He blinked, shifting his gaze to the large claw-footed tub. “Did you move that?” he asked, his voice incredulous.
She nodded. It was amazing the sort of strength one could summon when properly motivated.
He looked at her, then at the tub, then back again. “No,” he said. “It’s not possible. You didn’t-”
“I did.”
“You couldn’t-”
“I could,” she said, beginning to enjoy herself. She didn’t get to surprise him these days nearly as often as she would have liked. “Just a few inches,” she admitted.
He looked back over at the tub.
“Maybe just one,” she allowed.
For a moment she thought he would simply shrug his shoulders and leave her to her endeavors, but then he surprised her by saying, “Would you like some help?”
It took her a few seconds to ascertain his meaning. “With the tub?” she asked.
He nodded, crossing the short distance to the edge of its basin. “If you can move it an inch by yourself,” he said, “surely the two of us can triple that. Or more.”
Hyacinth rose to her feet. “I thought you didn’t believe that the jewels are still here.”
“I don’t.” He planted his hands on his hips as he surveyed the tub, looking for the best grip. “But you do, and surely this must fall within the realm of husbandly duties.”
“Oh.” Hyacinth swallowed, feeling a little guilty for thinking him so unsupportive. “Thank you.”
He motioned for her to grab a spot on the opposite side. “Did you lift?” he asked. “Or shove?”
“Shove. With my shoulder, actually.” She pointed to a narrow spot between the tub and the wall. “I wedged myself in there, then hooked my shoulder right under the lip, and-”
But Gareth was already holding his hand up to stop her. “No more,” he said. “Don’t tell me. I beg of you.”
“Why not?”
He looked at her for a long moment before answering, “I don’t really know. But I don’t want the details.”
“Very well.” She went to the spot he’d indicated and grabbed the lip. “Thank you, anyway.”
“It’s my-” He paused. “Well, it’s not my pleasure. But it’s something.”
She smiled to herself. He really was the best of husbands.
Three attempts later, however, it became apparent that they were not going to budge the tub in that manner. “We’re going to have to use the wedge and shove method,” Hyacinth announced. “It’s the only way.”
Gareth gave her a resigned nod, and together they squeezed into the narrow space between the tub and the wall.
“I have to say,” he said, bending his knees and planting the soles of his boots against the wall, “this is all very undignified.”
Hyacinth had nothing to say to that, so she just grunted. He could interpret the noise any way he wished.
“This should really count for something,” he murmured.
“I beg your pardon?”
“This.” He motioned with his hand, which could have meant just about anything, as she wasn’t quite certain whether he was referring to the wall, the floor, the tub, or some particle of dust floating through the air.
“As gestures go,” he continued, “it’s not too terribly grand, but I would think, should I ever forget your birthday, for example, that this ought to go some distance in restoring myself to your good graces.”