had carried them through the desert, trying to haggle with the man in sign language. Even though Hugo knew that Eloise spoke passable Persian, he refused to seek her help. Stupid man, Eloise thought. If his arm was cut off, he still probably wouldn't ask for help.
Walking away with a pouch of coins, they walked down the street, having said goodbye to the trusted animals that had safely seen them through the desert, particularly Magda, as Eloise had named hers, but then Magda was more interested in the grain given her as reward for her long journey.
"Bathe or eat first?" Hugo asked.
"Bathe," Eloise said, thinking it would be preferable to sit down to a meal without the grime of the desert covering her body. Hugo was one color, that of sand, and it covered every part of him from his surcoat to his face. His skin and hair were the exact same color and it made his eyes as blue as the sky.
"Fine," he said, leading them down through a narrow alley. "But please don't make me chase you down through these streets. You wouldn't have enough time to get anywhere before I found you."
Eloise gave him a pointed look as he stopped in front of a bath house, which had separate entrances for men and women, the genders completely segregated.
A woman greeted her and showed her to a warmed room meant for disrobing, helping Eloise undress. The inside of the bathhouse was intricately decorated with white and blue tile, in the almost hypnotic geometric shapes the Persians liked. Every surface was covered and Eloise sat down on a stool in the center of the room.
"We clean," the woman said in Arabic and left with Eloise's dress, returning to pour warmed water over Eloise's shoulders and hair. Her skin prickled with the warmth and the glorious feeling of running water over her dry skin. Her skin was rubbed down with soft clothes, while she closed her eyes and noted how heavenly it felt having the dust from the desert removed, particularly as the woman washed her hair, which was combed and oiled until it was clean and scented.
Once rinsed, Eloise was left to enjoy the bath and she waded into the pool of water in the next room, which reached up to her waist. Laying back, she floated and closed her eyes. The gentle warmth seeped into her muscles, slowly undoing the knots in her shoulders. The bathhouse was quiet, even if she wasn't the only one there, and every sound echoed off the high, tiled ceiling.
Drawing in a shuddering breath, Eloise considered what she was to do, if she should make an effort to try to escape, but then she also wasn't sure she needed to. Although she didn't particularly want to face her father, she didn't feel particularly distressed about it either. She hated him for the things he'd done and for taking her mother's life, by withdrawing his support if not for actually bringing about her demise. She'd actually like to know how he justified his actions. He was neither a good man, nor a good Christian.
He'd questioned her parentage and she wholeheartedly agreed, feeling no desire to be sired by a cruel and heartless man. If he thought he had control of her, he would soon learn, because she didn't give a damn about his wishes, hoping her refusal actually left him worse off and she had no qualms letting him know that either.
Maybe letting Hugo take her back to England wouldn't be such a bad thing, so she could prove to her father once and for all that she wanted nothing to do with him. There were actually a few harsh words she wanted to put to him and she was going to get her chance. He might be an earl, but his position didn't mean he was a worthy person, and she was going to put that to him as well.
Finally the water grew cold to Eloise's skin and she decided to get out and dress. The woman returned with a large, white sheet, wrapping her in it to dry off before oiling every part of her body. Eloise could smell rose oil and something herbal, and it was lovely to be clean again, even if it was only temporary as they would
Walking away with a pouch of coins, they walked down the street, having said goodbye to the trusted animals that had safely seen them through the desert, particularly Magda, as Eloise had named hers, but then Magda was more interested in the grain given her as reward for her long journey.
"Bathe or eat first?" Hugo asked.
"Bathe," Eloise said, thinking it would be preferable to sit down to a meal without the grime of the desert covering her body. Hugo was one color, that of sand, and it covered every part of him from his surcoat to his face. His skin and hair were the exact same color and it made his eyes as blue as the sky.
"Fine," he said, leading them down through a narrow alley. "But please don't make me chase you down through these streets. You wouldn't have enough time to get anywhere before I found you."
Eloise gave him a pointed look as he stopped in front of a bath house, which had separate entrances for men and women, the genders completely segregated.
A woman greeted her and showed her to a warmed room meant for disrobing, helping Eloise undress. The inside of the bathhouse was intricately decorated with white and blue tile, in the almost hypnotic geometric shapes the Persians liked. Every surface was covered and Eloise sat down on a stool in the center of the room.
"We clean," the woman said in Arabic and left with Eloise's dress, returning to pour warmed water over Eloise's shoulders and hair. Her skin prickled with the warmth and the glorious feeling of running water over her dry skin. Her skin was rubbed down with soft clothes, while she closed her eyes and noted how heavenly it felt having the dust from the desert removed, particularly as the woman washed her hair, which was combed and oiled until it was clean and scented.
Once rinsed, Eloise was left to enjoy the bath and she waded into the pool of water in the next room, which reached up to her waist. Laying back, she floated and closed her eyes. The gentle warmth seeped into her muscles, slowly undoing the knots in her shoulders. The bathhouse was quiet, even if she wasn't the only one there, and every sound echoed off the high, tiled ceiling.
Drawing in a shuddering breath, Eloise considered what she was to do, if she should make an effort to try to escape, but then she also wasn't sure she needed to. Although she didn't particularly want to face her father, she didn't feel particularly distressed about it either. She hated him for the things he'd done and for taking her mother's life, by withdrawing his support if not for actually bringing about her demise. She'd actually like to know how he justified his actions. He was neither a good man, nor a good Christian.
He'd questioned her parentage and she wholeheartedly agreed, feeling no desire to be sired by a cruel and heartless man. If he thought he had control of her, he would soon learn, because she didn't give a damn about his wishes, hoping her refusal actually left him worse off and she had no qualms letting him know that either.
Maybe letting Hugo take her back to England wouldn't be such a bad thing, so she could prove to her father once and for all that she wanted nothing to do with him. There were actually a few harsh words she wanted to put to him and she was going to get her chance. He might be an earl, but his position didn't mean he was a worthy person, and she was going to put that to him as well.
Finally the water grew cold to Eloise's skin and she decided to get out and dress. The woman returned with a large, white sheet, wrapping her in it to dry off before oiling every part of her body. Eloise could smell rose oil and something herbal, and it was lovely to be clean again, even if it was only temporary as they would
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