Page 28 of Tangwystle
She widened her stance, the towel coming between her thighs. My mouth dried. I think my entire being froze. At least until I realized she waited for an answer.
“For now you’ll heal.”
“At least until you put me to work,” she replied.
Her hand moved in circles, the towel inching up. She rubbed it against her pussy.
Holy stars.
Gretel dropped back onto her heels, finished.
“Get your legs,” I reminded.
She pouted, but sat back. She was more delicate, not leaning as far over her limbs as she cleaned, careful of how her back stretched.
“So I’ll help you?” Gretel asked. “With the cleaning?”
“Yes,” I decided. She could hardly stay as a houseguest. Baz would be more than all right with that. He’d told me several times I didn’t need to stay quite so busy cleaning. But we had ourplace, and I found it hard to part from the role hammered into me from a young age.
“Okay,” Gretel agreed. She focused on her knee as she asked, “And. . .”
“I’ll be doing all the market runs.” No need for anyone to know where she was.
Gretel nodded, and we let the fear of Rufus Clinemell pass.
“You really should try to use the bathroom,” I said.
It was the first time I ever saw a stony face from her, her cheeks more purple than pink as she looked away. “Thank you, but there are some things I can do on my own.”
I saw her need for privacy and respected it. Though I did raise a brow, letting her know I was on to her. She was a lot stronger than she looked.
“Baz has promised to find some ointment for your back. For the scars. I’ll bring it up as soon as possible.”
Gretel took a moment to reply. “I suppose that’s what I’ll be working for?”
“No.” But I didn’t know what else to say. We’d never discussed wages. Baz couldn’t offer her a contract, not without leaving a nice paper trail if Clinemell’s lawyers ever got involved. “Baz hasn’t mentioned anything. For right now, he just thinks it’s important to keep you away from Clinemell.”
At that, her giant green eyes appeared to glimmer.
“I think so too,” I quickly added, though I didn’t know why. No one ever asked my opinion. But I wanted her to know that I also thought it was right that she not go back to Clinemell Manor. It felt important that she know Baz and I were a united front in that regard.
Gretel stared a hole in me. It burned me differently from when I’d watched her wash between her thighs. That was just an act of cleanliness. Of soap and germs.
This look was. . . warmer.
And I didn’t understand why.
My hands curled into fists, and I didn’t even remember the tray I’d brought in as I turned toward the door.
“I’ll check in on you later,” I promised, over my shoulder.
“I got the ointment,”Baz said later that day, holding it up proudly.
I frowned. “When did you get that?”
Evening had fallen, and I hadn’t noticed him leave.
“When you were furiously scrubbing the kitchen floor for some reason.”
