Page 42 of The Burning Passion of a Fiery Lady
“And I for you,” she whispered back.
They heard a sound outside. Quickly, they adjusted their clothing, not looking at each other. He opened the door, and they stepped out, into the bright sunlight.
It was a different world that awaited him. It looked the same. It smelt the same. But he had never seen it through such eyes before. He couldn’t quite remember what life had once been without her.
Chapter 18
Susannah closed her eyes in pure joy and relief as the hot water streamed down her back. She clutched her knees, which were drawn tightly to her chest, feeling the water swishing all around her.
Janie, her chambermaid, cleared her throat. “Would you like me to wash your hair today, madam?”
Susannah opened her eyes. She usually only washed her hair every second time she bathed; being so long and thick, it took a long time to dry, and in winter it took even longer still. On days that she washed her hair, she really couldn’t go anywhere or do anything on account of it. But then she realised that she was resting today, and could indulge in it.
She took a deep breath. “Why not, Janie?”
She lay back, letting her head loll over the top of the bathtub. The maid gathered her hair with confident hands, wetting it gently. She closed her eyes again, as the maid lathered it with the soap, scrubbing her scalp vigorously.
Her mind started to drift away. She was so very weary after her disturbed night’s sleep, waiting at the stables for Jasper to return. She had probably only managed a few hours’ sleep prior to the disruption. She probably should be in bed, now, catching up on it. But she had resisted the urge to drift into unconsciousness.
She wanted to be awake. She wanted to cling to this day, to fully appreciate it. The day that Jasper had made love to her, for the very first time, and declared his love, saying that he could not live without her.
She felt herself blushing at the memory of their passion in the small barn behind the stables. How he had taken her, aching with need, to the very brink of ecstasy, and then brought her over it.
She had confessed to him that even though she was a widow, who had lain with a man before, she had never previously experienced such joy. It had been the truth. If she had known before, what carnal love could be between a man and a woman, she truly didn’t know how she could have lived without it for so long.
Her blush deepened as the maid skilfully washed her hair. She knew that it wasn’t just about the physical connection between them. Even if she had achieved the same thing with her husband, she could not have felt it so strongly. Not with a man who had treated her the way that Gilbert had.
It was because she loved Jasper, body and soul. It was that deep love that heightened the experience. She could not imagine feeling that way with anyone else.
She opened her eyes, watching the steam drift up from the hot bathwater, almost curling into the air, resisting the impulse to reach out and try to catch it in her hand.
“All done, madam.” Janie’s voice reached her from far away. “Would you like me to fetch more hot water so that you can lay a while longer?”
Susannah smiled dreamily. “Yes, that would be wonderful, Janie. Thank you.”
The maid left the room. She was alone. Slowly, she stared down at her naked body within the water. It was as if she was seeing it for the very first time.
The tops of her breasts were exposed, the nipples soft with the heat. Her gaze drifted lower still. Her flat abdomen, the dark triangle of hair at the centre of her, and her legs submerged beneath the water. Her feet were resting on the edge of the bathtub.
Hesitantly, her hand drifted over one breast, feeling the nipple with one questing finger. Immediately, it started to harden. She gasped, remembering Jasper’s fingers upon it, and his mouth, suckling it. It almost felt grazed by what he had done, his slavish attention to it, but in the best way possible.
Her hand drifted lower, to the dark triangle of hair. How did he know how to touch her so skilfully there to arouse those wild sensations within her? It was as if he could read her body. As if it were a map, laid out before him.
The door opened. Her hand sprang back, resting on the side of the bathtub. Almost guiltily, she turned her head, expecting Janie with the fresh water. But instead, Amy stood there, smiling at her.
Susannah smiled back. Her housekeeper had freshened up for the day already. She had changed her gown and put on a new crisp white apron. Her golden hair was no longer half falling out of its bun; she had scraped it back off her face into a high topknot. There wasn’t a stray hair out of place.
“I just wanted to check on you,” said her friend. “I saw Janie fetching fresh water, and I did not want you to fall asleep in the tub, after such a disturbed night.”
“You think of everything, my dear friend,” said Susannah, sitting higher in the tub. “WhatwouldI do without you?”
“I expect you would manage,” said Amy lightly, walking into the room. “What are your plans for the day? I think you should rest …”
Susannah nodded. “I will be having a very quiet day. I told Mr Stone and David to rest today, as well, and not work, after all the drama of last night.” She hesitated. “I invited them both to dinner tonight. I thought it was the least I could do after their bravery. I want to consult with Cook over the food. I want it to be special …”
Amy’s smile widened. “A thank-you dinner? How wonderful!”
“It is not much,” said Susannah quickly. “I wish I could do much more, to express my gratitude, for what they did.”
