The sensible part of her knew that he was right.
She would suffer more if he were to accuse her… no matter how valid her defense was.
Because, he was already a Eunuch – a fallen angel.
No slander or scandal could be worse than his current title… except he began to court the affection of men.
Which was most unlikely.
But she never knew… “Contrary to what you may think, I am not as crazed about reputation and marriage as other women are.” He broke the cast and began to unwrap it.
Her hand was pale underneath.
“You heal very fast.” He remarked, pinching the skin of her arm.
Eve didn’t even flinch.
She just watched him, shocked at how he could easily dismiss their heated conversation.
“Move your arm.” He let it go.
She lifted the limp arm and immediately dropped it back to her side.
Her hand felt like lead… not like a part of her body.
“I do not think you are qualified enough to know if I am healed, Theodore.
I need to be seen by a real doctor.” His jaw twitched.
“I may not be qualified enough in your eyes but I have treated things far worse than a sprained hand.
And I must add that a lecher is hardly considered as a doctor.” She placed her hand on his chest with the intention to shove him away but immediately stilled when she felt the hard plains of muscle beneath.
“What you are doing right now is considered lecherous by all moral rules.” She heard herself saying.
He stepped back and set the tray on the table beside him.
Then he smoothed away invisible dust from the part of his coat where her hands had been and nodded at her.
“I will see you when you are better dressed, Lady Whitmore.” Then, he turned and left the room.
And as she expected, he left the door ajar.
Her fingers twitched as she stared after him.
He had said she was healed, then why in the world was he still keeping the door open.
Everetta went towards the door to shut it.
When she glanced across the hallway, his own door was ajar as well.
But it was none of her bloody business.
She slammed it such that the windows rattled.
Then she slipped into her night dress, stole the tray of food from the table where he kept it and went back to the bed.
How infuriating he was!
How could she love such a cold idiot?
The sensible part of her could never answer such a question so she stopped asking it.
He was never always so cold and rude.
There was a time he used to smile at her… even though she wasn’t the only recipient of his charming smile.
They had known each other since childhood… even if they weren’t close… or friends.
And he knew?
How did he know that she wasn’t interested in his brother so quickly?
Was it so obvious?
Bored, she picked the Regiment book he had left on her bedside and opened it.
As she ate, she read the book.
But soon enough, the food was forgotten.
The man in the book reminded her so much of Theo… only that he fell madly in love with the Captain’s wife.
How sad for him… By dusk, she had finished the whole book with tears in her eyes.
When she glanced at the window, she noticed that he had not returned to see to her.
How was she to get the attention of a servant to clear away the tray of food?
“I might as well get it done myself.” She picked up her tray of food and began her descent down the stairs in search of the kitchen.
As she passed the hallway, Eve noticed that his door was now closed.
Her spirits dipped for some reason.
At the bottom of the stairs, servants passed by her with steaming pails of water.
“Excuse me, where is the kitchen?” The maid’s face paled instantly and she set her wooden pail on the floor.
“Forgive me, my lady.
Do not trouble yourself to find the kitchen.” The tray was taken from her hands, and the maid ran off with it.
The other one set her own pail down and waited quietly, only bothering to skirt a curtsey when she met Everetta’s gaze.
“Where are you going with all the water?” The maid glanced down at the ground before answering.
“Sir Theodore asked that the tub in the bathing chambers be filled.
These are the last pails.” “Oh.” Everetta fondled the strings of her robe as she processed what she had just been told.
“Where is he now?” Without lifting her head, the maid muttered, “He’s inside.” He was having a bath?
How interesting.
Before she could organize her thoughts, her feet began carrying her towards the stairs that led to the main entrance of the chamber rather than the servants’ entrance.
On getting there, she found the door to be closed, but it was not locked, much to her surprise.
Eve opened the door by a crack and glanced inside.
A staircase led down to the large round tub filled with steamy water.
The two servants she had met in the hallway were leaving the chamber with their now-empty pails through the servants’ entrance.
He was nowhere to be seen.
What was she even doing there in the first place?
Candace would have scolded her if she were here, she thought.
And worst of all, Theodore’s opinion of her would sink even lower than it already did if she were to be caught.
She made to turn away but accidentally nudged the door, prompting the crack to widen significantly.
The man that had been tormenting her dreams for so many nights stepped into view.
He had his back to her as he began to unfasten his robe.
Her eyes nearly popped out of her skull when the robe slid to the ground and he stepped into the water.
All thoughts of decency vanished from her head as she tiptoed into the room and closed the door behind her as gently as she could.
All she could see now were the corded muscles of his back and a scar.
Her brow arched up at the sight.
Where did he get the scar?
At war?
It began at his right shoulder and ran down to his left side.
He must have been as badly injured as the rumors had said.
She moved towards the balcony that overlooked the tub and leaned over it, certain that she was completely concealed by the shadows.
The room was quiet save for the rippling sound of the water.
Too quiet, for some reason.
Everetta stepped away from the balcony until she backed into the wall behind it.
She could not afford to be caught.
What was she even thinking – that she wanted to know for sure if the rumors were true by catching a glimpse of…?
Still pressed against the wall, she began to make her escape.
He reached for a towel amongst the pile neatly stacked on a stool but did not pick it up.
Instead, he slipped something out of it… something that glinted mischievously under the candlelight.
Before she knew it, something struck the wall just beside her head.