Adjoining Bedchambers

"My lord and lady have interconnecting chambers, the first two on the left at the head of the stairs."

"Excellent. We are not to be disturbed for the next two hours, understood? Come on, my love."

They climbed the stairs, and Robert threw open the first door on the left. "This must be your room," he said. There was little doubt of that. The room was spacious and opulently furnished, with a large four-poster bed at its centre. The linen and drapes were a riot of frilly pink, not at all to Astra's taste. A door in the right-hand wall presumably led to Robert's room.

"You make yourself comfortable, and I'll join you in about twenty minutes," Robert added.

"I'd like to bathe first," Astra said, seeing that at the rear of the room was an en suite bathroom. "I could be some time. So why don't you have a nap while I'm doing that, and I'll join you in your room when I'm ready."

Robert reluctantly agreed, and left through the door that connected their rooms. Astra glimpsed a room whose dominant colour was blue rather than pink and which was frill-free. Then she closed the door, and wedged it shut with a chair.

Her mention of a bath had been a pretext to give Robert enough time to fall asleep, but she decided that it would be silly not to take advantage of easily the most luxorious bathing facilities that she had seen since leaving the Aqualarian royal palace many months before. In particular, there was running hot water, a great rarity.

After a long, enjoyable bath, she dried herself, brushed and combed her long red hair, and then investigated the contents of the fitted wardrobe. She hoped that Robert would be sound asleep when she entered his room, but in case he was still awake she needed to wear something that would not arouse his suspicions.

As it turned out, there was very little in the wardrobe that she would have thought suitable for wearing anywhere other than the boudoir. She selected a pair of blue panties and a matching nightie. Though it was sized to fit over her breasts, the thin and almost totally transparent material did little to hide them. She completed the ensemble with a pair of slippers.

She knew from their time on the raft that Robert was a snorer, but unfortunately the door between their rooms was too solid for listening at it to see if he was asleep. She waited until she estimated that an hour had passed since first entering the bedchamber, then removed the chair and opened the door.

1. He was asleep and snoring his head off. She tiptoed in and took up a pillow, ready to smother him.
2. He was asleep and snoring his head off. She tiptoed in, then realised that she couldn't bring herself to murder even Robert in cold blood while he slept.
3. He was still awake. Her heart sank. "Well hello-o-o, lover," he said, evidently liking what he saw.
4. Unknown to her, a stiff breeze had sprung up and the slavers had arrived ahead of schedule. Just as she opened the door to Robert's room, the door from the passage was thrown open. Two swarthy Hespan slavers stood there.
5. Meanwhile, what had been happening down on the beach?

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