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Mary nodded her understanding, wiping her tears away with her shawl, still gasping, trying to calm down. She then came closer to Julie, and for the first time since before she was taken to the asylum, she hugged her. Julie closed her eyes, lost between agony and bliss, tears streaming down her face. She had dreamed of this moment ever since she’d lost her, and with every passing day, she’d thought she’d never reach it. She hugged her sister closer to her heart, kissing the top of her head, placing her cheek against her hair. Inhaling her sweet smell. Her baby sister was finally in her arms.
“I’ll go take off the blades.” Robert turned and walked to the bench.
Mary finally twisted out of Julie’s arms and regarded her curiously. “Why do you cry?” she asked innocently, looking up at her.
“Because I missed you.” Julie kissed Mary’s forehead and hugged her close to her once again, just enjoying her dear sibling’s closeness.
After a moment, Julie eased Mary away and looked her over. She seemed unharmed, but her feet and calves were soaking wet. If they stood in the open frigid air longer, they risked freezing her.
“Let’s go back to the bank, all right?” she asked, and at Mary’s nod they shuffled back to the firm, dry land. “And you don’t have to worry,” Julie added, looking at her husband’s form as he took off his blades from his boots. “Robert will never hurt me. He is good.”
“I love Rob,” Mary said emphatically.
Julie’s lips twitched as she tried to stifle her laughter at a quick turn in her sister’s mood. “What about me?” she asked playfully.
“I love you,” Mary continued seriously. “And Grandmama. And John.”
Julie’s heart gripped in a painful vise at the mention of her first love.I love him, too,she wanted to say but remained silent.
* * *
They reached home quickly, and Robert immediately ordered a hot bath for Mary. He didn’t know how Julie would be able to coax Mary into getting into the bath, but he knew it was the quickest way of getting her warmed up. The maids stripped Mary to her chemise and covered her with blankets while feeding her hot tea. Julie hovered about her, fussing and fretting, touching her face, trying to gauge if she was coming up with fever. Robert stood nearby, watching the proceedings, unable to help.
By the time the bath came in, Mary was sufficiently warmed up so that her teeth weren’t chattering anymore, but her limbs were still cold.
“Mary, sweetheart, you need to climb into a hot bath,” Julie said, looking at her intently.
“No!” Mary said and shook her head for emphasis.
Julie looked at Robert as if for help, and he stepped closer.
“You are cold. We don’t want you to get sick,” he said. “You need to get warm and quickly. The only way for you to do that is to get into a warm bath.”
Mary gave a decisive shake of her head.
Robert turned back to Julie. She took a deep breath and looked around as if thinking of something. She finally turned and looked at Robert with a resolute set on her face.
“I have an idea of how to coax her into the bath.”
“Alright.” Robert frowned but nodded his head in support. He had no idea what she could possibly come up with.
“I will need your help,” she said quietly.
“Anything,” he said without hesitation.
Julie smiled at his answer.
What she did next had him gaping in surprise. She turned her back to him and started slowly undoing her bodice and pushing her skirts out of the way. She backed toward him and asked him to untie her stays. Robert swallowed audibly but complied, slowly undressing Julie in front of her sister. He saw goosebumps cover her skin when his fingers accidentally touched her. His breathing grew frantic, and he felt the heat rise to the surface.
When she stripped down to her chemise, she came to stand by the bath and stretched her hand toward him. Robert understood immediately. He came closer and took her hand in his.
“Mary,” Julie drawled. “Look, I am going to enter the bath, and it is not going to hurt me.”
Mary jumped to her feet. “No!” With a yelp she scrambled to the side of the bath, trying to drag Julie away.
Julie gripped Robert’s hand stronger but didn’t relent.
“Mary, remember, I told you that Robert would never hurt me?” Mary nodded her head slowly. “Then he wouldn’t help me with getting into a bath if it was bad for me, would he?”
