Feigning affront, she stared at him stonily, whichseemed to satisfy him. Without another word he left the room, and Leila slumpedagainst the wall, trying to collect her composure. She needed her wits abouther every step of the way this night.
Guy had been gone no more than a few moments when therewas a sharp knock on the door. She stood back as the manservant carried in fourbuckets of steaming water, while behind himcamethethree serving women with more buckets and some thick towels. The girl broughtup the rear carrying a large, cloth-covered tray; a bag of clinking bottlesslung over her plump shoulder.
Leila went to the window and waited impatiently whilethe buckets were emptied into the tubs and the food and drink were placed onthe table near the bed, where she had already noted an earthenware pitcher andsome tin cups. When she heard the door pulled shut, the servants finally gone,she spun around and flew to the table.
Her hands were shaking as she drew the poppies from hergirdle and crushed them into a tin cup. Then she added some water from thepitcher. Stirring the contents with her finger, she hurried to the brazier andwas relieved to see the coals were glowing bright red. She set the cup uponthem, for the mixture would be useless if it did not first come to a boil andwas then allowed to steep.
Her anxiety mounted as she scrutinized the contents forsigns of bubbling, expecting Guy to walk into the room at any moment anddiscover her furtive plot.
"Please . . . please boil," she beggeddesperately, beginning to think the potent brew would not be ready before hereturned.
She could not believe it when at last therecamea hissing sound as the boiling liquid splashed insidethe cup. Using a fold of hersurcoatto cover herhand, she grabbed the small vessel just as footsteps sounded outside the door.She had barely set the cup beneath the bed and straightened up, busying herselfwith closing the velvet curtains, when Guy entered, carrying a pair ofsaddlebags. He regarded her curiously.
"I expected to find you at your bath, my lady. Theservants came back downstairs almost ten minutes ago."
Leila's heart was pounding so hard she could swear hewould hear it. "I—I did not feel safe. There are so many men in thistavern, and the door was unlocked. I couldn't bolt it for fear you might thinkI had locked it against you . . . so I decided to wait."
"Ah." Guy turned and bolted the door. Hisexpression was somber as he faced her again, his eyes bright with an emotionshe could not place. "There. You are safe. No need to hesitate any longer."Clearing his throat, he strode to the other side of the bed and pulled thecurtains shut, blocking him from her view. "As formyself,"she heard him say as the saddlebags hit the floor with a loud thud, followed byhis hauberk, "I'm going to enjoy this bath while the water is still hot."
Leila winced as the sounds coming from beyond thecurtains told her that he was swiftly undressing. Courage, courage, shereminded herself.
She heard bare footfalls and almost jumped out of herskin when Guy rounded the corner post. Her astonished gaze skipped to hisbraies, the only garment he was still wearing, and a scantyone at that, and back to his face again.
"Y-yes?"
"Your things, my lady." He tossed a saddlebagnear her feet. "I bought you some rose-scented soap. It's what you like,isn't it?"
She gave a small nod.
"Good. You'll find it in the front of the bag."
"Thank you."
He disappeared around the bed, and Leila chewed herlower lip, becoming angry with herself. She would never succeed unless she tookcharge of her emotions! Everything she did from this moment on would have toseem guileless or her plan would fail.
She heard a splash and squared her shoulders, takingseveral deep and steadying breaths. Quickly she shed her clothing until she hadon nothing but her linenchainse, which she guessedmight please him because of the way the thin fabric clung to her body. Stiflinga sudden twinge of apprehension, she moved to the table where a half dozen winebottles stood, silent reminders of her plot.
"Some wine, Lord deWarenne?"she asked, and was not surprised when the sounds of his bathing ceased. Nodoubt he was stunned that she would even think to inquire after his needs. Shehastened with a feasible explanation. "If you'd like I could bring it toyou, otherwise you will have to wait until I finish my bath."
There was a long pause,thenhe said quietly, "As you wish."
Her heart battering against her breast, Leila opened abottle and filled one of the pewter mugs the serving girl had left on thetable. Then she knelt beside the bed and very carefully, very quietly, addedsome of the liquid from the tin cup, taking care that no sediment from thepoppies flowed into the wine. After stirring the drink, she took a tiny sip.She detected no bitterness at all.
Leila rose and walked around the bed, biting her lipsto make them lush and red. Her eyes widened as she cleared the oppositecornerpostand she gasped, her breath frozen in her throat.She was not prepared for the heart-stopping sight that greeted her.
Guy was standing in the water, his long hair slickedback from his forehead, his heavily muscled body lathered with soap. Too lateshe realized he was much, much too large for the tub.
Had he no sense of decency? Why hadn't he wrapped atowel around himself if he knew she would find him like this? "Your—yourwine," she barely managed, her hands trembling as she offered him thebrimming mug.
He took the mug, and she started as his wet fingersbrushed hers. She nervously inched a few steps backward.
She had seen him naked in prison, and partially cladmany times during the past weeks in their shared lodgings, but this time wasdifferent. From the smoldering heat in Guy's eyes, she knew he sensed it, too.Now that she was this close to him, she didn't dare take her eyes from his face.She was afraid of what she might see, even though it was her intent to arousehim.
"Thank you, Leila." He took a long draft,thenlowered the mug. His gaze trailed slowly up her bodyfrom her bare toes to her breasts swelling against thechainse,lingered there, then moved to her parted lips.
Leila unconsciously licked them, feeling that samestrange sensation of inner melting. When he stared into her eyes, his desirewritten plainly for her to see, she wanted to run. But her feet seemed to berooted to the floor.
"Your bath grows cold, my lady."
