Parthena's Promise by Valerie Holmes Read Free Book Online

herself with, but no simple chemise was left for her to bathe in. He passed the girl and boy a coin each, which they heartily thanked him for and closed the door after them. Thena swallowed as he then turned and looked at her. “Your bath awaits.” He gestured with his hand that she should go over to it.
    It was positioned in front of the small open fire, which had been lit so that the room was relatively warm. The logs crackled as they burned slowly in the grate. The tin bath had a higher back than front. Jerome picked up the only chair in the room and placed it back to back with the bath. Only a yard separated the chair and the tub; even though they faced the opposite directions, it offered little privacy or comfort to Thena who was in no doubt what he expected her to do. Jerome then took hold of her bag and placed it on the floor in front of the chair.
    “Miss Munro, my attention will be taken with that.” He pointed to her bag. “You will take off your attire, for it needs cleaning also, and climb into the water whilst it is still warm. Then as you wash yourself you can tell me your sorry tale and, please, do not think to embellish it with falsehoods or this will be the last wash you will be able to have in any sense of relative privacy for some years to come. Gaols offer few creature comforts and inmates are monitored and watched over.”
    He stared at her for what seemed like an age to Thena.
    Thena faced him; he did not look away. His words made her shiver. She was appalled at the description of the life of a convicted felon that he portrayed. Yet, she could not take it as an idle threat. She had heard of people going into the workhouse and being treated like animals, almost dunked like sheep. But what did she know of such things? Her cousin had said some awful things to her in order to gain her agreement to set off on her perilous journey – alone, with the only comfort being she had a letter, a reference and a guarantee of respectable employment at the other end of her journey. What a trusting fool she had been. Now look at her plight!
    “You think I am going to strip down to my chemise… here, and see to my ablutions with you still in the room? You are mistaken, sir!” she said, her voice wavering slightly. “You may think I am of low morals but I am not. I am a lady!”
    He sighed, walked across the threadbare carpet to her and pulled the ribbon of her bonnet, releasing it, and tossed it onto the bed. “I do not think what you are going to do for I know it. I am clean and you are not. You will correct that as I listen to your story and you show some trust in me, as I have absolutely no reason to trust you at all.” He sat on the chair, looking down and opened her bag.
    “You intend to rifle through my things?” she gasped. She fought the words he said in her mind, knowing there was little she could do to resist if he insisted.
    “Yes. I intend to review all the evidence before me. Now take your clothes off and leave them in a pile and plunge in or I will remove more than your bonnet myself. Do not think for one moment a woman’s screams or squeals in such a place as this would get anything more than curious glances up the stairs to add to the bored souls’ mirth.”
    “You are no gentleman!” she snapped, and slowly removed her pelisse.
    “Good, as you are definitely not a lady, I am not sure how you would know,” he said and looked at her. “Continue to remove every stitch. You smell, you have been on the road too long and I can see in your eyes how inviting that water is, so please carry on.” He then looked back to the bag.
    Thena had too much pride to accept the situation, yet not enough courage to deny him and face the consequences. Every word he had spoken was true. She stood at the opposite end of the tub. Her eyes were firmly focused on his back lest he should turn around. Quickly as she could, she slipped out of her garments and into the welcoming water and felt it caress her body as