Read Merrick for Free Online Page B

least of all – the druid-like robe that
projected timeless authority.
    But here was he
revealed, young and vital, no older than my drinking partners in the city!
    Oh, I was thrown.
Every time things started to make sense…
    “William?”
    He was looking at
me, and I was caught momentarily by his startling amber eyes. The color was so
pure and luminous it was as though they were lit from within.
    Blinking, I
managed to break away from his golden gaze to pull off my shirt and hang it on
a hook near the laundry tub. Then I sat on a stool to remove my filthy boots
and my stockings. After setting them aside, I was still.
    “Must I remove
your pants for you?” Merrick asked with an exasperated sigh. “Or are you
confident enough in my ability to cure pneumonia?”
    I looked miserably
at him, but quickly remembered to avert my eyes lest I be caught in that gaze
again . I slowly unbuttoned my breeches and rose to remove them, determined to
ignore his smooth skin and elegant features, the way his amber eyes were set
off by his soft, ink-black hair. No more looking , I told myself sternly. You can’t trust yourself. At last I stood naked.
    “Come closer to
the coals,” Merrick said.
    I padded closer,
standing in the warmth of the small stove with my hands folded in front of my
groin. “Did those boys find you this morning, sir?”
    “The Jones twins?
They did. Breathe in the vapor.”
    He had added
something to the water and stoked the flames so that it was steaming. I
stiffened, suspicious.
    “It’s nothing out
of the ordinary, William,” Merrick said, his tone softening. “Eucalyptus and a
bit of mint, to refresh your lungs.”
    “Thank you, sir,”
I mumbled, and ducked my chin a bit when he put a hand to the small of my back
and nudged me toward the steam. Did he not realize what happened when he
touched me? There was no way to stop him without revealing my own weakness. As
I breathed in the vapor, I watched from the corner of my eye as he dipped a
clean rag in the steaming water. Then he reached for a jar on a shelf above,
opened it, and shook a finely ground powder onto the steaming rag.
    “You met the twins
on the road, did you?” Merrick asked.
    I nodded, and only
jumped a little when he began to scrub my back in firm, circular motions.
Whatever powder he’d applied to the rag was pleasantly scratchy and gave off a
lovely scent. “What’s that you put on the cloth, sir?”
    “Lavender salt.”
    A curious thing
began to happen then: First, I started to relax. The rain was falling hard on
the tight wooden roof, and the occasional clap of thunder rumbled over us, but
inside the cedar shed things were warm and fragrant. The tingling vapors rising
from the steam made my lungs and head feel clear and fresh, and as Merrick’s
strong fingers massaged my back and shoulder muscles through the fragrant
cloth, I felt myself lulled into a state of calm I hadn’t felt in a long, long
while.
    And then, my
long-frazzled brain did an extraordinary thing. I can only describe it thusly:
in some convenient corner of my mind, a strong and sturdy Wall began to slowly
rise. And as it went up, it concealed from view all of the alarming feelings
and confusing paradoxes that had been swarming about my head for days,
threatening to drive me mad.
    Most blessedly, it
sealed away the two most stubborn, nerve-wracking, tormenting questions of all:
Why did my body yearn for Merrick? And why did the yearning seem to touch my
very soul?
    As these terrible
queries faded from the forefront of my mind, disappearing behind the Wall to be
addressed at some later point (or never), I was able to enjoy a sensation of
peace and quiet I had not experienced in weeks.
    No longer did I
have to wonder why I was so willing to stand here completely nude while
Merrick’s powerful hands massaged my bare skin. Instead, I could simply enjoy
it.
    And enjoy it I
did. My head drooped over the vapors as I leaned against the solid wooden
shelves on either side