Persuasion in the Pantry [Maid for More #1]

Chapter 42: Part 4 - Locked Doors

[A/N: Please be advised, this chapter contains mature content. The status of Persuasion in the Pantry has been altered and this may have an effect your  ability to read this story. xx Inara]

"You must be joking." Verushka dropped her collected items onto the floor.

"I am afraid not. You are getting warmed up one way or another, and unfortunately for me it is not the way that I would prefer." Cain threw her a look over his shoulder that was steamier than the stove he stood in front of.

Verushka willed her racing pulse into inertia before testing her voice again. "Come on, Cain. It's been a long day and I would much prefer to just sleep."

"You have blood under your fingernails and are now shivering from head to toe. You will get into a hot bath if I have to put you in one myself. And..." he trailed temptingly. "If you do not fight me on this, I can see to it that you have a well bound copy of Northanger Abbey to curl up with tonight."

"How did you know I hadn't finished reading it?" Verushka gaped.

"Well, I am the Governor for the Home Office," Cain smiled enigmatically. "Do we have an accord?"

Verushka thought about the warmth of freshly steamed water seeping into her bones coupled with the tantalising comfort of a book read beneath blankets and she knew that she had lost. Dammit, but the man knew her weaknesses and played them with ease. If the Duchess ever managed to hone her skills she wondered who would win a battle of wits - the man or the maid.

"Fine." Verushka's shoulders sagged. "But if you are going to heat water for a bath then we are going to need a bigger pot." She reached forth and pulled out a large brass cauldron and filled it with water before placing it over the burgeoning heat.

She ignored Cain's grin and strode towards the pantry alcove to relight the oven fire before ducking around the corner into the mudroom. When she came back she was dragging a large round wooden tub.

"What on earth is that?" Cain appeared deeply concerned.

"It's-uff- a- argh- bathtub." Verushka asserted through huffs as she angled the large cylinder awkwardly into the warming pantry.

Cain raised a brow. "It most certainly is not."

"Look, are you going to help me or not?" Verushka collapsed against the alcove archway. "It usually takes all three of us to get this thing in here."

"I hesitate to ask who else was involved in this idiocy, but I'm afraid I can already guess," Cain sighed.

"Hey!" Verushka placed her hands on her hips. "Some of us don't have baths freely available and sometimes in winter it is nice to have a little pool that we can sit in for several hours and read."

"And who came up with this ingenious idea then?" Cain removed the boiling water from the stove and meandered in her direction.

"Well, I believe Liara had heard something about swimming in Turkish spas and found a few bags of special salts to place in the water. Mina brought the snacks and from memory I think I suggested reading to pass the time."

"Well that all sounds about right," Cain laughed a deep, roughened texture that raised the hair on Verushka's arms for reasons other than chill. He heaved one end of the wood up and rolled it swiftly into the pantry space where they had sequestered themselves several times before. He was learning to love the terracotta brick walls and the scent of baked bread. Women could spend hundreds of pounds on perfumes but no simpler an aphrodisiac could be found than in the scent of memory.

The base of the tub slammed against the stone floor with a thud and small particulates of soil puffed into the air.

"Please tell me that this thing doesn't get used in the stables," Cain choked.