Chapter 38: Conversation In The Bathtub
In the early morning, Madeline had woken up feeling more delighted than usual. Thanks to the medication she took last night, she didn’t have any issues with sleepwalking, nor did she have to envision those terrible nightmares that reminded her of her trauma. The good thing about her medications was the fact that they can be very effective when it comes to controlling her disorder. Frankly speaking, she slept positively well last night.
Sinking into the warm tub in the bathroom and letting her skin flush under its warmth, Madeline relaxed herself with a satisfying sigh escaping her parted lips. The window slit was opened, letting streaks of sunlight slip into the bathtub and forming rays of bright light on her immaculate skin.
Staring at the white painted ceiling, Madeline couldn’t remember the last time she got to enjoy such a warm peaceful bath with her mind at ease. Back at Roland’s place, Auriela had heartlessly cut off the pipe that allows warm water stream into her tub, and whenever she had to bathe, she had to pray to the heavens for strength before taking a shivering bath. Most times she had to wait until the sun was completely out, so she could sweat before using the cold tub.
The time she suffered most was during the winter season when she had to skip a few days without taking a bath. Everything still felt like yesterday and it was difficult to believe how quickly her life had changed from just a single decision she made, and that decision was getting married to one of the Young Lord’s living in the upper east quarters of Carmarthen.
"Maddie." Madeline’s body jolted into the present when she heard a familiar voice calling her name from outside the sliding door, followed by a continuous knocking she was only starting to hear now.
How did she lose herself like that?
"Are you in there?"
"Y...Yes." she quickly responded, sitting up properly on the bathtub out of instinct before looking down at her body and reminding herself that she was stark naked.
"Can I come in, or do you need me to wait? I need to speak with you about something." He requested.
"Uhhhhh..." Madeline was about to refuse his entry after realizing she was naked, but she suddenly stopped herself before the words could leave her mouth. He is her husband now, is he not? so she has no right to chase him away. This is one of the things she’s bound to get used to as time goes on so why not start now?
Lowering her body deeper into the foamy tub until only her collarbones were visible, she finally gave her approval. "Come in."