Read The Last Necromancer (Book 1 of the Ministry of Curiosities series) Page 10
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I slept fitfully that night. My nightmares kept waking me. I wondered if I'd made any sounds and woken Fitzroy too. The devil in me hoped so.
He was gone before I got out of bed in the morning. When I tried the door to see if he'd forgotten to lock it, Gus spoke from the corridor outside.
"Don't try escaping, lad. You won't trick me today."
"Where's Death?" I asked.
"Out."
"How long will he be?"
"Depends."
"On what?"
"On how quick he'll be."
Breakfast must have been sitting on the tray for some time. The bacon was cold and the toast limp. I nibbled the bacon before returning to the bedroom and washing.
I read all morning. Fitzroy had not removed the books, thank goodness, and he'd even left the newspaper. I read it too, for variety. His threat of "drastic measures" had come to nothing, it seemed. So much for my fears.
Gus and Seth took turns at bringing in tea and then luncheon, and finally dinner arrived as dusk settled on the horizon. Fitzroy was still out, they said. His long absence stretched my nerves, and I couldn't concentrate on reading anymore. I knocked on the door.
"I want to go for a walk," I told whoever was on the other side.
"No," Gus called back. "You're not allowed out today. Death's orders."
I sighed. "Come inside and play cards with me then."
"Can't do that neither. Death said we're only to come in to bring you food."
"So I can't even have a bath in the bathroom?"
"Why do you want another bath? You had one two days ago."
I kicked the door. "I hate you!"
"Because you can't have a bath?" He grunted. "Don't see how that's my fault."
"What about warm water? Can I have some delivered to the bedroom?"
"S'pose so."
I heard his heavy footsteps disappear, but they returned almost immediately. Seth mustn't be too far away.
Several minutes later, Seth delivered a jug of hot water. I added it to the cold water in the basin and dipped my fingers in. Perfect. Perhaps I'd wash my hair again. It still smelled faintly of kerosene.
"Civilization agrees with you," Seth said with a nod at the water.
"What do you mean?"
"You were filthy when you first came here, and now you want baths all the time, and warm water for washing. There were no baths or warm water where you came from. It'll be hard to give it up and go back to that life."
Yes, it would be hard. I'd settled into the easy life at Lichfield Towers much too readily, and the thought of walking away from it was becoming less and less appealing with every passing day.
What would happen if I gave in and told Fitzroy everything? Would it really be so bad?
Seth left and the lock on the main door clicked. I shut the bedroom door too, just to be safe, and removed my clothes. I washed my body first and dried off with the towel, then tipped my head forward into the basin and rinsed my hair. I closed my eyes as water cascaded down my neck, over my ears, my face. Its warmth was heavenly. I sighed.
"You lied to me." The familiar, deep voice sent my heart plunging to my toes. I opened my eyes to see Fitzroy standing beside me, his fists clenched into tight balls at his sides. From the angle of my position, I could not see his face, yet I knew he could see me. All of me. There was no hiding my nakedness now, or my womanliness.