I went into the bathroom and changed my clothes.
They got wet too.
When I returned to the bedroom, Dennis was putting on a new sheet.
I picked up the dirty sheet on the ground and said, “I will clean it.”
He frowned, “Let me do it.”
“No, you needn’t.” It was not proper even for an intimate partner.
He looked at me for a while and said gently, “Honey, please, just let me.”
I was about to reject it when he had taken the sheet from me.
It was quite novel that a business tycoon, whose office was located in the highest building in this city, should wash a sheet in the bathroom.
He washed the sheet with his hands and said to me, “Does your stomach ache?”
I shook my head, “No.” When I came to this city four years ago, I was easily tired and feeling unwell as I was leading a hard life for Clarrie. But since then, I had been okay.
My face was burning when I saw him washing the sheet and I left the bathroom.
Clarrie was riding a little bicycle in the sitting room, which had enough space.
She looked at me coming and said proudly, “Mom, see, I can do it.”
And she rode rather well.
No wonder she had been quiet all this morning.
“Have you had breakfast?” I said while heading for the kitchen.
She nodded, “Toby just came and brought breakfast, including some cake. I had some and Dennis told me that you would come in a moment.”
I nodded.
There was indeed breakfast and cake in the kitchen.
There were no housekeepers in this house. Only hour servants could come.
What the housemaid in the Kennedy family said to Clarrie was an alarm to me. I wouldn’t trust a stranger. After all, I couldn’t keep an eye on Clarrie twenty-four hours a day and couldn’t protect her from the gossip.
And I would play the role of a babysitter.
When I got upstairs, Dennis had already finished his laundry and was hanging the sheet.
He turned to me and asked me gently, “Have you finished your breakfast?”
I went to him and embraced his waist, “Thank you.”
He pulled a piece of tissue to dry his hands and asked, “For what?”
I looked at him, “Just thank you.”
He smiled, “Don’t go outside today and just have a good rest.”
And he took up me and put me on the bed.
I smiled, “I am okay.”
He didn’t say more and he went downstairs.
I felt kind of guilty for I had been keeping him busy all morning. He was busy with his work and now was bothered by me.
I couldn’t sleep and felt bored. It was cold so I couldn’t go out.
Why not go downstairs and read some books?
I encountered him at the door of the bedroom.
He was holding eggs boiled in brown sugar.
I had thought that he was to eat breakfast.
I shook my head at him, “I couldn’t eat them. I have eaten breakfast.”
I would vomit if I ate more than I could handle.
He was aware of that and put the food on the table, “You can have some when they are cooler.”
I nodded and asked, “I want to go to the study. Do you want to come with me?”
He raised his eyebrows and led me into the study.
It was very large and the books were selected by Dennis very carefully.
He was worried about the safety of Clarrie and took her here too.
A special little study was designed by him for Clarrie, very beautiful and sophisticated.
Clarrie didn’t know many characters and her study was full of comic books.
I didn’t want to push her to be a good student. She was only five years old.
I had planned to let her learn the piano when she was three. But she was too young.
Therefore, I let her learn dancing and painting instead.
Although it was the weekend, Dennis had work to do.
I read for some time and looked at him.
He was concentrating on his work, his fingers dancing on the keyboard.
He was so charming when he was immersed in work.
He stopped and picked up the cup to drink water but found it empty.
He frowned and kept doing his work.
I put down the book I was reading and got up.
I walked to him and took up the cup.
He looked at me, smiling, “I’ll fill it.”
I smiled, “Let me do it.”
He smiled back.
I looked at Clarrie, who was fascinated by her comic book.
She was turning the page quite carefully.
I found the two very alike.
It was amusing.
And I got her a cup of water too.