“You are right. What about going to Bath? They have more Roman Baths there.”
“I don’t know. I’ll have to make some inquiries about that. But first, I want to find another place here in London. It would be the most convenient. Tomorrow morning, I’ll start searching.”
“Where will you search?”
“I’ll start in Limehouse. The establishments may not be as luxurious, but at least I don’t think we will face as much opposition there.”
“Isn’t Limehouse a predominantly Asian neighborhood?”
“That is my understanding, yes.”
Her eyes lit up with interest. “Would you take me with you? I’d like to visit there.”
“Why, my lady? It’s not as nice as Mayfair.”
“Because I want to learn as much as I can about Chinese culture.”
The unspoken declaration was that she wanted to learn as much as she could about him. He didn’t want to analyze the warm emotion her veiled declaration inspired in him.
CHAPTER 6
AlthoughhepromisedEstherhe would take her to Limehouse, Wang had no intention of taking her there before he did a thorough reconnaissance of the area by himself. He knew there were many hardworking Chinese immigrants living there, and he even hoped to obtain some herbs and medicines from his homeland.
But he wasn’t naïve. The neighbourhood was in the East End. Poverty and crime were not the same thing, but they often went hand in hand. Gangs operated on those streets, and multiple opium dens flourished beyond the reach of the law.
If he found adequate facilities they could use, he then had to ascertain if it was safe to bring Esther here. She had shown an interest in his culture, and it touched him. Even Hartfield had expressed little interest beyond the medical field. But Esther wanted to learn about everything. The food, the customs, the music, the religion. Her curiosity knew no bounds. He appreciated it and wanted to share everything that had shapedhim with her. But he didn’t want her experience of his culture to be one of violence and crime.
Therefore, after locating a newly constructed bathhouse in the neighborhood, he went in for a visit. This was not nearly as luxurious as the facilities on The Strand. Those catered to a wealthy clientele and were designed for a pampering experience. In contrast, the one in Limehouse was purely utilitarian. It featured private bath cubicles and laundry facilities. This was not for pampering the elites, but for working-class people who couldn’t afford running water in their homes to get clean and wash their clothes.
But it also featured a pool, and that was exactly what he needed. Alas, the water was cold. And it wouldn’t be private. The best they could do was to go when the bathhouse saw less traffic. Which was midmorning. At that time, the working-class patrons were at their jobs and only a few elderly people visited the baths. Although it wouldn’t be as comfortable as the previous baths, it was the best option they had found at the moment, and he felt inclined to take it, as he didn’t want to interrupt the treatment. The morning time was also safer. He was perfectly capable of defending himself in even worse neighborhoods, but he wouldn’t put Esther in danger.
To his surprise, Esther showed absolutely no reluctance about the new accommodations. It could even be said she was enthusiastic about them. She got into the pool without a complaint, even though goosebumps rose on her arms, and her breath caught as the cold water enveloped her.
But her determination to perform the exercises warmed her soon enough. She had donned a heavier and more proper bathing garment, but by now her legs had regained enough strength that she could manage the heavier pieces.
“I shall need sustenance after all these exercises, Mr. Wang,” she announced as their session drew to an end and he carriedher out of the pool and towards the women’s dressing room where her maid awaited to help her get dressed. “I have not broken my fast yet.”
“Of course, my lady. We shall not dally in here, for the establishment has no private room in which I could perform the acupuncture and massage. We shall go straight home so that you can partake of breakfast with your family.”
“Oh, that is not what I had in mind. In any case, they would have finished breakfast by now. What I meant is that I would like to sample Chinese cuisine. Isn’t there an establishment nearby where you could take me for luncheon?”
“Oh… I don’t know, my lady. You may not like it.”
She smiled, and it felt as if the sun was shining on him, warming places in his soul that had long been cold and desolate.
“I trust you to introduce me to the culinary delights of your people.”
There were many delights he would like to introduce her to, and none of them were culinary in nature. Perhaps the delight of his lips dancing upon hers? Skimming along her elegant spine and lower still, over the gentle slope of her backside that he had never seen uncovered, but had nevertheless featured in his fantasies from the first moment he had her unclothed under his hands. After he feasted on the luscious mounds, maybe then he would turn her about and start by kissing the arch of her foot, and proceed up her leg to the center of her… He wasn’t sure if he was completely successful in containing the groan that image tore from his chest.
He hurried over to the entrance of the dressing room, where the maid waited with her wheelchair and placed her delicately on it. She looked at him with a puzzled expression, as if she was trying to decipher what he was thinking. Pray she never found out. If she did, she would lose all trust in him, and then he wouldn’t be able to continue helping her.
“I will see what I can arrange, my lady,” he said succinctly as her maid wheeled her away.
Halfanhourlater,Wang wheeled her into a small Chinese dining room. Tucked into a narrow, cobbled street near the baths, with a red lacquered signboard adorned with elegant golden Chinese characters hanging above the doorway, the place appeared to be a cozy establishment. Her wheelchair just fit through the door, but inside, there was nowhere to move. Tables and stools occupied most of the space.
This had been a bad idea. Her cumbersome wheelchair could never navigate the cramped space, and even if Wang carried her inside, she could never sit without support in one of the stools. At least not for long.
An older man wearing a simple tunic and trousers greeted them in what she assumed was Chinese language, and Wang responded in the same tongue. A lively exchange started between the two men. Esther didn’t even try to hide her fascination as she listened to the musical lilt of their conversation, even if she couldn’t understand a word of it.
