in the closet from now on.’
I assure you it was my pleasure entirely, Albray replied. It is good to keep my skills honed, he added, so that his prior comment might not be taken the wrong way by my husband. But if you have no further need of me, I should bid you farewell.
I did so want to waffle on with thanks and praise of my knight’s talents, and tell him how I would miss him and how wonderful it had been catching up, but with my husband right beside me, I knew it would only fuel the rivalry between them. ‘Fare thee well, Albray, you have been a dear friend to us both.’
I placed my hand upon my lord’s to reassure him as I dismissed the ghost. My reasoning was that if Lord Devere pulled his hand away, then his resentment of Albray ran deep. His hand remained with mine, but I could see he was not sad to see the back of the knight.
‘Alone at last,’ he sighed, tossing his hat aside to award me a lover’s kiss—long, soft and involved.
The Shah’s official was heard to clear his throat; upon gaining our full attention he announced, ‘My lady’s bath is ready.’
‘That was quick,’ I commented, as my husband aided me to my feet. Placing an arm around me, he walked me over to the official.
‘I am sorry,’ the official said, ‘but my Lord Suffolk should wait here.’
‘Please—’ I went to address our official by his name and realised that I had yet to learn it.
‘You may call me Kazem,’ he said, awarding me the use of his first name even though he was obviously an official of some importance, perhaps ranked more highly than I was as a baroness.
‘Kazem.’ I nodded my head to him respectfully. ‘As I am still feeling unwell, I would like my husband to stay with me while I bathe. Could you not make an exception in this case?’
‘The Shah instructed that I should grant your every wish,’ Kazem said with an obliging smile. ‘So if you will both follow me…’
Kazem gave us a running commentary on the palace and its treasures on the way to our destination, which was in one of the palace’s adjoining buildings, where the living quarters were located. The walk actually did me some good, as I got to stretch my aching muscles.
At a huge set of double doors built in an arched doorframe, Kazem bowed to us. ‘I trust that you will find everything you need therein.’
‘Thank you, Kazem.’ Both Lord Devere and I bowed in return.
Kazem advised that he would return within the hour to show us to dinner, then he departed in the direction of the court.
‘Good heavens,’ I gasped upon beholding the huge pool of steaming water. It was surrounded by a dozen huge marble pillars that held up a roof thatwas open to the sky over the huge expanse of water. The floor around the pool was black slate, but the pool itself was lined with white mosaic tiles inset with smaller tiles of black and jade to create beautiful patterns around the rim and on the floor.
‘Well, it might be a bit of a tight squeeze, but I think we should both fit,’ Lord Devere said cheerfully.
We often bathed together at home; indeed, the bathroom was the only place where we could find the peace to sort out our affairs, both private and professional.
‘I had heard that the Persians are very particular about cleanliness, but wow ,’ was all I could say as I began stripping off my layers. There was a heavenly scent coming off the water and I could hardly wait to immerse myself in it.
The sensation of the warm water streaming over my body as I plunged into the depths of the pool was so revitalising that I surfaced to let loose a great sigh of delight. ‘I love Persia,’ I decided in that moment. ‘I think we should move here.’
Lord Devere was taking his time undressing and seemed to be finding my frolicking frightfully engrossing. ‘Or we could simply build an indoor pool at Suffolk,’ he said.
‘Splendid idea!’ I rolled onto my back to gaze up at the evening sky and my body rose to float on the surface of the
I assure you it was my pleasure entirely, Albray replied. It is good to keep my skills honed, he added, so that his prior comment might not be taken the wrong way by my husband. But if you have no further need of me, I should bid you farewell.
I did so want to waffle on with thanks and praise of my knight’s talents, and tell him how I would miss him and how wonderful it had been catching up, but with my husband right beside me, I knew it would only fuel the rivalry between them. ‘Fare thee well, Albray, you have been a dear friend to us both.’
I placed my hand upon my lord’s to reassure him as I dismissed the ghost. My reasoning was that if Lord Devere pulled his hand away, then his resentment of Albray ran deep. His hand remained with mine, but I could see he was not sad to see the back of the knight.
‘Alone at last,’ he sighed, tossing his hat aside to award me a lover’s kiss—long, soft and involved.
The Shah’s official was heard to clear his throat; upon gaining our full attention he announced, ‘My lady’s bath is ready.’
‘That was quick,’ I commented, as my husband aided me to my feet. Placing an arm around me, he walked me over to the official.
‘I am sorry,’ the official said, ‘but my Lord Suffolk should wait here.’
‘Please—’ I went to address our official by his name and realised that I had yet to learn it.
‘You may call me Kazem,’ he said, awarding me the use of his first name even though he was obviously an official of some importance, perhaps ranked more highly than I was as a baroness.
‘Kazem.’ I nodded my head to him respectfully. ‘As I am still feeling unwell, I would like my husband to stay with me while I bathe. Could you not make an exception in this case?’
‘The Shah instructed that I should grant your every wish,’ Kazem said with an obliging smile. ‘So if you will both follow me…’
Kazem gave us a running commentary on the palace and its treasures on the way to our destination, which was in one of the palace’s adjoining buildings, where the living quarters were located. The walk actually did me some good, as I got to stretch my aching muscles.
At a huge set of double doors built in an arched doorframe, Kazem bowed to us. ‘I trust that you will find everything you need therein.’
‘Thank you, Kazem.’ Both Lord Devere and I bowed in return.
Kazem advised that he would return within the hour to show us to dinner, then he departed in the direction of the court.
‘Good heavens,’ I gasped upon beholding the huge pool of steaming water. It was surrounded by a dozen huge marble pillars that held up a roof thatwas open to the sky over the huge expanse of water. The floor around the pool was black slate, but the pool itself was lined with white mosaic tiles inset with smaller tiles of black and jade to create beautiful patterns around the rim and on the floor.
‘Well, it might be a bit of a tight squeeze, but I think we should both fit,’ Lord Devere said cheerfully.
We often bathed together at home; indeed, the bathroom was the only place where we could find the peace to sort out our affairs, both private and professional.
‘I had heard that the Persians are very particular about cleanliness, but wow ,’ was all I could say as I began stripping off my layers. There was a heavenly scent coming off the water and I could hardly wait to immerse myself in it.
The sensation of the warm water streaming over my body as I plunged into the depths of the pool was so revitalising that I surfaced to let loose a great sigh of delight. ‘I love Persia,’ I decided in that moment. ‘I think we should move here.’
Lord Devere was taking his time undressing and seemed to be finding my frolicking frightfully engrossing. ‘Or we could simply build an indoor pool at Suffolk,’ he said.
‘Splendid idea!’ I rolled onto my back to gaze up at the evening sky and my body rose to float on the surface of the
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