Lucrezia remained still in the bath long after he had gone. The scented water curled softly around her skin, steam rising in slow ribbons through the dim light of the chamber, yet none of it calmed the chaos in her chest.
Her fingers lifted unconsciously toward where his hand had rested earlier against her arm. The memory alone made her stomach flutter again.
Softly clearing her throat, she reached for the cloth beside the tub and dipped it into the warm water, carefully washing the remaining soap from her skin. Every movement pulled faintly at her muscles, soreness lingering deep beneath the surface, though thankfully not enough to stop her entirely.
Once she finished, the servants returned almost immediately, as though they had been waiting just beyond the doors. Relief washed through her at the sight of the brown-skinned maid again.
