Garnet or Garnets Curse

answer.
    “It could not be more perfect. I shall feel like a princess in this room,” I responded.
    “The room is pale in comparison to its new dweller,” Robert replied, in an obvious flirtatious tone. “We have a lovely room for you too, Mrs. Lanier. Please allow me to escort you to your quarters.” In Spanish, he tells Rosa to take care of me, gives me a wink and leads Maria out of the room.
    Rosa opens the closet to show me she has unpacked my things. Slowly she approaches me. “Please,” she said, taking out a notepad and tape measure from her pocket. I understood and stood still, allowing her to take my measurements.
    When she completed her calculations, she walked across the room, opened a door and revealed a private bath. Then with the ease of the twist of a knob, she soon filled the tub with hot water. When the bath was ready, she poured aromatic oils into the water, filling the air with an intoxicating smell.
    The luxury of the bath was most alluring. I stood in the middle of the room waiting for her to leave, but instead she began to undress me. I was not a stranger to a handmaid, but I found this undraping embarrassing, due mostly to the shabby condition of my underpinnings.
    When she had stripped off my clothes, she assisted me into the tub. She gathered my underthings beneath her arm and soon I heard the door close. Alone at last, I slowly sank down into the porcelain oasis she had prepared.
    I had nearly drifted off to sleep when I heard the main door open. I sat up and covered my breast. “Rosa?” I asked.
    “ Si, it is Rosa, “ she answered. I sank back down in the bath and through squinted eyes I watched her turning back the bed. With a towel over her arm, she lifted me out of the tub. With uncomfortable pressure and speed, she began to buff my body dry.
    I caught her hand. “I can dry myself. Thank you Rosa,” I said to her in Spanish.
    She looked up and cocked her head to the side. I was not certain if she was surprised that I had objected or that I had spoken to her in Spanish. She nodded and handed the towel to me.
    I assumed she had left and I wrapped the towel around me to search for my nightgown. But when I stepped out, I found her waiting for me.
    “Please,” she said, holding up a rose-colored gown.
    I raised my arms and the sensual feel of silk enveloped my body. Then as if I was a child, she walked over to the bed and patted the side. I did not argue with her request. I was ready for a good night sleep.
    She saw me in bed, dimmed the light and quietly started for the door. Speaking in her native tongue, I thanked her and told her she had been most kind. “ Buenos noches,” she said, and softly closed the door.
    Lying there in the moonlight, I understood what it felt like to be one of the golden ones. The room was warm, but the crisp linen sheets were cool against my freshly bathed skin. My thoughts floated to Robert somewhere in a room nearby. I considered only briefly the coincidence of our entwined family stories. At last, I drifted off to sleep, imagining him lying next to me, touching me tenderly with his lips upon mine.

    Chapter XV
    The Fig Pecker

    It was a seamless night for me and I awoke feeling refreshed. From the moment I opened my eyes, I felt an excitement stirring inside me. Everything about the room I liked. In fact, I was beginning to like everything about Chateau-du-Loir, including one very handsome Robert Shelley.
    The house was quiet, almost like a sanctuary. I walked to the window and pulled back the curtain. The morning sky was overcast and a soft silvery mist covered the grounds. I could hear birds singing and distant voices of the workers.
    With appreciation for my own private bath, I took care of my morning rituals with ease. As I looked in the mirror, I was pleased to see that the dark circles under my eyes had faded and my skin had regained its youthful glow. My mind drifted back to the weeks past and I softly prayed: “Dear Lord, thank you for delivering me here. May those bitter days be erased from my memory, never to come again. Amen.”
    I sat by the window admiring the view until my stomach began to growl. Thinking of Maria, I ventured down the hall and peeked around the corner into the oak room. I was rewarded to see her sipping coffee by the window. “Psst,” I called out.
    She lifted her eyes and smiled, “Well, good morning sleepy head.”
    I delayed stepping out in the open when I saw Robert coming to join her. He looked up to see