“You might change your mind about me. Then again, you might not.” Ivana simply smiled as she walked past him. “I must take a bath. Sylvester will see to your needs.”
“Wait.” Leo caught up with her as she approached the large oak door, placed his palm flat against the studded surface in a bid to prevent her from entering. “Despite all you’ve said, I do not trust you. I’ll not leave your side while I'm here.”
“What?” she snorted incredulously. “Do you intend to watch me bathe?”
The question caused a frisson of desire to ripple through her, an odd sense of excitement at the prospect of teasing him. It had been three years since she had felt the warm glow of passion ignite — three years since he had awakened a feeling she thought was lost to her.
“I intend to remain at your side until you have told me what I want to know,” he said coldly, but it did not dampen her ardour. “Only then shall I reassess my position. Only then shall I decide what to do with you.”
Something in his tone caused the hairs at her nape to spring to life. The shiver running down her back had nothing to do with the biting wind.
“Do what you will,” she replied, keeping her voice calm and even. She glanced at the sword he’d replaced in its harness. “Under the circumstances, I am hardly in a position to protest.”
Leo dropped his hand and gestured to the door. “Then lead the way,” he said with a hint of contempt.
Ivana led him up the curved stone staircase to the tower chamber, aware of his sudden intake of breath. “Do you recall coming up here?” She was curious to know what he remembered.
“I have seen these stairs many times in my dreams.” He made an odd puffing sound. “While I no longer sleep, my mind still drifts, still wanders. I often see images dancing before my eyes.”
She entered her chamber, but he lingered in the doorway.
“You may come in. I’ll not bite you again.”
“Am I supposed to be amused by your comment?” With hesitant steps he walked into the room, moving to look out of the large arched window. “Is this where you stand and search for your victims?” he said pointing to the cluster of rooftops below.
“No.” She moved behind the dressing screen as Julia and Sylvester entered carrying buckets of water. “Many English aristocrats and noblemen pass through here eager to experience the beauty of the forest before heading down into Switzerland and Italy. Some call it a Grand Tour, but there is nothing grand about the way they behave.”
He made no reply, and remained silent while her servants filled the tub.
She came around the screen wearing her robe, her damp hair hanging loosely around her shoulders. “I had to look no further than the local tavern to find men worthy of my disdain.”
His head shot round, his furious glare softening a little when he observed her relaxed attire. “What gives you the right to judge? What gives you the right to play with the lives of innocent men?”
Julia stepped forward and held on to the robe to protect Ivana’s modesty as she stepped into the tub. Her maid had travelled with her from London many years ago. The grey hairs at her temple were a constant reminder of her mortality and it broke Ivana’s heart to think of a life without her companion.
“Oh, I believe I have earned the right to punish those with no regard for the welfare of others.” Ivana swished the warm water over her arms. “I act on behalf of those without a voice. And I would hardly call the men innocent.”
Glancing up, she caught his heated gaze, heard the ragged sound of his breathing. Muttering a curse, he turned to the window. “Then tell me what I did to force your hand. Tell me why you chose me to be the recipient of such a wicked curse.”
Ivana touched Julia’s hand as she wiped her shoulders with the wet cloth. “Leave us. I shall be quite alright here on my own.”
Julia’s thin lips were lost in a grimace. “I will wait outside should you need me.”
Ivana nodded. “Leave the linen towel on the floor. Close the door and do not enter unless I call for you.”
As soon as the door met with the jamb, Ivana stood up. The sound of water cascading from her limbs caused Leo to turn around, his eyes growing wide at the sight of her naked body.
Ivana had no shame — not anymore.
The children’s welfare was the only thing that mattered to her.
As she stepped out of the tub, she ignored his foul-mouthed rant, his garbled demand for decency. But all words and actions held some purpose or meaning for her. Leo’s lustful glare confirmed he still battled the demons within. It confirmed that his memories of her were not lost, only buried.
“What?” she mocked as she stood by the fire and dried her body with the towel. “Are you not familiar with the female form? Were you not the one who insisted on staying while I bathed?”
He moved to turn away, yet she could hear the restless sound of his chaotic thoughts.
With an arrogant curl of the lip and a stubborn stance, he faced her fully. “You’re right. It is nothing new to me. Nothing I have not seen a hundred times before.”