Chapter Eight.

I stand by the bath and look down at the still water as clouds of steam are lit up by the crackling firelight. My shift is terribly dirty, and I am sure wearing it in the water, as I would usually do for bathing, is not going to be overly helpful. I glance back at Amelie who sits in the chair nearby, reading a book and politely paying attention to anything but me.

I bite my lip as I stare into the clear water and nod. Gripping my shift, I pull it over my head in one swift motion and step into the warm water. A small sigh escapes me as the warmth immediately soothes my aching calves and I quickly sink into its depths.

The water swirls around me and I know I should make an effort to wash while it is still hot, but it just feels so heavenly. I don't even care about my lack of modesty anymore. This feels so wonderful, I doubt I will ever have a bath with a shift on again. I do manage to make an attempt to clean the dried blood from my head and face before I lean back and allow myself to be consumed by the wonderful feeling of the heat surrounding me.

"Elizabeth," comes Amelie's voice and my eyes fly open.

Somehow, I had allowed myself to forget she was there and now I feel a rush of adrenaline at the idea I am bathing naked in front of her. I frown as my brain gets caught up trying to decide if it is a good or bad feeling.

"Elizabeth?" Amelie asks again.

"Pardon?" I ask dragging myself from my thoughts.

"I asked if you would like me to wash your hair?" Amelie repeats, with an uncertainty to her tone that I have never heard before.

I reach up to touch my hair and for the first time consider if it looks as bad as the rest of me currently does. I look down at my naked form, obviously displayed in the clear water, now slightly murky from the grime I had picked up from today's difficulties. Surely, it would be fine to let her see me in such a state of undress. Afterall, we are both women. It is not like I am presenting myself in this manner to a man.

"That would be wonderful," I manage after what is obviously far too long of a pause for such a simple question.

She moves over to me, and I hear an intake of breath and when I look towards her, she is resolutely staring into the fire. I glance down at the shift on the floor and realise it must not have been visible from where she was sitting. Part of me feels insanely pleased with the reaction and I squash it down with all the force of an earthquake.

"Something wrong?" I find myself asking and berate myself immediately for the playful lift in my tone.

"I forgot the flowers," Amelie says. "For your bath," she adds as she is already speed walking from the room.

Within moments she returns and hurriedly sprinkles the rose petals, the orange flowers, leaves, and salts into the water. The effect is quite pretty and goes a long way towards creating a barrier between my naked body and anything outside of the tub.

Amelie kneels by the tub just behind my head and inspects my head wound carefully. "It is healing well," she says as she turns my face carefully, so the firelight lights up the damage more clearly. "You may get a small scar on your hair line, but it will be hardly noticeable."

"Well at least I will have an unbelievable story to go with how I acquired it," I say with a big smile.

Amelie laughs as she scoops a little of the soft soap from the bowl on the floor beside her. "Dip your head under the water," she commands.

Obediently I follow her instruction and submerge my head below the water and give my hair a little scrub to shake off any loose dirt that had been picked up from the attack. When I re-emerge, Amelie begins to work the soap into my wet hair. I watch a small stick with a single leaf, float around in the water. It is completely different from all the other items of foliage in the bath. Had that been stuck in my hair all day?

I don't get long to mull over it as Amelie begins to work her fingers against my scalp and I allow my eyes to drift shut. This is quite possibly the best bath I have ever had. She rubs the soap right into the roots and slowly, her hands move down to the base of my neck and brushes her fingertips along my shoulders. I feel a shiver run through me and actual goose bumps appear on my skin, apparently completely oblivious to the hot bath water around it.

"Would you like a massage?" Amelie asks. "You had a migraine earlier and I doubt the events of today have helped it."

I nod, not trusting my ability to make words right now and her small and surprisingly soft hands begin to work the aching muscles in my neck and back. Immediately, I feel a difference as the pounding in my head lessens and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"You are so good with your hands," I murmur as my eyes slip shut.

Her fingers still and I hear her swallow. "Elizabeth," she says quietly in a voice that seems strained.

"Mmm?" I ask, desperately wanting her firm touches to continue.

"You have no idea?" she says in a perplexed voice and sighs. "You will be the death of me."

I turn to look up at her cornflower blue eyes and her ash blonde hair as it tumbles over her shoulders. The bruising on her face is darkening and without a real conscious thought, I reach up to touch it gently. Her head leans lightly in my hand for the barest of moments before she suddenly rises to her feet.

"Will you be okay to finish bathing yourself?" she asks, seemingly desperate to look anywhere but at me.

"Yes," I say slowly. "Amelie, are you well?"

"Yes," she says far too quickly. "I just realised the state of disarray I have left the front room in, and it should be tidied in case Arthur wishes to visit you on your return."

I blink slowly and sit up as I turn to face her, tired of looking up with my neck twisted in this position. This time her gaze does fall on me and settles well and truly below my face. I look down to see I am revealed from the navel up and only a few clinging rose petals do anything to preserve any illusion of modesty.

Something about the intensity in her gaze heats up my cheeks. I watch in fascination as white teeth capture her bottom lip before she turns and flees from the room without another word. I sit in the bath stupefied by the last few minutes and find myself greatly disappointed that she had not stayed. I frown as I recognise the feeling, and turn my thoughts to Arthur who as Amelie said, could arrive any moment.

I rub my face in my hands and sink my head below the surface. Scrubbing my hair I release clouds of soap into the water. Hurriedly I scrub myself down and climb out of the bath.

Why can't things just be simple?

I pull on the clean shift left by the fire to warm and I look back at the bathwater, horrified by the grime I had been carrying with me for a better portion of the day. Drifting towards the window I look out upon rolling green hills and a forest as the sun makes it clear there will not be much more light this day.

I pull the curtains shut, determined to keep out the worst of the cold I know is coming. Winter is not far off, and it loves to send brutal reminders in the night to remind us humans what it is capable of. Padding through the room, I take the time to assess my new living space, and I am surprised at how well thought through what I have been supplied is. On a small table sits a mirror ringed in well-polished silver and an ivory comb. Scooping it up, I work out the knots that have accumulated during the day.

The task takes a surprisingly long time and when I finally set the comb down Amelie calls out, "Would you like help to get your dress on? I can hear voices in the hall."

I move towards her voice and pull open the door to find her just on the other side holding a lavender coloured dress covered with small, polished glass beads that create a beautiful swirling pattern across the dress.

I nod and realise Amelie has bathed and changed into new clothes, her dress is a light blue, very similar to the colour of her eyes, but nowhere near as brilliant. Together we put my dress on and as Amelie is doing up the top buttons there is a polite rap at the door.

"Miss Hawkford," Arthur's voice comes from the other side of the door. "May I enter your chambers with Sir Nothham?"

I nod to Amelie who hurries to the door and opens it as I do my best to do something with my still wet hair. I settle on fluffing it up as best I can, there is absolutely no time for anything involving pins.

Arthur enters the room, looking like he has climbed off the horse and come straight to my rooms. He pauses and bows to me, "You look like a vision."

I smile and do my best to ignore the look of distaste William sends my way. "Thank you," I reply with a small curtsy. "Thank you for having some dresses prepared for me, Lord Stacks. Given the circumstances of today, clean and luxurious clothes such as these, was not something I thought I would get to enjoy."

He smiles. "The enjoyment you have for your dresses brings me great happiness. Please call me Arthur, we are to be wed and Lord Stacks feels far too formal a way for my future wife to address me."

I dip my head. "You may call me Elizabeth."

Arthur looks at William pointedly and the dark-haired man grunts. "You may call me William."

I glance at Amelie who nods discreetly. "This is my dear friend Amelie," I say. "She has agreed to accompany me as a friend and a helper, but it would bring me great joy if you could treat her like my equal."

William and Arthur bow to her and I notice that the hatred that emanates from William seems to be solely reserved for me as he smiles brilliantly at Amelie.

"Now that we literally have the formalities out of the way," Arthur says with a charming voice that would make just about any woman swoon. "I have come to ask if you would care to join us for breakfast tomorrow morning?" He looks down at his dirty clothes. "I had planned to offer dinner, but perhaps some time for you to settle in and for me to smell less offensive would be the ideal route to take."

I smile despite myself. "We would love to join you for breakfast."

"Wonderful," he chirps and bows low. "I will take my leave, before my offensive odour takes over your rooms." As he turns to leave, he pauses. "I will have men stationed at your doors, please do not feel you are prisoners. It is just that given today's events it seems prudent to ensure your protection until everything is sorted." I open my mouth to and I can see Amelie beside me doing the same. Arthur holds up his hand and we both halt. "I know you have questions, but I do feel this conversation is best had after a night of good rest. We shall discuss it over breakfast, I promise."

I dip my head in an obedient gesture that would make my mother proud. "If you feel it is best."

He smiles at me. "Dream well."

Surprised by the phrasing I repeat his farewell, "Dream well."

As soon as the door closes, exhaustion fills me. "Perhaps he is right," I murmur as I head back into the bedroom followed closely by Amelie. "I don't know if my brain could muster the energy to focus on anything intense." I rub my pounding head and long for sleep. "Amelie, I think I will retire for the night."

She nods and immediately steps behind me and begins to undo the buttons. "Of course. Would you like me to wake you for dinner?"

I shake my head. "I do not think I could stomach much food now, even if I wanted to." The dress comes undone, and I step out of it and head right to the bed as Amelie hangs the dress up for tomorrow. I watch her move around the room and tidy up silently. "Am I right in thinking you will be sleeping in my rooms tonight?"

Amelie nods, "The other room is too far to hear a silent assassin."

I climb into the massive bed as Amelie moves to draw the curtains around it. "Do not sleep in a cot," I say as I settle into the cloud soft mattress and delightfully fluffy pillows. "This bed is big enough to sleep an entire family, there is no need for you to have your slumber in discomfort." Amelie opens her mouth and I hold up my hand. "It would upset me greatly if you denied my request. I just cannot be comfortable with the idea of your sleeping in a cold, hard cot while there is more than enough bed here for us to share comfortably."

Amelie looks over the huge space and seems to come to the same conclusion. There is more than enough room here for both of us. She nods and says, "I will sleep in the bed. Thank you."

I smile. "Thank you for listening to my feelings on the topic."

She moves away to continue tidying the room and I am not sure when it happens, but at some point, my eyes close and I drift into darkness.