The Golden Perch Inn

[Envinyatar]

‘Bath salts?’ Jack stepped out of his room, a look of curiosity mixed with hesitation. The stack of folded towels unbalanced as he shut the door behind him. And the bar of soap went skittering along the wooden floor. He looked after it but made no effort to go after it.

He glanced for a moment at another Inn worker who was sweeping the floor nearby. She looked harmless enough as did the other one who’d come to his door. Jack was a cautious, no make that, suspicious sort. But these two rang no alarm bells as he studied them.

‘Well, alright then, I guess I do with a bath. Been on the road for a long spell.’ He let the lass who’d brought the towels fetch the truant soap and then motioned for her to lead on.

She filled the tub with hot steaming water and left him a nice large bucket full of clean water to rinse off with. Once she’d left, he doffed his clothes and reaching an arm through the barely opened door, dropped them in a wad on the floor out side the room. Jack locked the door, then perused the bottles of bath salts on the shelf near the tub. He pulled off the cork to each one in succession, giving each a good sniff. Some smelled like flowers, some like herbs.

‘I’ll just try a little of each,’ he said, humming some old tune he’d heard once, slightly off-key. Jack sprinkled a fair handful of each of the containers into the hot water, then climbed into the tub and eased himself down.

It was . . . wonderful! He wriggled his toes in the silky water and leaned back against the backrest of the tub. ‘Oh, I could get used to this!’ he thought to himself. He slid down, dunking his head beneath the water, then resurfaced - grinning . . .