Chapter Seven #2
And yet when Thomas led her back to the grand hall and pointed to the white marble pump fountain and grazed her wrist in a way that could only be intentional, gave her a jolting thrill.
And from the look in Thomas’s eyes, he felt the same.
Despite the things she had just been thinking, she lost herself in his eyes.
She knew they would draw curious glances from other bathers, perhaps including her family.
But the attraction was impossible to deny, and for the moment, she did not want to try.
***
Marcus was relieved when Thomas rejoined him. He had abandoned his spirits for a glass of mineral water, yet he felt no better than if he had consumed an entire bottle of wine in the time they had been there. Thomas noticed his friend’s discomfort at once, giving him a kind pat on the back.
“Shall we move to the King’s Bath?” he asked.
Marcus nodded. He was still uncertain whether he believed that hot water could have any notable healing qualities.
But soaking in the bath might, at the very least, help ease the tension that had been such a constant for him since his illness began.
He followed Thomas to the men’s wing of the bathhouse, the white marble-clad pool resembled a fantastical rectangular lake.
Arched recesses surrounded it, reminding Marcus of something one might find in the king’s palace.
He and Thomas had just submerged themselves into the green, steaming waters when another familiar voice called to them.
“Exquisite, is it not?” Edwin chirped merrily, joining the men without hesitation.
Marcus glared at his cousin’s intrusion which had now added tension to what should have been a relaxing activity. Edwin did not seem to notice his cousin’s irritation as he waded through the water beside Marcus.
Marcus tried his best to ignore his cousin, sinking into the steaming water. He closed his eyes, concentrating to coax his muscles to relax, despite Edwin’s proximity.
“It is a terrible shame what is happening to textile workers,” Thomas said cordially.
Marcus kept his eyes closed, grateful for his friend’s ability to maintain peace in tense situations.
Edwin clicked his tongue, and Marcus imagined a deceptively sympathetic expression on his face.
“It is horrible,” he agreed. “However, technology must advance. Perhaps the workers who become obsolete could take up jobs operating the mechanized looms and machines that are taking their jobs.”
Marcus sneered at his cousin’s apathy.
“I imagine that only people who have designed those machines know how to use them thus far,” he said. “These men could be waiting months or years to learn any new skill.”
Edwin nodded, the sickening expression still gracing his features.
“It is a shame,” he repeated. “Perhaps the Tory Party will render aid to workers and their families who will be impacted by this change.”
Marcus bit his lip to hold back a snarl. He knew the Tories cared about the interests of wealthy landowners, rather than the struggles of lower-class working men. Did Edwin not know that? Surely, a man as educated as his cousin could not be so ignorant.
“I understand that estate management will be affected by all these new machines being introduced,” Thomas said, blatantly trying to change the subject.
Marcus tilted his head, so the water covered his ears to drown out his cousin’s voice.
He closed his eyes once more and was transported to his memories of Miss Barrett at once.
He exhaled deeply as he recalled how she had felt in his arms, so soft and yielding despite his fearsome reputation.
The warmth in his body became the heat of a raging fire.
Only it had nothing to do with the warm water in which he soaked.
***
Adelaide watched Edith wade through the water beside her with a bemused smile. She had had a faraway look on her face since returning from her tour with Lord Thomas, and Adelaide was sure she recognized a familiar heat in her eyes.
As if reading Adelaide’s mind, Edith turned to face her, blushing.
“Oh, Adelaide, it was wonderful,” she said for the third time. “He is so knowledgeable. I can converse with him and not feel as if my mind is numbing. And he enjoys listening to me speak, as well. I feel as though we could talk forever and never discuss the same thing twice.”
Adelaide giggled, smiling at her friend as the two older women talked quietly among themselves further down the pool with their flannel gowns billowing around them like pale water lilies.
“Tell me again of the delight in his eyes as the two of you discussed the architecture,” she said.
Edith gently splashed Adelaide, making them both laugh.
“This is serious, Adelaide,” she said. “I find that I am ever inclined to do otherwise when in his presence. I am acutely aware that, due to my obligations to my family and his connection with Marcus, a romantic union between us is simply unattainable. Yet, I take great pleasure in his company and permit myself to indulge in the fanciful notion of a life in which we might unite in matrimony and establish a family.”
Adelaide nodded; her understanding of her friend’s situation far deeper than she could allow herself to admit.
“It is a difficult position,” she said, surprising herself with the thought that came to her. “However, I do not believe you should just give up the idea. True love finds a way, no matter the obstacles.”
Edith looked at Adelaide, surveying her.
“You speak as if you know something of such situations,” she said with a sly smile. “Would it have anything to do with my brother?”
Adelaide’s cheeks flushed and she averted her gaze.
“Tell me more about Lord Thomas,” she said.
Just then, Lady Beatrice approached with a warm smile on her face.
“My dears, what a pleasant surprise,” she said, entering the water in her blue bathing gown.
Adelaide and Edith offered polite smiles, while the two older women greeted her with fair enough warmth. However, there was a notable shift in the atmosphere, one of which Lady Beatrice seemed blissfully unaware.
“I wonder if that means Edwin is here,” Edith whispered to Adelaide with a bit of apprehension.
Adelaide looked at her friend, who gave her a knowing look.
“I find Lord Edwin to be perfectly charming,” she said, knowing the sentiment was not entirely true.
Edith shook her head, once more seeming to sense what Adelaide was thinking.
“He is polite enough to everyone,” she whispered, glancing toward Lady Beatrice.
“However, I do not believe for a moment that he is sincere. I love both my cousin and my aunt, but Edwin disquiets me, and I cannot say for sure that Aunt Beatrice does not know how disingenuous her son is beneath his perceived charm.”
Adelaide nodded, biting her lip. She had hoped she was simply tense and misreading Lord Edwin.
But hearing her suspicions confirmed made her uneasy.
When Helena beckoned for them to exit the bath, Adelaide was relieved.
She followed her aunt silently to the exit, relieved to be leaving so she could take a moment to collect her thoughts.
***
Marcus was thrilled when it was time to depart.
He held his hand to his head, feigning a worse headache than he felt, surprised at how much better he truly felt as they exited the men’s bath.
On the other side of the complex, the women were leaving their pool, and Marcus glanced up in time to see Miss Barrett ascending the steps before disappearing around the corner to where she and the other women would change clothes.
Her wet bathing gown clung to her curves, setting his veins ablaze. Her golden hair, styled in a neat bun, had darkened to honey from the steam of that water, with a few loose tendrils curling against her pale neck.
It is as if she is the first woman I have ever seen, he thought as the desire to caress her skin as he brushed aside the curls and kissed the spots where they had lain, stirred him in a very obvious physical way.
He forced his gaze from her, trying to settle himself.
He was aware that he often stared at her much more than propriety allowed.
If anyone were to observe the effect of Miss Bennett's gendering upon him, it would torment his mind for all eternity.
From the edge of his vision, movement from Edwin drew his attention. His cousin smirked at him, indicating that he had noticed his distraction, and undoubtedly the reason for it. His jaw clenched and he looked away, but not before noting the calculating assessment in his cousin’s eyes.
Family members were supposed to be people you could trust. But with each passing day, Marcus trusted his cousin less and less.
He told himself it was because he was concerned for Miss Barrett’s welfare and annoyed by Edwin’s exaggerated interest in her.
But something deep within made Marcus realise that there was also an unknown darker reason.