front of you?”
“Yes.”
“Well, I don’t see the purpose,” Suzette argued. “I can very well bathe myself.”
“Can you? You can’t reach your back. You stink like hell, and your hair looks like a rat’s nest. Someone needs to scrub that scalp of yours.” She reached for Suzette’s head and began picking apart the matted strands. “There better not be any lice in there!”
“I don’t have lice,” she said, slapping away her hand.
The fiery redhead stepped back and put her hands on her hips, giving Suzette a dare-or-die glare. She could see the woman meant business, so she gave into her request and began unbuttoning her dress. It was filthy, and she did stink. There was no doubt about it. The steam rising from the warm tub looked inviting, but stripping in front of another person mortified Suzette.
After the last button, she let the dress fall around her feet and kicked it toward the wall. She took off her dirty chemise and bloomers, and then tossed them on top of the dress. A blush rushed up her neck, as she stood fully naked in front of Annette. With one leg, she quickly stepped into the tub, brought the other around, and settled down into the warm water. Just as she relaxed, a bar of soap hit the surface, and bathwater splashed in her face.
“You’ll like the soap. It’s scented. Madame Laurent buys the best of toiletries for us.”
Suzette’s hand reached toward the bottom of the tub and grabbed the silky bar beneath the water. She brought it to her face. The fragrance greeted her nostrils, and she couldn’t help but sniff it repeatedly.
“It’s nice,” she admitted. “It smells like lavender.”
Annette pulled up a chair alongside the claw-footed tub and sat next to Suzette. “Yes, it is lavender. We have all sorts of fragrant soaps, bath oils—anything a woman could want!”
Suzette took the bar and began to form suds in her hand to wash her body. When she finished, Annette dumped a bucket of fresh water on her head and added special herbs, fragrance, and soap shavings to lather through her auburn tresses that were tangled and frayed.
“My God,” Suzette screamed in protest as the water hit her head and flowed into her eyes and mouth. “You could have warned me.”
Suzette began to wonder if she would ever meet another woman with manners. Everyone was out to hurt her, from the roommates at the Daughters of Charity to the brothel. They were all biting flies she wanted to swat.
“I cannot understand what is with some of you women,” she protested as Annette’s fingers scrubbed her head harder than she wished.
“What are you complaining about?” she asked, scrubbing harder over her protests. “You need to toughen up or you won’t make it in the world alone. Believe me, I know.”
Suzette closed her eyes to the sting of soap and stopped struggling with the inevitable. The woman was not going to leave her alone until she finished clawing the daylights out of her. The fragrant scent of lavender brought some comfort, which made her feel pretty after months of smelling awful and looking ugly.
“There. That should do it. Close your eyes.”
Annette poured another bucket of water over Suzette’s head, slower this time, rubbing the soap residue from her hair until it squeaked between her fingers. Suzette kept her eyes and mouth closed until the ordeal ended.
When she finished, Annette rose, grabbed a large, fluffy white towel, and handed it to Suzette.
“Probably looks familiar, huh? From the washhouse.”
She took the towel in her hands and stepped out of the tub. Suzette patted her hair, taking the moisture from her locks, and then turned to dry her body. When she was finished, she quickly wrapped the towel to cover her nakedness.
“Satisfied?”
Annette smiled. “Not quite,” she announced smugly, leading her out of the bath chamber and back into her room. When they entered, Suzette saw Nadine propped up in her bed reading a book.
“Ah, the mouse has bathed I
“Yes.”
“Well, I don’t see the purpose,” Suzette argued. “I can very well bathe myself.”
“Can you? You can’t reach your back. You stink like hell, and your hair looks like a rat’s nest. Someone needs to scrub that scalp of yours.” She reached for Suzette’s head and began picking apart the matted strands. “There better not be any lice in there!”
“I don’t have lice,” she said, slapping away her hand.
The fiery redhead stepped back and put her hands on her hips, giving Suzette a dare-or-die glare. She could see the woman meant business, so she gave into her request and began unbuttoning her dress. It was filthy, and she did stink. There was no doubt about it. The steam rising from the warm tub looked inviting, but stripping in front of another person mortified Suzette.
After the last button, she let the dress fall around her feet and kicked it toward the wall. She took off her dirty chemise and bloomers, and then tossed them on top of the dress. A blush rushed up her neck, as she stood fully naked in front of Annette. With one leg, she quickly stepped into the tub, brought the other around, and settled down into the warm water. Just as she relaxed, a bar of soap hit the surface, and bathwater splashed in her face.
“You’ll like the soap. It’s scented. Madame Laurent buys the best of toiletries for us.”
Suzette’s hand reached toward the bottom of the tub and grabbed the silky bar beneath the water. She brought it to her face. The fragrance greeted her nostrils, and she couldn’t help but sniff it repeatedly.
“It’s nice,” she admitted. “It smells like lavender.”
Annette pulled up a chair alongside the claw-footed tub and sat next to Suzette. “Yes, it is lavender. We have all sorts of fragrant soaps, bath oils—anything a woman could want!”
Suzette took the bar and began to form suds in her hand to wash her body. When she finished, Annette dumped a bucket of fresh water on her head and added special herbs, fragrance, and soap shavings to lather through her auburn tresses that were tangled and frayed.
“My God,” Suzette screamed in protest as the water hit her head and flowed into her eyes and mouth. “You could have warned me.”
Suzette began to wonder if she would ever meet another woman with manners. Everyone was out to hurt her, from the roommates at the Daughters of Charity to the brothel. They were all biting flies she wanted to swat.
“I cannot understand what is with some of you women,” she protested as Annette’s fingers scrubbed her head harder than she wished.
“What are you complaining about?” she asked, scrubbing harder over her protests. “You need to toughen up or you won’t make it in the world alone. Believe me, I know.”
Suzette closed her eyes to the sting of soap and stopped struggling with the inevitable. The woman was not going to leave her alone until she finished clawing the daylights out of her. The fragrant scent of lavender brought some comfort, which made her feel pretty after months of smelling awful and looking ugly.
“There. That should do it. Close your eyes.”
Annette poured another bucket of water over Suzette’s head, slower this time, rubbing the soap residue from her hair until it squeaked between her fingers. Suzette kept her eyes and mouth closed until the ordeal ended.
When she finished, Annette rose, grabbed a large, fluffy white towel, and handed it to Suzette.
“Probably looks familiar, huh? From the washhouse.”
She took the towel in her hands and stepped out of the tub. Suzette patted her hair, taking the moisture from her locks, and then turned to dry her body. When she was finished, she quickly wrapped the towel to cover her nakedness.
“Satisfied?”
Annette smiled. “Not quite,” she announced smugly, leading her out of the bath chamber and back into her room. When they entered, Suzette saw Nadine propped up in her bed reading a book.
“Ah, the mouse has bathed I
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