Bondage Mansion (Ferard)

Chapter 15: A Smoke and A Conversation

The bath felt good and it was a good idea too. The water was perfumed with oil and it felt luxurious on Gerard's skin. He opted for the hottest water that he could stand and no bath shirt. The sensation of the cold of the vessel and the heat of the water sent ripples up his spine. He poured the water over the top of his head and giggled at the red color that ran down his face and into the water. After the bath he wrapped himself in a warm robe and snuggled into the bed. He lounged and stretched on the bed like a cat enjoying a well-placed sunbeam. He let out a sound like a purr and heard a giggle from the door. Jamia had just arrived with more towels for his hair. The color was in danger of staining everything that was white. Gerard sat up and let Jamia blot his hair to prevent any extra staining from happening. He turned and grinned at her and kissed her nose. She smiled and went to the dressing room to get his clothes.

"So not that I mind, but shouldn't you be attending to Frank right now?"

"He is taking his own bath at the moment so he does not need me."

"Oh."

Jamia brought Gerard his clothes and she began to redress his wounds. All pretence of being naked in front of her had gone out the window long ago so modesty was not necessary. It was pretty much routine since yesterday, checking for infection, using salve, and wrapping clean bandages. Except for the hangman, all the wounds were starting to lose their bright red anger. Some of them were not that deep and they would fade into scars. Jamia studied the hangman as she spread the salve on it."

"I don't mean to be rude Gerard, but what was the point of the letters?"

"I am not sure, only that I had to guess the word before he finished drawing."

Gerard looked up and winced a little as she brushed a spot that was deeper than the others.

"The morbid thing is that if it were not my flesh, I think it would be an interesting game. I thought about playing it with Robert."

Jamia looked up at Gerard as she started to wrap the cloth around his thigh.

"What are you going to do about tonight?"

Gerard knew that she was voicing her concern for when he went to bed with Robert.

"I will wear a long dressing gown to bed that covers the entire body. If he wants to make love, I will just claim cold and stay under the quilt. I'll keep the lamps dim too."

"You do not think he will notice? What if he wants to do something else?"

"Then I will distract him."

Gerard said that last part with a wink and a nudge to Jamia. She laughed lightly and nudged him back. Jamia gathered up the rest of the healing supplies, kissed Gerard gently on the lips and left to tend to Frank. Gerard tested the bandages and feeling secure he began to get dressed. Since it was just he and Frank, he did not bother with a long sleeve shirt. He wanted to enjoy the sun on his skin and warm his bones a bit. Gerard placed the light green gauze over his back and began to close the buttons. As he worked his way up, he stopped at the bandages on his stomach. He still didn't understand what they were. 'Perhaps I can ask Frank now' he thought as he continued past them.

Once he was dressed, Gerard made his way down to the dining room. It was just before noon and the table was not yet set, but he had a craving for something and wanted to add it to the menu. He entered the kitchen and saw the cook and his underlings getting ready to serve.

"Master Way, what can we do fer ya this fine mornin?"

"I was wondering if you could add something to the menu for dinner?"