“This is as much your home now as it is mine,” he said and helped Atkins carry her purchases into what would be known as Wilhelmina’s work space for the next week. He told the butler, “We’ll take our next meals in the parlor without any fuss.”
“Very good, sir.” Atkins, to his credit, left without any hint of thinking the change in circumstance odd.
“I’ll use one of my day dresses to make a pattern,” Wilhelmina said. She was already in the process of unpacking the sewing equipment and pattern paper she’d bought.
“An excellent idea.” James stepped up behind her and placed his palm against her lower back. When she stilled, he leaned in and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “In the meantime, I’ll get to work on the plumbing.”
“Oh.” She turned to him in a rush, placing herself in his arms. “What a wonderful idea. I wish you luck and look forward to seeing your progress.”
Unable to resist, he dipped his head and captured her lips with his in a sweet caress that turned increasingly hungry. As much as he regretted it, he eventually forced his mouth away from hers. A rough laugh rippled through him. “I should probably go if you want to get started on your gown today.”
She gazed at him with longing. “You know I’d rather keep kissing you, but if you want me to be ready by Friday, I don’t have much choice.”
“I know.” He stepped back and took a deep breath. “Call me if you need help.”
“You too,” she said, prompting him to smile with adoration as he strode from the room.
The day of the ball snuck up on Wilhelmina faster than she’d expected. She’d barely left the dining room during the last week except to eat and sleep, which she accomplished quickly and in brief increments. And although she missed spending more time with James, she was able to follow his movements around the house thanks to the noise he made. The banging and clanging along with the heavy tread on the stairs gave her some sense of what he was up to.
She pulled her needle and thread through the stitch line she’d marked with white thread, attaching the last capped sleeve to the bodice. A quick glance at the clock alerted her to the time. It was nearly midday and she still had to hem the entire thing.
A knock on the door preceded James’s arrival. He was coming to check on her for the second time that morning. And he brought with him a plate filled with sandwiches. “How are you faring?”
“I’m not done yet.”
“Then let me help you save some time.” He pulled up a chair and held one sandwich up to her mouth. “Eat.”
She grinned and took a large bite of bread, ham, and cheese. A groan of pleasure escaped her as her stomach cheered in response to the offering. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He kept the sandwich steady for her so she could keep eating while she worked. “I’m sure I could figure out how to use a needle and thread. It looks more tedious than hard.”
“Don’t you have enough on your hands?” She took another bite and tied off the thread.
“Not any more. I’m finished.”
Her gaze snapped to his. “Truly?”
A grin lit up his eyes. He nodded. “Truly.”
“And it works?”
“Yes, Mina. It works.”
“That’s marvelous news, James.” She thrust her gown from her lap and flung her arms around his neck, nearly making a mess of the last bit of sandwich he held. He barely managed to set it aside before she hugged him to her, holding him tightly and simply loving him with all her might. “I want to see it right away. May I?”
“I’ve a better idea.” He leaned back a little. “How about I help you finish your gown first? Once it’s done, we’ll prepare a hot bath so you can see the new system at work while taking some time to relax and enjoy it.”
As impatient as she was to see it now, she appreciated his suggestion and prepared a needle and thread for him. A swift lesson in hemming followed, during which he paid close attention. “If you start there with small stiches and sew to your right, I’ll begin here and sew to the left. Once we meet, we’ll be finished.”
They worked in companionable silence and completed the hem within a couple of hours. Wilhelmina breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed her temples. “We did it.”
“With three hours to spare before we have to start getting ready. That’s plenty of time for that bath I promised.” James stood, placed Wilhelmina’s gown carefully on the table, and reached for her hand. “Come on.”
She got to her feet and followed him out of the room. Excitement bubbled inside her as he led her downstairs to the kitchen, past Mrs. Dunkley, who was making a pâté, and toward the copper. A metal pipe protruding from the side of the traditional looking water heater had been connected to a large metal cylinder while another pipe sticking out through the top disappeared into the ceiling.
“The water in the copper is hot,” James explained. “If we switch this valve here, then the steam driven engine will push water up that pipe and out through an upstairs tap, filling the tub. I’ve added a speaking tube over here so the person operating the pump will know when to stop.”
“How ingenious,” Wilhelmina murmured. She studied the tube with the flexible end piece and glanced at James. “May I try it?”
“Of course.” He asked Tabitha, the maid, to go upstairs and monitor the bath.
“Ready, sir,” came her voice moments later.
Wilhelmina laughed. “Oh, this is brilliant, James. You are brilliant.”
He smiled and gestured toward the pump. “Would you like to do the honors?”
“I would love to.” She nearly bounced on her feet in excitement. “Should I just…”
“Here.” He handed her a crocheted pot holder. “So you don’t burn yourself.”
Wilhelmina took the square piece of cloth, reached for the valve, and gave it a push. She glanced at James. A moment passed, and then she heard Tabitha speak from upstairs. “There’s hot water, sir. It’s got a steady flow to it.”
“That will come and go as the pressure inside the engine eases,” James answered through the speaking tube. “Let me know when the water flow weakens so we can close the valve and allow the pressure to build once more.”
The maid did as asked and by the time she announced that the tub had been filled, Wilhelmina had lost track of the number of times the valve had been opened and closed. In between, they had to wait for the water to boil again in the engine.
Wilhelmina studied the device. “Is this like the Savery pump you mentioned during our travels?”
“This is a much simpler design. It lacks the mechanical automation of the Savery pump, which is also a great deal bigger. And although my design no longer requires hauling heavy buckets of water up two flights of stairs, it is still a time-consuming process,” James said. He offered his arm and began escorting her up to what had once been a small sitting room between two bedchambers. He now referred to it as the bathing room, much to Wilhelmina’s delight. “A great deal of work still remains.”
“Like hiding the pipes and patching up your broken ceilings?” Wilhelmina asked with a touch of mischief.