CHAPTER NINE
"Maureen, would you prepare my bath in the new bathroom? And a glass of wine, please. It’s the perfect day to just relax and watch the sun set."
"Yes, Your Grace, right away," Maureen answered.
"Don’t forget to add the lavender and rosemary oils," Alice reminded, her voice tingling with anticipation.
"Yes, Your Grace." Maureen curtsied and turned around.
There was a skip in Alice’s steps as she made her way to her room. The orangery was near completion, and the thought of it filled her with a sense of accomplishment. It was days like this that she relished the chance to escape into her newly renovated bathroom. Alice had put a lot of thought into planning the room. She had even drawn a picture six months before construction began.
For one, the bathroom was on the second floor. The window was positioned perfectly to offer her a breathtaking view of the sprawling land beyond, where the sky stretched endlessly above, and the scenery unfolded like a picturesque painting. She had adorned the space with delicate touches that helped her relax. She had made the space a sanctuary where she could escape from the world. Where she could spend hours alone, enjoying her own company.
Often, she would sink into the warm embrace of the bathtub with a glass of wine in her hand, allowing the soothing ambiance to wash over her as she savored the tranquility and beauty outside her window. That particular bathroom was her favorite place in the estate.
On getting to her room, Alice slipped into something more comfortable, a soft, flowing gown that hugged her figure just right. She made her way to the window, settling into the cozy nook, before picking up a well-worn book, its pages worn from countless readings. Alice ran her fingers through the spine. There were many books like that in the room. Books she had read over and over again in the last two years.
She had been nestled into the seat for about half an hour when Maureen gently knocked on the door. "Your bath is ready, Your Grace," she announced.
Alice looked up, momentarily pulled from her book, and nodded at Maureen in response. Setting the book aside, she stood, smoothed down her gown, and went to the bathroom.
But the moment Alice entered the room, her breath caught in her throat, and she paused at the door. Standing there by her tub was Victor, slipping out of a bathrobe that hung loosely on his frame. She had made a sound when she walked in, garnering his attention. He stopped, his robe midway down his shoulders, and turned to her with his head tilted to the side, an eyebrow raised.
Alice let her eyes widen and linger on his chest, and her eyes continued to scan him until they fell on his torso. She squinted, noting that the scars on his arm and neck traveled down there, too. For a moment, staring at the scars and his bare chest left her breathless, and a wave of warmth flooded her cheeks as she felt an unexpected pull toward him. She couldn’t stop staring as her mind tried to grasp what could have caused Victor’s many scars.
"Do you like what you see, Alice?"
Victor’s voice was firm, a hint of reprimand lacing his tone, and it sent a jolt of heat through her. She dared not look back at him. Instead, she turned around quickly, her eyes on the doorframe as if it could provide an escape from the unexpected flutter in her stomach.
"What are you doing here, Your Grace?" she asked, instinctively glancing at him as if to get one more look before he tied his robe.
"It’s my estate. I can be wherever I want to be, Alice," he answered and faced her.
"That might be true, but this is my bathroom," she managed to say, still battling the heat that had settled on her cheeks. Shecould only imagine how red her face looked, so she tried not to look up at Victor so he didn’t see it, too.
"It’s a bathroom," he answered, approaching her. "And like I said, it’s my estate. If I want to bathe here, I believe I can."
"You have your own bathroom," she countered, her heart racing as he closed the distance between them. "There are multiple others in this big building. This particular one is my creation. I even had my maid prepare that bath you were trying to enjoy before I arrived."
"I smelled the lavender two corridors away," Victor said, his tone shifting. "I heard you had done something to one of the rooms in this wing, so I was curious. I can see why you’d want to keep it to yourself."
Alice lifted her head slightly. "What do you mean?"
Victor leaned against the doorframe and crossed his arms. "You created a sanctuary here. I can imagine myself here for hours, staring out that big window and losing myself in the view. Plus, with a drink in hand, and a book in the other, I might forget the rest of the world exists."
Alice felt her cheeks flush at the thought, caught off guard by the way he painted the idea in her head so vividly. "A book?" she asked, taking a step back, slightly intimidated by their closeness.
"Why do you sound shocked?" he replied, arching an eyebrow. "Do you really think I’m incapable of appreciating something this beautiful?"
Alice felt her cheeks burn. It was like a furious blush rising to her face. She shifted, looking everywhere else but at Victor’s eyes. She was reminded of the time when she used to fear him so much that his mere presence made her uncomfortable. A lot had changed since then. The fear had become something more intense. Something that burned when it crossed her cheeks and her stomach.
"No, it’s just…" Alice hesitated, her words tangled in her throat. "I didn’t think you’d see it that way. I mean, I never imagined you as someone who reads for leisure."
Victor tilted his head, squinting slightly as he lowered himself to meet her gaze. Their eyes locked at an intimate level. "What are you still doing here, Alice?" he asked quietly.
Alice blinked, her breath catching as his eyes held hers. Feeling the flush deepen, she barely managed to stammer, "What?" Her voice came out softer than she intended.
"We cannot both bathe together now, can we?" he asked, his gaze unyielding.
