice hot bath. The hot steam will be good for your nose!“

And, indeed – as soon as Demelza glided into the hot water, the steam opened up her nasal passages, and she could breathe again. At the same time, the tickle in her nose intensified abruptly, it raged inside her whole nasal cavities right down to her nostrils, making them twitch and flare. Just barely in time, she managed to grab a washcloth to press against her nose before she launched into a massive sneezing fit. “Hah—haaaaEESSSHHHooh!... HaaaIIISSSHHOO!... Haghh... hehhhhIIISSSSSHHHOO!... HeeeIIISSSHHH!... HaaaaIIISSSHHagh! *sniff* Aghhh, mby nosehhh... HaaaaIIISSSHHOO!... HennNIIISSHHah!... HaaaaIISSHHHOO!... HaaaIIISSHHHOO!... EEEESSHHHOOHH!” She managed to blow her nose thoroughly, and Ross, frozen with amazement at the avalanche of sneezes, quickly handed his cold-stricken wife a fresh washcloth. “Thahhh... hyyeghhh... haaaaaEEEESSHHKKH!... HaaaIIIISSSHHugh!... HuuhhhhAAASSHHOOH!... HaaaaAAASSSHHHHHOOH! ... *sniff* Aghh, mby nose is ticklinguhhh... hhhh... HennNIISSHHah!... HunnnGGGHHHEEEESSSHHHagh! ... NNNNEEEEESSSSHHHoogh!“

“Oh, sweetheart...“ Getting dizzy with excitement, he knelt down beside the tub, approached his sneezing wife, and softly removed the washcloth with his left hand – then he laid his index finger on her reddened, twitchy nose. “Poor, poor nose… Will you let me take care of that ferocious tickle?”

She quickly turned aside because she had to sneeze again, but Ross’ finger pressed gently against her flaring nostrils, and she exhaled shakily. “Aaghh thangks... *sniff*“

Unable to believe his luck, he trembled. He was actually touching her nose – his wife’s beautiful nose – which was now tickling badly due to a nasty cold, and he was actually helping her to stop sneezing! It was like a dream! “Does that feel good, my love?“ He started rubbing her reddened, twitchy nose.

“Ooohhhh yes... please go on!“ Wiggling her nose, she pressed her sensitive, widely flaring nostrils to his rubbing fingers. “Ahhhh... this feels so good...“ she sighed, feeling his gentle fingers massaging her tickly nose. “Ahhh... I’m going tohhhh.... hennnnNNGGHIIISSSHHahh... sorry!“ She was devastated because she had sneezed on his fingers that were still rubbing her nose.

“No worries, darling! Here you go...“ He took a fresh hanky and cupped it around her nose. “Blow. And if you need to sneeze, just let it out, my love!“

Touched by his loving care, she blew her nose, which caused the tickle to get stronger again, so she sneezed violently again and again. “I... haaaaIIIISSHHHOOgh! *sniff* I deed to blow by ndosehhhh... haaaaEEESSSHHOOOOHH!“

“Do as you wish, my love. I’ll get you a fresh hanky after that!“

She blew her nose thoroughly again, and he disposed of the sodden hanky, managing just in time to hold a fresh one to his wife’s widened, red-rimmed nostrils before the next bout of sneezes burst forth.

“Bless you, bless you, bless you, darling... Bless you... And bless you.“ He gently rubbed her nose with the hanky. “The water’s getting cold. We’d better get you out of the tub now before your cold gets worse.“

Closing her eyes, smiling dreamily, Demelza enjoyed the warm, thick towel being wrapped around her body. Tenderly, Ross dried herself, and led her back to the four-poster bed. Seeing she was beginning to freeze again, he quickly covered her with the blankets.

“Thanks, my love… *sniff*… Ooohh, my feet are still a bit cold…”

Ross smiled as a sparkle appeared in his eyes. “I’ve got something for you.” He opened the top drawer in the big cabinet next to the bed. “I was going to give them to you later, but…”

“Ohhhh… Ross!” Demelza’s blue eyes widened with blissfulness as she saw what her husband showed her. “They are… so beautiful!” she whispered. It was a pair of white silk stockings with tiny ornaments of flowers woven into them.

“I knew you would love them.” Overjoyed at her reaction, Ross knelt down beside the bed, aand gently reached for her legs. “Always at your service, my lady,” he breathed as he carefully slid the first stocking on her right foot, slowly, tenderly pulling it up her leg. Then he did the same with the other stocking, gently caressing her.

“Ross…” Demelza whispered. “I love you.”

“I love you, my heart.” His lips found hers, and they got lost in a long, passionate kiss, until she suddenly turned away as a forceful sneeze shook her.

“Bless you, my love!”

“Heghhh… sorryyhhhh… heeehhhIIISSSHHOO!... HHEEEEYYEESSHHOOH!... HaaAAHH… ahhh.” Closing her eyes, she exhaled with relief as she felt Ross’ finger on her nose again, gently massaging it. Lying still, she enjoyed his soothing touch on her itchy, cold-stricken nose. A moment later, she said, “Darling, maybe I’d better sleep in a separate room? I’m afraid I’ll be sniffling and sneezing all night long! Aghhh... haaaEEESSSHHHHaahh!...  HennnNNEEESSSHHHHagh!... HaaaIIIISSSSHHHHAAAH!... AaaaaaIIIISSSHHHHHugh!“

“Bless you, sweetheart!“ He gently rubbed her tickly nose again. “I’ll be happy to listen to your sniffling and sneezing all night long!“

She gave him a delighted, affectionate smile, while her nose twitched again. “Ross… this holiday we’re spending together will be so much fun. Even with a nasal catarrh!”

Playfully kissing her nose which abruptly made her sneeze again, he returned her smile. “This will be our long postponed honeymoon. At last!”

[kiku]

@Jess Starseed1111 LOL Awwwww, YOU are so amazing with the wonderful feedback you're giving me! 💕🌸🥰 Thank you so much, dear! ❤️ *You* have made my day, and my week so far, and you should see the big happy smile on my face right now! *sending a big hug your way* 😚

I'm happy you liked the dedication! BTW, did you notice I dedicated the Elizabeth / George story to you too? I just had to do it since you inspired me to write these stories! 🌷

LOL, when you mentioned the other day you like the cravats, I just knew I had to make Ross use his as a hanky for Demelza's sniffly, sneezy nose... 😀

And maybe you remember the beautiful stocking scene in series 2? That's what gave me the idea about the stockings here. 🫠

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTcBQL4AUzU

Again, thank you so much - you have no idea how much your feedback means to me! ❤️🧡💛

[kiku]

@Jess Starseed1111 LOL, you're so cute with the fire hydrant alarm! 🤣

Thanks for the lovely gif! For some reason, the clip I posted above shows only as a link, but oh well, what counts is that it can be viewed if anyone likes. 😊

Again, thanks a million times for your kind and encouraging words! ❤️😚❤️

I hope you won't be tooooooo disappointed that I'm not planning right now to write more Poldark stories - it's very well possible that I'll write more in the future, but for now, I first want to post my original stories here little by little. I must admit my favourite characters are the ones I created myself because I have more creative liberty with their noses! 😅

Oh, and I'm an expert in daydreaming. 🤩☄️🌞

[kiku]

@Jess Starseed1111 OK, good to know the stocking link worked; I hadn't tried it myself yet. 😊

Feel free to let me know how you like my stories I posted here on the original fiction board, whenever you feel up to it. ❤️