The Duke's Masked Wife 2: The Prince's Outcast Bride-Chapter 101: Preparing (3)

Penelope stood off to the side as the maids poured warmed water for Tyrion’s bath. She noticed that the maids moved quicker than usual, as if they knew what was going to occur.

’I am only here to help with his bath,’ Penelope thought.

Penelope didn’t believe herself since there was no reason she needed to be present to help wash Tyrion, who was more than able to do this by himself.

She was standing here in their bathing chamber since Tyrion had swayed her with his words.

Penelope looked at the floor. She did not have ample time to read much of the book to have some idea of what to do should anything happen here.

Penelope was more on edge now that she knew they could touch and hold each other at any hour of the day.

"The bath is ready, Milady."

Penelope was brought back to reality after hearing the maid’s voice. "Thank you. You may leave the room and have our dinner sent up to be served here during the hour for dinner. Find Matilda and tell her that I do not need her help unless I send for her."

"As you wish, Milady."

Penelope saw the maids out, then turned to Tyrion, who had been patiently sitting on the bed.

"Your bath is ready. You must come while the water is hot," Penelope said, waiting for him to go first.

Tyrion stood up from the bed. "Is this when you take your leave?" He asked, expecting her to run out.

Penelope watched as Tyrion walked by her to go inside the chamber. "No, I will stay to aid you."

"I’m surprised. I thought you would leave behind a maid to do it," Tyrion replied.

Penelope knew Tyrion was used to maids helping him with his bath, but she did not like the thought of it now that they were married.

If the maids present say what she saw then they would surely be distracted and wish to gaze at his body.

Penelope followed Tyrion inside and looked away from his body as he got undressed. It would be so easy for her to look, but she resisted.

Penelope only looked his way once again after she heard the water splash, and some of it fell on the floor.

Tyrion was well seated in the water, with his arms spread across the sides of the tub. His gaze was on her.

He was testing her. Tyrion had made that very clear.

Penelope still felt shy under his gaze, but she kept calm and started to pick up his clothes so she could fold them.

Tyrion grabbed her hand when she got close to him. "I did not leave them there for you to pick up. Will you not help me? Or, have you come here to clean?"

"I do not like to see them on the floor. Let me set them to the side, and then I will help you," said Penelope.

Penelope needed a little time to think of how she was to help him. Was she to take a cloth and wipe him, or just use her hands?

Tyrion let go of Penelope so she could set his clothes down. When she returned to his side, he was no longer in the mood to play this game.

"Penelope, we both know I did not ask for you to be here so you could bathe me. Join me," Tyrion said, revealing his intentions. "There is plenty of room for you, and the water is still warm. I won’t do anything that you don’t like."

Penelope wasn’t surprised by his request since he had made his intentions quite clear from the moment he asked her to stay.

Penelope turned around. It was misread as her preparing to leave, but it wasn’t so.

Penelope started to undress herself so that she could join him.

How were they ever to perform their marital duties and become closer to each other if she was always so fast to run away?

Penelope wanted to get closer to Tyrion, and if doing things like this helped, she accepted the challenge. He had unlocked a side to her which was very curious about intimacy.

Penelope kept her back to Tyrion until the last piece of her garment fell to the floor. She covered herself just before she turned around and found Tyrion staring at her.

"Surely, you did not think I wouldn’t look," Tyrion said as he offered his hand to Penelope to help her in.

Once her dress fell, and Tyrion realised that Penelope was not leaving him alone, he found it hard to look away from her.

This was the first time she stood completely exposed to him.

"You must move one hand so I can help you in. I can close my eyes to bring you some comfort," Tyrion suggested.

"No," Penelope responded by placing her right hand on his.

After last night, there was no reason to hide herself, and there had to come a point when Tyrion would see her like this. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com

Penelope accepted his help and sat before him.

Penelope relaxed as soon as she made herself comfortable before him. She had worried all for nothing, or so she thought. Her skin tingled when his arm came around her waist, pulling her back to him.

She felt all of him pushing against her back.

"I wouldn’t put it past you to find a way to jump out of this water," Tyrion said, his breath blowing against her ear as he spoke.

"I am not going to run," Penelope said, trying to look over her shoulder to get a glimpse of Tyrion. "Would it not be more comfortable if I were to face you? There is hardly any room for you."

’It is better like this for now. You don’t need to put much effort into hiding from me. I am considering getting a bigger one to hold the two of us better. There is plenty of room," Tyrion said, looking around the chamber.

Penelope leaned back as carefully as she could to rest on his chest. There wasn’t much space for the two of them because of how tall Tyrion was, but she still managed to feel comfortable.

Tyrion spread his arms along the side again since he didn’t need to hold Penelope anymore.

"I don’t want to hide forever with you fighting my battles. I will need to face the town and your grandmother at some point. I have been feeling a little down lately, but I am fine now," Penelope said, relaxed as she laid against Tyrion. "I will not let anyone think they have chased me into hiding."

Penelope didn’t know who was targeting her family, but she had a good idea of who might be sharing lies about her.

"I will support anything you wish to do," said Tyrion.

He believed Penelope could handle the ladies around the town while he handled the court.