“I’ll do that. Lean your head back.”
At her commanding tone, he did as she wished, the soapy water covering his nakedness for the most part. “Liss, what’s wrong?”
Her hand moved the soap through his wet hair then began to massage his scalp. “Nothing’s wrong.”
Now that was a lie. “I thought we didn’t lie to each other.”
She pushed his head forward. “Dunk.”
He waited, and when she didn’t say anything else, he did as she asked. When he lifted his head again, he found her pouring a kettle of boiling water into a half-filled bucket of cold. “You don’t have to serve me. The valet can do that.”
Instead of answering, she strode toward him.
He barely had time to close his eyes before she dumped the bucket of warm water over his head. He wiped his eyes then turned to speak to her, but she was across the room at the armoire. It was not like her to avoid him. It wasn’t like her to avoidanything. “Lissa, come here.”
She turned quickly. “Has the bath grown cold? Let me get the towel.”
He shook his head, not that she saw, since she’d already moved to lift the towel from the bed.
When she approached, he sensed that she would retreat once again, so instead of talking, he rose from the water.
Her gaze flowed over his body like the water as if she touched him, which sent his body into a sexual alert. As she stepped closer, she lifted the towel. He stepped from the tub and, instead of grabbing the towel, grabbed her to him.
Surprisingly, she didn’t fight him, but wrapped the towel around him.
“Lissa, you’ve never been afraid to tell me what’s on your mind. Why are you afraid now?”
She stopped rubbing his back, but didn’t look at him. “I’m not afraid. I’m just angry.”
Yes, she was angry, but there was more to it. “What are you angry about?”
She squirmed to be released, and he let her go, but the towel went with her and she didn’t move far. Her gaze once again moved over him, but this time it was as if she were making sure all his limbs were still present.
He needed to try another tack. Holding his arms out, he cocked his head. “Am I acceptable?”
Her gaze flew to his and color came into her cheeks.
That shocked him, as he’d never seen her embarrassed. Something was definitely wrong.
She threw the towel at him and turned around. “How am I to know if you’re acceptable? First, you’re a soldier, and now you’re a peer. I certainly don’t know. What would I know about what is acceptable?”
He scooped up the towel and wrapped it around his hips before striding to stand in front of her. “I’m your friend, or I thought I was.”
She searched his face as if looking for something. “Oui. Mon amifrom France. The only one who knows my past.” Her forehead puckered. “I did not like that you were so cold. I do not want you to die.”
By the way she said it, he could tell she’d never thought of his dying before. He found that remarkable, as their escapades in France had put them in danger more times than not. Why was it an issue now?
She crossed her arms over her chest. “You were as cold as my grandfather’s corpse. I don’t know how you can still be alive.”
A clue. “Your grandfather? I didn’t know you knew your grandfather.”
Her shoulders relaxed and a soft smile played upon her lips as she looked toward the window. “Grand-pére let me go everywhere with him. He defended me from my parents and taught me so much.” Her smile disappeared. “One day, when I was but seven, he made me stay home, saying he had animportant errand and I could not come. I was heartbroken. I wailed after he left and would not listen to anyone. I watched for him at the road, but as night fell and he didn’t return, my father made me go inside.”
His stomach tensed at what he was sure would come.
“The next day, my family grew worried and we started to search. We took the road and searched through the woods.” Her gaze met his. “I found him. He was lying on the ground, his back to me, and I thought him asleep. I ran to him and hugged him.” Even as she spoke, she shivered. “I hugged him, but he was so cold. I didn’t understand. I shook him and he rolled over.”
As if she were living the horror over again, her eyes widened and her mouth opened, but no sound emerged.
