IEHBD – GLADIATORS
CHAPTER 3
"Good morning, Marguerite!" - Veronica greeted her, and Tommy directed to her a big smile and babbled unintelligible things. As time went by, he was increasing the quantity of different sounds he could "speak". And he seemed to cheers more and more every time he saw the heiress, who by her side pretended indifference.
"Did you sleep well?" - The question came from Veronica in a sarcastic tone, since it was almost 11AM.
"Where are the others?" - Marguerite asked her, already serving herself of coffee's cup.
"It depends... who you're talking about?" - Veronica asked, while offering juice for the child.
"Never mind..." – She drank a sip from her coffee's cup, ignoring both Tommy and the blond girl.
Veronica shrugged, but kept her good mood. - "Ok, then." - She went out in the elevator with Tommy by her lap still drinking his passion-fruit juice.
No matter it looked like differently, Marguerite had wakened up a long time ago. She was making plans about how to win John in the contest. Of course, it would not be easy, she knew that very well, but she had to be brilliant, simply perfect, for not failing in anything. In addition, she knew she should start with a proper schedule.
She already knew, better than John, the kid's timetable. She planned to teach something to Tommy when he was not hungry, sleepy or too eager to play. She needed to think about something very subtle and at the same time something that would pleas the boy to teach him.
"What can I teach to a little brat this size?" – She beat her fingers slightly on the table while drinking her coffee. - "Or better, what can I teach to a little brat that sometimes make us all look like fools and seems to know more than we?" - She smiled.
However, she was a little concerned, for she did not have any good idea that could beat John's ideas... - "who at this time is probably having fun on my expenses, already imagining myself with double tasks for a whole month!" - She snorted. "Come on, Marguerite, think! I always had good ideas in risky situations, now that I have the whole time of the world, I seem like a puppet..."
Suddenly, a smile illuminated the heiress's face - "Perfect!" she just muttered.
She put down the cup still half-full, and she ran for the elevator.
Roxton was seating by a high tree branch, writing some important notes that Challenger and Summerlee would use for their small travel to the Zanga river.
He beat the tip of the pencil on the small block of paper. He thought now about how to improve his plan on teaching something to Tommy. His first idea had been to teach the boy to make better and more elaborated traps, but he gave up. Actually, he had not managed to teach him even the most simple traps (and the kid just watched the hunter teased him a lot in that occasion).
Then he thought about teaching him how to recognize some species that lived on the plateau.
As he was having those ideas, he also wrote them in the same writing pad he was using before. He smiled self-confidently, analyzing what he had written.
"Marguerite, I am sorry, but I like my coffee very strong... And don't try to make a mistake throwing the coffee powder into the cup." - he began to practice gesticulating and speaking alone - "Marguerite, bring me some fresh fruits... And don't forget to make the weapons shine, and to clean my hat too..."
"Roxton!" - Malone called under the tree - "Challenger is wondering if you have already finished."
"Yes, take it!" – he throw the notes and Ned caught them. - "Have you been here for a long time?"
"No" - Ned was already turning back when he answered, not allowing the curious Roxton to see his smile.
Marguerite spent her whole afternoon preparing finger puppets. She had an infallible plan, for sure it would make John very nervous and would give her plenty of time in order for her to think about some good lesson to teach Tommy.
At the end of her work, she proudly observed the completed puppets: all six of them representing each resident of the house.
"Oh! I forgot the most important!" - Quickly she began to search in her sewing box and smiling she got a black sewing thread.
She took the fabric that leftover and began to prepare Tommy's puppet.
For his turn, Roxton had also everything set. He had separated all the stuff he would need, especially collected for Tommy, and that could not be of any danger for the kid. John had near him some cultured books that Challenger had lent to him.
He thought back his friend's recommendations. - "Don't worry, George, I'll take care of them as if they were my hunts."
John did not understand the scientist and the botanist's reason to get out so early the next day. Even so, he did not give it so much importance. - "The science doesn't wait for anything" - he imitated Challenger's voice, covering with some leaves the hiding place with his teaching material, in the area of the Treehouse.
"It's now time for facing the beast." – he thought while getting into the elevator.
Malone was patient and loving. His birthday was near and he deserved more attention for a long time, so, even knowing that the contest would be very confuse, Veronica decided that she wouldn't get back. She herself was eager for having some days alone with Ned.
Challenger and Summerlee would also take advantage of it, making a route along the river that passed near the Zanga's village. Summerlee was almost sure that it would have a great waterfall, possibly enclosed by caves. Besides escaping from the disorder at Treehouse, they would use their time to pick some samples.
Finally, Marguerite and John would have full and 'free' time to 'enjoy' Tommy's company, since that was the problem – and the objective.
Marguerite hated to wake up early and she was usually the last to join to the others, but nobody could deny that whenever she took a decision, nothing could stop her. And on that morning she woke up before everybody, went carefully to Veronica and Malone's room, and took Tommy with her while he was still sleeping.
When Veronica came to the kitchen, she did not believe when finding the heiress cooking porridge for Tommy, who was very well accommodated by his high chair.
"Good morning, Veronica!"
"Good... Good morning, Marguerite!"
Tommy instantly shrieked stretching his little arms for the blonde girl, who gave him a huge smile while taking him to her lap, giving a snapped kiss on the child's cheek.
"Good morning, sweetie. You woke up early today, didn't you?" - the boy hugged her as usual - "Are you all right, Marguerite?"
"I'm great! As good competitor, I'm just following the rules. Starting at 7AM, the little brat will be under our charge, is that correct?"
"Correct" - Veronica laughed while she set up things, with Tommy still in her arms.
And at 7AM, Veronica kissed the boy, while she put him on the rug surrounded by toys. - "Good luck, Tommy. And take care of them, did you understand?" - The boy nodded his head affirmatively, smiling. Afflict, she faced Ned - "Do you think it will work?"
He laughed - "Calm down... Tommy will love it, I bet."
"I'll miss him." - She sat down beside the kid, and Ned did the same.
"Me too...but we'll be back in three days and until then we'll be in touch." - Ned comforted her. Quickly he changed the subject - "Summerlee and Challenger already…?"
"... Yes, they left a little while ago. I think they didn't want to be here when the agitation began." - She said with a naughty glance.
"Great!" - He answered in the same tone.
Noticing that Veronica was beginning to be seduced by Tommy's small gestures (he was now touching her hair), Ned got up and pulled her by the hand. - "Let's go or we won't leave here today."
Under Marguerite's pretended confident glances (she actually was in panic), Veronica still stopped by the door and called for Tommy, waving him good-bye. The boy put the hand in the mouth and he made a pop sound, sending a kiss to her. The girl returned the kiss feeling a squeeze in her heart.
"Let's go, before you give up." - Ned interfered and dragged her, leaving the treehouse quickly.
The elevator came down, with two pairs of apprehensive eyes.
Marguerite still remained for some time in front of elevator. A nervous smile discreetly appeared on her face. - "I'm in trouble…" - She said very slowly and, after laughing, she recomposed herself, turning for Tommy.
"Then, young man, now it is just me and y…"
"Good morning, Marguerite" - John greeted her smiling, sitting down at the table, after agitate affectionately in the boy's hair.
"... and Roxton and you" - Marguerite ended bitterly without giving a look for the hunter, that was already serving himself a cup of a very strong tea.
"Where are the others?" - He asked innocent, while Marguerite laggingly balanced the head.
11:00AM
"Guess what, Roxton, I woke up so early, cooked the boy's food and you will be the one to begin with his activities!" - Marguerite followed him bitterly.
John walked back and forth, already with Tommy in his arms, getting ready to go to the patio. - "Marguerite, you know very well that it wasn't necessary to cook his meal before 7 am, was it? You did it because you wanted to, instead of waiting that Veronica made it; you were ahead and didn't want me to take advantage." - he said hurried, while seeming to seek for something.
Immediately Marguerite ran before John to the elevator and blocked his way leaning her arms in the wood - "Nobody leaves this place!"
"Marguerite, you are scaring us." - John retreated defensively, having fun - "We have already talked about that, you don't need to be jealous."
"John, I am not kidding, and I'm not jealous, I only think that I am entitled of begin teaching him."
"Already breaking hearts, young boy?" - Roxton smiled at the kid who laughed, seeming to understand.
Marguerite changed some fumigant glances among them, and she took the child - "He is mine for this morning and that's final!"
"But… oh... what? Ah… Marguerite!" - He called her, still with the backpack on, ready to go down with the boy. Marguerite carried Tommy for the kitchen for an instant, and then came back, taking the bag with the child's belongings, entering the elevator.
John would never leave things that way, and he also entered hurriedly in the elevator. Instead of a reprehension, Marguerite tried just to ignore him.
"You..." - John said, forcing himself to breathe slowly - "... You... are very daring..."
"If you want to come with us, just watch and learn." - She answered immediately without looking to John's eyes, completely ignoring his accusation.
Always with Marguerite by his heels, Roxton took the boy to the base of treehouse. He searched in his pants' pocket.
"Damn it." - he muttered.
"Any problem, Lord Roxton?" – Marguerite provoked.
"Of course not, Lady Krux" - he answered with a smile. John remembered that all his objectives for the next days were in the notepad that he had handed to Challenger.
In the meanwhile, far away from the treehouse...
"Summerlee, could you read the notes that Roxton did?"
"Of course, George..." - The botanist took the writing pad from his backpack, and browsed it, until finding the small and elaborated Lord's handwriting.
Summerlee scrubbed his eyes, and narrowed them, seeming not to understand well whatever was written there. George waited patiently for his reading, back turned for the friend who was making a great effort to read it - "Summerlee?"
"Oh, yes... it is written: 1) keep an eye on Marguerite all the time 2) do not leave Tommy with her for a long time 3) try to irritate her, so that she gets tired and gives me the boy..."
With a confused glance, Challenger turned immediately for the botanist that already had a huge smile spread over his face.
Roxton put the child on the ground, and he quickly joined the heiress, already seat in a tree trunk. As always, she faced him giving him an angry glance that was immediately paid back with no ceremony by the boy.
Then they returned the old practice of observing the hunter, who was already supplied of rope and a piece of wood.
Quickly he hung two pieces of rope on a tree and tied the wood about centimeters of the ground.
"Take a look here, kid, this is a fabulous toy" - the hunter smiled, delighted with his own improvisation.
"It is crooked."
Roxton looked angrily to the heiress, but adjusted the toy. Then he called the kid again.
"Come here, boy."
Tommy looked at the brunet that nodded as if allowing him to proceed. Only then he came near the hunter, who took him on his lap and put him seating in the swing, showing him how to hold tight.
"It's not going to work." - Marguerite said in a very blasé attitude.
"You complain about everything that I do!" – he whined.
"Roxton, can't you see the plain obvious?" - The phrase came out naturally, almost as laughter.
"What obvious? You pick on everything I do, this is the only 'obvious' thing here... and he will love the toy that I, Lord John Roxton, did for him. You are envy because you didn't think about anything better."
"Then go on, Lord John Roxton!". - She said, visibly cranky. In a certain way, he was right.
Roxton puffed up his chest, glancing at her angrily. Then he pulled the swing with the boy, who was holding it strongly, pulled it until his thorax height, and then said, turning to face Tommy.
"Now you will have fun, kid. Get ready."
All happened very fast. Roxton released the swing that oscillated with Tommy. When it began to arise, the child leaned back and Marguerite closed her eyes when she saw the small body 'flying' of the toy to land in a soft portion of vegetation.
John's smile withered, as a flower that is dying quickly. Marguerite and he ran for the boy who looked to all that without uttering a sound, looking angrily to Roxton. His knee was lightly scratched but, as always, he refused to cry when he got hurt. Tommy frowned, got up and left putting his feet down towards the elevator.
Marguerite laughed following the child, when she looked back - "I warned you, John Roxton."
They left the hunter down there and they arose quickly.
"Come here, little brat. Let's put something on that knee."
She seated the boy in the table and began to put on the antiseptic. Only then she noticed his tiny eyes full of tears when it stung. The heiress smiled.
"You are very daring. You hold your tears for that stupid hunter not to see them, didn't you? Do you know I am almost beginning to like you?"
11:30AM - Lunch: Mashed potatoes with cooked vegetables.
"I will feed him!"
"It is not written in any place in him."
"Yes, but it is my turn!"
"Since when?"
"You were with him before and..."
"Ah, observation, Miss Krux: I was not with him, alone, we were all together, the three of us."
"Listen to me" - Marguerite put the food in front of Tommy, and his eyes grew for the plate. - "It is not in the list of obligations that you have to follow us wherever we go!"
"List of duties, list of duties, you only know to say that?" - Roxton narrowed his glance for her.
"We have to follow it! If you don't like to follow orders, me neither, but I am not the one who will dare to oppose anything that is written in that cursed paper!"
"It is only a paper!"
"No, it's not! That paper is an irritating and constant representation of Veronica, whether I like it or not! Every time I read it I can hear her voice, ordering and disordering..."
"... Marguerite, you're not telling me any news, I'll feed him and that's it!"
"And if I don't allow you?" - She put herself in front of him, in a clearly challenging attitude.
Tommy seemed to look for the most important thing: a spoon. While he looked at them arguing, back and forth, he decided to do what he wanted for a long time. He stretched out his tiny arms the maximum that he could and slowly and inconspicuously dragged the dish for closer to himself. His little tongue already moistened the lips and the tiny eyes glowed, when he put the two hands inside the plate, and began to eat, even so. Sometimes he shook the hands and grimaced, but the temperature of the food was supportable.
When Roxton and Marguerite finally turned for the boy, they immediately stopped arguing, seeing Tommy laughing completely covered with food, but satisfied. If it depended on those two, he would be still starving.
"Yes, and he knows how to satisfy his own needs" – They faced each other.
"Yes... He knows. That scares me."
12:00PM – Tommy's bath
"He's..." - Marguerite made a face suspending the child in the air for far away from herself - "…filthy and stinking!"
"Of course, did you want him to smell like roses?" - Roxton rises the suggestively brow, having fun.
They filled the bathtub to its border. The fear of the two to get dirty was so much that they filled it too much. Marguerite quickly removed Tommy's clothes, throwing them far away for a corner, while she handed him to John who immersed him in the water. It was impossible not to notice the boy's happiness.
"What are you laughing at?" - Roxton asked curiously when seeing the heiress smile discreetly.
"I remember that in the orphanage the nuns said that bath after the meals were mortal."
Roxton wrinkled, showing himself a little concerned with what he had just heard. Marguerite shook her head. - "Don't worry, it's all legend."
"I know... you were too much silly for believing in those things…" - it was his turn to smile, not giving a damn for the immediate angry glances from Marguerite.
"And who said I believed in that?" - Roxton shrugged and stood back a little. - "What now?" - She asked intrigued.
"Ah... you also like water a lot, and I don't know why, whenever we're close together you always manage a way to..." - He stopped closing his eyes when she squirted him some water in the face, and she smiled. - "to wet me." - He completed.
John approached too fast in order to prevent that Marguerite avoided being wet. - "John!" - She rose soaked, looking at her clothes, but didn't seem to be angry. John laughed.
Now they got wet, while the bathroom was also soaked.
"What is... TOMMY!" - Marguerite screamed, running for closer to the bathtub that overflowed water, while they could only see the boy's shaking arms emerged and some bubbles.
Quickly Marguerite pulled him outside the bathtub, while the child coughed a lot. -"Did you see what you have almost done?" - She fought with Roxton, who was static.
"I didn't do anything. It was you that filled that thing too much!"
John took the kid from her arms, putting him face down in the floor and massaging his back to help the kid to expel the water he had ingested. Tommy coughed and spit a little more water with which he was choking.
"For one minute I thought to hear the bells and to see a strong light coming in my direction" - Marguerite said, helping the boy sitting down. - "Veronica would kill us."
"I felt the same thing, I'm still shaking."
Marguerite looked laggingly in John's direction - " Who has to be shaking here is the poor boy!"
The discussion was soon contained when the boy began to sob, already pouting and getting ready to cry.
"Oh no, Tommy, please!" - Marguerite prayed.
"I promise that it won't happen again, Tommy, I won't leave Marguerite to come closer to this bathtub and..."
But it was too late, the boy was already sobbing openly. Roxton tried to comfort him, but the kid rejected the hunter. Marguerite tried to take him afterwards, but he also refused, regretting still louder.
7:00PM - Tommy is going to sleep
Tommy missed Veronica and Malone and cried when it was time for going to bed. Patiently Roxton tried to make him sleep, but nothing calmed down the child. Marguerite was irritated more and more with the noise, while Roxton always with Tommy by his lap gave up.
"What are we going to do?"
"How do I know? Hand him to me." - Marguerite took the boy from the man's arms - "If he won't stop crying, leave him to cry alone. I can't see you wandering for there and for here anymore, Roxton." – In a bad mood, she took Tommy to the bedroom and put him in his cradle. She turned her back to him and the noise ceased. Roxton entered the room, curious. The child had already lied down, took the lion Edward and steeped the sheet. His eyes were heavy and he was already on the way to dreams' world. Roxton laughed.
"Who would say? Those two got him used to sleep directly in the cradle."
"It was very clever from their part. And we both were rocking him like mad." - They left the room in silence.
"I sleep here in case he wakes up" – Roxton announced. Marguerite faced him immediately.
"No way. I sleep here!" - She protested.
"We both stay, then." - Roxton sat down on Ned and Veronica's bed.
"What do you think you're doing, Roxton?"
"I'm going to sleep, I am tired to death..." - He answered serenely - "... Good night."
Marguerite laughed irritated - "...On the floor! I sleep on the bed" - When Marguerite stressed 'I', Roxton arched the brow having fun.
"Don't even think about that. If you want, the bed is big enough and we both sleep here." - He seemed not to become upset, when beating the hand slightly to his side on the mattress, smiling innocently.
"You are fit to be tied thinking that will sleep in the same bed with you!" - The heiress's hot-blooded.
"Alright. One of us sleeps in the floor." – He throw a pillow to Marguerite, who barely had time to catch it - "You" – Then he removed his boots and shirt quickly, remaining with trousers and undershirt, and slipped under the sheets.
Marguerite looked at him furiously. She could go to sleep at her own room or even in the living room, but she would not leave Roxton alone with the boy. She went to the bed and pushed the hunter.
"Give me same space... If you try something I will finish your Don Juan's career, do you understand?" - Marguerite nestled herself in the bed sulky, hitting the pillow.
John hid a smile in the corner of his lips, while he hugged his pillow, soon drifting his eyes.
After some minutes, Marguerite began to roll in the bed. She stayed in all the positions, trying to find some comfort, but she did not get it, and became angry.
"What is it? Can't you stay still?"
"Why are you still awake!" - She turned surprised to face the man who held an entertained expression.
"With you jumping all the time, who could sleep?"
"I didn't jump!" - She turned nervous to the other side of the bed catching her pillow, giving up on beginning another discussion, she was tired and everything that she wanted was to sleep. Instants later, she 'softened' her pillow so violently that John felt a chill run through his spine. He had to control himself for a thousand reasons, and his imagination was one to them.
"I think that the idea of sleeping on the floor wasn't that bad" – he mumbled, beginning to be impatient about Marguerite's movement.
"Take it" - He took the pillow and offered it to Marguerite, who hesitated for a minute. - "We both need to sleep."
She took it and thanked him very quickly. - "Oh, yes, now it is much better." - She closed her eyes, lying down upwards, sighing.
John lifted his head a little to face her and observed her for some time, but it seemed that she foresaw his glance, opening her eyes, to find him turning quickly to the other side.
Marguerite held her laughter and closed her eyes again.
"Oh, damn, it's so cold!" - Marguerite thought, almost waking up from her sleep.
"That blast..." - John muttered, almost sleeping too.
Instinctively Marguerite tried to find the blanket, but it wasn't enough. She was almost waking up, but not completely.
In this situation, she just wanted to protect her body from dawn's cold that didn't allow her to have a peaceful sleep, and she certainly forgot where and with whom she was sleeping.
John tried to warm himself up, hugging pillow, flinching in the bed, but he could not. It was very cold; it had cooled suddenly, what was not too usual during the night in the plateau.
In a primitive instinct, little by little, they both were getting closer to each other without even noticing.
Without turning to be facing the hunter, Marguerite was slowly guided by the human warmth, as John had already felt it. As if it was normal, she slowly turned and nestled herself very close to the hunter's thorax, which was hot and sheltered.
John, for his turn, sensed a heat coming from his left side, and he also naturally cuddled. He was in a pleasant sleep, hugged to such a hot and soft thing that exhaled a smell so...
"ROXTON?"
"MARGUERITE!"
Marguerite and John were so surprised that they did not start to move away from each other. It was easy to notice that they have been like that since some time, since their bodies were interlaced over the bed.
For one moment, Marguerite took a fast account of their situation, looking to their bodies, but it was too late. Her legs were intermingled with John's, her trunk totally glued to his and their faces a centimeter away.
John was only aware of the danger when he immediately felt her anger hot breathing on his face. Their eyes met and nothing else that could prevent them to kiss hungrily. The kiss grew deeper and more intense, and they both were enjoying calmly the sweetness of that moment.
"What?" - He answered in the same tone, while caressing her back underneath her blouse, sweetly sipping her lips.
"Where do you... think... where you are going with that... that... John.. that hand..."
Marguerite opened her eyes a little and saw his other hand involving her waist, while the other one traveled through her back.
"What... what hand?" - He asked a little confuse.
"JOHN!"
Roxton immediately jumped and left the bed, startled. "What is that!"
Marguerite, half-stunned, felt something arising close to her legs, and finally she saw the black tuft of Tommy's hair, crawling and sneaking out until reaching close to her shoulders, with very sleepy eyes, to hug her and to go back sleep in the same instant.
Roxton and she stared to each other, and John mimicked saying that she should not speak anything, because if Tommy discovered that she was not Veronica maybe he would wake up and cry all night long.
While Marguerite was there, paralyzed, he carefully sat down by the bed again.
He helped her to lie down again, very slowly. Marguerite tried to remove the boy's hand clinging to her waist, but in vain, since he started moving and opened his eyes, lifting his small head, and facing her.
Both were immediately frozen, afraid of the boy's reaction, but it suddenly vanished, as soon the kid smiled to Marguerite and went back to sleep.
John shook his head. - "I'll sleep on the floor."
"John?" - She called, still touched by his sincere smile - "Stay here."
Her voice was softer than the usual and John thought strange that request - "You two can sleep more comfortable without me in the bed."
"John" - she seemed to ignore his comment - "please."
Once more Roxton lied down very, very slowly. He and Marguerite exchanged glances among them in the twilight and the boy, who slept calmly.
"You never loose an opportunity, do you?" – her tone seemed to become serious immediately.
"What?"
"You don't lose even an opportunity!"
"What are you talking about?" - He knew, but he did not believe she wanted to start a discussion right now.
"You know as much as I do what I am talking about!" - Her whisper came resonant, but it was still a whisper.
When they elevated the voice pitch a little more, Tommy stirred and they stopped anxiously.
She corrected her blouse, recalling that just moments ago it was a little loose due to John's caresses. – "Are you insinuating that I… "
"SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
They two paralyzed when the child budged. Then he stopped, and they breathed afflicted, but Marguerite did not retreat.
"Yes, you!" - The woman whispered in an irritated pitch.
"Me! You know very well..." - he lowered his tone stiller - "that you and I were completely awake and..."
"Don't deny it, you took advantage because I was sleepy!"
"Me!" – He elevated his voice tone a little and the boy budged again. Marguerite held herself to not be taken by the impulse of strangling John, who finally noticed and reduced his voice tone again. – "I…" he whispered" – "I was immune to you, until the moment when you decided you would not sleep on the floor!"
"A lady like me sleeping on the floor?" - She lost her patience and John signaled her for silence, what made her furious.
"A lord like me sleeping on the floor?" - John imitated her voice, while she narrowed her eyes.
They wanted to say more things, but the kid began to mutter and to move more often.
"It is better if we continue this discussion tomorrow morning" - John said, while seeing the kid almost waking up completely.
Marguerite remained silent remembering Tommy's cry during the nights when he was just a baby. - "I think that is a good idea."
"Only one question, Roxton" - Marguerite was intrigued - "How did he leave his cradle?"
Roxton went to the small kid's room followed by a curious Marguerite.
"They removed a bar of the cradle and the little brat left through there."
"And didn't they tell anything about it?" - Marguerite looked suspicious.
Nervous, Roxton took off the paper of his pocket -"No. Veronica left this instruction, but it doesn't have anything about..."
Marguerite pulled the paper of his hand and began to read, afterwards launching a furious glance to the man in front of her.
"Can't you read, Roxton? It is here, in the end of the sheet." - She continued - "Sometimes Tommy comes to our bed in the middle of the night, that's why the cradle doesn't have one of the bars - so he can decide when to leave."
Then she completed - "So, Lord Fool, you will sleep in the floor because the little brat and I will be comfortable on the bed. Good night."
She turned her back to him, ready to go back to bed, but she was interrupted once again by the sarcastic tone in Roxton's voice. - "And if you feel cold?"
TO BE CONTINUED...
