Armenia straightened in the tub, pulled her knees to her chest, and wrapped her arms around her legs.“I dismissed Marcella after she finished my hair,” she replied, turning her head in an attempt to discover what he was doing.
Patrick plucked a linen from atop the stack and shook it out.“She’s done a beautiful coiffure,” he remarked.“But don’t you usually bathe first and then have your hair done?”
Blinking several times when he moved to stand next to the edge of the tub, the linen held up so it hid his face from her, she scoffed.“Sì, usually,” she replied.“But I decided I wished to bathe after she had already finished it.I was not thinking straight this morning.”
He dropped the linen a fraction, his gaze studying the fabric.“This isn’t linen,” he murmured thoughtfully.Realizing what she had said had him dropping the bath linen more, and he furrowed his brows.“Why weren’t you thinking straight?”
Armenia stared at him a moment.“Because I didn’t remember I was to expect you until she had already finished.”She lifted an arm.“Help an old lady to stand, will you?”
“Old lady?”he repeated, glancing around the bathing chamber.“I don’t see anyone matching that description.”
She glanced up at him, her expression unreadable.“Perhaps you require spectacles.”
“Ha ha,” he replied.Doing her bidding required he drop one corner of the towel so he could offer a hand.He tried not to look as she stood, her other hand gripping the edge of the tub until she was on her feet.
Noting the tub was elevated due to the clawfeet located at the four corners, he feared she might be injured should she slip during her attempt to get out of it.“From wherever did you get this tub?”he asked.
“I had it shipped from Holland,” she replied.
“Cast iron?”he guessed.What other material could it be made from that would allow it to have feet?Unless she’d had a sculptor carve it from marble, and it didn’t appear to be made of stone.
“Yes, and the towels are made of cotton,” she said on a huff, obviously not impressed he would notice.She watched as he recaptured the other corner of the towel and held it up to wrap it around her.He took another from the stack, shook it out, and tossed it over one of his shoulders.“What are you...?”She couldn’t finish the sentence when he simply scooped her into his arms and lifted her from the tub.
“Apologies, but I think this is safer for you,” he said.“Where....where do you dress?”
“You’re going to be soaked through,” she said in dismay.
“It’s merely water...isn’t it?”
“Well, I didn’t add any oils to the bath water, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Good.That will make it less likely I’ll drop you.”
She scoffed, her attention on the open doorway.“Through there and into my bedchamber,” she said, pointing with a forefinger.“Although Icanwalk.I shouldn’t want you to hurt your back.”
“You’re light as a feather.Tall, but...”He hefted her, which had her crying out in surprise.“Light.”
“I cannot help my height,” she said as he angled her through the door and into the sitting room.
“Nor should you.It suits you,” he said.“Makes you appear statuesque.”
“What’sthatsupposed to mean?”she asked, sounding defensive.
“You look like a Roman goddess.You’re an aristocrat, are you not?When you stand, you don’t slouch like some of the other tall women tend to do, as if they think it’s fashionable to...”He paused on the threshold of the arched opening into the bedchamber.A maid had already seen to making the canopied bed, its red velvet counterpane topped with a number of satin-covered pillows.
“Fashionable to?”she prompted.
He glanced down at her, and for the first time since they had left the bathing chamber, he realized she had lifted her arm to grip his shoulder, as if she thought he might lose his hold on her.“Slouch,” he murmured.He lowered his arm and bent down until her feet touched the carpet.“Your shoulders are rather regal.You are wise to show them off as you did last evening.”In direct opposition to his words, he took the towel he had draped over one of his shoulders, unfolded it, and wrapped it around her shoulders.“I would offer to help dry you, but I...”He swallowed.
“Your top coat is soaked,” she said in dismay.
“It’s wool.Superfine.It will dry,” he assured her.He glanced back in the direction of the sitting room.“Should I wait for you in there?”
“I’ll need help with my corset and buttons,” she said.
His cock once again reacting as if it thought she was inviting him to her bed, Patrick took a deep, steadying breath.“So, you don’t intend to ring for your lady’s maid?”
All at once, her shoulders dropped and a sigh of frustration sounded.“I can, of course.”
