Storm and Silence (Storm and Silence 1)

But… wasn’t I supposed to do that only after the shower? I felt a bit confused. Oh well, it couldn’t hurt and, as mentioned before, it felt so nice. I was so engrossed in the task of wrapping the towels tightly around me that I didn’t hear the approaching footsteps outside.

Only when the door swung open and I heard a gasp behind me did I realize I was no longer alone.

‘Mr Linton!’

Drat! I knew I had forgotten something. Nobody was supposed to be able to come in, right? Though I couldn’t remember how or why exactly…

I turned, towels pressed against my chest, just in time to see Mr Ambrose back out of the room, his eyes tightly shut. The door slammed behind him.

‘Mr Linton?’ His voice came from the other side of the door. Was it just my imagination, or did he sound just a little bit not his usual cool self?

‘Yes, Sir?’

‘The next time you decide to use my private bathroom, would you be so kind as to bolt the door?’

Bolts! That’s how you made sure the door didn’t open. I remembered it now. With effort, I squinted at the door.

‘I can’t, Sir. There’s no bolt on it.’

‘Of course there isn’t!’ he snapped. ‘Do you think I would waste money having a bolt installed on the door of a bathroom which only I ever use?’

I nodded gravely. ‘Of course not, Sir. Time is money is pumpernickel, right?’

‘Power, Mr Linton, power. Not pumpernickel.’

‘Oh. Right you are, Sir!’

‘Next time you go in there without informing me, wedge a chair under the door! Understood, Mr Linton?’

I nodded again. That sounded like a sound policy.

‘Yes, Sir. As you say, Sir. And by the way… I think you can stop calling me “Mister” Linton now.’ I giggled a little. ‘You’ve probably seen enough evidence to the contrary.’

‘Mister Linton!’

‘No, no. Not Mister. Didn’t you hear what I just said?’

There was a silence from the other side of the door.

‘Mr Ambrose, Sir?’ I asked. ‘Are you still there?’

‘I am counting to ten to calm myself. Do not disturb me, Mr Linton.’

‘As you wish, Sir.’

I tried to count along, to know when it would be all right to speak again, but it didn’t quite work. Every time I got to three I sort of stumbled and couldn’t remember the number that came next.

‘Mr Linton?’ His voice finally came from the other side.

‘Yes, Sir?’

‘Tell me when you are done in there. I, too, am not completely clean and wish to freshen up before retiring for the night.’

‘You can come in now, if you want,’ I offered generously. ‘There’s room enough for both of us here.’

‘No!’

He sounded quite adamant. That was strange. Confused, I looked around the bathroom.