The Good Man

Chapter 7 Parental Bonding

Robert Nimbly stood at the edge of a tub beside the noble Lord Edward Curtis, holding little Chrysanthemum Curtis in his arms. The wretched dress she had been wearing had been taken off and she was covered in dark grit, her hair a mess filled with an assortment of things, as if used as a strainer for the dirty water she nearly drowned in.

"Ready for a bath now?" Nimbly asked her, rubbing her back. "We need to clean your hair and get you warm. Nothing will hurt you with your daddy and I here."

The little girl said not a word, but she let out a scream of "NO!" the moment Nimbly held her over the water. The nanny moved her back to his chest where she clung to him.

Edward looked terrible, reaching up and placing a gentle hand over his daughter's. "Chris, you need to warm up and get clean." He insisted. "Let go and trust us."

Junior made a splash as if to coax his sister, but the naked babe only cowered more against her savior. She was shivering but refused to touch water, and cried out again when Nimbly leaned over again.

"Here, Edward, do you have any soap?" Nimbly asked the other man in a gentle voice. He seemed to be looking around for what he asked for, holding Chris securely the whole while.

"Of course I do, why?" Edward responded, moving his hands away from his little girl.

"She might like to play with the lather. It would help remove the dirt as well." Nimbly offered. "Chrysanthemum is a brilliant little girl... and having something to do in the water might help."

Edward considered the words before nodding and walking to a cabinet. He fetched out a bar of soap with rose petals in it, before coming back, and offering the bar to Nimbly.

"Thank you." Nimbly took the bar, and offered the floral mess to the little girl in his arms. "Look at this."

Chrysanthemum looked at the soap curiously. Soap was a luxury, especially the one Nimbly was holding out to her. Edward and his junior watched Nimbly curiously to see how things would work out.

"Soaps do something rather neat." Nimbly moved and dipped the bar into the water, before rubbing the surface with this thumb, showing the little girl bubbles. "Much like when you blow into milk, the soap creates bubbles."

Chris turned her head so much as to look at the soap, and when Nimbly offered it, she took it into her hands. She made circles on the surface and made more bubbles, seeming to become interested. Junior became very interested, reaching for the bar. When everyone looked to him, he shyly pulled back his hand.

"Do you have more soap?" Nimbly asked Edward, smiling at the boy's curiosity. "When you put soap in a lot of water, you can make very big bubbles that I am sure junior would love to make."

"Oh, yes, I do!" Edward said, smiling now that Nimbly did. The room became more relaxed as he fetched another bar, this one of lavender, passing this one to his son.

"Can I add more water to your soap? It doesn't make bubbles without water." Nimbly asked Chrysanthemum. He was holding her to his hip, supporting her in his arms while keeping one free to move. When she nodded, he added more water to the soap.

Junior squealed as he started to make bubbles in the bath. The sound brought all the attention on the little boy as he was rubbing up bubbles and then dropping the slippery soap under the water, grabbing it again and making more bubbles, before dropping it again. The antics made both Edward and Nimbly laugh.

Chrysanthemum gave a little smile, "I want in the bath."

"Are you sure?" Nimbly asked her sweetly.

Chrysanthemum nodded quickly, messy hair dropping gross bits. "Don't let go of me." She told Nimbly sternly, before looking to Edward. "Daddy, hold me!"