Legally hers

Chapter 12

Chapter 12

To say that I feel embarrassed would be an understatement by far.

I can easily distinguish the heat creeping up my neck and a sweaty tear sliding down my back, as Theodore repeats his previous declaration.

"You are not taking a bath alone." He says in a businesslike tone, his unwarranted assertion cutting me in half with my jaw laying somewhere beneath his enormous feet.

What the fudge does he mean by 'you are not taking a bath alone' ?

I really do understand that there is a risk of me slipping and breaking more than just my foot, taking into the equation that I'm little miss two left feet and all. But which other way am I gonna take last night off of my skin? My hair smells of cigarettes, as does my body, curse all the smokers and alcohol consumers for making me smell this bad! This makeup thing is also itchy and probably smeared in all the wrong places, making me look more like scare crow than usual. And Theodore doesn't expect me to be washed with a sponge?

He doesn't, does he?

I blink up at him a few times, contemplating what he said, but without any luck what so ever.

"Is Mrs.Morgan going to use a sponge on me?" I voice my thoughts, which isn't what I planed.

He looks at me with scrutiny in his blues and I mimic the strange moment of inspection.

"What?" I ask knitting my brows.

He stares at me for a few more seconds and then bursts out laughing, like bending over and slapping his knee laughing.

I turn my scrutiny towards this man and his split personality, how can he go from normal Royce(uninterested) onto scrutinizing and then into a little boy laughing at girls skirts?

After his laughing fit, which is making me glare at him, he coughs and straightens his suit, attaching his good old steely face.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'll help you with the bath."

My mouth falls open,"You will wash me with a sponge?" I ask out of disbelief.

He must be twisting my leg, no pun intended.

He fights his laugh and through tightened lips he speaks,"No sponges Eleonora."

"What do you mean no sponges?" I ask perplexed.

He sighs and trails his hand through his hair,"It means I will help you with the tub."

-

"So Mr.Royce told me you started hyperventilating?" Asks Mrs.Morgan out of disbelief as she helps me out of the tub. There's only a hand full of things you can do with one leg hanging over the edge of the porcelain egg bowl. And in my case one of those was ripping the curtain and soaking the floor.

"Yes." I blush, the fact that there is someone helping me into a bathrobe is causing serious disturbance inside my fragile mind.

"Oh dear oh dear." She says worriedly as she helps me step out on the moped up floor, my robe clad arm around her shoulders. For a sixty something woman she sure is able.

"But why, dear?" She's confused, her wrinkled eyes and brows pulled in a frown. I turn my head straight as we walk through the door, I can't look her in the face when I answer. Too damn embarrassing.

"H-he wanted t-to help me with," breathe,"the tub." I finish quickly, the thought of him helping me while I'm stark naked rushing and cutting my sentence at the same time.