Perch said,“We’re not like you and your woman. It’s just a business of the flesh. She doesn’t want me like that. She still wants her man back in Eccleston, but he’s probably dead.”
“Remember you have to marry her in a few moons,” Alric added.
There was a pause and then Perch said, “It be no love pairing, but I do not mind having only her for the rest of my days. This is how I think you see your lady wife.”
Alric grumbled something, but I could not make out the words.
“You should have seen his reaction to her in her summer dress,” chimed in Thatcher. “Unbelievable cock up. Behaved like a complete arsehole. Started yelling at her for buying too many flowers.”
“I did not yell at my wife,” said my husband.
Thatcher kept talking over the sound of Perch’s laughter. “And the lady was having none of it. Poor woman, trying to cool off in the summer heat. Minding her own business. He probably ruined her whole day. He’s lucky she agreed to sit with him and his family that night.”
“Oh that was The Rush of Flowers,” said Perch. “Then we found you outside on your knees. Begging her for her forgiveness.”
“I was not on my knees.”
“I think he would like to be on his knees,” said Thatcher, “if his head was between—”
Alric raised his voice over Thatcher, but remained without emotion, “I will give you each a week of my pay to let me be. I beg you.”
“Done,” said Perch and there was a surge of water that sounded like he stood up.
“Oh, brother, no need for coin,” Thatcher sang. “I know you are in hell.”
Alric replied but I could not make it out.
I had risen out of the bath, carefully so as not to make any noise in the water and wrapped myself in linens, sitting up against the wall that separated this bath from the men’s. My ear was pressed to the stone, eager to hear their conversation. Now there was no sound. I went to stand when I heard a sigh from above my head. I garnered he was standing out of the water. Then I heard a second sigh, this one deeper. The third sigh told me he pleasured himself.
I imagined him standing against the stone wall, his left hand pushing against it for purchase while he pumped himself with his right. The image was exquisite in my mind, all that bone and sinew, always so contained now loosened by lust. I leaned my head against the wall. Did he think of me? I had certainly thought of him in here.
I pulled down the linen around me down, exposing my breasts. He had accidentally cupped the left and my left hand mimicked where his right hand had been.
“Edith,” came his voice in a whisper I could barely hear.
He thought of me. He was thinking of me. He wanted me. I was drunk on this revelation, dizzy with this awareness. I reached my right hand down to my right breast and gave an unbridled moan when both my thumbs grazed both my nipples.
There was a splash and then there was a rush of air from the other side of the wall, like he was trying to catch his breath. “Edith?” he panted. “Is that you?”
My hands left my breasts and covered my mouth. Gods, I had been too loud.
“Edith? Are you there?” His words were low and horrified.
I was stunted in my arousal and mortified. I tried to recount if, in the two instances of his being down here, we had heard men’s voices from their baths, if he knew the exact location of this chamber. There had been plenty of Procurer contenders bathing that first time, but he had been in such a state of exhaustion I did not remember him commenting on it. Perhaps he did not know it was possible for me to be on the other side of the men’s wall. But then I remembered that he had used this bath during my week at the orchardists’ and had most likely heard voices through the wall.
70. Knelling
I waited until I was sure he was gone and then, having time before the morning meal, I decided I should wash my hair, which was a mistake. My hair took a half day to dry out of a braid crown and I had never worn it down at the temple. I dried it with my linens as much as I could and braided it down one side. I put on a shift, stays and the teal dress. I returned to the room to belt on my sagaris and leather apron and joined my friends on their way to the dining hall.
Mischa and Helena had been gracious about my likely being in love and had not brought it up to me since. But on our way to the dining hall, I grabbed Helena’s hand and held her back.
“Please make sure we sit with our backs to all the army tables.”
Without questioning me, she nodded.
We sat as such and under the conversation of others, she asked, “Are you well?”
“I do not know.”
